KPCS: Greg Kinnear #338

[Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome back to Kevin Pollak's chat show I am as always chat show how the hell are you and happy damn New Year my goodness you made it through another year look at you hmm that is still damn good ice cold water how were your holidays write to us and let us know KPCS fan mail at gmail.com we are coming don't care about their holidays you know it's interesting I have some fan mail right here with holiday info nope [Laughter] there's a Christmas greeting Sami at Jamie right over there would come to your line for the West Side comedy theater go to West Side Comic Con check out their calendar and their amazing shows right here on the very stage that I am sitting in our guest is as well we'll get to him in 94 my sketch team that I adore now back alley rocketclub we have a show once a month it's the first Wednesday of every month at 8 p.m. yes check that out immediately it's comedy you'll be up at San Francisco sketch fest we do we got accepted a sketch fest and we have two shows there on schedule yeah go to SMS com it's a 19 for 20th nicely done way to pull it out I need the 20th yeah I'll be there interviewing the great bill burr we'll do an afternoon I was getting abused because we're going to weeks will be this weekend for you to interview bill burr and then mine that we're going the next weekend that's what my what I'll do a sit-down panel with Pamela had lawn and everybody from better thing that following weekend as well that's it shows up there Sammy you headed to know I'm headed to the other fest in January to the Sundance Sundance Film Festival a level thing and it's not a big deal i whole thing in let's not make a thing I don't make anything about okay see already have I mean I wasn't gonna bring it up but it's a little short I shots they're really not a big deal you can check it out it's screening the twenty third fourth and fifth is really it's not are you in a trailer or something oh no oh I don't think we haven't one posted yet it's you know pretty hush-hush about that sort of thing I like to keep it under wraps but you know if anyone is really interested to find me on the Twitter sat Sam Levine Tom's they know it's not that's not important Spielberg Oh senior Spielberg oh damn right speaking of wonderful movies Jamie and I went to the the shape of water last night it I we have to the motion picture theater as both looking at a screener Jamie's suggestion a man oh man am I glad we did it it's very visually stunning it's a big screen experience I highly recommend it's my favorite picture of the year I'm just gonna say well I'm just gonna say it shot to the top recent guests you asked why you want to check out the show and our library available on the YouTube and the Airwolf and elsewhere Bryan Cranston Billy Bob Thornton jennifer Tilly Gentilly Christopher Guest Lauren Graham oh and Ricky Gervais is no big deal what's that I've never heard of any of those people hmm upcoming us all right stop with the asking how about that then add lon Louie Anderson and the return of David Harbor oh boy we may be seeing him tonight we made the cut for the Amazon after-party of the Golden Gloves huh we didn't actually make the cut to sit it part it is wait why would he be in the Amazon party well he won't be but all the parties are at the Hilton there I see same in the same building yeah that seems dangerous to mention it no just in general it's like at the State of the Union they always got to keep some designated survivors out of there hi that's right I would like to see Netflix and Amazon just go toe-to-toe I don't know it's out in the fight I don't feel safe having all our cherished celebrities and all that doing on that same time well you know it seems like a security risk all right let's get to some fan mail unless I do you have anything else drew I got nothing weird that's just where I'm going to say it write to us again at KPCS fan mail gmail.com this one is a tweet five see if you can find one of those for our on the line there tweet five for me weird just gonna say it fast food or fine dining fine-dining mashup names or acronyms neither spontaneous sex jokes or perfectly crafted puns the latter thrift stores or clearance racks Jewish kidding me dude the Jews don't really go to the thirst oh wait again and I answer these for you oh yeah okay let's do that that's way more fun Jamie asked for me that's food or fine dining fine dining to the point where when we go to fast food restaurants he acts like he doesn't know what he's doing so he makes sure that everybody there knows that he doesn't normally unless it's five guys and then that's the best burger and fries in town chef names an acronym or acronyms I think you like a mashup name not interesting name I like like my trivia team name Nickelback to the future boom spontaneous sex jokes have perfectly crafted puns we love puns puns of word sir I do like an acronym though we're on to the next one yes sorry thrift stores clearance racks doors for you clearance racks for me that's not true I own stories for costuming purposes the Kratt the casting process is designed to fail or if you're not creating you're waiting both yeah these are that's just quoting me back to my cell so that I can sit here and what glow all right this letter comes to us from Sayid Semin gore sem Inger Sam injure share say it Sammy that's a name that Syed some injure hey Kevin good start I really enjoy listening to KPCS after hearing Sam spell correctly mentioned the show on another podcast there it is what are the chances of that I say it every pun I immediately went to iTunes to check it out I thought your story about Michael Clarke Duncan was very interesting and wish you would talk more about experiences with other celebrities can't wait to read your book best wishes site Jason said that those you misread that that t5 was for me JMO why even point that out I mean everyone knows I'm gonna [ __ ] many things up during the course of every single episode why do you have to add to the pile yeah job security cracking wise all right we have time for just one more because it's a long one so I'm gonna I'm gonna get to it dear cha-cha around this time of year this is the holiday one as the wife this actually made me choked up I shouldn't said that it's too late around this time of year at the wife kids and I spend time with the extended family we tend to reflect on the previous year and share those things that we are thankful for my family share my family has shared several times but they're very thankful for my improved health a little backstory for that to make any kind of sense my wife of 19 years and I had our first child Bree back in December of oh four I was pretty active person up to that point in the combination of a kid combined with a full-time job combined with half-time grad school sort of took up that time that I took care of myself or at least I had left then our second daughter Brooke came a couple of years later well I put on sympathy weight each time my wife got pregnant within if that few years my active Lovell went to nearly nothing while I put on about 70 pounds I made several attempts since Brooke was born to try and stop and also start running again and working out but each one lasted only a couple of weeks I did because I got too bushy too busy but push my health to the side or I hurt myself by trying to do too much too soon trying to get back into shape overnight blood pressure went up cholesterol went up everything going the wrong direction cut to good timing on that cut to last summer when I just got fed up to the point that I couldn't take it anymore and swore to myself that I had to get healthy for my family or I was going to be gone for them too soon I made a baby step plan to change my lifestyle by making myself taking care of myself a priority it started very basic at the end of July beginning of August I just started walking trying to make minor changes to the diet the walking was a killer after for your first couple days and then it wasn't difficult just unbelievably boring merely by chance when looking up something online I stumbled across her first interview with Rob Rick it was great then I watched a second but didn't have time to finish so I downloaded the podcast so that I could listen on a walk after that I was hooked the KPCS was the thing that helped me consistently back into workouts I couldn't wait to walk so that I could listen to the show I'm down 25 pounds since August and having gone more than two days in a row without working out so getting back to my family I just want to share a thank-you from them and also send you my own I can't thank you enough for including me and the other listeners in your conversations thank you thank you thank you getting out of your face now Happy New Year Happy Holidays to you and yours Greg from McMinnville or I like it very much very much Greg continued success to you and the effort and yeah for the family for the kids for the kids that is your best reason we'll get to you then afterwards perfect timing run that right in Kenny everyone's favorite floor director we get to our guest now I'm going to do it I felt like a Larry King moment when I was writing this up I guess today was Oscar nominated for his acting clinic in the Jim Brooks laugher as good as it gets which as it turns out was not true for mr. Greg Kinnear please welcome him to the table huh Wow yeah Wow inspired by the King you you must have been on the show a timer three now I I did do Larry show a time yeah believe I did it won't maybe once and and he came home I I had a talk show and he came on as did you he came on I think a couple of times yeah actually but the first time that I ever had any sort of conversation with Larry King was when I was in college he had the late-night show at midnight and mutual allow overnight and you probably listen to this all the time I mean it was sobbing it was something way better than the the CNN show from it and he had on I don't know why in this particular night but he had on I believe it was a porn star sure he had strange guests and and I I don't even know what the hell they were talking about but on this particular evening I think I just I was back at the dorm and I thought you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna get on this show and the guys were like now you're not gonna do anything they gave you the little 1-800 number and I called in there and sure enough I hear okay stand by for Larry you know somebody answers very quickly and he says what's the question I said I just wanted to ask I didn't have a question what's it like and he says okay stand by for Larry Tucson Arizona hello longest pause in show business history followed by how you doing tonight Larry way to bring it Indiana long cause from Larry what's your question please oh my and and then I cute something out there in Gatto off the stage as quickly as possible but that was my my entrance into show business really the national level did you mention that to him when he later appeared on your shirt I think I did yeah he didn't think it was very funny I always thought it was an a unique sort of story in connection than we shared yeah and will for many years yeah I mean he he always has been a special breed of doing that job you know in so many ways there there was and we we've done a thing on this show where we celebrate him for since he I think conception of the show Larry King game which will attempt to play later but there's a Larry King game oh yes there is my you not only save lives out there do you play the Larry King we offer up a little enjoyment good yeah and it's fun at parties speaking of your NBC late-night talk show later with Greg Kinnear means in fact I think you learned before you came back to America and had schooldays da ze with Greg Kinnear to put your name in the title III no I think I did have the net yes I had might stuck my name in there sure it's the best way it's almost guarantee that you will not be fired that's right that's right no it was was a fatal mistake with talk soup actually that I never did jam the name in there but I never really thought about it it just yeah you know with B you're right it's a great I mean look at this it says Kevin Pollak's chat show I can't let go of this guy no was it was it who was fired from their own show that they developed for her she was the sidekick to Mary Tyler Moore wrote it oh she that actress that wonderful actors whose name Sam knows oh we did knowledge is Turner we really all just heard usually it's just me we go over 35 year olds this is why we have the young brains on the show and you can't pull out Rhoda know you're in the you're looking at the wrong age group here 35 we're just too young to have seen Rhoda we know it existed I don't know this wrote a name you keep throwing around all right something proud of us guys Valerie Harper like Valerie yeah so she was they create a show called Valerie starring her and she was replaced look it up so we first met I believe on your NBC show later with the Greg Kinnear and and I want to say I believe that was just before I believe it was just before you were chosen by Oscar winning director Sydney [ __ ] no relation for his remake of Sabrina I believe it was like Rick because you were still doing the show right when you ever I was when that came along yes so I wouldn't do the the research thanks Jay Mac trying to find word that I know you studied broadcasting at university again Tucson mmm-hmm you came back to the United States to find higher learning and you ended up at in Arizona I did they're stronger to sound arizona harver to the package one that's you've a the Harvard of the pac-12 I don't much sure I've already called that before that's brilliant but I was trying to find where are you actually studied acting because I unfortunately had no training I started stand-up comedy and and then hated school so much I refused to attend an acting class yeah once I moved here did you actually study in school as well you know I I didn't ever really study acting no in case that was hasn't been painfully clear to your audience listen I'm not proud of it either but just happens to be a fact yeah it's a fact are some of us who just it doesn't it's not in the trajectory of how you learn to do it yeah you know and and not that Danny day-lewis is looking over his shoulder at either one of us astray especially now based feeling safe now he's retired now either as friends calling him Danny day I think it's got to be great [ __ ] off Danny died yeah yeah I would like to think that the Irish bloke even Dan yeah would be good Danny get on that kind of thing right and Louis yeah Dan it's up it's canary doing you must have Irish roots scotch-irish okay yeah so you're right though I was was your question still doing the talk show when Sabrina came along because I was wondering if you if if you studied acting or were you just like me learning how to break down a scene and going auditions and and going out there and doing that I really wasn't he I wasn't doing a lot of auditions I I you know I had I had gotten out here and just kind of fallen into aside from selling light bulbs and PVC which kind of was my first gig out of college to try and pay some bills when I got to LA I you know worked as an assistant somewhere I ended up getting a job as I you know I was a cable channel starting before II was he was called movie time and I ended up becoming one of the hosts on that right I did that kind of host suddenly I had a job with a camera and wasn't a very nice job but you know that was a job and I was suddenly doing broadcasting and that's kind of what I was doing when Sydney ended up making the call to me to you know come in and meet with him which was a you know kind of wild longshot the truth is he's from a small town in Indiana about 20 miles up the road from the very small town I'm from an Indiana and I just think he couldn't believe anybody was from this part of the country living in Los Angeles so our first meeting was honestly just about what do you remember about that and we talked and and he had me the end of the meeting read a couple of lines which was terrifying but he but he made it as easy as he could he just said hey just let's just do this I'll be the I'll be Sabrina sure so there was already he wasn't thinking it's already a problem what's the little problem but we you know we just went through a few lines and then he said great okay thanks that was fun you know nothing's gonna happen but thank you he was very kind of nice and dismissive like that and nothing's gonna happen yeah he did he started you know with very low I think he came in very honestly with low expectations for this to ever lead to anything I think he wanted me to be calling my agent going if we heard from Sid today you know and I and I actually appreciated that right and it'd be nice if more people were a little straightforward during my eating I think so yeah and I in and and truthfully I don't think we did hear much until like a month later he had me come back and meet him again and it kind of started like that well they were probably playing the name game I assume with the studio in terms of who's gonna play that part yeah and they go down the list that was that's always a fun phone call I think during the 90s Meijin would say they got an offer out to so-and-so but if it doesn't work out you know you're on a short list doesn't make you feel great too when they throw out the name of who the person is yeah who's probably going to not only get the job right but is obviously of a way more inherent value of you lutely in fact every time I am offered something yeah I'm taken aback yeah thinking about 30 other actors that I personally would have gone to oh god at least 10 yeah at least a solid ten sure I had never done that before introducing and then I stated the director every time never tell me who else you went to before offering me this part yeah because I couldn't deal with that so yeah so so so there you are he circles back a month later and you find yourself I mean oh there were a series of more you're gonna meet with Harrison you're gonna do some because that first time ever I never met with Harrison until we were doing them well not even a chemistry not a chemistry meeting just Sydney going with this gut just Sydney because I'm not and by the way there's not that many you've worked with some there's just not that many guys probably less today than ever yeah those guys who have that ability it had that ability to just say this is the way it's happening in my studio says okay and that was it I mean I I don't have the balls to say to Sydney we don't get it right but okay they wouldn't even say we don't get it it's true so with you having an 800-pound gorilla in your corners not such a bad thing but I I'm I didn't meet Harrison till I got to New York and and I'm not sure I met Juliet before right I I got we did a we did get together and and obviously had rehearsals and all that and I'm sure he could have pulled the plug if that had gone badly but he didn't and did you work with anyone before you went to rehearsals no no he was adamant not to do he said God don't do that I had that also my first big shot with Barry Levin so he was very good I meant which but you are fantastic it might like come on you two it's a great holiday Kenny stop placating that is a great Navy I love that movie and by the way listening to Tom Hanks on this show I didn't quite understand what did he have a beef with Avalon because I'm like what is possibly what where are you taking a shot at that movie of all things so I think what you're referring to is and I haven't watched that interview even though we reposted it recently where when I first met him it was at Sarah Night Live I went to visit Dana Carvey we're talking about him he was the only person I knew from from the old days of San Francisco stand-up so I was visiting him and then and Tom Hanks's oh yeah you're in that new movie Avalon and he was in that new post at SNL he was in that dark late Tuesday night that goes till 4:00 a.m. yeah yeah Wednesday thing in there it was a it's a dour very dark world that I stepped into sure and he just had some new fresh meat walk into the room that he could [ __ ] with yeah so he thought it would be hilarious and he wrote me I mean we've stayed in contact and stuff but he wrote me out of the blue and email like eight months ago saying you know what I was sitting back finally a little time to myself who dawned on me that I never actually owned just how much of a prick I was in the room that night in you I know from 20 so this is after the podcast when he has a chance in person to make me apology he waits another three and a half years or more yeah so so that night he just thought he thoughts of scandal he thought it would be hilarious to attack the one movie that no one should ever attack that's what he was going for oh yeah that it would be so ironic to attack Avalon because it's a sweet family saga but what was the attack exactly what was the attack no answer that be it well yeah so the I did I you know it's been so long and remember specifically because it was the whole thing was ridiculous right right it was taking shots that movie but the family all it's all about the family that come to America that's heartwarming who's gonna go see that right alright and I remember thinking well technically no one right well if you're allowed to write letters to apology for 10 12 years later I've got to get that work yeah I mean I let's go down the list now shall we of all the me let's talk let's jump back to present day so I'm very excited that electric dreams is finally going to drop yeah I've been waiting and hearing and hoping and waiting understand you'll be at the Amazon party tonight and if I had been invited I'd see you there should I tell them how excited I am so is it next we wouldn't believe it drops is that the term it I think in fact your email said excited about electric dreams dropping and I instantly thought there's another term I don't know there's another term that just dates me again it's all gonna need to care basis for you it's on the I believe it's the 12th yeah that's what I thought the 12th would be third Wednesday it's funny because we did a little Q&A for it at LACMA the other day and I was set Friday right Friday Friday today yeah would you know Q&A LACMA no and I was talking to Michael dinner who directed my episode and and produced the whole piece and it was a it was a big undertaking they did half of them in the UK and half of them in Chicago and and he was telling me I've saved them with willings wins our episode which one is our episode he goes they all come out at the same time and I was like oh yeah like that idea which I guess just I haven't really done one of those cable shows before but just the idea that they're all they're all in immediate time there is no first episode second episode fifth episode is all here it's all now yeah and it's been that way for a couple of years yeah I know it is I know it has seen have you been reading you tweeting son of a [ __ ] have you been raising three daughters all this time and you somehow how did they not turn you on to things like stranger things on Netflix and other shows that they might be binging because you've got like a yeah yeah I guess we I listen I know I understand III not trying to sound like a Luddite but I I definitely am a little still catching up I feel like I'm always like with technology I feel a little behind you so it would its anthology there'll be different episodes and this project took quite a while to bring to as my understanding you know yeah he he got a hold of I think they have something like a hundred and twenty philip k dick stories right and you know he was a he's a obviously incredible and fascinating writer who in a way somebody made the point the other night that he really didn't predict anything he wasn't about he wasn't a futurist in the sense that the world will be like this the narrative of all of his stories were very human you know it's really about yes it's in the future and yes there's strange events going on around you but it's really about the human condition interacting with each other I think it's one of the reasons I'm going to speak for myself only because I've learned that I love Twilight Zone so much is that a lot of it takes place in the future also or their future at the time but it's more about the human condition always totally yeah yeah they which is the reverse of what a lot of stuff in sci-fi ends up being and it's why it's usually kind of bad and a lot of times doesn't hold a lot of interest for me is that when it is flipped and then there's been great examples of it you know I report I thought was incredible yeah I mean you know mavala the story of the the human condition first and then make all the other look a bogus stuff second it works better and did you shoot in Chicago I got the Chicago call-up in spite of the fact my wife is from UK and we would have probably found a way to traipse over there and make a whole charade out of some UK time we was in Chicago which isn't bad great city one fine town damn fine town far freak technically where you grew up that's right hair oblique all right went down saw the cousins in Champaign Illinois for a little visit and I had a we had a great time but this episode's called the father thing it's the episode is you know I read it and it reminded me what you know one of my favorite movies 1978 version of invasion of the Body Snatcher oh wow how great was that right Donald Soylent let's hear it I mean let's hear it for Donald yeah the one that he's so I mean it's incredible body of work but he's extraordinary in that movie yeah and so is everybody and it just has such a cool vibe and it's kind of based on that same idea it's basically a son young son who whose father you know starts to go through this change and he's not sure at first with what's happening but I suppose with the name the father thing I've given too much away but he starts to learn that that his father is other-worldly yeah that's what happens oh that's exciting as hell I am excited for the show yeah he tried it their all different very if they're all very different stories and yet and I haven't seen them all but I've seen a couple and you have seen a couple yeah so who's in some of the other ones that you have Terrence's and I'm gonna think of I Valerie Harper no no it's not Valerie Harper I'm bad with names make sure I Steve Buscemi markets Howard you know it was terrific yeah a whole medley of but yeah those are the two guys I remember Anna Paquin great is in one well people can go online check it out immediately yeah how long heaven torture me with this we're gonna go through the game on every project I still got no not all of them but several of them are mutual pal Rob Moran did tell me there's the over-under there it is there it is a drinking game you never named Rob Moran add yourself a cocktail out there that's two we just hit the over dammit talking about the premise of the film that you directed now I left into the directing thing a couple years ago and have to put it off forever what was the process for you in terms of deciding to finally jump in because you know the actors have it the easiest on the set of every movie I don't care if it's the revenant even yeah you're you're you're still the guy who's working the least right whereas the director is the opposite of that in terms of overseeing everything and technically responsible for everything right well this was a strange it wasn't something that I had been pursuing it's not something that I was ever I love acting it wasn't something that I was born to do wasn't like something what I really want to do is direct it really wasn't me it was kind of it was kind of based on on a story the guy great writer who'd written Liar Liar and bunch of stuff had brought this idea of a of a young guy who was going through a crisis you know personal crisis and he starts to consider suicide it's a pretty dark beginning and ultimately he meets another guy who has everything right guy who has the world by the you know and that guy ends up actually taking his own life and and he is wondering what how this could be how could somebody who has everything in the world that idea that sort of fantasy of what we all project on to other people as having he's got it all how could how could he how could he do that and in a way it it kind of morphs into a comedy mystery about what happened and he wants to know and you know he ultimately finds his way to the widow who who doesn't know his history with a guy and he has to take on a false persona and in this false persona becomes this Greek immigrant and basically enters her life and her family's life to try and uncover answers that he could potentially save his own life Wow so that's the idea that idea was brought to you by this room yes and my amaze are Steve Mays that's right and do you know Steve no the great guy terrific he's a wonderful wonderful writer and very lovely dude Steve if I haven't in fact met you I apologize yes and by the way there's a drinking game for Steve as well so yeah the any rate that was the that was the idea that you developed with him yeah developed it with him for a while and kind of didn't think it would all come together and then next thing you know you know we started to you know get some pieces together and and it started to started to happen and we you know we got a good cast together and we shot it and the movie is coming out next weekend seriously no I don't know when it comes out there's two producing entities who who have it who are responsible for that and they're kind of figuring out what but I think probably this you know soon this year that's the moment I'm excited about it but it's the other part of it is you know after you do it you kind of have to leave it to people to go figure out how to do it because I don't know how they get these things out into the world right so you race through a couple of parts towards the end there in terms of we develop it for a while and then we cast it and we shot it so just in terms of deciding to take it on initially when you guys were developing it were you thinking as a producer actor were you thinking when you started to develop it I might actually direct this well I was thinking it as a as a director maybe with a part in it but I didn't think I was going to be playing the central part in it because I'm in him to be young exactly and I just I just didn't see I mean ultimately the guy who took on this persona that he took on went Greek as opposed to Scottish or Irish or a million other things that he could have been I spent you know six years of my life in Greece kind of bullshitting my way through the language and it was a major of trying to sort of falsely communicate yourself into a foreign place and that idea always stuck with me it was an interesting thing and to you know try to take that that experience a little bit and somebody trying to use the the issue of a barrier of language and a you know that foreign element and try and work their way through a story seemed like a good idea to me so there is the Greek element that was modified for it and once it became that I was like well god I thought felt right yeah why is this guy young again remind me why this guy now why is he young why is he a kid kid why does it need me haven't we had it with the seven-year-old suicides let's go with but not 17 yeah so once you decide you're gonna direct you then also decide you're going to also direct yourself yeah in your first time yeah director yes did you talk because I went through this talking to other actors who turn to directing mm-hmm the aforementioned Hanks and a couple of others did you talk to any beforehand well I talked to you know I mean I'd worked with Ricky Gervais and we'd then goes town and he had had some experience of doing that and he had talked pretty openly about it and you know I mean you you get the feeling I'd worked with you know Mel and had talked about his experience and Braveheart and stuff I mean you you get the feeling that it's a headbangers you know experience no matter what anybody else's experience is you're gonna have your own journey on this thing right and and I didn't have a sense that there was any sort of through line into how to properly do it it's it's a great leap into the unknown it's terrifying and you know I I think the more that I you know I feel like if I dug down too much I never would have done it because anybody you talked to including me now talking to the next guys you're gonna do what yeah you're mine yeah it's really hard that part seems daunting to me and I have avoided it and and I think I'm going to continue to avoid it also acting in it while while directing I was actually golfs with the Doc Rivers once in a while and he was ooh doc you saying you don't Greg there's a reason the coach didn't play him thanks very much [Laughter] speaking of golf yeah with Phil the name in here one I mentioned the the Jim Brooks connection and the as good as it gets career changing turn but it also led to golf outings with mr. Jack Nicholson I did which you know my experience working with him was first of all I was shocked that he was goofy and silly at times I've thought someone that cool would be aloof you'd have to talk about him not to him mm-hmm so I convinced myself so much about that but he was going to be this I left him alone yeah I mean we were in proximity for for every day out I was on the film for three or four months I think Jack worked a total of ten days in fact I remember being part of his deal ten days on fewer meant five million dollars so that's half a million dollars a day the only thing I remember saying to him was do you hit the snooze alarm when you make half a million dollar tonight and said I would never say that but all the things you didn't say to him yeah here's all the things but I really did stay out of his airspace as much as possible just because he was too iconic that I'd convince myself to leave him the [ __ ] alone even though we're technically co-stars yeah you're he's working every day you're working every day you're on the film together the whole time so obviously it's a vastly different experience and you're also on location I want to say yeah well we shot some in New York the majority here in cow yeah so he was home yeah and how soon into that process does golf come up because it's one of the great equalizers it is it is and thankfully fairly early on yeah he invited me to play go out the lakeside or something join him you know but you'd like to play around I was like yeah man you don't better the night but I don't turn that invitation down and and it was always great he's you know it was always fun we there was a time where we played like a lot we were playing a lot and you know he kind of plays his own game I mean he kind of half plays he might drop a couple extra balls that you know that goes off here he's dropping another one it's going over you know he's just he was he has his own version which makes sense well of course yeah this is his biggest movie star in the world eople I would do whatever the hell you want I don't care yeah I mean but he's but he Cajun aliy and of course one of the great rounds of all time and I think it it probably was reminiscent of your experience in just being odd I had kind of gotten through never totally I'm the I'd be lying to say that I ever got to the point I was like Oh Jay was uh yeah I think that was still very conscious always that he had just come from Mount Rushmore a little bit yeah and but he says one time we're gonna go play we end up with Joe Pesci Jack and Dennis Hopper and they are recounting story after story and they're taking us down Easy Rider Road and everything else and it was it was was a memorable memorable day I have a kind of brain where I can memorize lines for a script but if you say to me well tell me about that day I'd be like I can't really tell you you know worse my eight-year-old is now writing down a diary she's actually keeping a list of things day to day I'm like honey that's the greatest thing you'll do in your life yeah I'm an idiot yeah because I didn't really capture any you know any of that sense but I mean I have a sense obviously if some of the some of the moments some of the great times I you know and and and through my life as I look back but I mean in terms of remembering specifics it's a well a great thing to write stuff down it's the idea of making small talk with someone who's bigger than life like when you're on the tee and you're waiting for the next group to clear the fairway right there's just one thing the game of golf can almost guarantee are those moments where you're either gonna shoot the [ __ ] in those moments or you're not and if you're not shooting the [ __ ] why are you golfing with this person yeah you're not that that games not happening again yeah that's a that's a one-off so I guess you would talk about kids or whatever was in the news like anybody else yeah that's the other thing that that never ceases to surprise me is at the end of the day oh that's right he's just a guy yeah sure the guy wearing shoes that's right we got up that day to swing at all I'm not gonna tell him you said that sweet to me and we had a couple of astonishingly great moments but I just I was too in awe too and also I didn't I was probably the fact that we only had 10 days at shooting anything I can't believe he did that that quickly I mean I'm thinking of the day rate of 500 thousands I don't know what his rate wasn't as good as it gets I don't think there was a rate like that and if you were to actually amateur eyes the amount of days we shot he was probably making about 650 a day we shot forever yeah moving yeah Jim Jim Brooks has become a pal I was a weekly poker game and he he's become a semi-regular and he's far too good at poker he is good he'll surprise you also you know it's it's a it's a weekly game so and there's maybe the roster is 15 to 18 players table seats 9 I'm one of them so it's eight guys and me and it it it doesn't rotate too much beyond that it's pretty much that sort of core group so a couple of so what I was like there'd be an obligation to be really clever the great thing is that that after cuz you play six hours not that I'm upset about not being invited I'm just saying it seems like if you were playing in the game you would be there's no sweeter music sigh ears that you would like to yeah go ahead go ahead nope it seriously I'm not even kidding so what happens is the money kind of rotates around the table nobody wins every week nobody loses every week so we're kind of letting the money circulate among the same virtual same players because this has been going on for seven or eight years right and in that course of time I started to realize that he's a great laughs he's a great listener yeah and he holds back on on the the gems yeah make everybody else laugh but when they get fired oh man they're showstopper oh my god it's unbelievable but he's also a terrific laughs yeah but I've only worked with him once and it was quite recently I did an episode of The Simpsons and for some whatever reason his reason he decided to direct the episode which apparently he doesn't do much and just that just being directed instantly felt like I wanted to please my father and I was gonna let him down no matter what came out of me because he's Mount Rushmore for me of course comedic Lee yeah right yeah and also very particular about how he wanted it done yeah and I've since heard from others that's that's the deal yeah and when he hears it right that's right he knows it and we move on that's right but until then you're gonna be doing this again there was and by the way the laugh is joyous is it full of joy yeah and it really is but I remember I think I'm allowed to tell this story aren't I I love it we're shooting the scene in as good as it gets where I am in the back of the car we've gone on this road trip yeah I'm trying to get this story out and you know every time I talk Jax because he's trying to show off for Helen is like taking over the stage and he's going that's not it and he goes you know the life is supposed to be you know for for other people at sail boats it's whatever I don't remember the line but your hell boats happiness and and macaroni salad and and we hear Oh God and Jim comes out and he pops his head in the window we're on a stage and he says Jack actually it's it's noodle salad it's not macaroni noodle salad and so Jack's like yeah but I don't really know what a noodle salad is I think it's macaroni salad so they they're having a little discussion about this and ultimately this goes back and forth a few times and finally Jim I think he gave up and we went on and we shot the movie cut to a year later and reshoots we're on a soundstage where you know we've switched back and sure enough we're doing this scene again okay and it gets to noodle salad and he says Jack does the line noodle salad he agrees with Jim and edited and sure enough when you watched the movie the line is noodle salad and it's so right I mean it really is it was something that Jim heard it was a sound it was an idea yeah and I've heard that I heard a three-hour debate on noodles versus macaronis and what kind of salads people make it said but he was right about the sound of it just in the sense that it is a guy like you say who can hear a musical note and just tell you that it's right that's it that is it and one of the things I am very curious about your experience directing is if you do wait through many years of experience as we ultimately both did to then be the guy who's listening and waiting to hear it right you're now trusting your instincts right as actors we have to trust our instincts too but we're not that aware of the big picture of the whole picture that's right it is just a couple of minutes of that day's work whereas the responsibility to hear the big picture at all times and have it in your mind it's a different totally different animal skill set to and so what when I'm reminded of or think about the experience with Jim who has what was it what was the once the writer/director also jason reitman was at the poker table and he and Jim have known each other really long time and they're apparently quite close like a mentor for Jim's kind of situation and at one point Jason looked up from his phone he said Gemma it says here you've got 19 Emmys is that true and you know Jim there's there's no ego because his humility doesn't allow him right to have any ego - right even though there's very few people who are entitled to have an ego as much as he is and with no ego and absolute sincerity he looked up and said I think it's more it's the moment that I can always come back to with him because it was it sort of crystallized many things about his character yeah but also why this is a guy who when he says it's noodle salad you as an actor have to figure out why on your own but just trust yes exactly that is gonna be noodles also just that when and his kid whenever he's depicted on The Simpsons it's basically just a still shot of rich uncle Pennybags from monopoly like the monopoly man who stacks of cash Emmys and Oscars surrounding up yeah it's so true I mean he still remains the only first-time director to win writer-director excuse me the first-time writer director of a film to win Best Screenplay Best Director Best Picture yeah never happened before since that first time having already done all those years of Mary Tyler Moore and taxi and everything else which is a whole different animal that you know a whole different skill set I think in right basely but it all leads to becoming a better writer and becoming someone who can hear that musical note right right so when you're on set and you're directing and you and you hear a false no mm-hmm was it easy at first natural to because I found that I hate he mentioned the auditioning process I'm not a fan of it I think it's designed to fail and so I just picked up the phone and called people and asked them to do the movie yep and and so what then once you hire the right people because you know what they're capable of I feel like the last thing in the world is that they need to hear any specifics for me so I would go in and say I need about 17% less and then I would walk away and then they would sort of giggle and then figure out whatever it is how differently to do it right what was your experience like in those moments where it's just not ringing right yeah not a lot of diet not a lot of conversation right mean you know was it Gene Hackman who said faster slower louder softer there you go is the only four words I want to hear but there you go I mean I I don't I speed you know faster seemed to matter or so you know take your time or faster but in terms of you know unlike you know Jim who has this incredible I think ability not only to express you know I think he can actually tell you why it's he's right about this like I don't know what the line uh he would give you but he would be able to you know Express that whereas with me I you know probably similar to you I just would know if it was a little off and you could give small little adjustments and you know you're dealing with professionals and at the end of the day they're you know they go and they take it and and you know more often than not they make it something better than what you ever could have imagined yes and isn't that fun isn't that it that's the joy I think of any director who's doing you know anything is if you have a you know great career happening out there you're working with great people and you're giving them these ideas you're giving them you know maybe a few little bits and pieces and nuggets along the way but then they're going off and they're turning it into something you didn't anticipate and you're you know maybe at times that's the wrong door they're opening and you have to gently close it but more often than not if you're open to the discovery there's great stuff happening there and getting out of the way of your own preconceived right specificness of what it has to be is you know that's hard yeah you know especially when you develop the material as long as you did the way you said yeah and then and then start to have an idea of what it's supposed to be so you'll want to be real in the moment and say god well maybe this isn't supposed to be this right and certainly you know actors have different ideas and they are they well I didn't see it as a a I saw it as a P of B Wow okay and so there's that your SS happening - yeah which by the way is is compounded in terms of its difficulty when you're not just coaching the team you know which is like that you know because you're trying to do your thing and you're trying to kind of manage that and at the same time you know which is hard enough and I think that was you know that that's that's something that you you learned just with time as an actor is that just balancing your own stuff managing your own world and that is is take some effort well something even for you no no this something as simple as your annecy with another actor yeah alright you you're directing you're acting you're in a scene with another actor so when you're in that moment of the scene are you thinking about them that your scene partner as a director or an actor because as an actor you're supposed to disappear from everything else yeah and be present yeah that's all we have to do right is be present right but if there's that that's the thing that always intimidated me that I would be thinking on the side of his face in the shadow yeah I don't need yeah I mean to remove yours just have to compartmentalize I think you know I didn't my experience was that there were moments I had both right I had moments where I was like god dammit man we just did that and I was just doing it it was great it felt great and it was all happening with the actors and I was completely lost in whatever a little bit of business we were taking care of that day and there were other times where yes shadows on the face or thinking about the boy this is this scenes taken longer than I ever thought and we got to go from here to the next scene which is not gonna cut very well what did you say that's exactly right yeah so I mean that is a that's another skill set you learn yeah yeah right I think so yeah I mean you learn something but I think you're probably the technology which you're so fond of I am probably creating a whole army of people who are going to be even more adept at doing both multitasking and having the facility to do seven things at once then you know in a way in in reverting you know as technology goes forward it's causing sort of people to revert back to the simple we have to make this all work and they're learning how to do lots of different things at once it probably becomes as organic and easy as just directing in terms of trusting your instincts and once you can trust those instincts you can be present in the scene and not think about it and then say cut at some point or how'd your first ad say cut and then look out to him and the cinematographer and say did we get that Yeah right I mean Jerry Lewis obviously famous for creating video assists so that he could watch playback after directing himself in the scene yes which we did have by the way of course yeah yeah you know you guys have been talking about it for a while and we'd have to check the tape to be sure but I don't think you have once said the name of this film incorrect sorry no no the photo racks it'd be a film right I want to write exams do you very well to be able to know where to find it once it come on everybody thank you I think they both reminded us at least once why there's nothing you say Fred Willard was on the show he has mewho I showed that we showed the kids waiting for Guffman Ronald Lee what a gem that is and when Catherine O'Hara is sitting with Fred and they're being interviewed and they're excited the Corky has heard their audition and they're just talking about you know he's talking about what his skill set is and she says you know fret and bops the one who taught me to live just know Bob's like Bob's the one who taught me to ignore my instincts is dry Todd she's just like that on he's the one who taught me how to just ignore my own we have a segment on the show called famous questions Wow run the graphic don't have one still how is that possible we've tried this is a segment where these famous questions are simply questions from famous people that you and I know I say I because I have to reach out to them and ask them to write a question these questions were to me yeah oh man specifically to you God the first one I can do in his voice ready yeah asking me if he would publicly state that he is ready to take me and my wife out to dinner at his expense including tip before he runs out of town again and what we both know is nothing but a dodge to get out of his commitment to having made this offer a nod and a chuckle won't get him out of this meet just saw both I need to hear a vocal yes Kevin followed by an almost immediate phone call from Greg please monitor this for me Kevin because it's going it's good but it's been going on too long how do you respond I won that man an Oscar and when we go and break bread we dine right she doesn't happen enough but the next time it does and probably the subsequent times uh-huh you will pick up the tab and you will say thank you that's right Thank You mr. Oscar yeah exactly once you win an Oscar you always pick up the bill I thinking so I mean there's no there's not even an argument about that it's like that the fact that he's like even wasting this much time writing this letter out when it's absolutely clearly I think this is Academy rule stuff right yeah he has to pick it's in the Academy yeah I'd like to think just once after you win that particular trophy you you bring it to dinner but you don't reveal it until the check comes and then you just set the trophy there next yeah check but I think that would suggest to whoever you're dining with that they're picking it up he doesn't really include himself for the free dinner he brings his wife to write you know Susan's coming too now here's good news for you I found out if you're gonna be around because he did mention in the follow-up that he's coming to town next week you're gonna be here for three months to work on a series I have heard that okay I don't know what series he was very mysterious about it do you have any information is not share this you got to beat it out of them yeah no I don't know I don't know what's going on yeah sounds like he's got a bomb he's about to drop them herself alan arkin stars in yeah you know what it's none of your business right all right the next a famous question I won't do his his accent as much as I love to because you're better half is from the same neck of the woods ricky gervais 'he's writes a love Greg in parentheses he does a great impression of Michael Keaton by the way which before he leave will going to need because couldn't be bigger fans he's written two questions first one would he rather have giant tentacles four legs and sort of slither around or have lobster claws forearm please take it seriously that's actually yes he's yeah when he read it could you repeat the question I'm happy to would he rather have I love the sincerity with what you asked could you please would you rather have genital giant tentacles four legs giant tentacles four leg genital Tinoco right okay what do you like to have giant tentacles four legs and sort of slither around or have lobster claws for armed and then no additional descriptive mention of what you're going to do with lobster claws like he does with tentacles four legs gosh I think I'll take tentacles right and that's correct I think I'll take ten enough I'm right on then are they yeah I get about I still have my upper body lobster claws for the claws sounds hard I'm gonna be able to work a remote control yeah I'm not really going anywhere once you're slithering around you're in front of the TV most of the day and I mean it really the question calls into ricky gervais is his own common sense really to even be throwing that idea out there yeah like there's an option yeah bizarre healthy he's in england right huh you know what I bet you if you asked Eddie Izzard he'd go for the claws cuz he likes to run Wow there we have it he can run easy a runner hello a big runner is he really he came on this show a number of years ago and I in the research found out that he decided out of thin blue that he would run marathons Wow yep and is he like a slimmed-down guy now and his preparation was doing one so I said I read in the research that you started running marathons and in fact set out to run something like and I'm I'm nearly correct 57 in 65 days it was marathons yes yes yes look it up young Willie so I said to him it said here in the research Eddie that you reached your own preparation was to just do one right so that's not true so tell me what how it actually did go down and he said that is how it happened I just started with doing one you didn't run for six months to prepare like every other human being you just decided I could run 35 miles why couldn't I and yeah you I would have to refer you to the interview where he does just say it and typical British you know self evasive facing and also yeah I just did one very Forrest Gump Ian you just start running 35 miles Wow and then decide I'm gonna do another one tomorrow we might dad mr. mystery men I do I worked with him in Miss Jamie is a huge fan I'm gonna go to you for a question mister man question neck so gear up I want to give you a little prep because I normally just go to you and then we get the deer in the headlights question 2 from Ricky Gervais two out of two and who would think after the first we need have the nerve to offer up a second but he did if Greg had a superpower that his kiss would cure anything on any part of the human body and you Kevin had mild anal fungus what he helped you again the obvious answer is it sort of precludes the the necessity to answer God right what is the disease you have anal fungus it's miles you'll be fine fine I see you scratching a little bit over there my it's this little move yes unless you're using the baby whites every time you're gonna have a little bit of yes so thank you Ricky Ricky Gervais who's who I my experience of working with him as an actor and he was acting and directing was that he finished every day early yes six o'clock by design yes gets grumpy after that hour by the way yeah I envisioned he goes home and puts that little sleeping cap on little slip booties on honestly at 7:00 p.m. he is out I think but I go ahead he but he is there they're like you they he and Jane yeah they're asleep by 9:00 17 and up at 7:30 that's right or earlier yeah I've been cooking a lot at home lately but really it's just my trick to get Kevin to stay in so I could be embedded a decent uh cause if you don't do that he's gonna be he's a knight he still stays up but I like I've got I know no I could let's say in well you are that type I have a guy you have a sense we haven't worked together well through stand up my and I also I remember right I listening to one of your podcast you were saying you're the type that just like if you could go trailer to trailer and just hey what are you doing in there I'm not that way you hole up I don't hole up but you know I'm not running an acne you know operation either where I'm going door to door i I'm a little you know I comfortable kind of just walking over and I was assume that's people's this is the Midwest probably right the very waspy middle I was with Jack I mean I go through that to leave people alone you know but also I was suggested very early on if we're not having fun doing this what is that's for sure yeah that's for sure in fact I I actually do leave the door open more and I am more conscious of it right as time goes on but it used to be ya know I just assumed you went in there and the only option you had was to close the door and in turn you know and be weirdly you know unavailable yeah nobody wants to hear from us yeah right that's the that's a fair assumption not true though no get out there open the windows as it turns out get out there yeah all right we we have just almost hit the 90 minute mark again who knew we're just talking Wow just two idiots talking so I'm gonna just run down a couple of names and see whatever just stream-of-consciousness whatever comes to you Mike Nichols brilliant obviously lovely and I remember a long table on the Sony lot us doing a table read Garry Shandling there and him getting along fabulously by the end of the movie they weren't getting along so well but still he was he was divine yeah and another one of those forgive the otherwise famous term touched by an angel this was a guy who was from another planet in terms of his abilities and and instincts yeah and he had a he just first of all he he had the lovely voice it was like this velvety you know just great thing and he had a way of making it all feel like just a lovely little cocktail party you know and yet he was another guy who knew the sound and searched for searching for a sound and a real artist obviously until we got it yeah yeah yeah did you ever watch any of the early Nichols in man stuff yes yes incredible incredible right not even fair to the other you know in terms of their timing in there yeah can you YouTube that absolutely no yeah and I encourage it right now all right Sam Raimi Sam Raimi anybody one of my favorites hey buddy whenever at the Michael Keaton we gotta get the micro G it's one of the great great guys in the business Bar None a good friend and just a wonderful artist who is honestly he could do he could do the the smallest thing the grandest thing and he would still treat it the same way with the same sort of honest humility and just the effort to try and make it as good as it can be and he's sensitive to people incredibly sense of human of being am I supposed to give you one word answer so I mean okay these people okay because I was failing no no no I I was hoping that just by mentioning these people's names that you've worked with that it would spark what you're giving up yeah also the suit-and-tie thing every day loved to death yeah yeah I remember what I'm talking about looking people up when you decide to direct in terms of advice and stuff he said come to the office buddy and he was prepping a the new spider-man the second one he didn't remember yes yeah so he was prepping the second one yeah and he said come to my office and so we talked and hung out and he said are you gonna story part and I said absolutely is it that come with me and walked me over to his storyboard guy and said what are you working on and he said what he was storyboarding it spent some time with him this would be good for you yeah just generous of other people's time not all heels yeah love him so much Jamie mystery man question yes well first I have I want to share a story about mystery man because I think not only do I love the movie I have an extremely fond memory of the movie so I think it also plays into the fact of my enjoyment of the film but my very best friend Jackie Stoughton and I who saw it on it was our first day of our senior year of high school and not that the day was bad or anything but I think we were just like building it up like it's our so it's our first day of senior year we're gonna rule the schools it's gonna be great and it was just a typical day so it was like kind of a letdown nothing bad happened it was just like we had amped it up too much so we decided to go to which I now believe is a dead mall J Mecca you can correct me on this North Way mall I don't even know if it exists anymore but they had a cheap movie theater there and we're like oh let's see mystery memory number we didn't see it so this looks like fun and we loved it so I have like a really great like matte like it like saved the day for us like we were really glad yeah like it was like did made like have a better memory of seeing that movie my that my first day of senior year then I do of like what happened at school that day like I love that movie so much and when you watch me get psycho to frak you lated emotionally take us to that moment tears she's laughing too much I'm not a good actress Cheers she's a writer she can't recreate the moment the question yeah why we've never you think of a question so your character kept an amazing I believe is that the director yes well you is everybody else had like unique superpowers and you were just kind of like the general I like the overall like superhero what would be here if you could choose to have like a unique superpower what would yours be in real life in real life oh yeah Wow any superpower that we know of a basic but there's one like bizarre yeah what's that what you're saying are you saying like those William H amazing like was good at shoveling and like had various characters Raja that was Jim Groth with a fork wasn't yeah he was at the fork Bueller Raja what is that yeah yeah yeah I would I would shoot I could I could open my mouth and and kill you with a golf ball shooting out of it we're talking I know I'm not going to do that didn't like see you around yes he'll think twice and important because it affected you could hurt somebody with a golf ball oh yeah yeah and we've already establishes interest in the game itself yeah Sammy file I have a quick question not about Mystery Men and there is no story that accompanies it it's just a straight question about the film autofocus yes which is one of my all-time favorites you are spectacular in it and my question is I don't know if you've followed the story in the last several years but there's been supposed DNA evidence that contradicts what the movie essentially posits that John Carpenter is the one who ended Bob cranes life do you have any thoughts on that I'm just curious as the actor who played Bob Crane well I'm not I don't keep up on whatever's there latest but that that speculation was was there when we made the movie nobody any Paul Schrader was so deeply you know entranced in the detail and minutiae of that story he said that given the evidence he and if he had been on the jury he for sure would have acquitted you know what would have acquitted John but that he was quite convinced based on the other evidence sure that he was he was guilty and so I don't know I mean DNA I just did a movie where I play a lawyer Justin Brooks who who runs the California Innocence Project this is an amazing guy you know they work at a San Diego out of the Western School of Law they've exonerated 30 people and these aren't just kind of [ __ ] technicalities they do this based on you know work and a lot of effort but sometimes it does you know certainly involve you know DNA evidence but it really gets got me thinking and and of course not that I'm not aware of that ongoing question my god can you imagine somebody being falsely accused and spending there you know and and just the horror of that and you know I so conscious of that that you you know it's a it's a weird world you know with DNA evidence to look back on any crime now and say well did they do it really not do it whether some evidence could show up based in an old sitting in a cardboard box at the you know downtown Los Angeles that could totally exonerate somebody so I don't keep up on the story maybe there's something to suggest of John's innocence but I know at the time that we did it and for a few years after you know just to keep in touch with Paul it was it was pretty clear that that he was probably the one mm-hmm correct yep that's I think so too the evidence was not anything conclusive it just cast a little bit more doubt but not really far enough in either direction right yeah also Jamaica's confirmed Northway mo is dead thank you for that J max North Way mall is dead okay yeah I had I felt that's the real issue here felt your concern and when she mentioned it I don't even know what that means well it's in Pittsburgh which brings us back to Michael key 34 seconds I'll give you four seconds just this because a lot of times you just get the cookie Michael Keaton just of him being startled that's everyone's go to the quick Michael Keaton that was thorough and thoughtful no thank you for this one of those he's like he's a DeNiro well is in the the impression it's a facial impression it's not a it's it's like you don't even have to say anything you don't even have yeah dinero but it's just he doesn't even speak if you go through all the machinations of just him thinking in the case of Katyn there yeah yeah but if everyone does that you know he was so unbelievably great in Birdman yes two years ago just ridiculous right now but I just know I first of all I was always a huge fan of his have been for years yeah that's done lovingly as I don't even know what I'm doing in that strange thing I just remember like and I think it was clean and sober which he was very good in so good you know it was that reason I got this chip and I remember that kind of stuck with me and I don't know I don't really do a good Michael Keaton but it's an idea in my head that I haven't Michael key but would that be honest to do that is the thing about my experience of doing impersonations and feeling comfortable doing them in front of strangers is that it becomes a possession you actually go into the thought process of that person in the moment right you you're you're no longer thinking your own thoughts right you reckon if you're doing it I mean you're like I'm onna I don't know if this is going outside my broadcast zone here right but I am owning it yeah I'm that guy right yeah yeah yeah well I'm lost I'm in this person I don't care or know if anyone else is recognising that right yeah I know that you have like could you form a list of number one the most guy that you are when you do it all the way down to number 30 and rank them or is it one size fits all or is it in the moment well there are definitely different rankings for sure I personally next I made a list confidence would also happiness for me yeah okay yeah you know I mentioned a few times certainly that I think funnier and faster when doing Albert Brooks yeah then I did I do in my own thoughts uh-huh right he's such a comedic giant for me and so dialed into his pattern of little asides that run through every sentence that he's saying you know I don't know how familiar you are with maybe something from lost in America please if you would come on just give us a tell me quid pro quo please it's only right Sofia one thing about where exactly to jump in don't say any part of the words if you're in a forced you see a bird around sticks you points a look next eggs things over easy on toast I don't say any part of the words alright I'm gonna give you a lecture and a general beating and then we'll have you write 500 times of the sidewalk I lost the nest a colossal mistake Laughlin is yeah there there are there passages of modern romance that I could do just over and over and over again because it makes me so damn happy yeah for sure yeah but for a while I did a another podcast called talk and walk and where I just had someone over to the house and just it was two people talking in conversation minutia my dinner with Andre kind of situation yeah no real topics are going anywhere and I spoke only as Christopher Walken and we didn't mention him or me anywhere in the conversation the whole time just inexplicably I'm only speaking yeah and that was getting lost the most I've ever been for sure because it was conversational it wasn't pushing an impression was it an interview he was just conversations conversations yeah there's about 15 of them online now called talk and walking out yeah yeah and they're there there's there's probably a couple of them that are worth listening to a couple of films coming out of New Year and then I'll let you go strange but true yes worked with Amy Ryan Brian Cox Fred Berger produced la-la-land brought the script to me it's a fantastic script just finishing it I don't know what where we'll see it or win but I would imagine soon director who directed Rowan I'm escaping his last name got dharna you're gonna like hit me on all sorts of name lookup strange matru can answer that question for yourself and the other film was red sea diving resort this looks incredible yes getting an ax RAF directed and wrote he did homeland and a number of really impressive things and he found this story a little Argo asked I guess it takes place in the late 70s and it was the Ethiopian Jewish crisis there were a number of Ethiopian Jews being persecuted they crossed over into the Sudan where you know basically they were in a refugee status and their conditions went from bad to worse and the Mossad Chris Evans plays the head of him Saad and they went over to try to get these help these people out went a little bit off the book and very covert stuff but they this is all true they took over an old dilapidated hotel not far from the refugee camps and they called it the red sea diving resort and at night they were getting small groups of these refugees back you know out of the camps and to Israel and there was a you know a you know Muslim guy obviously running the country who had all sorts of political issues and was kind of not open to that idea so they started to realize some sort of you know train out of these camps was happening but they weren't sure what was that exactly how and I play playing my father actually in a way because my dad worked at the American Embassy u.s. embassy element that was also involved in this and had their own issues and their own agenda sure but ultimately you know did work with them and they did get out thousands of these people and got him to Israel on a mass evacuation when the [ __ ] was really hitting the fan good lord rollin Assad I thought eh what's that were the director of strange mature Rowan athough day yeah Rowan at night yes yes there and so it's pronounced whose concern really yes sorry he's a great guy British and he's gonna kill me hey strange but true is that one and then red sea diving resort look for both of those so one of the greatest movies of this past year sweet touching wonderful it's on VOD now Rigsby bear which my god so such a fun movie by the way and it really wasn't scene that happened that much and you know Kyle Mooney from s and now we love him he's been on the show no we love him he hits his he's the guy and he's unbel on telling you off last year he's wonderful in it and thank you I really love the movie thanks for bringing it up because I watched the trailer of it in preparation for this and then completely forgot about it but um it almost seemed like being there there's a little element of the Peter Sellers I think that's a that's a I mean it goes in its own it's a shown world for sure but it's it's not a off-base reference right all right it's time for Kevin's pop quiz between 5 and 15 points possible for you to the three questions once the final score is tabulated will be posted on a website along with the current standing among the top 100 are you ready question number 1 Sammy Davis jr. R&B Davis Sammy Davis correct question 2 Carl Weathers or the weather in Carlsbad Carl Weathers also correct last question Keith sorry make sure that they're paying it then have you had people dozing off was Arkin asleep that's like a trick question oh no it's completely a trick oh okay did you say Keith yep that's all I said okay after offering up to this or that questions prior I went with just one option because you're kind enough to give us the Michael Keaton there will be no Larry King game on this one unless you want to protect it's it's reenacting that moment on Larry King show where he right before going to the phone Tucson Arizona hello yes right he would look down the barrel of camera and share something about himself that no one cared about or needed to know he would just share some little tidbit about his morning his preference of Hydrox over Oreo some ridiculous Larry King ISM and then he would go to the phones that's how you play the game so bad Larry King impression Larry decides to share something that no one needs to know about him not about you you're doing him and then go to the phones and at the name of the city is funny-sounding that's not going to hurt there's your camera when you're ready it's the Larry King game is this optional that's how you played Larry I thank you for that and there's our guest Greg Kinnear Thank You pal honesty for coming by enticing Evan some of your Sunday with us total blast revenue yeah we'll we'll follow up with more news about all those films including the philosophy of Filth that's right yeah and and did a movie of fact I did you ever work with Tom Shadyac no but love the comedy guy who is you know did this drama and I did that and we just finished in Memphis and it's based on this story Brian banks young man wrongly accused of raping this girl and he's 16 years old lost the key years of his life he was a football standout prodigy being scouted by Pete Carroll at SC and had a big career ahead of him and he was imprisoned and ultimately in adjustment Brooks in this California Innocence Project that I was not just pulling out of thin air undertook the the very difficult process of basically getting him out and getting his his conviction overturned he went on to have a career with the Atlanta Falcons it's an incredible story you can google it Brian banks and he's a it Brian is a I just want to say because we're talking about lots of good people here today this is an extraordinary guy you know who is courage and and wherewithal to withstand that time and has let it go I mean he's not he's not full of you know hate and anger he's full of positivity and has let this not define him so it's one of those great stories so sorry you throw that in at the end but at the end wildly inspiring and the Larry King thing would have probably been good to know you chose correctly oh man thank you so much thanks real thank you yeah please sit there uncomfortably for 42 seconds while I wrap things up to the folks at home here we go and ship-to-shore the floor director today kenny chen dr. evil chen thank you again for those of pineapple filled cakes from taiwan at the holidays they were mostly enjoyable Luke Allen thanks for being with us again you make it all possible speaking of which Ryan novel returns up there and the Crone's nurse with J Mack reminding us which malls are still closed Sammy and Jamie thank you as oh no I was just reminiscing with J Mack that movie theater because it wouldn't show like older movies for like cheap sure but I saw so many important movies there like after the fact I was just going down a list I saw like that thing you do six cents I saw home alone there go what American Beauty Rushmore I saw there something much more about and mistreatment let's go back to Rushmore now it's evident Jade Fox on mega and multiplicity Corey Levin on posts and multiplicity bringing it all back as everything should to Michael key until next time and as always Oh David Harbor hell sheriff hoppin but uh300 your things 38 shows I just wanted to sign off saying David Hart I love it [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: kevinpollakschatshow

Views: 14,733

Keywords: kevin pollak, greg kinnear, as good as it gets, little miss sunshine, chat, talk, podcast

Id: 3Zr9fhiGtto

Length: 91min 5sec (5465 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 09 2018