955. - Jeremy Sisto

[00:00] All right, this episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by Stateside with Kai and Carter, a new podcast from The Guardian. And they are using this podcast to slow down the news and wrestle with the questions that we all have about what's happening in the world. And they do it three times a week, Jason. Does that sound familiar to you? We don't really talk about, you know, a lot of international global news items and climates and cultures and sports and things like that. We do talk about fashion and wellness, but for everything else, Kai and Carter are a great place.

All right, so who couldn't use more news? Listen wherever you get your podcasts [00:30] on YouTube. How long gone recording in process? It's a beautiful day here in East Ampton. Jason, [01:00] would rather be inside looking at all of that podcasting because i'm already bored out of my fucking skull how are you feeling today uh i'm over here in in rustic deer valley utah um you know it's a beautiful beautiful area there's some little kids practicing archery outside right now i'm by the fireplace had a little a little hotel coffee and you know just kind of hanging i mean look i we're both in no place to complain uh watch me who do you think's more bored though me or you

[01:30] going to go with you. I'm going to go with you. Just based on what you know about me. Based on what you know about me and based on my tools for relieving boredom. My tools. My tools. And also, you know, I will be working all day, so it's hard to be bored and working. But I guess I can't remember the last time I was bored, actually. Maybe when I was like 11. That's insane. There's nothing to do. I mean, I just want to work every hour of the day and I do [02:00] You know what I mean?

I do my best. Wait, when you said once the work is over? Yeah, like once it's 7 o'clock or whatever. You know what I mean? It's like, okay, no one. I was just going to, to quote Daft Punk, work is never over. Well, I mean, I'm saying once people stop responding to me, you know what I mean, in social or professional settings, I feel like I got to wrap it up. You know what I'm saying? It feels like a wrap it up moment for me. That's all I'm saying. I would obviously.

Once people stop responding to me. Yeah, exactly. I mean, that's when you know it's time to pack it up. There's nothing left. [02:30] people aren't responding who you're talking to shouting into the void as they say oh wait well so that that means you're done with your book [02:35] Yeah. Yeah, exactly. No, I mean, it's hard. It's hard. There's so many things where like, we have the immediate work in front of us, you know, quote unquote, the whirlwind that some of our grusslers will talk about. And then there's the deep work that needs to be done.

And it's so easy to not do that deep work. You know, it's very easy to be like, I'm going to do this tomorrow. And then when tomorrow comes, you're like, I'm going to look at Instagram stories. [03:05] Well, you know, totally. And I think there's a few people that should have looked at it. We were talking about Vince Staples earlier. Big Vince should have kept looking at Instagram stories because I saw people talking about this album he put out, kind of defending it, being like, oh, you don't, you know, whatever, blah, blah.

And it is some of the worst music ever created. And that's a person who's like, Jason, I've listened to more power violence screamo seven inches than you could imagine. [03:35] that it's it's staggering it's shocking that Loma Vista recording company allowed this to be released into the wild I'm honestly shocked like I thought people were being stupid like I thought people were being extreme and then I finally listened and boy was I wrong I mean what what do we do [03:49] in the situation where the person and the personality... [03:53] is so beloved and enjoyable.

You know, it's a resource that needs to be protected. Him and a microphone and, you know, three people laughing at him and him just talking shit and, you know, philosophizing and everything in between. [04:10] one of our greatest gifts of humanity. And then the music, I mean, it used to just be the music was there when he was making hip hop. It's just fine. It's there. It's absolutely not offensive. It's inoffensive, but it's not tickling my taint whatsoever. Shout outs to him. More power to you. He had a good career, made money, all good.

[04:31] Man, I mean it sounds like [04:33] I mean, at first, like the A$AP Rocky rock and roll record, which we've probably talked shit on a little too much. But, you know, it bears repeating because it is just that bad. And this sounds just like that. It's crazy because who are the white boys that are in the lab doing this to him? That's who I blame. That's who I blame. We can't blame Kenneth Bloom, can we? No, no, no. Kenny didn't touch this one. [04:57] I can't blame. Like, I just don't understand.

Because when people are like, oh, it sounds like the Black Keys in Alabama Shakes. I'm like, come on, guys. [05:03] alabama shakes that's fucking crazy sounds like a a krunga bin ai demo or like a like you prompted krung bin's a hundred times more listenable than this that's the fucked up like krung bin's like hotel you know austin hotel lobby music but at least it's like that yeah like at least it's it's yeah i mean i guess the the vin is it's it's inoffensive to the ears kind of but it's just [05:33] Exactly of ASAP Rocky.

[05:35] you know, wearing like a punk rock style... [05:38] Christian Dior leather jacket where some sweatshop drew an anarchy sign on it and they're charging $17,000 and he has a megaphone [05:49] Something about it is crazy. I don't know. Something like a seven-year-old. I think the misunderstanding of punk is something that could be studied, just in general. I think that when it's 50 years removed and it's through several, several lenses and translations, I think the game of telephone has failed us. [06:19] Yeah, for sure. The sensibilities and the rhythms and, you know, from from bad brains to everyone in between horror, you know, from bad brains to horror and everything in between.

You know, it's not like a it's not like a rhythm issue or like a sensibility or like an understanding. It can happen. I think it's more so just a type of person whose understanding of music is. [06:43] is maybe just very closed off. I can't only imagine trying to do this as a full-grown adult that has never thought about it before. You know what I mean? I got a Ramones album two years ago, and now I'm, whatever, trying to show that influence in my music. That's tough for it to work that way.

And also, that style of the Vince Stables or the A$AP Rocky style, rock and roll, rock out, punk rock, [07:10] white boy crazy style the rhythm and the beat and the song structure and the timing of everything it exists in between danceability and rhythm it's like we don't know how to move to it we have hip hop, we know how to move to it we have bad brains, we know how to move to it but when it's like this you know [07:33] We produced it in Pro Tools. Bro, I know how to move to it, bro.

I know how to move to it. I'm fucking driving the G-Wagon through Calabasas to get a smoothie. That's how you move to it. What do you mean? But if you watch A$AP Rocky performing on the Chanel stage, and it's like, this is the time of the song where we, like, quote-unquote, rock out. Yeah, yeah. What are we doing? What is the rock out? It's impossible. It's like a mutant pogo mix. It's just... You know who's rocking out? [08:03] there with fucking mohawks they got two weeks ago in beverly hills that's who's that's who's fucking that's who's rocking out to that shit the studio wizards who are like all right what is this uh it's a it's a punk rock song with three chords all right let me pull out the eight string bass and then let me get the ivan as in the eight string and we're gonna fucking rock this thing out guys yeah it does it does feel like it's all feels a little bit what if we've made a 38 year old guy painting his nails black for the first it just feels a little hot topicy there's no way for

[08:33] adjacent and it's not even you know people will make cultural appropriation jokes and you know leave this to the white boys it's not that it's a culture that doesn't exist it's an it's an invention of music yeah and timing and structure and genre that didn't exist before for a reason it's because it's just it's a nothingness it's all new it's an all new thing that we don't need i came i came to the cookout looking for a nothing burger and i got it i got it uh nick's lost last night [09:01] I'm praying for all my New Yorker Nowhere homies, all my Kith homies.

I'm praying for y'all. Pour one out. Trump falling asleep last night at the game is kind of a testament to everything that it stands for in some ways. How exciting is it? What I always say, it's more exciting... [09:19] to be on the floor than it is to be in the box. Of course. And I think that's why the billionaires were in the front row. They knew where to be. Yeah, you never want to be comfortable. And I'm predicting it that Michael Bloomberg will die from internal bleeding in the next 48 hours.

Unfortunately, he took a big hit at a big age, and it's not going to be tough to go. Oh, okay. We've got a lot going on over there, Jeremy. Pray for Bloomberg. All right, we're going to give Jeremy's sister, our guest, a call. [09:49] actor and a musician. You recognize him from all sorts of television shows. He's got a new film that premiered at Tribeca last week. [09:57] I believe, or this soon. Yeah. All right, let's get into it with him. [10:02] This episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by BetterHelp.

You know, Jason, for some people, summer is their favorite season. You get to travel. [10:09] The kids are out of school. Adventure is in focus. But for others, juggling it all can be quite tough and can lead to overwhelm and counting down the minutes until those pesky little rugrats are back in school. And many often worry that they're just wasting those days of beautiful sunshine. We don't want to have a problem that can only be solved by another one of those vacations. [10:39] more confident and set some boundaries and create a version of summer that actually feels good make sure you're happy make sure who you're traveling with or hanging out with all summer is all good too maybe you're related to them maybe they're just some co-workers or something like that but you know you don't have to say yes to everything this summer find support in therapy sign up and [11:09] How long?

This episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by CarGurus. For all of our four-wheeled friends out there, I know you're looking to cop, you know what I mean? Whether it's a new car, a used car, a semi-used car, a lightly used car. Looking for a 90s G-Wagon. It's a pain in the ass, often. It really is a pain in the ass. But luckily here at How Long Gone, we have the solution for you, and that is CarGurus. Car shopping made for you. With CarGurus, search in your own words using the new search feature, Guru.

[11:39] hip hop producer. With Guru, you can look for vehicles based on the way that you think, using your own words. Whether you want great gas mileage for road trips or extra trunk space for the whole squad, simply type in and Guru will give you real listings that match. It's a smarter way to find a car that fits your complicated life. Yeah, my life is loco and with used car buying, it's really a thing that they gatekeep. They don't want the consumers to know all this info. [12:09] a lot now and which cars are a little bit it's a lot it's a full-time job to pay attention to it and don't worry because gurus is going to let you know hey this time of the month this time of the year you know this is a better time to buy than others just because you know the cost go up if you want to save money you can use guru to show you if you want to save money you can use car gurus and they'll show you how it's no wonder car gurus is the number one most visited car shopping [12:39] traffic data.

Buy or sell your next car today with CarGurus at com. Go to com to make sure your big deal is the best deal. That is com, com. [12:58] You're the first Starlink customer I've ever spoken to. How was the installation process? Well, I haven't had it installed. I just have it in the back because I'm just kind of seeing if I want to use it or not. And it seems to be all right. But, yeah, a buddy of mine was using it, and he was saying it was a lot easier than regular Wi-Fi out here.

So, unfortunately, it hasn't made me sure-proof yet. But I'm hoping. All the stars haven't quite linked up just quite yet. [13:27] Are you going to get a sticker for your Starlink wireless router that says, I got this before Elon lost his shit? Right, yeah. I need one on my Tesla, too. But I remember the first time we saw you see the Starlink in the sky. Yeah, yeah. Remember that? Oh, my God. That was crazy. I was sure it was a – They're saying that – yeah, they're saying that – what plane was on?

I think United's getting it. Somebody's getting it, and they're really excited about it. But they keep saying they're excited about it, but it's not happening yet. Just like Wi-Fi. [13:57] It's going to be great, guys. Just let me know when it's here, and then it's time to get excited. But you were saying, yeah, we were talking about A. and suburban life. Where did you live in A.? I'm Franklin Village for my 20s, Nichols Canyon for my 30s. And, yeah, it was great, but it's not much of a community. I grew up in Chicago, and I've lived in New York City a lot.

And, you know, I like smaller towns that really put time into their parks and stuff. And A. just doesn't do that enough. [14:27] I actually tried to get a whole re-envisioning of Pan Pacific Park going. [14:33] I talked to politicians and stuff. Just because if you go to New York, you go to Atlanta, any great city, they have art in the parks. And it's an inspiring thing. So you're trying to spearhead a reinvention of Pan Pacific Park, one of 's biggest parks in West Hollywood. Is it technically West Hollywood or is it just

A.? I don't know. I think it's Hollywood, yeah. Okay. So what were your plans? [14:57] I have a lot of people who spend a lot of time there in my life, actually. So I'd love to hear some of your initial. We have a direct line to Spencer Pratt if you want to figure out. [15:06] I'm on with Pratt. We're working through it. It's going to be great. Okay. So I know what you mean. You go to another city, you know, and there's some beautiful art. [15:14] And, you know, the lights turn on because people haven't ripped the copper wires out of the ground.

And there's no there's little to no urine happening from humans. [15:24] And you wanted to get a little... [15:27] Put the pan in Pan Pacific. [15:30] Yeah, I wanted to. But, you know, I'm down with urine. You know, I'm down with stuff like that. Okay, the piss play rumors are true. Down with urine. Just use that quote. I'm down with urine. Yeah. But, no, but, like, even when they redid the Pan Pacific Park, they just chose, like, sort of public park style, like, you know, vibe. [15:57] Well, no, like Shakespeare.

I mean, you go to San Francisco, there's like Shakespeare, where there's sculpture gardens. You know, you walk through anywhere in Central Park, this thing is, you know, homestead designed. It's like an amazing place to go. You're making some points I've never thought about, actually, in my entire life. And you're right. Pan Pacific Park has like basketball courts and, you know, grass, kind of. There's not much. Yeah, they've got like the two-tone cement wall. I mean, it's just, whatever, it's fine. But I'm just saying, like, I don't go there to get inspired.

[16:27] And that's a problem. LA is an outdoor place, so I've never understood that. But you know. Well, I think the problem with LA is we, we, everyone's like, we love the outdoor open spaces and parks and beach and everything. But [16:40] People just, they focus on... [16:43] building out their backyard and how high the hedges can be. And you don't want to hang out at a public park if you live in A. That's social suicide. Yeah, yeah. It means your backyard is small or possibly non-existent. Yeah, unless you're there to score.

But in New York, you need the parks because you don't have – [17:01] You know, you don't have the cold plunge in your backyard and you don't have the archery range in your backyard like we all do in A. So, you know, you need it. Whereas, it's like, yeah, have fun at your little basketball court. We don't want to go there, you know. And which I don't think I don't think that's good, just to be clear. Yeah, I mean, it's just for me, it's I'm just the kind of guy who likes to go out into the world and just be surrounded by people.

If you have a house, you got to have like dinner party. I mean, your social thing is all. [17:31] open door policy i'm only i'm i'll i'll come over right now don't test me don't you're saying westchester's worst are available to come come and knock on your door what do you mean open policy but but you mean with people you know specifically if they're in the neighborhood yeah yeah yeah exactly i i had it more in la because you know all my old friends and and it just it felt more flowy um but uh but yeah it's just it's you know it's yes everyone so any any suburbs like that you [18:01] your little world that you can curate and make it what you like, which is, which is fine.

But I don't know for me, I, it makes me feel sane when I can be surrounded by a lot of people doing their own thing. I'm the same way. You want to see people and you want to see life as Morrissey says. Yeah. As Morrissey said, it really is. I understand. Cause I feel like I don't, um, I've lived in New York for a long time and I bet I've been to Central Park. If I'm being a hundred percent honest, less than three times. Do you know what I mean? Like,

[18:31] Yeah, you stay in your neighborhood. Inside the park downtown. So inside the park, I can, maybe for shoots and stuff. Like I've walked alongside of it several times, you know, Guggenheim. Like I've got, you know, but I'm just not, I just need the thought, I guess, and people do this. They take a train to go to the park. That seems psycho to me. It seems psycho to me. Yeah, that's not something I'm doing either. But I do really enjoy the electric bikes and stuff. And that's how I used to just explore the city was on a bike or a scooter or something like that.

Because I don't like walking. [19:01] a big walker that seems boring to me okay yeah okay so walking is straight up boring i just joined a walking group too and it was just because they're my friends i was like all right i guess bro you're not old bro you're not old enough to be in a walking group i mean don't do that to yourself i'm in west what uh what what happens in the walking group is it like a david sedaris thing you guys go pick up trash is it like a community service thing or is it just to get out there and [19:31] industry and just people who have like moved out here from wherever and um and seem to like it more than than i but they like to walk every day and they used to hate it until they found walking and now it's transformed the place it's a light exercise with the fellas is what you're saying yeah okay yeah [19:50] I don't like doing any exercise and talking.

I mean, you know what I mean? I don't like eating and talking. I just like one thing at a time. I get that. I actually really get that. That's a cool way to approach life. I think the exercise in groups thing has really fucked up. That's my time. That's Chris time. I'm trying to lock the fuck in. I'm not trying to chat. I'm with you. Hey, what do you do for exercise? You name it. I mean, mostly just like lift weights and run and pretty straightforward stuff. I mean, I'll do a, you know, whatever.

I'll do a yoga class. Do you play ball at all? [20:20] Basketball? [20:21] Yeah. No. You know, I kind of want to because I can see a park from my house where basketball is happening. And I did play growing up, and I'm pretty big. So I'm not going to smoke anyone, but I can hold my own. You just can box out hard as hell. Exactly. I can box out hard as hell. But I do think that jumping up and down at 43 is going to feel a lot different than jumping up and down at 14.

And that's what I'm afraid of mostly. No, it's not smart. But pick a ball has been such a big thing. [20:49] thing in my life. And you can always tell somebody who's still playing pick-a-ball in their 50s or whatever because they're just hobbling down the street with this weird, like, gate. You know, it's not good for the body. There's a particular gate. So are you hooping in Westchester? Are you just showing up to the court, putting on the LeBron's and getting out there? It's not as free willy, you know, out here.

You have to join the clubs. You join the people. You sign up. You're not going to the 24-Hour Fitness? No. Okay, got it. The Hollywood Y. [21:19] LA, they had games all day long from morning until during work hours, basically, because there's so many people that don't have a regular job there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How would you evaluate your particular skill set on the court? Where do you thrive? I'm not very good. Okay. Okay, sure. Overall, just not great. Sometimes I can do well. Sometimes when my shot's on. But I don't know.

I just love it. I love the dynamic. I love the game itself. [21:49] and it'd be really good. You'll see. You don't believe in me. I used to play in Atlanta when I was younger, where I grew up, like in my early 20s, and I always found that it devolved into almost violence almost every game. Yeah, I stopped playing at Poinsettia Park because some dude went to get his gun from his car. Damn. And another time I was playing tennis there after I stopped playing ball there, and I heard this big fight happening over there, which would happen.

[22:19] something that you think, okay, maybe a gun's going to come out. And then the fight goes on for a while, and then I hear this. [22:24] Um, [22:26] fuck you bro i'm a wonderful father i was like oh shit they got deep over there i mean those are those are murderous words to claim somebody is not a wonderful father poinsettia park is the park i worked out in with my trainer during covid and i felt like i saw a whole different side of los angeles in that on that basketball court because there would be a guy like training that's what you should do you know there's those basketball trainers that a lot [22:56] did actually a friend a friend of mine was like my wife got me this basketball lesson because i want to be picked during the pickup games and i was like hey maybe i'll come by too and i didn't play growing up so i was like these these little drills you do i mean i didn't really know how to do a layup like actually you know what i mean fundamental so i i did get much better in in in my or a little better in my 40s i don't know how i was playing in my 20s uh but they you know i was

[23:26] When I see these guys training, it would be like a 12-year-old, and the next client would be like a 50-year-old. And I'd be like, wow, this is different to want to be good at something at that age that's pretty hard just being older in general. It's just not for us. It takes some humility. It does take some humility. It does take some humility. Because you have to do it in a public park usually, unless you have your own court. Do you have a court, though, or no? No court at the house?

I have a small court that has one of those things that – [23:55] passes the ball to you oh yeah oh nice nice it's it for my son i am sometimes just shooting it's good therapy but hey i wanted to say also well i while i think of it you guys i really like what you guys are doing man i i just i just found your thing and so i mean i haven't listened to all of them because you have like a zillion three a week that's crazy it's a lot but and and um yeah i just wanted to ask a little bit um so i know you have a lot of music guests and stuff and the acting [24:25] that stuff.

You kind of, you're always, you're always, it's always on the verge of not taking it too seriously, which is great. Some of these podcasts, they take, yeah, you're telling us, man, you're telling us. We, I mean, what's Paul Rudd like, Jeremy? What's Paul Rudd like? [24:40] No, I mean, our, our philosophy, especially with actors is like, [24:43] You got to go through the ringer, the press tours, the this and that. We want to talk about anything but what everyone else has been asking you that you're sick and tired of hearing.

And all the same, you know, what's your top five favorite blah, blah, blah. And, you know, like trying to get a viral clippable moment. We want it to be fun for you. Do you guys come from the music industry or how did the music thing be? Sort of. Yeah. I mean, actually, yeah, Jason. Now that I think about it. Yeah. I mean, Jason was a DJ and threw parties and I used to manage bands. And like, that's also a lot of our social circle. [25:13] Acting is something that I don't understand in the same way.

So I think if I tried to ask serious questions, it would sound stupid. I would sound stupid. I don't fully understand. Even if you understood it, you would sound stupid, honestly. I just think it's a very interesting... It's like... [25:30] It seems like a great career in so many ways, obviously. Yours particularly feels pretty good because it's sort of like you can kind of do your thing, right? Your life is pretty like you work sometimes, you don't work other times, but you can go play basketball and it's all good. That's what's interesting.

Yeah. I've been on a show for eight years, so I got a really sweet gig right now. I like the show. I like what I do on it, and so I feel super grateful. [26:00] time i've done really a movie in quite some time and uh and an independent movie and that's the kind of stuff i watch i like really weird arty movies whatever sure and so it was it was nice to sort of jump back into that thing kind of a little more stressful i guess because being on my show is uh you know i don't watch my show that much like i can't follow procedurals very well i forget the names and shit so like i'm not smart enough for my own show but because of that i also [26:30] you.

[26:30] you know, kind of pay attention to the writers and the people who really understand this genre. And it gives me a chance. It gives me a real safe place to play. And I'm still trying to [26:42] you know, surprise myself. That's the whole thing for acting with me. And that's, you know, I'm trying to surprise myself there. But this other thing, you have a script, you know, we were trying to tell the story for a long time. And, you know, I didn't really want to play this character in this movie because it was, he was kind of a dick.

And like, it was like, I just didn't want to get, I don't know. I was like, if this is going to work, I got to be really mean to this kid. And it's got to feel like I really am not. They're like, bro. Yeah. That's the whole [27:12] So I'm sure it's not unusual for an actor to be given a role that you don't necessarily want to do for whatever reason. But then they write you a check for an amount of money where you say, okay, I'm willing to do that.

But for this indie flick, I'm assuming there wasn't a pot of gold on the other end of the line to convince you. So then... [27:34] Was it just like, you know, I like the script and everything is going to be all good and I get to work with my bro? I mean, I don't say no. I'm not good at saying no. [27:44] It's not been great for my career, arguably, but I just, you know, you offer anything. And I'm like, hmm, Minnesota, you know, where are you guys from? I'm from Atlanta and Jason's from

A. Yeah, but they're like, well, you want to go to Jacksonville for three weeks to play some like serial killer? Yeah. [28:02] I think I can make something out of that. That's how I've always been. But once I had kids, it's a little different. It's like playing poker. You're like, I can't sit at a poker table all night while my kids are at home sleeping. Sure. But this one was, no, I wanted to do this one. It was just, I didn't know if I could pull it off without a feeling one note.

And I felt like there was going to be a pull for me to do. [28:26] try to be nicer. So what did you do to like... [28:32] channel whatever you needed to channel to yell at a 12 year old neurodivergent child whose dog was lost please don't condescend our plot okay i'm not condescending the plot i'm saying like that is actually that is actually hard to do like that is actually if you're if you're a person with a heart that's a hard thing to do i don't care how actory i know it's acting but i mean i'm sure the i mean i would be able to do it and i'm not an actor but i'm sure the first few takes would be

[29:02] place of how to yell at a wonderful, innocent child. I mean, I guess it just, I felt like [29:09] The only way it could work. And it was different than the book. The book, the father... [29:14] He kind of seems like he enjoys being an asshole, and he's more fun to watch, but it was kind of necessary for this guy, I think, for the audience to come around and sort of, for there to be any kind of inspiring arc there was that he was really miserable, you know, really just really suffering and broken.

[29:44] But I was, you know, going through some of my own stuff, and there was some stuff that I knew I should do to kind of get my mental health together. And I made the, you know, not something I'd suggest, but I made the choice to be like not deal with it intentionally. Oh, to pump it into this. Yeah. And so I was miserable. It wasn't a fun time. [30:14] on set with all the drama of an independent film. And so it wasn't until a couple of nights ago that I saw it that I was like, okay, maybe I made the right choice.

Because afterwards I was like, I don't know if I should have done that or not. You know, maybe being confident kind of helps too. But I feel like it worked for this one. So it was one time. I mean, I guess early in my career there were some times where certain experiences sort of aligned with what was going on on screen. But this one definitely had that feel. [30:44] with the method thing and how much sort of lore it has around it and how it's sort of become a thing that regular people talk about when we don't really know what it's like.

Being around someone like that is probably terrible and that's what the stories always are but it feels like it's really taken seriously I guess by novices as well as the actors themselves. Well, definitely when I moved out in the 90s, I moved out, it was the whole Leo DiCaprio, this big [31:14] Some have had amazing careers. Others have not. But we all were there from wherever the hell in our hometowns. And we're coming out there with our trying to make something. And at the time, there was just a, you know, people were enamored with acting because, you know, Brando and also, you know, Val Kimmer.

It was like you kind of needed to be a dick. Temperamental meant you were brilliant. And that acting was this, like, magic trick almost. And method was there. I didn't know what the hell it was. But I remember... [31:41] I remember getting a studio movie called Hideaway with Jeff Goldblum, who you guys had on. It was a great interview. Thank you. And I remember one of the executives coming to me. He was like, I'm so glad all of the actors are method. And I'm like, I don't know what I'm doing.

And so it was hard in the beginning because I'd finish a scene and I'd be like, I didn't. [32:02] I don't know what just happened, but it definitely didn't feel like I, you know, I elevated or something. So maybe I'm doing this wrong. But I you know what? Like Christian Bale said something that was right. There's a different kinds like Daniel Day Lewis. There's only a few actors that really like change their whole personalities. They're like half characters, half, you know, but really deeply felt. And Christian Bale said, you know, he had to stop doing it on this one movie because he.

[32:31] talked to Chris Rock, who was in the movie, and hung out with him as Christian, just, you know, shooting the shit, and then went into the scene, and then he couldn't stop talking to Chris Rock, which I get that. And so that's kind of what I did in this. I was like, try not to talk to people, try to just keep my own thing, because if I start, I have the need to take care of people around me, and if I can just stay in my own weird little world, then, you know, then it'll be easier to not, you know...

[32:57] not talk to them or something like that. So that part of it I can get. But that's not method either. No, I think part of being method means you don't want other people to talk to you and you create your own little bubble and, you know, I've got to focus on the art and anything else is just getting in the way. Yeah, I'm living off the ground. I live with no electricity and I'm playing Abraham Lincoln, so I smoke a pipe that's like a little. But I guess in the 90s, do you think there was a, do you think the trend of that when you were coming up, [33:27] particular teacher was that like coming from somewhere or was that just you know what i mean yeah i i think i think now i think because we've that bubble has officially popped i think it's because it was a very profitable thing and so this this award this prize is if you were able to achieve something in this this particular art then not only would you be rich and famous but you

[33:57] probably a pretty good thing to stop some of that stuff. But there was this sense of like it being, it being really, really meaningful. Um, yeah. Yeah. And I don't know, I don't know where that, where that came from. I think it came from a lot of things. It was fueled by, you know, all of our young, you know, um, you know, desire for life and storytelling. So it connects to people in so many different ways. And I don't know, but it's definitely different. And I'm glad, I'm glad it is because, um, [34:26] because it was weird.

It was weird. I mean, that era, though, I also feel like how competitive was it amongst the homies? Because I feel like at a certain point, I've heard stories like this before, and I feel like at a certain point, all of you are kind of trying to do the same thing to some extent, and people are telling everybody they can do the same thing, but then obviously people go in different directions. Yeah, absolutely. [34:50] I'm sure it's pretty competitive. I mean, it's, it's, it's not, I mean, it's different for everyone, but competitive to me.

Yeah, I definitely, you know, had a tendency to compare myself and, and feel, you know, feel bad if somebody, somebody got something good. I'd be like, yeah, I did. I did this. I got, I went to for days to confuse. I was freaking 17 or something. I have told the story before, but I fly out to do the test reading. Right. And, and it's me and one other kid, Jason, Jason London, who was, [35:20] happened to be dating my sister at the time and I was having to be staying with him and it was between him and me for the role and then we got it's like

[35:28] All the people in the movie are there and a bunch of other people just hanging around all day long. This is what they used to do. And then towards the end of the day, I'm starting to realize, oh, [35:38] It's going the other way. And then I wander into the casting office like that nobody's in there. And I look at like the casting sheet that they put out. And the character is a Jeremy sister type. So he wrote the role for me and I didn't get it. And I just remember going back to Jason's house and like desperately trying to...

[35:57] be happy for him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you and him don't talk anymore since then, I'm assuming? No, I've done everything in my power to get back at him. Every day is another opportunity to get back at Jeremy London. It was Jason London. Oh, Jason, I'm sorry. [36:19] Jeremy Sisto type, you know, anyone but actual Jeremy Sisto, [36:27] We can't afford him or we can't get, you know, something like that. But I really feel like it's just like we want somebody like him. But there's always an additional, you know, whatever the whatever the XYZ is.

No, the XYZ was I was I didn't know what I was doing. You know, I did a movie when I was 16 and I think I'm weird and awkward in it. But, you know, there was a bunch of people that saw it and they're like, oh, that's like my kid. Or they connected to it in a way. [36:57] like i guess i'm gonna be an actor and everyone's like acting is a really deep thing and i'd go to these classes and i'm like trying to like you know do these weird things in my head to try to make it right yeah you know and so i completely went away from you know what i wanted to do what i felt about it and so i was just kind of bad for a while and there was a passing director who didn't want to see me for a long time this is funny too um so okay i was young i was like i was really [37:27] insecure, and I was 19, I was finishing that Jeff Goldblum movie, and I came back down, and I was like, sure, I grew in that, and my career was about to be over, and just huge imposter syndrome, and I walked into this audition for this movie with Drew Barrymore that they wanted to cast me in, and [37:45] As I'm leaving, I'm realizing that [37:48] I just sort of became Jeff Goldblum during the whole reading.

Like I was doing a weird Jeff Goldblum imitation. You spent too much time with Goldblum and it rubbed off on you. And for some reason, that pissed off that casting director quite a bit. Or she never wanted to see me again. I'm not sure why. But yeah. So it seems like you had the gift of acting naturally, inherently, already inside of you. And then the system sort of sucked that out of you. [38:18] Were you sort of trying to figure out how to be an actor, even though you already were good at it before you just went back to being your damn self?

Your version. Yeah. Well, it's not a real thing. Acting isn't actually a thing. You know, there's nothing. I say this all the time and people get mad at me. I don't understand the problem. There's no thing that anybody is good. Everyone's good. Well, some people are better at sociopathy than others and it just kind of comes naturally. [38:48] what you make it to be, you know, and I enjoy doing it. It's healthy for me to do it. And, and I love watching it if it's, if it's done right, if it tells, if it tells a story that's interesting to me.

But, but, but yeah, I don't. [39:05] I just needed to forget all the stuff. And right before I went to start taking these classes, I remember my friend Jake Kasdan, who was the director of my first movie, Sun, who was a great director himself, called me with another friend and tried to talk me out of going to classes. And I should have listened to him because I went through these years just trying to do the things they were telling me to do, and it just didn't work for me. And finally I was just like, [39:30] All right, if I'm going to do something as silly as acting, if I'm going to have the luck to actually keep getting jobs, too, it's ridiculous to not just do it the way I want to do it.

Yeah. The way I can do it. Why try to do something you can't do? It's like... [39:45] I do these voiceover auditions. I try to do funny voices, and it just does not work. Is the voiceover career booming? Booming. No, I haven't had a job in years, but I wasn't frozen to. [39:59] That's pretty good. That's pretty good. It was amazing. As a podcaster, that seems like the natural sort of exit strategy or third act to get into it. But I feel it's always such a highly guarded industry. [40:15] Because celebrities get money for little work, you know.

I had a great Advil for like a few years. You know, I'd go in once a year and be like, take Advil, take action, do the same thing. And I'd be like, whatever you want me to do, I'll stay longer. And then they'd let me leave. I made sandwiches. I'll stay longer. Guys, I'm happy to hang out. Dying for that. Now Will Arnett's eating everyone's fucking VO lunch. He is. [40:39] This episode of How Long Gone is brought to you by our old friends at Shipstition. If it ain't broke, don't fix it sounds about right until you actually start doing that math, Jason.

For most businesses... [40:50] Shipping is that thing. What does it actually cost to you? Because if nobody's questioning it, it's probably costing way more than it should. ShipStation makes switching easy, and the savings are immediate and vast. You know, I own several small businesses, and, you know, everybody's worried about shipping. People are overpaying. ShipStation automatically compares rates across UPS, USPS, and FedEx on every order with a savings of up to 90%. 90%, Jason? That's crazy. That is crazy. [41:20] lot of money to save but you know us grusslers out there time is more important than money and and that's where oh just as many people find peace and happiness over at ship station so get back to what you want to do in life not managing a bunch of bs the sooner you switch the sooner you start saving money and time get started with ship station today and get 60 days free at

com with [41:50] Code How Long, com, promo code How Long, taxes and fees apply. This episode of How Long Gone is brought to us by our friends at Dart Collective. I think we can all agree that wedding music is typically quite lame, cheesy, and it doesn't represent the bride and groom's personal music taste. Luckily, Dart works with actual musicians and artists, many of whom have their own productive careers or tour in bands you've heard of. [42:20] Dart DJs use vinyl. [42:23] and are cool in a way that your peers would be, not a dated Carnival Cruise performer.

They even have an in-house stylist to make sure all personnel look perfect on the day. Dart travels all over the world for events from Morocco to Italy, Greece, and the Maldives. Dart has done huge celebrity events and also intimate ones. Yeah, Chris, I am personally friends with Michael from Dart, and I have worked with them for years. [42:53] Thank you. [42:53] wedding they set up a beautiful booth for the you know for the ceremony just some cocktail music some vinyl some cool vibes and then they set up a whole big tent with a crazy bumping sound system for me to play in later these guys are great a lot of people always ask me like hey you know do cool wedding djs exist do cool event people exist the cool part about dart is they'll work with people like me to come and dj or party as well as provide all the gear and all the consulting [43:23] who to hire.

[43:24] for your event dart collective is the one dart just like throwing a dart dash com and uh ask for mike his email address is michael at dart dash com tell him we sent you so if you have an event coming up this summer dart collective is where you go hi talk house network listeners it's your old friend nels klein from wilco here wilco is touring this summer and [43:54] the Road. We're playing shows this June and July in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Chautauqua, New York, Lafayette, New York, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Vienna, Virginia, Forest Hills, New York, Portland, Maine, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Memphis, Tennessee, La Grange, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio.

Plus, there are [44:24] even mention here. So please go to net to see the full list of dates. We'll see you on the road this summer. [44:32] I wondered who, because I feel like John Hamm does a lot as well, and it's sneaky, but I mean, I feel like there's no better job in the world. [44:40] In the 90s, you couldn't do that as a celebrity. You couldn't do commercials. You couldn't do it. It was now. You had to go to Japan. Now the only way you know an actor is doing really well, like they just pop in something, is if they're in a Walmart act.

You're like, oh. You're either getting divorced or you just had a hit. Those are the two ways to know. You got the Sky Rizzy gig. Things must be going pretty well over there. Oh. [45:01] Okay, huh, prep. You are doing well. Which is a damn shame. Being a celebrity meant, you know, doing an ad for any brand, even Gucci or something, was sort of like, he's a fucking sellout. Yeah. And nowadays, you absolutely have to do that because everyone is just like, well, why don't we just have... [45:21] clothing brands and Walmart and Advil, you know, pay these people's salaries.

And we can just say like, oh, it's just such a crazy time with the budget. It's a crazy time. It's sad. I mean, yeah, it's definitely the other side of the coin where it's like, you know, you start to. [45:38] Take these people that were really inspiring to you, and then you see them on a selling a thing. Don't do this. Don't do this. I bought an espresso because of George Clooney. So I'm telling you right now. So it works. I was on the line, and then I saw George, and I was like, you know what?

I'm going to look rich. I'm going to live in Lake Como. I just need an espresso. But also, we do the same thing as podcasters. You make the money from the brand deals. You do your ads pretty well. I mean, I fast-forward through most of them, but the stuff I hear when it pops in, it's [46:08] do well we try a little more than others but you know of as a podcaster or any type of content creator you know a musician or an actor what you have multiple revenue streams coming in and those brand deals [46:21] no matter who you are, are at the top of the food list.

It also feels like there's at least a feeling that we're trying to grab as much as we can before the entire ship goes down. Yeah, yeah. But I feel like you get to, from what I can tell, you get to act. You know what I mean? You don't really have to, like, if you wanted to play ball, I'm sure you could, but there's no pressure to do that from internal sources or external sources. You're still spending Frozen 2 money, baby. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You ain't got to do the piggly wiggly act.

They don't pay you on the first one. [46:51] so I didn't get nothing on that. But it was funny. Again, I came in for like two sessions and then I go to the premiere and it's like from the mind of Jeremy's system I was like right in the center of this thing. I was like, alright, I guess I'm... This wouldn't have happened without Jeremy, I will say. He got paid scale. What character was it? What kind of animal? Oh yeah, there are animals in that. I was the evil king in the flashback so there was no chance of me being in the sequel.

Oh, I see. [47:21] other than you know yeah my show i've been on a show for eight years and then i did a company called suburgatory which is on netflix now and and that was a good guy and then in law and order before that so i really liked playing bad guys before like when i was younger that was my whole thing you know it felt deeper it felt whatever i could tap into some bullshit and now it just uh now i once i started having kids i was like [47:45] You got to, you know, you got the bar's a little higher for why I need to work myself into a fizzy over this fizzy.

Is that what I work myself into a tizzy? Tizzy. There you go. So you're saying because you have kids, you're like, I need to, I need to choose differently or work more or both. Well, well, well, I need, I need to, yeah, I need to make money to get them through these damn private schools and stuff like that. But, uh, or, or, and they're going to public. [48:15] like i have to be in a bad mood to some degree if i'm dealing with you know some hard stuff on camera you know because the things that i love yeah myself these are arty movies are are people filmmakers all the artists that put these things together um [48:31] you know they're wrestling with things and as an actor you kind of want to be wrestling with the thing but then you but you're saying but then when you're at home you got to be nor you know you got to be whatever upbeat dad so it's a little bit of a dichotomy yeah i just yeah and even with you know my i'm an fbi agent in this thing and and you know you know obviously we're dealing with serious stuff but my whole gig is like i'm in the war room like you know shouting out orders and

[49:01] is be present, try to discover it in the moment and get some spontaneity in there. But if I'm coming to a movie where it's like [49:08] the depth of this dude's broken heart or whatever it is that then i just come home and i feel a little deflated and i feel i'm a little bit more in my head and so yeah and they don't notice they don't give a shit they don't look up from their ipad to notice that you've gone through quite quite a struggle today you don't know what i'm dealing with guys you don't know what i'm dealing with that's really funny that's really funny well what is your all right so how good [49:38] nasty at the range.

Like I said, most of my shit's in a room. But I do have a gun. I'm the only person with a gun in the FBI jock, the Joint Operation Command Center. At the beginning, everyone had guns, but it was horrible for break time because they all have to put their guns in a box on the way out. So anyway, long story, I'm the only one with a gun now. Thanks, Alec Baldwin. [50:00] You had a gun on Law & Order, though. Yeah, through the 90s. I mean, you know, when there was all those independent movies.

[50:08] you want to shoot a raccoon, you know what I mean? It was all... They'd just give you a gun, too, and hopefully it was Blake. You know, it wasn't a real, like, prop guy. I just find, like, that part of it being realistic, I feel like, probably takes more time than people realize. To feel comfortable, in your case. Like, to feel comfortable. I mean... [50:28] Yeah, you do the thing with the one arm up in the back and you look cool and masculine. Chris, as long as you're not a pussy, it comes very easily to you.

Exactly. That's exactly what it is. Damn, I was trying. All right, my bad, guys. I'm sorry, fellas. There was one show called Wicked City that I did where it was in the 80s and the cop or whatever back there was like, well, here's how we used to do just one arm up. [50:52] And so there's one movie where I'm going one arm up. It's stupid. You got to do the two arms up. And it's his new sissy boy. He's got to use two hands to hold my fucking lock. It's stupid.

You got to use two hands. You're right, though. You do. I don't know anything. I know you got to use two hands. That's common. That's common sense. Well, after when you're on law and order, does that make you like New York royalty? Like, is it different? Yeah. I mean, definitely. If you're like drunk at 3 m. You know, it's a different time in my life. Yeah, sure. [51:22] from bungalow eight or whatever, the cops would definitely be like, all right, we're going to let this guy pass. Yeah. I mean, that goes back to what you're saying about being, you know, back then being famous really did come with perks, obviously, in addition to, you know, the fame and money, but.

[51:37] You know, Justin Timberlake, 20 years ago, he gets pulled over for a Dewey. They're saying, all right, we'll drive you back home, kid. You know, my daughter loves you, blah, blah, blah. And now it's like, we got him, boys. I'm going to make this arrest about me. And, you know. Human nature just really, they enjoy watching the rise of human beings and then being there for them. And then they enjoy watching them fall. It's just kind of a weird thing. We talk about this a lot on the show, how sometimes the tide just turns.

It happens to, like, Anne Hathaway, for example. [52:07] Everybody loved Anne Hathaway, and then for a couple years, Anne Hathaway was the worst person on earth. Now Anne Hathaway, fully back. People love her. She's hot. She's sexy. Nothing changed. Nothing changed. [52:20] Timberlake had a few more crimes in his record, but in theory, there was a point where he was beloved for 15 years, and then one day it was like, you know what? No, we don't fuck with this guy anymore. And the tide just completely turned. Sexy back just doesn't sound the same when you get a little older.

That I agree with.