The Watch - On the Set of Briarpatch With Andy Greenwald and Jay R. Ferguson | The Watch

Episode Date: September 12, 2019

Live from the set of 'Briarpatch' in Albuquerque, Chris sits down with Andy and 'Briarpatch' leading man Jay R. Ferguson to talk about the decision-making that went into creating the show (2:57), Jay's experience playing Stan Rizzo on 'Mad Men (24:12), and of course, the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Philadelphia Eagles (54:13).   Host: Chris Ryan Guests: Andy Greenwald and Jay R. Ferguson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Thanks for listening to today's episode of The Watch. A special, special episode today. now back in LA recording this part. But I just got off a plane from Albuquerque. I went for a whirlwind 24-hour visit to see Andy down on the set of Briar Patch where he is shooting in New Mexico. It was so, so, so much fun. Shout out to everybody down there, especially Lela, who made me feel so at home. It was just a great experience. And we got to record a podcast on the set. It was mostly shot on the soundstage yesterday. They do interior and exterior stuff all over Albuquerque, but we were mostly on a soundstage and we got a chance to record a podcast in Andy's office and we were joined

by none other than J.R. Ferguson, who you probably, if you're listening to this podcast, know from Mad Men where he played Stan, a character who wound up coupling up with Elizabeth Moss's Peggy at the end of this series. But he's had a like a long career in Hollywood and is the, he's one of the leads of Briar Patchett, along with Rosario Dawson. He's also a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, which sort of initially sparked some playful animosity. I think when Jay joined us, when Kim Dickens also came on about a week ago. But I was so excited to get to hang out with Andy and Jay.

They had a great chemistry. I could see Jay replacing me at some point. But it was just a really cool experience to talk to Jay about Andy as this writer and showrunner now and talk to Andy about Jay as an actor who's bringing a lot of his work to life and just talk about what it's like to just kind of be in the summer camp atmosphere

of making a television show over the last few. months. And you could tell it was really tight-knit set. They were really excited about what they were making on a daily basis. And it was a real privilege to be able to see everybody, everybody there working at the top of their game and making something really cool. So without further ado, let's get into my conversation with Andy Greenwald and Jay Ferguson from the Breyer patch set. I need sports to have to clear the run. Stand up and walk now. Now.

Hello and welcome to The Watch. My name is Chris Ryan. I am editor at the ringer.com and joining me live in his own office is Andy Greenwald. We're down to New Mexico. And the clapping you hear. A live studio audience. Kathy, we got Jay Ferguson here. We promised you that we would have some members of the Briar Patch cast. Yeah, we have Jay Ferguson. We have Kat Colbert back here. What's up? Sitting in? He's our audience, our side man. Another member of the cast here. So Andy, you want me just to run through some pop culture headlines? You want to talk about Apple Plus's price point? I do. I do. I do. The new 11 debuted today, I believe.

Yeah, with three cameras. There's apparently a phobia that people have of, like, the three camera lenses. This is the internet's leading tech podcast. And it's, like, freaking people out. Like, there's, like, a diagnosed thing where it's like, if you see three little circles, it trips something in your mind. I'm seriously not mocking this. It's apparently, it was a...

Like, they instantly think of it, like, a giant tarantula or something is attacking them. It just, like, triggers something, and they're just, like, freaking out. This is great. So this podcast is going to be... You came here to tell us about what's going on in the world. that what we've been doing for the last six months while you've been working on Briar Patch? Yes. Yeah, it's true.

And what was it like before then? He was so informed. This was his world. Yeah, man. He was watching tons of shows. He was always forming opinions. He was, but when we were at Grantland, a lot of takes. And he was writing twice a week, at least.

At least three times a week, usually. Yeah, and then we would do the podcast twice a week. Wow. And we would talk about a show on Monday and a show on Thursday. Now you're writing 10 times a week. Yeah. He's writing constantly. I've been on the set all day.

Yeah, it's what time? It's like 8.40 p.m. here. We're still shooting out on the stages, and yet we've retired. Kat and I just got off a plane. I will tell you, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking to your audience now. That's good. This is what they do, ladies and gentlemen. They tease you and entice you with invitations of coming on their podcast,

of talking about things such as the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. We will get to the NFC East. You know, they tease you. you with all of these things. And then, one, myself, becomes really excited about the promise of being on said podcast. And increasingly, every day, asks, in fact, when are we going to do said podcast? And I'm told, oh, it's coming, it's coming. You actually would approach me often on set and say, and I quote, when is your boy coming

with the podcast? Yeah. Which he did. I actually do have a suitcase full of podcasts. Unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, what you're getting right now is about 60%, if I'm being honest, maybe 65. Wow. Making apologies before the game like a Dallas Cowboy fan.

Your boy is a little under the weather. Your boy just got off an airplane. But this is what they do, ladies and gentlemen. They wait until you are not 100 per, and then they make it happen. So boys, let's go. This is kickoff at LinkedIn Financial Field. We learn it from merit. You get people real tender, and then you strike.

The soft belly is exposed. That's a week. that's when we appreciate you guys coming in straight from the airport neither of you guys are working today we did have a slight moment of fright on the plane cat said no i think we're shooting a scene tonight and i brought up the schedule and he actually convinced me that we were shooting and i said that's just not possible they wouldn't have let you fly in and uh and then of course no we we we came to our senses realized that was not the case i can't believe you guys didn't have anything else to do in albuquerque tonight the night's young it's true that's right we there is

talk of a casino. So, Chris, if I could turn the tables on you, here you are in the high desert. Oh, great. Are you going to host this one? Because that's such a relief for me. I just want to know how your day's been so far, because we've been together for hours, but I feel like we haven't checked in. So I definitely felt like I was going to die

on the flight in. I had terrible turbulence coming in. And I actually went through this whole process of trying to choose which podcast I would be listening to Upon Death. And I was like, do I want to be listening to Bill? do I want to be listening to You shouldn't be listening to a friend or your boss

Should I be listening? Should I be like, and then I was like, shit, should I be recording my last will and testament uploading it to the cloud? You should have been listening to the audio book of Gravity's rainbow. I didn't even though. Well, I think you could do the voice memo and just hope I just hope that it makes it through.

Right. They're doing great things with these phones. Do you have a black box recorder? Three cameras, yeah. So I will never make fun of Andy's fear of flying again. I'm not afraid of flying, but I do think that it was in jeopardy. But the whole day has been incredible. It's been an incredible education.

I've been on a couple of sets, but never with the intimacy of this one. Have you ever been to Albuquerque? Briefly. It's like on my way to Santa Fe. And I feel like my opinion of Albuquerque precedes me a little bit. I've been a little bit critical

about it on this podcast. It's gotten around. Great city. Great town. Yeah. It's a hell of the town. You know, do you guys like Albuquerque? I love it.

I lived here before. Before we did this show, I lived here about 10, 11 years ago. For another show? Yeah, yeah, another show. What was it? And it was a show? And it was a show?

And it was a show called Easy Money, and it was a very short-lived show. But incredible opportunity at the time in my life, our first child had just been born. We were completely broke. You know, it was really a gift from the heavens and came out here, ended up meeting people that would go on to become some of our closest friends and had never really spent time in Albuquerque. And so I was pretty excited to come back, and now we've got three kids, and they all got to come out here and spend the summer.

He is a big booster. And I'll say this, when we first met, you were saying you were excited about coming down here and you told me about some spots and got the vibes going in a positive direction. You know, I got to say, I think that there's something to it where, depending on where you grew up, right? So if me and Andy are from the Northeast, you're from Texas. You're from California originally, Kat?

She was Chicago. Born in Chicago. And Kat likes Albuquerque. So this is not a full, it's not a perfect theory. But I think that you're like, regional orientation changes a little bit because it's like, I know people who think Baltimore is, you know, terrible. The president. I was going to say that.

And then like Boston or people don't like Boston or people don't like D.C., but I love those cities because I'm from the Northeast. It feels familiar. It's familiar. So is this familiar for you as a Texan? Yeah, I think that that is definitely part of it. It starts to geographically kind of feed into that sense of home that I have. Yeah.

And then also the people, you know, there's a lot of cowboy fans out here. It's so gross. And, you know, God love them. I mean, they're America's team, so it's like, what are you going to do? But, I mean, as far as proximity is concerned, that that should be the team that they're pulling for, that are the Cardinals, I guess. We aren't going to do this yet. But I will just say that all before the pilot, during the pilot, Jay is like, there's this great brunch spot.

It's my favorite spot. You got to come with you. You got to come with. So at a certain point, we've had a free weekend. We were all here during the pilot. Jay generously says, let's go. We're going to go do this. And he grabs me, and he grabs Eddie Kethigue, who's also in our cast.

And we got to brunch. And we walk into this place, a beautiful place. twice El Pinto. Jay says table for four. I'm like, Eddie and I trade looks. There's only three of us. Still they lead us out to the courtyard,

beautiful table for four. Eddie sits down. Jay sits down. I sit down. The fourth spot is for his tough book that he opens up to Red Zone. Oh my God. If I'm not mistaken,

it was the first Sunday of NFL football. Wait, can we stop? You have like the zero dark 30, like tough book. In my mind, that's what it was. And then he ordered, they said,

can we bring you the complimentary mimosas? And he's just like, that's a rookie move, bro. Like, just keep the orange shoes. Bring the bottle. You bring the bottle and you get a side of OJ. And then, just so you know, though, like, we are out on this patio. People are having very different experiences.

They may or may not be watching the games or as intimately as we are. There were one or two people in plus size Witten jerseys or whatever. Jay, as the man of the people that he is, dove into the crowd of diners, greeted each one of them with a very convivial. How about them, boys? and I do feel like it was a setup. It wasn't as vicious as the time you came to the ADR session

wearing a cowboy's snuggy. No, that was intentional. No, the thing at the restaurant was, you know, just purely the situation at the time. The facts on the ground. That just happens to always be the situation anywhere you go in America

when you're a fan of America's team. But I digress. Guys, guys, I digress. Let me just ask you this. I want to just go somewhere with this real quick. You were going to say some nice things about us. I don't even, we haven't even gotten to know each other this well yet. But are we weed smokers?

We don't. Do we talk about our weed smoking on this podcast? Yeah, I don't actually. I don't do it. You're not a big weed smoker either. But it's pretty legal. It is pretty legal. Yeah.

Well, I was going to try and, like, create a type of situation here. It ain't going to happen. So what I will tell you is that cat and I. Yeah. do not smoke weed. No, it's good. And you got to say no. You got to know what? I think that you guys... That's right. As in Dave Chappelle and his new special, he just says, he says,

just say no, right? What's so hard about that? What I always have said about you two guys is that you're role models. Yeah. For us as podcasters and for the children. Try to be. We both have children. Yeah. This is a kid-friendly podcast. But yeah, anyway, it's been... It's been an amazing.

Was that really like you're... You were like, I really want to get in some interesting stuff. It was just going to be the weed. for a moment there was going to be something I was going to propose but you know I don't think it's going to happen

guys I really don't no I think that's fair I think it's for the best but anyway being on the set today has been a real eye-opening education it's been fascinating

to watch all the different stuff that goes in to just like even the smallest smallest scenes the littest things where you're like we have to get this

we have to get this kind of coverage we were shooting and we can't give too much away but we were shooting a scene with the fabulous Alan coming and a few other terrific actors,

but I won't name them because I don't want to spoil the characters, yeah, here on stage. And we were on the scene for like four hours. Like we did a lot of interesting coverage, a lot of cool stuff.

And then I really wanted to dazzle my buddy. So I took him to a pre-production concept meeting in the lunchbox for an hour and 15 minutes. Did you cut the air at a certain point? Yeah. Was that like a power move?

Is that you go in Fincher? Yeah. I was like, I want to see you guys. I want to sweat him out. The meeting was going on too long. Yeah, no. I was going to actually ask if there was a bit of a sadist.

Of having it in there? It was awful. It was very cold. But, you know, Chris got to see firsthand just like the minutia of like what background. How many background people do we need in scene 14B? You got to see exactly how exciting his job is on a daily basis. I think he got to see was when they all are talking about it. And then all 22 heads turn to me.

And I'm like, oh, yeah. No, yes. Definitely. Definitely. This is, I want to ask. Because Jay knows. Jay can speak firsthand. that I, you know, tough but fair

is how I run this show. Oh, man. Iron fist is the nickname that a lot of the crew have given them. Can I say that there's stuff with time shifting? Not like time travel, but like there's... Jay's character becomes unstuck in time. Like Desmond and the Unloss. No, but you know, and you're answering questions about stuff like

what would be like in present, what it would be like in the past, or day and night. Sure. But the thing that's fascinating is that, so he and I have been talking for eight years, almost eight years on this podcast. Yes, that's amazing. The mechanics of storytelling, the mechanics of television and like the overall trends that we see.

And then you get an experience like this. And just even in one day, I can see any show and any episode is just an accumulation of these little decisions, right? Like these little, little things where it's like, do you want me to go over here? Like, do you want me to gesture this way? Do you want me to step back or step forward? And then all the little things that you guys are deciding in this like tin box in the middle of the desert.

Should we hang this here? We're going to bring this back. What's the intention? But I think that I've definitely. I thought this a lot. We used to talk about this. I used to write this in criticism pieces, but I think the best shows have a consistency of vision in the decision making, and there's no decision that's too small. You know, someone whose style you compare me too often, Jay, Matt Weiner, famously would like every ashtray, right, had to be exactly right, every detail. And that's

what made that show the masterpiece. Well, what I will say about our, our dear friend here, Mr. A.G, is it is very reminiscent of that. And what I I love is a vision that starts, and if you think about it like a pyramid, and I'm going to blow our boy up real big right now. Before he rips my soul out. I'm not so sure his head's going to fit through the door after this, but what I will tell you is it's kind of visually like a pyramid, and you've got the idea at the top, right? And all of the facilitators of that idea lie below, and they are equally, and I know that

Andy will back this up as important to the idea coming to fruition. And so everybody is a cog in the wheel. Everybody has got to work in unison if one cog breaks down. The machine breaks down, yada, yada, yada. But the idea has got to start somewhere. And it starts at the top and it trickles down. And it is so fun to watch AG's evolution and progression into this spot that he holds now. and embracing it and excelling at it, really.

Tyrannical, emotionally distant, withholding. That's amazing when you yell at people loud enough, what you get, what they will do for you. I'm going to interrupt the compliment because I can't stand it because I know it's coming at the end of it. But that is the beauty of it. And Chris got to see it today, which is that we have so many people here who are so good at their jobs. And their jobs are things that I don't even understand how they do it. I mean, I was joking with our ACAM operator Matt today, and I pointed to the camera and I said, I'm sorry, what's that again? But that's really not too far off from the truth. But getting everyone who's so incredible at their task to buy into the larger thing is the hardest part and the biggest challenge and the biggest responsibility.

And I don't take it lightly and I appreciate it. But I also love memories now. We're almost done. We started shooting the pilot a year ago. We're almost done with the season. We have two and a half weeks left. Just how much of the pilot was UJ and Rosario and Brian Garrity elbowing each other and giggling and pointing at me as baby. he took his first steps. Because you knew, especially you, because you'd been on a series for a long time. So you knew all the things that were about to crush me. Well, we'll crush you and lift you up also. And new positions that you maybe had never considered yourself being eligible for, that you were very eligible for, that you were forced to take.

You know what I mean? and that can be really a tough adjustment for people, you know, it can be. Yeah. How has this changed? And we haven't really talked about this explicitly, but how has this changed the way you, I know you don't watch TV anymore, but if you did. I'm not a fan. How would it change the way you've been watching it?

This same thing goes for you, like, as somebody who makes it, as somebody who's on it, like, when you watch Mind Hunter, when you watch Game of Thrones, or when you watch anything you watch, like how much of it is, I can just enjoy this is something that, on my screen and how much of it is like, fuck, I bet that was really tough, what they just pulled off there. That is a piece of it now, understanding, I think, just that the difficulty that goes into oh, they're driving, or they're filming this at, you know, at Magic Hour or at dusk, like all the headaches that went into things like that. Couple mentions of Magic Hour, no spoilers. It's, uh, magic hour may appear in Briar Patch. I like to tease one of our first AD's, Bob,

that I'm writing a new scene, which is a dinner party of children at midnight, which is like the combination of impossible things to do. But I think it's, Along those same lines, it's the idea that there are no easy shots. There are no throwaway moments. That every single moment in a scene is the culmination of all those people working. Right. And was multiple takes and multiple different coverage. And then it was scored.

And then it was edited. And every second of every frame is a decision and actually quite a number of decisions. So I think it would be very hard to go back to being just a casual watcher or critic. That's great news for the pod. So, no, I mean, so this is why I'm announcing. No, but to be a critic in the way, because you try to find...

The thing is that... The thing is that... He does do it. And then really, like, because, like, what's interesting is now that you won't have a ton of time, you save your time for the stuff that's, like, purely enjoyable.

Like, you'll go watch Spider-Man, or you'll go watch Avengers or your... Or succession, which I can watch both to be impressed by, or that it's just... I find... it like it's joyful. Like I just love it. But yeah, I think that

I don't speak to, I mean, you've been on you've been all sorts of shows. Yeah, it's an easy answer for me. I mean, I just completely disassociate myself when I watch the stuff. So you don't even think about like whatever process everybody else is going through. I, I mean, I certainly appreciate great performances with actors. And usually those performances or that

appreciation for those of performances. performances is coupled with my acknowledgement that I am completely incapable of producing such a performance and therefore having another reason to kind of, you know, kick myself down a couple notches. Can you think of an example of a performance like that where you're like, I couldn't do that? Like you're watching it and you're just like, and don't like not like my left foot, but like something where you're just like, oh, Christ, like that guy just or that one really just pulled something off there. I'll tell you, this is a weird choice, but it's funny because actually Rosario and I were talking about it the other day when we both have an appreciation for this performance. And it just popped into my head when you said that.

But Vincent Dinofrio as the alien in men in black. Wow. Now, this guy, right? Great answer. I love this. He's got a fucking laundry list. Are we lying to cuss on this? Yes, absolutely.

He's got a laundry list of great characters that he's played, right? Full metal jacket, et cetera. Yeah, of course. And those would be the normal go-toes, I think. But for me, at least as I've gotten older, what I've come to appreciate more are not just the actors that when the camera is here, just up in their faces, they say the words really often. But it's when their whole body is exposed and they're using their entire body because a great who I consider to be my Yoda, this guy's name is Gulu. This wonderful director from Brazil taught me a long time ago that the actor's body is his greatest tool and that so often in film acting, that tool is abandoned for the sake of the close-up. up, you know? And so what I really have come to appreciate is full body acting, you know,

where it's not just the voice that's acting. It's the fingertips. It's the toes. It's the knees. It's the neck. It's the everything. Yeah. I was going to say that also it's been fun. I mean, I've learned so much more about acting from working with so many great actors, all of whom declined to appear on this podcast. But Jay's here. So we could talk about it. But it was, for example, like, we had a great time making the pilot and everybody, got along wonderfully. And then when word started to trickle out that Alan, who I'm just thinking of because he was working today,

was joining the cast, everyone got a little excited. And it was kind of cool to think of it that way, because everyone was excited, I'm not going to get a scene with him? It kind of raised everybody's game in a way because, you know, there's someone that you guys admire. I can just speak to you, I mean, because we had this conversation.

That happened many times over after Alan too. Yeah, that's right. As we kept having these wonderful actors come on board. I mean, I guess it's, phrase it more as a question. So, like, you were excited, is it a challenge? Is it sort of a spark? Is it the opportunity to learn?

I think that if I were my younger self, I would have said it's the opportunity to challenge. But as my older self, I would say it's the ability to learn. Do you remember when that changed? Mid-June. Episode two of Firefax. He was aged. He's aged three hours ago. No, I would say Kat and I were actually talking a little bit about this on the plane out here.

Probably when I started to have a family. Yeah. That's a, I mean, that's a pretty common, like, I think that's a pretty common turning point in, like, any profession in anybody's life. That just changes your perspective. As a childless man, I'm just, I'm still going for it, but it's okay. Yeah. Going up to the biggest podcaster in the yard and punching him in the notes. I just have the need for speed still.

It's okay. You live your life, bro. It's okay. It's really okay. Can we talk a little bit about the material without getting too into the plot? Yeah. Okay.

There are reviews out there now. No, I know. The one and two got reviewed in a variety of places because it premiered at Toronto. But, Jay, have you done something like this before, like a noir like this? No way. This is a breaking of ground

in many different respects for me. me. And that is because I feel like most of my time in this business has been spent playing characters that in some way or another, whether directly, specifically or loosely, are connected to me in some personal way. There's some personal experience that I can lend to that character's experience. And this is the first time that I've played a character where I genuinely can say that there's really nothing on a personal level outside of maybe tiny little things that I could relate to. And so it was very scary and is still scary on a daily basis. I have leaned on Andy constantly because I've needed some sort of barometer to, you know, make sure that we're not going too far into the land of cartoonish,

but it's such a broad, borderline farcical character that it's a fine line to walk. And so it's been very terrifying. And, you know, it's been interesting. Again, something Kat and I were discussing earlier, which is the, you know, we were just talking about how, like, you hear a lot as, an actor about older people you might respect that talk about how they always tried to do what they were most afraid of and what's you know what they were most intimidated by and i don't know that i've ever taken that leap before this and and i don't know that i could ever say genuinely that that i had really crossed over that line before where every day when i'm going home i have

no idea if it was... That's why when you told me that he was gonna play Jake I was like hell yeah. I mean this part Jake Spivey

is a former military guy military intelligence was the poorest kid in town has come back as the richest person in town

a raconteur a very very glib person I would say broad broad strokes sometimes but deep emotions running underneath it all and you're

I mean you're brilliant in this role And it's really true. And we know you're acting because you and Kat have to play people who loathe each other, which is fantastic. Yeah, that's exciting. That's not true. That's not true.

That's not the way. My friend Kat here and I have known each other's through in high school. Best friends since high school have never worked together professionally. And then serendipitously, Kat was cast as one of my adversaries. Which was amazing because we were sitting in the house that doubles as Jake's house. And I had just said, like, I don't like these choices. is please casting agent in LA, please give me someone better for this part.

And I was looking through people and I was like, this is the guy. And I had it open on my computer when I hear a familiar voice looming behind me and you're like, why is my buddy on your computer screen? And we'd already chosen him. It was incredible. Like that's been a lot of that in this whole production

in a really wonderful way. But yeah, it's amazing. I mean, I think it's actually, it's great for people to hear even if it's tough for you to live because, I mean, you're amazing in this part. And it's a pleasure to work with you. Let me just say, let me, I want to make one thing clear right now.

There is nothing tough about living the life I am living. Fair, okay? I want to make that clear. You make that clear to this audience. But I mean, just internally not being short, like you're out on a limb. It's not tough. It's a good life. And you're having fun every day.

But the fact that on the outside, you inhabiting this part was, as Chris said, like, he's seen the pilot. Like, it's a no-brainer. And it's so exciting that people are going to see this soon. And some people already have and recognized how good you are in the role. It's also interesting to hear you say that because it's like, I think that, I mean, we would talk about Briar Patch if Andy wasn't making it. Like, if we saw that coming up, it's very much in our wheelhouse. And when you see movies or shows like this, I think you're like, man, I bet that actor is just like, fuck yeah, I finally get to play a guy like this. Oh, I feel like I had that reaction to getting the opportunity for sure. But I think that there's a difference between that excitement before you're on the day doing it. And then you're like, I got to actually. do it. And then you're, you know, you've got a lot of self-doubt creeping in and it's, you know, something you've never done before and really going into this last weekend with the film festival there in Toronto, until I saw what some of those folks were feeling about it after they came out,

I honestly did not know. Even though I'd fully and wholeheartedly trust Andy, you know, there was still a little part of me that was uncertain. And so, look, As long as people are buying it, that's all I want. For the whole show, because we were talking about this a little bit earlier, and so I'll just heap a little bit more praise real quick. This is unbelievable flex for Andy here. Again, again, going back to the cogs and the machine, you know, metaphor, another metaphor is we are a team, you know, and it is a team.

I used to think that too. Just like, don't, no, yeah, no, no, no, it is true. You just got, you might be on the outs. You know? Like, like T.O. and Garcia. You know what I mean? Back in the old days. Wow. You just never know.

I think we're like the Detmer brothers, honestly. But please go on. My point is that Andy has been our quarterback throughout this one. Yikes. Chris is everything. There it is. I said it and I'm not taking it back. That's nice.

We can get producer Kai to drop some Friday Night Lights music right when he said that. He has dropped some bombs in me. Yeah. He's dropped some bombs. I will last bit of blowing smoke up here. which is deserved. This was, and people who have read the book knew this, and people who've read the book who've been commenting on the internet

or tweeting at me, once they found out it was your word, psyched. I was most concerned about casting this part. We had Rosario and then other supporting roles, we had some thoughts and things started to fall into place. I had no idea how we were going to cast this part because the part requires,

and again, I can't wait for people to see it, it requires someone who can be charismatic and funny and physical, and dare I say it, even a little sexy and scary. And all of the galley, you know, all of these different things all at once. And I was like, they don't make actors like that anymore.

It's not a contemporary, it's not, all of those things are not in the contemporary actors guide. So when... Time to change the recipe at the old actor making you. I'm serious. But then, you know, and you were so gracious to come in for an audition. And we did this audition and like, you had the part like on your fourth line.

But you seemed very unhappy to be there. And I was like, there's no question this guy's going to do the part. But I think he hates me. And I think you might be tough. I've never told you the story. And I was like, I think maybe he's, is he a mean guy? I wasn't sure. And only later did I realize you're very vulnerable doing this stuff, you know,

and you weren't sure how it was coming across. I mean, I assume that's what it was. Yeah, because I definitely was not in that headspace. Because then we had coffee and I was like, oh, this guy's great. And then you told me you were a Cowboys fan and I was like, get me a backup choice. Yeah. Because I don't think I can either, I don't think I can condone this.

Pull the ejector seat. Or commit to this for the rest of my life. I go in and we read a couple of scenes together. And then they say, Andy'd like to have lunch with you. I said, well, of course. And so we go and meet and not, I mean,

a couple of sentences in. We hadn't even gotten into the meat and potatoes of the conversation. Or the mean potatoes we ordered. Or that. Yeah, I don't even think we even even ordered. And he says, listen, there's something I got to get out in the open right now. And we just need to, you know, have it out there and then get on with our lives. But I know you're a

Dallas Cowboys fan. Fucking wearing a uniform. You were in full pads for the meeting. And I may have had the pants on. But, and so then he proceeded to tell me he was an Eagles fan. And really, you have second thoughts. At that point, I got to tell you, there is not a better icebreaker. Really? Is there?

Well, I mean, in a professional setting, we did go with what the end was with our meeting. I mean, that was perfect. Because if we could get along

knowing that, then anything is possible creatively. It's the best thing about sports is that you cannot know somebody. I know that he and then have something to talk about. A battery at me, right?

Frozen in a block of ice. Yeah. He'll throw that at me. Right. and I'll go and I'll give him a hug. Just as Cowboys and Eagles fans have been doing for decades. Hugging. That's exactly what we do.

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Should we talk about football? I feel like in a way we've only been talking about football. I want to, I mean, like, I feel like I have more questions about, like, what you guys, I mean, you're not. Please, let's talk, we want to talk more about that first before football, right? What I want to know for you, Chris, is what surprised you, like, did you have expectations about what set was like or what it was going to be like going on down here? Well, you know, we've made a lot of video shorts at The Ringer, so I kind of have a pretty good understanding of filmmaking. Yeah, Chris was like, they turn around in coverage now because that's what they did on me yesterday on the set of Mindhunter.

I think that the thing that surprised me most was just the look, you know, like the look within, when you're actually in Video Village and you see someone framed up like that. you're in it. It's like, it doesn't matter that it's not on your 60-inch Samsung or you're not watching into this movie screen or something like that. That's transporting. And when they have that framed up like that, you're just like, oh, man, like this is a show. Like, this is happening. And these little, like, the seven takes of this sort of in-between conversation that I'm watching are going to wind up being eight seconds or 12 seconds of the third or fifth or seventh episode or whatever. And that was it. I mean, I think that was like the coolest thing about it was it was just seeing the look in process.

Because I think about that stuff so much when I watch movies and I think about like, why did they make that decision? You see a Paul Thomas Anderson movie and you're just like, what an incredible composition. And it's like, that's amazing to be there in that moment when the director's framing it up and the director of photography's got it.

And the actors like, is it time? Is it time? Like, it's a go time. And there is a little bit of energy there that almost feels theatrical. It's cool. Yeah. And also, I think, to see when you're on for the first time

or visiting a set, like the graciousness generosity of everyone supporting each other and even just for talking about acting, like when we're close in on an actor, and I won't say the names of who we were looking at today, let's say we're close in on Alan today. The other actors in the scene, just say it. I'll admit it. The other actors in the scene are wedged behind the camera people delivering lines off camera. Yeah. Or when we've done like their scenes when you've been on the phone with Rosaria's character, you know, and you call in, you know, because you're there for your scene partner and you're

there and it's small and I know. It's not always the way it is, by the way. But I appreciate, but I appreciate it so much. That is another thing that makes our outfit special, you know. I do want to say, you should take some time later tonight when we're done with this and spend some time if you haven't already in Zach's tent. It's true. Zach are incredibly talented director of photography. Who in, we are now in week 13 or something or 14 described himself to me the other day as, he said, this is a quote, I am just tin cans and dust now. like a goat would eat. He's full of them, man.

His job is hard. He hits them out of the park all day long and nobody works harder than that dude right there. And let me tell you, if you want to be amazed by what you're seeing on that screen, go in there and just hang out for like 20 minutes. It's really fun, man. And plus, his attitude is so great.

And the attitude around this whole family is just fantastic. You know, everybody's having a great time. And the vibe is really positive. and I've always found that that's what, you know, yields the best result in the end anyway. I've been a part of a bunch of outfits that are not like that. Sure. And the end result is usually not that great and for good reason. Yeah.

And he is one of the key components of our team that keeps it running smooth, keeps the vibe light, and is just so good at what he does. Well, because you've worked on so much different stuff. You've worked on sitcoms, you've worked on weekly, like sort of not procedural, but you've been on like all this different network stuff, prestige stuff. So it's really, it must be really interesting to watch TV evolve. And I don't know. I wouldn't know if it's fair to say it become more cinematic, but it must be interesting to see the differences now, say, than 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I certainly think that the choices have increased for actors.

Yeah. And now you've got, you know, you've got little mini movies as a season. Yeah. I did want to say service this since we have you on the mic, and I don't know how much we've talked about this, but it's been very gratifying to see. I don't know if you know this, Jay, because Jay is extremely not online,

but a character that you played recently, Stan Rizzo is quite popular in the fan base of Mad Men. And there were a lot of questions that I would see people tweeting at me, like, protect the legacy. Protect the legacy of Stan. And when the trailer dropped, someone tweeted, and I was very proud of this.

I sent it to you. The legacy of Starrant. Stan Rizzo is in good hands with you, Andy Greenwald, and they put a picture like four stills of your behavior in the pilot, or in the trailer. Do they think that we're going to be continuing the Stan Rizzo character? Well, first of all, they really, really, really want you to have a beard. Right.

The beard is a big deal. So just that. The beard is not a problem. I think that in the world of Twitter, referring to you by a beloved character is really saying your legacy. I'll take that. That's a popular character. Are you aware of that?

I probably am not, but I certainly appreciate all of the love because there's been a lot of it. Without that love, I don't think that character ever would have grown to what he became. Right, because it was a guest. Yeah. That's one of those roles that got bigger and bigger as it kind of went on. Yeah. Wow. Yeah.

I was pretty, you know, I had been on kind of an upward swing for the last year or so before that happened after having. a little bit of a slump. And that kind of like, you know, pulled me up to work with some really talented people and which I always found only ups your game, only makes you better. Yeah. And no matter what it is you do in your life, you know. And that gig certainly helped to set the precedent for me on many different levels. Because everybody's thrown 100.

And myself at the time, I was just very humbled to even have the opportunity to, just be there, you know? And, uh, and then of course it ended up turning into this great thing for me and, you know, was a life changing career changing situation that I never saw coming, but I'm certainly very grateful. I don't want to blow up your spot here, but there's something you told me about it that I feel like I would love if you would share with us on the microphone, which was that on your, this might be apocryphal, but this is what you told me, on your first day on the Mad Men set, you predicted what would happen with this character. You predicted the endgame of this character, which wasn't well received.

Immediately, just off of your first few scenes, you knew who he was going to end up with. Yeah, I mean, yes, that is true, as it turns out, but I feel like in all fairness, at the time, there is no way that anybody could have ever anticipated that that was what was going to happen. I just was purely looking at the dynamic between the two characters. This is Stan and Peggy. Yes, between Stan and Peggy

and seeing how, using my knowledge of history of television and how two characters that usually start out as polar opposites, inevitably end up coming together. Just like Jay and Chris. at the end of the podcast. We haven't even got into the football part yet.

It's coming. And so, I mean, yeah, I will say this, and I know Matt wouldn't care if I shared this with you guys. He listens. It was my first day of work on Madman, and I was terrified to say the least and continued to be terrified, really, for the duration of my time on the show.

But especially in those first few episodes, I was extremely. terrified. And I knew that I was working with a lot of people that, you know, were at the top of their game. And I didn't necessarily consider myself to be at the top of my game, but I was, you know, was trying to make the most of it. So my first day of work, my first scene, Matt would always come down when characters would be shooting their, new characters would be shooting their first scenes. And I thought that was really cool. you know, he didn't make it feel like he was there to make sure you were getting it right or anything like that.

Just like C2D questions or anything like that. Yeah, I mean, he was just, you know, he was just there for you. But so, you know, we're about to shoot, we're about to rehearse this first scene. And leading into the scene, now, no, you should know for those fans out there, when you're a guest actor on a show like that, that holds secrecy in the highest order, they only give you the scenes that you're doing for that episode. They don't, you don't, you're not privy to like all of the other shit going on and, you know, the dynamics between all the other characters.

Now, I don't mean to interrupt, but on set are people like, yeah, and by the way, like in three episodes from now, this happens? Like, is there internal dialogue about it? No, you know, what's interesting about that is that, no, because even the series regulars on that show only, you know. knew as far as the episode they were shooting. Okay. With the exception of maybe John Hamm,

who probably knew what the endgame was at the beginning of every season. Everybody else was finding it out as we went week by week. Okay. I pull Matt aside. We're about to rehearse my first scene, my first day of work, and I pull him aside. He's there. He comes up to me.

He's very excited for me. He's very nice, very loving. And I say, hey, you know, I've just. I've got a few questions about this, if you don't mind. And he looks at me and he says, really? He says, really? You shouldn't. Because by writing so good or because?

No, no, because, well, I really don't know what to think. I think the show was such a juggernaut at the time when I came on. but I had never seen it. And so I don't know if maybe some of it had to do with, you know, if I'd seen the show, maybe I'd be in a little bit more up to speed on what was going on or whatever. It's about advertising. Yeah.

Or the other possibility, which is incredibly likely, is that I am just very slow on the uptake. Okay. And that there was some obvious things there that I just wasn't picking up on. Okay. Nevertheless, it made me feel even more terrified because now I'm feeling like, oh, shit, well, okay, you know, I had these questions.

I thought they were legitimate questions, but I don't know, maybe they weren't. But we went on and did our thing and that was fine. I said to him right after he said, you shouldn't have any questions. I said, well, the first thing is, obviously these two end up together. right yeah and and he looked at me he looked at me with

the first of all the thing I realize is you never want to start a sentence obviously yeah right and then the other thing was he looked at me with a look of just utter disgust and he said no and I thought

okay all right I was off I've figured that's where this was going and I figured it would be happening within a couple episodes. Little did I know would be four and a half years before that would have, three and a half years or whatever it was. But in his defense

and he has told me as much and I believe him that at the time that was not the plan. Okay. And that it just became the plan over time for whatever reason. And that was the way it worked out. But when I called him on that in the beginning, that he was being sincere

when he said that that was not the plan. And he was being sincere with his disgust, too. I really sincerely believe that because, you know, in the beginning, I was an asshole on the show. Stan was an asshole. And this misogynistic jockey dickhead, you know, beefcake type guy.

And kind of a typical cowboys fan kind of vibe. You could never imagine. By the way, four seats for my tough book. He was originally supposed to be from like New Jersey Stan Rizzo. Really? And then after I got the gig and Matt learned that I was from Dallas, he almost had him change it to be in Dallas. Would that have corresponded with Stalbeck?

Oh, God, I hope. That would have been fantastic somehow if they could have been a correlation. I don't think he was taking into consideration my football obsession, but he was just taking the consideration my hometown, which is kind of nice. Is he a Giants fan? Is he a football fan? Well, he was really brought up in L.A. So I'm not, I don't think he really gives a shit about football, to be honest.

I guess that tracks. I would say if he's a fan, he's a fan of SC because I know he went to S.C. Okay. Big Trojans guy. What else do we want to talk about, man? I mean, I know what you guys want to talk about. There's only one thing left, really, isn't there? I think so.

I mean... How are you feeling about this, like, why? winding down. Oh, it's very, it's bittersweet. I mean, it's a little... There's a real summer camp vibe here. It has been interesting. I mean, everyone, people have, people have done this before, and I have not. And people, I think, knew the road ahead in a way that I didn't know. And it's that same thing where, like, if you go on a car ride to a place you've never been, it takes forever. And then when you come back, it takes 15 minutes. I think people, like Zach, we were talking about, told me at the beginning, he's done full seasons of TV before. He was the DP on the great Hulu show,

The Act. And he was the DP on, Unabomber show a couple years before. And he was basically like, on day 35, the crew is going to bottom out. You know, on day whatever. Like, he just knows what's ahead. And so he was pacing himself away. I remember you telling me, you were like,

I can't believe I wrote all these night shoots or I can't believe. Oh, I made many mistakes. I told him. I can't believe like there's an eight-hour scene in a, like, you know, like in the desert. We're going to the desert tomorrow, buddy. Season two is going to be really bright. It's going to be bright breakfast scenes in a room on stage.

I was just sitting with Zach and he's just this like 10,000-yard stare, you know, and I was just like never work with a rookie show runner. That was your mistake. But, but just watching, like, you do get through it and you learn and you adapt and you find levels that you didn't know you had. And so all of a sudden, it does feel like a minute ago, we were still in the middle of this big block of five and six, these big episodes that were feeling like impossible. And Jay had to do some outrageous things that he was incredible in and I can't wait for people to see. But they were very demanding. That I was terrified of doing on a daily basis. But he did. And it was, you know,

And that was sort of on everyone's mind as the hard part. And all of a sudden we were through it. And we just weren't just through it. We were done seven and eight. And now we'll be done nine next week and onto the finale. And it just goes. And so I'm just trying to be present and enjoy it. And it does feel like there is a little summer camp vibe like people are feeling the end of it.

You know what I remember? I'm sorry. Go ahead. No, no, no. I was just going to say real quick, it just came back to me this memory of my first day, which was us shooting that scene from the second episode, were walking down the street. You're first seen on the series.

Yeah. And working with Stephen, our director for episode two and three. Yeah. And 10. And me, you know, wondering about this guy was still grounded, you know, or not. And I was telling him how I felt a little uncertain about it and that I just wanted to give him the A-O-K to at any time without hesitation, come in and remind me, hey, you need to bring it down a little bit,

or you need to pump it up a little bit, or whatever the case may be. And I just basically let my guard down for a moment. We were just a few of us in the tent, and I know you were in there. And he said, oh, you're a little uncertain about that? And I said, yeah, you know, I've got a little fear. And he said, oh, okay, because I'm fully confident.

You remember that? I do remember that. And I remember in that moment. Fully confident in you or just like... Like the whole thing. Yeah. You know? Yeah.

And that overwhelming sense, like that bravado in that moment just really pump me up, man. That's awesome. Because it was also worth noting that two or three days before we had had the cast dinner. And he had arrived in his producing directories here all season. And you mistook him for a PA. because he's very young looking. Oh my God. He did the fucking same thing.

Cat did it too. So it's amazing that Jay is now retconning the story. It's like this man, this Roger Stalbach-like figure who built my confidence. Oh, man. So that's beautiful. But it's true. And I'll just say this like, because I don't have the right perspective because it's the day after we wrap, I'm going to be an edit through Christmas. My boy is, thank God other people have confidence.

We have confidence. For me, it goes on. we're going to be seeing each other to do press and stuff, which I can't wait to do in January when the show premieres. I can't wait for you to do press either. It's going to be amazing. It's going to be so funny. But I just mean to see my pals.

Chris is going to be doing a podcast from the press bay of our press settings. He's going to be totally just busting balls the whole time. I welcome that. I love that. Just I'll say that, you know, this is one of the things that I'm really proud of about the show and I'm excited about is that it is an anthology show. So some of these characters. will not be back, that's not a testament to their fate.

It's just that we're going to be telling a different story if we are so lucky to get another season. And so I'm really excited about what that's doing for the story because we're leaving it all out on the field, so to speak. And we get to give these characters full arcs and these actors full opportunities. It's kind of like Jason Witton playing with a lacerated kidney or whatever. Although he came back, I believe.

Yes. So in the later season, which may be something we should look to. But just that Rosario was talking about this a lot in Toronto, just that it is kind of emotional, because this is the full story for these people, for the most part. And the fact that, and I felt this when I was writing the finale, like, oh, I won't get to write funny Jake Spivey lines anymore. It makes it better, I think, but it does make it a little bittersweet. Jake, do you watch a lot of stuff while you're shooting? Like, do you watch TV? Do you watch movies? Do you, like, do you try to turn it off and just, like,

stick to sports and not stick to sports, but it's like, do you watch? Like, do you just like watch Sports Center and just trying to unplug from it? You know, unfortunately for me, unless there's an empty part of the year, sports-wise, for me, because for me, it's all about golf and football. You like golf, too? Yeah, obsessive golf and football fan. You know. I think you guys should run from this point.

I've had enough ego. I'm still, you know, my allegiance is there with baseball and the Rangers and the Dodgers. I can't really say the Rangers and the Dodgers. A lot of Dodgers fans also have a second time. I raise my boys to be Dodger fans because they're all from L.A. But in basketball, it's certainly the Lakers. Not the Mavs? No, no, not the Mavs.

The Mavs were competing with St. Mary's Girls' School when I was living in Dallas. So, you know, for me, football and golf is what it's all about. And so if I'm not in that season, I am watching, usually shows about subsistence livers in the wilderness. Reality shows? Have to hunt for their food and, you know, make their own way in the wilderness. That's what's been most entertaining for me.

Like bare grill stuff or more like these five people we strain. No. Yeah. Like, not Alaska and Bush people because that's weird. but no, more like the Last Alaskans or the Sub-Zero living Life below zero, that's what's called.

Jay's a man of the earth. Jay loves to garden. Well, there's a somewhat of a jump from gardening to Alaska. It's how it starts. Last Alaskins. I'm a big survivor fan. I do love Survivor.

I love Survivor. Are you excited for the, not 39, but for 40 when all the champs? If that happens, it would be over the moon. To me, the best season is still season 20, which is the first heroes versus villains. It was just the best and

it's never been as ghosts. Seriously. But yeah, and you know, I got a couple of little like gold mining shows that I like, but other than that, yeah, I really don't give a shit about anything. Okay. And I did what did I just watch?

What did I just watch? I did just try and watch some episodes. Oh, I just started to get into this show Game of Thrones. and I'm on episode three of season one. No spoilers. You got it. You got it.

Have you avoided what happens in Game of Thrones throughout the last six years? Yeah, I don't pay attention. Let us tell you. And I still not seem breaking bad. I want to see that. And also, I've still not seen the first three and a half seasons of Madman. I was going to ask you about that. Did you watch the ones that you were on?

Yes, yes. I watched, of course I watched from the time I was on. but yeah there used to be a little fun running gag with some of my friends over there how I didn't know what happened in seasons one through four did they just try did they ever try to prank you and talk about things they had done in the early seasons to see if you would believe it I don't know they might have I don't remember any pranky set moments like that but they definitely used to bust my balls

about it because they expected me to you know do my research so I think it's time to unleash the dragons here because now I want to know who his favorite golfer is but yeah we should probably talk about football no wait let's talk golf that's a great segue into golf I'm gonna go back and set for a minute are you really I might I just want to set the

scene here because now everybody's friends everybody's paling around here everybody's drinking sodas but a week or two ago I grabbed Jay and he made a very brief appearance on the show and then got pulled in by Paul the PA who introduced himself to Chris and said I think I was on the show

the other week. And so then I went around the corner to talk to you about important things like Katie Corrick's Grub Street Diet. Not realizing that Jay had quickly finished his scene and run out onto the lawn because he had so many sick burns saved up. He was so teed up and I denied him the opportunity to do this. Now, I mean, basically I flew here so that you could you could tee off because I was talking a lot of shit about Zeke. I don't think you were talking shit. Contract length. I think you were doing what most people should do.

And I was so focused on a variety of different things in my life, including just the Eagles, that I did not hear about this Kellynmore thing. And so for watch listeners who are still with us on this podcast, Kellynne Moore is a young wonderkin, former backup quarterback, did not seem a lot of NFL time, but used to play a Boise State,

and has brought concepts from Boise State and from college football and from the spread to the Cowboys. Now, they did play the Giants on Sunday, and the Giants are utter dog shit, but the Cowboys look fucking incredible. He's just loud. He won't walk into it. I'm enjoying this. Because, and I want the universe to know, the universe has given me great gifts and constantly just gives me a little needling. For example, having my show accepted into the Toronto Film Festival.

International. International Film Festival. And on my flight there for this grand premiere, turning to a number. another Jason Roe in seeing Toronto Raptor star Pascal Seacum sitting on the same plane reminding me just by his mere presence that his team had dispatched the Sixers in the most vicious way possible. Which is a game I still haven't seen. And then on the way home, wonderful weekend, had such a great time, so proud and excited about

the show. And I have a stopover in Dallas, Texas, where the only food option available to me at 9 in the morning was cowboy country grill where every dish, every dish is named after like Moose Johnson or something. It's like the Leon Lett, ex-Bedonidon. It's disgusting. And I send a, I take a picture of it and I send it to this man right here. And he's just like, you should eat there.

It's delicious. But all around me are these-ticket fried steak was amazing. Are all these, you know, perfectly kind people, lovely accents. That's how it is a Cowboys Stadium, too may. Literally saying two distinct conversations, in which the words 18 and O were said out loud with straight faces. Now, that is absolute blasphemy. So I just want you to know where your people are at.

And I don't accept that, nor do I condone it, nor would I encourage it, and I reject it. So let me ask you this. Which NFC East team do you hate the most? Oh, this is a big. We've talked about this on set. So it is a coin flip for me. these days. It was the Giants for a long time.

I will say that it went back and forth for a long time. Certainly through the late 90s, early aughts, it was Philly. And the McNabb era. I will say that

my lasting impression of McNabb was him doing the funky chicken air guitar a boogie into Cowboys Stadium for a playoff game in which I believe you guys

took a goose sag or maybe that was the week before in the last game of the season I can't remember. He sent me this gif. He's texted me this gif and each time I report him to HR. Either way, the Cowboys won that game and I love that as the departing image of your beloved Donovan McNabb who you booed when he was drafted.

We booed once on Sunday. and then we put up 33 unanswered points. And listen, while we're showering false praise on one another's teams, I will contribute and say that that was some game on Sunday. Listen, I had some Redskin fans that I was all ready to hail to the Redskins boy, and then that happened.

You know, if there's anything that scares me about them, it's DJ. It's not Wins. I can assure you that. I am thrilled to see what Josh McCown is going to do with the team. And I think that you have a lot of other pieces that will help him out. And as far as my cowboys go, I would pump the brakes on any, you know, assumptions, any Super Bowl hopes. I would remind my cowboy brothers and sisters out there to remember the past and know that as much as I hate to say it,

There is an element truth in Stephen A. Smith's claiming that the cowboys are an accident waiting to happen. This is getting into like an O'Brother where Arthau's speech like on the radio now. You know, listen, you get me started. I'm going to go. You notice that his microphone cover is Eagle, is Kelly Green. A Kelly Green microphone. I don't see that. I see blue or silver. But I will tell you that I am hopeful. I definitely, they gave us a lot to be excited about.

and it's going to be a great season and I cannot wait till week is it that we have this play. Week seven, I believe, when the Cowboys and Eagles play. I want everyone listening to know that when the schedules came out and we had our shooting schedule,

I looked and prayed that it was after we wrapped. Because I think it was like the season started last year the Eagles had the first game. It was Eagles Falcons. On the Thursday night. We should gather in a neutral site

in Korea Town. Jay and I went out to dinner that night to watch the game and talk about the show or whatever. and have some enchiladas and green chili. Yep. And as the game started to go, because it started pretty poorly,

I think they ended up winning the game, right? But they won it later after we had broken up. And I was just sort of... But it looked bad in the beginning. Just gritting my teeth... A lot like this week. Well, you were sipping a margarito. I was so excited.

I was so excited. ...being like, I have to hold this together. Because I'm not a good sports fan. I'm a very emotional and weak sports fan. Yeah. And I was like, I just got to act like this doesn't matter. I'm just out with a pal. You're the most neurotic sports fan, I know.

I'm a mess. Yeah. I'm really bad at being a sports fan. I love it. I don't want to keep you guys any longer. I feel like we got what we need. I feel like we need Kat to come on and be like, how do you feel about this? Any topics we didn't discuss?

Come on over. Come on over, Kat. About Jay. Oh, Jesus. Can we cut his mic off? This is going to be great. This is just two groups of old friends. And so Jay showed me like you had a small like trailer for this with Anderson Pack on it.

Yeah, that was the trailer they showed for advertising up front. That was the one that Andy told me not to show to. anybody, Kat. But I watch and I go, wow, that was fucking awesome. This is like the favorite thing I've ever seen Jay in. And then,

watching him on set, there's like a freedom to the work that he's doing now that is like really, I don't know if it's the accent or the boisterousness, but it's really good. Or, you know, before he gets into character, Jay elicits kind of like a low-thrody mating call.

Like him sort of like, Texan thrush to get the voice up, which we all very much enjoy at Video Village. So I wonder if that sort of casts a spell. That's the sound of an armadillo made it. And you guys, we're catching you now. You guys have a big scene tomorrow. We won't say anything else, but this is the first time

you got a big scene, right? This will be the first time I've ever acted with Jack. That's right. Like not high school plays or anything? No. Nothing. We did sing the National Anthem together at our high school graduation.

At the Hollywood Bowl, by the way. Wow. Was where our commencement was. Nancy Cartwright gave our... That's right, but the voice of Bart Simpson was our commencement speaker at the Hollywood Bowl. Wow. It was pretty special.

That is a very L.A. story. Oh, man. Not to mention, I graduated with honors having attended two days in the second semester. Because you were working? No. No. Just you were...

just because I was not at school. I just want to, as we wrap up this podcast, I just want you guys to take a moment to think about how much you disappointed Nancy Cartwright. That's a damn shame. Hey, listen, she gave a great speech. She turned that podium around and faced us. Nice.

First thing she said was, hey, dude, and Bard's War. Never went nuts. And they went on about it. On that note, what a pleasure. This has been a thrill. A joy. Thanks to both you guys for joining us. feel like we've got some more football business to attend to.

We immediately need to start talking about golf. On another day, we'll do it, and I'd love to talk golf. All right. Jay Ferguson, thank you so much, Greenwald. So happy when when... Cad, thank you so much. We'll wrap it up there. Today's episode of The Watch is brought to you by The Righteous Gemstones.

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