The Watch - Jeff Garlin Describes the Making of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (Ep. 191)

Episode Date: October 2, 2017

The Ringer’s Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald catch up on life and airplane movies they watched during their recent travels, including ‘Assassin’s Creed’ and ‘The Big Sick’ (1:00). Then Andy sits down with Jeff Garlin to discuss the new season of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and the process of making it (17:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey guys, what's up, it's Chris. I'm back from my Continental Sojourn. I'm really excited to be back. Today's pod was conducted over the phone for a few minutes with Andy, and then there's a second half that is an interview he did with Kirby Enthusiasm's Jeff Garland, which we're really excited about. Andy and I mostly just talked about movies that we've been watching on airplanes because that's what we've been doing. But it was actually a funny catch-up on a lot of the blockbusters from earlier in the year that we haven't seen, or that I hadn't seen, like, Kong, Skull Island. Tom, Tom Hanks's Inferno, which I guess that's not from this year. But it was a funny conversation about that. Andy also saw The Big Sick. So it's just sort of like a kind of a survey of movies that we've missed.

And then we get into, obviously, Andy's interview with Jeff Garland. Curb Your Enthusiasm is back. Last night, we'll do a more comprehensive conversation about that, probably next week. We'll have shows Thursday, Monday, like usual. If you haven't gotten a chance, check out Andy's interview with Amy Landecker from Transparent. The Dropped Over the Weekend, obviously his amazing podcast with Nick Kroll Jason Manzoukas from last week and shows that we'll be covering in the next couple of weeks, hopefully, obviously the Deuce, Ken Burns is Vietnam War, American Vandal on Netflix,

there's a bunch of stuff, TV's rolling, we're rolling, really happy to be back. So check out the pod. Today's episode of The Watch is brought to you by Mack Weldon with a smart design, premium fabrics, and a simple shopping experience, Mac Weldon underwear is definitely better than whatever you're currently wearing. In addition to looking great and feeling great, all Mac Weldon products are crafted with natural fibers that have built-in performance capabilities, so they work hard too. They even have a line of silver underwear and shirts that are naturally anti-microbial,

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I'm editor from The Ringer.com and calling me from Central Park, New York. It's Andy Greenwald! Oh, this is a great city. Bodea! What's up, man? You really should visit. New York, is it nice? Chris, New York, you know, it's a nice town.

You know, many people come here to Central Park to recreate famous romantic movies that they've seen in the past. They're exposed, you know, like in the John Lennon area. The scene I'm recreating is the scene in Muppet's Take Manhattan. when Miss Piggy borrows Gregory Hines roller skate. That's better than the scene in Die Hard with a vengeance where they start like mowing down cyclists as they chase down Jeremy Irons, though. That's the great call. That's the great call.

So we each have our own way into it. Chris, you were away for so long. Dog, why does two weeks feel so long? Here's what I learned while you were away. And I think our listeners learned a lot, too. What I learned while you were away was that it is very futile to try to to have a podcast with two improvisers. Yes.

And try to have any structure. I learned that. I learned that the, I would say the easy way because they were delightful. I also learned that I text you a lot when we're in the same time zone. I know. You know, my draft folder, my draft folder is,

is dick. It's a whole. It's too far because, and then, like, nobody, every time I text somebody, like, they're just getting up,

but I'm like on, uh, I was on like Super Bach number three of the afternoon. This is like, tell me everything. And they're just like, I'm having coffee. Uh,

how was your vacation? Dude, vacation was great. Shout out to Portugal. Shout out to London, possibly the greatest city in the world. Definitely in the running. I really, really loved Portugal. Porto and Lisbon especially were just wonderful cities to visit. Can't recommend them highly, more highly. And yeah, London was incredible. London in late September really got it all figured out. I like global Chris. This is great. Young global entry on the line. Andy, I could go through all of my parts unknown, no reservations, diatribes. I would say that I do think, like, getting over like a mild case of gout,

Zach Barron and I were chatting about how when you go away to these cities and you just like eat razor clams four times a day and have like two loaves of bread every time you sit down, it gets a little much. So I'm really looking forward to my first salad of the world. of the fall? Listen, listen, man, I've been back in the 2-1-2

for less than 24 hours, and I've already had like 10 classic New York pizza bagels. Yeah, I was going to ask you. You had one of the legendary pizza bagels. One thing that you and I do have in common over the last two weeks is we've both spent time on airplanes. And I had two very, very long flights in which to get caught up with all, like, summer blockbusters

that I hadn't checked out. Oh, see, because this is my point. I know you wanted to get in on this airplane movie action, because you know that's a really successful brand. I mean, it was definitely something that I felt very left out on. I know, and this is, you know, I've been taking meetings around the valley, you know, and I know that you wanted in on the action. But the thing that you have to consider is it's the downside to the fact that you see every movie in the theater.

So when you go on a plane, you just got the dregs. Whereas me, I mean, it's like a treasure box of possibility. So what did you indulge it? Well, I watched a lot of just blockbusters. So I watched Guy Ritchie's King Arthur, which was actually not that bad. That was a good one. And I also enjoyed parts of Kong Skull Island. Oh, yeah, that's the one that's like Apocalypse Now, right?

But then there were ones that, yeah, it was not like Apocalypse Now, but sure. But then there was a bunch of movies where I was just like, I can't believe, like this is why I didn't see this. And I have to give special shout out to Assassin's Creed. Wow. The Michael Fastbender adaptation of the video game. That movie starts six times. Like you're watching it, and it's like 1492, And a Lucia. And then there's like a whole congregation of guys.

Then it's like 1986 in Baja. And then it's like in a Huntsville, Alabama prison. And then Marion Cotiar and Michael King. William show up and Jeremy Irons, and they're like, you're actually a 500-year-old defender of the original, like, Apple that Adam and Eve ate. It's fucking wild how bad that movie is. That's weird to me because, you know, what the video game is known for is it's narrative clarity. So it's weird that they mess that up.

Yeah, seriously. It's got such a simple story. It's a kind of simple story. The other one that I thought I wanted to bring up was Inferno, the Iranians. Howard, the latest Dan Brown McHourne Howard movie. Because that movie is like, you got Tom Hanks, you've got like a really cool

conspiracy puzzle, got it just gorgeous scenery with Florence and Venice and Istanbul and Istanbul. And they spend most of the movie doing shaky like blurry shots

of like a by choice overweight Tom Hanks, who's got amnesia from like being abducted by Ben Foster's like security team and he's like a bioengineer who thinks that the world's population needs to be halved by a viral agent and but like all the shots of Tom Hanks with his really

bad wig where they were like what could we do to make Tom Hanks less likable let's give him like a weird receding mullet and then he's and all the dialogue is just like Dante's Inferno says this and it's it's really was remarkable. It actually made me nervous for the Han Solo movie he's taking over. Also, I'm nervous because they have nine directors on that thing. But that being said, one thing that I did know while I was gone was that all of America added me about the fact that Blade Runner is getting very good reviews.

So maybe I have nothing to worry about. Maybe all this concern is for nothing. Yeah, I appreciated that, by the way. That was a really interactive moment because we recorded right before you left and right before I left. We recorded a mailbag podcast where we expressed some reservations about the new Blade Runner film who got broken. Our listeners assured us that people who write for websites like birth movies deaths or chud or whatever thought it was pretty dope. Let me tell you, I am calm about it. No, I'm excited.

Of course we're excited. And by the way, we should tell people that due to our just glamorous travel lifestyle and also the meetings we're taking in Silicon Valley. for airplane movies. Yeah. We will talk about Blade Runner. The app is going to be fire. We are going to talk about Blade Runner next Thursday. Talk about it because we are going to see that movie.

Yeah. So we should tell people and, like, put in your calendar. Well, we want to get to this interview with Jeff Garland, Andy. I wanted to know you had an airplane movie of your own. Yeah, I was about to say. I thought you really were just going to, like, Bogart my whole thing. No, never that. With your multiple airplane movies, I did, you know, as people, long-time listeners of

airplane movies hashtag it's a thing. No, context is everything. And when I say context, I don't just mean an airplane, because obviously that's the big one. It's the moment when you're watching it, your intake, the part of the flight. So during Assassin's Creed, was this like hour nine over the Atlantic Ocean? Like, do we have any zanis going on? Do you have a couple of starts? Like, what was your... A couple of frosty Pilsners and it was probably the... Well, we had two hours on the tarmac. Then we took off, and I watched a little Grand Budapest Hotel as an Apertief, and then got into... That's a driver mood. And then went right into Assassin's Creed. That's a harsh transition. That's not how West Anderson intended.

I flew cross-country yesterday, and by the way, thanks for everyone for asking how many Chardonnays I had. I fly with children, so it was just great... Life is Chardonnay. Yeah. Yeah, life is just rich and buttery. And, no, I was just pure selster. Pure Selster on this flight. So it was a sober flight, so my opinion should be judged as such. I watched The Big Sick, Chris.

And I am ready to talk about it and come out with an opinion that, at least as far as I know, is unique. And unexpressed, which is, boy, that's a great movie and a real pleasure to watch. And the supporting cast is stellar. Nice one. So you tell me, was that, is that a hot take? No, that was generally, that was the consensus that it was. I wonder whether or not that movie will come back around for any, for any award stuff towards India. I could see it being nominated for writing or for old Holly Hunter.

She was great. Well, that's what I wanted to talk about. I think the screenplay is going to get nominated and it should because it's pretty impressive. I mean, to make a movie where it's a romance, but the female lead, by the way, Josh is Zoe Kizantz, she was great, is basically in a coma for the bulk of speed of writing to make you care. But I wanted to get to Ray Romano and Holly Hunter because they were so exceptional in this movie. And Ray Romano has low-key

been building a really good career as an actor all of a sudden. He was a best thing about vinyl. Yeah. He was. He was the best thing on vinyl. And Holly Hunter, like, imagine being Holly Hunter and being so good at acting and your Asian calls and, like,

you can do 10 minutes on Batman v. Superman. Yes. And she's like, sure, I would like a beach house or whatever. But like, you're Holly Hunter, man. You're an Academy Award winner. And she is so good in this movie, but the shocking thing about it for me, this is what I want to get your thoughts on

as I dodge bus fumes here on 72nd Street. What does it say, or maybe it doesn't say anything surprising, that I thought the relationship between those characters, between the character, the parents of the, the upset girl in the coma, he's one of the best love stories

or investigation of adult relationships I've seen in a Hollywood movie in like 10 years. Yeah, I mean, it probably speaks to how little that sort of demographic or age group is actually, not that they're short of any benefits in life. But usually like now we have like young love or very old love, like Judy Dench love, I think, but you get a lot of like late middle age people in love stories or not in love or falling out of love or having problems.

Yeah, you're right. That was it. I thought that the way that they used the relatively high concept of the, the hook of the story, which is essentially like a couple who goes out on a few dates and then kind of starts to, they're breaking up. But then the girlfriend winds up getting sick and going into a coma and the boyfriend becomes this sort of shepherd through the illness and has his own relationship with her parents and discovers a lot of about himself and a lot about comedy.

I thought that the relatively high concept that they used was a great umbrella to throw all this other stuff in there. I agree. and I thought there was a real kindness and generosity to the movie that didn't become Sackeren. No, I agree with you. Generally, like in the two-hour mark of an Apatow movie, and Apatow to produce this movie heavy-handed, and the best example of that is Amy Schumer, like, I have a train wreck,

because she clearly couldn't be a good person if she liked a little, you know, to a little, you know, a little, well-thump it's up at the end of the end. But in this movie, one thing that I really appreciated was the relationship that Kumile had with his parents, which is not fixed by any stretch at the end. No. But there's an assumption that I think is true, which is that people stay in each other's lives and things change. And I like a movie that has a confidence to stay in that and not just keep trying to tack on ending after ending after ending. Sort of a reverse Assassin's Creed, if you will.

It's a really good movie. Show Walter, Michael Showalter did it. Turns out you were right. Yes. That was a good one. All right. Andy, we want to get to this interview you did with Jeff Garland. people should check out the ringer last week

ran an exhaustive ranking of every curb your enthusiasm episode obviously curb came back last night I could be honest I have not watched it yet I have a lot of catching up to do let me just say about this it's really nice to have that show back

and it was really funny to watch it to watch this first episode of the new season it didn't come back pretending to be anything but it is man it is like it's that raw uncut curve like right from jump street stuff's happening

into this guy again. It was pleasurable to have a comeback. I also wanted to say, before we get into this talk with Jeff Garland, who was a mensch of a man, wonderful guy to come in and talk, kind of a tough not to crack, because he will literally say anything about anything, but he will not reflect. That's his process. He has no reflection on how things get done. So it was fun to talk to him, but a little bit of say for people who weren't paying attention to their feeds, you got a little bonus content over the weekend, because I also did an interview with Amy Landecker from Transparent. see that. Which I thought was a really, really terrific conversation. When is Transparent Back? Is that back now?

It's back, man. Yeah. Transparent back. Once you left the country, they felt safe to put it out. Yeah, I want to, I got to get caught up. I watched. The only thing I watched while I was gone was American Vandal. We watched the entire thing. And I thought that was delightful, but I can talk about that at a later date. People love that show. We've got to get in front of the thing. I know. Seriously. That snuck up on us.

All right, Andy, it was great to hear from you. I can't wait to see you in person. we'll have another show Thursday. We'll be getting to Blade Runner next Thursday. We've got to finalize up book club details. But yeah. You've got a couple weeks left to read, Donna. It's going to be a good pod and we talk about it. We are rolling.

Let's do it. Andy with Jeff Garland, we'll talk to you guys next week. Happy October for Anskees. Today's episode of The Watch is brought to you by Meteor Shower. This fall, Amy Schumer and Keegan Michael Key will make their Broadway debuts in Meteor a new comedy written by Steve Martin and directed by four-time Tony winner Jerry Zax. They star alongside Tony Winter, Laura Benanti, and Emmy nominee Alan Tudek in the story of two couples who meet up to watch. You guessed it, a meteor shower.

But as the night unfolds, things get hotter than the fiery space rocks tearing through the sky. Want to know more? Book tickets now to see the show Variety calls a cosmic comedy from the Master of the American Absurd Meteor Shower on Broadway for 12 weeks only. Previews begin November 1st, and availability is limited. Get tickets now at Meteoron Broadway.com. slash watch. That's Meteor, M-E-E-O-R-on-Broadway.com slash watch. Here's where I wanted to begin. First of all, thank you for joining me. An honor. You are too kind. You are constantly, but you have always been kind to me before we've even met.

Well, but you know, it's one of those things. If someone's really good at what they do, why not be encouraging? Why not say, hey, come on aboard and surpass me. Wow. How do you like that? Wow. Well, that's my attitude. Yeah. I don't want to, I want to be the best that I can be. I don't have to be the quote best. Right. And I want to be a success, but I don't have to be the only success.

Because it would be lonely at the top. It's not a matter of being lonely as it is just, it's just wrong to think otherwise, I think. Good. I like being generous. Of spirit. Yeah. Of material things. I like being generous.

And today you're being generous with your time. Yes, I am. So. Time is valuable. I walk out. out of movies all the time. Do you really? Yeah. Actually, I don't have time to go to that many. That's what I walk out now, it's not as many, but I do walk out. What I wanted to start with, though, was we spoke, I can't believe this, we spoke on the phone four years ago. Right. For the podcast.

Right. You told me on the phone then that you had a feeling curb your enthusiasm would be back. Yes. You had a feeling. You said you was based on nothing. You hadn't had any conversation. Not based on anything. Just a feeling that, yeah, it would be back. Why did you think that then? And in the intervening years, did your faith waiver? No, it only got stronger. Really? Yeah, because I had conversations with them, and I just go, yeah, I think so. You know, I never asked him, never pushed him. But it's just sort of, you know, I've been doing it.

We've done nine seasons. Yeah, I have a feeling. So, and I have a feeling we're not done yet. Really? Yeah. We start October 1st with a new season. Yeah. But I have a feeling there's going to be more.

How can you tell things are trending in that direction? Do you get the sense that he's pulling on a thread? Is there a demeanor? I don't think about why I feel that way. You just know. Yeah. I don't like to overthink why I think. Fair.

You know what I mean? You're asking me why I can't go down that path. It's like when I analyze stand-up comedy too much or comedy in general, I stop being funny for a period of time. When it leaves the body and goes into the head. Yes. Especially myself, who generally in terms of stand-up doesn't have much material, I just go up and talk. So I don't want to be analyzing anything.

Yeah, that was interesting. On the way up to the studio, we passed one of our producers, Zach, who said he'd saw you at the comedy store. And you said, well, did I have a good time? Was that what you said? Was I having a good time? Was I having a good time? That's your marker because you don't. Well, then I know if I'm having a good time, it's impossible for me not to be funny.

Yeah. And it's impossible for it not to be a good experience. That being said, I still kind of have a good time when the audience isn't great. But not as good as it could be because I know the worst thing in the world is when it's a great audience and I'm not so funny. And that happens every once in a while. But do you go in with material prep or just the lifetime of stuff that you know and your point of view? No, no, neither. I go up with the feeling of my feet walking towards the stage.

That's what I bring with me. You've been doing this for some time. 35 years. What year was it when that was all you went up, began walking up on stage? with just your feet? Maybe six, seven, eight, nine. No more than ten years ago. No one than ten years.

I thought you were going to say a year eight, nine, or ten. I've always been an improviser, but to where I just dove in and said screw it. But see, now I flip things around, I'm preparing an off-Broadway show. Really? So I have to have material. What I want to do is have material, but yet it have it be a different show every night. That's very excited. Where it's thematic.

And there's, you know, there's an idea behind what I'm doing and have the material, but maybe not even go to it. What I'm interested in this is your ability and others who I've spoken to as well, but the ability to take the tenets of improvisation, the essential creativity, the freedom, the positivity, the community. Yes. And not have it be like a... The presence. Exactly. That's the key word. Well, that's the word that I'm running away from because I'm scared of it.

in my own life. But, being present. Yes. Taking it from a concept, a, you know, a suit you put on to go to work in, to having that be your default setting and extending it into your life. So it's not just you go to work on curb, you go to an, you go perform with the ground links. This is an, this is a safe space for improvisation to, I'm going to go to a comedy club and do it.

I'm going to come on a podcast. Actually, comedy club is the safest. Because people are primed to last? Well, it's a controlled environment. Yeah. They paid. They're setting forward. Two drinks.

They have to have two drinks, which, you know, alcohol doesn't necessarily help me unless someone's really uptight. Right. So a pot would help a little bit more. But, yeah, that's more of a control. But when I go on stage or when I sit with you, I'm the same person. There's no difference between who I am when I go into a Starbucks and who I am when I go on stage at the comedy store. And actually, I just came from Netflix. Yeah, right next door.

Yeah, I had lunch with my friend at Netflix. It works at Netflix. And I, everywhere I went, I entertained people. I kept them picking up placards going, Netflix won 20 Emmys. They were all over the place. I go, please, any one of your shows that won, whether it's scoring, writing, write a nice letter.

Let them know that you work here and you're proud. Yeah. And they were, you know, it was fun. And my friend who was a big maher, as we say, amongst Jews there, he thought it was funny. But I use, to me, all of it's entertaining. People, things. I go up to people on the street and I go,

you realize that outfit works great for you. Like, I'll say that. That's a gift. Women, men. I go, you're a dandy to a man who's dressed like a dandy. And if you don't know what that is, it's kind of like someone who really goes all out with a bow tie and a hat and a suit and special shoes.

They're a dandy. It's a compliment. Yeah. it's a delightful thing to say. So I'm not afraid. If someone reacts negatively to those things, that's their thing, man. Full disclosure. This podcast is happening partly because of your rampant generosity and the openness with which you were greeting any invitation, the ones even that weren't forthcoming from me.

But we cross paths at the HBO event after the MS. And even then, surrounded by the glitterati, you said, I'm doing a podcast, which I appreciate. but you also told me then that you had gone mostly dark on social media. Yeah, not mostly. I'm dark. Completely dark. I have no social media accounts. I have one private one, which is called Grandma's Balls.

Swear to God, that's the name of it. It's no private. Well, it doesn't matter because you can't. It's locked. It's locked. So if you want to follow me, try. You're not going. I mean, not if you want to follow me.

Yeah, if you want to follow me. Yeah, you can say no. You won't. Yeah, I've said, I have no followers. No followers. It's not. I may have one. Sometimes, like, I'm intrigued by who this person is, and if they're private, too, I'll say,

excuse me, I burped. I say yes, and then I look at their things. I'll show you yours if you show me mine. Wow. No, I want no one following me. So I was putting up pictures and telling stories and having fun with it. I was enjoying it very much. Thank you.

But I've decided that I want to be a man of mystery. Talk to me about that. Well, I feel that I like the idea. that I am obviously comparing myself to Carrie Grant by saying this, but I like the idea that when I was a little kid, I didn't know anything about Jerry Lewis or Carrie Grant or any of these stars. I didn't know anything. My favorite comedian, I didn't know what Jack Benny was doing. And I sound much older than I am. These are people that were at the end of their careers when I was a kid. A full body of work and still mysteries. Yes. I like that. I mean, I really enjoy being on here

with you. And I think this is a much more interesting and constructive way. By the way, I'm doing, this week, I'm doing Seth Myers on Thursday. Found out on the second guest, and it's not an ego thing. It's just like, at that time, who's watching? Yeah. But what's her name? She's one of the, Jennifer Holliday is the first guest. She's on the voice. Yeah. And she's envious. I get why she's ahead of me. But the point is, no one's going to be on. And it's also such a truncated thing. It's like we have our six minute, five minute segment and goodbye, and there is no depth of conversation. What I used to love about the Tonight Show when I was a kid, the two things I love were comedians and raconteurs. People just went on and told stories, and they didn't feel rushed and felt natural.

And I still dig that. Now, like I won't do pre-interviews. I don't. I did one pre-interview and it turned out to be. one of the best interviews I ever did. And I don't put those exclusive. And that was Howard Stern, but I wasn't rushed. I could just talk. But he was very prepared. And the person who did the pre-interview is great. So now I'll do a pre-interview to sort of assuage their concerns, but not for my appearance. How has your life changed since you went dark?

I got to tell you, people have said, I'm sorry you're a, I can't. count's not up. Yeah. And I've thought probably a dozen times of things I wanted to put up. Mm-hmm. And that's it. That's it. That's it. That's it.

But the reason that, for example, that I went off, I went off, Louis C.K. and I did it at the same time. Oh, yeah. Together. We talked about it. Same day, boom. Went off Twitter. Mm-hmm.

Now, he had a lot more things, but I sound like 150,000, you know? And don't miss it because I have a platform. I go up on stage whenever I want. Mm-hmm. And I'm not afraid of it. of saying something stupid. I just thought today of a thing I'd want to put on Twitter. Like, do I open an account to put this up?

Because I wanted to announce that I'm protesting the rest of the NFL season because of Colin Kaepernick. I don't know necessarily. The idea that Colin Kaepernick didn't vote really turned me off to him. Yeah. But he's too good a quarterback. The dude was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. This was not that long ago.

I'm a Chicago Bears fan. Yeah. And we drafted this quarterback, who I'm very excited about. But we have a starter that defines the word mediocrity. And I'm not saying it wasn't a good college quarterback or a good backup quarterback, but Colin Kaepernick would be a much better starting quarterback for the Bears. So they're accepting mediocrity because of their corporate right-wing, not want to offend festival as opposed to just being the best people they can be.

And to me, my demand, is that you put the best people to play football on the field. That's the whole point of it. That's why I don't watch college sports because I want to watch the best. Well, that's your own reason. And then, except now we're not. Back to Curb for a few moments. When Larry called you.

Yes. Is that how it worked? He called you and said, we're getting the band back together? No. I was going along with your scenario. Okay. So he does call me, he does text me. But we're close friends.

I didn't mean to imply that you were. No, no, but we're close friends. So I was discussing it with him on a regular basis. Right. So it sort of flipped over. There was never, oh, I'm going to do it. It was, you know, he started writing him. And I knew after a certain amount of writing, he would go forward with it.

Right. So, you know, it's just, I'm present and in relationship with him. Therefore, I know what's going on. So it was not a phone call of like, hey, you want to do more? Yeah. It's not out of the blue. He did that to me once before. And I'm like, I knew you were going to do this, you know, but yeah.

In the time, six, six years, seven years since you were taking? Since we've done it last, at least five. It was 2011, I think, was the last season. It was probably be filmed it in 2010. I couldn't even tell you what year we were doing it in when we were filming it. So, well, how, in that time, yeah. How has, has your opinion of the show changed at all, the body of work behind you, your relationship to it changed at all?

I don't think about it, man. That's what I thought you were going to say. Yeah, I don't think about it at all. Yeah. I don't. I know that the evolution of the show in terms of me has changed as we've gone along. But the one thing that stayed consistent is my voice in terms of I have my voice while doing the show. I make my choices.

I'm all good. So I don't feel like shut out. It's a very collaborative process by definition. But when we started, there was just a few of us. And then more came aboard, some left, some came, and the tone would change some. And it's changed. But I don't think about it too much. There's a lightness to this whole production that I'm picking up on, not just from what you're saying now, but, you know, there's a Jim Miller to this Origins podcast about the show.

Which I did not participate in and I did not want to. I noticed that. I don't want to. Because you don't want to poke at the creation, the process. Well, here's what it is. I have found that when it comes to the origin of anything, whether it be a football game that went down in history, a TV show, a movie, a play, a book, anything, anyone who's involved with it is really working hard to show that they were part of it. and they were important to it. My ego...

Jockeying for position in that. The only reason for me to do that podcast would be ego. And so I have no desire, and I watched other... By accident, I was sent part of a transcript of it, and it was by accident. I thought it was something I was a part of it. And then as I read a certain person's quote, I was like, oh, no, this is that thing.

And I was very upset with my publicist for sending it to me. Interesting. Yeah, I don't want to be part of that. like I won't go back and listen to this conversation or watch it. I won't either. No, no, well, you want either. But no, because I participate.

I watch the shows. Yeah. You do that. No, I watch them and I watch movies I'm making such to give my notes or edit or do whatever. But if there's not a creative participation, I don't want to watch it. Like the Goldbergs. I don't watch the Goldbergs unless Adam Goldberg tells me watch this episode. episode. I know you'll like it, and there's a lot I want you to see in it. But other than that,

it does me no good to watch it because I'll think of other takes I could have done. I'll think of a falseness of this. Yeah. This is not the way I would do it. You know what I mean? I can't remove myself and just enjoy things I work in. Right. But my takeaway from that was the sort of the lightness and presence that you're talking about that you bring to it seems sort of endemic to the entire enterprise of KERB because Jim Miller, who did this project and obviously fans like myself who listened to it are searching because we want substance. You know, we love this show. We want to be in the room. We love all of you so much. And what was actually kind of, I guess, illuminating about the entire process was that everyone felt so light about it. There was not a weightiness to the memory.

We struggled to make this. It was really, you know, people talking about, I guess, in the early seasons, you had one trailer. And then, you know, you... We only had one trailer. We only had one trailer, we didn't even have our own trailer. We shared it with the makeup and hair department. Yeah. And then, I don't think it was until season three or four that Larry and I shared what's called a double banger, where it's a trailer, which we still use today. Larry and I have to share a trailer and were two halves of a trailer. Yeah. But we were always, and then one season I remember or two, the producers were on one side and the other side was the changing room for the actors. Right.

And they had a play. It was just, it always was strange. Look, HBO used to call us in the beginning their little experimental show. I swear, that's what they called us. How condescending. But now people don't realize curb your enthusiasm is the longest running show in the history of HBO. Yes, you're right about that. Now, there's other more popular Game of Thrones, the Sopranos, what have you.

probably sex in the city, but we are the longest running show in the history of HBO. There's a, even separate apart from the, like the physical accoutrement of doing the show, like the trail or whatever, the investment in it, something about the way that you make the show seems to make it like almost, you can't, you can't touch it or put meaning around it because of the way that you created it. Do you know what I'm sort of getting at? That used to be more the case early on. It's not as much the case now. because he plots it more? It's because it's more plotted and they're more concerned with what giving people lines and such. I don't like that.

That goes against what I like. I've expressed this that's Larry, so it's not like he's not going to listen to this, but if someone said to him, I heard him, he knows this. Someone would put it in his ear by accident. Because I'm not big on saying things publicly that you haven't told a person. But by the way, I still love the show. Yeah.

And no one tells me what to say. But I don't mean that like a bear. I mean that like that's not what I do and that's not what I came on for. Right. Well, I can't imagine. Actually, I don't need to imagine you're right here. You can tell me about this because you have done, this is the ninth season of Kerb. Yeah.

Done in a very specific way, improvised show. Yes. With your friends. More improvised early on, less and less as the years go on. I'm always improvising. But you're now into year five of the Goldbergs, which I'm, which for my, I know for from our previous conversation, and I imagine it's the same, was another positive experience for you. Very positive. I love the people I work with. I love the scripts. Very different.

Scripts. You make 20 of them per year. I improvise sometimes. I'll just tell them I'm going to improvise in this take. But in general, I follow it exactly. It's well written. So I just follow it exactly. Is it just putting on a different hat on the way to the office or a different part of your brain? Nope. Nope. I don't think about it. I have a process. My process for curb is I read all the outlines before the seasons begin. Okay. I come to the set and I ask them, what is the scene about? When I'm standing on the set, I ask that.

That's how long I wait. We don't rehearse. I'm told what we're doing. There have been times where they started rolling and I said to Larry, what is the scene about? And he goes, I don't know. And we both have to be told what the scene's about. But that's what keeps it really real and fresh. Now, Goldberg's, I get the script the night before.

I get the script a week in advance probably. Right. But the night before I get the sides, the scenes we're going to do, I read them that night. I read them in the makeup chair in the morning, and I read them once I'm talking about. And then I go and I rehearse it, and I read the script while I rehearse.

As soon as I'm done rehearsing, I go off with my dialogue coach, and I run the lines three or four times, and then I know them, and I go back on the set when they're ready, they're lit, and I do it. That's a process for that. Curb, like I said, there is no problem.

process. As a native Philadelphian, I was really hoping you said dialect coach. I was really hoping that maybe you would, in that case, you would love water. Yeah, water, yeah. But the show doesn't go for that level of verity. No, it does not. It does not. Although people from Philly love it. Absolutely. Of course. That's, I mean, I grew up in the 80s as a Jewish boy in Philadelphia. It's kind of, yeah, it hits home. Not much of a stretch. No. Do you, we've covered, you don't, you don't dissect the experience of the process. Right, I don't like to. We've covered what you enjoy. But I am about preparation for whatever needs to be prepared. Okay. For example, when I've done stand-up on, let's say the David Letterman show, I did it a hundred times the set before I ever walked out and did it because I wanted to have fun. Yeah.

And I didn't want to think about what I was saying or the groove to it. I even went the night before, and after they were done filming, I stood in the dark of the Insolvin Theater on the mark and did it. So that level of preparation. is necessary to have the freedom. I have to know my lines when I'm doing something that's scripted to have the freedom to be a good actor, to be present for the other actor, which is the number one thing to be present. Being present is the key to all of it. When I do stand up, in order for me to improvise and do what I do, I have to be present with the audience.

I have to feel what they're feeling. I have to be part of them. And I sense very early on, this is not working. This is not good. How do we adjust this? I even ask them. Yeah. I go, here's where we're at.

How can we fix this? How can we fix this? And it usually gets fixed. But yeah, but being present in relationships. I think when you're in a marriage, if you can daily, look at the other person and go, thank you, man. I'm happy you're here doing this with me. Is everything okay with you? And just being present, or you don't seem good.

That being present. The check-in. Every day, that's key. That's key to friendship. That's key to, but marriage especially. and the arts, the arts and marriage. What is the thing in our brains that fights that? I don't analyze that.

I think you're going to, this is becoming prescriptive. No, I don't know. I don't know why we go against. Yeah. By the way, the only thing that I know as a 55-year-old man that we should be doing is being kind to ourselves on a daily basis. I smile at myself in the mirror every morning, which is absurd and it makes me laugh and sets a tone for the day. But the point being is, I know that the most important thing is to be kind to yourself. And if you're kind to yourself, how can you help but be kind to someone else?

In filming KERB, what is the greatest source of joy for you? Being present with Larry and being in the scene with Larry and having the scene groove and work. And he and I, when we're done with the take, are just giddy. Yeah. It's so wonderful and so happy. The more actors you add to that, the less chance of it happening, but it does happen. So when you have a big scene with like eight characters, it's tough to have fun. The joy that you're talking about in those scenes with Larry, like that, that's the thing about the show that is not descrivable and not worth dissecting, but it is palpable.

It's palpable. The audience can feel that. And it's those moments where I realize how lucky I am. and those moments where they're extraordinary where I know they won't happen again. They're caught once they're there and they're gone. They're there. If I ever have those feelings like that and reach those, that's crazy.

I've never had those moments on the Goldbergs. Yeah. But they have joyous moments on Goldbergs. I love working on the Goldbergs, but I've never had those supremely enlightened moments where you go, wow. Now, I've gotten that. from watching Wendy McClendon Covey in a scene. I'll watch her in a scene, and I'm giddy.

And I'm so excited. I forget my lines. I'm off camera. So I can feel that for other people, but I'm talking about myself. I've only felt that in those moments on curb. And sometimes, like when I did my movie, Handsome, I had moments there that were. You just, you did my segue for me. Are you about talking about Hansom? I was. And Handsome, because just to make sure people are aware, You've used your time away from Kerb and the Goldbergs to make these projects of your own. Going back to, already now 10 years ago, I want someone to eat cheese with, which is a wonderful movie. You made the talking with dealing with idiots, sorry, the previous movie. With Bob O and Kirk and a bunch of great people.

And then just this past year, you made handsome, which is this, I'd love to know how you describe it, because I found it hard, I found it hard to describe. Well, it's a very, I think the word is, it's a breezy. See, here's what I think. Reesie is a good word. It's a, the long goodbye meets Columbo. Okay. Yes, but you mean the Alman's Longman's Long Goodbye.

Robert Almond's Longbo get goodbye sort of meets Colombo. Here's the thing. I think that who would enjoy it, I think anyone who loves film and anyone who loves me. If you're just- The Venn diagram of those two things. No, I'm being totally serious. Not necessarily, I think most comedy fans, but not all of them. Yeah.

I think that there are. are tons of people who just look at movies as like, oh, I'm going to watch a movie. Don't watch my movie. No, but there's something about it. The thing that I enjoyed about it is that I just felt like I was chasing something with you. You know, I'm just on, I'm on this, I like watching you, I like the people you were hanging with in the movie. But more than that, I like detective stuff. I liked L.A. and then here we go.

And there is a, the very first shot is the murderer, the actor who plays the murderer, telling the audience, I play the murderer in this movie. And then he says, have a good time, basically. Have a good time. Here we go. Yes. Have a good time. Here we go.

I'm very proud of it. I am doing other movies for Netflix. I just don't have time. Yeah. I literally am going from this to something else to something else. Another season of Goldberg's. It's all just, so at some point I'll have time. But I like that the consistent thing through these projects,

especially of the last decade or so, is, is there's a line to be drawn between these projects and this larger conversation we're having because you're just saying, come on, come with me, come with me on this. And we'll roll. They are not. Also, when you see handsome, you see what I bring to curb. Yes. Yeah, you do.

No, it's really clear what do I bring to curb? What vibe? What energy? What sense of humor? What sensibility? Music, everything. That's what I bring to curb. Like if you want to see what I don't bring to curb, like the opposite of me with curb is clear history.

I had nothing to do with that. Going full circle, I'm realizing now, I've been praising you for your generosity just towards me because I'm not outside of myself. But really, that's the hallmark of what you like in performance and in comedy, too, right? There's a scene in the beginning of Handsome where you and some cops are gathered around a decapitated head. Oh, yeah. You basically are, you reminded me of a tennis instructor because you're bouncing the ball to everyone there. Without a doubt. Everyone gets their turn.

Where did I learn that from? Preston Sturgis and Frank Capra. Mostly Preston Sturgis. Yeah. Whereas if you're the mailman, you're going to have a piece of business. Yeah. There's nobody who just has one line and moves along. Everyone is a human being.

That mailman that would be in my movie. And he wasn't dealing with idiots. I put a mailman in. He has. He has things happened to him before he got there, happened to things after, and I want him to share any experience. So every actor in my movies, but that's what I love watching. So I put up what I love watching. But I love the way you're giving, you're expanding the palette for that, that idea of comedy, expanding the framework for it.

Because what I've been thinking about and going back to talking to Kroll and Manzoukas about this, their of the opinion, or at least their experience, is that there is kind of, at least in their professional experience, dividing line in the comedy world, almost pre-UCB and post-U-CB, in that post-U-CB, post-improvisation becoming more the lay of the land, that there was a previous track where you'd get your set, you go to Montreal, you get your TV deal, and it's about servicing your singular track towards a certain level of fame. By the way, can I be really bold and blunt? That's what you're here for.

It's not post-U-CB and pre-UCC. This is what I'm asking. It's post and pre-curb your enthusiasm. Curb Your Enthusiasm is the one that turned the wheel on that. And I've never thought that until this moment. Okay. But it's not UCB. UCB was a place where improvisers win.

But Second City's always been a place. The Groundlings has always been a place. There's been other places, you know. By the way, UCB's done some great work, and I've hired many people on Curb Your Enthusiasm from UCB. I'm pro-U-CB. I used to perform there. So I'm not saying that.

but UCB came along after Curb Your Enthusiasm. So Curb Your Enthusiasm was what gave way to the office. Curb Your Enthusiasm gave way to Parks and Rec and 30 Rock and all these shows. They're in a post-curb world. Right. The only thing that was close to anything prior to curb was Larry Sanders. Yeah. So you could say Larry Sanders was the first, was Larry Sanders had the key or said,

here, open the door this way, and then curb kicked it open, and then everything is post-cur. I agree completely, especially in terms of prepping the audience for what, you know, making the audience understand a certain language of comedy and a certain approach to comedy. Yes. I think they also meant it in terms of a collaborative spirit amongst creatives. Not true. Because what you were saying to- It goes back to Preston Sturgis.

Yes, it goes back to Preston-Sturgis with, like, doing that. But the truth is, having been a comedian since 1982, comedians were most. comedians were much more supportive and thoughtful of one another back then than now. Now it's a big bowl of every man for himself. Really? Yeah. And rarely do the UCB people or Second City people, whoever they are happy for one another in their success. Interesting.

I'm there. I hear their talk. And I remember when I worked with Eddie Murphy, I said, why aren't you not doing it? And he was telling me a story of going to the laugh factory and everyone given him like a look of like, I could do what you do. I'm better than you. And he's right. That's what it wasn't his imagination. Yeah. Because now when I was a young comedian and someone had done the Tonight Show, I wanted to touch them. I wanted to be in the same spirit. Nobody gives a crap of your accomplishment anymore. It's all about them. And I think that can

lend tons towards the narcissistic. Yeah. But I found that my peers when I started, and I do think of them at Jason and Nick as my peers. I respect the crap out of them and enjoy them and enjoy their success. Can't get enough. That's who I am. But their peers are not that way and my peers were that way. The only way that back then that you didn't get support or approval is if we thought you sucked and you didn't deserve it.

But if we felt you deserved it, it's so supportive. so supportive. Why? I remember being in the comedy club the week the David Letterman show premiered, the nighttime David Letterman. And all the comics, some of which you knew him, were just standing around there. And everyone was just sort of not cutting on it, but figuring out what's going on. What's that?

Oh, I guess Paul will be his sidekick. Like, it was a different landscape. So I disagree. I disagree. I think creatively, it was much more supportive back then. I'm curious about how that factors into the conversation we had a little while ago about being relevant, because you want to still be relevant. You want to stay relevant.

A lot of people I started with are not relevant. And you even talked to Eddie Murphy who's not doing stand-up. You're still doing stuff. Eddie Murphy could easily be relevant. And I offered my help because I was doing shows and stuff. But he could be because he's a genius. Total genius. There's not a lot of geniuses out there.

I got to tell you, a lot of people I started with, some of which are still doing it. But, man, they're doing the same act from back then. They're not relevant. They're so not relevant. And they don't take risks the way they didn't take risks back then. Anyone back there who took risks who was funny is successful. I can tell you that 100%. If you took risks back then, you are successful today.

Maybe not a star, but successful. We could even just use Larry as an example because the comedy that he was doing. risks. And didn't, particularly from what I understand, care about the reaction. And by the way, did not have success for a long time. Right. But he was taking risks and he was relevant and doing interesting things. And the world caught up with Larry. The world didn't change him. He changed the world. Right. Which is a pretty remarkable thing. And probably a good working definition for genius. Very much so. Possibly. Yes. Yes. Yes. He's extraordinary. Season nine. Yes. I don't want you to dissect it. Yes. I don't want spoilers, which I know you

couldn't give me. Can you give me a tone poem, an adjective? A tone poem? The other night you said to me, you're going to be happy, which I appreciate it. I don't know if there's anymore. The reason you're going to be happy is it's still the same show. Even though we've been way a long time, we haven't reinvented the wheel. And, but what will be kind of like, I can't believe they're doing that when you see thematically what it's about. I don't mind saying that. Okay. So the first episode, right away, is going to set the tone of like, Oh, and it's oh. Okay.

But delightful. Is that the reaction you had when you learned? Yes. That twist? When I learned verbally in having a discussion with Larry and he was telling me what he wanted to do, it was like, are you kidding me? And I think it's great. I'm very excited. I also just want to say that it brought me great joy, having not seen the episodes yet, that my last image of you on Saturday night was I saw you and Larry holding hands and cavorting.

Now, I don't know if you're off in a public. of order. Few people are. I'm very affectionate with him. I love him very much. It was, it warmed my heart. I will sometimes say to him, hold my hand. Just as a joke, but I'll hold it and he'll look at me like you fucking idiot. And then I'll stroke

his hair sometimes. And if he doesn't know it's me, it's hilarious because he lets it go. He thinks it's his girlfriend. He thinks it's the makeup artist. But in general, you know, we have decorum with one another, but just being around him. We love each other. And so,

And we're very close, and he is a confidon. He's one of my best friends, and I'm honored by that, you know. I am. It was very nice to see. It was very sweet. I'm looking forward to this season. I hope that when next we speak. And also, please don't leave out the Goldberg starts.

Like the same week. Let's do this. The same week. The 27th is the Goldberg's. And the first of October, 27th September, Goldberg's first. I just, here's the thing. This is Jeff Garland Week in Hollywood. It can be every week.

And also the Goldbergs is in syndication now. It's a bit much with me. That's exciting. But here's the thing I want to say. Everyone of the Goldbergs is concerned that I'll just go out and hype curb. Right. And I don't think that's fair. So I just want to say a throwout to, I know, here's a thing.

The Goldbergs is a delightful show. It's the number one show on television for families watching together. Wonderful. Not just Jewish families. Not just Jewish families. That actually makes me happy on a number of levels. Number three for comedy, but number one for that. So I'm very, very proud of it.

But when it comes back for a new season, it doesn't make the front page of newspapers. Well, it wasn't away for seven years. It's not even that. Curb is an iconic show. And so I understand the level of excitement is a lot different. So the people at the Goldbergs, I don't want, I want to leave them out. No, and I'm not just paying lip service to it. What that show does is in its own way impressive.

because to be consistently funny to a large audience. How lucky you might be on both of these things. And the outer reaches on each end, family and, you know, adult, it's fun. It's almost as if you've made it, although you said there's still a few things you're still searching for. Well, there's things I'm still searching for and working hard to achieve. They're not ego things. They're just like, I know I can do this. I want to do this.

So I hope I have the opportunity. Creatively. Creatively, yes. I don't care about like it. have to be standing on the hill holding an award. I appreciate it, Jeff. Thank you. Thank you. Today's episode of The Watch was brought to you by Mack Weldon

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