The Press Box - ‘Jam Session’: Armie Hammer, J-Rod Watch, and George Clooney's Bag of Money (Ep. 396)

Episode Date: December 13, 2017

The Ringer’s Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins discuss Armie Hammer's performance in "Call Me by Your Name," his career thus far, and what's next for him (0:15). Then they talk about George Clooney and some of his recent (and not-so-recent) media morsels (14:10), wish Taylor Swift a happy birthday (21:45), and speculate on a possible J-Rod holiday engagement (26:20). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Jam Session. I'm Juliet Litman. I'm Amanda Dobbins. Amanda, it's high season for one of your favorite actors. I've been waiting for this particular jam session for a long time. It's the Army Hammer moment. It's finally arrived. Yes! So it's called me by your name Open Wide? No, it does not open everywhere until a few weeks from now in December.

Well, I'm very excited when that happens for everyone. But in the meantime, you and I have both seen the movie. We have. And this is not a movie criticism podcast So we can kind of leave that to the big picture. I really loved the movie. I liked it. I didn't love it.

Yeah. I liked, I very much like parts of it, particularly liked the fact that all the women looked like their dress in Made well 2016 clothes. Yes. Which is really more of a thing about Made well than it is about the movie. Obviously,

the movie was like, correct. But it just was hilarious to me. The styling of the movie in general is really transcendent. It's set in Northern. Italy in the late in the 80s at a kind of beautifully aged villa yeah and like everyone is just drinking apricot juice and eating chocolate moose and kind of wandering around and lounging on the on the lawn and I really enjoyed that aspect of it yeah me too um and all the styling is great

particularly army hammers wardrobe let's just start there okay so yes the short shorts they're not even short. Yeah, I guess his bathing suits are quite short. Right. So what we're, what we're talking about today is kind of the Army moment. The Army moment. And one of the major stories that has popped up as Army Hammer has become kind of one of the awards season headliners. Right? Yes. There's a new internet moment about Army every day. And one of them was about, was related to the short shorts and call me by your name. And it was about the fact that sometimes the short shorts could not contain everything that Army Hammer had to offer. And so they were, I believe that his balls were digitally removed from certain shots. Incredible.

Of call me by your name, which is, it's a lot to take in. I'm sorry, there's no way to talk about this without puns. And I like, I don't know. No. That's a great point. I didn't even, I didn't even think about that. Sorry. It's interesting that that is one of the more recent anecdotes. because I just feel like the legend of armies begetting the legend of army. It's kind of like a rock going downhill and he is becoming a character. He already was a character. Particularly to you, but now I think to the whole world. Yes.

Also, Timothy Shalame is the one who shared that anecdote, I believe. Yes. Who's his co-star. Their press story has been very cute because Timothy Shilome, who you might know from, as Dana's boyfriend from season two of Homeland. One and two. One and two. Okay. And also the former ex-boyfriend of Lordus.

Lordus Leon, daughter of Madonna. Yes. And Lady Bird. Yes, and Lady Bird. Movie of the Year. Great moment. Great here for him. Shalamay and Hammer are just killing it.

Yes. They're both everywhere. But so Salamay's and Hammer's press door has involved Shalameh just roasting Army Hammer a lot of the time. I watched an Ellen clip. Let's be real. I watched the whole Ellen interview. But one of the clips was about the scruff that Army Hammer has. and how it irritated Timothy Chalemay's face while they were making out.

And how that was Timothy Chalemay's first experience kind of with Scruff and Tau. And he was very empathetic to people who have to deal with that on a more regular basis, which was pretty great. It was hilarious. And then the short shorts and the digital. The digital removing of his balls. Yeah. That is also something that we know, thanks to him. Did Armiehammer respond to that?

Did he react at all? I think he's just kind of a. embarrassed. He's had a pretty good, it's an awshucks. Embarrassment. As he becomes more and more famous and there are more stories about him, he's been pretty good about being like, you know, I'm just here to talk about a movie and people find this stuff funny and whatever it takes, I loved my movie, which is the right way to go about it. Totally. That's what I would say. He has a good attitude about it. But like he was like, this is what he was made for. He was destined to be like a, a.

a celebrity. He's almost like behind. Like he would have been better in like the 60s and the 70s, I think. Well, I did think some of, I thought coming by your name was very moving. I did too. And I thought it was a really well made film and there are a lot of things to talk about with it. But there was also this moment of kind of looking up at the screen and just being like, holy shit, I can't believe this guy is real. I know. He is, he's like a golden god of a movie star. He's so tall. And the voice, the voice is really something. It really is true. Also great hair. Yeah.

A lot of it. And I didn't think about the Winkle Voss twins. That's their name too much while it was watched in the movie. The Winkle Vye. The Winkle Vye. Yes. So Army Hammer, kind of his big break was playing both Winkle Voss twins in the social network. What has he done since?

He was in The Man from Uncle. Okay. Which was a maligned Guy Ritchie movie that features Army Hammer. and Henry Cavill and Alicia Vickander running around in 60s mod clothes in Europe doing kind of a spy thriller. So people should, it's not great, but it's pretty fun. I probably won't watch it, but I do love Alicia Vickander. If you like- It's not on my movie journey.

If you like movies with pretty people in beautiful locations, which, let's be real, is definitely part of the appeal of Call Me by Your Name and also part of the appeal of Army Hammer. and it's like half the reason I go to a movie at any damn time. Then Man from Uncle is worth definitely an airplane gander. Okay. You know, I would say, I think I watched it on an airplane and kind of time. And then he was in the Lone Ranger, which was really maligned. I don't recommend that one.

So he like had some big poor acting, but people like you were waiting for this big breakthrough and it's here. And he's really delivering because he also has been coming with anecdotes about like how he doesn't like to dance, but one of like the marquee scenes of the movie is a dance scene. Yeah. Where it's like it's like a kind of like an impromptu disco in like the woods, which looks awesome. Yes.

And apparently when he was filming it, there was like no music. So he was just dancing without music. And it was really awkward. And like it's just this is just another piece of the new Army Hammer legend. Yeah, absolutely. And it's so interesting before the movie was even released. That clip was released as a promotional clip. So you could just watch a minute of Armyhammer dancing to the psychedelic furs on Twitter.

and then it became a meme, which was kind of when I was like, oh, the Army Hammer moments really happening. If Army Hammer dancing is a meme now, like we did it, we're breaking through. He's arrived. Yeah. But so as a result, it's definitely a memorable part of the scene because part of the movie because he is 6'5 and the character is quite drunk or high or both. And he looks like a real goofball. So he's been asked about it since and James Corden kind of made him demonstrate.

dancing without music. They both did it together and it's pretty awkward, but funny. And again, he's handling it well. He is both self-deprecating but game to talk about these things, which is basically how you nail a press tour. 100%. Yeah. Being both like a little aloof, but also, but also down to have fun. And then also having moments of honesty, which brings me to quitting Twitter after smacking down a negative article about him. Give us all the deeds. So there is a writer at BuzzFeed and Helen Peterson. Yes. Who tends to write what she calls, I don't know what she calls them, but they are character studies of celebrities.

It's very like academic. Yes. She is a former academic. Yes. And she wrote one about Army Hammer that tried to tie his career and kind of the many false starts of it to the concept of white privilege. And many people, including myself, felt that the piece was a reach, if that's a generous way of putting it. And apparently Army Hammer also felt the same way because he replied to her on Twitter and was like, I'm just doing what I'm trying to do. Your perspective is bitter AF as fuck.

He's shaking the haters off. Good luck to you. And then a day later just deleted his Twitter and has been since asked about it. And it's like, I don't miss it at all. The negativity is. toxic and I have so much more time in my life now that I'm not on Twitter. God bless. Shout out to you, Army Hammer. An example to us all. Also, I like it when celebrities confirm they read about themselves.

Yeah. Because like, duh, you're a celebrity for a reason, you're vain. Of course he did. They were adding him all the time and he's on Twitter because he was also famously, remember when James Woods was, what is the word that I shall use? saying some irresponsible things about call me by your name. And then Army Hammer also responded to him on Twitter. Was like, didn't you date a 19 year old when you were 60 and started that whole kind of conversation? Incredible. He's doing really well. Can I add one last?

Yeah, I was going to say we've gone 10 minutes and you haven't even mentioned like your favorite part of the Army Hammer like persona. Well, I mean, I have favorites and I have questions. Okay. Let's do questions first. I have a question too. Yeah. You first. Well, so Army Hammer has been married for a while to a woman named Elizabeth Chambers,

and they seem to have a very loving and supportive marriage. And I follow her on Instagram. And I just have, I want to know more about her. I don't know enough about her. I know that she was a model for a while, and she very famously met, Leonardo DiCaprio was dating one of her roommates. and she basically told Leonardo DiCaprio that he was a sleazebag, and that's an anecdote that has gone viral, which is pretty great, good for her.

I know that she owns a bakery in San Diego. I know that she was sort of a... She worked for Current, the Al Gore Network. Yeah. It was a TV journalist for a bit. I know that she is really, also really tall and goes to a lot of fashion events, but I don't have a huge sense of... I would like to know more.

I think this is a credit to both of them. that we don't know more. That's true. Good for their marriage, probably. It's definitely on Instagram. And so, like, I have questions about where do they live because they're bakeries in San Antonio. And then they have another one in Dallas in Highland Park, which is the fanciest part of Dallas. And apparently Army Hammer lived there for a while, but then he also lived in the Cayman Islands.

So I have some questions there. But I don't know. They live in Los Angeles. But then they also own businesses in Texas. Why do they own businesses in Texas? Because it's tax-free, probably. Is that why? But still, like, of all the places that you could own a bakery?

I don't know. It sounds like this would be a really good reality show is my main takeaway. I completely agree, but I just am not getting the answers that I need, totally. Well, maybe we'll find out in the future because my question for you as an armeologist. Yes. Like, what does he do next? Like, I don't know. Does it get better for him than this?

Like being in a successful art film where people are commending your performance and becoming a meme? Like, how do you top that? Like, Timothy Chalamey, he's a close. I've got a long career ahead of him. Yes. But Army Hammer, I'm just a little concerned. We're at the mountain top with him. Well, so his next film, well, I actually don't know release-wise whether it's next film,

but he just finished filming the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic. Okay. Who's he playing? He's playing her husband. Oh, great. So, and it's directed by Mimi Leader, and Felicity Jones is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I'm pretty excited about that. It does sound really good.

So I guess, and I think that means that he's kind of doing pop prestige. films, for lack of a better word, not quite, that's not quite art house, but. Sure, okay. Makes sense. I guess he'll go from there. I think he doesn't have to be a superhero now, which is good, though he might like that check. Maybe he'll do, you know, you never know.

He probably needs to make some money. This is another question, right? So he's Army Hammer of the Hammer family. Yes. However, I was just reading. As in Armand Hammer. Yes. So he is the one of the heirs of an oil fortune. But I was just reading a piece on Vulture that is about, it's kind of the excerpts from a profile they did. And he tells a story about election night and how devastated he was. But he also shares that he had made a bet with the director of Call Me By Your Name, Lucco Guadaginio. And he lost the bet. But the terms of the bet were that the loose. had to fly the winner to a town of their choosing and put them up in a nice hotel and basically

give them an all expenses paid vacation. And Army Hammer lost. And then this is what he says. I was like, let me be honest with you. I cannot afford to do this bet right now. I just can't. I've only done small movies for the last few years. It would literally bankrupt me and I need to buy diapers tomorrow. That's insane. It is insane. But, you know, I guess we don't know. did inheritance structure. I don't know. That's why you got to have a bakery in Texas. Exactly. Or two. Or two bakeries in Texas. I have a lot of financial questions is the impolite version of what I am saying. But maybe he'll do a franchise. Maybe he will go earn some diaper money. Some diaper money. Yeah, I think he could probably get larger roles now. I have a recommendation

for him. Yes. He should become friends with George Clooney. Wow. And let me tell you why. the rat published a story today that is a recounting of Randy Gürmer, one of the co-owners of Cosamigos with George Clooney and the husband of Cindy Crawford, telling a story on MSNBC about a time in 2013 when George Clooney gave his 14 best friends each a duffel bag filled with $1 million in $20 bills and paid their taxes for that year. Okay. I honestly just have to read. read this. Okay, I'll read some details. I just want to highlight right now in advance. I know

what you're all thinking. This was 2013. This was way before the sale of Casamigos for $1 billion. Yes. Here's what George, this is what happened, per Randy Gerber. So there's a group of guys we call the boys. So they certainly have a group text that they've renamed the boys. George had called me and the boys and said, hey, Mark September 27th, 2013 on your calendar. Everyone's going to come to my house for dinner. George begins to say, listen, I want you guys to know how much you've meant to mean, how much you mean to me in my life. I came to L.A. I slept on your couch. I'm so fortunate in my life to have all of you and I couldn't be where I am today without all of you. So it was really important to me that while we're still all here together, that I give back. So give back to his friends, not the community or charity. So I want you all to open your suitcases. And so this is where we should note that there are black designer luggage bags at each setting on the table, which is a fancy way of saying there are fucking duffel bags.

at every setting at the table. Continue. It's a deleted scene from the film Ocean's 11. We open it up and it's a million dollars and $20 bills. Every one of us.

14 of us got a million dollars. Every single one of us. We're in shock. Like, what is this? And he goes, I know we've all been through some hard times. Some of you are still going through it.

You don't have to worry about your kids. You don't have to worry about, you know, school. You don't have to worry about paying your mortgage. And then Gerber said that some of Clooney's boys were working paycheck to paycheck at the time. the restaurator, he said he initially tried to turn down the gift, but he said if you didn't take it, then nobody gets it. So Gerber then accepted it. And that's just, and then he says, this is who George is.

That was September 27th, 2013. And then now September 27th, 2014, he marries them all. And now that's good karma right there. So man is it good to be George Clooney. So $14 million in cash. Yes. means that he has how much money on hand. Plus everyone's taxes. Right. Okay. So I'm going to go like a 20 million?

Cash he doesn't need. Like 20 like I don't know. 20 million in cash. It's not like in property. It's not investments. He's 20 million liquid that he is able to give away to people. I'm squirming in my seat. That makes me so confused and uncomfortable.

Here's a question. Do you think they actually pay taxes or do you think he just said that because he was on MSNBC? say? I don't know. I think he probably paid the taxes. Okay. So that they didn't get in trouble. I just, how much money does George Clooney have in 2013? I'm looking at the IMDB page. Well, I think we... There were six years from the Oceans trilogy. Okay. And then he did leatherheads and ads of March. Here's the thing about celebrities like George Clooney. Yeah. And by the way, I just want to say, Doug Ross is my favorite fictional man like ever. So I just love George Clooney.

so much. Okay. As a result of that, maybe even if not warranted. The thing about George Clooney is that he is so charming. Again, I'm just like squirming in my seat is that he has these incredible endorsements. Like that Nespresso money is probably worth a lot. And like, who knows what else he's doing overseas to get that cash? Yeah, that's a great point. Rich people just find ways to make money. And when you're like handsome and suave as he is, like, it just comes to you. It's an unfair world, but it's true. That's a great point. I'd still, that's an astonishing amount.

of cash on hand to be able to give away to your friends. Completely. In a black duffel bag, which just also suggests, I mean, that's the shadiest way to present it. I mean, it's hilarious, but. It's unbelievable. It's also like, then we got to add in the cost of the duffel bags. I'm sure they were really nice.

That's like a drop in a bucket at this point. I'm sure they were donated. Hey, I'm giving my friends a million dollars. Would you like to sponsor this? Sure, George, we'd love to. It is wild. And then think about all the other gifts he's probably getting for people that we don't even know about.

Segway. Yeah. Well, first, let's talk about our sponsor. Let's take a second to chat about our sponsor, Hotel Tonight. It's an awesome app for finding and booking great deals at great hotels. The holidays are coming up. Really quite sooner than I realized. You know what that means lots of family time.

With the Hotel Tonight app, you can have the best of both worlds. Visit your family and stay in a sweet hotel. There's no need to crash on an air mattress in your old bedroom that your parents might have turned into a gym. You don't even have to wait to find out if your family drives you crazy. because you can actually book a room up to seven days in advance everywhere and up to 100 days in advance in certain major cities. So this means you can lock down your holiday plans before you head home and save yourself the headache of storming out of the house. Or if you would prefer that headache, wait until the last minute.

It's no problem. You can just make a break for it when Uncle Tony starts talking politics. So you need a room for tonight, the holidays, or beyond. You definitely want to download the Hotel Tonight app because while home is where the heart is, hotel is where the hot tub, the room service, the spa, the overpriced manicure. That's where all of those things are. So this year, don't sleep on the couch. Leave that air mattress behind to get a room with hotel tonight. All right. Now we're almost down with George Coney before moving on. Recently, he and Amal were on a flight. And they were in first class and their twins,

Alexander and Ella, were likely to be quite noisy. So they preemptively handed out noise canceling headphones to everyone in first class in their flight from L.A. to England. I'm going to add one more detail. We're told George handed out some wireless headphones worth $350 featuring the Casamigos Tequila logo. Okay. This is actually a crucial detail because this means these were re-gifted. This is like from a Casamigos holiday party. Yes. And they had some extras.

So they just brought them with them. Yes. Great job, George. Great job. I mean, it's very, it's savvy and cute. and you feel bad. I mean, do the people in first class really need them? No.

You know that twins six months year old tear, like crying, travels throughout the plane. Yeah, absolutely. Also, I'd love to know who releases story because it does make George and them all look dope. Yes. And it behooves them for this to be out there. Yes. I love it, though. I guess also, here's another question.

Yes. George has $14 million to give out to people, but he's offline private with his twins. It's really weird. I don't know. Maybe it was like a last minute flight. I don't know. That's possible. Yeah. They just got an earlier one. Who knows? It's just an incredible story. How many people do you think are traveling with them to help with the twins? Minimum of three. Okay. Yeah. Like an assistant for each in a nanny, maybe more. Okay. So like maybe some of the people in first class were their own staff.

Right. And everyone else got the headphones. Yeah. minimum absolute minimum three ever since i saw the beckoms that really put it in perspective for me like those are adult kids and they still had two like attendance with them right just for like a regular saturday in l.A so traveling with six-month-old twins i mean got you got a staff up for that okay uh Amanda yes it's taylor show's birthday okay happy birthday Taylor she's 28 cool she's currently on the um radio Christmas concert circuit the jingle jingle ball and then the to me the biggest one is the capital FM in in the UK they're jingle I was just waiting for you to be like the British version of the jingle bell ball.

Yeah. Where is the capital FM? It moves around, but I think this was in London. Okay. I'm fairly certain. Okay. Had all the heavy weights, Ed Sheeran, Taylor, etc. I have two thoughts about this that I wanted to share.

Yes. One is, I think it's like kind of an L for Taylor to be doing the jingle bell ball circuit. I think she should be above it. Okay. But I think she's using it as practice for her tour, which is, I guess, savvy. Sure. And to that effect, her current, like, look I'm really into, but I find very odd. She's where it's like basically like a J-Lo from, from the aughts, but for Taylor Swift,

it's like she's wearing high-wasted short shorts that are kind of like, they're a velour. They're kind of like a juicy variation. She loves those short shorts. Yeah. She looks good in them. And then it's like a crop top sweatshirt that's also baggy. So it looks like a comfortable. She was wearing a similar.

on Saturday Night Live, but she's really sticking to it. And it's just kind of weird, though. Like, she has a lot of choreography, but it's not, like, particularly hard. It's, like, very choreographed, like, swaying almost and, like, gesticulating. It's a weird display. Yeah. It's, um, I think Taylor Swift has many artistic gifts and, uh, dancing is not among them at all. And that's not, there are a lot of pop stars these days who are not.

particularly the best dancers. Katie Perry comes to mind. Oh, yes. Rihanna has figured out how to manage that situation, and I can't believe I'm even daring to say something approaching negative about Rihanna, but again, has not always been her strong point. I would say I've never felt Britney Spears was a good dancer,

even everyone's like, what a great dancer. That's wild. That's actually crazy. I've never thought she was like good. Are you talking about modern day Brittany? Are you talking about... Forever, Brittany. What on earth?

I don't know. What are you looking for? Maybe I just didn't like her choreography, but I just never was that into her moves. I mean, that's one thing. That's fine. If you want to become a dance critic and talk about career, that's fine.

But I just think that she, like, is a natural edit. That was her skill, was that she was able to at least, she was able to dance and move around. I think she got too much credit for it. I really do. Okay. What? Okay.

I don't even. We can come back to it another time. Okay. So I just, the Taylor dancing has always been, has always made me uncomfortable. How about that? This is a really weird display. I find it to be just inexplicable. I don't really know what she's going for. Like in the past, even with her dancing, you're like, oh, you're going for like circus ringmaster. We get it. Right. Or you're going for like, girl with guitar on stage. You're like, okay, we get it. Yeah. I think part of it is the

kind of music that she's making right now. Yeah. You can't really sit there and have the emotional intimate moment, which has always been the best part of her concerts as someone who has seen many Taylor Swift arena shows can tell you. There's what are you supposed to do with these kind of impersonal, this impersonal production, but stand around and sway. I don't, it doesn't suit her stage presence at all. And also like she's like a victim of like her own electronic drops basically. Yeah.

It's pretty weird. Um, okay. I just wanted to do a Taylor check in, you know, it felt like it'd been a while. Sure. It was her birthday. I wanted to add on a addendum to the jingle ball service. Just did you happen to see that your man, Ed Sheeran, received an MBE this week from Prince Charles. He did?

Yeah, there's a photograph of him at the palace getting the little award. It's quite awkward. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, but it's good for him. Weird. Yeah. You know, he had broken his arm, so he was, like, out of commission for a while, but he's now back for the circuit. Well, he's also on the palace circuit.

Wow. That's good for him because he kind of got snubbed at the Grammys, and I think he was, like, I read a blind item that suggested that perhaps he was surprised and upset. I'm sure he was. You know what song I hate is his, his, like, collabo with Beyonce. Yeah. It's a song called Perfect, which was really popular at SoulCycle for a moment during, like, the post-Arm series song. And it's just like they cut out his verse and had her sing it and then like put it back in.

And it's so bad. It's really, it's weird to me. It's a pass for me. Yeah. Okay. One final piece of happy news or maybe. Mm-hmm. This Christmas could bring an engagement for one of our favorite.

couples. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. J. Rodd. I sure hope it does. I usually worry about couples rushing into it, but I feel like at their age, you just, you go for it. What's the difference? You're not going to have more kids together probably, so who cares? It's been a year. Has it? I think so. I thought it's been a little bit less, but I guess you're right. Yeah, that's fine. I still have so many logistical questions about how they leave their lives, but you know? Yeah, I would say maybe it's only feels like it's been a year, but they've been together a while. they're adults. I think there's also, as you say, such a logistical challenge to their relationship, that they really are kind of choosing every moment that they are spending together. There's a lot of,

like, choice and thought that goes even into maintaining a relationship like this. How about that? Yeah. That is possibly not the case for people who just kind of roll into bed and then roll out six months later. Right. So in that sense, they're adults. They're also smart people. They're making savvy choices. You're right. I started following Alex Rodriguez on Instagram and I don't regret it for a second. Yeah. There's really been few people for whom I feel that way. But it just keeps, he keeps on giving. Thanks, Arod.

Here's my request, though. I would love it if they got engaged in, you know, holiday season. Great time. In his orchard season. Oh, I mean, I just got really emotional. Yeah. So I'd love it if they got engaged in the orchard. That would be beautiful.

So I think they should get engaged. That would be very exciting for us. What I'm going to want for them to do is to plan the wedding after the royal wedding. Yes. Because I would like. That's just a personal request. I would like to not have to share the news cycles. You know, I would like full royal wedding coverage and then I would like to be able to pivot my full attention to the J-Lo and ARAD wedding wedding. And to be able to give of myself what they deserve to both of them.

How do we become celebrity wedding crashers? I think we just show up. I think maybe we stop showing our faces on video a little less and then show up at weddings. There could be a really good montage set to, you make me want to shout like in Wedding Crashers. But it's just us standing outside of Windsor Castle, standing outside of wherever. Yeah, outside of Aaron's house. Okay, great. We're going to leave you with that visual. Okay.

Thanks for listening. Thanks and a hotel tonight. And check out more of the Ringer podcast all across the Ringer Podcast network.