Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum - JASON PRIESTLEY: Life After BEVERLY HILLS 90210, The Crash That Stopped His Heart & Losing LUKE PERRY

Episode Date: September 8, 2026

Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills 90210, Private Eyes) joins me this week for one I have wanted to do for years, and it goes to some heavy places. We get into the 2002 race car crash that technically killed him, flatlining in the helicopter and again in the elevator, and the long road back. Jason opens up about losing Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty, the ego that comes with fame in your early 20s, and why patience is the one lesson that finally stuck. We also swap stories about directing, hosting SNL with Chris Farley, and where he finds his self worth now. Thank you to our sponsors: 🔹 Blue Chew: bluechew.com + “inside” ❤️ This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/inside and get on your way to being your best self ⚡ Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code INSIDE at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad 💖 Join Our Community: https://patreon.com/insideofyou __________________________________________________ 💖 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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Please play responsibly. Number one sports book for live betting based on available live market data. You're listening to Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. Thanks for joining us, guys. I appreciate you. Look, at least I have a decent voice, right, Ryan? It always sounds really good in here, I will say. In here, are you saying I don't have a good voice when we're in real life?

It's enhanced, and this is even before any EQ or compression is on it. You're saying I have a face for radio? I am saying you have a voice for headphones. Thank you. Thank you, Ryan. I appreciate you guys listening if you're here for Jason Priestley came to the right place. We've been doing this podcast. Over 430 guests.

I've been doing it for a long, long time. And it's made possible by Patreon, P-A-T-R-E-O-N, Patreon. Patreon.com slash inside of you. If you want to support the show, give back, keep it going. It's the patrons that keep the show going. We talk about mental health and a lot of other stuff. And there's such a wonderful, wonderful community on Patreon. So you really have to see it.

There's so many perks, too. You can be on the show. Get your name shatted out. I do Zooms and YouTube lives and I send gift boxes every couple of months. And there's so much ask questions, this and that. So it's really special. Patreon.com slash inside of you all message you back. But give back to the show and help us keep going.

Ryan Tejas, my engineer and buddy is right here. Still here. Yeah. Still using better help. Yep. Good for you. Well, I'm doing mental therapy and I'm doing finger therapy to get my fractured finger back into shape. Yeah.

You're fractured finger. A fractured finger. That'd be a good title for band. Fractured finger. Punk? Yeah. We're fractured finger. They've tuned out.

But it's all about medical stuff. I'm at the Michael Rosenbaum on the Instagram at Inside of You podcast on Instagram and Facebook at Inside of You pod on the Twitter. Go to my link tree at the Michael Rosenbaum cameos, the big Nashville convention for the 25th anniversary. of Smallville is November 7th and 8th. And you should come to that. Remember doing the Smallville nights. Also, I'll be in Houston at NostalgiaCon, New York City Comic Con, and hopefully going to Tokyo. So that could be fun.

And, yeah, thanks for supporting the show. If you like this interview, please subscribe. That's all I'll say. Jason's been a friend for a long time. We play hockey together. We've done cons together. And we really get, you know, intimate. It's an intimate conversation.

And he's very open and just, he had a lot to say about life and death and career and family and all that stuff. And it was really nice. So let's get inside of Jason Priestley. Where you get nervous for a role. Oh, my God. I get panicked. Do you get anxiety? Yeah.

I live with anxiety. What are you doing? I was just taking a live picture. I always get nervous, but that's fun. I look forward to it. Let's get everything out of today we can. And how much time do you have left, and how are you going to use it well?

So come on now. We would have to do another inside of you. But actually, that's kind of what you're doing, Michael. I mean, you're on this road, this journey of what's inside of you. Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum was not recorded in front of a live studio audience. Dude, what a treat. What a treat to finally get you in this pocket. I've been trying to get you on here for a long time, brother. Yes, it has. It's been a while. I remember we talked about this initially a number of years ago. I've known you forever, and we met playing hockey at Brookheimer, the Brookheimer League. And you were pretty good hockey players. Is it because you're Canadian?

Yeah, because I was born with skates on like everybody else in Canada. So it's just sort of, you know, when you start playing as young, as most of us do in Canada, it's just, you know, it just becomes part of your, part of your DNA. Did you ever have dreams or aspirations of becoming a hockey player? Was that always something that you were never? Oh, my God. Of course I did. I was, you know, like most Canadian kids, right? And then you eventually, you get to a, you get to a place where your ambition outstrips your ability. And you have to, you have to recognize, and you recognize it when that moment happens. It's pretty it's pretty glaringly obvious.

You know, we've done these cons together. We were just in Mexico together. And it was a damn treat. Really, really to get to hang out with you. Because usually there's tons of people. And we had a couple moments where we were able to talk and, you know, go back in time and the old days. No, it was nice, man. It was fun.

Yeah. How do you think, you know, you as a person has changed, have changed like your ego or your patience from when you were just getting famous till now? I mean, this could be with kids. with fans, wife, people in general, what have you learned and how do you think you've evolved? I feel like, you know, when I was when I was young and I was just getting started, I was, I was a sponge and I was trying to soak up as much as I could, right, and learn as as much as I could. And, and then as, as the jobs got better and more success came. And obviously, you know, everything changed in that second season at Beverly Hills 902-1-0

when it became a global phenomenon. But I feel like even in the year before, like the first season of the show, I was still, because I'd been working for a long time already. And I'd learned a lot going into that show. I think that I still, I was still a victim of, you know, of youth. full hubris, right? Like you, because, because, because, because you think you know everything, but you just don't know what you don't know. Yeah. I was a little bit, uh, I was a little bit guilty of that. It was never, it was never anything where I was, where I was, uh, where I, where I was mean to

anybody or, you know, having tantrums and yelling at people. It was just, uh, you know, I think, I think I thought, I, like, I, I thought, I thought I, I thought I knew a little bit more than I did. You know what I mean? But I think that's that's pretty common for young people. Yeah. It goes to your head. Like it can go to your head. But hopefully that doesn't last long. And you get a kick in the ass from someone. And then you realize, ah, you know, it's easier to be. I mean, obviously, you're a great guy. And I've known you for a long time. And I've never seen you be rude to anyone. You're always so friendly. But, you know, there was a time when, you know, I was on a show and things were all happening. And it was like, you know, the ego is boosted. It's like, oh, you're someone. one and coming from nothing like I was a nobody and then you know obscurity to you know sublime to the ridiculous and so yeah there was some ego there and there was some you know but as I got older I started to see what was important in that on the grand scheme of things in the grand scheme of things it wasn't

that important like your your family your your your health those things are so much more valuable and you don't learn that unfortunately until later do you yes And also just doing what we do, you have to have an ego to be able to withstand the, you know, the outrageous slings and arrows of disappointment that come, they come forever. So I think that, I think, you know, the fact that when you do start to get a little successful, you know, you do, everybody goes on a little bit of an ego trip, but you're right. The smart people and the people who stick around figure out a way out of that, pretty quickly.

Was there anyone who ever said, hey, check your ego at the door? Was anybody ever that called you out on something? I never got that bad that I had to have a talking to. But, man, yeah, that would have been, that would have been uncomfortable. I think the guy who would have done it would have been one of our producers, a guy named Paul Wagner, who unfortunately is no longer with us. I think he would have been the one to do it. You need those people in life.

I, you know, I have friends that will just be like, I don't know, dude. I always say if there's one person that thinks a certain way about you, you know, fuck it. If two, three, four, five, six, okay. Yeah. Whether there's smoke, there's fire. Let's, uh, you know. Do you think becoming famous in your early 20s helped you grow up faster or did it slow

down the process or what? I think it made me grow up faster. I mean, I know, I know what you're talking about. Like, you know, fame and, uh, and especially the kind of fame that, that, that we enjoyed in our young 20s can be a traumatic event because your life changes so dramatically. And sometimes, you know, in traumatic events, people emotionally get arrested at that place. And I think that happens. That can happen.

It didn't happen for me, thankfully, but I can see where it happens. Did you have a normal childhood? Did you have? Were you able to run around the streets? play street hockey. Naomi! There's Naomi. Your wife is just as gorgeous

as she was the day you met her, isn't she? 100%. Yeah. Me, not so much, but her... You are. You're a hunk still. Come on. Did you know that she was the one? I mean, was it clear to you that, or did it take a little time? It was pretty clear to me.

I mean, she... We met just, you know, happened stands walking down the street in Soho in London one night. And all I knew is that I just wanted to be around her all the time. And I think, I think that's, I think that's the feeling that, you know, when people talk about, you know, you know, love at first sight or whatever you want to call it, you know, I think, I think that's the feeling that people are talking about is just somebody that you always want to be around. And how many years has been? We have been married now for 21 years. And she knew who I was. And she knew who I was.

us. But, but, but I, you know, on the night of our first date, I was doing a play in the West End in London, and she came to see the play that I was doing and then we went out for dinner afterwards. And that was it. That was it. The bright lights, buddy. It's a, it's quite impressive. Yeah, because you were like the most eligible bachelor in the world for a while, right? I mean, I mean, everybody like, you know, everybody, you know, knows who you are and they knew who you are, but like all of a sudden you meet someone and your life changes and you're like, this is my person, you know, and that's not easy going from free to do whatever the hell you want to boom, I'm in it, right?

That takes some time, right? Definitely. And, you know, relationships are, you know, relationships and especially long-term relationships, even with your friends, let alone your wife or your girlfriend or your lover or whatever. You know, they're all complicated. Yeah. Because because they all have, you know, they all have certain ebbs and flows and they all have certain rhythms.

And I think, but, you know, but long-term relationships are the ones that, that have the most importance in your life. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. You know, I love Better Help. You know I talk about it. Ryan and I talk about it all the time and how much therapy really, really helps. Let me ask you a question. If you could wake up tomorrow and be better at one thing, what would it be?

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Yeah, I wrote a memoir. It was a while ago. now. I might have to write another one if I keep working so much. You've seen like this industry evolve. Do you like where it's headed or are you kind of a little bit like taking aback by all the all the shit that's going on and the less work? Do you feel like there's less work? Do you feel like can you feel it? I've been very fortunate through the strikes and through the downturn and everything that I've just I've just always been on a show. or, you know, directing television.

Like I just, and that was the big reason that I decided to go into directing, especially as young as I was when I directed my first episode of television. And, you know, but I, but I also, I understood not, you know, I understood that the industry could have ebbs and flows, but I also knew that that me personally as an actor, my career would have troughs and valleys and have been flow. And I wanted to, I wanted to, I wanted to, learn how to work behind the camera because I thought that there was more longevity in that.

That's, you know, I did that too when I was on Smallville. I was like, you know, I'm here. I'm paying attention. I'm seeing what they're doing. I'm seeing the lenses they're using. I'm asking questions. Why don't you just direct one? And I did. It just like it just changed my perspective on everything. It's most actors, they hit their mark. They say their lines. Sometimes they're just not aware of anything. And I really, I guess I got so bored on set from doing. in the same thing that I was like, let me see if I could do that. And then became the writing started years later. And I was like, well, you're not going to be a great writer of the first script you write,

but you write 20 of them. You're going to get better. So how many episodes of television do you think you've directed in your career? 50, 60, 65. And you love it. Oh, yeah, I love it. Being an episodic television director, I mean, you've done it. It's awesome.

Because you jump onto a moving train that's already already happening at full speed. And you're the conductor for a couple of weeks. And then you jump off. And the train keeps going. Yeah, you're right. It's very, very different than making movies. You know, like, you know, when you make a movie, you know, they drop you into a, into a location. And you have to build an entire infrastructure.

And then you shoot the movie. And then that infrastructure falls apart. And everybody goes somewhere else, except you're left. with a bunch of film that you shot. And then, you know, and then it's another year until you're finished with all the editing and the post and the timing and the, like, everything, you know,

the wall on the foley and, you know, and then you got to go try to sell it, right? Like, it's a very, very different experience. It is. Yeah, and one that I enjoy. Like, you know, I've done, I've done that too, but something about directing television. It really, it's fun and it's very freeing

and you can just have a good time. What's your favorite? thing you've directed, if you could just narrow it down to three? The very first episode of Beverly Hills 9-2-1-0 that I directed, it was called She Came In Through the Bathroom Window. It was super funny, it was a funny, fun episode where we're all car chases and doing all kinds of crazy shit. But then I needed a celebrity to be at the end of the episode,

and Aaron Spelling got me Bert Reynolds. What? Yes. And so Bert Reynolds shows up at the peach pit and like did a little bit for us. It was hilarious that I, you know, right out of the box. First thing I ever directed, I get to direct Bert Reynolds, which I didn't really direct Bert Reynolds. Bert Reynolds told me how to shoot it and how to shoot him and shoot him out so he could get

out quickly. It was pretty hilarious. That is hilarious. It's amazing how the first thing you direct happens to be your favorite thing you've directed. Also, I was so excited, right? Like, it's, right? You remember you directed your first episode? Yeah.

It's exciting, man. It is. And, you know, what's, what sucks is I think after a while, I hate to use the word jaded. It's not jaded, but it's like, it's almost like that feeling, that feeling of being young and being excited and ambitious. And, you know, I feel like the older I get, it's not that I'm not ambitious. It's just I don't have that spark that I once had. Right. Do you feel like that is true with you?

Yeah. Because it's just, you know, it's, I don't know. Is it just the mileage? Like, you know, so many things that you, you know, you walk on a sit. Now you've seen it before, right? You've done it before. You're like, it's just another, it's just another, it's just another turn. Yeah.

And I think that's where maybe some of that goes. But I also, I try really hard to stay, uh, it's like, excited by what we do because, you know, because what we do, there's a little bit of, there's a little bit of magic in it. And there has to be a little bit of magic. And it's, and it's, it's easy. And, you know, they, you know, they talk about, you know, you always hear about grumpy old actors and they, you know, they don't have any more patience and they're, you know, they want to come to work and be there for 20 minutes and then leave. Like, you know, nobody wants to actually work anymore. Um, but so I try not to be that guy because I am,

you know, as I'm approaching 60, I don't want to become the grumpy old man on the set. I still try to keep my excitement and my wonder about me. You ever in your career, and this is a stupid question because I probably know the answer, but have you ever worked with someone that was extremely difficult that you just had to somehow you held it together, but or maybe you didn't that you just go, you can remember like this person was the worst person. You don't have to say their name, but like, did you have those moments and what do you do? Yes. There was one actor in particular who was not nice to me at all. It was hilarious. And a big actor.

No, just was not nice. It wasn't an actor or it was an actress. And I'm not talking about anyone from 9-2-1-0. This was years later. I ended up on a show. And the lead actress on the show just did. not want me there at all, which was hilarious. And you were nice. You were probably over extending yourself. Yeah, of course. And I was, you know, super excited to, to join that cast. And then, yeah, my reception was, was chilly. It was chilly.

Have you ever, was there ever a time in your career where you're like, you know what, I've done it? Fuck it. I don't want to do it anymore. I just want to live a quiet life and not direct or act or do any. or just, you know, or, or do you think you'd get too bored? I, I, I, I, I, I still, I still like it. I still really like it. I mean, I, you know, you know, I mean, as you know, man, we work long hours and we, we're up at five in the morning and you don't get home to late at o'clock at night and, you know, and then you got homework to do, like,

I don't know, man. I just, I, I like it. Um, I mean, it's a, it's great. Like, it could be so great. It could be very disappointing and all that, but, um, um, when you said the word magic earlier, it is. It can be magical, and it has been magical. Inside of you is brought to you by Blue Chew. I don't know other podcasters who are doing Blue Chew. And, you know, I'm sure some guys are afraid of talking about it. I'm not.

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What do you do? No, yeah, I'm like, hey, what's up? It's pretty funny. Luke and I, Luke and I always used to get confused for each other. You know, like, you know, people would think he was Jason Preciy and I was Luke Perry. And so we would always, I would always, if somebody thought I was Luke Perry, I'd kind of be a dick to them. Just to fuck with Luke. And Luke would do the same thing.

When people thought he was Jason Priestley, he would do the same thing. It was really funny. How are you guys on set together? Was it always good? Was it ever bad? No, it was never bad. Never, never had. You know, none of us had bad, had a bad day ever at work. There was, you know, there were, uh, I mean, you know, you know, people get tired. People, you know, maybe snap and say things that they should. We every, every day was, every day was a gift on that show. We just, we had a great, we had a great time making it. People had a great time watching it, you know. How was it on Smallvilleville for you, with you guys?

it was great we got along great we really did um there was there was really no ego um tom was you know tom had a little ego but like i i could we all everybody loved him and i could easily i'm the one that fucked with him constantly right like oh i'm sorry should i get you a bigger trailer i'm sorry you want me to you want me to ask your d in the trailer would that make you feel better brother you know so but you goof on each other you're like all right then he's like i know i know I know. Were you and Luke tight before he passed? Yeah.

Yeah. Luke and I worked on other projects outside of Beverly. Yeah. 9-2-1-0 together. And Luke, you know, Luke was my neighbor when I lived in Los Angeles at the last house I lived in in Los Angeles. And we were neighbors for years, six, seven years. So he would just like, you know, ride his bike over to my house and ring the doorbell and invite

himself in. It was super fun, man. We were really good friends, you know, at work and outside of work as well. Yeah. I mean, like, it's a dumb question you've been asked a million times, but I've lost people on the way. And were you absolutely shocked when it happened? Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. It was that, just that shock when it happened. And, you know, in shock for the next two or three days until he, until we got worried that he had actually passed away. But yeah, it was, it was shocking because he was young. He was 53 years old. He was, you know, he's a young man to have a massive stroke like that. Yeah, that was a, that was shocked. That was tough.

That was a tough weekend. Everybody was on pins and needles. And, you know, like Jenny went down to the hospital where he was and just sat in the lobby, like hoping that, you know, somebody would, somebody would come and talk to her and give her an update about what was happening. Like, it was, it was pretty devastating for everybody. I mean, how, how, you know, because this, this podcast, we talk about mental health and loss and all these things. What's something that helped you get through it?

I think, I think just, just remembering, remembering, remembering Luke the way he was. Because we, because we did a little, a little memorial service for him at one of our cast members' house. And, you know, Luke's family, his church. children came and his ex-wife and his current wife came. And, uh, you know, and we all, uh, we all had time to process it together, which I think was very, uh, very beneficial. Yeah. And it was, you know, and it was just, you know, it was great, you know, I don't know, man, like that, like that, like that, a loss like that of a guy who's such a big personality like Luke was, you know, It was he, he touched a lot of people's lives.

And, and, and so, you know, the world became a slightly darker place when he passed away. Yeah. And then, you know, obviously, you lost Shannon. And that was, I mean, I know she was suffering for quite a long time. But. Yeah. Tilly's two cast members who you worked with so tightly over the years. And, you know, it's just, you know, part of me thinks, you know, this is the rational

side thinks this is life, things happen, people die. And you try to rationalize and make it easier. Like, okay, hey, this is, we have the memories. We have this. But there's still that emptiness, that piece of you that, you know, you'll always carry with you. Do you feel that's true? Yeah, 100%. Absolutely. It's, you know, it's that, it's that, it's that person filled in your life, right? And it's, and it's, and it's the idea that, you know, you can't just pick up the phone and call them and, you know, go out and go out and have a cup of coffee together. Like, it's just, you know, it's the permanence of it, I think, that is, that is shocking and is hard. You know what I mean? Yeah, I still think of, honestly, I know it sounds funny,

but my grandmother died like 25 years ago, and I swear to God, I still think of calling her. And then I realize, it's just a quick thought. I'll go, oh, I, I can't do that. Here's a, I have a question for you. Yeah. The people that you've lost in your life, do you delete their phone numbers out of your phone? Nope. Nope.

Nope. I got my grandmother's with me. In fact, I don't delete them. Do you know I have probably 100 messages from my grandmother that I kept? Really? Yeah. That's awesome. Oh, listen.

Is your grandmother test again? I just can't get over what a wonderful. grandson you are. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Just I have like so many messages hearing her voice or singing happy people. I mean, I play it every birthday, you know. Right. That's awesome, man. What's the, you know, I think about you as a director and an actor, but what do you think

makes a great actor? What do you think it is? What makes a great actor is when you can't tell they're acting. It's total commitment, just total immersion. in immersion and what you're doing. You know what I mean? Yeah. People who can do that are, you know, they, they go on to have long storied careers.

But it's, you know, and I, you know, I catch myself sometimes. I think, oh, no, that's accurate. No, that's not good. Oh, yeah, we're our biggest critic. That's for sure. Yeah. I'll say, I'll watch something. I go, bullshit, bullshit.

Okay, that was real. Bullshit. You know, I'm very hard on myself. That's why I don't usually like watching myself. self. Yeah. You know, but doing this, I'm doing a rewatch Smallville and I hadn't seen 90% of the episode. So it took a little bit of it was, it wasn't easy at first. But how do you think you're doing? Are you doing okay? Uh, I think I did a good job. I'm proud of what I did. Um, I could say, you know, I thought I did a great, I thought I did a great job. But, you know, it's, I didn't realize

because we didn't have social media and I don't think you guys did too. No. So social media wasn't there. So I think it helped me just sort of like do the role how I felt it was it should be played and playing it real and grounded and not having to hear people say, he's not looks, Luther, and all this stuff that would be on there and the trolls and everything. I didn't have to go through that. So I think that helped me. Do you think it helped you? If social media was around Beverly, you couldn't get much bigger than Beverly Hills 902 and 100. So if you had social media, you probably would have had 50 million followers. It would have been really crazy. You know, like you, I'm glad it wasn't around

because it would have also made things much more difficult. I think, you know, like so many you know, we all make the joke, right? Everyone's a critic. But now everybody has a platform

to critique. Yeah. Anything and everything that they want. And it's, I think for, especially for young, especially for the younger members of our cast, it would have been, it would have been very,

difficult. Yeah. I mean, what do you think in your like in the history of all the things you've done? What do you think is a mistake that actors make when they're on set? For me, it's like almost being too nice, like energy, energy and then you're exhausted by the time you have to do the work. So conserving my energy is something I learned. Yeah. That's that that's something that, uh, that I, that I, that I tell young actors, I tell them to sit down as much as they can. So why are you standing up right now? Go sit down. Like, stop, you know, because you do.

You have to conserve your energy because the days, the days are fucking long, as you well know, right? I think, I think, what's another mistake I see young actors making? Not listening. Not listening, yes. And not like, and not reacting without speaking. Like they, like, you know, it just sometimes. And, you know, a lot of this stuff just comes with experience too, right? Like it's, it's, it's not that they're bad actors.

It's just they don't. And they, you know, they don't know any of the old tricks yet, right? Like they haven't, they haven't learned to like, they haven't, they haven't learned to stop and smell the fart, right? Like you're going to hold there for a second, let the camera see what's going on with you. If you just turn and bail out of the scene, like, no, where's, there's no impact. Yeah, I think that's important. It's like, I think the best actors, a lot of times are those that really, you, they say nothing and you feel everything. Yeah.

You know, and that's not easy. That's something you learn. You've had more than one near death experience? No, just the one big one, just my race car crash. That was, that was, that's enough. That one was enough. How bad was it? Well, I bled to death in the helicopter on the way to the hospital.

So I was, I was flatlined when I landed on top of the hospital. And they restarted my heart on the, on the roof of the hospital. And stuck a bunch of bags of negative blood in me and squeezed them into me as fast as they could. And then my heart stopped again in the elevator down to the, to the, to the ER. And then they had to they restarted my heart again. And then, uh, and then I was okay after that. You don't remember any of that. No.

I lost about three, three weeks, three and a half weeks. Cause I had, I had a, you know, it was, I don't know, my 12th to 13th concussion. I suffered three skull fractures. You know, I was, I was pretty, uh, I was pretty shook up for a while. Yeah. I mean, what, what year was that? That was in 2002. How often do you think about it?

Do you try not to think about it? I don't. It doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't come to mind that often anymore. Like, like, because I have no lingering effects from it. Right. Like I, you know, my feet, my feet healed up perfectly. My, you know, my spine is fused and it doesn't bother me at all. So, nothing.

Who, who do you remember seeing at the hospital when you woke up? I remember, uh, Luke got there pretty quickly, which was, which was awesome. Um, my, my friend, you know, my friends, Jan and Matt. My dad, my dad got there pretty quickly. Naomi, my wife got there pretty quickly. Did you save any pictures of what you looked like? Oh my dude. I have a whole booklet upstairs.

I am, because my dad, my dad took pictures of everything and took tons of pictures like my face and what had happened, you know, my, you know, and how, dude, how old, you know, my head was this big, right? it was all swollen up because of all the skull fractures and my nose got ripped off and I broke a bunch of my skull over here, my orbital bone and my cheekbone and my ocumantle collapsed. You don't even look like you had surgery. Honestly, I don't see. There's like, they did a great job.

They did. And it was just the dudes that were there, right? Like, it's not like I got transferred to Beverly Hills and had some famous plastic surgeon to, you know, stitch me up and put everything back together. It was just the dudes on call. at where was a university in Kentucky, where they stabilized me before they sent me to, to Indianapolis to Methodist Hospital there.

Did you ever thank them? Oh my God, yes. Of course I did. I did. I went back to the racetrack, actually, where it happened. And I met the helicopter pilots who flew me to the hospital because I wanted to thank them. And like they looked at me like they were looking at a ghost.

and I and I and I and I said so how bad was I when when they slid me in the back of the helicopter and they both said dude you were dead there was and we looked at each other we're like we'll make the trip this kid's not making it that's terrifying it was it was pretty crazy but I thought it was I thought it was super cool does death scare you now it's it's not something I think about ever what about you I think I'm in the majority right when I say that most people right myself probably think as long as i don't go out with a lot of pain and a horrible death if i could if i'm not in pain you know i i would hope i'm not going to be in horrible pain or burned alive or something god forbid but like you know yeah i i'm not that scared of it there's been times where

you know after a rough surgery i just was like man if i close my eyes and don't wake up i'm fine with it but it's not that I don't want to live it's like I just don't want to deal with this pain and all that and that sort of it's ephemeral that goes away and you're like happy to be alive and all that but um yeah I can't even imagine the road to recovery for you that had to be brutality it was yeah it was tough it was it was about it was three months I was in there I was in the rehab hospital for three months um and it was and it was and it was tough but there were also like there you know I had I I I got super lucky and I just said great people. Like the girl who was the neurologist who was helping me speech, speech therapy and cognitive thought therapy, she would print out scenes from movies and she would bring them in and she would say, okay, so today we're going to do a scene from the godfather. What? Yeah, from whatever movie.

And she would act with me and she was, you know, because she was trying to get me to be able to memorized lines again. And like, so we would do scenes together. It was, she was, she was a really sweet kid. That is amazing.

Yeah. And she, she really helped me, she really helped me a lot. Uh, is there a role you turned down that still makes you wonder what if? Nope. I,

uh, I, I don't have a white whale. I don't have, I don't have the one that got away. Thankfully, because that would be, I think that would be tough,

right? It would haunt you. Uh, what's something you've never accomplished that you still hope you will? Or have you accomplished everything you want to to. I would say I want to climb Mount Everest, but I really don't anymore. When I was younger, I wanted to. I don't want to do that anymore. I don't know, man. I know I feel like I feel like I've had a pretty good life. Maybe I want to learn how to surf one day. I've never learned how to serve.

Maybe that's it. That's good. We've got to have something. Do you ever get anxiety? Did you ever deal with anxiety or depression? Did you ever go to therapy? Did you ever do any of that stuff? No, I've been very fortunate. I haven't had to, I haven't had to utilize that kind of stuff. I mean, I've been to therapy and I've talked to therapists occasionally at times in my life. But not for any sort of, you know, diagnosed thing that I had to deal with. My kids both have ADHD. My wife is convinced she has ADHD. Everyone.

Yeah, it's way more common than I think people realize, right? People, people who have normies who don't have it. I don't know if they realize how prevalent it is. What do you do when you stress? What do you do when you're like, oh, my, I'm a little anxious? What do you, is there, do you meditate? Do you go for a run? Do you?

Well, I go, dude, I mean, you know, like you, like you, like everybody else in our business. I go to the gym pretty much every day. And I feel like that, that really helps me, you know, get rid of a lot of stuff every day. But I, but I also, I, you know, I try not to get stress. and I try not to get anxious. And I try not to, I just try to be cool and just try to be calm all the time. And I think when I was younger, it was easier for me to get anxious about things. But now that I'm, now that I'm advanced in age, it feels like I know that whatever bad thing is happening

and in a certain moment will only be momentary and then it'll be gone. Right? Like I'm like I, you know, because, you know, so much of what we get anxious about is out of our control anyway. So I just, I try to just be very zen about it and understand that that's out of my control anyway and there's no point getting upset about it. Right. So you had a pretty normal childhood? Yeah, I had a pretty normal childhood, you know. Yeah.

I grew up on the north shore of Vancouver, you know, playing in the woods and building tree forts and playing hockey and, you know, and anyway, you know, classic, you know, Canadian summer, you know, come home when the street lights come on at 11 o'clock at night, you know, like it was, it was very, very idyllic childhood that I had. Are you a Leafs fan? I'm a Canucks fan. Now, that's not to say that I don't love going to Leafs games and I really, I really, I. And there have been a lot of guys to play for that franchise that I've actually got to know over the years. So I can't say I'm 100% not a Leaves fan because I like all those guys. But I've born and raised in Vancouver, stuck with the Canucks, I'm afraid. Who's the biggest hockey player that you met that you were starstruck?

Wayne Gradsky. Mine was Mary Lemieux when I met Mary. I was like. Oh, yeah, that would have been. I never met him. That would have been big. What about actors? Who's your, who's your favorite actor?

Or who did, who have you ever gotten a little starstruck from that you met? Yeah. You know, I, I, I don't know, man. Like, so, like, I got, like, I've met so many people, but I, I, I don't really get starstruck by them, right? Like, right. I'm just, I feel like they're, like they're, I feel, I feel like we're, like coworkers. That's what they want, too. They want, they want, you know, they're, oh, my God, I love you, man.

You're awesome. You know, you can't do that. I've sucked it up a few times. I'm like, wow, I'm working with these guys. All right. Yeah. Be cool. It's like that moment in Reservoir Dogs where Tim Roth is talking to the mirror.

He's like, you're totally fucking cool. They have no idea. You've got this. You are the man. You are you fucking. I'm like, hey, what's going on? Morgan Freeman? Well, pretty good.

How are you doing? You know? And it is tough. It's like, what is Nicholson once said, I meet more people in one year than the average person meets an entire lifetime. And that's kind of true. You meet so many people in your life, especially as a, you know, a big actor. And being on that show, people are coming everywhere.

It's like you've met so many. It's hard to remember, you know, it's hard to, I want to hear about S&L hosting that because that always, that was a dream of mine. And I'm not thrown away that dream just yet. I think I'm going to, you know, I'll do something that just catapults the old guy up to S&L. Did you see a lot of dysfunction like there? you always hear these stories it's not that easy it's difficult people or got egos did you was it did you see any dysfunction or was it just smooth sailing it was smooth sailing my my week was smooth it was it was great um and it was and it was one of the most fun weeks i've ever spent like it's

it's the most to hosting that show is the most fun you can have uh it's really great and yeah my And my episode, like, you know, I showed up for the table reading on Monday morning. And I told Mike Myers that I wanted to do a Sprockets skit. And so he was like, he was like, oh, okay, all right, I'll write one. And so he went off and wrote Sprocket skit. And then me and Al Franken wrote the 90210 skit that we did. I mean, he wrote it mostly and just came and asked me a bunch of questions. Right, right.

What about Farley? Is this funny? Does this make sense? Is this good? Dude, Farley was, Farley was hilarious, man. He was hilarious. He was, he was, talk about someone who like was, was, like, was wrapped up.

Like, he had OCD. He would like, he would burn his fingertips with his cigarette and all, you know, in a row, like, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, and he would do it three times. And then he would bend over and pull on the, pull on the tongue of his shoe three times. three times and then he would stand back up and then he would burn his fingers again like like i was watching a guy in a full ocd meltdown and everybody else are just like going around doing their jobs you know wow because he would like that all the time i guess was he starstruck to see you uh no not really but we but we were we're sitting there we're sitting there having a conversation

and i we're talking about you know whatever we were talking about what he while he was doing all this stuff. And I was, I was, I was fascinated by it. I'd never, I'd never seen anything like that in, like up close and personal like that. I could just see him going, well, I bet you get a lot of tail there, Mr. Priestley, don't you? I could see him saying that, that Beverly Hill show is one for the history books. Yeah, I got to hang out with him and everybody knows that story. But yeah, he was, he's my favorite comedian of all time. I thought he was, nobody made me laugh like Cam, if you want to tell me about, like, people talk about great comedians, but in terms of, for me, making me laugh the most, Farley. Did you get to party with them at all?

At the after party, yeah. At the after party, because, you know, that cast back then was amazing. It was, you know, it was Sandler and it was Spade and it was Farley and it was Mike Myers. And it would, you know, it just went on and on and everybody was there. It was crazy. And, and so we were all, you know, we were, we were all around the same age, a bunch of us. And so we were, we, we, we did some drinking at the after party, 100%. Of course we did.

How was Sandler? Was he great. Oh, yeah, Adam's great, man. He's, he's an awesome dude. He's super cool. He's very, he's very, you know, obviously very funny. But, you know, he's a great guy. Yeah, all those guys.

Sandler, yeah, he's the nicest. I can, that's good, that's good. Yeah, yeah, Priestley, you're funny. That's good. Inside of you is brought to you by Ultra Pouches. This stuff is amazing. And what I love about it, it's nicotine free, caffeine free. And it gives me focus. I just put one right up here in between my gum and my cheek.

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and please support our show and tell them that inside of you with Michael Rosenbaum sent you. All right. This is called shit talking with Jason Priestley. I'm going to ask you questions from my patrons, patreon.com slash inside of you. They're fans of yours. Miss Leanne says fill in the blank. The one lesson life has taught me is... The one lesson life has taught me is patience.

That's the key word, isn't it? Because when you're young, you don't have any patience. You want everything to happen right now and everything. has to be, it's all about immediate gratification. And I think as you get older, you start to, you start to, you start to see that, that you need to be patient. Do you have a, by the way, do you have a funco? I think they just released Beverly Hills 90210 Funkos.

No. Yes. I think they did because I have, I have one. But that's the only, Brandon Walsh is the only funco pop character of, of mine, which which I think is, you know, probably appropriate because so much, so many of my other characters were pretty niche, right? Yeah, I mean, it's just cool. Somebody goes, oh, this is, what the hell not?

Do you like going to cons? You like meeting fans? Yeah, I do, man. Yeah. I mean, you know, I also like going to cons because I get to, you know, like we ran into each other in Mexico and got to spend some time together in Mexico, which was super enjoyable, man. I really had a good time.

Me too. And that, and that's the thing about cons that, that I think that I appreciate. even more than than getting to meet fans. It's running into whoever you run into in the green room and then, you know, figure, well, all right, tonight.

We'll meet in the bar. We'll have a drink. We'll catch up like. Yeah. That kind of stuff is super fun. Yeah. We went and got some, some of the best Mexican food I've had.

It was fantastic. That was amazing that place. And then I shit myself after. Okay. Little Lisa says, in your own words, what does self-worth mean? I probably don't deal with this in the most healthy way because I feel like a lot of my self-worth

is about work and about the work that I do. The thing that balances it better for me now is having a family and I can look at my kids and I can see my work because those are my kids that I raised and I can see how they comport themselves in the world and that that gives me a a great feeling of self-worth. But when I was younger, it was before I had a family, it was all, it was all wrapped up in work and that success would have however successful I was being in my work life, I would, that would carry over into my real life. I did something that's successful.

Okay, my self-worth is up. And then I do something that isn't. And then I'm like, oh, and then I, you know, relationship doesn't work. Oh, I'm a failure. Yeah. I get it. Um, Taylor R. How do you deal with burnout? Do you deal with burnout or you just fucking smoked? No, yeah. No, I just go. I just go. How do you deal with that? I don't know. I've been incredibly, I've been very lucky. Um, I also, you know, like, you know, I eat well and I go to the gym and I take care of myself and I make sure I get enough sleep. Like I like, all that stuff really helps and all that stuff can really get all that helps help helps you remain focused and positive and, you know, like, and.

exercise is a huge part of it. Like I, I, and the older I get, the more time I spend, uh, exercising, which is, which is remarkable because usually it goes the other way. Yeah. I'm at the gym now, you know, 90 minutes, two hours, like, you know, that's amazing. I get so bored in the gym. I'd rather just go play ice hockey or go play tennis or do those things. But, you know, exercise being, you know, I talk about it all the time, but like, it's no secret.

that being sedentary is the absolute worst thing you could do to yourself and your health. So if you're not getting up and exercise and you're going for a walk or you're just sitting in a chair all day or, you know, and I can't say I don't do that often, but, you know, I know, I know what the answer is. The answer is there's no secret, right? You got to just have to do it. You just got to do it. And that seems like you've been doing it. I want to know your workout routine.

What you eat is almost more important than what you do at the gym, right? I eat a lot of protein and a lot of vegetables and I try to stay away from processed foods. And I try to stay, I try to stay away from bread as much as possible and, you know, stay away from eating pasta and stuff like that. Like it's just it's, you know, I need a lot of fish, you know, like, you know, boring, boring stuff, boring old man stuff. I'm going to start doing that. I need to eat more fish. maybe one steak a week, a little chicken, some veggies. I'm going to start eating healthier, starting today because of Jason Priestley.

Oh, good. Dude, this has been awesome. I love that we got to catch up and finally do this. This was a joy. I thank you for being so, you know, open and just, you know, the guy you are. You're just a great dude. I love seeing you in Mexico. I hope to see you at another con or somewhere because I know you live far away, but this has been a joy for me.

Awesome. Michael, this has been an absolute joy for me too, brother. Great to see you and spend a little time with you. Awesome. You got it. All my love, buddy. Thanks. You got it, man. Love you too. Talk later. Great guest. Yeah. Great guest. Great guy. Top knots, Jason. I appreciate you. If you like the show, please make sure you subscribe, write a review. It would only help the podcast, and I appreciate it. And Patreon.com slash inside of you if you want to join and get back to the show. and these are the top tier patrons, Ryan. These are the folks that really make the podcast possible. They're the top tiers.

They get packages for me every couple of months and so much more. And you keep looking around. Is everything all right? I just like, I don't know, just keep checking just because it's all still new. It's not that new anymore, but I just. Yeah, it's good that you are looking, so I don't have to look all that because I was looking at the podcast, just making sure. Yeah, this one, I mean, because you're always, you can see that from where you sit. sit over there from that count from the other side of the couch i can't see like the record light and

sometimes that makes me anxious nancy d little lisa yukiko p rabe the fourth jason w raj c stacey l jemal jemal m d sremael bennel bennie n n d santae mrs bennie n d ralynne and d santae mrs bennie fere n d ralbittske Elyle-Mel-esque Eric H. Kevin Eves. Be brave. You could do it. I know you know what I'm talking about Kevin. Jammin J. Leanne J. Jen Jules M. Jessica B. Frank B. Gen T. Randy S. and Theresa. Claudia. Claudia. Rachel D. Nick W. Stephanie and Evan. Stefan. Charlene A. Thongi. Just you know, like saying it like. Shrek 2. Janie B. 76, NG, Tracy, Heather and Greg. Brother.

PRC. Sultan, Dave T. David L. Brian B. Gary F. Ritzel-Pitzel, Benjamin R. Other brother,

Daryl, Cheryl T. Elizabeth R. Eduardo, the fifth. V. I say the fifth. You likes it.

Julie F. Merritt. Merritt. Merit. Dino, you. You, Dino. Who's your step? Rocco.

L.M. H. life coach. Thank you, Life Coach. And Donna V. Donna is here. And LMHC Life Coach. And Rocco, who's your stuff? You guys are all top tiers. Welcome. And the community, give them some love. Give everybody love. I mean, thank you for listening from the Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, California. I'm Michael Rosenbaum. He is. I'm Ryan Tejas. I'm here. That's Ryan. A little way to the camera. We love you guys. And be good to yourself. All right. We'll see you next week. Thank you.