WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 1053 - Danny Huston

Episode Date: September 12, 2019

Danny Huston felt somewhat doomed when it came to show business. His father John and grandfather Walter were legendary Hollywood figures and his half-sister Anjelica seemed like the coolest person in the world to him. To Danny, getting into the business seemed daunting. But after helping to shoot the opening credit sequence on one of his dad’s films, Danny was hooked. His father was his friend and collaborator but his death left Danny rudderless. And that’s when he started acting. Danny talks with Marc about his many roles, from small independent films to blockbusters like X-Men and Wonder Woman to his new film which he directed, The Last Photograph. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp and Pepsi.  Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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customized business insurance policies starting at just $19 per month. Visit Zensurance today to get a free quote. Zensurance. Mind your business. Lock the gate! all right let's do this how are you what the fuckers what the fuck buddies what the fuck nicks what's happening i'm mark maron this is my podcast wtf how's it going are you okay yeah I know it's bad yeah yeah I know I know I know it's gonna get worse I get it I get it I get it the storms the heat the water rising things dying I get it it's all gonna there's no stopping it now how's it going good morning welcome to the show

Now, how's it going? Good morning. Welcome to the show. We'll adapt, right? Hey, look, you know, and I don't want to be a dick about it, but I've never been happier not to have children. Maybe that's a song. Is that a character in a musical? I've never been happier not to have children. I've never been happier not to have children. I never been happier not to have children. I so I don't know, man. I apologize. Good luck with what you're doing. I hope everything's OK. Today on the show, Danny Houston, the actor, Danny Houston, Angelica's brother. Right.

Danny Houston, John Houston's son. So Danny's here uh he will be here in a minute you can hear him uh talk to me about he's got this new film out that's uh it's heavy but it's beautiful it's a film called the last photograph and we talked about that and about other things about being a houston how about some updates you want some updates on things i can fucking do that i can i not a problem i guess i am now at uh 14 15 16 17 18 18 days off of nicotine and i i think it's all mental now obviously but it's powerful the mental thing is power there's just these moments where there are moments that happen where my brain's just sort of like shouldn't we do shouldn't we be doing something right now shouldn't you shouldn't we shouldn't you be doing one now shouldn't what's going on now this we've got a free second here it's time to to to get a feeling

we got a freeze i got an second. Let's fill it with something or take it down a notch or jack it up. Where's the, where's the, where's the substance? Where's the stuff in that free second?

So that happens occasionally and I'm just trying not to feed all those free seconds with food. I've been doing a lot of cooking here at the house. I find that very comforting, very, gives me a certain, it's a meditative quality. It's creative, it's engaged, and I get to eat things at the end of it. Nothing like cooking for three hours and eating whatever you made in seven minutes.

But I've been doing a lot of food prep around the house, you know, trying out new things. Right now, I'm kind of festering about a marinade for some chicken thighs. What's going to happen with the chicken thighs in the fridge? Look, I know, I know things are not great. I don't know how they get better. I'm sorry. But I do know that by the end of the day, I will figure out a marinade for my chicken thighs that doesn't have too much sugar in it. That I know is going to happen.

It's a little things, folks. Also, thank you for all the mail, the email about clearing up. Got some email about the Seattle shows that there was a massive thunder lightning storm. I knew that. I think I might have told you about that with the lights going on and off and the ghosts but then someone sent me an email saying that there there's there's some indication that perhaps the more theater is built over a graveyard of settlers that had been moved so there could it could be a poltergeist situation over there then somebody sent me an email about all the people who sweat on that stage and the

spirits they're in including william burroughs chris cornell kurt cobain cats like that place has been around a long time some of these vessels some of these structures uh have a bit of uh a bit of a spiritual residue that they collect kind of like a giant orgone box except they're not holding orgone energy they're holding just the psychic shrapnel of the creativity that happened in the structure now either you buy into that shit or you don't. Some days I do, some days I don't. You dig? Yeah, so I'm okay, man, and everything's settling down. My dopamine receptors, all the things, the synapses are leveling out. They're leveling off into what's really me, and physically, I'm back in my body with no way out except for the way out, which I'll just wait for.

No rush on that one. So that's okay. As far as therapy goes, the EMDR sessions are interesting, and I believe they are working. I do. I believe that the EMDR, as we hold the buzzers, target some trauma, hang with that, buzz, buzz, buzz. Then where are we at now? Dish that out. Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Where are we at now? That arc of process through the sort of reintegrating of the trauma or whatever, dissipating it. The EMDR is having an effect. I think it's okay. I think I'm going to be all right. Cats. Cats are all right. Maybe somebody can give me some insight. My older cats are shrinking. They're getting very skinny. Monkey's very skinny. He's getting very fragile. He's 15 years old. Is there something I should be doing? They're eating a lot.

Everybody's running around. Everybody's having a good time. But apparently they have a hard time as they get older absorbing protein. They're on a very high protein diet and they're eating it. But he seems to be just diminishing before my eyes, though he's got a lot of personality still. And he's running around. Energy. Everything's fine.

He's just very skinny. Does anybody know? And don't speculate here. I need some real advice. I could Google it. I did. I guess I could call the vet, but I don't know. Is there a way to fatten him up?

I think I'm kind of blessed to have skinny cats. That's who I am. I can project my body dysmorphia onto cats. Like I'm very happy that all my cats are lean and has something to do with what I feed them. Buster is a large cat. He's not fat, but he's the younger one. But I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing. Maybe I shouldn't ask you. You know, maybe I should just do what everyone else does and do the proper research I've really just been here at home you know trying to uh enjoy my life on a few days down for some reason I started re-watching Breaking Bad I watched uh most of Bill Burr's new special

uh last night at Royal Albert Hall. And I'm starting to realize, though, even after watching Burr's special, it's like I am definitely not as fucking angry as I used to be for no reason. Like the general flow of rage is different for me. I don't know if it's early onset dementia or I'm generally working through things. Maybe it's the EMDR. I don't know. But I'm just not. or I'm generally working through things.

Maybe it's the EMDR. I don't know, but I'm just not. I do get seething, and I do get angry, and I do get anxious, and I do get full of a certain amount of dread, but I'm not about to pop anymore. I don't know why that happened or whether I'm going to assume it's good. I don't know what to tell you in terms of how it happened, but it happened. Oh, yeah, before I forget, all you fish fans,

Betty has not given me a fish playlist. Sometimes people say things on this show, and they don't manifest. I, on the other hand, have to figure out how to use Spotify. That's my project for the week. As the temperatures rise and the water rises and species drop dead around us, you know, I think we're kind of lower on that list, but we're definitely on that list. I'm going to figure out how to make a Spotify playlist.

Now I'm going to try to integrate my Instagram and my Spotify. As the world burns, rights are denied. People are caged. Hate blossoms. I'm going to be diligently trying to put together a Spotify playlist. Right? That's doing something right. Fucking fuck. Chicken marinade marinade thinking limes i got a lime tree

out back i'm thinking limes i'm gonna start with limes so here what do we cover today cats are okay everybody's good old cats are a little lean um i'm well into no nicotine, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 days. I'm doing okay, leveling off. EMDR, working pretty well. Do not know what to marinate my chicken thighs in. World is ending. Betty Gilpin did not give me a fish playlist. The ghosts at the Seattle Moore Theater are probably there, but I think I summoned lightning.

It wasn't just ghosts. I summoned lightning. It wasn't just ghost. I summoned lightning. I'll make it about me. I'd like to think I have that much power. Some of this stuff I'm doing is a little dicey, a little button pushing. I've gotten some emails about my final bit. Some concerned fan emails are just sort of like,

we were laughing through it, but it felt wrong. Hey, you know what I mean? Come on. they're just words a little less angry working on it working on stuff so danny houston is here danny houston made a nice movie he's been in a lot of movies also on succession this season that show i love that show by the way oh yeah and i'm started breaking bad again okay up to speed everyone's here uh this movie the last photograph is a touching dark movie it's not i don't know if it's dark it's just heavy emotionally but it's poetic it's one of those movies that uh grown-ups like me enjoy seeing it's exactly the it is a beautiful um deep, moving, sad, independent film.

But that movie, The Last Photograph, is now in theaters and on demand. And this is me talking to the star and director of that movie, Danny Houston. It's a night for the whole family. Be a part of Kids Night when the Toronto Rock take on the Colorado Mammoth at a special 5 p.m. start time on Saturday, March 9th at First Ontario Centre in Hamilton. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will get a Dan Dawson bobblehead courtesy of Backley Construction. Punch your ticket to Kids Night on Saturday, March 9th at 5 p.m. in Rock City at torontorock.com. Death is in our air. This year's most anticipated series, FX's Shogun, only on Disney+.

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exclusively on Disney+. 18 plus subscription required. T's and C's apply. Mine's a rickety old house in the Hollywood Hills that certainly has a life of its own. Oh, so you've been up there a long time? Yeah, probably about 15 years. Yeah? Yeah.

That's a whole different life up there, it seems. I mean, that's the life that people think of when they think of Hollywood. Well, I'm literally under the Hollywood sign. You are? I mean, I can't see it, but if you're looking at me, I can extend my arms wide open and hold it at the back of my... I can't see it, but you can. So if somebody's looking at you in front of your house exactly i get it well that's fucking nice so 15 years where were you before that new york

uh no i was in uh near laurel canyon oh uh near wonderland oh yeah wonderland the street the infamous the the The horrible slaughter street. Yep. That's weird. That's the point of reference. It's sort of like, I'm up by the old Tate House. You didn't mention the charming school. That's what Hollywood's known for.

Did you watch, did you see Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? I loved it. You did, right? Oh, God, I loved it. Because you grew up in some of that, right? I mean, in a way? In a way, in a way. Really, I grew up in Ireland.

Lucky bastard. You lucky bastard. Cheers. And Italy. And then I went to school in England. I came to Hollywood late. My father, he lived in Ireland and then later in Mexico. Yeah.

But L.A. was always a sort of stopping point. The Mexico period. It's so weird that the generation of your dad's, those guys, they just went to Mexico. I don't, you know, it's like Peckinpah. They had this romantic, I'm sorry, that's what I always associate the family, the Houston family, with this kind of strange, adventuring thing. Yeah. International. Well, I mean, growing up, I wasn't...

Well, I guess I was clear that he was a director. But he'd come from faraway countries bearing gifts. And it was like a pirate coming to visit the house. And with tall tales. And, yeah, I mean, a sort of swashbuckling kind of guy. And Ireland, he left sadly after about four or five marriages, I guess. Where do you fall in? How is it like?

Because I had your half-sister. She's your half-sister, right? Angelica here. Angelica, yeah. Your mother was which wife? My mother was, she wasn't a wife. My mother was in between wife number four and five or either between five and six. wife number four and five or either between five and six.

But you had a relationship with everybody. Oh, yes. No, my father and my mother were tremendous together. And they were very close. Yeah. But, yes, there was a lot going on. Yeah. Yeah. Always.

But now, like, things have, I guess, settled down. But, like, when you started, like, where'd you grow up? Like, you were in Italy, like right in Rome? I grew up in Rome because my father was making a film based on a rather well-known book called The Bible. Oh, yeah, right, yeah. And it was a long pre-known book called The Bible. Oh, yeah, right, yeah. And it was a long pre-production and post-production. The whole thing took about three or four years, and so I happened to be born there.

I like to say that I was conceived, if we're using his films as a measuring stick, I was conceived during Freud, born during the Bible, and teased on Night of the Iguana. And, you know, so I spent some time on the set of the Bible, and I remember watching the first cut,

and, you know, one's father is a god probably for every son and daughter. But in this particular case, the film starts and I hear, in the beginning, and it's my father doing the voiceover for God. And then the next thing I knew, he was Noah. And there were animals following him into the ark. Right. And this was just fantastic for me. And then my mother was also in it. Yeah.

And she plays Haga. Yeah. And she's in the middle, in the desert. Is that Noah's sister? Abraham. Abraham. Oh. And she's in the desert, dying of thirst.

And suddenly, this kid appears, who's her son? And he's not me. Right. At that point, I got very confused. And I've had that problem, really, all my life, trying to differentiate fiction from reality. It's hard, right? It is. Like, I interviewed, there's a guy, who's the guy that wrote the big book on your family?

Larry Grobel. Yeah, Grobel. I interviewed him a while back. He was very, you know, he's the big interview guy. And I remember I set out to interview the interviewer, and it went on a long time. And I'm not sure what I was looking for. I know that I had to, like, he came back again. Now, what was your, Did you like that book?

Yes. I think we all liked it. It at times delved possibly a little too deeply with interviews with others, I felt. But my favorite book biography was a book called An Open Book that my father wrote. And it's a wonderful collection of stories. About the family or short stories? It's a collection of stories from his life. And they're just marvelous. And we used to kid around saying it's anything but an open book. Because it doesn't reveal the sort of things that Larry Grobel. Well, yeah.

I didn't dent it. It's a big book. And I will eventually get it. You know, it's great. You learn a lot about Walter Houston. Your grandfather? My grandfather. I remember him from The Devil and Daniel Webster, right?

The Devil and Daniel Webster, that's right. And, you know, he was born in Toronto and his struggles. And it's an interesting book from sort of, from my point of view, as a sort of piece of family history. Sure. Well, yeah, it sort of fills in all the gaps, I would imagine, for you, if someone else is doing the research. Yes.

Like, I just did that show, Finding Your Roots, you know, where they do your genetic thing and then they do the research on it. And it was interesting, but you had a guy do thorough research and talk to everybody involved and incorporate it into the history of show business. That's a nice thing to have as a point of reference.

It is. Even if he digs up some bad shit. Sometimes you got to. There's bad shit there. Yeah. It's better to happen then than now. Yeah. It creates a dramatic read.

So when did you realize that show business was the thing? I felt somewhat doomed uh yeah um you know we just mentioned walter uh my father angelica yeah my cool cool sister angelica yeah and how much older is she about 10 years okay so she was in it and you were like whoa she was i mean yeah as as as a kid, you know, she still is incredibly cool. But she was friends with like the Rolling Stones. Yeah, I know. Yeah, and Jack Nicholson. Right.

So this was, you know, incredibly exciting for me. But yeah, and my nephew, Jack Houston, it's kind of like the family business. So, I mean, I resisted it for a while. I like to paint. And I sometimes saw my father struggle with the whole circus act that's around filmmaking. And the money involved. And the money involved. And I could see that it caused him trouble from time to time,

even though he knew how to play the game so beautifully. I mean, he was just a poker player. Really? Yeah. He'd bluff and just... Like in what situations? What was the education? Okay, well, I'll give you an example. I remember when he was making

Pritzy's Honor with Angelica and Jack, actually. A guy from ABC came up and said, Mr. Houston, it's incredible. You're using such a low amount of footage, of film. You're saving us so much in the budget by doing so. And he said, thank you very much.

It's very kind of you. And then when the gentleman left the room, my father said, idiot. He doesn't understand that they can't cut it any other way. So it was a control thing. Yeah. He'd be cutting in the camera so that- So they didn't have anywhere to go. Any option, yeah.

Oh, that's smart. That's the kind of thing, you know, that's sort of trickery. When you were coming up, so you started as a painter? Did you go to college? I went to art school. I went to film school. Oh, yeah? In Europe?

In London, yeah. And then I had this moment when he was making a film called Under the Volcano. Oh, yeah. Albert Finney? With Albert Finney. Yeah. Based on a Malcolm Lowry novel. And he was struggling with the title sequence.

I used to make him cocktails or drinks. Depending what country he was in, it would be a different drink. In Mexico, it was Cuba Libre, rum and Coke. And I brought him a rum and Coke, and it upset him. He said, no, no, no, no. The Coke should only color the rum. So I went back and poured him a large one. And then we watched the rushes.

Yeah. Front of the volcano. Front of the volcano. And he was struggling with this title sequence because it was paper mache dolls, but they didn't move. So the shots were very static for the title sequence. So he turned around to me and he said, Danny, you've been to film school and stuff, right?

Direct the title sequence. And it was almost a moment of horror for me. Right. But he handed over Gabriel Figueroa, who was a wonderful cinematographer. Yeah. And I shot the sequence using a camera that moved around the dolls to try to create some movement. And he was delighted.

And that was my first job. That was it? That was it. That was my first job. And were you hooked? Were you just because? Well, I mean, pleasing your dad's obviously a great thing he he dumped this thing on you like you you couldn't say no and he showed up and you nailed it i like to i like to think i did uh but i did i did come out of film school

and stuff so it was it was it was kind of my my secret ambition oh uh yeah you just didn't know how it was going to unfold where the confidence was going to come from? Yeah. And then he produced the, how long before you did the first feature? The first feature I did with him was based on a Thornton Wilder. And you directed that, right? I directed that. It was called Mr. North.

Right. And I had a wonderful cast. It was a big cast. I remember Anthony Edwards. Anthony Edwards, yeah. Yeah. And again, my father, I mean, we were like two hustlers. Yeah.

I remember presenting the script to Lauren Bacall, and there was a long flight of stairs. Did you write the script? No, he did. Oh, your dad did. Yeah, he did with Janet Roach who actually also wrote Prince's Honor with him. Was he intending, was it one of the things that he was intending to direct or how did that like?

No, I gave it to him. Oh, you gave him the idea. He said, alright, I'm going to write this and you're going to direct it. That's right. Interesting. So we got this great cast together. And, yeah, Lauren Bacall, she was literally standing on top of a flight of steps outside the Westwood Marquis. Yeah.

And I carried his oxygen tank up the steps. Wait, do you have emphysema? Yeah. I carried the oxygen tank up the steps towards Lauren Bacall. Yeah. And he turned around and winked at me and said, no way she's going to refuse this. And then, sadly, while we were making the film,

he called me. He was meant to act in it. And he called me and said, Danny, if I were to fall ill, is it okay if I get Robert Mitchum to stand by, just in case? I said, well, look, I'm sure you're going to be fine. But yeah, sure, of course. And then he did become ill and checked into the hospital in Newport, Rhode Island. While you were shooting? While we were shooting. And Robert Mitchum arrived, came to the hospital.

They spoke. And Mitchum said, you know, I'm sorry about the circumstances, but I'm here. And when Mitchum left the room, my father lowered his oxygen tank, looked at me and said, biggest hoax I ever pulled. And, you know, he considered Mitchum one of the greatest actors and couldn't believe that he got him.

But this was also a show of bravado and a show of support. And he was such a gentle man in that regard. Did he get well or was that? He got well for a short time. And so what sort of fascinates me about the choice in something even like Mr. North

and then again with the new movie, which I watched the uh the last photograph yes you know is that there and even in some of the movies your father made that were is that these stories are very are very specific they're they're not mainstream stories necessarily they're stories like because i have this big rant going on actively in public about the limitations of mainstream cinema because of the bullying element of comic book movies and what independent film means and where it can go. And I realize that some of this stuff, like your dad and even like, I think Mr. North did okay, right? Because he had good actors in it. Absolutely, yeah.

But then as you move forward, like watching the last photograph, I was like, this is a powerful movie. It's very moving. It's beautiful to look at. It's challenging in a lot of ways. But it's not like a story that you just don't – these type of movies are – they're hard to see anymore, like in movie theaters. Yeah.

Isn't that true? It's true. Yeah. But I mean, I thought it was an amazing movie, and I'm glad I watched it before you came. But even with something like Mr. North, and then something like this thing, The Last Photograph, which you wrote and directed and acted in, how do you decide to commit to that story? You know what I mean? It always baffles me when I talk to directors where they have this thing

and it's sort of like they're – because it's going to take years. Yeah. And you've got to lock in. I mean, obviously, you're acting and doing other things. But what was it that sort of – what was it about that story? Like let's talk about The Last last photograph, the newest movie. Yeah. I know exactly what you're saying, by the way.

It's, you know, again, my father was just spectacular the way he'd be able to make, you know, Wise Blood. And Fat City, Blood and Fat City too Fat City and Under the Volcano but in between all those three right he got in Annie

right so he really knew how to play you know giving one to them and right and keeping a couple

for himself right keeping himself interested in in in new material.

Yeah. Trying to figure out new ways to make films. And the last movie, what, The Dead? Yes. I was like, ah, spectacular. Yeah. But also able to throw out Annie. The Bible.

Escape to Victory, Dino De Laurentiis, The Bible. He was also able to, so he was really able to play that game. Right, right. He was also able to, so he was really able to play that game. Right, right. And so with the last photograph, it was an idea that a friend of mine, Simon Astaire, gave me as a gift, really. It was a beautifully written screenplay. And with that- Oh, it was his screenplay.

Yeah, it was Simon Astaire's screenplay. And with that... Oh, it was his screenplay. Yeah, it was Simon Astaire's screenplay. And I saw it as an opportunity to play, get back in the saddle, and play with different mediums, not necessarily for stylistic reasons, but for reasons of necessity. And so I used a Canon still camera to shoot London during Christmas. I then used different-

With film? No, digital. A little digital. And then I used a 16 millimeter for the scenes with the kids in the park. I used probably about six or different types of equipment. Was that on film, the 16? Yes, it was. Now, of course, technology is so advanced that you can make anything look like anything.

Yeah. But I liked the idea of actually holding equipment that was older and it forcing me to see things possibly slightly differently. And your character has that element to him too, that he's stuck in the past a bit in grief, but also it seems in his shop as well. Yeah, exactly. And the different formats also allowed me just to, not to have things like place cards or dates and stuff like that.

And hopefully emotionally, the film is at times possibly a little languid. I could keep the emotion, stretch the emotion, without giving you more information on the screen. Well, I thought that was very effective because there's a good chunk of the movie where you don't really know what happened. Exactly. There's pieces given to you, kind of, but it's really about the poetry of grief, right?

And the maintaining of that and moving through it. Yeah. And this guy, he owns a bookshop. He's a quite curmudgeonly, probably unpleasant kind of guy. Yeah. And this photograph is stolen. And he spirals. He just goes into complete panic.

And then while he's searching for this photograph, the film becomes a sort of fateful night, which December 22nd, 1988, when flight Pan Am 101 exploded over Lockerbie. Right. Yeah. And it's like, the whole thing is sort of like, I just had a conversation with somebody else about human beings and about how we avoid the sort of realities of death. We do, in terms of that conversation was about how elderly people don't die in the homes anymore. Everything's sort of geared towards not paying attention.

sort of geared towards you know not paying attention yeah so when you see you know a man this character you played kind of like not being able to let go and having death hoisted upon him you know in such a dramatic and and public and you know shocking way uh it was it was surprised for me it was just it was very sort of emotionally satisfying in its sadness because you really play it all the way through. I mean, you know, in acting that, I mean, that must have been somewhat difficult. Was it for you? Well, yes. And also to direct at the same time. That was a little schizophrenic.

Yeah. Yeah, you're talking about death. The more mass shootings that we see, you see on the news channels, these photographs that come up. And each one

representing an individual story. Right. And that's what I found interesting about the concept that Simon Astaire brought to me. I knew from a directing point of view, I knew that me, Danny, would be available as an actor. And that I could shoot- It's the easy casting. Yeah. And that I could shoot at different moments, different times. So I could shoot London in the winter and I could shoot London in the summer.

And I knew that I had me. So that's one of the reasons I cast myself. Probably the primary reason I cast myself. Right. You're scheduling issues. Yes. I wouldn't have to get on the phone and say, hey, man, can you do me a favor? I didn't have to do that.

That was me. But he's a hard character to take home because the state of – he's kind of like a post-stress situation. And the grieving is such that it's hard to shed. And one's bombarded with new glass photographs all the time. So it just became something that I was very aware of. And now that I talk about it, it's something that I can conjure back. We've all lost friends, family, et cetera. We all have that last photograph. And so it's a hard thing to continue performing. But from a directing point of of view it was exhilarating because i could use these different formats i could dance around i could shoot stuff yeah in london i could shoot go go drive up to scotland and shoot in scotland and that was an insane scene yeah where he's just

in shot yeah and but i could play i could play from a direct from a from a directing point of view right um and i was uh it's a little bit of an experiment, the film. Also, I was interested in creating a situation, an emotional thread that could lead me into live news footage

without having to superimpose my character into the scene or anything like that, but actually create a situation where we didn't feel that we were cutting away to a news report. You mean when that guy came out and made the announcement?

Yes. No, it worked really good. Yeah, the nurses arriving, the ambulances, et cetera. That's all real footage. Yeah, no, it's great, because it could even look like the same room that you were in. Exactly.

Almost. Yeah, yeah, that's by design. Oh, yeah? Yeah. No, it's great because it even looked like the same room that you were in. Exactly. Almost. Yeah, yeah, that's by design. Oh, yeah? Yeah. No, that was great. Yeah. And also, like, the sort of relationship with, there was a line in there that the actress. Suta Chowdhury.

Yeah, yeah, who I hadn't seen in a while. Yeah. And you made this, it's a couple years old this time, right? It just took a while to find its way? It did. And you made this, it's a couple of years old this thing, right? It just took a while to find its way? It did.

But that line where she says, I believe it was her, where she says, you know, he was in love and he wanted more. Yeah. You know, it's really kind of like, there's something about the poetry of the script that's pretty, you know, kind of like, you know, at every juncture, you know, you sort, it, it's sort of her outreach to your character to frame. This is something that, you know, wasn't your fault. Number one. And number two, you know,

there's no way to explain it. There was no one to blame after a certain point. How do you let that go? Yeah. Because he's, he's guilt ridden because he bought the ticket. Yeah. And then the dynamic with the girl,

with the girlfriend, who's only, you know, who only knew him for three weeks is very profound as well, because that she's going to carry that weight on a different level. Yes. Yes. Oh, my God. I know.

And I don't know whether I've discussed this with the writer, Simon, a couple of times. But when she returns back in the story after years have passed. Oh, and meets him at the church. I'm not sure whether he's imagining that or not. Yeah, well, that's one of those things, right? Because it's actually in a joke I'm doing on stage now because I'm a comic. Where I talk about the difference between these big, huge Marvel movies. But, like, they're pushing us all to, we have to drive 25, 30 miles to, you know, to see grown-up movies in a theater situation where we can all have the experience together and walk out confused by the ending as one group of people.

And that's, you know, what happened to those days? Did he die? Did she die? What happened? I i don't know what happened why didn't they tell us i think the director wants us to have this conversation it was so one of those movies for me where no it was a poetic ending but that but oh so that was it like you know it's it's to create some did he imagine did he not imagine was it real was it not yes and and and does he is he looking i hate the word closure but is he is he looking for some sort of peace within himself by imagining her and releasing her uh back to the love affair that she was having with his son. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

And does he, because that shot of you at the end is not comforting. No. The film is not a comforting film. It is not a Friday night popcorn movie. It is absolutely the antithesis of that. But I'm really trying to, for myself, assess this kind of stuff and put it into, because I think I'm about your age. I'm really trying to like for myself assess this kind of stuff and put it into, cause you know, I'm like,

I think I'm about your age. I'm 50. I'm going to be 56, you know? And, and you start to think about like, well, what am I taking in?

Why am I taking it in? What is important? What is art? What is an art? You know what? And you know, when I'm, when I,

when I saw how that your movie started, I was like, all right, well, this is what we're going to do here. This is, you know, I'm going to have to, I'm going to, this is something I'm going to have to sit with, and I'm going to have to allow. Because in terms of the narrative, the story, it's really a poetry movie, because the story is, you don't really, you don't ever think you're going to find the photograph.

Right. You don't ever think you're going to find the photograph. Right. You know, and then it's just a series of revelations that deepen the character's grief for the viewer. Yeah. But I really thought that through that and the way that you shot it, you know, and the way that you shot their romance, the kids' romance, and with that with the woman who walks across from you and even your old friend that you know these become very you know loaded and you know there is sort of small bits of relief and bits of connection that we all can have around the emotional process this guy is going through and that that is what it should be you know that is what the feeling

should be it doesn't have to be about like well, well, how does the story end? Or, you know, that is the poetry of film if you let it happen. Yeah. And it's the reflective nature of it, I believe. Of film. Yes. Yeah. I mean, we were talking earlier about my father in Ireland. Yeah.

And, you know, he'd get the projector out, and there was always a big sort of palaver about the film ripping or not. And then we'd project these films on the wall, and my grandfather, who I never met, was in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and he was a gold prospector, and that's who I thought he was. I thought my father was Noah. old prospector, and that's who I thought he was. I thought my father was Noah. So film kind of lies but also tells truths at the same time. And what I thought was interesting was this drive to the airport, driving my son to the airport.

And it's really quite a banal conversation. We're not saying anything that carries any great meaning. That's where it starts, the movie. Yeah, we're not saying anything. In a way, it's the spine of the film. But then, as we are informed, as the audience is informed, we see this conversation in a different way. And I find that interesting how we

find more symbolism or we are more concentrated or intrigued by a conversation when we are informed what will happen. How many features have you directed? Three. Is it a third one? Yeah. three. The third one? Yeah.

I mean, I started with a, with a, with a small one hour film, fresh out of film school, after I directed the title sequence, called Mr. Corbett's Ghost. And my father was in it.

Where's that? Can you get it online? Probably. Yeah. And he plays a collector of souls, a type casting. Yeah. And,

and I have Paul Schofield in it. And, and I had Burgess Meredith. Oh, wow. Wonderful. And then I moved on to Mr. North where Lauren Bacall, Robert Mitchum, Harry Dean Stanton, David Warner,

Mary Stewart Masterson, Virginia Mattson, a great, great cast. And then I made a film called The Maddening with Burt Reynolds and Angie Dickinson. And then I made another film called Becoming Colette about Colette with Klaus Maria Brandauer. And by that point, I'd lost my father, who was my friend, my collaborator. And then I found myself in a sort of rather seasonless state in Los Angeles.

Without your old man, you mean? Without my old man. And without, I mean, years were going by. I was, you know, lots of meetings and phone calls and trying to get stuff going. But you were acting, no? No, I wasn't. I was in a complete funk. I was sort of flatlining.

And I couldn't get anything off the ground. And waiting for this this eternal green light. So the plan was directing. The plan was directing. And then fellow directors, friends, because of their kindness, really, started casting me in small parts. Right. And then the parts got bigger. And suddenly I realized,

oh, wow, I should take this, I should take this seriously. I guess I'm acting. Yeah. I mean, the reason I said yes was because I was interested, because most of my film experience was on my father's film sets.

So I was interested in experiencing how other people worked. Yeah. And I worked with Mike Figgis and with Bernard Rose, who were more experimental in their approach. Figgis on which one? Time Code. Oh, yeah.

Oh, that's where you were, right? Yeah, where we had a quadrant. Right. And we were writing the script. I was writing the script on music sheets. Yeah. But you knew Figgis. He put you in Leaving Las Vegas as well?

Yes, I was waiter number two. And that was the first, like, he was throwing you a lifeline with that. Yes. He's like, you know, Danny's in trouble. Yeah. We got to keep his health insurance. Exactly. Get him a part.

Seems sad. Yeah. He's got to keep his health insurance. Exactly. Get him a part. Seems sad. And then, you know, and then Bernard Rose and I, he just, I worked with him on a version of Anna Karenina. Yeah.

And he said he was having trouble with the cut on the film. And we were both in a very depressed state, moaning, groaning about the film business. Right. And his girlfriend at the time said, you know, you guys are really boring. Why don't you just go out and make a film? Yeah. And we were like, no, you don't understand. It's far more complicated than that. You can't just go out and make a film.

And she was like, well, I have. And she was a documentary filmmaker. Yeah. And so we tried this new camera out, this Sony digital camera that Sony lent us. The red? No, earlier. Oh, yeah. And they used this as a sort of testing, as a trial.

Yeah. And we shot this film in our backyard, basically. And it's called Ivan's Ecstasy, based on the death of Ivan Ilyich. Yeah. And it was a bit of a sort of poison letter to Hollywood, but basically we stayed true to Tolstoy as best we could. It's actually quite a faithful adaptation. And it became a success.

It got independent film spirit nominations, and it sort of propelled me as an actor and the next thing I knew I was working with Scorsese and with Nicole Kidman and a film called Birth and I was like wow I got to take this seriously not that I wasn't but I mean I was like

this is actually happening but had you had any training at all? none whatsoever life life was my training and story story This is actually happening to you. But had you had any training at all? None whatsoever. No, none. Life. Life was my training. And story.

Story. That's what it's all about. I consider myself a storyteller. Sure, of course. Yeah, no, no, I know. I talk to more actors than I used to, you know, because I've been doing it a bit myself. But, you know, many of them come down to the storytelling. They're honoring a story. You know, many of them come down to the storytelling.

They're honoring a story. And then other people get caught up in the nuance of acting, you know, in terms of, you know, tools they use or what have you. Yeah. But you just show up. Try to show up. But yes, yes. It's, you know, so basically from that point on, I was an actor. Basically, from that point on, I was an actor. And what I love about it is, you know, my credo basically is to try to work with people that I respect.

Right. And so from an acting point of view, I mean, you mentioned this earlier about how much time it takes to direct. But from an acting point of view, I can be like a bee or something. Right. I can go and I can taste the nectar from different flowers. I can make three or four films per year if I'm lucky. Acting. Acting. I can maybe do a couple of TV shows or guest appearances, but I can keep active and I can

be working on many stories at the same time. Now, this grinds to a halt when one is directing. Right. Because you're turning other stuff down possibly and you are just single-mindedly directing this. I mean, the last photograph, like you mentioned, is two and a half years ago. I started making it and finished it in a rather unconventional way. But it's taken a long time. And you need that dedication and that gumption to just keep writing it until it gets seen. That's from the point of conception to the point of release.

So a lot of time. On some level, there's some element of rationalization in, you know, when you're taking four or five acting roles a year and you're sort of framing it as like, well, I get to experience how other directors work and stuff, that when you actually have to direct and focus your own energy on not doing any of that just for two years, there's got to be moments where it's sort of like, I just can't get a job just to not finish this. But yes.

And at that point, the idea is possibly become a little tired for you, but you've become utterly obsessed. Right. Oh, that's good. You have to. Yeah. You can't let it go. So, you're also in succession this season, I noticed you. I just started watching it, whatever, a couple weeks ago.

That must be great to work with those guys. It's fantastic. Did you know Brian Cox? I met him because we both played General Striker in the X-Men. So it was a very funny meeting in Edinburgh in Scotland where it was like, oh, I'm playing you. No, no, I'm playing you. And we look completely different. So it was great to see him again. And I love working with Brian. Where's he from? Is he British?

He's Scottish. He's Scottish. Yeah. Yeah. Comes from, yeah, hard Scottish background. Oh, yeah? Yeah. Like most of them, I guess.

I guess like most of them. Yeah. Like most of them, I guess. I guess like most of them. Yeah. I mean, we were in Dundee, and he showed me the apartment or the house where he grew up. It was seven families in one block, maybe two, three floors, and an outhouse that they all used. Right. They all had to use so when you do like like over this process of doing what were you know obviously growing up a bit on your father's sets and then working a bit with scorsese with figas with you know who are some

of the other people that you know how do you you know what do you integrate into your directing craft from these experiences well the experience of experience of making about four or five adaptations with Bernard Rose, Tolstoy adaptations. We did Ivan's Ecstasy, which is... That was your big break. I don't know that I remember seeing the movie. That's the death of Ivan Ilyich. Right. Then we made Boxing Day, which is Master and Man.

Then we did the Kreutzer Sonata. We did the Two Jacks, which is the two hussars. I did that with my nephew. But what I really took from Bernard is his sort of unapologetic manner. He doesn't wait for anybody to tell him whether he can make a film or not. He just starts. Yeah. And then he tries to raise some money here and there.

But he's kind of like a punk rocker in that sense. He's like you starting these interviews in your garage. Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just do it. You just do it. You stop the concern about who's going to release it and how the backing is arranged financially. But that makes it difficult because you then need to get it out there.

Sure. But it's a great unapologetic approach. And Mike Figgis was the same. And so that's what I got from them. My father had to play the studio system. Well, he was like his legacy. Yeah, but we don't have to do that anymore. There is no...

If you've got a guitar and you've got a good melody, bash it out in the garage and send it out. If it's good, it'll probably hit. Yeah, maybe. Maybe, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But you've got it out, you know, you've done it. I do think that...

I mean, it's a good question. You've done it, that's true. You've completed it and you've done the. I do think that. I mean, it's a good question. You've done it. That's true. You've completed it, and you've done the work of your heart. Yeah. But it is an interesting question about the way the fragmented media works now and this ability to self-generate and put things out in the world. The idea that, well, if it's great, it will find its place.

But I wonder how many... Not necessarily. You're right. I wonder how many geniuses are out there submerged. Not necessarily. You're absolutely right. And the stars do need to align. And sometimes they don't.

And the work is still possibly remarkable. I mean, how many great painters are out there that we don't know? How many Vincent van Goghs are out there that we don't know? It's wild, right? But there is a lack of gatekeepers now. And they were the ones that determined things. But also the other side of that, unfortunately, is not unlike some painters that if something exists out there in the world, at the time it was released or created uh it may not get any recognition but you never know 15 20 years down the line someone finds it and like this guy was a g died destitute yes but what a gift yes also also true right so absolutely true yeah uh but you know when when you have when you have the the machinery in place I have a film out these past couple of weeks called Angel Has Fallen.

And that's with Jerry Butler. And that's a franchise. And it's like a freight train. Really? You can't stop it, which is wonderful to be part of that. It's great to be in a number one film for a couple of weekends. What is it? Is it a Marvel movie or something? No, it's a, he plays a security for the president,

and this is the third installment. You had Olympus had fallen, London has fallen, and now it's Angel has fallen. No shit. And, you know, look at this cast. I don't even know what this movie is. Where am I living? And it's a huge movie?

It's a huge movie. It's a huge success. But my point. In movie theaters? In practically every, that is actually my point. It's in practically every movie theater. And my film, The Last Photograph photograph is playing in one theater nationwide in santa monica at the lamley theater and that's your strategy that's for one week you gotta fly in for one week

and and and um you know then it'll go on the on the video demand and all all the digital platforms etc which i i'm perfectly happy with this film because there's something quite private about the experience. Of that movie. I think that might be true. And it kind of goes against my sense of what it should be, but it is. And I'm delighted that it's going to be up on the big screen

for a week or so. No, yeah, I was just in a movie like that where just to be in a theater at all i guess yeah it's an exciting thing so there's no chance that it will pick up more theaters or you don't i don't think so i think it's all it's all geared towards the one week theatrical release yeah and then um and then um into your home so what was the journey of this movie though why did it did it take so long? Did you do the festivals? What was the process of the last photograph? We did the festivals.

We did Edinburgh Film Festival, which was a very, very poignant evening with Alastair Stewart, who was one of the newscasters who announced the Lockerbie, the Pan out 101. I guess it is really sort of relevant in how, like, there are these tragedies that happen through acts of terrorism that seem to require the victims, the survivors, you know, live in a sort of blame, you know, to find some sort of justice. Like it's relevant because these shootings, like you said, because there's so many things like this that create these type of the families of victims. Yeah, yeah. The Pan Am 101 fight was complicated. We don't really know where the blame lies. I know.

Very many conspiracy theories. It was attached to Libya initially, right? Well, you know, finally, I believe it was Cheney who negotiated a deal with Gaddafi where Gaddafi gave money to the families of the victims as a means to lift sanctions.

Yeah. And then Blair and Bush were able to have business with Libya again. Right. So, you know, Gaddafi accepted the blame by paying the families, but never actually said it was him. So we don't really know. There was a man who was prosecuted in Scotland, who was released and brought back home to Libya because he was dying of cancer, I believe. And we don't really know. We don't really know.'s what we do know is that this was one of the first um terrorist uh hits of that on that size that was right uh many americans yeah uh i think the the biggest

terrorist act uh over english soil right um and um it was the the beginning of what has happened. Sure. Okay, so you do the event with Alistair in Edinburgh. Yes, that was magical. And then the other event was a screening at Mill Valley, which was during the fires. Last year? Yeah.

So that was tough, but everybody was very, I don't know about willing, but they were open to a film about loss. Yeah. Interesting. And then, like, so then what is the process of, like, I don't know. Like, I've talked to Sophie Huber about her recent documentary, the Blue Note documentary. about her recent documentary, the Blue Note documentary. Then I sort of talked to her about that to help her,

because I love the movie, get it out there in the world. And I work with Lynn Shelton, independent film director, who's great. And we did a small movie. But like, so it goes to festivals and you try to sell it

or get a distributor? Yes, exactly. It goes to festivals. You hope you'll... Who financed it originally? Private financing. That came through Simon Astaire. Oh, okay. A man called Hans Rausing.

Yeah. And yeah- Just an investor? Yeah, an investor. Rather charitable investor. I think they all are when it comes to independent film, right? Yeah. The film didn't cost a lot of money, but still, you need money to make it. Yeah, you hope that you garner good reviews, that the audience is supportive, and that there's maybe a few people there that might decide to pick up the film.

Right. And we were lucky enough to find Freestyle who are releasing it for us. Wow. And that was a two-year process or so. Yeah, if not longer, yeah. It's crazy. Probably longer.

All right, so let's talk about these, all right, let's talk about these, no, the Marvel movies for a minute. Certainly. these uh all right let's talk about these um now the the marvel movies for a minute certainly uh so the you were in x-men origins of wolverine all right so you know when you get one of these roles like a role like that and and or well i think the other ones oh by the way i loved i loved stan and o Ollie. I'm so... I think anybody involved in film should see that movie. Yeah. And you were great as Hal Roach.

It's not a huge part, but it's a good part. Yeah, I know. Again, as far as tasting the nectar off of different... That was a perfect example of me being able to go there, work for two or three days, and see these two guys who just were remarkable. Crazy. And from the prosthetics to their movements, it was, I was gobsmacked.

I forgot my dialogue because they were just, they looked so't believe it so unbelievable and to be the mannerisms yes like you know you know I mean both of them but Coogan was like the detail yeah Stan Laurel was like this twitchy yeah I mean it was a you know tricky business yeah I can't it was and it's hard what's heartwarming isn't it I? I loved it. I loved that movie. So when you get these, like as an actor, because maybe I'm wrestling with my own trip here, but whatever you may think of movies or what their place in culture is or if they're doing actual damage to the form,

as an actor, you make a choice as an actor, right? I mean, there's money involved, but I mean, we're not talking a fortune, but you want to work. And, you know, I guess not unlike your father directing, you know, movies that he may not have wanted to direct in order to stay in the game and do the stuff he wants to do, you know, you'd somehow, I guess, show up with as much as you as possible and engage in it as an artist that you are without judging it.

Yeah, but okay. The number of people I've met who have said, oh, Annie was, when I was a kid, I loved that movie. Yeah. Or, you know, the entertainment value that film has to lift you out of your daily possibly dull or life where you're suffering. You need a little lightness. You need something to lift you up a little bit. And I think to judge these films too harshly is possibly unfair. What I try to do from an acting point of view is I just try to find the key into the character.

With Wonder Woman, for example, General Ludendorff, yes, in story terms, he basically wants to exterminate mankind. Right. Okay. Yeah. But in truth, he was a real man. He existed, Ludendorff. He was humiliated in battle. He lost his son on the German front. And it's all about, which we're seeing a lot of today, that nationalistic pride. Yeah. And once you, and I spoke to Patty Jenkins about this, and once we started to get our head around this guy and understand him, understood the machinations.

Right. Then I was able to portray the horror in a more entertaining way and go a little bit more arch with him. Once you understood his own heartbreak. Yes. Yes. However sinister that may have been. That's one way to go. Yeah. That's one way to go.

Yeah. And I had a line on a film that I did called The Constant Gardener where my character says, well, those patients would have died anyway. And he's talking about African Kenyans who are dying of AIDS and they're experimenting drugs on them. Yeah. And I found that line so horrific. But if I could say it and mean it, then maybe I'd have the character down. So that's what I'm looking for. I'm getting a scalpel out and dissecting and prodding and seeing how these guys are and how they feel.

not necessarily honoring their evil doings, but understanding where it comes from. And I think that great novels, paintings, poetry, is able to do that. You're able to understand other than you. Right. Or break down this thing of them and us right um and and that's that's i find that uh fascinating from a from a from a psychological point of view as well right so you just rise to the challenge and and figure out like when you

get offered these roles that are broad you know what the you know what the guts of it is. Yeah, but I mean, I kind of, to do justice for the film primarily, I have to figure out a way in. If I can't find it, then I can't really do it. I shouldn't be doing it. And that's interesting, though, because it comes down to sometimes just a script reading, a line in the script. Like, if I can wrap my brain around this. Yes, yes.

I remember a story of my father's with Catherine Hepburn when he was making African Queen. Catherine Hepburn couldn't figure out the character really because she was having trouble with it. So she goes up to my father. She goes, John, I don't know. I don't know who this woman is.

So my father paused a moment and said, looked at her and said, Eleanor Roosevelt. And she went, ah, okay, I get it. And sometimes that's all an actor needs. It's just a little key into who they're portraying. So now, okay, so now I'm going to, I think I got to just go out and watch some of these movies. I've been pushing back on them.

Now, Angel Has Fallen, that's a whole franchise, no idea it even existed. Right. You're in all of them? No, only this last one. Did you see it? I saw it, yeah. You like it? Yes, I like it.

It is, as I said, the antithesis of the last photograph. It's just a fun shoot-em-up movie. But what I liked about it, my key into that, actually, and what a lot of the other actors are portraying are men that are damaged from war, men that cannot become part of what we consider a civilized environment. They've been trained to be lions, and they do not understand a peaceful state. They need the adrenaline to feel alive.

to feel alive. Wheat or grass moving in the fields for them is a potential enemy that's lurking below. They're on another level. And that was what was interesting to me. Cool. All right. Okay, so I seem to be moving towards this,

engaging in this, in these movies. And just being... I think what I'm afraid of is I'll just be I'll just love them well that's right and then I'm gonna be that guy

the guy who railed against them and I'm like these are so fun I don't wanna be the fun guy well I'll tell you it's been great talking to you Danny it was great talking to you thanks for coming

and I you know I will I will share the love of that movie of your movie thanks it's great hearing these stories

and we'll see where it ends we don't know where it's going to end up after the film it'll be on iTunes and Netflix

it'll be on all the digital yes exactly it'll be on pay-per-view and direct TV and then it'll go to Hulu the streaming stuff

yeah and all the usual streamings. Tremendous. Well, thanks for coming over. Thank you very much for having me. Okay, again, the last photograph now in theaters, and now I will play my Stratocaster for you. I will play my Stratocaster for you. For those of you asking me about settings on this thing, I'm really just going straight into the old 58 Fender Deluxe with an Echoplex pedal and different levels of volume.

But no Echoplex pedal on what I'm about to do now. Just a Crybaby, straight up Crybaby wah. Ain't no frills. Wah. Wah.me me me me me meご視聴ありがとうございました Boomer lives! cannabis marketing. With cannabis legalization, it's a brand new challenging marketing category.

And I want to let you know we've produced a special bonus podcast episode where I talk to an actual cannabis producer. I wanted to know how a producer becomes licensed, how a cannabis company competes with big corporations, how a cannabis company markets its products in such a highly regulated category. And what the term dignified consumption actually means. I think you'll find the answers interesting and surprising. Hear it now on Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly. This bonus episode is brought to you by the Ontario Cannabis Store and ACAS Creative. Bonus episode is brought to you by the Ontario Cannabis Store and ACAS Creative. It's a night for the whole family.

Be a part of Kids Night when the Toronto Rock take on the Colorado Mammoth at a special 5 p.m. start time on Saturday, March 9th at First Ontario Centre in Hamilton. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will get a Dan Dawson bobblehead courtesy of Backley Construction. fans in attendance will get a Dan Dawson bobblehead courtesy of Backley Construction. Punch your ticket to Kids Night on Saturday, March 9th at 5 p.m. in Rock City at torontorock.com.