Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes) - Tony Hale

Episode Date: August 27, 2025

Ted Danson catches up with his pandemic buddy, the fantastic actor Tony Hale. Tony talks with Ted about his “Arrested Development” break, co-starring with D’Arcy Carden in the new film “Sketch,” his unique character type, dealing with anxiety on stage, what faith means to him, and more.Like watching your podcasts?  Visit http://youtube.com/teamcoco to see full episodes. 

We're just a mess. We definitely can't do a podcast together. Welcome back to where everybody knows your name. I'm so excited to be talking with Tony Hale, just a terrific actor who brings something so distinctive, so uniquely him, to any character he's playing. Whether it's arrested development, Veep, Toy Story 4,

and most recently, the decameral on Netflix. Tony Hale co-stars with Darcy Cardin in the movie Sketch. I've seen the trailer, and it looks amazing. I'm very excited to see it. So let's talk to him. Here's Tony Hale.

Oh, we're starting? Oh, we've been starting. Oh! All right, here's where I shouldn't say fall in love. It's a bad way to start. Not for me. But here's how, where I fell in love with you and went, oh, and this was up in Vancouver. It was the height of the COVID pandemic.

Yeah. But people were starting to shoot again. Excuse me. And you were working with Kristen Schall. Yeah. Mary was up doing Zoe's extraordinary playlist. That's right. And you literally were basically allowed to go to your home, go to work, and that was it.

Yeah. And it was scary. Yeah. And rightfully so, but also lonely, you know. Yeah. Yeah. And we formed this little group. Yeah. Saturday night dinner group.

Yes. And I had never hung out with you before, but it was a combination of the euphoria of being able to be with people without masks. Yes. We are all being safe. Very safe. And socializing. It was like, it was seriously. It's like.

It was like Christmas. Yeah. I can't tell you how much. I mean, that was, gosh, 2020 maybe. But I look, so we were doing, Chris and I were doing the show called The Mysterious Benedict Society. And back then, because of COVID, your set was separated into zones. Right. So it was like, it was like A zones, B, C,D.

And if you were, if anybody in your zone got COVID, then the whole zone was taken out. So you just were walking on eggshells. Oh, we can also, as the performers, there was a deep, fear of like if I get sick, then no one works. Right. Because they can't, they can't, all the zone shut down. So there was this kind of anxiety. So knowing that we had this pod on Saturday,

where it was the time that I could freely laugh with people, it wasn't over Zoom. We had just met. And it was just, I think Mary brought her keyboard and would sing songs. Yes. And then Kristen and Rich's little girl was there. and we just i mean because i was i was away from my family that was i was there for six months and i took this i took this job for i was so i mean i'm always so grateful for a gig i took this job and then

covid hit and i was i still had this job and i the border shut so i couldn't go home because that's what you envision when you take a job in vancouver i'll be home for the weekend just three hour rides same time zone yeah and then covid hit and so i was stuck out there so we had thanksgiving Christmas all together. Because you stayed longer, I think, than Mary and I did, because you guys went on shooting. And we always love coming to your house because it was the nice place.

Because ours was just gross. We were like, let's go to Ted and Mary's. Their place is much nicer. It was a brand new build. And it looked like, and there's no art in the walls, and it looked like an upside-down, you were living in an upside-down wedding cake for some reason. It was very strange. I had like a

screening room and stuff, so we would watch movies. And it was just such a slice of heaven in a midst of like a lot of chaos yeah oh it was so nice it really was yeah and then we've been wanting to do a reunion but everybody kind of has gotten busy and stuff like that and now their little girl is really she's already like eight or nine no yeah yeah yeah our goddaughter oh i didn't know i didn't know that and rich who i adore oh my gosh he's just a quiet saint husband of christin shawl yeah yeah yeah great cook very good cook i used to love going to his house kind of the most.

Yeah. Sorry, Mary. Yeah. That came out bad, poorly. Sorry. And we always celebrated birthdays and everybody, I don't know, I remember Mary bringing a great cake. Oh, puzzles.

There was also a puzzle situation there. Yes. Oh, that's just great. And Kristen, for her birthday, I wasn't here for that one. I went back down, but she wanted a fried ice cream something where you had to take ice cream and then fry, it was like breaded. and then you fry it, and you cover it to chocolate. Anyhow, it's nice to see you again.

It's really nice to see you, really nice to see you. One thing I saw it recently, first off, the trailer of you, sorry, you and another one of my favorite women, Darcy Carter. Yes, she says hi. She knows coming days. She was like, ah, I'll tell me that I. I adore her. She's the best.

She's the best. So she plays my sister in this movie sketch. That looks fantastic. It's so special, man. It's taken eight years to get this made. And so, like, eight years ago, the director and writer, Seth Worley, came to me with this idea. And, you know, it was just we went back and forth. And he had written the script.

We went back and forth, like, tweaking and coming up with ideas. And then trying to find financing. It was going to be a team. Just you? Me and Seth, Seth, the writer-director. Trying to find financing. And then it was going to be a TV show at one point, then a film. and then as you know, like finally the money comes in,

and then you're shooting three months later after eight years. No, sorry, after like six years, and then it was like two and a half years in post because there's a lot of special effects. And then Darcy came on board, and it's such a beautiful film. Can you, I mean, in the trailer, I got a glimpse of what it is. I'm not quite sure I saw everything that happens in the turn. Sure, sure.

But it looks sweet, funny, and then scarier. and then I'll get out in a kid-friendly way? Is it kid-friendly? Because your actors are a lot of kids. Yes, yes. And we just, okay, so the basis of it, as I play a single dad who's, he's very worried because his daughter is just drawing

these comically dark pictures. And after something that happens, they end up coming to life. Right. And so we describe it like Inside Out meets Jurassic Park. And so because it's this really fun family movie with these really deep themes. of processing feelings

because in the movie my wife has passed away and it is so well done Ted it is so Seth Worley has done such a beautiful job and it's after eight years it just feels like

you're launching something and you're like oh please yeah please come you know it's going on August 6 on August 6

it's going to be in theaters yeah and it's great and Darcy is just as you know so natural and funny and yeah and you guys on

good place was just we're just like magic Well, we'll get to me in a minute. Let's circle back. What is her relationship to you who have lost? She's my sister. Yeah, she's my sister. So the aunt of these troubled, are your troubled daughter or a kid?

The daughter's going through it and then there's a, there's a, my daughter and son. And it's just a big theme of it is me as a dad, just not knowing what to do with these emotions. you know and she's writing it kind of came from really quickly the director's sister when he was she was younger was also drawing this is a true story was also drawing these pictures they were pretty dark and they took her to a therapist and the therapist asked her because it was a bullying situation and said do you want these things to happen and she was honest and she said yes and the therapist said well i think it's a really good idea you drew them out rather than did them and it talked Because then she showed her a blank page and said,

because what we don't want is this blank page and everything festering and living in your head. And it was just that sense of like this having so many different creative ways to process feelings and stuff. And giving license to it. And as a parent, of course, it's jarring at first. You're like, but just allowing that process. Like that's its own process. But it's so fun. The movie's just great.

Really great. Who did you go to for the animation part? Not the animation, but the... Yeah, Seth Worley, the writer and director, has a history of special effects, and he did a lot of them. And then we took them, and then he farmed them out at the end

because the work got too big. But this is what's so cool. When she draws these monsters and they come to life, they don't look CGI, they don't look AI, you can see that a kid drew them. So it's like you see the crayons, you see the markers, the chalk. Oh, that's great.

I didn't see that. Yeah, and it's like you see the elements of what she uses. And it's, whew, I mean, I just, I'm such a fan of this movie, you know, what he's done. So I'm excited. But it's weird, man. It's like, you know, it's just the launching of it. It's like, oh.

Are you going around talking to a lot of folks and everything? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then what's cool is I'm never going to do a screening at home with family and, you know, all that stuff, which would be really special. That's fantastic. Well, good luck with it. Because it really genuinely, I went, oh, shoot, I want to see this. Yeah, please. I think you would love it.

I think you and Mary would love it. it really love it sure you're busy man kind of have you know all actors look way busier sure because totally if you count the days of the year it's like living the life of riley and it's weird where you if you're promoting something like say like in a summer like or a season two or three things come out it does look like golly you're working non-stop but there's so much time of hustle and just like, did I get that? Oh, I didn't get that. We're signing up.

We've signed up for a career of rejection. That's just the fact. How are you with watching your work? I love it. Well, yes, but is it a process? My daughter's like, dad, I'm like, more, more. No, there's some truth in that joke, but it takes me forever to get there. I have a harder time.

I don't know if you're like this. I have a harder time. watching myself on talk shows or something like this than I do in a scripted thing. Because like Veep, I kind of have a bit of an emotional detachment of it. It's like, you know, I had such a great time, but I can kind of disengage. This is like I'm watching me, you know. Yes. I mean, don't think there wasn't, like, impulse for me to do this.

Just because I could feel myself. My sister once saw me on Fallon. And she says, Anthony, she calls me Anthony. She says, don't take this the wrong way, but you look like a buzzard. And I was like, how in the hell do I not take that the wrong way? And then I saw it and she was right. I was like, Jimmy. How you doing, Jimmy?

It was just this like insect back. What's sad is I know about posture because I'm of the age where my spine is wanting to kind of do that. Totally. So I go way out of my way to stay erect and all of that. And I watched myself recently and be like, fuck. I'm hunched. Totally. I remember on Arrested Development years ago,

Tommy Toon was guest starring. And he, he probably had it. He was probably like at his mid-70s, and he was just gliding across the room. Yeah. Just tall and just statuesque. And I was like, damn, that's a guy who is really focused on that posture.

He's a dancer, so that helps. That's Jane Fondo when you ask her the secret of anything. She throws in posture as one of the most important things. I mean, it makes sense. Yeah. If it just happened naturally, I'd love it. Yeah, no, it's a, it's a workout. Also, there's, I remember, sorry, I remember on Veep, you know, Gary, my character was so, so

worshipped Selena that she, obviously, Julia's short of the nine. So he just, the fact that he was taller than her, he just hated it. If he could somehow cut off a foot of his body so that he could be under her, that would be his ideal. So I was constantly just trying to get lower than her. And then I'd come home and I'd be like, I've got to straighten up. Like, this is rough. I know it's like you always want people to pick something grand in your work to talk about in this moment.

But this was grand and I watched it three or four times the Oscar, Julia's Oscar. Oh, the Emmy. The Emmy one? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you in character stood behind her. But you are a master of something. You were throwing focus just like you would. to her character in the show.

Sure, sure, sure. But you could see it coming. You could see it like, oh, oh, she's losing it. Oh, I better step in. And it made me think about what you said somewhere about the Carol Burnett show. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And watching Tim. Tim Conway, yeah. Who could, with a shift of his eyes, make you have a start. But you are that actor. You are, your, physicality, your reactions to stuff that's happening in front of us is really spectacular. Coming from you, that means a lot.

You can't receive it. It was him and Bob Newhart, actually, because Bob I would watch the Newhart show and he would have so much tension in his body and would just be standing there. And there was something about him darting his eyes or something, you just lost it because you could feel that release. And then Tim Conway, damn, just even talking about him, he brought me so much joy because he never forced the comedy. It was just so fluid. And, and I mean, there's so many things like when he's at the dentist chair with Harvey Corman and he accidentally numbs him, he actually numbs himself. And it just constantly like arms are going limp and legs are going limp. And it's just so

genius. And there's that, there's that famous blooper. I don't know if you're like this. I watch blooper reals more than I watch shows, but there's this famous blooper where they're all sitting on the couch during Mama's family. Do you know what I'm about to talk about? It was Carol at her and, and Tim on the side. And Tim was just going on and on and on ad living. And Mama goes, is that asshole finished? And they all just fell off the couch. And it was so full of joy. It was just so full of joy. And Tim Kansu was making Harvey laugh. And he would walk slowly across the stage as the old man.

And just there was such, there was such restraint. And you lived to see that the other characters break up. And Carol, some of my favorite stuff she ever did was when she would talk to the audience at the end. Well, you saw, I mean, not only was she a comedic genius, but you saw her heart. You know, because she, that was not planned. not stage whatever happened happened and she was very much like you where it's like there's a you have to receive this time but you're a very kind soul thinking about others and in hot hand and also an actor you're not about yourself and you can see in carroll she really cared for her

cast she took care of them like that's that's a very apparent in the work yeah you know let everyone shine yes yes you don't do that but like she did that yeah that's actually a bad move she's not on the air anymore so clearly it didn't work. Carol, take some lessons from Ted. I got to hang out with her a little bit royalty. Yeah, did you know, she did a Julia's podcast that wise within me. That's right. And she just hearing, you can feel, hear the humility in her voice of just, and just lessons learned. And also she's had a really tough life, you know, she's been through a lot, you know. Yep, she has. Really quick, it makes me think of, um, let's talk about your tough life. Sorry, please. Open wound.

What were you going to say about me? No, I was. There was a time in cheers that, no, I, it made me think of like Bob and Tam and is anxiety. You know, there's something about, as comic actors, you almost using what we've been through in life for good and funny. Because it's, I mean, I've dealt with anxiety. and like sitting in that tension because when I've had I've had panic attacks in my past

and when you've had anxiety, it's not a show. It's not like a da-da-da-da-da-da-da. It's an internal battle. You know, and you're trying to calm yourself down. And so when you're sitting in that tension, going through it is crap. But with comedy,

it's, I think, the funniest thing to watch. Somebody trying to keep it together. to be present in a moment of terror or panic and you can just see it in the eyes you know anyways character-wise you're talking about not not somebody literally having a meltdown you're talking about using that oh i'm so sorry what if that's what i meant what if it's like i love to watch youtube videos of people having panic attacks it is the biggest laugh i have i have one of those to this day i'll have one of those that you're yeah yeah yeah performing

sure and just high school having trouble breathing oh i'm so so i hope no one sees this yeah and no one knows what's going on in my head yeah it's awful it's and it it i have such empathy for people that really deal with it it's so terrifying you know it is the thing that's kind of calming if you can get your brain there is if something was real you would deal with it yeah And when you realize that this terror and panic is not based on somebody cut your hand off or here comes a monster, you know, literally, then you would deal with that. But I somehow. Do you know, that's, I mean, back to my work.

Hold on one sec. Okay, go ahead. Thank you. I have to shift gears. No, when I, with, that's why I loved Inside Out is because they made a very distinct difference between fear and anxiety in the movie. Fear is what responds to actually what's in front of you. Anxiety was a perceived, what narrative you formed, what could happen.

And so, because right when I came in, I was like, that's interesting you guys have both, and they made that very distinct. And I will live in anxiety. I'll have all these narratives and all these safety plans of what could happen when more than not they don't happen. Was that with you as a kid? Yeah. yeah I would I was a kid I was I think at the time I mean you know anxiety was not really talked about back then so I just I think I was more like I was a very energetic kid just wanted a lot of attention and then just somehow managing anxiety and I think nowadays people having a language for it what a great gift to these kids but back then we didn't really talk about it no I did this show in San Francisco actually right before um

Vancouver and it was a one-man show and I was absolutely petrified. It was at the American Conservatory Theater and I remember I remember rehearsing and in my mind thinking we can rehearse but I'm going to have a panic attack in front of a thousand people. So it's like we can do this but yeah this is going to spiral out. And I remember my therapist it was a it was just something I had never thought about. He said when you before you go on he's kind of getting me in the practice of when you start feeling those feelings, start having compassion for them. And he said, thank them. And so I would, whenever that voice would come in, I've been like, get ready, you're about to have a panic attack. I would always say, hey, I appreciate you being here.

I know you're trying to help. I'm going to go do the show, but I just wanted to say. I promise I'll revisit your panic. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But like, almost like, come alongside. I really appreciate that. Because before I'd been like, buck up. They're not there. You know, whatever it takes. It's really great about it. Yeah, and embracing them, it was still there. That anxiety was still there. And I even had somebody off stage just in case I forgot a line.

But it just dissipated that sting of it, which was nice. I've heard of some actors who got so burned by that moment that they forever wore an earwick or, you know. And I can totally understand. Totally understand. Yeah. Tell me how you got the rest of development. Tell me about that. So, well, I was in 95, I moved to New York, and I didn't know anybody.

And so I just started looking, remember backstage magazine? Yes. Yeah. So I would get backstage every week, and I would circle, you know, anytime I saw the word quirky, I was like, quirky, quirky. but I would just you know and my very first show was Shakespeare in the parking lot where I did Shakespeare in the parking lot in a parking lot in the East Village and you would make your entrances sometimes from a taxi cab and then every job under the sun so many jobs actually randomly

I was at this temp agency that I would go every morning because you didn't want to get a long-term commitment because you had to be available for auditions so I would sit in this room and it was a purple room. And I remember they would always play Jim Carrey movies every single day. And they would send me on. They would always send me to Condonass. So it was like this guy who looked like a, I looked like a bad gap at, just like walking into like vogue because they needed a warm body just to sit. And it was so bizarre. So I did that. And then I started getting like an agent and I got commercials. Right. And I started auditioning for commercials. And my type was not all there.

That's what they would say. And how did you know that? Oh, that was the description that was my character that you ended up getting. Or they would describe me as. Right. Are you guys looking for a character

that's kind of not all there? Tony Hale. Yeah. And they would also say he's like David Schwimmer but not that good looking. Keep doing that because I loved what you wrote.

Did I write that down? You wrote that down, you know, they're not so good looking. But what about those people out there who don't think David Swimmers? I know.

I was like, okay. I mean, it would be one thing of it was Brad Pitt, but not as good looking, but like, all right. But anyways, David, you're attractive dude. So,

but then I started, I started getting commercials. And so then I didn't have as many of jobs. And then the commercials kind of became my main thing. And a commercial, I did Volkswagen, and a commercial casting director named Marcia de Bonas. She got,

or she was casting a rest of development. And she saw the description. You know, he's not all there. He's, you know, kind of checked out. She's like, I know a guy. And so brought me in. And I remember because Busterer always massaged people's shoulders. That was a part of his bit.

And so I was massaging my knees. And I think the camera stopped here. And Mitch Hurwitz was like, what is he doing down there? And so then he, they flew me out. and I was able to get it. This was on tape. This was on tape because back then, you just, you know, you sent VHS tapes back and forth from New York, L.A.

Yeah. But you did it in person. I did show up. You weren't doing that thing they're doing now. Were you self? No. No, no, no. Yeah.

Yeah. Woof. And then so I audition in person in New York and then they flew me out to meet the network and stuff. I was so nervous. But, yeah, and so then we ended up shooting. I remember we ended up shooting the pilot after I got cast, right after when I went out there, and I didn't know we were going to do that.

And I remember having to go to Old Navy to buy underwear because I ran out of underwear. That's like a very strong memory. But it was like, it was a great cast. And I was also so overwhelmed and it was, it seems like a bit of, or just can I do it? Or am I? It was excited, but it was, um, more overwhelmed. Like I had, I remember we were, so I shot the pilot and then I was engaged to be married.

and then 10 days before we got married, the show got picked up. And I was like, sweetheart, I think we're moving to L.A. So everything was just kind of happening fast. I had never been on a studio lot. This was your first L.A. This was my first thing in L.A. And I'd never been on a studio lot.

I had never, I didn't know what a manager did. I didn't know what a publicist. I just didn't know anything. Right. And so it kind of worked because I'm playing Buster who's just overwhelmed and why I'm not quite there. I mean, I could not have played a confidence. character then, you know? Yeah. Wow.

Yeah. But it's also, and you know, when you have great writing, you know, it's just like, it was so just the situations they gave me of like, okay, by the way, Liza Minnelli's going to be your girlfriend, you know, oh, by the way, a seal's going to bite off your hand, you know, you know, all these like, you must have been in heaven. Heaven. And at the same time, like, what? Like, okay, that's great. Tobias was my favorite character who David Cross played my favorite joke was him joining the Blue Man group

because he thought it was a support group for depressed men. I forgot that. And just like, but that kind of those, and then those kind of layers of comedy, back then no one, I mean, comedy was so good,

but it wasn't something you really had to think about. It was just kind of a one-two joke. Like everybody kind of got the joke. Yeah. Arrested was almost like a drama where you had to think about it like it was layers to like stuff and then you had to rewind it

be like what does that mean and it was challenged you yeah it was like a grid that hadn't been really done much yeah you know and we were both very blessed so many similarities I started off in New York

not just doing commercials being the extra in the back of the commercials yeah there's actually a clip of me playing a lemon chiffon box which meant of some pudding And, you know, so I had the box and the lemon-colored cowl and my tights and, yeah. I would do anything.

I was enamored. I mean, I love my acting class. I went to, I was stunning with somebody who had gone to the neighborhood playhouse and then started teaching. Yeah. And it was, I was dedicated student. Yeah. Just loved it. I almost didn't care, except that I needed to make money to survive.

I didn't care whether I was being hired or whether I was doing a scene in class. I just loved it. Yeah. So I started commercials and then got lucky after time and got cheers. But we both kind of were in writer royalty, you know, people who really. Totally. What a great kind of, you will always have that. Yeah, you felt taking care of with the writing, which was nice.

It wasn't something you felt like you had to come in and go. How can I make this better? How can I make this better? Do you, I always put you in the category of like Henry Winkler. where such longevity in the business and staying kind and humble and like giving to people. He's not kind.

Is he an ass? Am I just learning right now? He's an ass. He's an ass. Oh man, he's a really good actor because he's been so kind to me. He is one of the nicest. He's the nicest guy.

But do you, is there, what is that? I mean, I... Well, you can tell it's not real for me because I immediately attacked the person you put me. No, but is it something that you, I mean, I don't know how you even answer that, but is it is it something you were taught as a kid or just?

You're not nice. You're not not nice. Oh, no. And I do think, but is it, is it something like a gratefulness that you always practiced that kind of kept you having? I think later when you become successful and you're nice, then you're working at staying grateful and not taking things for granted or assuming that this will come your way or stuff. Then you do need work, you know, to stay humble and...

Yeah, and present. I'm one of the most actually humble people. No, that's... Wait a minute. Am I meeting the most humble person in Hollywood? I blew it. I knew it. It's funny.

I've never met a humble person that announces their humble, but great. This is a first for me. So you're not into that competitive meditation thing either, probably. Okay, this is my last question because I... No, no, this is fun. Ask me. I'm so tired of... So if you, if you, I know you get this question all the time, but I'm coming from you, someone who, a kid who's in their late 20s who wants the same kind of longevity that you have, you've had, what kind of advice do you give them?

I, you know, I shouldn't, I would give advice and I always get suckered into it. But, you know, my, the only thing, even if it's not the longevity thing, but just how do you get started or whatever. Yeah. Find the joy of creativity. If you really want to be an actor, go act. And if you decide you can't do anything but this, then you'll be fine. You'll do well. But stay, you know.

Creative. Creative, yeah. And study. Study, don't, you know. Where did you study? Carnegie Mellon. Did you really? Stanford, I fell in love, took an acting class and just went, whoa.

Wow. Yeah. My friend, Dusty Brown, went to Carnegie Mellon. you melon it's a great my other friend's daughter is going there now it's a great program it's it's I mean now it's even it's become this feeder for musical Broadway musicals they didn't have music when I was there thank God

yeah it's then there's small classes I've heard they're not they're not it's a really good thing and then I went to New York and I was so scared yeah and I went straight to Juilliard and I remember the very sweet what's his name sorry I'm blanking John Hausman oh yeah thank you boom it fell John Housman, who was so sweet and said,

I'd tell you what, if you still feel this way, because you could tell that New York City was scaring the shit out of me. And I wanted to, you know, get... And keep the burp to Tony just burped in the middle of my... I was talking about something... This is why I should not be drinking Diet Coke. I need to get back to water.

Bodily functions are my favorite thing. Do you acknowledge farts in your family? We don't acknowledge them, but we freely let them go. Oh, it's just such a source of humor for us. Is it really? Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, um, yeah, please feel free.

Oh, no need. You're like already five times today. Today did you say, are you so naive? I do love that you, because I studied the Barrow Group. Did you ever hear of the Barrow Group in New York? They, well, first of all, let me back up. I remember studying, I won't say his name, but there was a, actor teacher I went to and there was such an eggshell environment in the in the class was a neighborhood playhousey

no no somebody from but it was everybody was just trying to please him right yeah and it was kind of like there was no freedom and just tension and like did he like it did he like it don't know if you liked it and then I went to the barrow group and it was like oh this is supposed to be play yeah you know this is and it was like I had never that had not even entered my mind it was all great work your work's amazing your work and it was this heaviness to it yeah you know and that play was absent yeah i think it took me a while to get to the play part yeah it was so it was such a big deal it was very significant and yeah you would you know you would you were outraged that john wayne won the academy warden not you know uh what was that midnight cowboy you know dustin hop can we

talk about faith. Oh, sure. Really? How wonderful. Because I know it's a big part of your life. It is a part of your life. And it was even a big part of your life when you were in New York. Yeah. Didn't you start something about creativity for faith-based people? Yeah. Did I say that wrong? No, I kidding. I just love it. I want to start using it. It's true. I, so yeah, when I moved to New York, well, my faith is very important to me. And I would say, as a kid? As a kid, not so much. As a kid. As a kid. As a kid, I was raised Baptist, it was kind of a bit of a, I mean, again, nothing against Baptist, but it was a little more of just what you did in the South. It wasn't really a personal faith.

And then in college, I went through a pretty difficult time where I really had this place where it's like, oh, are you say, are you really who you say you are? Can I lean on you, this God that I've heard about? And that was the time when I think my faith started becoming really real to me because there was more of like a, I mean, just a father, a presence. And it kind of got more concrete for me. Were you all on your own? Or was there a mentor or a book? I started reading a lot of CS Lewis. And then when I moved to New York, I would go hear Tim Keller, who was a really great teacher. And he, in New York, it's a very cynical audience. So with a lot of questions, which I think God is not afraid of our questions. I continue.

asking questions, and I continue screaming at him and all that stuff. But Tim was very open to questions, and I just appreciated that. Was he, sorry, was Tim a theologian? He was a pastor. He was just for this church redeemer. And what was your question, though? Oh, the group. So when I moved to New York, I met a bunch of people who were artists and their faith was also really important to them, you know, and we just wanted to support each other and see each other's work. And then also since we're selling ourselves so much, we wanted to do these

projects just to get our eyes off of ourselves. And if I'm honest, it was really, I mainly just didn't know anybody and I just was wanting to meet friends. So we just, that kind of how that started. But that thought was a long like start together. No, no, no, no. Thank you for

it's so strange that all of us went talking about our faith or our spiritual center or whatever it is that you know higher self or I'm doing it right now I'm kind of equivocating whatever that relationship is yeah sure is is slightly embarrassing or you don't want to put it out in a wrong way or something it's yeah it's too bad yeah and it's it's so like for instance when somebody finds out that my faith is very important to me. I never am surprised if I get a reaction of anger or maybe I'm dumb or something

because there's been so much, there's so many different filters people are looking at to my faith, religious trauma, so many things have been done and said in the name of God. And it's just like, it breaks my heart, but that's the filter they're looking at through to my stuff. So if anything, I'm just so curious about their experience and many times I've apologized. Like, I'm so sorry that you, that was said to you or done to you and that this person calls himself a person of faith. That is not like, I mean, Christ in the scripture says the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I may be working on two or three of those on a good day, right?

Right. But when somebody is not exhibiting any of them as doing these actions that are completely against that, that's not in my, that's not. not in the faith category in my opinion you know so if they're open to the conversation it's like really i love hearing their story yeah i think you challenge people because if you're calmly not happily but very centered in what it is that your faith with sounds to me like i'm putting my thing on it so forgive me if i am please that faith is a living every day wake up challenge yourself to be in that, you know, trajectory.

Yeah, in a relationship. Yes, in a relationship that's ever, you know, evolving all the time. If you bump into somebody who's, it's a very rigid thing for them, it is, I'm sure it's a challenge. But that's the good thing about what, I was really looking forward to talking to you today. Sure, sure. Because I knew that you put it out, that faith, your faith, is a very important part of your life. To me, that's the most important conversation I think you could possibly have. So if people bump into you and get angry or this or that, it's still an amazing service. Not that that's why you

do it, but it is a service to them. Well, thanks for saying that. I mean, I just recently had something where something happened to somebody that was really awful. And they were asking, like, how would, you know, how could God allow this to happen? And I think in my younger years, I probably would have tried to come up with the perfect answer, you know, for feeling thinking I had to defend or something. And I just simply, I said, I don't know. I don't know, but I do know a lot of people who have been through really, really hard things. And it's wild to watch how their relationship with God has gotten stronger. And I can't explain it. I don't, and I don't know how that happens, but I've seen that happen.

Isn't that partly the definition of faith? Yeah. It's not evidence. It's called faith. Sure. Yeah, it is, exactly. It's not transactional. It's called faith.

Yeah. Yeah. And for me, and some people might think this is a crutch, you know, thinking, but life is hard. And there's part of me that's like, give me two crutches, because sometimes life is really, really hard. Not as hard as having a faith that. you declare it to be central to your life, that's much harder in a way. I mean, to say that faith is a crutch is kind of misreading, I think, what you're going to have to go through to literally, truly live in faith. That's hard. Yeah, yeah. Having faith is definitely, that's why

you call it blind faith. Like, it's you are, there's a surrender aspect of it that is many times very hard but it's wild though and again i can't explain it but when you knowing that a higher power sees a bigger picture than i do is incredibly comforting and having had the experience of leaning on this presence and crying to this presence and just being still with this presence and the strength that i get from it is i can't explain it but it's that's what keeps me going you know No, I'm really grateful we're talking about this, actually. Sorry. No, no, no, yeah, none, please.

I need to burp. I need to burp again. It really is one of the most important, quite, you know, conversations I think you can have, especially nowadays. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And we don't have to get political and everything, but it is a tough time. There's a lot of suffering. It's a lot of suffering. Going and fear, you know, especially here in L.A.

Maybe it's true. It's probably true everywhere, but L.A. is really tough. Yeah, there's a great. author I love called, he's passed, but his name's Henry now. And I've been reading his book called The Inner Voice of Love. And it's a kind of his journal. And he was a Catholic priest who worked with people with disabilities and himself had many, many struggles. And just his honesty of the simple honesty gives and his truthfulness is such a balm to me. This is where my memory kicks in because at my desk at home, I have all of these post-its taped to the walls

of just stuff he said, and I, for the life, and you can't remember one of them right now. Now I'm having that stage fright moment of, it's all gone. It's fun. It makes for a nice break. And a few minutes later, it'll come back. I need my cue person off stage. It's like, Tony, Henry and Owen said this. I'm waiting for Apple glasses that will have a facial recognition. ago. That's Tony Hale. That's Tony Hale and you like him. Dude, what a great. That is, that's like its own Devil Wares Prada where you're whispering in her ear about the person. That's, I never thought about that. That's you and Veep. That's me and Veep. Also, do you ever want, um, when I'm talking

to somebody, I want that note pad on the iPhone that I can make a note of it. Yes. Because the minute, it's my turn to speak in a conversation, it's gone. And then I'm like, I had something to say, and I'm sure I've done that twice or three times this time. I love the actual moment. Let's have one right now where we both just... Who's going to break first? Who's going to break first? No, very...

I mean, if I get tired, punchy, I will start. heartbreaking. That's a supernatural strength right there, I think. I'm so, you know, I need every brain cell to be able to remember where I am and what I'm doing, what's going on. I have, and other people don't make me break. Sometimes. No, wait, sometimes they do. That's not, that's not fair. Julie would always say when she would dig her nails into her hand just in being so much pain just to keep it together because when your body is literally vibrating

because you can't keep it together it is the hardest thing. I will get giggles but by and large I don't and once I get giggles it's fine it's like let's take 15 minutes Even back to cheers you didn't really break much That's different Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That was different. Maybe I'm just breaking less now because it's like my brain goes, no, focus. That's good. That's good. Yeah. There's nothing about it. I went on cheers. What made us laugh the most was when you would have a joke that just, you all could not, during rehearsal, just couldn't stop laughing.

It was the funniest moment. You couldn't wait to perform it. And you did. And there was crickets. No one laughed. And it was such a shock to your body that we'd all just stop and have hysterics in the audience wouldn't know what we were doing.

Oh, man. That is, it's always, it's always a challenge. Just, I remember being on Vipen, we were so desperate for response of if something is working that if we could hear the slightest chuckle behind Video Village, we were like,

it was like just panting for breath. Like, oh, I think it's working. I think it's working. Yeah. It's, I prefer single camera, I prefer, and I think the world is heading more, that we, with cable and all the movies we watch, that you're more likely to want to watch a single camera, I think, do comedy, and it's more relaxing to my adrenaline system. Yeah. Because you are doing theater when you do three cameras. Do you have, do you have a hard time watching heavy things?

Yes. So do I. Here's how hard time I have. We're watching Sound of Music. And as soon as the Nazis come, I'm out. And Mary and I have this code. Oh, I got to go. The Nazis are coming.

Nazis are coming. Unless it's, unless it's, it's more about real, end of second act, major sadness coming in a way. Yeah. In this story, you know, I can watch certain,

kinds of violence, you know, I'm a guy who loves watching, knowing the guy will never lose because that's what we're watching. Yeah, yeah. Because my wife makes fun of me because I can't watch heavy stuff like Handmaids. I mean, I think Handmaid Sale is such a good show.

She loves it. But there are certain scenes. I'm like, I can't, this is too much. It's too heavy. And she's like, you're an actor. You know that that's not real. You've seen how the sausage is made. And I said, I know.

But I know that's not happening, but I know something like that has happened somewhere in the world. And I just, it's like I can't shake it. It's too much for me sometimes, which is, maybe it's just high. I think that's good. Mary's the exact same way. Really? Yeah. She cannot watch.

I think most of her movies haven't been that violent, but, or have violence in them, but she can't do violence at all. I mean, she'll just get up, you keep watching. I will, I've learned now that. I need to mute it while she closes her eyes because the sand alone would drive her mess. Oh, yeah. And anything with children, it's like, bye-bye, I'm out. I remember as I'm looking at you one quote that you said about your parents, say something about Arrested Development, just stupid.

No, they said Arrested Development. No, this is what they said. They said, our friends told us they love Arrested Development. We still don't get it. But when Martin Short was on, they were like, now he's funny. Yeah. And I was like, I've been on every episode. And he was on, I don't know, maybe two.

She's like, now that guy, that guy's funny. I'm like, all right, noted. He is funny, but come on, Mom. Oh, he's. I know. I know, bless their heart. And Veep, like, I remember taking him to the, and again, they were very supportive, but I took him to this screening in D.C. once, and we got back in the car, and my dad had notes.

He was like, I think this was a little harsh. And I was like, well, I'm not a producer. I can't change this. It was a big deal. It was a huge deal, beep. Could you feel it while you were doing that you were becoming this iconic show? I don't know if you'd ever, I don't know if I ever have, maybe it's that starving actor me all the time that thinks someone's going to take it away. or right i i never had that because our rate like our ratings and our rest of them were never good there's another burp i've had too i think really did they come out of your butt because i asked you a question yes okay oh you burp oh i burp in my mouth oh that's so weird that's so funny this is a fart that's where um but uh i um so now i've already lost what i find it mess we definitely can't do a podcast together um oh anyway hold that thought yeah tell me about your

podcast oh it's because i forgot it's gone hold that thought you lost hold that pause tell me about your aren't you doing extraordinaire extraordinary extraordinary and it's um christian schall and matt oberg and i and we interview people who have beaten guinness record world records but isn't that amazing tell me about that And so, like, we talked to one guy who slack-lined between two hot air balloons. Slack line. So it's kind of like a tight rope, but it's like a, it's a little bit thicker. But he walked across two. Walked.

And we talked to this other guy who got the... With a parachute? No. No. No. Yeah. Oh. And just fascinated.

And we'll talk about like our... We'll laugh about our own fear of heights and stuff. And then we talked to them. We talked to one guy who won the competition for drinking the most hot sauce. And it's just like, what was that person? But like, here's the thing. You kind of come in going, here we go. This is going to be nutty.

But it's super like we just talked to a woman who got the record for the longest hula hoop. Like she could do the hula hoop. And she was so inspiring because she's like, you know what? I got to an age of my kids were out of the house. And I saw this YouTube video of this woman who. Working out. Working out with the hula hoop. And she says, I love that.

And she just became passionate about it. And now she has this whole, they call them like hoopers or something. And they can conventions. And she has this whole new life of hula hooping. More than one hoop at a time. Did she do it for you? Yeah, I think she's done like, I think she can do like six or seven at a time. And but you're, you go and like, you leave inspired.

And it's like, wow, these people are really, really inspiring. How many have you done? I think we're done maybe nine or ten. Are you doing them now? Yeah. Oh, that's so cool. And, you know, the. thing is like even seeing you it's just so nice it's an opportunity just to hang out with friends and laugh

like Kristen shawl makes me laugh oh dear lord so hard i love her so much she's so great and matt oberg is so funny so i just to get that comedy muscle muscle just exercised all the time with them oh i remember what my dad said i'm going back to that thought i remember him and i and this he's just he really is the sweetest man but he these things make me laugh we we were in our tuxes, in the dining room, the car was going to pick us up for the Emmys because I was taking him to the Emmys. My mom was, and my wife were getting ready. And my dad goes, Anthony, so do you think this is going to like lead to anything? And I said, dad, I think I've peaked. Like, I don't know. I don't think this is like, I think I've, they might go down from here,

actually. He was like, oh, okay. Really? You don't. think something's going to come from this. I was like, we're going to the Emmys, Dad. That's pretty good. How are you at the Emmys? Be real. Be real. Yeah, I'll tell you because I talked to my therapist about it. Yeah, good.

Just the fact you introduced the therapist. Yeah, and he, I would always minimize it to get through it. So I would, I would be like, we're spinning on a planet. We're all going to die. It doesn't matter. We're all going to die thing always. We're all going to die. Like, people 50 years ago thought they were the shit, too, and they're dead.

Like, it's like, that's from my head. Just to kind of, because I wouldn't know how to embrace the mag. Those people over there don't even know who myel and brand are. They don't know who gives a shit. And by the way, he's dead. Yeah. You know, so it's like my, my, just to kind of help my anxiety of the weight I was wanting to give it. Yeah.

And this therapist is like, Tony, when you get there, I want you to take a deep breath and look around and just look around. and just keep breathing. And I, the cool thing about it is, it's great advice. It's great, but I remember it. I remember that night.

Yeah. I was still overwhelmed, but I have a memory of it. Whereas before, when you're minimizing and you're thinking all these narratives of life. You're working so hard.

We're like, how big are we in space? Nothing. You know, you're working so hard to protect yourself. I don't remember it. Yeah.

And the funny thing is not a single person in that room can even see you because they're all, all during the same thing. Everybody's thinking about themselves. But it's also this thing of and then you,

it's something that, it's a party I never thought I'd be invited to. So there's that like, wow. And you miss that if you're trying to protect yourself. It is, yeah. Little boy from Arizona. Totally. What the heck?

Totally. Was your daddy a scientist? Yeah, he was, zooming around now. Zoom. I love it. He's a, yeah, he was, he taught, Nuclear physics at West Point, and then he, sorry, he went to West Point and then he taught nuclear physics at West Point. Very smart. Big deal. And then he, then this is his child right here. Exhibit A.

This is my kid. He's, well, he's an actor. And have you seen his characters, the emasculated, checked out ones? That's my kid. Huh. All right. My father was a scientist, not at that, you know, nuclear level. He was an archaeologist, anthropologist, and a director of a museum and a research center and I was surrounded by scientists. Wow.

Scientists do this thing where they, when they write a paper or they do whatever, it's peer review time, which means basically how you build on science is by poking holes on

what the last paper that you read or something. Well, see, this is where they're wrong and this is, so their eye is very critical. I'm not saying your daddy's was. But my, family who

not worship but love me so much all of them but they their eye always goes to and mine does a little bit this too I'm terrible to find that thing that doesn't quite

work all of this is wonderful but you know that thing right over there you may want to take a look at that because that does not work yeah and that's did you get that from your science father or not My dad was very, and I get it, like his son wants to go into a career that doesn't have any kind of structure or any kind of plan that he understands or any, even though, and this is why I think he was very supportive. His dad, my grandfather was an opera singer and was in the Follies in New York.

He was one of the singers, and he was in one of his shows. He was with Jack Benny and Vincent Minnelly directed one of his shows. And then years later, my girlfriend is Liza Minnelly on a rest of. development. It's really a full circle. And he died when my dad was six. And my dad's a singer. So my dad has appreciation for the arts. But it's different when you see your son all of a sudden be like, I'm moving to New York to be an actor. He's like, that framework doesn't match up. So I think to his credit, he was like, are you sure? Like, I have a friend who does this in Atlanta and what about this? And it's not out of love. I mean, it's not out of life. Yeah, 100%.

because I mean our kids wanted to and then didn't want to and I think there was a relief in Mary and myself because there is a lot of not shaming but there's a lot of no you're wrong no you're not right no you're wrong that was bad it never gets I don't know about for you maybe it gets a little bit it's never you never stop feeling it yeah I mean I've been doing this for 30 years and rejection it's always you stings. How old do you, may I ask, 50, something? I'm 54. 54. Yeah. When you're 75, I'm 77. But when you're in those mid-70s, you do, you become Mr. Hale. I'm Mr. Danson. And I have enough weight of, or just longevity of being around that people think that it'd be wrong to criticize me. They may want to, they may feel it, but you, you get this kind of you're he's of an age so you can't attack him but do you also get i get this do you get this they love you it's like tony they love you yeah it's not going to work out but my god they love you my favorite version of that was when i had to sing we all had to sing a song and i i'm just

seriously the worst singer ever. I don't even sing in the shower, but at Carnegie Mellon first week, you had to sing a song. And all my newfound friends came up after I, you know, sang something from my fair lady. And

I said, oh, Teddy, we love you. Sweet schmuck. Oh, that makes me think of just the number of times when you know a film you've done or a show you've done is not received well. Yeah.

And you get the like, Tony, oh my God. Oh, my God. Like, good job. Yeah. Like, seriously, that was so great. That was so great. You can almost live with it. But if you're doing theater and you know that it got a bad route and you have to go, you

know, get back up the next day, that's really hard. That's hard. It's hard when people come and be like, congratulations. Yeah. You did that. There should be, there should be a coffee table book or something. Man, that board. Wow.

Yeah. How long was that? Or this is what I would get a lot. What a beautiful show. It looks beautiful. Yes. I'm like, all right, what about the story? You are great.

I just do not like anyone else in it. Oh, yeah. That freedom of people coming up. up to you. I don't know if you get this a lot of like, man, that thing you didn't, I didn't, I wasn't crazy about it, right? I'm like, I don't know why you need to tell me that. Yeah. You know, I just find it easier. Oh, yeah, right? Horrible. Oof. Good to see you. Bye. Hey, I have had so much fun talking to you, just hanging out. So nice. Really. Thank you for having me. I admire you hugely and I do that stupid wallflower thing where who am I and I'm blah.

Anyway, I'm really glad. I love it. Thanks for having me. me man yeah really enjoyed talking with you tony if you're listening that's all for our show this week special thanks to our friends at team cocoa if you enjoy this episode send it to somebody you love subscribe on your favorite podcast app and maybe give us a great rating and review on apple podcasts if you're in the mood if you like watching your podcasts all our full-length episodes are on YouTube. Visit YouTube.com slash team Koko. See you next time, where everybody knows your name.

You've been listening to where everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson sometimes. The show is produced by me, Nick Leow, our executive producers are Adam Sacks, Jeff Ross, and myself. Sarah Federovich is our supervising producer, engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Perez. Research by Alyssa Graal, talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Battista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Anthony Yen, Mary Steenbergen, and John Osmore.