Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum - GRANT GUSTIN: Shaking Perceptions, Maturing on Flash & Theater for Spielberg

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

Grant Gustin (The Flash, Glee) joins us in person this week for a deeper conversation exploring how impostor syndrome limits new creative exploration and how he’s shaken perceptions over the last fe...w years. Grant talks about his legacy as The Flash and how he was ready for the show to come to a close during the last couple seasons after some much needed perspective. We also talk about the power of saying No, his prep for singing TV episodes during Glee, and performing theater for Spielberg. Thank you to our sponsors: ❤️ Betterhelp: https://betterhelp.com/inside 🚀 Rocket Money: https://rocketmoney.com/inside 🛍️ Shopify: https://shopify.com/inside 👕 Quince: https://quince.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

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Starting point is 00:00:33 with a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms and a weighting depth of 900 millimeters the defender 110 pushes what's possible learn more at land rover.ca You're listening to Inside of you with Michael Rosenbaum great guest today Ryan. Very good one. We've had him on before, but
Starting point is 00:00:57 I'm glad he came back and a lot going on. It was doing the Broadway. And, you know, we get into a lot of great stuff. So Grant Guston is here. So if you're listening for Grant, you don't know who the hell I am or care. If you like this interview, all I ask is, hey, write a review and subscribe and maybe start listening. I think you'll dig it. We really get into mental health and a bunch of important things on this podcast, wouldn't you say, Ryan?
Starting point is 00:01:21 I would say so. Yeah. So it's nice when people start to listen and go, oh, yeah, not bad. I'll check that out. If you want more information on what I'm doing, go to my Instagram at the Michael Rosenbaum, my link tree. It's got cameo.
Starting point is 00:01:36 It's got the inside of you online store, which I'm getting new pilot, Smallville pilot scripts. I'm going to sign those. Lexmus scripts. Yeah, the pilot episode. Anyway, my link tree on my Instagram, Matthew, Michael Rosenbaum, the link tree,
Starting point is 00:01:49 cameo cons that are coming up. We're doing a smallville cruise. Cruiseville.com. Go to that. we're doing a lot of cons i'll be in this weekend i'll be in orlando at mega con doing smallville nights with tom welling and uh we'll be in cincinnati cleveland will be in chicago for the smallville con which i hope you go to again that was a lot of fun so a lot of good stuff there and a couple products that i have is rosy's puppy fresh breath
Starting point is 00:02:18 for your dogs if your dogs have crappy breath like mine and you want them to have puppy fresh breath i have a new product called rosy's puppy fresh breath it's on amazon it's in the link tree it's awesome uh i use it every day and uh it's just a cat full in your dog's water it's odorless tasteless they don't know the difference and their breath is much better so i kiss my dogs a lot more and the talented farter is still on amazon if you want to get the book my fart book it's beautifully illustrated with sounds um a lot of other stuff going on so i'm just trying to keep it real man trying to keep it real ryan is that what the kids say yeah man keep it that's what that's what they're all saying you've got a big burly beard man it's getting you you get in this stage every once in a while
Starting point is 00:02:57 don't you're like you know i just i just want to i don't care it's been a while i think it's it's it's it's the coming out of it's the new year thing and it's i didn't know what that was feels wintery i don't know what you were about to say it's the coming out of and i was like oh ryan oh okay uh helping for big news yeah no uh just the coming out of holidays i was going to say holidays but it's been so long since the holidays i know it's crazy and there's not a holiday coming up for a while no but January has been a crappy month for it sure has um yeah the fires and potential floods uh i've had uh my friend zander and kerry lost their dog i love them uh i know how hard that is yeah you know my grandmother passing last christmas and uh yeah it's been a lot
Starting point is 00:03:48 There's other things I can't even say about, you know, all I have to say is this two shall pass and, you know, it's life. So you're going to get the crap, everything in between the crap and the good, and you're going to get the good and the great. And so you just got to keep going and strive for the great and hope for something positive around the corner. I'm hoping only positive things can come. It will. Look, the year is officially started now that it's a new month. it's true now starting now starting this moment for all of us yep i hope you guys are doing well out there and thanks to all my patrons who support this podcast without you i could not do it
Starting point is 00:04:29 so if you want to help this podcast and keep it going go to patreon dot com slash inside of you and become a patron and there's so many great benefits and i'm doing a youtube live with all my patrons i'm doing i'm going to do a zoom with the top tiers um i send boxes in fact today is is patron day So we're sending boxes with the new tumblers and fun things in there, some one-year t-shirts for the one-year people. And we're looking for, there's some people who have been around for five years. So we want to get them something special. So Bryce and I have been talking about that.
Starting point is 00:05:02 But I really appreciate you. Join patreon.com slash inside of you and support the podcast. And without further ado, let's talk to Grant Guston. I love this guy. He's such a sweetheart. And it was really awesome having him over. So let's get inside of course. and Guston. It's my point of you. You're listening to Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum.
Starting point is 00:05:31 Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum was not recorded in front of a live studio audience. Far away from me. We were just talking because I had surgery and you're saying your wife's a physical therapist trainer and all this stuff. And I was like, would your wife train me? You're like, well, you know. We also have a three-month-old right now. So that not easy. And a three-year-old. old. How does that change your life, man? I mean, it's completely changed my life. Before I had kids, I remember somebody said something of like along the lines of everyone says when you have kids that your life changes, but that's not true. That life's over and you have a new life now. Is that true? 100%. But like, because your daily schedule is obviously completely altered. But also it just
Starting point is 00:06:13 kind of like I feel like biologically changes you and like something in your brain changes and I feel I felt like a different person since having a kid do you feel more you know I feel like if I was a parent the first time parent I'd be like so nervous about everything everything the kid does I'd be watching him sleep I'd be you know yeah yeah you do obsessed with like their breathing like when they're babies do you like call the doctor too many times no I mean I know like my wife in particular I remember the first time and she hasn't it hasn't been the same this time she like a lot of like doom google searches in the middle of the night um but which is not i wouldn't recommend um yeah well they have that thing now it's like med.com or ask a doctor yeah i still am unsure about that though
Starting point is 00:07:00 i don't know about these doctors that are willing to do online shit and answer your questions at two in the morning like uh my baby sneeze sounds yeah i'm not the person to google uh medical concerns because that'll spiral me so well you know I do I'm the person that does that yeah I try not to my mom set me she had scans of her brain done because I think there's some stuff going on and and I just immediately looked it up and I go wow yeah this isn't good mom yeah I looked it up well now there's like Google AI too it's like you don't even have to like follow through with your search like it's like at the top of the page it's like AI is just put together like what the search results are for you. So it's like really dumbed it down. What do you think about all that AI stuff?
Starting point is 00:07:45 That's such an existential question. It is. It is because it's it's really cool and it helps creators. Yeah. But it also I think hinders some of the creativity. It's like that work ethic. Talking about it within the creative space, it feels most of the time like it's not it's a little scary. It doesn't feel exciting in the creative space. But I feel like it's more in like the science and like and like farming and there's all these things that it's it sounds like it's like actually pretty helpful and beneficial for us but in the creative space it feels like do we really need well what I do is the way I use it is I write a script and that's not like a creaking door it's a horror movie but I I usually I'll write a script yeah and I'll kind of write
Starting point is 00:08:31 the like the synopsis and the log line the tagline where the series goes and then I'll get to a place where I'm like, I wonder what they think. Yeah. And I'll start adding some stuff and I'll, you know, some of it's really good. Yeah. And a lot of it's not. Yeah. So I use it that way. I think if you're looking to get an idea, I mean, it could help, I guess, if you type in like, what's a good idea for a horror movie that hasn't been done? I know my, my brother-in-law did this with like a Flash episode one time where he wanted to see like he typed in like, I don't know. This was years ago when Flash was still happening. But he wanted to incorporate. He wanted to, incorporate my wife as like some evil doctor as the villain of the episode. And like he had
Starting point is 00:09:14 AI write a flash episode with her as like the bad guy. Was it good? It sounded kind of like a flash episode to be honest. Really? The synopsis of it. Yeah. That's creepy. Yeah. I don't write. So like I'm not I don't write. I'm surprised. Yeah. Why is that? Because look, I want to tell you I didn't write either. Yeah. I would write like journals and things like that. And it wasn't until I spent three months of kerry fisher's house and i've told the story but like uh you know i started like you know she let me stay in one of her bungalows i was going through a hard time and we became good friends and i was i was reading her book postcards from the edge and i was reading some other stuff and you know they always say write what you know so don't you know if you have an
Starting point is 00:09:55 experience or something you want to talk about so i started writing about my family and then i gave her like 30 pages and she goes is this shit real did this really happen and i go yeah she goes it's Genius. Keep stay on that track. Cool. And that's how I started writing. So I wonder if, you know, you say, I don't know, I'm not a writer. I think you're a creative person. You know, you do a lot of things. So you might want to add it to your repertoire. Yeah. I've always thought like what would be my way into writing. But like, I don't know. I mean, I do think it stems back from like a more like deep seated thing of like I've never thought of myself as smart. I feel like I didn't. Like I didn't excel in school. And, and just in life, I've never like. I get nervous about press because I'm like, I don't want to sound dumb. And I even just social situations. It's inevitable for me. Yeah, me too, it feels like, like, at least like compared to like whoever I'm standing next to that I feel like seems more eloquent and smarter than me on the whatever topic come from. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:10:53 Or your parents, very supportive. Yeah. And my, and they're both smart. Like everyone else, no one else in my family had ever been in like a creative person. Like there's no actors or dancers or painters or musicians or anything. and my family. So, and they're all, like, academic people. My wife's family's the same way. A lot of, like, a lot of just like academic people, really smart people did a lot of school. And like, I went to school for theater and dropped out to do a Broadway tour. So like, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:11:18 Well, what were you, you say you weren't, you know, I have this problem too where I just, I never, I'm always like I'm not smart. I'm going to sound like an idiot. Yeah. They're not going to buy it. I'm, um, you know, I'm just, I'm really good at pretending that I'm smart, you know, that I could make them think I'm smart. I'll throw in a, you know, colloquialism. You know, and they're like, oh, okay, you know, it's with colloquialism. Is that good? But I always had that. But that, for me, stems from childhood and, you know, nobody around me saying, hey, you're
Starting point is 00:11:54 smart. Hey, you're proud of you. Hey, I'm good. So I don't, so that's what that stems from. But it stays with you. Has it always been an issue for you? Yeah. But I know I have a lot of people around me now. Like, you know, my mom and my wife would be like two of the first people to be like, you're smart. Like, you know, so it's not like I have people around me that make me feel like. Less than. Yeah, other than the fact that I look at them is smarter than me. So it's like it still comes back to just like, well, they say surround yourself with people that are smarter than you. I have. Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you. Yeah. That's a good rule. creative or like you have to hang out i mean look i have some friends that aren't as creative or
Starting point is 00:12:34 are but i i surround most of my friends are smarter than me yeah that's for sure yeah and um but they're always like all my friends are like dude you should totally go on celebrity jeopardy you kill it and i go is that a thing yeah there's celebrity jeopardy okay i had ike baronholz on here you know ike no he's a comedian he's genius but he uh he won it but it's like it's simpler questions it's not like the hard jeopardy but it's celebrity jeopardy so what could celebrities answer yeah but i just have this fear that i'm going to freeze and i'm going to like know it but i can't think of it right and i'm just going to look really stupid and that's always been sort of my m o is like looking stupid not being able to you know just failing or i don't know i'm trying to be better about like not
Starting point is 00:13:16 speed like i i can tend to be i i've always leaned pessimistic or like can but not always i feel like more in like my later like adult life, I've been reminding myself how good at like manifesting without realizing I was manifesting as a younger person. And then I feel like you're taught to be a little more negative when things don't go how you expect them to go or you know, shit happens to you. And I've, I've been kind of trying to recalibrate myself again to just, you know, like, because I journal too and to like not just write down stuff that's like stressing me out or bothering me, but things that I want to happen or think could happen that are good things because I think there is I was having a conversation with um Greg Berlante recently actually and he was talking a lot about that where it's just
Starting point is 00:14:03 like there's so much power and just like putting it on paper and write it down and yeah so I've been trying to be better about that but also just like thinking more positively about myself because it also just like affects to think negatively about yourself you know it obviously brings you down and then it can affect your relationship with other people too of course so I'm just trying to be better about being a little more positive about how I think about myself, because I'm sure it bleeds into everything. Well, I think, you know, my therapist always tells me, look at what you've done. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:14:33 Simply look what you've done. You just did a Broadway show, right? Yeah. What was it called? Water for elephants. Water for elephants. Right. You learned all these lines.
Starting point is 00:14:41 You get up on stage. You're creative. You perform every night. You carry a show like The Flash. You're the lead. You do. How many seasons? Nine.
Starting point is 00:14:51 Nine fucking seasons. it's like at some point you have to go stop it yeah just stop it because you are there's there's different parts of you know um intellect you know yeah i consider myself really witty and creative yeah and i'm okay i'm not like brilliant but i'm like i'm somewhat smart i don't have a lot of common sense sometimes um but there's you know i'm just that's just not in me yeah and you know sometimes like at least what you have going for you is your You're even keeled, or at least you seem to be. I try to be.
Starting point is 00:15:27 You're shy. You're reserved. See, you have that. So less is better. So people will assume you're smart just because you have like, and me, they're like, oh, he's going on. He's probably, I don't know what the fuck he's talking about. Well, it's like, you know, there's, because I'm not necessarily any of that at home,
Starting point is 00:15:45 nor was I at all as a kid. Like, I've never been someone that's like been really social. Like, even as a young kid, like, birthday parties and sleepovers, like, really stressed me out. I was the kid that a lot of time, called my mom and, like, decided I had wanted to come home. I wasn't going to spend the night. Wow. The same freshman year of college, like I grew up in Virginia and I went to school in North Carolina, like four hours from home. But I still kind of, I had a moment the first couple months where I was like, I don't, I can't be here. Like, and just kind of spiraled. I can't handle it.
Starting point is 00:16:15 Yeah. And obviously I stayed. That happened to me too. Yeah. I was going to leave school. I just, I just, it was overwhelming. Yeah. And I don't. And I just, I think it's like... But you stayed. I stayed. And then I started to meet people that were sort of accepting. Yeah. And people that I could relate to and people that I wanted to do things with and theater.
Starting point is 00:16:33 Well, a big thing, too, is like you were just saying about you, that you're, you know, at least seemingly more outgoing. And, um, but you realize that like everyone's kind of at least got a nugget of the same stuff that you're feeling with self doubt or insecurity or, you know, being uncomfortable. Like everybody has that. We just all have our different. you know mechanisms for and how we deal with it yeah i mean how do you deal with it i mean do you ever get have you dealt with a lot of uh anxiety or depression in your life i mean we we we talked about
Starting point is 00:17:02 yeah yeah yeah yeah but yeah of course and it can you know absin flows sometimes throughout a day so it still happens of course right yeah but it's like uh you know i'm always trying different sometimes i'll like go through phases where and like i'm in one now where i've got a new kid i've got a a three-month-old and a three-and-a-half-year-old. Yeah, so it's like, there's always like new things going on and like, and then like I fall out of habits that I developed of like, you know, I'd gotten really good at exercising like five years ago. It's so hard to stick with it.
Starting point is 00:17:35 It's obviously gets really hard when like, yeah, there's a new kid and like it was really hard when I was doing the show in New York because my wife was pregnant. We were, you know, living somewhere that wasn't normal for us. We have a gym at home in L.A. like that wasn't the case in our apartment where were you living in the city yeah the upper west side and um yeah you're out of your comfort zone yeah and everything and like and then i'm doing a show every night and i'm missing bedtime with my kid every night so in the morning i want to be around before i take her to preschool and then like i got a rest before i'm going to the theater so like i pretty
Starting point is 00:18:10 much i think i was i was there for nine months almost nine months like eight and a half months and i I think I worked out like 15 times the whole time I was there. And you could feel it probably in your body. Your anxiety levels. Your depression levels. Your fatigue levels. You're just and you're doing these shows. How much harder I feel like I feel like doing a play even though it's once a day that you wake up and you're kind of like your nerves are ready for the night.
Starting point is 00:18:36 Well, two days it's twice a day. You know, like Wednesdays and Saturdays you do two shows. Yeah. But so doing a musical was, you know, my background was all musical theater. Yeah. Like it's all I had done until I was. 21 and and then my first job was glee so like I was still technically doing like a musical um so it was like all I knew was performing live on stage and doing musicals but it had been like
Starting point is 00:19:00 13 14 years since I'd been on stage how nervous were you I was really nervous going um like it's that first day of school like when you start you know everybody talks about that yeah it's the same thing I hope everyone likes me I hope they don't you know the imposter syndrome starts kicking in like they're going to realize I was wrong for the job they're going to fire you me on the first day, like, after the table read, they're going to think I suck and let me go. And, like, I was really nervous specifically about music rehearsal, because I knew I was about to be around a lot of people that had only been doing, and I know what it takes to, like, give yourself to that and to think about it.
Starting point is 00:19:32 You had to work harder than probably they did. I don't know, but, like, I did feel like I had to kind of shake, like, the whole perception, at least that I had created of myself going in of, like, they're going to think I'm, like, the TV guy coming in to, like, do Broadway and, like, you know, I'm not qualified. And I, you know, I didn't want him to think I was a dick or like, you know, think that I think I'm like cool or, you know. Yeah, you always, it's like, no matter where you are in your life, you want to fit in. You want people to accept you. Yeah. So I was really nervous about the singing aspect. Inside of you is brought to you by Quince. I love Quince,
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Starting point is 00:23:35 inside of you with Michael Rosenbaum in the survey so they know I sent you. Don't wait. Download the Rocket Money app today. and tell them you heard about them from my show inside of you with Michael Rosenbaum. Rocket Money. Good amount of people come to the shows. We did well.
Starting point is 00:23:55 Yeah. We were generally like pretty full most of the time I was there. Did you ever mess up? Yeah, of course. Like that's the thing going in too that you're like, I hope I don't. Does it, does it, uh, are you able to go? I fucked up. Moving on.
Starting point is 00:24:08 I got better at that as I went. But like, no. The first like I, doing. You know, I did West Side Story when I was 20, turned 21 on tour. What role? Did you play? Baby John. I was a dancer.
Starting point is 00:24:19 And I, you know, we did a year of shows. I forget exactly how many. But like, I fell twice. Like, we did these big kicks. It was embarrassing? Yeah. Like you're, and like, just thud hit the ground. You know everyone saw or heard it.
Starting point is 00:24:35 And you just got to get up and keep moving. So I knew coming in like, okay, I've got like eight songs in this show. I'm going to fuck one of my mom. I'm going to. I'm going to forget a lyric. I'm going to forget a lyric or I'm going to crack. And yeah, I think I cracked three. I did like three times total in eight months. I think I cracked like three times. That's nothing. Totally. But like when it happens, you're like that audience only saw the show once. And you know what? You'll never see those people again. You know, hopefully. Mostly not. Who's there. You never know who's there. You never know who's there. Tomorrow's a new day. Like Spielberg came and saw the show and like came on stage. Like after. Did he come see you after? He came on. Yeah. He was. was a producer actually um so spielberg you got to know spielberg i met him like what did he say what was the encounter was spilberg he was exactly like a really great job he was very friendly and he loved the show and he was very nice to us and said were you nervous around him um yeah but also like you're
Starting point is 00:25:28 like this is going to be a very short exchange like spilberg's got a lot going on in his life he's like you know not gonna i i feel like i try not to build up those moments too much because i'm like he's not building this moment up but don't you deep down go i wish like he would be like you know I'm going to put you in something. Of course. Isn't that in the back of your head? Yeah, of course. Like you want to say, hey, I just want to say if you never do a movie again, I'd love to be the third guy in the right. Of course. But it was also funny because like Mike Feist was there with him. You know who that is? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So he's a Broadway actor who's done some West End two. And then his, you know, had a really, I think he's a really talented actor. And he's, he just did West Side Story with Spielberg. He was Riff. He just did that Challenger's movie. So Feist is with him who I, I, I think he was a really cool, chill guy, and I think it's a great actor. I'm like, the whole time I'm like, Spielberg doesn't even, he's got Mike Feist. Feist is right there. That's what you think.
Starting point is 00:26:23 But you're two different people. That's true. Did he see it on the night where you cracked or you didn't crack them? No, yeah. So I was just, I was just, yeah, getting to the point of like, you never know, like, Spielberg could be there and you want to do a good job. That's true. But yeah, like, so I cracked three times and then I think five or six times, at least I forgot
Starting point is 00:26:40 lyrics and always in a different spot. No one would know, though. Not like, well, it's not like, for instance, if you go, I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you. And if you said, I'm all out of love, I need it now you. I think people would notice. I don't know if they'd be catching on. What did he say?
Starting point is 00:26:58 You're right. I mean, they really probably don't care. I think I had a few that were like obvious. And then there was some that, yeah, I probably made it work. I mean, I just a couple, a different different things. Like, one time I forgot. And like, I just started saying shit until I remembered what I was supposed to say. And then sometimes I'd forget.
Starting point is 00:27:15 Who would the person you were with say, with the actresses? Well, one of the times it happened or two of the times, it was two different parts in the same song where I'm like on top of this scaffold that represents a train. And I'm like singing a solo and I'm by myself, like nobody is around me. So I'm just like, and then it's, that's my first song. So then I'm the rest of that show. I'm like, when am I going to forget another lyric? because you have the rest of the show to do. I told a lot of friends,
Starting point is 00:27:44 like when I finished it felt like it was time for me to finish because, and I'll be better about this if I ever get to go back to Broadway, that I was developing this habit, this like tick of when a negative thought would enter my mind or if I, you know, I'd crack the show before, forgot a lyric the show before,
Starting point is 00:28:02 that I'd go into that show thinking like, don't mess up. And then every time I would think about it, I'd have to knock on wood. And I was on stage the whole show. Like, I left stage like twice and was off stage for like maybe five, ten minutes. For a half hour show. Yeah. Like, I was on stage the whole time.
Starting point is 00:28:18 So I'd be finding times during the show like to like discreetly like knock on wood like while you're on stage. Yes. Yeah. And I was getting to a point. I was like, this is not okay. Like I was doing it like like 10 to 15 times per show anytime I'd think something negative. Like I thought I'd have to combat it with knocking on wood.
Starting point is 00:28:35 See, I always have that fear. I've always had that fear of not. being able to know my lines or the fear of like i've had sometimes where they write a new speech for me and i'm like i can't do this this is how my brain works i need a day or two to yeah me too i just can't do it the next time it happens i think the best thing to do is like you got to get cue cards yeah i'm not kidding you got to get cue cards my mind will not remember them with the nerves and getting ready it's going to be a waste of time just write them out and i'll read them i'm not learning these lines unless it's like a line right if it's like a speech or something or a bunch of dialogue
Starting point is 00:29:05 you got to give me cue cards i can't do that and so i put so much pressure and it's happened to me before i remember west craven in this movie comes to me at lunch and goes oh yeah we're not going to say what you said i'm writing like a little monologue for you right now and uh i'll get the second after the day yeah i'll get it to you after lunch and my heart was just pounding and i'm like what do you mean and i remember it was like 13 takes to get it and i remember christina ritchie just looking at me like like come on dude i'm like i just got this i didn't even say i should My thing, honestly, with something like that is, like, the crew, like, they get paid, everyone gets pages at the top of the day. Like, all the actors and the crew know, like, they know what's going on. They know it's new. Yeah. So, like, and I'm good at memorizing. Like, I'm sure you are too with the amount that you did, you've done on TV. I'm good at it. If those, the more I do. Yeah, of course. Yeah. Like, if I started right now, it'd be tough. Yeah. But in a month, I'd be good. I mean, yeah, because it's a muscle. So, like, when you're in the middle of a season, though, and you're working on a show and you're, like, kind of sharp at it. Like, I was pretty good at, like, like, You know, I also worked really hard, like, at memorizing my, I never, like, you know, let up on, like, I never, ever showed up on set on Flash and, like, and didn't.
Starting point is 00:30:13 Yeah, I always knew my lines. Obviously, you have days where, like, something's going on and your brain's just not clicking. Yeah. But I kind of would, like, I didn't like getting something new midday or the morning of, but also part of me was like, all right, now I'm going to show everybody how good I am at just, like, learning something. Because everyone knows I just got this. So no one's going to blame me if I don't know it right now, because it's not my fault. And I'm good at this. So I kind of would like, there's nothing to lose, you know, and like getting something new because I guess.
Starting point is 00:30:42 It's a good way of thinking about it. But like, it's not your fault. It just depends. It just depends. I think I get, my fears start to, I get, I get this, hear my cuckoo clock. Yeah. It doesn't work. It just goes, it doesn't tell the time exactly.
Starting point is 00:30:56 Oh, yeah. It's, it's 25. Not a time that that should be happening. Yeah. Do you, if you had a choice to do TV, movie, or plays. That's it. Like, I had to pick one to do the rest of my life. I haven't done enough movies.
Starting point is 00:31:09 If it wasn't about money. Yeah. So because obviously you make more when you do theater and TV. Yeah, that's the thing. Yeah, you obviously with theater. It's, yeah, not why you do it. But also, as we were talking about, I mean, you get so much more out of theater in a way. But it's also like a different type of stress after doing, you know, I don't know, it's tough.
Starting point is 00:31:33 It'd be really hard on your head. that they said you're going to get the same money for whatever you choose yeah yeah i get it i get it i'm with you probably i mean as much as i love theater i don't think i'd pick theater because like it's also in new york and like it's not that i don't like new york but it's not where i live and like and i think my wife like kind of doesn't like new york like yeah and being there with kids was really young kids was tough like you can't do any of the things that make new york fun when you've got i'm from new york and i always said i'd never leave And then when I left to L.A., it took me a while.
Starting point is 00:32:06 But now I'm like, I'll never go back to New York. Right, yeah. And I like going and visiting. I grew up in Indiana, really. So I'm like, I'm not a city boy. Yeah. I love the sports of New York and I like some being there for a couple days. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:32:18 But, you know, all the trash outside and the buildings and it's too cold for too long. It's, yeah. I mean, it's just like, you know, it's cool. But it's like, it's not for me. It's too fast pace. And like my brother's been there for years and years. And most of my friends are there because I grew up doing theater and they all moved to New York. And so, and I do.
Starting point is 00:32:35 feel like it just gets romanticized in a way like the struggle of it is like one of the things that people like and like and you don't realize what it's doing to you and your stress levels concrete jungle where dreams I'm made of yeah and like there's elements of L.A. that it's like kind of the same thing you know where it's like it's all hard anyway so we're not going to answer your question I think I wouldn't pick theater for that reason because it's pretty much in New York so and I I guess and I haven't done enough movies to know really what i've done like three movies um so do you want to do more you work with billy bob thornton or uh not billy bob thornton william h macy welliam h macy yeah yeah no yeah uh bill as we call him
Starting point is 00:33:19 was crystal right uh huh uh where can you find that is that online or i actually have no idea where you could find a crystal but working with william h macy was awesome yeah he came and saw water for elephants actually really he talked to you after yeah he came on stage yeah is he a sweetheart He's so nice. Yeah, he walks around with, and apparently, so one of our theater managers that worked at the Imperial Theater, Bill had done a show there, and he, like, came on stage and Mani and, like, knew Bill and was saying hi. And he was talking about when Bill came in, he was like a last minute replacement for somebody that, like, had to drop out of a show. And Bill came in and replaced them. And he would walk around with his ukulean play, like in rehearsals and on stage and stuff.
Starting point is 00:34:00 And he directed Crystal and acted in it. So he was on stage the whole time. And he did the same thing on set. He just kept a ukulele with him. And like when he would be like thinking like playing the ukulele and like singing songs. And he's so chill, positive. Yeah, I mean, I obviously don't know him that well. But like I, you know, he's always been so friendly to me.
Starting point is 00:34:21 And I hope I get to work with him again. He was, it was a pleasure. Yeah. Did you want honestly flash to end after nine seasons where you just ready? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I had, I think, to be honest, it was like during seven and during eight, both, like, both those seasons. I was like, maybe this could be the last season.
Starting point is 00:34:41 And like, there were conversations that went on all both. Were you contracted for more at that time? No, I think it was, you know, we had the initial six. And then you added seven. I think it was one at a time after that. And then like every year. Did they ask you want to do 10? Uh-huh.
Starting point is 00:34:57 I will I preemptively made like phone calls like because again I had struggled with it for going into nine because that had also been like we had stopped for six or seven months because of COVID and it was the first time that I had stopped and and got to be home for a while and that was before I had kids but it was just like you know obviously I needed to the break like anyone that does TV for that amount of time is you know better than anybody they're like you know more you need a lead I That's tough, man. I feel like the job that you had, too, though, it's like, you know, you were there all the time. Yeah, I've heard you talk about it, too, with Tom. I mean, Tom was there all the time. Yes, I had to shave my head, but. Well, and you had a lot, you had to do a lot of the heavy lifting with, like, dialogue, too. Sometimes, yeah.
Starting point is 00:35:42 Tom would just, yeah, like, I've heard you guys talk about it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, and there's, and like, so I did, I did, too with, with, with, with, with Flash. Like, I had a lot, you know, I had to do a lot of the talking on top of, like, the schedule and the acting. And a lot of the characters that we all kind of had to do a lot of talk because it was like a science show too. So it wasn't an easy lift like script wise for any of us. And like the longer it goes on to creatively, you know, you are like having to there's certain scenes where you're like white knuckling storylines to be like, how do we make this one work? And like we've kind of done versions of this three times, you know.
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Starting point is 00:37:14 month subscription for free and then you pay well we forget we want to watch a show on some streamer and then we forget and now we owe $200 by the end of the year yeah they're there to make sure those things don't happen. And they will save you money. You know, Rocket Money's 5 million members have saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions with members saving up to $740 a year when they use all of the app's premium features. Get alerts if your bills increase in price, if there's unusual activity in your accounts, 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
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Starting point is 00:38:33 Go to bombus.com and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's BOMBAS.com and use code audio at checkout. Hey folks, it's me, Michael Rosenbaum. Listen, if you're a supporter of the podcast, if you're enjoying these interviews, we ask you if you can join Patreon, patreon. Patreon.com slash inside of you. help the podcast. It's a great way to build a community and friends, and there's a lot of benefits. There's different tiers. There's one where I give you packages every couple of months,
Starting point is 00:39:03 a bunch of gifts, and write a note. You get your name shattered out on the podcast and much, much more. But most importantly, you'll be helping the podcast. So if you want to become a member of Patreon and support this podcast, that would be awesome. So just go to Patreon, P-A-T-R-E-O-N, patreon.com slash inside of you. And I really appreciate you. Thanks. Was it frustrating when you're like, I remember episodes that you're just like, why aren't we doing there? But again, they're doing X amount of episodes here and it's so hard. But it's like, it's frustrating. It's like creatively.
Starting point is 00:39:38 Yeah. I mean, I knew season one. And I've talked about this, you know, with the people, all the people that are working on the show and like conventions and stuff. Like it was always going to be a hard show to make work even for one season because. the nature of his powers, like, I should be able to solve whatever our issue is in act one, like every episode, you know, because he's the fastest man alive. And he's genius. So you have to suspend disbelief. Yeah. To like, we have to like to stretch storylines and stuff. Yeah, you had, you know, they had to get real creative. Um, so yeah, it was, um, having said all that,
Starting point is 00:40:15 like, I, I feel like when we talked last, like, I was kind of like entering a new phase where I was like getting a lot better at being present because I didn't know what I was getting into the first handful of seasons I was 23 it was you can't imagine it was really stressful but I didn't know how stressful it was and I think I was like suppressing that and it was manifesting in different ways and knocking on wood not that just kind of being impatient being like not present you know getting to get today John let's go let's go let's go and like that's not and I thought that was part of my job is like number one to like help the day move. But it's like, it wasn't. I wasn't an executive. I wasn't a producer. I was it's my job was to do my character, but also to like
Starting point is 00:40:59 set the tone and be a good leader. And I didn't know what that meant for a long time. I was always hear people talk about it. How could you? You're 23. Right. So like, still don't know what a good leader is. I mean, I figured out over time what it was for me. And I know now how to go into another job to like being better about it from the onset. So I got better, honestly, at being more present. Even as the show at times was like not exactly what I would want it to be. Like I enjoyed it almost more as it went. Like season nine, I think, I haven't watched season nine, frankly. Like I just because I don't know that I need to. I kind of got to a point where if something was fun for me, I don't want to watch it and pick myself apart and like pick the show apart and make it a negative experience.
Starting point is 00:41:43 because I had a good time. Yeah. And I did have a good time with season nine. I knew it was the last season. I had matured, you know, a great deal from where I was at, season one. And I knew how lucky I was to have played the character. I knew I was going to miss it. I even knew I was going to miss stuff that I didn't enjoy when it was happening, like wearing the suit and laying in a puddle in downtown Vancouver at 3 a.m. You know, I was like, I'm going to miss that. And I do. I miss night shoots. Like, I miss having that, you know, sense of purpose, even though you're tired in the camaraderie with the crew and being like, are we going to get it?
Starting point is 00:42:16 I know, there's something really fun. Yeah, it's not fun. It's happening. No. But looking back, looking back, it's easier to go, you know what? That was cool. I wish I would have been more like this. I wish these seasons I would have, you know, all.
Starting point is 00:42:28 And I got better at it as I went. Like, I really, I know I did. And I know I'll be better going into my next job at from the beginning, it just kind of knowing, like, sometimes shit's going to suck. And sometimes the scene is not going to be exactly what you want it to be. Sometimes you're going to have to do a reshoot. Sometimes you're going to have to do a reshoot. Sometimes.
Starting point is 00:42:43 you know and it it's not anyone's fault be malleable well sometimes it might be somebody's fault yeah sometimes it is somebody's fault but sometimes it might be your fault so just i don't know yeah you got to be flexible and just like you might as well enjoy it and if they called you and said hey we want to do a 10 episode reboot like they're doing now with all these shows we want to do 10 more episodes is that t-bad oh no that was so hot i just like went heavy oh it's hot still hot it's so insulated it's insulated i was really careful and the last step can you see me i'm like crying yeah the new inside of you uh tumblers uh they keep it the heat in they keep it warm they do go ahead uh your eyes are watering i like that was hot
Starting point is 00:43:23 no um shredded my tongue what was they saying if they called me for a miniseries yeah if they said hey we want to do a five episode or a 10 episode would you even consider it yeah i mean yeah of course like there's a lot of things that i'd have to like i'd ask right not like four but about um right Right. It's got to be a good story. It's got to be compelling. I'd be more interested in like, create. Yeah. Yeah. I want to be a producer. Maybe. Yeah. Why not? But like for Flash in general, I mean, like, I've, I didn't do conventions while we were making the show. Like, I think I did three in the nine years we were making the show. I've had this conversation with Stephen. Like, I never understood. Now you can do them. Exactly. Now I'm like, you know, I'm not working right now. Like, I'm being a dad and I'm home. And it's like, you must do really well at these conventions. Yeah. Yeah. I mean hundreds, a thousand people come to see you. I don't think is that many, but like hundreds, hundreds, yes. And it's like really and it's cool. Like I, you know, going before like it is one of those things like where it's like a social situation and like you're going as like yourself and like you're selling tickets because you're you and like the whole thing by nature makes me uncomfortable. But I there's also the other side of it that I've started really. The money side.
Starting point is 00:44:40 I mean, it is a job right now. But it's a connection too. Between jobs, sure. It's a connection where, you know, it's easy to get, again, as you know, to get cynical about a show as it runs for a long time and to not appreciate what positive effects it's having on people. And to go to these things and they're like, it's just, there's no reason, you know, they're literally paying to see you first of all. So like you know it means something to them by nature.
Starting point is 00:45:09 But then to some of these exchanges. I mean, it is really cool to see, like, what the show meant to people. It means a lot to you. And, yeah, and I poured my heart and soul into it and struggled at times with, like, is it good? Do I like it? Like, because you see, you know, the negative things people say. And again, like, we started with, you can buy into the negativity. Or there's always the other side of it where, like, people love the show.
Starting point is 00:45:36 And it's, and it has made real tangible differences. in people's lives. And sometimes it's just like a fun, creative escape and outlet for people. But other times, like, it's really getting them through, like, the darkest moment of their life. And it's cool to, like, see that the show had that effect. It really changes your perspective, you know? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:45:55 Us doing the, we do Talkville, which is the Smallville rewatch podcast, Tom, and I do it now. And I hadn't seen all these episodes. Ryan's watching with us now. And I didn't want to watch myself at first. Right. And then I started, I started a pre-exam. appreciating it more like hey this was yeah like I was able to say hey you did a good job and it was a good show and there was some great moments and I'm able to do that but it's um but in the cons like you said I think it's you don't realize what an impact you think it's just a silly show you're playing this guy in a costume and you're being super and then you get there and you're like this my dad passed away and this was the show that we watched every week and this is we became you know we had a bond yeah yeah and that's awesome man it's
Starting point is 00:46:47 awesome it's inadvertent it's like you're like you i i you get that you get to feel that you get to be like this is not only did i get paid and i was on a show and i'm working but now i get this and this is uh you know this person telling me how much she it meant to her so it's really cool did you did you like the events where the episodes were you sang well we only had like one real we had one musical episode did you love it um going into it i was like why are we doing this like why like why like why are we doing this you fought you fought like come on not really i never really fought much of anything on the show like i never was like i don't want to do this like you kind of like again i've never considered myself a writer i did get good uh over the years
Starting point is 00:47:32 that like i knew barry better than anyone and there were a certain story things and that, like, you know, I'd have conversations with, usually if I was calling the showrunner or the writer about anything, it was like, hey, can I say this like this? It wasn't, I never was like pitching a different storyline or. And they were usually like, yeah, sure. Yeah, generally. So, yeah, and when I saw that we were doing musical, I was like, feels early was like one of my first thought, because I think it was like season. Yeah, it was like season three or four or something. Can everybody else in the show sing? Well, that's why we did it. Yeah, it was like, It was like begging to be done.
Starting point is 00:48:08 It was like there were people that weren't a part of it that should like Tom Kavanaugh, you know, has played Bobby Strong and you're in town on Broadway and like he was not a part of the musical episode. And I'm trying to think like who else didn't get utilized that could have. But I mean, Stephen was, I think, a part of it. And like he can sing, but like he didn't sing. But that's got to be like, you know, you shoot episodes in like 10 days. So did they give this one a little longer? No, it was, I think it was 10th. Because it's actually eight days with like the ninth second unit day. So it's really, we do like eight or nine. Because I was almost always involved in the second unit day. So like nine days. But then you have to go to a recording studio and record it. Yeah. Yeah. But I had done Glee. So like it was easy for you. Well, it was eerily similar. Like where we brought up Zach Woodley who had been the choreographer on Glee. They got him to choreograph it, which was like. weird it literally felt it was like and like the the numbers that choreographed was with
Starting point is 00:49:10 melissa who was on glee and then darren is around chris who was like made glee made him a big star and i mean it was bizarre it was like this weird like glee flash hybrid well i think it was actually an episode of supergirl that crossover um with melissa yeah i mean everyone was saying yeah like everyone like i think chris wood who's now her husband who they met on that show. I knew him from college where we were musical theater majors together. He wasn't utilized in the music.
Starting point is 00:49:42 Like, he was in the musical episode, but he didn't sing. And he's done Broadway tour. He's been on Broadway. He's done Broadway tours. So, I mean, it was, you know, Carlos has been on Broadway. It was just announced yesterday
Starting point is 00:49:53 so I can say he's about to be on Broadway again. He's about to go to Hades Town and replaced Jordan Fisher, who played my son on Flash, who was in... Such a small world. So he's, he'd been on Broadway. Jesse L. Martin, obviously,
Starting point is 00:50:04 had been on Broadway, Victor Garber, Broadway star, Melissa who'd been on Broadway, Jeremy Jordan we had, who was like a Tony nominated Broadway star. Jeez. It was like ridiculous. Like you had to get. This is why. Yeah. They had to do it.
Starting point is 00:50:17 And now, like, it's, it's, I haven't rewatched it. I've seen clips of it, but like, people love that episode, love that episode. So like, it's so different. And it was fun. Like, it was a, the crossovers tended to be the hardest. at times most miserable experiences, but at other times, like the most fun experiences.
Starting point is 00:50:40 And that one was both, but it was like one of the more memorable, more fun episodes. You know what I think you should do? Tell me. I think you should start a band. That's not going to happen. Why?
Starting point is 00:50:50 You're a great singer. You have a big following. And if you wrote some cool songs, which I know you can, you can't write songs? I don't play an instrument. I actually don't read. I can follow.
Starting point is 00:51:03 What if I write you a song? music where we have a new album coming out what if i wrote you a song and you sang on the album i'd consider it but i mean i mean the songs are pretty cool so the singing that was another thing going to broadway i mean like i've like it'd probably be really good if you sang it like not considering myself smart i've also never considered myself a good like a singer you're the lead in a in a broadway musical how can you think that i had to have the one of the music directors the first week of rehearsals like i had such imposter syndrome and i was so stressed and and i felt like i was around all these broadway singers and then there was me and he was like do you know what it takes to be a broadway singer and i was like
Starting point is 00:51:38 what he was like to sing on broadway and that's what you're about to do so you were now a broadway singer and i was like all right and it did help because i was yeah you're doing it i audition this was not like handed to me i audition for the show i flew to new york for a callback like i went out and won the role so i had to convince myself that you know it was how how high can you get it depends on the vowel like can you sing like west side story like Maria yeah in my own way yeah I could like yeah that high I mean technically I can sing like depending on the vowel how long of the note like I could sing like a B flat which is like pretty high that's amazing yeah but like it's again depending on the vowel and the approach
Starting point is 00:52:22 the lead up to the B flat like what band from the 70s or 80s or 90s could you sing their songs could you sing like uh there's a Duran Duran I don't really to be honest no Duran in like that. You know, like, Her name is Rio and she dances on. There's one of the hardest songs that I've successfully done with some alcohol in my system at karaoke. And I don't like karaoke.
Starting point is 00:52:47 But like, damn. We were in my wife's families from Malaysia. So they love karaoke. And we were in. I love karaoke. I have a karaoke system downstairs. Well,
Starting point is 00:52:54 maybe if I have like, you know. You got to come on time. Oh, yeah. So my wife's song, she gets mad that I've like co-opted this because her karaoke song is that. Aerosmith's song.
Starting point is 00:53:06 Dream on? No. What's the one that he, like, wrote for his daughter? Yeah, I think it's in Angel, you're my angel. I think it's from Armageddon. You're my angel. No, the, um, yeah, don't want to call my, yeah, that one. But I miss you.
Starting point is 00:53:26 Yeah. So that's one of the hardest songs that I feel like I've like successfully accomplished that karaoke. So like I can sing that when I'm drunk enough. Dude, I would love to hear that. That is epic. And my wife's so mad that now I'm like, I love that. She's like, that's my karaoke.
Starting point is 00:53:43 Mind you, she can't sing. She can't sing at all? No, she said, no. Do you laugh when she sings? Yeah, but I also like it. Do you sing in the car? Yeah, I was actually on the way over here. I was singing.
Starting point is 00:53:58 I love Ben Rector. Do you know Ben Rector? I know the name. Yeah, I mean, he's got a couple of my favorite albums. He's got a new one coming out. But I was just singing some. He's just, his music is like, makes you feel good and positive. And he's got a really sick voice and he can sing pretty high.
Starting point is 00:54:12 So like I was singing his song. Do you think when you sing it looks like you? Like, in other words, let me, let me try to articulate this. Like some people sing and you're like, oh my gosh, that doesn't sound like anything like how you talk. No, I think it sounds like me. It does. Yeah. See, that's cool.
Starting point is 00:54:28 Yeah. That's cool. I think. I mean, I think so. You listen to the Water for Elephants, uh, soundtrack. available wherever you're on that now yeah i mean it's out yeah i didn't know it was out right you generally on broadway like they i think it's like the first you so your dark day is usually monday it's like the first monday after you open which is insane you record the album and that's
Starting point is 00:54:52 pretty much what we did how do you get that high i mean and by the way when you sing it's sound like my speaking voice. Do you sing it that loudly? No, not a bit. But how do you sing that quietly? I can sing better quietly. In my opinion. How would you sing that quietly like to your daughter? Silver Star. How does it start? Yeah, I mean, I don't want to do the big run right now. How does the song start? I don't know. You're asking me. I did it for six months. Oh, and now I got it.
Starting point is 00:55:26 No, I've got it. Is this what it feels like to finally feel right? There's some hope. in the wind, it blows my way again. And I just sing, like, quietly like that. Dude, see, I can't sing quietly like that. That's where I feel most comfortable singing. When you're on Broadway, can you sing that low? Yeah, because it's miced. Yeah. That song almost started, almost started that quiet. We kind of eventually, like, Jess Stone, the director, great director, she was always trying to get me to, like, sing louder and speak louder. That was my biggest issue, starting rehearsals after doing TV for 12, 13 years was, you know, she was like,
Starting point is 00:56:06 we're not, the camera's not in your face. Like, we need you to take up space and speak a little louder. We need you to fucking sing, man. Ontario, the weight is over. The gold standard of online casinos has arrived. Golden Nugget online casino is live. Bringing Vegas style excitement
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Starting point is 00:57:20 No powders, no blenders, no shakers. Starting at 17 grams per medium latte, Tim's new protein lattes, protein without all the work, at participating restaurants in Canada. The title of the book, The Talented Farter. Yes. This is a wonderful story about a little boy who's only gift, his only real talent,
Starting point is 00:57:41 he's tooting, he makes his teeth sound like everything you hear in everyday life. So little Michael loved Halloween, but nothing frightened his friends more than when Michael would stink up a good scare. You hear that? Oh, I heard it. It is a lovely story,
Starting point is 00:57:56 and it's beautifully illustrated by my friend Heath and Simon Schuster's putting it out. It's going to be in tons of bookstores and available on Amazon. I'm so proud of it. What now? Like, you did nine years. To me, nine years.
Starting point is 00:58:12 And when did it end? I don't know. It was four years, three years ago? No, no, no, no. More recent than that. It was March of 2022. That feels right. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:58:23 I mean, I wouldn't be doing anything right now. You just finished the Broadway. It's like, do you have to be, Do you feel like you always have to be working or you get stressed out? Well, I think like a lot of actors, I think I'm never going to work again. Well, that's ridiculous. But yeah, I understand that feeling. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:58:39 So, and I knew water for elephants came about very organically. Like, again, it was not like, like, they didn't call me and say like, hey, you want to do water for elephants. So I did seek it out. But the timing of it, it was, we were still in the middle of the strike, saga after strike. And I didn't know. what was going to happen next. And I knew, like, if I went and dead it, like, the strike would probably end while I was gone. I think it ended, like, before I even left or, like, around the time I went to New York. But I'd committed to do it during the strike. And I knew when I was doing Flash, like,
Starting point is 00:59:15 the best thing for me to probably do as an actor was to get on stage when it was over because it would help, like, shock my system, any, like, potential, like, habits that I had built of, like, you know, because you have tricks for a character. Like, and if you play that character for a long time, those tricks can like, you know, bleed into characters that, like, you don't need those tricks for it. Yeah. And getting, you got out of that.
Starting point is 00:59:38 I thought I could, yeah, shock my system a little bit. And it did. And it was like, I needed it. I needed to kind of make myself uncomfortable and I did. So that was like the main reason. Like, it felt like, and I'd always wanted to do Broadway. It was like my original dream as an actor. And I just didn't want to.
Starting point is 00:59:55 be like 50 60 and like have not done it yet and like it would have been really easy to keep saying no because there were a couple other opportunities before it to be a replacement in things and like things I considered that I ended up not doing and and I almost didn't do this too and like just even after I got the role um like I was like is this right for my family is this where you got to go to New York and um yeah it's it's amazing how the word know how important it is the word no uh sometimes can be very powerful like for instance um we're throwing money at you when you're doing this you're like no yeah and i'm not doing it because of the this or i want more money this yeah i don't want to do this yeah and that's powerful yeah and it's important yeah and
Starting point is 01:00:48 you know um but the other no is the know that's based on fear right right and that's like, 100%. Exactly. Just because it's you, you're thinking of a fail. And if you could just say, fuck it. Yes. Because every time I consider a job, I think I'll fail.
Starting point is 01:01:07 Fail. But I've heard enough actors I respect talk about the feeling the same way. Right. And like I think it was like Tom Hanks said, if like if you're not showing up on the first day kind of shitting yourself that like this is not what he said, but like something along this line that like. That you're going to fuck it up and that you're not going to, you know, then like it's like you should be a little worried about like if you're going to do a good job or not. But then you also at some point have to decide that you are that, you know, that is a part of that too.
Starting point is 01:01:39 You can't every day think like I'm not doing it. Right. Once you're in it, it's like once you're doing this, that's behind me. I feel like you can worry about whether you're going to do a good job or not right up until the point that you're doing it. But once you're doing it, you have to believe that you can do it. it or you then it might start to get in the way i i believe that you know that doesn't mean you have to worry if you want to go into something with the utmost confidence like knock yourself out i wish i could do that more you ever work with any assholes yeah on on any guest stars anyone can be
Starting point is 01:02:10 an asshole any given day or any guest stars or anybody on set where you're just like oh they're being a real asshole um not a guest our guest stars were right i can't think of any guest stars that did you ever feel bad for a guest star that couldn't get their lines out you tried to help them yeah but nothing like egregious just that like i could like where i've been there like on when i was a guest star on glee and like nerves and yeah so i always tried to be good about like empathizing because like i could empathize and like i would still i still would feel it at times on flash if there was a scene i really cared about um that i was worried about getting right um you know i could still go into it yeah nervous and so um no yeah i mean i mean
Starting point is 01:02:52 listen we can all be at like i can be asshole sometimes when you're tired and stressed and like i'll be an asshole right now if you want that's okay an asshole no that's right um have you ever thought of quitting the profession entirely and if so what would you do yeah i mean like never seriously because i don't know what i would do but yeah like there have been plenty of times when um it's not fun anymore at times yeah it's not even that it's like i don't know for different reasons at different times and it's like dark like never like consistent never more than like a 10 hour period you know like it's uh for me it's more 10 months yeah no i mean it ebbs and flow even when like i'm you know like i'm in it i'm in a weird place now where like the show's
Starting point is 01:03:39 ended now the i've finished the broadway run and it's not like i'm just like not working for fun i mean i'm glad i'm not working right now um but i've also auditioned for a lot that i haven't gotten like that's all right yeah like so some day like when you first find out you didn't get it there's always like a two hour period where you're like a little self deprecating and like bummed out and like think like you know again i'm never going to work again or like you're hard on yourself but um i also every time an audition comes in i think there's no reason i shouldn't get this like and i and i really give it everything i have that's a great feeling yeah like i make good tapes i think and i've done that too where I'm like going, and that's enough for me.
Starting point is 01:04:23 Do you know? Yeah. When I audition and I look at the tape and I watch it with a buddy. Yeah, you feel good about it. I go, I'm really good. I don't know. This is good. And that's enough for me.
Starting point is 01:04:34 And it's the same reason I didn't watch season nine. I haven't watched like more recent things I've done where like I can feel good about making the tape. But then like sometimes when I watch it, like I don't feel as good as I felt making it. But you have to watch the tape because you have to edit it and send it. So, uh, and that part's tough. I never put a lot of time into them. I try not to also. I never memorize the lines.
Starting point is 01:04:54 I have an iPad. You'll never know that I'm reading it. It's easy so you can do it like that if they need it. I've never done that. But like I do hold the paper. And like I do, you know, I'm pretty memorized because I'm pretty quick with it. But like if I need to, you know, I do. But yeah, every time I get an audition, I'm like, I should get this.
Starting point is 01:05:17 And then when I don't get it, I'm like, I'm the worst. Like, of course. Yeah, I don't feel like that. I just kind of go. It's like a pendulum. Yeah, I understand that. I think that you should be like, you got to remember. It's like, and you know this.
Starting point is 01:05:28 It's like you send your tape in and there's 50 other tapes. 100%. And it has a lot of the- Even if you're the top two, you're not going to hear back. Right. Yeah. Most likely. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:05:38 Hey, this is the guy. This guy's really good. But this guy's even, this is the look. Right. It can be a look. It can be something intangible. Right. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:05:46 This is called shit talking with Grant Guston. You say Guston, right? That's what we say. Some people say Goostin. That'd be wrong. That'd be wrong. Yeah. We should talk about Grant Gustin.
Starting point is 01:05:56 If you want to become a patron and support this podcast, we need to, uh, uh, patron. com slash inside of you means the world to me. Uh, rapid fire. Wait, some people say goostin when they're talking about me. No, no. Okay. This is rapid fire. Nico P.
Starting point is 01:06:09 What activity helps you, uh, calm you down? Oh, these are from people? From people. Uh, exercise. And I've recently started doing, um, sauna cold tub i did the sauna last night yeah i love it have you done cold tub i have a plunge do i i don't do i've been doing it every day i've like because it really help you i don't know but like i think it gives you energy for a couple hours yeah when you get out i got i got interested in it because
Starting point is 01:06:37 of like stuff that i've read about like potential long-term benefits but like it does i think help with like muscle recovery if you're lifting and it does like wake you up it does you know it helps my energy so jill e how does uh he compare getting in shape to be a superhero versus getting in shape to do a broadway musical both seems strenuous so i didn't really other than the pilot they wanted me to get in shape so i didn't i tried a bit but then like i could not maintain that at all while i was making the show so i just got thin and berlanti was very supportive of like he's a runner you can be thin and like i'm not i'm never going to be like yoke like yeah i'm a thin tall thin guy yeah So, um, and then I got in shape for fun for me, like during COVID. Um, I don't, I've yet in my career,
Starting point is 01:07:20 there's not been a lot of things where I'm like, I got to get in this type of shape for this. So going into Broadway, like, I, there wasn't like anything I specifically did to like, this is how I need to train for this. Right. I just always try to stay healthy and fit. What do you eat by the way every day? Uh, I mean, I'm like a normal healthy year. Do you have like a sandwich every day? Maybe some fries, a burger. Yeah. Like I had steak, chicken. Lunch yesterday. I had like fries and a BLT like from right right you eating snacks at night yeah popcorn sometimes like I like cereal at night a lot of time it's like my I don't you like milk you drink milk I drink almond milk on I have like oat milk and coffee what kind of cereal uh I mean fruit loops no like I golden grams
Starting point is 01:08:00 no they're like I guess when you were a kid tended to be called healthier cereals like honey bunches of oats and life or like two of my favorite cereals yeah raise I actually really like Raisin brand love Raisin brand it is so delicious all those double scoop raisins get out uh linda m how do you hope people describe you good dad hard worker um kind good heart yeah razi what did you enjoy the most about your time on the flash if you had to say overall um i've kind of tended to think about it now like i think my what my biggest takeaway is that like you're just a part of a legacy that is bigger than you that was like around long before me and will be around long after me and like because of that like my name is
Starting point is 01:08:49 like etched in flash history forever which is pretty cool i mean 99 more what's the funniest thing that happened to you on set i don't know i mean the thing like there were bits all the time like way funnier than what i'm about to say but like funny ha ha like but like i tore my crotch like in public many times in the flash tour yeah like my crash would just split open just rip up Yeah. Not your crotch of pants. Your suit, yeah. That would be really painful.
Starting point is 01:09:15 Yeah. And people would hear it. They would sit. I mean, like, thankfully it was like there's like another layer of like under armor. So you would just see like a gaping black like hole underneath my red suit. Did your wife give you shit when you first got Flash? We weren't together. You weren't at all together?
Starting point is 01:09:33 We met season two. Season two. Did she ever think it was funny seeing you in a suit? Uh, she thought it was cool. I mean, like that was back when like, Like, I kind of thought it was, like, cooler. Like, I bought into, or I, like, tried to buy into my shit a little more than I feel like I do now where, like, I thought, like, she would probably think at school that I'm
Starting point is 01:09:54 the flash, but she doesn't. She's not that type of person. But, like, yeah, it was, she had never probably met an actor. So to visit set and to see me in my suit and, like, yeah, it was cool. It's like a, it's, you know, you don't get to meet a lot of people that are currently playing a superhero. Yeah. So, yeah.
Starting point is 01:10:11 She thought it was cool. I never played a superhero. But she's also not somebody that, like, you know, will gas you up. Yeah. Yeah. She's, like, pretty even killed. So you have a three-year-old and a three-month-year-old. Three-month-old.
Starting point is 01:10:23 Yeah, we don't tend to add year after the month. Three-month-year-old. You got a three-month-year-old and a three-year-old. All right, so I came out of this book. Simon & Schuster is putting it out. And it's called The Talented Farter. And it's a sound book. My daughter's going to love.
Starting point is 01:10:37 She always talks about green farts right now. Oh, dude. It's so mad at you. It's beautifully. Illustrated. I'm so mad at you. It's got buttons on every page. It's the last thing we need. I signed it to you to grant Farts are cool. Oh, she's going to be
Starting point is 01:10:49 obsessed. I love this book. It just came out in November available on Amazon. Get your, get one and what else? Barnes and Noble stores. That's cool. That's for you. Thank you. That's for your daughter. And do you have a dog? Two. All right.
Starting point is 01:11:05 Well, here you go. This is also, this is called MeTime. So Rosie's pup. These are very good. organic plugs. Rosie's puppy fresh breath. You just put this in your dog's water. It's tasteless and the breath is going to be dynamite. Rosie's puppy fresh breath. My wife's going to love that. You get treats when you're here. You get the tumbler. Goodness. Yeah. All for coming over. Look, I know. He's letting me keep this. Look, I think you're enormously talented. You're a wonderful guy. I really think you should start a band.
Starting point is 01:11:30 I will hope you consider maybe singing on my album. Consider. Yeah. I'm excited about your future. Thanks. I think you're young as shit. You're still at 33. I'll be 35 in January. 35. 35. That's really young. You still have a long life ahead of you. So the only advice I'll give you is you've done so much. You're in a series for nine years. You've done Broadway. You've done other TV. You can do whatever you want. This is a long career. So enjoy the time you have off.
Starting point is 01:12:04 Because something else is going to come and your life's going to be like, God, why did I, I wish. I wish I was still not doing anything. I know I'll be better and better at enjoying these, what Greg referred to as plateaus when we spoke of like, because it's like, it's when you also figure out who you are and it makes you a better actor to like really live in these moments between when you're working, you know? Yeah, feel it and just live it.
Starting point is 01:12:27 And try to do fun things while you can. Well, until somebody says, now you're on our, uh, on our, on our watch or whatever. And when you're working fucking six days a week and you're on another series or, you know,
Starting point is 01:12:40 I could see you easily getting on like a dramatic series like for HBO or something like something cool. Everybody's doing that. I was going to knock, but I'm not going to knock. Let's do it. All right. Thanks for being on the show, man. Yeah, man. Thanks for having me.
Starting point is 01:12:55 Summer's here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well-groom lawn delivered, but you can get a chicken parmesan delivered. A cabana? That's a no, but a banana. That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry.
Starting point is 01:13:10 Nope. But a box fan, happily yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets. Product availability may vary by Regency app for details. What a guy. Yeah. He's adorable. You're adorable, Grant. Just adorable. I'd love for him to be my dad. That was weird that I said that. But he just looks like a good dad. He's got a kid and he's, you know, he's got a kid and he's, He seems like he just tries to do the best to have. He'd come to your hockey games, I think. Yeah. It's not that my dad didn't go to the hockey games. He was my coach for one year. Right now, we're going to go to the top tiers. Thanks for listening.
Starting point is 01:13:53 Again, if you like it, like the podcast, please support us, patreon.com slash inside of you. Join Patreon or just support the podcast, write a review and subscribe and listen. We've got great interviews and a great back catalog anywhere from Keanu Reeves and J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland to Keri Ann Moss and Kristen Ritter. and christin bell and a lot of great people elijah wood was just on and some great guest lucy lawless was a great one and so uh right now top tiers these are their names who give back the most to the podcast my top tiers let's let's go at it all right nancy d little lisa you kiko h nico p rob l it's l right i always see because it's just a a line jason w sophy m raj see
Starting point is 01:14:40 for N. Stacey L. Just sent you a package along with others. Jamal F. Janelle B. Mike L. Duns, Supremo, 99 more. Santiago M.O. Maddie S. Kendrick F. Belinda
Starting point is 01:14:54 N. Dave H. Daifle. Brad D. Ray H. Tabitha. T. Tom and Talia M. Betsy D. Rianin C. Rianin C. Lackin.
Starting point is 01:15:07 Michelle A. Jeremy C. Eugene and Leah. Oh, they've been around forever. So have so many. Mel S. Eric H. Oracle. Gosh, I've said that name so many times. And Eric H. Amanda R.
Starting point is 01:15:20 How could you forget Amanda R? William K. Kevin E. Jerell. Jammin J. Leanne J. I'm sending you guys stuff. Luna R. Jules M. Jessica B. Klee J. Charlene A. Marion Louise L. Romeo the band. Of course.
Starting point is 01:15:35 Frank B. Gen T. April R. Randy S. Claudia. Claudia. Claudia. Rachel D. Nick W. Stephanie and Evan. Stefan. Thank you.
Starting point is 01:15:45 Charlene A. Donjib. Jenny B. 716. E. N.G. Tracy. Keith. Heather and Gregg. Grether. Grether. I was going to say Hague.
Starting point is 01:15:54 H. H. H. H. L.E.K. Ben, B. P.R.C. S. S. David L. Jill and Brett. Jeff G. K. Kareem H. And Brian B. Without you guys, what would this show be? I love you. Thank you for supporting the podcast. And from the Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, California, I am Michael Rosenbaum. I'm Brian Tayes. I'm here, too. Yeah. Yeah. Wave to the camera. We're hoping for better days. They're here to come. Be good to yourself, folks. Please. And that's most important. And I'll see you. I'll see you soon. You could listen to me all day if you want. I doubt it. But you can't. All right.
Starting point is 01:16:32 Hi, I'm Joe Sal C. Hi, host of the Stacking Benjamin's podcast. Today, we're going to talk about what if you came across $50,000. What would you do? Put it into a tax advantage retirement account. The mortgage. That's what we do. Make a down payment on a home. Something nice. Buying a vehicle. A separate bucket for this addition that we're adding. $50,000. I'll buy a new podcast. You'll buy new friends. And we're done. Thanks for playing everybody. We're out of here. Benjamin's follow and listen on your favorite platform.

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