Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum - DAVID RAMSEY Opens Up About Arrow, Cancer Recovery & Learning to Let Go

Episode Date: February 17, 2026

David Ramsey (Arrow, Dexter) joins us for a deeply personal and wide ranging conversation about survival, perspective, and learning how to stay grounded in an unpredictable industry. David opens up about his experience with testicular cancer, how it reshaped his outlook on life, and why gratitude and presence became non negotiable. We talk about his journey from guest star to series regular, the reality of Arrowverse crossovers, directing some of the CW’s biggest shows, and what he has learned about leadership on set. Thank you to our sponsors: 🚀 Rocket Money: https://rocketmoney.com/inside 🥬 AG1: https://drinkag1.com/inside/ __________________________________________________ 💖 Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/insideofyou⁠⁠ 👕 Inside Of You Merch: ⁠⁠https://store.insideofyoupodcast.com/⁠⁠ __________________________________________________ Watch or listen to more episodes! 📺 ⁠⁠https://www.insideofyoupodcast.com/show⁠⁠ __________________________________________________ Follow us online! 📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/insideofyoupodcast/⁠⁠ 🤣 TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@insideofyou_podcast⁠⁠ 📘 Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/insideofyoupodcast/⁠⁠ 🐦 Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/insideofyoupod⁠⁠ 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://www.insideofyoupodcast.com/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My instinct is to go, no, no, that's not what. And that's the worst thing to do. Because that stuff was there to protect me from disappointment. It was to protect me from getting hurt. It was to protect me from going around that corner where that drug house was. Whatever that thing was, that anxiety, that thing you felt in your belly, it was there because I want you to survive. You survive. Don't be hurt.

Yeah. So I have to have compassion for it. But thank you. You're no longer needed. Without a doubt. I mean, look, we were in your shadow. Without a doubt. It was always that way.

You go back to the acting and like, oh, you know, you're guest starring and now it's my time. It's just not my perspective. My perspective is this is fucking awesome, bro. All right, you know something? I feel like crap this morning, but I can choose joy. And what is the embodiment of joy? You know what I mean? I know it sounds kind of crazy, but, bro, this stuff has really kind of helped me just a lot deal with the stuff.

You know what I just want to keep it 100, bro. Just keep it 100. And I try. I'm trying. And you're not trying. You're doing it. Okay, good. Are you?

Yeah, bro. I didn't know that. Do a lot of people know this? How did you deal with your father's loss? Was it real tough for you? You shocked when you found out it wasn't? Was everybody shocked? Why didn't everybody just say no?

I don't believe that shit. We're going to settle this once and for all. Watch this. You're listening to Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. Thank you for joining me. Ryan Tejas is always here. Usually here. Except that one time.

Yeah. In band camp? That one time at band camp? Yeah. How's your mental health, man? Fine. It's funny you said band camp because that was the, What the party house was named for the pep band in college.

Really? For me? Yeah. That's where I learned how to play Flip Cup. I did not know that weird way on stuff. Yeah, later this month I'm going to be going to the 20-year reunion of the pet band. They've never done that before, but we're going to go watch them. What did you play?

I played trumpet and then I conducted my senior year. I conducted the pep band. Ryan, of course you did. Uh-huh. That was fun. I wore a headset. Ryan's a talented dude. Let me tell you.

Ryan, it's funny because you think, oh, Ryan, you know, he produces Talkville. He's the engineer here. He's a host on Talkful as well. But like if you see the videos he makes, there's a real, there's a real talent there. And there's a real work ethic that when you want to do something, you go, you do it the right way. Yeah? And I respect that. Yeah.

You don't just half-ass things. You want to do it right. I so bad they want to half-ass things a lot. And you kind of tell me like, no, we should do this. You should do this. I need that direction because I will half-ass. But I'm glad you're doing well. I've been going to therapy a little more, and it's been helping me.

So, you know, I encourage everybody to get therapy if you haven't. And the stigma is really gone nowadays. It's like you're just hurting yourself if you don't take care of yourself. If you go to the gym and you work out, you got to work out your brain. And sometimes you need to talk to people and figure things out with professionals. So that's why BetterHelp's been around forever. It's true. It's true.

Because they know I'm passionate about it. Uh, anyway, a lot of things going on. What can I say? It's just like, you know, I'm pitching a show right now. You're doing a lot. Yeah, I'm doing a lot. I'm trying to get this movie going. And look, the reality is the old me would be like, I got to sell this.

I got to do this. I'm having a lot of fun and I really believe in these projects. But if they don't sell, if I just, I'm back to square one, yes, it's a couple of years of wasted time, but it's not wasted. It's, I was creative. I had, uh, passion. I had purpose. And I think that's

The older I get, I start to realize that that's the most important thing is enjoying the ride. Yeah. Not the destination. Yeah. I can't tell you how important that is. It really is if you just

not try to get through shit. And I, you know, sometimes on Talkville, especially since I'm not in it now, I just want to get through it. I know. But I also try to take a step back and go, all right, hey, come on. Let's watch this.

Let's be objective. Let's, I'm trying, Ryan. I'm trying to make it easy for you, too. No, I know you are. Also, I forgot to redecorate. We're in the middle of recording talk fills, but... Yeah, so that's why you see all these dolls around the house. And that was given to us by Santi, right?

Santi's amazing. Look at those Lex Luthor and the... Yeah, speaking of attention to detail. Yeah, right? In the pitch, by the way, we were pitching a big studio, and it's sort of about this dark character. I won't give you too much information. but I just said, they go, well, will we like this character?

And are we going to care at all? And I go, look, I played arguably the best super villain in history. And they started dying laughing. It was perfect because, you know, I was being funny, but I was straight-faced. And I go, I know how to make a character likable that you're not supposed to like. Yeah, this is true. I know how to do this. And it just was very fitting.

And I felt like, oh, that was good. Because it could have backfired. They could have been like, who the hell is this guy? But they knew I had a wink to it. But great guest. I've been trying to get David Ramsey on the show for a long time. And he's here. He's been in a lot of stuff.

He was a lot of fun. I'm glad I really like this guy. A few things. The inside of you online store, if you want to get great merch, go there. Go to the inside of you online store. Check it out just to look. There's a lot of cool stuff. Go to my Instagram at the Michael Rosenbaum and the Instagram link for cameos and all the cons.

Keep on top of the cons that we're going to because Tom, Kristen and I and the rest of the cast, we have a cruise this year, cruiseville.com and I think Ryan's going on that. We're getting him on there. Nashville. We have a big reunion. So 25th reunion for Smallville. So this is the year to go to the cons and hang out with us. So do it.

and briefly on the Instagram link on my Instagram link, Kathy Michael Rosenbaum, there's a link for Rosie's puppy fresh breath for your dog's breath. It's just a capful and your dog's water. It's odorless, tasteless, and your dog's breath will be better. I made it because my dog's breath smelled like crap. And the talented farter, my fart book, sound book is a really wonderful little gift and it's on Amazon.

So check that out. All right. Let's just do this. Let's get into the very talented end. Very cool, David Ramsey. It's my point of view. You're listening to Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum was not recorded in front of a live studio audience.

All right. So first thing you started talking about your son. I was like, no, no, no. We got a roll. We got a roll. You did. How you doing? I'm well, man.

I've been trying to get you on this pocket. Tell the audience how long I've been bugging you. It's been about a year and a half. You know, we kind of. running to each other at Comic-Con. Yeah, yeah. And, you know, we kind of talking, you gotta get on the show, man, I gotta, yeah, you do.

And let's do it. And then we'll text, the elusive David Ramsey. Is it? Is it me? Maybe it's me. I mean, you're busy. We're both busy. People have their lives. So I don't ever get like, oh, man, he didn't call me.

But look, now I'm your last interview of the year. You are on the street. Yeah, that's right. Well, it's the last interview I'm doing of the year. You'll air in the new year. So at the top of the year, I'm the first for the year. We were doing Erica Durants because we already did her. She was, uh, speaking of.

Speaking of. She was on one of your shows, wasn't she? We just worked together. Oh, yeah, that's right. You text me. Like literally, we just like a week ago. Is she the most, the sweetest? She's so sweet and she could turn it on, right?

And smart. Yes. And smart. Like me, she, I and Justin were doing the scene. Justin Hartley. Justin Harley. It was Tracker. We're doing Tracker.

Oh, you're doing Tracker. And she just, her insight and just kind of the subtext of what was going on was just like, hmm, she ain't just a cutie issue. No, she was really, just really smart and funny. So I have a lot of fun on that show. You know, because she worked closely with him on the show. He was Oliver Queen. Yep.

And she was, so they had a love thing going on in this relationship. And so I bet it was just like bouncing right back into it. Yeah. It was funny, too, because I never met Justin. Sweetest guy. Really sweet. I can't tell you how sweet he is. Like, he just, he radiates.

He radiates. Handsomeness and sweetness. Just, I can't stand him. He's like Walter Payton in a lot of ways. Yeah, like Walter. Yeah. Well, he was sweet. Yeah.

He was sweet. He was sweet. He's quick. I'm so, I'm so quick. You do with this? You deal with this all the time? He deals with it all the time. But, but it was funny because he was like, you know, we talked for a minute.

He was like, you know, I was arrow and small. I was like, yes, Justin. I'm aware. Everyone. Everyone knows. You know, you once said in an interview about Arrow, you said, well, we were sort of the flagship and then all these shows followed. I'm like, hang on a second, bro.

I mean, Smallville was the flag ship. If there was a flagship. And then you were right there behind us. I'm not saying shows better. I'm saying we were before you. Well, you were before me. In fact, you had a lot of the same crew members that went. Without a doubt.

I mean, look, we were in your shadow. Without a doubt. But I would say this. I think I meant that for the following shows that came. Of course, of course. I've just given you shit. In the Balantyverse. But you're right.

I mean, two-thirds of our crew was from Smallville. Did you have JD? Yes, we do. J.D. was so funny. Here's his direction. David, can you? It's just the heckwood screen. Or after a take, he'll smile.

No, J.D. was funny. I don't know where J.D. is now. She still working? He could be still working, but one of the reasons why I love going to Vancouver, though, is for that reason. I get to run into, like, everyone from Smallville and Arrow and all those shows. I think that's a beautiful thing. I mean, it's rare that an actor can have longevity and to be on a series as a regular. Because Lord knows, you did a lot of guest stars.

Yeah. I mean, you did it tons, tons swing, CSI, Ghost Whisper, on and on. And you were like, I'm ready. I'm ready to be a regular. Yeah. I, you know, yes. Yes. Like, I deserve it.

You know, I don't know if I, I don't know if I framed it that way in my brain. You know what I mean? Like, I really just enjoyed, and I still do. Like, what I just did on tracker was a guest star, right? And- But a hit show, you do it. Yeah, it's a special, you know, he was a special, you know, the stories around him. So it's not just, you know, walking through the frame.

Right, right, right. But, you know, I ain't, I ain't, I ain't. I enjoy it, man. So I don't get too, I don't get too much in my brain about it. Like, you know, okay, now I've done, I've been doing guest star work. I've been doing the MOW movie of the week. Yeah. In a day for the last 10 years. Now it's my time, you know, it's just, bro. It's work. And it's good work. Like, that's what you're into character. You're into work. I really am. I really am. And I enjoy it. Yeah. I enjoy. You know, I got this call. It was like, yo, it's an aging stunt guy in Hollywood that that's dealing with. his only child, his only son. And I'm like, bro, who's the director? David Barrett, who I've worked with on-air and Blue Bloods. And it's like, why wouldn't I?

And I'd never make Justin. And it's a hit show. Like, yeah, I'm doing that. And it was great. And it was just a great role. So it was like, yes, I'm doing that. Yeah, but you know something? You're like number one or number two on a call sheet.

Why would you? You don't look at it that way. I know the business. I know the business does. But, dude, I just, I can't, it's so neurotic to think that way for me. And it's, it fills me up with knots and anxiety. I'm a cancer survivor. Are you?

Yeah, bro. I didn't know that. Do a lot of people know this? A lot. I don't know if a lot of people. What kind of cancer? Testicular. Are you serious?

My friend Joe had testicular cancer. You know how he found out? My dog, Irv, who had passed away, I told you about, just went up to him and just poked him with his beak in Joe's genitalia and Joe was in so much pain and the pain kept going that he went and got tested and he had cancer. So he always says, Irv saved my life. By knocking me in the balls. You're laughing. That's a nice story. That's a nice story. How was just... I'm glad we're having a good laugh. I don't believe a fucking word you just said. I swear to God. I swear to God. That's the most, that's the funniest, wait,

that's a true story. I'll call Joe. You want me to call Joe? No, no, I believe you. I'll call Joe. But that's wild, bro. Yeah, right in his balls. And yeah, Earth saved his life. That didn't happen with you, though. It's, it's a, I'm swinging. It's a low pitch. It's right over, it's right over the plate. I'm just going to go for it. Go for it. No, it didn't. It didn't, yeah, man, you know, I was, I've been a martial artist for a long time and Jiu-Jitsu and J-KD. And you box? So back then I was doing, there was a lot of, you know, ground and pound and a lot of hits and taking a lot of stuff. So, um, okay.

Yeah. So there was there was kind of like you want to know how I knew. Yeah. Because look, that's the story. We talk about mental health on this podcast. No problem. And this will help a lot of other people. I love it.

No, no. And that's part of the reason why I talk about it more now than I ever have before. Good. I mean, look, there's a part of my personality that's in general a little more kind of laid back. Right. And like, hey, as it comes, it comes and I'm enjoying it. I love it, period, no problem. That's how I see the world.

And it's worked for me. So I think that's kind of reflected in me not really sharing the story. Not that I don't want to. It's just, it's not really my personality. Right. So now in more recent years, it's like, you know, something, there's an uptick in testicular cancer. There's an uptick in cancer in general. And I should talk about this more.

So getting back to how it all happened. I was kickboxing a lot. And one of the testes was a little bit, was significantly smaller than the other. Now that's, that's true no matter what. They're not the same bigger than the other. Yeah, it's like the side of your face, right? They don't, they don't match, right? So that's real no matter what, but one was significant.

So I went to the doctor and this is the, you know, this is the thing, right? They did an ultrasound. A sonogram with the jelly and stuff. Yeah, it was ultrasound. Yeah, I had the one of those. And, and now he leaves a room. Now here come four more. Four more doctors.

Yeah. You know, and now you know. Now you're like, Yeah, right. It was a watch and advise for the next 10 years. I was nearly 10 years. It was 28 at the time. Watch and advise?

Yeah, so it was 26 or 28, 28. That's a burden. It's funny, man, because it's like, do you want to take the testicle right now? Or do you want to? Because what they saw, they weren't sure if it was, they don't know what it was. They saw something called microthialysis and anyone that's kind of gone through testicle cancer, I understand that. That's all, that's present if there's cancer, but it can be present without cancer. Right. Right. So they're watching. And about eight and a half years later,

one day is the size of my fist. Just out of the blue. Just out of the blue. Painful. No. It was never painful. And you went in and they said, it's time. We got to go. We got to take it. Do you notice a difference at all? No. There's no difference. There's not like the amount of sperm or whatever it doesn't matter your gonads have enough gonads are great going that's a 15 year old boy so you didn't have to do anything they just took it out took it out and i went through um i went through chemotherapy how hard is that what was tougher was seeing the other kids in there going through it you know you you kind of sitting you're sitting right there and you're kind of locked in you know you're kind of getting this stuff pumped into you and you got your laptop or whatever and you you know you're

looking to some kid who's no hair and he's 12 years old and, you know, his mother's right there next to him and there's another kid and then there's a man who's 70 and it's just kind of like, I'm all right. Yeah. Isn't that something sometimes perspective is, I mean, perspective is important. It is everything. I think perspective is, I mean, at least in my life, that's changed everything. It was always that way. You go back to the acting and like, oh, you know, you're guest starring and no, now it's my time. It's just not my perspective. My perspective. perspective is this is fucking awesome bro that's all in grateful and all the time now i you know it took me time to i was just going and going and i was young and i was you know i was having fun and

dealing with the stuff but as i got older i started realizing taking a step back more to just sort of look at look from the outside in and say look this is what you've done this is you know and and and how can you be a better person? How can you? And when you start to do that, when you start to realize, you know, acknowledge things that you don't like about yourself,

I got to be better at that. I got to, you know, I should make some time to help other people to, you know, it's not like I was, it was crystal clear to me growing up. I was always good to people,

and nice to people as far as I know. And, but I think the last 15, 10, 15 years, and certainly being on this podcast, talking to people with mental health and stuff like that. I believe that it's made me a better person.

It's made me listen more. Yeah. With my ADHD, I put these on and I'm focused. I'm interested in you. I want to know what makes you tick. Yeah. You know, how you've dealt with loss, which, you know, we could talk about. But what do they say about comparison?

What do they say about comparison? Don't do it? Yeah. Well, never compare yourself, but it's like, yeah. It's the thief of joy or something. Yeah. Yeah. Right.

The thief of joy. Yeah, I mean, we can get super highfalutin about it all, but just, just for me, man, it's, you know, I just, I try not to, I try to just embody what I want to be now at this. You were raised well. I was, man. I was. My father, you know, it was a strange thing. My father was a preacher. My father was a preacher.

My mother, she's still with us. Just had hip surgery a few years ago. She's back to throwing shoes, though. She's awesome. Is she a shoe throw, too? My grandmother, slippers. Just, that's, yeah. Yo, Annie Murphy.

Exactly. And, but yeah, she, I was raised cool. You know, but it was, there was a, there was a big transformation for me, man, because it was, it was, it was, it was a, it was religion. Right. You know what I mean? And there was some good parts of that. Sure. And then there were some just like dogma that was like, it took me kind of years to get a grip of and see where to place that in my own development.

Right. You know what I mean? and just what religion meant versus relationship and all that stuff. You know what I mean? So it's like I just had to kind of come to that in myself. But at this point, bro, it's like it's just I try to embody what I want to be. So if I, if I, I just try to use my imagination. And it all kind of is funny too because some of the things I do now in my personal

development are things I learn from techniques of acting, right? Just kind of embodiment. How do you use your imagination to be something? And it's like, all right, you know something? I feel like crap this morning. But I can choose joy. And what is the embodiment of joy? You know what I mean?

I know it sounds kind of crazy. But bro, this stuff has really kind of helped me just a lot deal with the stuff. You know what I mean? So now OCD, I just kind of rebranded it as, you know, something else, you know, observer, creator, designer. You know what I mean? Just in my brain. Like that's... I have this.

Let's use it. A hundred thousand percent. Let's have it. Let's use it. Yeah, I feel like that too. You know what I mean? Like, this is... This is who I am.

These are the cards, bro. These are the cards. Yeah. So what are you going to do with it? So anyway, like I said, it can get really flowery and all this other stuff. But for me, it's just that's what kind of works with my own mental, my own mental happiness. Was your father strict? It's funny, too, man.

For my older brothers, yes, by the time he got to me, no. You know, I got, there's five of us. So my two older brothers and my older sister, they kind of caught it. You know what I mean? They got it. They kind of caught it. Me and my sister, who were younger, the last two. My father was older by that time.

He had learned some stuff. So he was like, you know, I mean, this was a man born in 1928, Alabama. He's seen it all. Do you understand what I'm saying? I know exactly what you're saying. And he raising five kids in Detroit, Michigan during the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Man. So you just live with that for a second, in the city.

Like he's not on, he's not across, you know, he's in the city of Detroit. So during that time. And we're walking through metal detectors at 12 years old in middle school and high school, bro. It's bananas. So some of that, you say, oh, that was messed up, you know, that dogma. But none of us went to jail. None of us was strung out. You know what I mean?

And we saw it. That's across the street. That's down the street. Some of these folks I know are gone. You know what I mean? That's not a sad story. That was just, that was real. Right.

So our parents kept us from a lot of that. And that wasn't always pretty. You appreciate it now. I now have a 15-year-old that grows up. and I grew up in in in in in Covers City yeah and born with a phone and born with a phone and he's like oh you grew up dodging bullets dad and I'm like yeah for this for you motherfucker you know what I mean so you're asking you should appreciate exactly so you can walk around here like surf or do with your dress and like yeah bro yeah bro I'm like oh my 67 and then when he goes

exactly six seven and I'm like I don't know I'm like whatever I didn't know so now he goes He goes back, you know, he goes back to Detroit and, you know, with me and he's like, okay. Okay. I'm like, yeah, okay. Yeah. Oh, whoa. Okay. Inside of you is brought to you by Rocket Money.

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Switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored wrecks. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform and having served over 6 million people globally. These guys are for real. If you want to change your life, if you want to get better, if you want to improve BetterHelp online therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com slash inside. That's betterh-E-L-P.com slash inside. How did you deal with your father's loss?

was real tough for you? It was tough for me. My father was a, you know, he was a big supporter. You wouldn't think somebody, you know, born in 28, Alabama, would be a supporter of his son in the arts, right? It's like, yo, go get the job down there at the plant and support your family like I did. But he was incredibly supportive.

I left, I left after I graduated. I went to school called Waysa University in Detroit. And I got to be a fan. Then I left and came out here. And that was 93, right? So my father was my biggest fan. He was like, go, go, go, go, go, go. Wow.

So it was tough, man. And, you know, I was always talking to him. I was talking to him nearly every day. You always said, I love you? Always. Always, man. You know what? Always.

I never say that. You never say that to anyone? I just, I'm not comfortable really saying it, I guess, because. Let's unpack this. No, no, no. It's not, he's not that guy. I wish he were. I wish he was a little more open.

The only time, are you with that guy? The only time, yeah, I am. I love my friends. I love my family. But eventually you get a little,

I don't know, tired of saying things and it's not reciprocated. So you just kind of go, all right, well, there's not, there's that. I'm sure he does,

but I guess it does. Was it always like that? I'm just curious. Yeah. Yeah. Where are you? I, the only,

uh, in Indiana, but I was born in New York. Okay. But the only time was when my dad lost, his daughter, my sister, my half-sister, a couple years back. And I never heard my dad cry or anything. And he was so emotional.

And it was the first time it was really jarring. I'd never seen this. He was always strong and nothing phased him. And, you know, he had, you know, whatever. And then there was definitely, I said, well, you know, I love you, dad. I love you. I'm here for you. I love you too.

And that was, that was the moment. That was the moment. And that was it. And that's enough. That's, you know, you take a moment. like that you're like i'm here thank you and it was good but like the whole i love you too love you love you love you that just wasn't uh part of the vernacular growing up but um where was mom i'm just curious about that mom was doing her own thing she was just it was always about her it was always about

her friends and her lunches and her this and her that and so uh you know dad was always working mom was always doing her own thing so you kind of had to find it grow up in other in other friends houses yeah you know they were my parents they were my families in a lot in a lot of ways i'm not saying that mine wasn't it but it just was a different different dynamic were you in front of a tv like yeah i used to live i used to live in my bedroom watching horror movies and stuff oh you were horror that was i was comedies i love comedies too i could throw tons of comedies at you i love comedies yeah i was i was comedy you're horror so I love horror.

Look around you, man. Yeah, what was your thing, though? Like when you go, the damn, it's creepy as hell. Oh, shit. It was an escape. For me, it was an escape, and it was like adrenaline. When you get scared, it was like a roller coaster. It was that feeling like, oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh, what's going to happen?

So it was a cool feeling that I love that, you know, when I get that feeling, or when I am hysterical laughing at a movie, which is rare, or if I get emotional at a movie, it's the same kind of feeling, but in different ways. Yeah, I'm always interested in people that are really curious and I grew up on horror and that was kind of like their thing. Yeah, I read something that if you launch crime or horror before you go to bed, you're probably a psychopath. I'm like, what?

Do you do that? I told my girlfriend, I guess we're psychopaths. Is it a dateline for you? I love dateline. Snap. I've checked out snapped. But yeah, so when you lost your father, you were talking about that before I started going off about my family. Well, you asked me.

So I just was. You weren't going off about your father. family, man. Well, I talked to us. We're sharing, right? But honestly, like, loss, had you ever dealt with a loss like that before? No, 2014 was tough too, because I had a Rottie. Yeah. My beautiful ISIS had her for, for 13 years, almost 14. And she passed away the same year. So that was a tough year. How did you deal with it? My father was ready. He left home, went to the hospital, and we talked. And he was a very spiritual man. I mean, he, he, he, he was a very spiritual man. I mean, He had started in religion like he taught his kids, but his development became a lot more spiritual.

And there is a difference, right? So by the time he left, there was a readiness to him that I felt and he expressed. Is that sort of a relief in a way, knowing that your father's ready? It's his journey, right? This is his journey. And I can put my schmazzle on it. Oh, I want you to stay. Oh, I'm going to miss you.

That's my stuff, right? And that's fine. And there's a place for that. But this is, you know, his, his, his, his moving on was just as much part of his life as his being here. Yeah. That was just another another dimension of it. Yeah. And he made that clear that he saw it. He saw it that way. So I was like, wow, that's a, who am I to put my stuff on it? Like, that's great. Like, here's another walk down a different path for you. Good luck. Yeah. My grandfather was just like he was talking to. I'm always pretty immature. But like, when he told me this stuff, like, before he got Alzheimer's or during his Alzheimer's, he'd say, I go, yeah, Irv, you know, you could live this many more years or you could let you know, and he go, he knew that I was worried about him. And I remember him just saying, look, Mike, this is, this is what happens. Yeah. We all die. That's, that's just life. My mother, my father, this is, this is just what happens. and when he just hearing him say that to me it comforted me but like him talking to me like i was a child

which in a way i was i was you know still i was still in love with this man and uh he just was like you know it's important thing is what we're doing now we're spending time together when we talk to each other and he wrote me letters and so it's true it's like what are you saying pretty much is like, live now. Here we are. Yeah. But this happens. And clearly, he was from Tennessee.

The Bronx, baby. The Bronx. You, uh, you did 17 episodes of Dexter. Oh, was it that many? It says 17. Yeah. Yeah, I did a, yes. Dexter was great, man.

Was that hard? Was that a hard role? I got a story for you. I got a story for Dexter. Please. It was the first day I met Michael. Just watching Michael work. You would know.

never know. John, I was there for three and four. John Lithgow, uh, won an Emmy for his performance in the fourth season. And both he and Michael, if you talk to them,

you just never know they could reach. Just like in a conversation, you can never, you, the switch that goes on when they're in front of the camera and it just kind of goes someplace else. Yeah. It's just,

it's uncanny. It's, it's really interesting. But anyway. So Jennifer, uh, Carpenter and I were in a relationship together on the show, Deborah, her Dexter Morgan's sister.

And I was an informant, I think I was, and a guitarist. And we kind of fell in lust with each other, if you will. So the scene where I met Michael was on set, and she and I had this kind of, this is a bedroom scene. Aren't they married? They were dating. They weren't married yet. They were dating at the time.

But it was close to times for them to get married. Right. And Michael's in Video Village, but it's really not that far from the bed where we are. Okay. And I met Michael at that time and said, hey, how you're doing? Welcome to the show, blah, blah, okay. Right. And action.

And we have our moment. They're watching the TVs. I can't see them. The TVs are blocked. The back of the monitors are blocking us, so I can't quite see. Cut. I kind of, you know, look over at the monitors and Michael peeks over. He goes, really?

Give you a thumbs up. Great job. Great job. I was like, oh. That's comforting. And it's probably nerve-wracking because you're like. Well, yeah, it is nerve-wracking. I mean, you're doing a love scene there together.

Yeah. Is his show, you know, you're getting comfortable with your co-star and, you know, all that stuff's happening. And you want to feel that confidence. And I think he felt that I did. So you're like, yeah, great job. You say they. Lith, guys. and Michael would just turn it on.

When you say that, were they playful before takes? Were they fun to be around or were they serious? Well, I got to talk to Michael more. Lithgow was in the fourth season, so I only talked to him a few times. It was just, it was, it was, but he was pleasant. Luskow, I didn't quite see the switch as much as Michael because Michael, I saw him work, really work.

Lithgow, I talked and then when he worked, I wasn't there. I wasn't there the same day. Michael, I actually saw him work. So it was like, hey, how's it going? Great. Action. And he can kind of go there. I don't know what his process is.

Yeah. But it's, you would just never, you wouldn't think that someone could reach that level of depravity or wherever you have to go to touch that as an actor. Whatever piece of your imagination you have to, you have to turn on. You know, I did, I did pay it forward. And the young Haley Joe Osmond, I, I've met him now as, as, as he's been as an old. as an older actor. But I worked with him there. And he kind of had the same thing, right?

You just switch it. Just kind of like, hey, hey, how's it going? And then you just kind of can go there. See, I'm really like. Some people have to be in a, you know, just like, don't talk to me. And I'll be in my space and kind of leave me alone. I'm like joking and making you laugh and just talking with the crew and this and that. And then they roll and then I can go into it.

Well, you're the same way then. Yeah, I definitely, because I can't be that guy. You can't be in that mind. Can't hold it. I don't want to. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know? I mean, there's sometimes where I need to focus a little more.

But you ever have problems with any actors? Where you're like, I just don't get along with this person or they're not that nice to the crew or? Well, I've been with actors that were not nice to the crew. Sure. And actors that weren't very nice. But I don't, you can do as much research as you want. You're probably not going to find anyone that I didn't get along with. I just find it, man.

I just find the spot. And let's do the work. And I know you got issues. I get it. Without saying that. You know, I get it. You fucked up. But, hey, action.

But action. Are we here to work? Yeah. And also, for the most part, you were hunting for this job when you got it. Yeah. You know what I mean? And that realization, I've had to have that conversation a couple times. Right.

It was like, you know, bro, we were both, we were both trying to aim to find this and now we got it. So let's go. Let's enjoy. Let's have fun. If, you know, can we do it? And for the most part, there's a reasoning I can reach with the few problems. And there's not many people. Most people want to go there and they want to work.

And it's just the angst, right? Most actors are just dealing with the angst of, you know, the paycheck and how long with this, this show last and am I getting all the lines I want to get? And, you know, it's just that stuff because the camera sees it and they want to be honest. And, you know. What about David Caruso? So I met with CSI Miami. Yeah. Yes.

Because I've heard so many stories from actors who come on and tell me about so. It's always a trip to hear stories. It's funny, you got right to it. Caruso. What about Caruso? What about Caruso? You know how old I was when I worked with Caruso? I was like, I was a baby.

Like 20? Yeah, I was a baby, man. I was happy to be there. Right. And it was just, you know, I barely remember it. But it was like, you know, maybe he did some stuff. I really don't remember. Did he do the whole thing where he was like,

and do a take and then go, that's the one, that's it. He could have. He could have. Yeah, there's potential. I was, I was, you were a child. I was a kid and happy to be there. Mike Trott.

You ready? Let's do it. Hosted by former Navy CEO, Mike Ridland. It's unfiltered. You know, you go to the sound of the gun, bam, you're gone. Twitter. I mean, I've had so many near-death experiences.

It's raw. I love this country. I offered my life to serve this nation and protect its people. The question, you know, what's the meaning of life? And to me, it just boils down to one single word, which is purpose. Mike Drop, follow and listen on your favorite platform. All right, before we jump back in, I just want to say thanks for listening and hanging out with us today.

We've had the chance to sit down with over 300 guests on this show. Oh, my Lord, Ryan. From people like Alan Richon, Keanu Reeves, Kristen Ritter, and a lot of others along the way. So if you're newer here or if you've missed some of the episodes, there's a ton of great conversations in the archives worth checking out. And if you're enjoying the show, make sure you're subscribed wherever you're listening. It really helps support the podcast and make sure these episodes show up for you every week. And before we get back into it, here's a quick preview of what we've got coming up next week. I wrapped and I remember I got this really lovely round of a book.

applause from the crew. And I said to them, it was like, it was like a Friday night. I was like, you know, guys, um, with due respect, I was under the impression that we were going to be going back to work and going back to work soon. Um, I said, you know, honestly, guys, I'm going to take this time. My wife and I are going to go away. I'm not even coming to the rap party. I'll see you guys in like six weeks. That was a, that was the impression that I had. So that's how much confidence you had. That's how much confidence that I had that was imbued in me from other people. And then I got a call from Aaron Corsion, Dave Bartas on May 9th. And what was that call like?

Was it quick? It was quick. I think. Hey, Stephen. I just want to get right to it. Well, I mean, you just hear the tone of the voice. I think it was Dave being like, I'll get Aaron. It's like, fuck.

And I think that you knew. I did know if you believe in energy, there's just something about when I saw who was calling me the time that they were calling me, I knew before I picked up the phone. I'm like, we didn't get renewed. All right, let's jump back in. Did you always want to be an actor from a young age? I wanted to play football. Were you good football player?

Yeah, it was good. I wanted to play ball. I liked hitting people. I like hitting people. A lot. Yeah, I wanted to play basketball first, but I just didn't have the coordination and the, you just have to have, unless you're, you know, six, nine. You know what I mean? And you just, you can be a semi-scrub and just be a millionaire on the bench.

I wasn't that. So I was six-three. I had to have handles and coordination. and they just didn't quite have that. But I had mad speed, and I was mad strong. So football was, and I wanted to be a whiteout. So when I was, when I went on in junior high to be a whiteout, I just couldn't hold the ball.

I got hit and I coughed the ball up. And then it put me on the line. I started hitting people. And the coach was like, you're a D-back. You're a defensive end, bro. Did you get injured? No, no, I cracked people though. I loved, I loved hitting people.

Were you a star? A little bit. But, I mean, not, you know, it was, it was. You were good. What you did. Just until, just at the point where I could have really, probably really been like, okay, football is it? I got bit by the bug, man. It was like I don't have to get hit to get girls, bro, acting. I mean, who are your idols growing up? Like, acting wise or movies that you saw that you really remember and you were like, I want to do that. Yeah. Jimmy Stewart is a wonderful life. Really? Yeah. I know that sounds crazy. No, doesn't sound crazy. But even then when I watched him at the table, at the bar. And even now, can I remember watching that when I was young and seeing him at the bar cry and pray?

Because, you know, we brought up into the religious house, so that meant something, right? And he's like, you know, I don't pray. But if you hear me, you know what I mean, like help me out. And then as soon as he did that, wop, he has a fight in the bar. Like, that just moved me. And that performance. And then when I started digging into Jimmy Stewart's story and he was a war vet and there was some other things to happen for him.

And all that stuff came out. But I saw that at 13, 14 years old. And it's just like, wow, I want to, I want to touch that. You know what I mean? I want to, I want to be able to move someone like that. And before that, he was so charming. And he was, you know, and he was, you know, the king of the town. Not quite the king of town.

But, you know, he was a guy running the little bank and blah, blah, and everyone loved them and had a family. And then, you know, here comes rock bottom. And I was like, wow. that story just meant something to me and his performance just boom. Do you remember seeing it by yourself or with your dad, your parents, or what? Oh, no, I saw it.

We all kind of watched TV together. It was, we were a big TV family, man. What were the shows? Good times, Dick Jefferson's, different strokes. Sanford's son. All the black shows. I watched them all too. No, you didn't.

Yes, I did. Every one of them. Really? Are you kidding me? 227 I even watched. Man, anyway. I watched. Rock, a rock.

What was he, the garbage man? Yeah, rock, what? Rock Charles Dutton. Dude, loved him. I love, I, yes. Black comedy, but humor. And then we watched, so, so yes. So you talk about horror.

We were, we were watching a lot of comedies. Yeah. Right. And then it was like the nighttime soaps, Dynasty, Nats Landing, Dallas. I never watched those. Yeah, my mom was in it, so we were in it. Your mom was in, so you're in. I watched the Golden Girls.

Forget about it. It was incredible. Dude, I love the Golden Girls. Just a look. Any of those ladies just throw. look like pure comedy. We loved comedy. They were, they were perfect. Genius. They were genius. By the way, in Dexter, Anton didn't die. No, he didn't. He got skinned. His back got skinned, but he didn't die, bro.

It was funny too because back then, you know, you go to the lunch. At lunchtime, that's when they gave you the script for the next episode. So you read it during lunch. And first thing I did, man, was grabbed the script, go to the back of the page, back of the script and see if I died. And you didn't? No, I didn't. I lived. You'd come back if they asked you? Yeah, I would love to direct an episode of. Yeah. That, that would be. That, That would be cool. That would be.

Because you directed Arrow. A director Arrow and not Flash. Legends of Tomorrow. Batwoman. Jeez. How do you love directing? I love it, bro. I love it.

Would you rather direct an act? I don't know. You know, something in 20, this is my story of act of directing. In 2013, I had a meeting with Greg Berlanti at Warner Bros. And at the time, it was about the green lantern of it all. right, because it felt like my character was kind of making a, he was the name of John, he was a army vet and, and the public, the fans were like, we think that might be John Stewart, right? So there was kind of this, these rumblings. So we talked about it. And during the conversation,

he said, you know, you do want to direct? And I was like, I would love, you know, I've always wanted, absolutely. He said, when you're ready, I'll support it. So that was 2013. I didn't direct until 2018. So for the next four and a half years, I had, I shadowed four different directors, went through the Warner Brothers directing program, the DGA directing program, and just asked. You wanted to be ready. I wanted to be so ready. It was the most inevitable thing that I could have done next. Right. So it wasn't like a handout. It was like, I am, I'm going to blow this out of the water. The first episode that I did was great. And 2019, I think it was like the second highest rated episode of the season. Wow. It was incredible. And after that, I went under a deal. It was

Greg and Mark Hengheim said, we want to develop a show for you. Would you like to direct while we develop a show? It was like the sweetest deal, bro. They don't do that anymore. No, they don't. It was unheard of deal even then, and they don't do it anymore. And I stayed there in two years, for two years under a deal. But C.W. and fell apart, Warner Brothers, and D.C. with Greg's deal kind of changed. That's when I directed all the shows, did four Superman and Lois. and it was great. Because I had both of them on the show. Who's that?

From Superman and Lois. Oh, yeah. Were they easy to direct? Yeah. They're, for actors, you know, Bitsy? One of the episodes when I first worked with Bitsy, her version of Lois Lane is on top of the building.

She runs from the bottom to the top, and she does a broadcast on top of the building, and she's killed by the dark Superman in this particular universe. So my note was, you know, when you run to the top, you know, let's feel as if you're out of breath and let that, let that, uh, inform some of those other decisions that you, that you make, you know, just sense that. You don't want to over direct.

You. That's it. Right. There was kind of a little thing of trust for a moment, just for a moment. And, um, but after it aired, it was like, we, we both talked about it just for it briefly. And it was like, you know, something that was, that was the right move. Because it helped the scene, right? And so, you know, there have been that, you know, a couple of actors can be very specific.

And that came from Bitsy's. It's probably new her character. Her specific, her, what's, how do you? Specificity? Is that right? Specificity. I screw that word of. Because you want to be very specific.

And that's to her great credit because she can do that role in her sleep. She knocks that roll out of the part. And, and so I learned too, right, of. how I can be more specific. What does that mean? Well, you climb 26 stairs and there can be, and let's kind of make it a little more ground. And that's really what,

that's really the direction, right? Grounded. Is that how can we ground this? Yeah. And that's really it. So that helped me understand what am I really trying to say without saying too much and I can make this very specific or actors. And what really helped me is just to remember that that will be the same thing I want

as an actor. So, Yeah. So my understanding how actors work and not trying to put on a director's hat. Yep. Was probably the greatest thing I learned. Absolutely. I think a lot of great directors are actors, you know, in a lot of ways.

And they understand that so they always say directors should take an acting class. So they should understand. But, you know, the best direction I got when I directed was every actor you direct is, different. Some of them need a lot of love. Some of them don't need anything. Some of them need a little, you know, some notes and never give an actor more than two notes per take. Don't overwhelm them. Just say, even if you have 10 notes, five notes, get the two and work from there. And that really helped. Greg Beeman, who I love, he told me that. And there was certainly when I directed, like, you know, some people, you have to just sit there and, you know,

walk them through it, make them comfortable. Some of you're like, dude, say that again, but don't sound so stupid, you know. Do it just like that, but don't sound dumb. Yeah. Yeah, too. I mean, if Arrow wanted to do something and come back, would you consider it?

Hell yeah. You loved it. I had a ball, bro. Yeah, it was great. It was great. I wish they would do it in L.A. I know. It's always Vancouver.

Love Vancouver. Yeah. But it's not, you know, You look on that resume and it's like four things we're in L.A. You know, it's like I've been all over the place. I would love to just kind of spend some time here. My son's here. My son's here.

Yeah, of course. And you get older, you're just like, I don't want to be inconvenienced. I mean, it just happens. It does. It does. I always thought by the way. I mean, would you, would you like take something in Vancouver? It's like, yo, we got this thing.

It dropped in your lap. But it's three seasons, three seasons in Vancouver, man. It has to be right. It just had all the things have to be right. I mean, there was a big thing. that I was up for might still be up for but that films overseas

but it's such a project that I would be stupid not to do it so there are projects like that that come along but is that a feature or no it's a TV show so what are their seasons like it is it American I can't tell you anything I can't tell me okay got I had to sign out oh gotcha got you got yeah but I mean like I would if it made sense but leaving leaving my house and my dogs and my podcast and my life and my friends and I you know

it just has to be right if it's a movie you know it's going to end in three months or two months or whatever it is so it's a lot easier but uh it just you know every project's different um the crossovers i always thought if you do a crossover you get paid an extra episode it's not how it works like you get if you do if you do Superman and Lois while you're acting on air you also get your whole salary again it's not how it works Now you get your salary. Were you shocked when you found out it wasn't? Yeah.

Was everybody shocked? Yeah. Why didn't everybody just say no? Every year we said we would the next year. And didn't. Because that's hard on you. We're not doing this again, bro. We're not doing it again.

And you did it. But wasn't that hard to like acting on one show and then having to act in another and second unit? And like, that's exhausting. It was. It was. But we did it. And also I think it was, I don't know if you watched it, man.

But they were dope. You know, they shot it. It's a crossover. They were beautiful. It was like, oh, how do you not do it? But, and, you know, we complained and moaned. And we did it again. No, I understand.

For five years, I think crossover's one for five years, four or five years. Hey, what do people recognize you most from if you're on the streets and people stop you? What is it? Was it John Diggle? Is it Dexter? Is it Arrow or Blue Bloods? A certain age deal. You're the mayor on Blue Bloods.

You know, I was on Blue Bluffs for six years. And Greg saw me on Blue Bloods. He was watching it with his father. And he says, He said to his father, that's John Diggle. And he reached out to the producer of Blue Bloods. Blue Bloods. And they're like, well, we love David.

He's great here. Not quite ready to make him a regular. And he was like, okay, all right, good. So I flew out, met Greg and Mark at the time. And they're like, well, you know something. This guy is, he doesn't have much ado in the pilot. All right. But he becomes his guy.

He becomes his right-hand guy. And at the time, it was kind of really Robin hoodie. So it was like, he's kind of John Little and to his Robin Hood. I mean, they didn't have. Right, you're a chauffeur, your bodyguard. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right. So he was, he's kind of that guy. So I was like, and I read the script and I was like, dude, like, yeah, they, you know, didn't, I don't think I even tested for studio.

I went right to network. And it was like, yeah. Wow. And it was just, it was just great, but you knew it on, David Nutter directed the pilot. The great David Nutter, who I saw a few weeks ago. He had a little presentation in his house. Yeah, I was invited to him. Yeah, it was great.

It was nice to see him too. Yeah, he's doing better. Oh, good, God bless him. And he just felt, you know, he would know, right? He's done 17 pilots that have all gotten on television. So he would know, but I remember being on set, and he was in, we were shooting the scene here and me and Steven. And at Video Village, she was just like, cut, this is a fucking head.

This is, can you feel it? Can you feel it? And we were just like, don't say that. Yeah, you're like ruining it. Don't say that out loud. But if he knows, he says it, he knew it. That's an amazing feeling. I remember David Nutter when I did the smallville, when I did the smallville.

I had to go do ADR for the pilot. On the internets. Yeah. I went and saw, I had to go do ADR. What is the audio? Digital recording. ADR. Yeah.

Extra, you know, sound because your sound got lost. or your, you know, your lines weren't good, so they had to redo them, just explaining to people. Anyway. You looked at him like maybe he didn't, like maybe you didn't know. Yeah, I was thinking, advanced, ribonucleic acid.

Isn't that what it means? Doesn't it mean audio digger to recording? I'm curious now, because that's what I always thought it meant. Automatic dialogue replacement. See, I knew it was something bigger, but I didn't know what? Much bigger than what my crap I said. I believed you.

I believed. And we would have went on and he wouldn't look it up. That's what we would have. And then all of a sudden, the comments would be, you are idiots. They're going to be that anyway. Not going to fall for the banana in the tailpipe. I went to do my black comedies. I went to do ADR and he goes, would you like to see the opening of the pilot?

And I go, sure. And I watched the whole meteor shower and all this stuff. Right. And he showed me a scene. And I never do this because I never get the response that I'm hoping for from my parents. I called them. and I said, I just want you guys to know that I think my life's going to change forever. I'm like, what?

I go, I just saw some of the pilot episode and this is the best thing I've ever been a part of. And I knew it. And that's the first time I've ever said that. And probably the only time I ever said that. I was like, it was so good. It was just like, I couldn't believe it. You're like that old, do you should see that who wants to be a millionaire contested that did that for the lifeline? Oh, yeah, I love that.

And he called his father. I just want you to know about to win a million dollars. Dope. Like, what a flex, bro. Dude, that is the godfather flex. Oh, man. So that when they recognize you on, on, Blue Bloods, I can tell, if it's a certain, I know, if it's a certain demo, I can tell his blue blood. Right.

You are wonderful with that Thomas Schult. You're wonderful with the Selix. Do you, was he a nice guy? Yeah. Want to get it right, though. Always want to get it right. In that respect, they both had, Stephen and he had a similarity. You know, they would, you know, and some people appreciated some people who didn't.

You know, everything stops. We got to get it right. Yeah. A lot of people didn't appreciate that. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's very specific. He's like, this is the way it is. I'm here to work.

I'm here to get it right. But it all, you know, in dealing with those types of personalities for me, it always comes from, I really, I want this to be incredible and I want you guys to be on board with wanting it to be incredible like I do. Yeah. And sometimes a communication. can be a little off in terms of how you, how you emote that. Right.

But that's the root of it. I see that and I'm sympathetic to that. Right. So I was just on, I was just on board. And he would also, the ADs had to work together and the producer had to work together to get me from Vancouver to Brooklyn. And he shot all his scenes with me. So there was a certain amount of, you know, he had to move some things for six years to get these scenes right because they couldn't just fall any place in the schedule during the week. Right.

They had to fall like on a, you know, Thursday. on Friday or all on a Friday or something like that. And I had to come in, shoot everything out with Tom. And then he had to move some things to make this happen. You know he was supposed to be Indiana Jones, I heard. That's true. Do you ever tell you a story? Do you ever tell you that?

No, he didn't. I mean, trying to get him out to the Motor City Comic-Con. You still talked to him? You text with him? I haven't talked. Probably in a couple years, I haven't. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Like, Tom, what's up? He'll say, hey, what's up? Yeah, he would. Sure. Isn't that cool? He knows Tom. Selleck. Do you ever deal with any anxiety, depression, any of that in your life? Have you dealt with that? Without a doubt. What do you do for it? Well, I used to, I used to kind of,

there was some, there was some bad habits that I used to have. There was some drinking, there was some, like, feeling sorry for myself. There was, you know, getting high and just vegging out and like, fuck it. There was some years of that. Sure. I know those years. Now I ask, and this, again, we can kind of go into that shit where people go, you know, start playing the violins. But for me, now, I always ask myself, where is that thought coming from? That's the first thing. Is it real? It's real.

But where is it coming from? Because I know for a fact that I was born whole. And this is going to be something trippy. I know it. That I was not wanting anything in terms of, I need to be an actor. I need to be a football. player, I was complete. I know that. I feel it in my soul. You felt complete at a young age. I know, I know that spiritually and cosmically I was complete. That's a good thing to be.

Spiritual and cosmically, I was complete. The rest of the stuff becomes mental and how I access that mental into my nervous system and pain and disappointment and rejection and desire and unfulfilled wants and all the other bullshit that people put on me and I put on my. myself, right? Through experiences. So the work now, the shadow work for me comes now like, where did that voice come from? And if I get quiet enough, I can find it. And what do you do when you find it? I have compassion for it. Hmm, that's the most important thing, isn't it? Because it always stems from when you're a little boy, it does. Because my instinct is to go, no, no, that's not what. And that's the worst thing to do. Because because that stuff was there

to protect me from disappointment. It was to protect me from getting hurt. It was to protect me from going around that corner where that drug house was. Whatever that thing was, that anxiety, that thing you felt in your belly, it was there because I want you to survive. You survive. Don't be hurt. Yeah. So I have to have compassion for it.

But thank you. You're no longer needed. I got this. I got to know. Yeah. And that revelation is something I have to practice. but it's really, really helped me. So when the depression comes, there's a root to that.

And I have to discover where that, you know, here's a case and point. I was up in, and it's still little things. But I really think it's these little things that develop habits, right? Again, I'm a martial artist, so I know about getting up and disciplining and all this other shit, right? So I just had an audition for a movie. It's a big movie while I was up in Vancouver shooting tracker. right and uh i shot it and there's tears and and and the and the guy who was direct to me is like we're both crying it's like oh my god it just felt great bro this didn't how that feel i think we got it

okay send it to me he sent it to me first thought that came to my mind was oh i don't know should i why did i the first thing i did was where did i the first thing i did was Where did that thought come from? And now, two years ago, I wouldn't have done it. Two years ago, I'd be like, oh, I can't watch. Just send it. Just send it. Just send it off.

But now it's like, who told me that? Who the hell told me that wasn't fucking brilliant? Little you. It was little me. It was the person who was anticipating rejection. So I give it to myself first. Right? And now I don't have to absorb it.

when I hear it from my agent saying, ah, they're going a different way. So I trace it back to that and I go, your whole, whether your agent says it or not, you just gave it. Yeah. It's great. It's fantastic.

And the voice that told you that, you go, thank you because you told me that's to brace me for that rejection. So I have compassion for them, as opposed to like, fuck you, little, well, you're not, don't, you're better than that.

I have compassion because you, that's why you were there. You are trying to protect me. But I'm good now. I have that. I mean, I definitely have that. I mean, but it all stems from childhood of like, you're not good enough. What do you, you're kidding?

You're pretending. Without a doubt. You know, you're just like, they're not seeing the real of you. You're an imposter. And I say, stop, stop. That's not true. But it's not that easy. For me, I tend to more believe it a lot of times.

And I have to really fight to build that, build that up. So it's tough. Breath of work helps me out a lot, too. just kind of getting, getting still and listening to my breath. And what helped me a lot was just, I saw my, I saw my son in an ultrasound. I saw my son in an ultrasound as a pulse. He was a pulse. That's all he was.

And I'm watching him at the time my wife's belly. And it's just, it's just a pulse, man. And that's all he is. Right. And when I, so now when like depression comes and I concentrate on that breath, I think about like, that's what I am. Like that breath is who I am. These thoughts are like they're coming from different. That's that thing, that pulse, that that is what I am.

So all that's and that was fucking beauty. It was it was otherworldly. The most otherworldly, most unique, most precious, most special. most special thing I've ever seen, right? And that's me. So fuck this casting director, she said, or you if you said, I know it, you know what I mean? So, and I give it and it comes from that place.

So when that depression comes, it's like, no, no, bro. I get it. I hear what you're saying, but you're connected to someone else's pain. You're connected to that pain. That's the truth of who I am, that reality. And that grounds it. and takes me back to a place where it's like, I'm all right and I'm safe.

I'm completely and totally safe. And that's practice. That's practice. I still haven't mastered that. And now even talking about it is part of the ritual of just kind of getting it out and hearing it, hearing it, hearing it.

So getting back to the original question, how do I deal with that depression? I kind of take myself back into my breath and take myself back to understanding who I really am. And the rest of the stuff is added on. It's just, it's just sprinkles on a donut.

That's amazing how you can do that. I think that's, not mastered it, man. No, no, no, no. So it's not like, it's not like a guru. It's no,

like I got it. It's like, that's the process and it's practice. And I'm okay with practice. I think, you know, also, I'm a little lazy. No, I'm not kidding.

I think sometimes I'm like, oh man, you're going to have to put a lot of work into this. You can have to, like, do this and learn all those lines for our fucking audition. You know, you probably won't get.

I mean, you know, so why fucking even, you know, just do a good job. Do good enough. Do like, show them that you know you're good enough. Yeah. But like, let's not learn five pages of dialogue for odds are. You know, and that's a weakness. That's bullshit. That's like, dude, step up.

Step up. And I sometimes do that. And I think it's ego too. It's like, man. It's mad ego. I can do this in my sleep and I'm reading for it. I have, sometimes I have ego, man, because I know. I could do it, but then I get lazy.

I'm like, you know, I want to do all these other things. It's like, you know, sometimes I'll just pass up on an audition going, I don't know. I got to take two days to learn that shit. I admit it. I'm admitting it. Yeah, I'm lazy sometimes. When I get a roll, forget it. But you probably lights out.

But you probably, if you're honest about, do you really want, do you really, really, really, really, really, really, really want it? Probably not. That's probably right. I probably don't even want it. Probably not. Or you probably. I'm telling you, you're right. A lot of times I don't, you know, I know when I want something.

It's rare. But all right, this is called shit talking with David Rams. This is rapid fire. These are my patrons. Patron. com slash inside of you. If you want to support the show, you make the show what it is. You keep it alive.

Thank you for supporting. So this is rapid fire. Let's go. Jules M says, do you prefer directing or acting? And have you set up your square inside joke, he will. That is funny. I haven't set up my square yet. And after getting off of tracker, it's like, oh, acting.

Oh, my God, it was so much fun. Got to jump off a freaking building and do fights again. Acting. Doesn't like it. Yeah. All right. Little Lisa, I'll do an accent for this, but it's not her accent. Is it like the Tennessee platform?

I met David at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto in 2017. He was so sweet and kind. What is one of your favorite memories filming Arrow that you could, Please share. Thank you. What part of Britain was that? I don't even know. I just was doing an accent. A story I can share. There's about 10 different stories with John Barerman that I cannot share. What's a story that you can share that's just something that you haven't told? That's something funny that happened on set.

Some people have heard this story. Some people haven't. But this is when I first, you know, when I came to the show, a lot of people knew me from Dexter and Blue Blubla. So it was like, you know, I kind of had this thing like he's a very serious actor. And I started in comedy. Like I I you wouldn't know it but I started like in half hour I know it I started like in half hour comedy right and I was doing like half hours for years bro I had my own show in like 97 as a as a as a preacher on it on the UPN wow remember you nine apparel network yeah anyway um so so so uh I'm funny as shit is the point so anyway so me Steve and I do in the scene right and I'm the I'm the I'm his driver and he's sitting at the queen table with all his uh the

the family, he's at the head of the table. I come up to him, I whisper and I say, Mr. Queen, your car is ready, right? And that's it. I go back to my spot and I stay there near the door and I wait for Mr. Queen to get up and I drive him. So anyway, so I wait for his coverage. So the camera's looking at him.

And cameras are right there. They get a little bit tighter and they get this tightest and I wait for that. And I whispered as going to say, Mr. Queen, I have the biggest balls you've ever seen before your life. On a close up? Close up, man. How much does he loud? He just goes.

And ever since then, dude, we never stopped laughing on the set. Like, we never stopped laughing. I love that. Like, we just, like he, I, I, I, literally, I taught to Stephen last week. And I saw him maybe a week before that. With Welling on Smallville, we did that. I would look at him on his close up and I go, that song. Do it again, dude.

He goes, let me, I want another one. He would do the same thing. He'll be like, mm-mm. I'm like, what? That was awesome. All right. Yeah, we had nights like that because we had to be in this foundry for like hours, literally 12 hours. You go crazy.

Just go crazy. So the most asinine things became the icon. Oh, man. Benjamin R. What's your secret on building more muscle during your time on arrow? The great and mighty pushup. How many do you do a day? Now I just maybe like a little over 100.

How many do I need to do to get in really good shape and have a great chest and arms? How many do I have to do a day? Just start with, if you can start with really good. I could do a good pushup. You can't. Like good form? Yeah, great form. Do 25.

25 a day? Do 25 in the morning, 25 at lunch and 25 in the evening. Do 75 a day. And when will I see a difference? Immediately. You'll see it tomorrow. I'm going to start doing push-ups. With good form.

You want to do push-ups with me when you get here? You'll see it tomorrow. The push-up, the squat, and the pull-up are the best exercises ever. I'm going to do it. I'm going to start doing push-ups more. Linda M. What scares you the most? Um, not being authentic.

Yeah. You know what I mean? I just want to, let's keep it 100, bro. Just keep it 100. And I try. I'm trying. And you're not trying. You're doing it.

Okay. No, you're doing it, bro. Like, really, like you're doing it. This is a great, great, great show. Thanks, man. I'm glad you finally came on. And I'm glad we got to really talk. You know what I mean?

Don't always get to talk. Yeah. So it's, it was. No, I feel like I got to know you. Yeah, no. Like, we haven't talked much. And like, this is like, you and I, you and I, our crossings have.

been genuine, but they've been short and genuine. They've been short. Yeah. Always an appreciation. That's right. Always respect. I've learned some things about you here. Yeah.

You have. I'm lazy. You have a thing for dogs and balls. Well, no, that was a true story about Joe. No, it wasn't. It wasn't. Hold on a second. It wasn't true.

I don't believe that shit. I don't believe. Hang on. He poked him with his nose in the balls? We're going to settle this once and for all. Watch this. This was not planned. This was definitely not planning.

I don't know if I'll answer. What up? Joe, you're on the podcast right now with David Ramsey, and I asked him. I just want you to tell me how you found out you had testicular cancer. I found out that I had testicular cancer because I was coming over to your house to go see the psychedelic furs that night. And your dog that I love and you love Irv came up and attacked my testicle. like he had never attacked me in the balls before he went right after it and i went down like a heap into like just a mound and it hurt for like two days went to the doctor it has gotten bigger and i found

out i had the testicular cancer joe thank you for your time no problem i made i made a point thank you i'll talk to you later how about that buddy i wouldn't lie to you man i stand and hang corrected. This is going to say David Ramsey, Arrow, Dexter, Joe's balls. It should. Maybe it should say Joe's balls, David Ramsey. Start out with Joe's balls. Anything coming up or you're always working.

So it's like, take a break. There's a couple of things coming up that we're talking about. No, there's a pilot that I can't talk about, not as big as the one you're doing or might be doing. And I'll let you know when trackers out. Yes, I can't wait. It's fun. I loved having you here, man. I love it too, bro. I hope you come back.

I'm kidding me. This was easy, right? And you brought me a bottle of wine. Nobody brings me gifts. It wasn't that expensive. So what? I'm not even a drinker and I'm going to have some wine. I've learned about the whole wine thing.

Somebody told me years ago, like, do you like it? Like, yeah, I didn't drink it. I love it. Thanks for being here. My pleasure. You're the best, man. My pleasure. I really like that, you know?

And I was getting annoyed with you, David, because you were always like, Yeah, I'm going to do it, man. In fact, he'd come up to me at Conn and say, dude, I'm going to do your podcast. I'm like, year, next year. And I finally go, okay, whatever. And then he's like, okay, I'm ready. Yeah. That was a really, that was a really fun one.

He's got a good body. He's built. He's built. Am I allowed to say that? Yeah. Yeah. I can say that. I mean, if it was a female, though, and I said, she's got a great body, that would

sound purvey. No, you can't say that, no. But I could say it about a guy. I mean, Double standards. It's, no, it's the word body is the,

it's got, you got a good body. What if I said, you've got a wonderful physique. That physique is better than body. Hey, in my opinion. You're in shape.

That's good, but that can be misconstrued as, you weren't in shape. You weren't in shape before. Yeah, I try to say the right thing. You can say you are a shape. You are a shape.

Oh, boy. Thanks, David for coming on the show. And, yeah, and join Patreon. Patreon.com slash inside of you and you can get your name shatted out, get gifts, tons of stuff,

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S. St. David B. T. Paul. Gary F. Jackie J. Ritzel Pitzel. Benjamin R. Other brother, Darrell. Ivan G. John A. Michaela L. Thank you so much for making this podcast, your podcast, and thanks for all the support and love. I hope you continue to listen. We've got a great guest coming up and some big news coming up. So from the Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, California, I am Michael Rosenbaum. I'm right.

I'm here. I'm here. Yes, he's here. We're both here. A little wave to the camera. We love you guys. There's nothing more to say here. We don't want to keep babbling for no reason.

So you're just annoyed with us and then don't come back. So please be good to yourself. And we'll see you next week. This isn't your average podcast. Do you like party? I do like a huge chug of tequila. The hollerhead whiskey bottle chug in front of Dana White. That was the first time we ever went to L.A.

We somehow got into a bitty party. It's an Elon Musk house party look like. My party generally have a very high production value. This is Full Send. I do want to do a lot more pranks. A bunch of different pranks. Join the party. Jack Dordy in the house.

Feeling good, man. What are we going to talk about with Will Smith? I don't know what you're going to say. Shout out to Phil Vaughn. It's been entertaining, dude. The Full Send podcast. Got the boys. Got the beers.

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