Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum - Grant Gustin

Episode Date: April 28, 2020

Grant Gustin (The Flash, Arrow) joins us this week to share the mental and physical ups and downs throughout his blossoming career, notably within the CW DC Universe as Barry Allen in The Flash. Grant gets deep this week and talks about the anxiety and depressions he’s battled through his career in theater and film, after having developed these early on in his childhood. We also get into his passion for Broadway, aspirations and regrets he’s had so far, and some BTS moments while shooting crossovers. Plus… we have a very special guest that I think you all will enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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If you're there, you're watching someone go crazy, starting to lose the mind a little bit. No, I woke up late. This is a real boring story, but I got a new mouth guard, night guard from my mouth, my teeth. You know, I grind. Especially nowadays, I'm a grinder. But I got a new unfit. and it was kind of like not tight like the other one. And I woke up, man.

My jaw doesn't hurt. I feel like my neck's better. Did you imagine if I've gone through all this shit for the last five years? And it was all because my night guard was too tight. A, embarrassing. B, embarrassing. C. Hey, any kind of relief.

I want to thank everybody for listening to this show, continue to support. I want to thank my patrons who, uh, the patrons are awesome. I say to every episode, but, you know, they, they really kick ass. and they go above and beyond. Subscribing is unbelievable. I appreciate everybody who subscribes and listens and gives the podcast a chance and follows us on all our handles,

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well, some people think it's funny. On Instagram, some fun videos. I do Instagram lives. You never know who's going to be my guest. guest. I like to talk to people. I like to invite people on the Instagram lives. The Patreon, I do YouTube lives, all that stuff. And of course, left on Laurel. My music, the band's music is available everywhere, free. Or if you really want to pay for it, good iTunes. But why would you do that? I mean, you know, it's cool. I am waiting for someone, a surprise guest.

All right, here he is. Folks, he's zoom-o-o-zoom-zooming me. Should I have him, boom. All right, let's do this, man. Dude, so Grant Gustin's on the podcast, as you know. You know, we, of course, talk a little bit about you. We talked about your bandanas. We talked about, I think, about, you know, your good looks. We talk about, you know, and you take a shirt off.

You know, he's very humble. He's a sweet guy. Did you, what did you get out of working with him? What did you, it's the one thing that you take it. Like, Grant, I'll always remember this about Grant. I will always remember the first table read. when we meet Barry Allen

it's got to be intimidating man because we're doing this table read and he's coming in he's playing the flash and it's his episode and he comes in and he fucking nails it

in the table read I didn't even need to see what he was going to do on set in the table read I knew oh my God they made the right decision and then it was just

really cool on a yearly basis aside from you know aside from the two of us becoming friends, aside from us enjoying working together, aside from us both being able to be very honest with one another.

We had that ability, which is not super common. It was really nice just going to his show once or twice a year. It was like a change of pace. It was nice. And the catering was, Kiddering wasn't as good as arrows.

No, he was, I just honestly, man, I'll just never forget working with him. I love you more than any. Will you come back maybe every couple of weeks or whatever, just check in for a morning, read? Yeah, sure, man. Give, uh, give grandma my love to say hi to L.A. Hope that his brother and all of his family is, uh, doing well and doing safe. And, uh, I miss his face straight up. All right.

Well, I miss you, buddy. And I give the family a hug, and I can't wait to hug you. All right, dude. Talk to you soon. See you, buddy. Inside of you is brought to you by SunBasket. Boy, do I need these guys right now. Right now, SunBasket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to

sunbasket.com slash IOU and enter promo code IOU at checkout. So without further ado, stick around afterwards and please subscribe to the podcast. If you have it, if you're a grant fan, I know you're a grant fan. I know you're a Grant fan. You're here for Grant. I love it. But, you know, give the podcast a chance. I think you'll learn something, even if you don't know all the guests I have.

I appreciate your support, and I hope you enjoy this. Let's get inside of Grant Guston. It's my point of you. You're listening to Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. side of you with Michael Rosenbaum was not recorded in front of a live studio audience. Now, I fucked it up. It's Guston, isn't it? Yeah. How many people call you Guston? It hasn't happened in a long time, but I used to get it growing up all the time.

Really? Did you hate it? Did you hate when people mispronounce your name? I mean, I don't care now, but as a kid, I feel like that kind of thing bothers you more. I had a baseball coach that always called me Guston. And like, that's what he called me. He didn't even call me Graham. He just called me Guston. Let's have a little more hustle over here. Yeah, and that wasn't great. Were you a good athlete? No, I wasn't a great athlete.

I played baseball for a long time, and I was pretty good at baseball. But, like, I ironically hated soccer because of the running. I thought it was just ridiculous to run back and forth and hope for the ball. So I quit most sports other than baseball until I was, like, 14, 15. I stopped baseball, and it was like all theater. I mean, you're Barry Allen. You're the flash. So you've got to be athletic.

You've got to run. You've got to look good running. There's a lot of people that don't look good when they run. My mother is one of them. This is true, yeah. No, I danced for years and years and years. I guess that wouldn't necessarily help me with running, but, like, I'm pretty aware of my body,

and I'm a pretty decent-looking runner. You are. You know how to run. You know the stride? Yeah, well, they also actually, before the pilot, God, I can't remember his name. I was working with this, like, Olympic track and field sprint coach that coached Olympians and,

and running backs in the NFL. And he helped me with my gait and, like, kind of what my arms were supposed to be doing with my legs. And so I did have some technical training before the show started. Now, there's a thing where, you know, for instance, when Tom Welling on Smallville had to, you know, fly. I mean, he didn't really fly, but, you know, super speed or whatever he did, there was a certain look.

Like, if he went with his gut, it didn't look as good, even though it felt right. So, like, could you put your arm here? or can you do? Did they have to sort of like, oh, hey, I know this seems like you're stupid and really awkward, but this looks better when you do this. I actually,

and not to like toot my own horn, but like on a regular basis, directors and sometimes even the cast, well, that's the thing I'm complimented most on. It's just like, man, you really know how to move your body.

I really think it's my dance background. And honestly, like when a director or somebody comes in to show me to do something, I usually have the thought like, please don't do that again like they usually look pretty awkward that's one thing I have a pretty good grasp up it's like how I'm supposed to look with a lot of that's good that's good looking runner you know someone who just strides just like that's what they want for those commercials for like we don't run often a lot like sometimes for full you know body shots they'll have me

running but like green screen stuff I'm generally in a fixed stance and like doing my legs really hard and a lot of the times we'll do just the first step and other speedster guest stars, the amount of people that run that come in. You tend to see people do same arm as leg. Like when you step forward, you do the same arm forward. Yeah, no, no, I know. But like, and then I always show them like trying to run like that. And they're like, yeah, Grant Guston is teaching me how to run.

Unbelievable. He's been running for what, like five years? And he just knows how he has the flash. What's the major difference? I should know this because I didn't realize this. You know, when I'm saying I want to talk to you and interview you, I have. thought about it, but I certainly haven't thought about it in a while. But then I'm like, wait a minute.

All right, I play The Flash animated. But I was Wally West. You're Barry Allen. For an audience who doesn't know you briefly, like what's the difference? Between Barry and Wally. Right. For someone who doesn't know. Early on felt like our interpretation of

Barry was kind of like a combination of the comics, Barry and Wally, because I was a little younger. I wasn't really the age. Barry usually was. We did a lot of kind of quirky, awkward jokes, and I think that tends to usually fall more in the Wally realm. Yes.

So, yeah, I mean, it'd be hard for me to say because I think where we landed with Barry, at least initially, was somewhere in between the two. And we've kind of grown into more of a, I'm 30 now. I was 23, I think. Oh, my God, dude. So, like, I've grown a little more into a mature kind of leader version of Barry. I'm not quite as awkward on a regular

basis. We still have me kind of going there once in a while. But yeah, I mean, it'd be hard for me to answer that just because our Barry has never been like the typical like comics very own. Now, it honestly doesn't hurt my feelings at all. I mean, I obviously watched you. I don't like

watch superhero shows constantly. I mean, I was on one. It doesn't mean I'm a huge fan of one. I am. I'm a fan. I love the world. I feel like I'm part of something that's very, you know, popular especially now. And I feel like some Marvel definitely was one of those first shows that spawned all these great shows like flash and arrow and supergirl and all this but um well you were fan were you a real fan and by the way did you do

research like i'm gonna study all the people who played barry allen or i'm gonna what did you watch justice league uh which my you know the show i was on dc what is it called fuck i've seen episodes of it i mean i grew up like a a big Superman fan i didn't really read comics growing up like um they weren't it was before digital obviously when i was still a kid and it wasn't I didn't know where to get comics my parents didn't know where to get in comics but I was a big fan of Christopher Reeve in that whole franchise right um and uh when I started doing flash or when I was cast as flash the research I initially dove into was like reading comics because I hadn't done that so I got like

comicsology the app and was I think new 52 was brand new at the time so I was reading like all those and I still revisited at the comic sometimes now. But again, our show is like kind of its own thing. So it's, you know, you were on a CW show for years and it's CW is very much its own thing too.

So we're, it's just its own tone and version of the character. I landed Lex Luthor at 26 years old. You landed Barry Allen Flash at 23. Now, I certainly wasn't mature enough to carry a show at 23, let alone 26,

let alone maybe just recently. I'm able to maybe do that. So when you first find out, you know, I'm going to play this character. First of all, were you like, I much rather play Superman, or are there other characters that you'd rather play? Because it's probably true. Flash is probably not top two or three on your list. I mean, I used to grow up, like, arguing with one of my best friends in high school,

who was a big Flash fan about why Superman was, you know, so much better than the Flash. So for sure, it wouldn't have been, like, if I could pick a superhero at the time. I mean, he's grown into being... one of my i mean probably up there with superman now just because i'm so emotionally attached to the character now um but i don't think i also was you know at the time like no i'd rather play superman or batman because i'm not i never even thought i'd get to be any superhero right i'm not necessarily like you know isn't that the reality we we don't like who would ever thought like honestly i never thought that i'd be lex luther let alone anything right so i mean i'm

sure like you like you were a talent guy you did you did uh broadway tour you've acted your whole life you've done all these things you've had early success but uh if somebody would have said to you when you were even 23 before you ever got the the script or even in an eight as an 18 year old boy a little boy hey you know you're going to be the flash you'd be like yeah fuck off can you say i would have been i wouldn't have been in denial about it for sure i mean even when i when i got the audition i didn't want to go because i was like i'm not going to get it and i get a lot of audition anxiety um and you know if i if i i don't want to waste my time or their time and the breakdown even was like 20 mid 20s to early 30s or mid 20s to early or to mid 30s um again i was

like 23 and looked like i was 19 maybe and uh i didn't want to go to the audition at all because i thought it was so irrational to think that i could book it well you know that's exactly with me i was like there's no way i'm playing lex luther No one's going to cast this guy. I'm not a joke. I'm kind of a joke. I'm a, look at me.

And my friends even said that they're like, dude, no. And then, you know what? You know what? You know what happened, Grant?

We fucking zoned in, man. We turned the volume up and we prove them wrong. You work with David Nutter, right? Oh, man. He did yours too, right? Yeah,

he did our pilot and he was in my second audition, I believe, and he called me. after he had seen my tape, my initial issue with David Rappaport, casting director. And really early on, Nutter was like, I want you to get this. You're going to get this. And that, from then on out, I was like, you know, Tunnel Vision honed in on getting it because he had this belief in me that I was, and it made me have belief in myself.

But like, you already had some chops. You were still young, but at least you think without that theater background, you'd ever be able to make it through this? No. No, I mean, I, I, still to this day, I mean, I, I don't ever, like, even take my sides to set, rarely. I'm very, like, obsessed with, like, the process of, like, getting the scenes down, and, and that's definitely my theater background. I mean, I really drill, not just, like, memorizing it, but the scene work. And it's not, you know, hopefully I do much more challenging stuff throughout my career.

It's not like it's nothing against the writers. They do an amazing job. But it's not like it's the most in-depth, like, emotional actor work on a regular basis. But I take it really, really, really seriously and really prepare. I did too. It's almost too much. Like, I want to be too good almost. I want to, like, I don't want to.

I work so, yeah, I worked so hard that I thought, I'm like, most people don't do this. I can't. Does anybody work this hard? And that's obviously silly to think that. But, you know, it was torturous, actually, especially in the first seasons, like just trying to prove everybody like i have to prove myself and do you feel like you just want to know these lines inside out you want to just be able to go on set and like it's a play and let's go yeah i mean it's i've come a long way with um taking a little pressure off myself not taking it

as seriously at times i mean i've never let up on the work but i i've i've always been really hard at myself and i still am um but i yeah i mean i put way too much pressure on myself really on and gotten my way a lot. I think my it shows, in my opinion, at least in the work, like how like wound up I was and how focused I was on getting it right. You know, it gets in your way for sure.

Do you do anything before you're doing your lines? Is there something like, you know, I remember Jesse Eisenberg. I was doing this movie that no one saw called cursed, West Craven. And I remember every take, he would jump up and down and spin himself around right before action. And I would do, there

were certain things I would do to get, if I had a certain scene, but he was doing this, like, just all the time. And, like, it was a way of doing it. I'm like, hey, whatever it takes. Do you have a, I don't know if it's a tick, if it's a, because I developed ticks from doing shit kind of working myself up. Is there something you do, or you're just kind of zoned in, relaxed, and let's go? Well, I'm not necessarily, I'm way more relaxed now than I used to be.

I still have days that I'm really anxious or stressed about a really tough scene or emotional scene that I really want to get right. Like I, like you said, I mean, I still, sometimes will have that feeling of like, really wanting to prove myself to just like the crew like the people on set that are actually they're watching like I really find myself thinking about like what's the audience going to think about this I'm thinking about like who's there watching yep yes that's the theater background I think too yes it's almost like like instant gratification that instant response like I remember jd does jd you know jd has he ever worked in flash he did our pilot he did arrow for a great guy we always

still talk I'm on the arrow sir was on the aeroset but great dude JD I remember just like I remember one episode early on he just goes hey man I'm really good man all right really good yeah yeah I gave me a thumbs up and I just wanted that thumbs up all the time and when I didn't get it I was like there's only a handful of crew members that like I think feel like or that I have that relationship with but yeah I mean I don't think they realize how much that means to me when one of them comes up to me after a seed is like yeah you crush that like I mean that means the world it does right they don't they think they think Oh, they don't want to hear.

I think they're thinking they don't want to hear from the grip that they're good. We do. Oh, I carry it with me for, I mean, forever. Like, I usually come home and tell my wife about like, you know, I'm like, you know, still like buzzing from like I've seen it. Like, Neil, the boom-out came up to me afterwards and I was like, yeah, crush that. Like, it means, yeah, the world to me. Yeah, you don't care about EW writing an interview saying, Grant crushed it. You want Neil.

You want. Yeah. I'm exactly the same way. Yeah, I feel that same way. whenever I'm on a set, I always want to know people's names very quickly. I always want it to be like a family because I think it's for me, it's safety. Like I feel like if I trust them and I could fail in front of them and they could just pick me up and I can't be there for them, that there's something, I don't know if it's a good thing.

It's just kind of what I do that I just, I want to feel safe when I'm doing my work that I know people are rooting for me around me. Oh yeah. I mean, it's like it goes back to like, not even just theater and doing shows, but like acting class in high school and college. And it's like, that's what the relationship that I had with my acting classes, you know? It's like you need to feel safe enough to fail and that you're going to receive constructive criticism and we're going to pat each other on the back and we're going to learn from each other. And obviously, like, a boom-up isn't going to come up and you give me constructive criticism about my seed. But, like, you do want it to feel like a safe place.

I'm like, I can try whatever and look stupid and then get it right on the next take or whatever. When did you know it was going to be huge? Did you see the pilot and go, okay, I'm going to be doing this for a while? I mean, I hate to say that, like, because I had never even done a pilot, and I now know, like, how unlikely it is for pilots to go to series even. But I, maybe it was really, I was really naive of me. But, like, I, you know, I was cast on Arrow first. It was, I did two episodes of Arrow, and I was supposed to do a third episode of Arrow that was going to be a backdoor pilot. but the character was received so well.

They decided to do a pilot, a standalone. And I knew from then, I was like, well, we'll get a series, just because it's the Flash. And it, like, I never thought, like, it was never about me. It was just about, like, I'm so lucky that I landed this. And there's no way the Flash won't at least get a season one, you know, like coming off the heels of Arrow. And, I mean, maybe it was naive of me, but I just, I thought at least,

you know, three to five seasons felt like a given just because it was such an iconic character and I was for sure ahead of myself. But, I mean, and then meeting Tom Cavanagh and being a big fan of Jesse L. Martin before we all came in. I mean, David Nutter called me to tell me Jesse was doing it because he knew what a big musical theater, nerd I am. Right.

And freaked out and Hannah Baker. I mean, she's done all kinds of things, but like specifically I remember when I was younger, like her being in sky high. And I was like, man, this cast is like, insane. Yeah, I had faith really early on that it was going to, we were fine. The show was going to be around for a while.

You know, I could always tell who's had a good upbringing in terms of, like, close with their parents or, you know, were loved, we're supported, where parents were proud of. I could just tell. I just know these things. I could tell with you that you had a good upbringing. Am I wrong? No, I mean, my parents aren't together anymore, but they were both great parents. They're, yeah, I mean, we had a great family in general.

I'm still close with both my siblings. I talked to my dad. Not as much as I talked to my mom, but I talked to both of them all time. Super supportive, proud of you, love you, whatever you do is good. As far as it comes to me in my career and, like, my, this journey I've been on, they've always, I mean, I didn't finish college. I, first of all, was getting a BFA in musical theater, which is, like,

not a real thing that's going to help you in the world, and they were very supportive of that. It was an expensive school at Elylon University, which is not to belittle a BFA of Elon. It was an amazing training, and I'd recommend anyone going on that path if they, you know, want to do theater or being actor at all. But then I dropped out to do the tour of West Side Story, probably a tour of Westhead Story. And, like, had support from both my parents to do so.

And it's led me here. So the most beautiful sound I ever heard. I was a jet, so I didn't have to really sing at all. When you're a jet, you're a jet, all the way from your first cigarette to your last dying day. Is that bad? sorry. I love musical theater as well. And, you know, I read somewhere where you said, you know, you always wanted to do Broadway and then maybe TV and film. And it's sort of been, you know, except for the, you know, did the Broadway tour, but you've sort of switched positions. It's sort of like TV and film and career, but you always want to end up on Broadway. Yeah, for sure. I just, when I was growing up and I was doing theater, my whole life was theater from like, I started doing it at 10. and at like 14

it was like exclusively like my only hobby and what I did outside of school and then yeah my whole life was just about musical theater and around like 1819 I knew that like acting was kind of more specifically maybe what I was best at or wanted to follow that path

and like huge I saw Hugh Jackman and the boy from Oz when he was doing that on Broadway and I knew that he was like he was a movie star essentially already and I thought like oh do my theater path find my way into film and then once I get like big film jobs I can just go back and do theater like Hugh Jackman and I mean and somehow he's lucky enough to kind of be on that track now hopefully now like theater can be waiting for me when flashes over well I mean it sounds like the I mean it sounds ridiculous

either way you put I'll become a movie star then I'll do theater and then you know no I'll do I mean, no, it's, it sounds like it's absolutely that's, I think you have to have the mentality of like, this is what I'm going to do. And people will say, these are the odds and this is this. I don't know how many times people said, dude, come on. There's so many great actors out there. You don't understand. It's, I know I'm going to do it. It's something you just know.

And that success doesn't mean, I'm going to be this and I'm going to. It's just that I know. I know innately that this is what I'm supposed to do. Not should I do this? I don't know. I like it. cool there's more of like i mean i remember a conversation in college i had with a friend that i'm still friend with friends with and has had a lot of success on broadway on his own now but i

remember at the time like it almost like he was frustrated with me and like i was almost getting under his skin that like because i'm not a cocky like overconfident person by any means i actually am like very insecure a lot of the time and beat myself very self-loathing but like you said like i I mean, I was like, why would I be doing this if I didn't think, like, oh, yeah, I'm going to be on Broadway. Oh, yeah, I'm going to be able to do this. Like, why would I be, why would I be doing this if I didn't believe that I'll have success doing it? Yeah, that's what I don't understand. I think there's some people that, you know, I have friends that just like, I know, I just want to do this.

Should I do this? I don't. If you're saying, should I or I don't, then there's, then there's no. There's only, there's those people. I want to be a doctor. I want to save people. This is what I want to do. There's not like, I don't know, should I be a doctor or should I be?

I think you get to a point where, like, I know what I'm destined to be, whether it's doing theater in a small town and not making any money or becoming a movie star or whatever, this is what I want to do. Yeah, and I was fine with that. I mean, I also knew that that was a possibility. And I knew I would have been happy, like, doing regional theater in different, like, states and cities all the time and, like, knowing that I was following my passion. And I definitely pictured that life sometimes, too, you know, was the least successful version of what I wanted to do. and I was fine with that. Inside of you is brought to you by Quince. I love Quince, Ryan.

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Download the Rocket Money app today and tell them you heard about them from my show inside of you with Michael Rosenbaum. Rocket Money. You know, I support this theater, Public Theater of Kentucky PTK, and you know, know they always have problems and you know keeping the theater alive is not easy the arts and you know i try to be a part of that and um you know i try to help raise money and i'm on the board or whatever and i always think because it's you know the pt k public theater of kentucky is right where i went to school and it's right there and you know they have a museum there and they had the lex luther coat there i donated all that and it's a museum and but i'm always like god i want to go back

one day and do a play it just keeps getting further and further away i did so many plays in college and I remember the camaraderie that the feeling right before you go on and putting on the makeup and going over lines and doing the stupid tongue twisters and getting the I always used to get the stage like an hour early because of just nerves and like walk the my part where I'm going and this is when I'm going to say this and sitting in the corner and there is something freaking cool about that there is something that you can't really it's you can't describe it right yeah no I mean I missed it like I mean you said earlier that instant gratification is like one thing it's like my dog gets crying.

Aw. Come here. This is my 14-year-old dog, and once he starts crying, it's... Aw. You can hang out with us. Yeah, it's lunch you're good. No, yeah, I mean, when I was doing West Side, I mean, it was a lot of dancing and a lot of warm-ups and stretching involved, but I was there probably two to three hours before the

show every day. Jesus. Give your rituals and your routine and, yeah, stop. No, it's fine. We said, I'm going to send them out because he's just going to be. about LA call jet please

um what were we saying yeah no theater I just I miss that process for sure I mean there's nothing in TV is like

the process of you know the rehearsal process for a show or the live experience of actually putting on the show there's nothing similar

about it too yeah you know it's funny I see your parallel of like not our parallel because I'm a lot older than you well

I guess I'm 17 years older than you. I could have had you if you think about it. I don't want to think about it. But, you know, you think about the parallels of like going, doing theater, going through college. And, you know, I thought like, you know, I'm going to get, I'm going to get married. I'm going to have a kid. I'm going to do this. And, you know, I'm 47.

I'm still, well, I'm single. And I've done all these things. But it seems like you've done so much so early. Broadway tour, you know, you did the glee thing, which was really cool. And then boom, catapulted, here you are, the flash. And you're married now. You might have a kid, who knows, right? No kid, yeah.

You might. You have a dog. It seems like you have a hat. It seems like you've got your shit together, unless I'm missing something. Is there something that you're just, is there something that you're still, you know, people say content or you content? I don't think, you know, if I'll ever be content. Yeah, I don't know.

I mean, I don't, I'm definitely, I know how I'm very aware, especially in certain moments, how lucky I am and how differently things could have gone up until this point. But, you know, I also, like, there's plenty, when it comes to my career or life, there's plenty of things that I feel like I've missed out on. I mean, what have you missed out on? What have you missed out on? Like, I mean, during the flash, I mean, not to say that, like, my, it's been so amazing, but what, we're seven years in now in, in. War of six, we finished six years, and the past four hiatuses now, I have had a hiatus project that has fallen through because of Flash. So I feel like there's a lot of other opportunities out there that have kind of got,

like film and stage that have gone away because of schedule conflicts, you know. So you just can't have everything. It's been all Flash for six years, which I know you know all too well. yeah but i think that you know if you look back right now i definitely don't have i mean i'm sure people say i don't have regrets in fact my uncle got tattooed no regrets i'm like fuck that's a lot i don't think you know i don't think that you know what i under that you should put like a caption like eh not entirely true yeah yeah because we all have regrets i mean i don't i would never trade off where i'm at right now to be somewhere else in my life or in my

career i mean i have like i think one thing i really struggle with we were me and my wife we're talking about it recently. And me and my mom had the conversation all the time. She's the one that really pointed out to me. I have imposter syndrome for sure. Like I don't think I ever deserve anything that I get or that like I'm not, you know, worthy or I didn't work hard enough for it

or someone else worked harder or was more talented. So like that's something I struggle with all the time, you know. Just being like okay with where I'm at and feeling like I worked, I deserve it or earned it. But, like, I think that's one thing that really makes me feel lucky all the time is I don't know how I got to where I'm at, like, almost ever. Like, even when I was doing West Side, I mean, I should have been a junior in college at the time, and all my friends still were. And I was living all of our dreams and, like, doing the Broadway tour of West Side Story. And, like, every day, it was like, why me, man?

Like, how, why am I so lucky? And I've kind of every step of the way, felt like that. I can tell you why. Because that's the thing that's hard because when people's perception of you is obviously different from the perception you have of yourself. Obviously, you know, I'm talented this and that. But I look at you and I'm like, it's a good looking guy. He's really talented. But all that aside, the best trait about you from just knowing you.

And I think which is the most important with anybody is who they are as a person. People see that. And if it translates, they want to be around you. They like, you know, you're very likable. That's, I mean, that's a huge thing. I always tell the story. of James Gunn told me the story and he directed Guardians of the Galaxy

and so in Guardian of Galaxy 2 Kurt Russell Kurt Russell was telling the story about escape from New York and the director John Carpenter was like you know I don't know they just want me to make the character Snake Pliskin

more likable that Kurt Russell plays and he goes why I'm likable I'm just a likable guy and I think that's true and so I think that's kind of like Have you ever had those moments? Or you're like, I don't know the, I don't know, Barry seems kind of like a dick right now.

Too much of like a, like, you know, Barry's a dick all the time. I mean, pretty frequently. I mean, he is. He is for sure. You know. So you can relate to that, but you're innately a likable dude. I'm sure you could play a dick and a weirdo and you could put an eye patch on and kill somebody in a movie and people like, that guy's an asshole. But there's something innately likable about you.

And I think it's humble for you to say that, you know, you know, do I deserve this? there's a lot of other actors. I've done that. My whole problem is I never fit in. I never felt like I fit in. I feel uncomfortable around a lot of celebrities. I put on an air of like, look at me,

I'm confident, and I can turn that on. But the reality is, I'm always kind of going, oh, shit, because you want to be light. You want to be accepted. I've talked about that.

Have you ever dealt with anxiety in your life? Any kind of depression or any kind of what? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I have since, I mean, really young, probably four or five I've dealt with like anxiety depression like I've had real I had really weird anxious type dreams as like a really young kid and um I mean it's I don't want to get too into it but like we we before we got married we started doing couples therapy just to like

you know be ready for marriage before there was really nothing going on in the marriage and then all kinds of things for both of us start to like come to the surface and there's good presence a couple and I'm like as individuals and all kinds of I mean I was I knew I'd always dealt with anxiety but putting like you know getting pinpointed ideas about where things started and why you're feeling that way anxiety is ever present in my life for sure well you saw what happened with with stephen you know I was who talked about a million times and I thought that was so brave and like I think nowadays you could sort of talk about that thing especially in this show it just without a doubt I didn't know this was going to happen but it helps it just helps

helps people. They're like, oh my God, this guy's so successful. And he deals with anxiety. How does he deal with it? And it's just like, you know, you're not saying this is the answer to fix your anxiety. This is like, this is what I do to help me. So when you say, hey, I went to couple therapy because I wanted to be a better husband. I want to be a better husband. I want to be a better man. I want to be better on this. And I think just talking about your shit with someone who could be objective and someone who could just, it's just, how could it not help if someone's professional, obviously. I mean, I would recommend any kind of therapy for anybody for sure. I mean, it's been really helpful in my life. I don't do it enough. What's the thing that's the most, the biggest thing

in therapy that you found that you sort of heard, acknowledged, embraced, worked on it, and you're like, wow, that helped me exponentially. I mean, just in my relationship and I'm still working on it. And in moments, it helps. And in other moments, I forget to think about it, but I'm not always as good at just like really, really listening and hearing what's going on with my wife because she's more level-headed than me and more calm and less stressed out. And I'm always talking about what's what I'm stressed about or like, and I just think like, oh, if she's got something going on, she'll share that with me. But, you know, we're different. And she needs me to like talk to her and like ask her what's up and really listen

and hear her work, I'm thinking like, oh, she'll offer it up if she wants because that's what I'm doing constantly. Like, I can't ever shut up. And she just isn't that way. So in our relationship, that's been huge. And it's something that I'll probably be working on until the day I die, honestly.

Dude, I'll tell you what. That right there is fucking profound because it, you know what? If it doesn't help anybody else, it helped me just now. Because I am like this, too. I don't know if it's because, you know, sometimes we're selfish, we're this. We're fucking, we're in our heads. We're thinking of a million things.

I got ADD. And so we're constantly open about everything that's going on where most people aren't. So we assume they're- And I expect her to be that way, but she's just, yeah, she's not, you know, we're different. We assume they're fine. But we need to stop for a moment and go, all right, I need to fuck off for just a minute. And how are you? Seriously.

Because I'm a self-indulgent prank. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't think of, I don't ever think like, oh, I'm, a selfish person or like I'm all up in my own feelings because like I am constantly also worried about her and other people and what's going on in the world and it's not like I'm just thinking about me and my problems but like my anxiety is like kind of at the forefront of like everything including our relationship instead of like I said finding out what her anxiety is or what is she

thinking about what is she feeling right so it's something I'm definitely working on dude it's awesome i think that that's sound it wasn't even advice you gave but it's i guess inadvertently it is it's like you know listening it's hard it's like sometimes just to take a minute and go i want to say a million things right now because it's and just not saying anything and just going talk to me just tell me everything you're thinking it's an exercise on set too i mean because like we said like i and it sounds like you're the same way like i cared a lot about getting things right. And then sometimes I think, like,

there's no way anyone around me cares as much about getting it right as I do. So then I start to project that. And I've, like, especially earlier on, I used to, you know, I'm not a dick, but, like, I can get stressed out and, like, be a dick in moments because I really care about getting it right. And I think other people don't. And I think I've come a long way in my flash journey of knowing we're each dealing with our own shit, first of all, we're all stressed about

the work in our own way in trying to keep my shit to myself a little bit and be there for other people a little bit more instead of assuming like they're not feeling what I'm feeling, you know? This is fun. Yeah, man.

It's easy, right? You having a good time? Yeah. I like this. You know, it's funny because I tried to get you on a long time ago and you were in Vancouver and I go, I'm fucking pestering him. Now I'm the guy who's pestering him to do an interview.

I used to be the actor. No, I remember and I felt bad, but like I didn't I don't I think I we touched on this when we were talking in emails like I generally I don't have the excuse right now that I have my work but like I'm always like I say no to everything because the work is so constant and I just want to stay focused on it and do it to the best of my ability so like I rarely do even like not just podcast but like interviews or like appearances I don't do a lot of convention it's like I just don't do a lot of extra stuff outside of the work in Vancouver did you think in the beginning they were sort of like

young kid we'll take advantage of them interviews this this this because eventually you probably stepped up going all right i think i could say something now you know what no no no i'm gonna sleep in i mean not really to be honest that like i said i let it stress me out more and then still said no like season one and stuff but like i mean i did some stuff early on and thought it was really cool like i went to new york a lot for a lot like more than i do now their first couple seasons it was completely stoked about it because like my brother lives there a lot of my best friends live there and um and it's you know it's cool to do like you know it was kelly and michael at the time like the live with kelly and michael and like good morning america and like that kind of thing's cool

i haven't done a lot of it um i i did like set mires i think one year and like it's you know it was really cool like you see those shows and that that's like a i feel like uh thing where you're like oh i've made it like so it's not like i don't think it's cooler i don't want to do it but i really do care more about making sure i'm prepared for my scenes when i show up on set and if i feel like that's going to take away from that then it's not hard for me to say you know no no i don't i don't have time for that and it's not bullshit it's just like i really don't have time to fly to new york this week and we've got a huge week next week and i need to stay here get ready for it yeah you do all the crossovers and shit and i've talked to

Stephen Amel about this, and I'm like, and Danielle, I don't know, it was hard enough to doing one show, but when you're just doing all these, I mean, how, I mean, you probably think they're cool when you see them, but shooting them probably isn't that much fun, I'm guessing. It's interesting, because it's like the idea of them is, like, not fun at all. To, like, you, like, I feel like some people might say the opposite, but for me, like, thinking about doing them, you're just like, I don't want to do it this year. Like, it's so, like you said, it's so hard. it's so hard to make one episode of television for eight days and we're making three to four episodes of television over the course of like three or four weeks and um with production schedules that just don't make sense and like there are moments where like it's insane and just not human the type of conditions than hours that we're in but like i'd be lying if i said that it wasn't like some of the more fun more memorable moments didn't happen like during

during those crossover shoots. You dread them a little bit, but then when you're there, and it's like Melissa and like Brandon Ralph and Stephen, and like, we all like are so different, but have all these things in common and we're just like never get to see each other

and you're laughing constantly. It's fun too. I mean, it's hell and it's like the most fun. How many suits do you have? How many flash suits do you have? And do they start to smell after like a day of wearing that shit?

Yeah, like it, yeah, like one time wearing them. And they do their best to clean them. but they stink. I mean, I, on a regular basis for a location and I take pictures

with fans that are waiting on set. Like, I, like, it's like, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm Grant, I'm a bacteria infection. Here we go. It's like she is smelling like Brie today. Yeah. I think it,

like, right now with the current suit that I have, I want to say there's probably like two hero suits and maybe a third that like we constantly

like mess up with like pick points. for harnesses and stuff, but sometimes I only have like two or one because one gets destroyed and I'll have to get a pick point in that with a harness and then like that day they need to or like while it's on me, they're like stitching it shut because we only have one suit. So it just kind of depends on like what week it is, to be honest. What's the one Broadway show right now that comes to mind that you would love to do it? You'd love for it to be your first Broadway show when you're able to do Broadway.

that one Broadway show that if that was it I don't know I mean like I don't that's a hard question because there's I first of all I don't get to see a lot I used to get to see way more before I was doing flash but like at any even time I don't I've seen like nothing that's open on Broadway um I Darren Chris a buddy of mine you know that I'm sure you know of to see one like every award you could win like two years ago for that Versace show um but he was on glee with us and And he was great when I came on a lease and probably more than anyone else. Like, he was from the theater world and knew that, like, I had done nothing and, like, helped me understand what everybody's job was and really helped me feel welcome.

He was about to do American Buffalo with Lawrence Fishburn and Sam Rockwell. That's heavy. And I don't think I've ever been as envious as I was when I saw that announcement. I'm actually, like, like, currently, I'm reading all kinds of plays right now. And that's what I'm reading right now as American Buffalo. So a straight place. play is, I think, more now what I'd love to be doing. I got to seek to kill a mockingbird this past season,

and I had a couple friends that were in that. I mean, that would be another, it was with Ed Harris at the time, and like something like that I can't even imagine getting to do. Can we do with mice and men and I'll play Lenny? Yeah, you're going to have to gain, like, 30 pounds, but... I could, that's going to be tough. I try to gain, it goes to my face.

Now they got this beard. I said, you know, screw it, I'm growing a beard for, quarantine i see you're growing a beard you're probably yeah right uh and you know i finally i got the email hey dude i love you your beard looks terrible no it looks it looks good well this is a bad angle i'm a beard guy too though like i like i like i like all dudes i think beers are cool i'm always jealous when stephen grows a beard i think his beard's really cool like because chin part grows like really that's son of a bitch he's like perfect you said something we were actually watching new girl last night it was his episode and he took his shirt off and you're just like he i think out loud and i was

Jesus Christ Son of a bitch I can't get away from this You said that You said you wouldn't wear You told Stephen Emel I won't wear a T-shirt on camera with you I have to wear a blazer

Because look at you It's true It's like I've always been thin I've always been not really buff And then I always had Tom welling around me So whenever I had to do a scene Like I go you have to give me two months Notice so I could work out so hard

That I kind of look good Yeah I don't even do like You know we're not a tip typical CW show in that respect with like the lead being like beautiful and shirtless all the time like I really early on was like I did a few and then I was like all right guys like I'm not I'm not taking my shirt off anymore like that's not me right that's not who you got um I'm like honestly during this quarantine is the most I've worked out since flash started just because I have time now yeah I'm starting to like work out I'm cooking for myself and I like the beard I think

you look good with a beard nice more stute you know what I mean inside of you is brought to you by rocket money if you want to save money then listen to me because i use this ryan uses as so many people use rocket money it's a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions crazy right how cool is that monitors you're spending and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings and you know what's great it works it really works ryan rocket money will will even try to negotiate lowering your bills for you. The app automatically scans your bills to find opportunities to save and then goes to work to get you better deals. They'll even talk to

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if you're close to going over budget and even when you're doing a good job. How doesn't everybody have Rocket Money? It's insane. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Download the Rocket Money app and enter my show name inside of you with Michael Rosenbaum in the survey so they know that I sent you. Don't wait. Download the Rocket Money app today and tell them you heard about them from my show. Ever wonder how dark the world can really get? Well, we dive into the twisted, the terrifying, and the true stories behind some of the world's most chilling crimes. Hi, I'm Ben.

And I'm Nicole. Together we host Wicked and Grim, a true crime podcast that unpacks real-life horrors one case at a time. With deep research, dark storytelling, and the occasional drink to take the edge off, we're here to explore the wicked. And reveal the grim. We are Wicked and Grim. Follow and listen on your favorite podcast platform. well here's the surprise was the fucker Stephen and Mel was going to pop on and he was like you know his thing and he's been like I want to come on can I come on so I'm like yeah yeah

so he's going to probably do an intro he's going to do an intro is there anything you want me to tell him that I'm envious of his beard his body and his bandana his quarantine bandanas are really something special I don't know if you've seen them oh yeah oh yeah I've been on his thing wardrobe I'm like is this like the palm spring effect or like what's going on like it's like it's a cool it's a I mean I'm not it's cool it's like just not I've never seen him look like that Jesus these are some questions from some fans from my patron Mary B it's called shit talking with Rosamomum they're quick you can answer them quick if you could go back in time with no worry about the butterfly effect what historical figure would you like to

meet yeah Christopher Reeve you know he's not really historical figure like a huge that was probably one of my early I guess he is kind of but that was like an early early early hero for me and what happened to him was just so tragic and I know he made a whole second life out of it was able to inspire you know all kinds of people and do all kinds of positive things but it was just awful and I was devastated when he passed away so if I could have known him in his prime and like even gotten to work with him or something I mean that would have been that would have meant a lot to me you got to work with him as you're saying that I just he was on small he was Tom had his scenes with Tom, but I did get to meet him and I went to a Christopher Reeve Foundation event in Puerto Rico and I got to present him a blanket signed by the cast at Madison Square Garden for like a charity hockey game and I kind of, I got teared up, man.

I just got emotional. I mean, I just said, hey, I was on Smallville. I didn't get to work with you and I'm really bummed about that, but I love you and I've always loved you and just thank you for being a true Superman and and, uh, he was just awesome and we just sat there and he said a few words and yeah talk about like talk about facing the most adverse just facing such horrific circumstances and then going i'm going to keep going and i'm going to be better and i'm going to do more for people and i'm going to be a better man than i ever thought i was yeah you probably touched more people's lives because of his accident which is crazy yeah it's crazy uh jeanette what do you miss most about the tidewater area lived in

Portsmouth, many, many years she did. Yeah, cool. I loved growing up there. I felt like it had everything. I mean, the Tidewater area in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, was the city's I spent the most time in. It is really different from like Virginia as a state. And I mean, it has the beaches, you know. It has like big city, small city.

And I had a really normal, happy life for the most part growing up. And it's a cool area. I mean, I'm a big tides fan, the Norfolk tides. We'd go to those, the AAA team. We'd go to those games a lot. Just the governor school, the performing arts high school that I got to go to growing up was really special, is a really special place. And just trips to the beach with friends and just, you know, simple life of being a teenager. Nico P., who's your favorite 90s character?

I mean, you were born in 90, but who's your favorite character? The one thing you remember watching going, I just, I'd let that. The first thing I just popped into my head, I thought it was, God, I just, Zach Morris. Zach Morris. Say it by the bell. Yeah, baby.

And Corey. What's Corey's last name from Boy Meets World? Matthews. So you watched those shows? Oh, yeah. Sweet. Did you watch Smallville? You didn't.

I didn't, actually. I was a big Superman fan, and I think because of that, I didn't. Of course, like, fuck that. Razi, what was your favorite memory so far in the flash? You can remember one moment we were like, I kind of couldn't stop loud. or I cried, I got emotional, something, where it was just at that moment, that night, something happened and you just were like, or just, whatever.

I mean, there's a specific moment that, like, I'll never forget. I mean, honestly, the first thing that came to mind was just, like, times with Tom Cabinot in general that, like, we can't stop laughing, just, like, bits that get stupider and stupider as we go, but, like, funnier and funnier. And then we're, like, we remember for weeks. And, like, sometimes, like, when they're really funny, like, some of these crew members, like compliment us on scenes will like come up to us and be like man i was telling my wife about that bit you guys were doing like that's so gratified too to hear like yeah man our bit

made it home with like a crew member to his wife like um but a specific moment uh i'll never forget was the season one finale and shooting the scene to this day is maybe the best scene i've shot on the show where barry goes back he thinks to save his mom from getting um kill by the reverse flash and then stops because he realizes he has to let it happen. But then he gets to have this moment with her as she's dying and Barry's like an adult and she has the moment of recognition and knows that it's him and doesn't understand why but accepts that it is and had this crazy emotional scene. And I mean, I'll never forget shooting that scene or the like subsequent hours at home after

where like I couldn't shake it. Like I was in the shower like still just like hysterically. crying like my mom had died in front of me for real like it like as an actor was just something like I still draw from yeah when you can draw that that is just like the most powerful thing ever if you could use an experience to get you somewhere there's I mean yeah well I mean I think for the reason I always still draw from it is like that storyline is still present with Barry on the show so it's like I don't have to fake I've never lost a parent but like I don't have to fake anything when I do that storyline because I really have

those visceral like emotional reactions to thinking about losing nora allen barry's mom because it i felt like i experienced it like for real like it wasn't like something i read in the script did you uh maybe a stupid question did you feel like calling your your mom after that i think i did i mean yeah i mean i told her that i mean it was crazy like i probably cried talking to her about it that it was like i really felt like i experienced losing you like it was yeah I mean it was crazy you know Lisa asks you know you go from a villainous character like on Glee to a hero character in the flash I mean what's what's harder of portray and which what do you like better you like playing the hero or you like mixing it up you're an actor right yeah I mean at this point I'd say like it'd be fun to play a villain just because I've done so much Barry Allen over the years but it's I also you know loved getting the opportunity to play this character that's just like innately I mean has its flaws but it's just like so good and like so well-intentioned and um he he has his downfalls and faults at times but like really puts other people before himself and i've learned a lot you know from Barry over the years and

I love playing Barry um so yeah I don't know I mean it's I I definitely want to shake things off outside of trash and play other kinds of things but I also would you know I like playing hero rock rock says what's your favorite musical i mean we kind of went into that you said play maybe american buffalo kind of but it's hard for you to kind of but musical yeah yeah musical i mean you ever see blood brothers i'm the most like emotionally attached to is west side story just because i did it for a year right uh yeah it's the only one i've done for that amount of time but like i've had a lot of great experiences with musicals over the years and there's a lot of things like even like can't be silly ones i've never done but always loved and wanted to

to do is like hairspray like i always wanted to play link clark in and hairspray i got matthew morrison i think was like one of my early broadway kind of heroes and that's always been a role i've wanted to play what music like in the past and this isn't a question this is just me i'm thinking like do you you have to you're musical you're trained what do you sing around the house like i don't want to hear the new stuff i want to hear you sing any 70s or 80s something i would know i used to sing way more i think like when i left musical theater and started doing flash like unlike melissa who like things pop into her head constantly whenever we're working together she's always singing obscure musical theater references um and she's now married to my

buddy chris who was a musical theater major with me at elon university oh god so their whole house was like musicals like my wife like wishes she could sing but cannot sing at all and like knows nothing about musical theater um so it's like i i've kind of like left it behind me a lot these past few years. But I mean like 70s or 80s music or 90s or disc or something. The thing, if I was just like music music that I sing a lot. And I haven't recently, but like I've always loved Jason Maraz. And like

I can sing his whole catalog. Like if we're in the car and I put Jason Maras on like 120 songs. What's that fish song? How do you know this one? What's the fish song? Fishing or? I don't fucking know what's the one. What's the one song that you just always goes through your head? You just every once in a while I just start singing it. I mean, I don't even, like, they don't even need to be going through my head.

I just, like, if one comes on, I'll just start singing it. And, like, I don't even realize I'm singing. Like, I know all of his songs. I mean, um... I get it. You're not going to sing. It's fine. No, I'm not going to sign.

But you, you warm up and shit when you sing, right? I always was bad about that. Even when, like, I used to sing on a regular basis, like, a... It's like, I never... I was always pretty good at both. More dancing than singing. actually but like I hated going to ballet class I hated going to dance class I hated stretching and warming up like I hated doing vocal exercises to get ready to say you're a rebel but when

it comes to acting like I like I like the preparation and like that's when I kind of started to realize at 18 19 20 like it was more where my passion lay was like really focused on like trying to become a great actor I didn't care as much about trying to become a great dancer I just kind of was good at it do you get nervous do you get nervous for auditions do you get nervous for that audition do you get really like in your head does it take you like i need to take two to get into it not always usually i like even when i make tapes actually at home i i don't harp on it like i like to do it like one and done sometimes two like i don't do them over and over again um but like i get nervous like even like comican like i can't eat the morning before comic con like

when i'm really nervous like i don't eat during the day like it's really bad like it's one of the reasons i'm so thin like anxiety rules my stomach i too um i've actually just in the past few like six months or so that's started to change where I'm like eating more working out more and like my stress levels are a little lower um but yeah no I get really nervous and it like dictates my appetite for sure I love it well dude this has been this has been incredible I you know I've been want to talk to you for a while and I you know I heard so many good things about you from I mean everybody there wasn't anybody wait there's this one person who's no no no everybody's like you know this is this is the normal great guy who works really hard and his play

wasn't to work with. I mean, you always want to hear, like, you know, we're humans. I'm sure there's times on set where you ever, you don't throw a Christian bail, but do you ever flip out? That, why are we filming? You ever do that? Yeah. And I, like I said, I've gotten a lot, I've gotten way better.

I mean, I pretty much don't do that anymore. But I used to, like, season one, season two I had in my head that like being an end season of season three, probably being a number one was like part of my job was to keep the day going into like because I knew the show better than like the guest director or whatever but like I didn't have enough respect for guest directors the first few seasons knowing that like they had done this a lot more than I had done it and they knew what they were doing right um and yeah I had gotten into my head from you know partly from myself partly from other people telling me like I'm the only person they're going to listen to if I tell them to like let's move you know why aren't we shooting why aren't we shooting and like I came to realize that like that type of behavior only didn't it didn't help but it's stressed me out more like I don't want to be that guy yeah but like I had at times become that guy and I don't do that kind of shit anymore like I you know I'll have conversations with the director about things that are going on but I tend to not publicly declare things on set anymore there's something to be said about you know I think we've all done that we've all like anywhere

it doesn't have to be acting whatever you know you it's just a waste of energy it's like this day what am I saving 10 minutes a 20 I'm probably losing and it's just causing me grief and stress I'm here to film let's just film yeah I mean I that was the biggest downside honestly of having the lack of experience

that I had when I started doing Flash was and then suddenly being the number one was I think I could have learned watching other people like that did it the right way that I don't you know it doesn't help it's just wasted energy to come in and like think that you're helping the day move along by like declaring that like we need to be moving it's like everyone knows that we're

we get it you're 23 years old too by the way you know you I'm telling you I don't know what would have happened if I would have like I mean I was 26 and thank God I wasn't lead I was second to Tom but you know but I had been working for a while I just feel like I wasn't ready for to carry a show and to kudos to you for like being able to do it especially like the stress and the anxiety i've got the whole shows on my back and you could start really thinking about these things and that's also what i've learned now is just stop thinking about tomorrow you really honestly it sounds stupid just think about today right now what do you have to do i have to do these lines i have to be as great as i can and that's it i don't have to think about

these other days right now because i'm going to stress the shit out of myself right i think that's i think that's probably what you eventually did it was just okay i'm here let's go I mean, really, just in the past, like, year, year and a half, like, I realized, you know, I could be a lot easier on myself. And that's, like, the whole production. If, like, I didn't put so much pressure on myself to feel like my number one role, like, entailed more than it actually entailed, which is just learning my scenes and being, you know, the most prepared, friendliest person I can be. How many seasons left a flash? One on my current contract, just season seven. That's going to be a tough one when they throw money at you in their last.

Like, hey. Yeah, the conversations actually had started already for adding a potential 8th and 9th. And then this pandemic happened and everything has stopped. So, and we don't know when we're going back. And we didn't finish our last, what should have been our last three episodes, two episodes of season 6. So, and now we're not. I mean, we might do those scripts when we go back for 7 to lead into what we were going to film anyway. I don't know what the plan is.

But we don't know when we're back, and I don't know when we're going to continue the negotiation talk. So I don't know what right now. Well, there's two. Also, there's two thoughts, too. One, well, if I do sign on for a season eight and nine, you know, I'll be fine for quite a while. I might have a family, blah, blah, blah.

Maybe this, then I won't have to worry as much. The other is like, you know, I've done the show long enough. I made some money, and I just want to go do my own thing. So it's kind of that. Yeah, there's both sides to it for sure. And like we touched on earlier, the thing that makes it hard. to keep doing it. It's like I really have lost like three films in one theater opportunity that were like locked set, ready to go. And then those things had to push like two weeks. And my whole

hiatus is two and a half months. So like they had to recast me. And that's hard to deal with. That's hard to swallow. And then I had another one this hiatus and then this happened. So like that movie's not happening obviously. So it's yeah. That's the frustrating part. Yeah. Well remember this too. anybody who's like you know you got your friends you got your whatever but i love my my age he's nice and the guys the studio everybody's nice and the but everybody's going to be like this is what you want to do this is how you want because everybody gets money everybody makes money so just make sure whatever decision you know how to do this just make sure you the decisions in your gut this is what i want to do you'll know it's also like i don't think a wrong decision i mean listen i want to do more too like i when i

went into this like the amount of seasons that you guys did like nobody gets to do that So, like, to reach that milestone, there's also something incredibly, like, we, man, we did that. And I don't know. I mean, I'm glad to that I was, like, locked into the contract that I was locked into. Because, like, we were talking about those earlier stressful seasons. Like, if I could have, like, there were plenty of crew members that, like, walked after season two. Like, I probably would have also because I was just like, this is too stressful. Like, this is too hard.

The hour's ridiculous. Like, I would have just walked after season two if I wasn't, like, locked down. And I'm so glad, like, you know, that I've been on the journey I've been on. And I'll ride it as long as I can probably. Yeah, and you got great fans. I look at the comments. I look at the love. I love it the support.

I go to the cons. And, you know, fans are honestly what keeps it all going. I mean, without them. It is. It's just unbelievable. Like, Small Oak is over 10 years now. And it's still, I go there. And there's a new resurgence on Hulu.

And I meet these kids. And it's just, it's just such an amazing thing. It's an amazing thing to have, who would have thought? And, like, you have millions and millions of fans and... Yeah, like, I get to be the Flash for the rest of my life, which is, you know, pretty special. And I get to be one of the animated ones. Yeah, no, you're, like, a lot of people's favorite Flash. I only did two seasons that I was animated.

I don't know. I see that a lot, though. I don't know how it's a lot. Look, it surprises to me because I was... It's just my voice. I know people love it and they're like, all that... But you embody, you're the, you're the physical and the... You're the...

I mean, I mean, I mean, I love I love it I love you as the flash though man I love you as the flash I see it all the time I see you on the like best flash lists all the time Well look at my followers I think they like you better All right you got a lot more followers buddy But look I just appreciate all the fans

And today like I really appreciate you for coming on And hopefully when this is all over one day We could hang out You know I love that And yeah Come in and do it like an in person inside of you too That would be great down the road Hopefully this will clear up

and we won't have to zoom it up. But hey, got us together. Yeah, man. So thank you for allowing me to be inside you, my friend. And good luck with the wifie and the dog, the 14-year-old cute. What's the dog's name? Yeah. It's actually a tattoo of him.

Oh. Dude, that's great. And it's amazing. Oh, that's cute. I got to get a tattoo of mine. Mine's like 12. Irv. He's getting old.

Yeah, he's the most, since I moved L.A. is the only thing that's been consistent the past 10 years. years. Yeah, you got to just love as much as you can, man, because you know how much longer do I have? It's always like, you know, I've literally for like four or five years. I'm like, you could die anymore. I know, I know. It's fucked. I mean, they want to get mad. I go, fuck, you could die any minute. I got to, that's macab. I shouldn't. Yeah. All right, dude, I love you. Hey, thanks so much for this. Yeah, man. Thank you. All right. Pretty fantastic. Thank you, Grant, for being so open. And, you know, when he talked about

therapy with his wife and you know people don't want to talk about that stuff but I think it's starting to happen in podcasts like this podcast other podcasts the mental health thing the it's you're just going to get better you're just going to feel better yeah these people just don't want to talk about stuff and what happens you think that they're going to get better I'm just going to deal with it myself I'm going to ignore my wife or

I'm just going to man come on he's brave and he's awesome for doing that this is how relationships survive they actually talk about their issues my parents never talked about shit i don't think they went to a therapist did they i mean obviously they've been divorced forever uh big shout out to my uh patrons as i always say without these folks uh the show just wouldn't be uh wouldn't be as good uh truly truly thank you from the bottom of my heart those who pledge when they don't have to who give a little extra uh and by the way the patrons

they know you get a lot of stuff i try to respond to you i try to you know do as much as i can youtube lives extra bonus footage inside of me i'm always working on stuff to make you guys happy and it's community so if i don't get back to you right away within a couple days you know it's i try but uh it's it's so fun and um check out patreon and here are the top tier patrons Nancy D. Mary B. Leah S. Tricia F. Sarah V. Uki-ko. Love, Ukeko. Jill E. Brian H. Lauren G. Niko. My made man. Barry I. Angelina G. Lee. Jerry. W. W. Kevin R. Emily. Emily. K. Bobby. Bobby. Bobby. Not Bobby, but Bob B. B. B. B. B. B.

Robert B Bortex Jason W. Tiana Andrew C Allison L. Mark A. Jason D. Jason D. Chris Raj. Raj. Sean W. Joshua D. Emily F. C.J.P. Rocks Raccoon. Samantha M. Hamsa B. Stacey Bath, Carly. T. Vanessa in the sky with Rosie

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Jack S Jack S Not Jackass Jack S Jack I love you buddy Carly S Judith D Ramira

Ramira I love it, the Ramira, Chris F. And I just want to say bored text one more time. You know, thank you for all the letters from fans. Remember, you could write in hello at inside of you podcast.com. I eventually get these, and I do read them. Now, I don't read all of them online on the podcast, but I do read them. I think you know that about me now.

And by the way, I've been going around and, you know, doing my due diligence. So if you see little messages or responses online, I do look at those It may take me a long time But I respond Sometimes they respond right away Sometimes I reply And I'm trying to get other people

To listen to the podcast So I don't know Spread the word guys This one's from Seth I just want to thank you For the podcast You know what

My brother died when we were kids He was hit by a car in front of me No one was watching us I like to think that's when my life took the course it took. I grew up okay, considering my mother's deeper dive into depression, drugs, and neglect. I was raised by my father. That was a better experience in living with my mother. I grew up feeling very alone and doubtful of myself.

I'm just thankful for your podcast. It shows me what makes other people tick. What others went through. What helps others and how they think. your name is on a thing that is going on going to live forever your name is on a thing people will talk about forever Seth I would just leave it with that I'll leave it at that Seth um you know what I got from this letter is it's you know things happen and they're out of our control.

And it's how you deal with them. And, you know, not to be cliche, but, you know, you can sink. And by the way, no one's going to look at you badly if you do. But you could also swim and you could also do whatever it takes to be the best you and live for your brother. And, you know, people have bad upbringings and, you know, neglect and this and that and I think that I try to think of it as like you know obviously we could sit there and say what we're grateful for and there's lots of things and if you do that things are

going to it's going to help and also getting help is important but I think if you put things in a perspective like and remember I'm not a doctor Phil here I'm just saying what I think that's all but we get one life as far as we know we get one life that's what we we know we don't know what else there is out there. So if you think about it like that, no matter how bad things get, this is it. So if it's it and you're like, I hate this, I just keep thinking it will get better. Hopefully you have a long life, right? A lot of people live to 70, 80, 90, who knows?

But you never know what tomorrow brings. You never know what little golden nugget is right around. the corner and I think that's what keeps us all going you know we just got to know that tomorrow is better and we just have to keep looking for that golden nugget sometimes we have a golden nugget in front of us we don't even know it we don't even realize it we're not aware of it until it's too late but I don't know I don't know what I'm saying anymore but this touched me I I guess that's what I'm trying to say, Seth, as it touched me. And thank you for this.

And I hope you're doing well. And I hope you found that little golden nugget. And I hope you're doing well. Thank you, everyone, for listening. Patrons, we'll be doing a YouTube live with you soon again. And thank you for all the support, spread the word. If you guys want to join Patreon, if you're not, check it out. And go to Patreon and go to Inside of You podcast.

A big shout out and thanks to Ryan, Taya's, my editor and engineer and my friend, friend, then engineer and editor, friend and editor and engineer. I love you, buddy. You're great. I appreciate all your hard work. Hopefully this thing will blow up eventually. Thank you, Bryce, for all your hard work. You just bust your ass and do so much. You wear so many hats and

I just don't know what else to say. You're amazing. Jess, I love you. We haven't seen each other a lot because of this whole quarantine a couple times stopping by and just dropping shit off at the front or whatever. But thank you for all your hard work

and helping me pursue my dreams. And thanks, everybody. Make sure you subscribe. Send stuff out. send a link to everybody you know and tell everybody

online store inside of you online store has merch for Left and Laurel we got new t-shirts coming out very soon inside of you they might sell out who knows

they're pretty dope I think you're gonna love them and yes we got black everybody's why do you get black t-shirts yeah we got black t-shirts Ethan I love you Ethan big shout out to my friend Alex

Fadovich who always listens to the podcast my friend Troy all my friends all my patrons, all my, everybody, even Uncle Dave, who's now listening to the podcast, I love you. Thank you for allowing you to be inside of all of you. And until the next week, so long.

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