"Steve Zahn"

0:00All right, this is Steve Zahn, and I just went through an intense tech setup with my mic and my computer, and I'm ready to go. I'm just waiting here, waiting patiently to be unsmortless. Welcome to Smartless. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. Smart. All right, surprise guests. Give us a clap if you're still with us, please. We are rolling. Wow, that's it. That's it, dude. Yes. We're going to go tarps off today, guys. I almost sent you an article last night, so we talked about tarps off. It wasn't even a Canadian article.

1:01No, I never heard that before. Is that an old saying? Yeah. It is. I never heard that. Canadian old. You know, when I was in junior high school, they would do certain things. Oh, hang on, let me settle in. They would do shirts and skins, you know, like, and I'm so like, I would always be afraid to be skins because I wasn't happy with my body. Same. By the way, it's traumatic for children to be like, hey, take your shirts off, dudes, against the guys who get to keep them on. It's like, why is that a thing? Yeah, I wonder if you can still do that. Is it politically not okay? No, no. I don't know. You take your shirt off. You keep yours on. And the same, right. And the same with showers after. Like I remember being 12 years old. Guys, hit the showers. I'm like, I don't want to be naked in front of my, like, my shoes on the shower team. Were you always on the shower team? Yeah. I was just doing showers. No, but I was just doing this semester. I'm thinking of showering. I'm caught back at the shower team. You know, though, isn't that so bad?

2:02Yeah, I went to all boys' boarding school, dude. I had to shower every day. I mean, is it what, what is the thinking behind that, that, that, like, ah, they'll be fine. They'll work it out or just boys. They're, yeah. And I'm like, no, we all, we're all sensitive. Anyway, moving on. Huh. Huh. Just drop us off right there, Sean. I guess we'll find our way home from here. No, you know what I mean? It was awful. It was awful. I was in camp. I remember I had to think, music camp. I had to think. Oh, he's got more. Shot. Got it. Off the top of my head with Sean Hayes. Yeah. Camp stories. I had to take a shower and it was really cold. But I, did I hear to tell the story? There was a secret. It was a way to it. It was a super long line. And there was a line of like a hundred guys in line to take one shower at a time. And by the time I got there, the water was so cold, I was, it was freezing. And I, you know, you lose your breath when the water's that, like, you can't catch your

3:03breath. And I was like, and everybody was staring at me taking a shower. I don't know. Is your folks get a deal on the camp? This is a hundred people for the one shower with the no hot water? Yeah, right. The music came with off way. Wait a second. That's it. Yeah. I mean, it's a whole story. Just the same as always. I think we can start rolling now. Let's sum. Sean, you've got a G.E.P.D. hat on that is a some sort of a police department that is Glenn Ellen. Glenn Ellen. Glenn Ellen. Glenn Ellen. Glenn Ellen. Glenn Ellen. Glenn Ellen. That's in the Chicago suburbs. That is it. I'm just looking in the chat there. I don't know if you guys want to click on it. Yeah, the chat there's Jason with the shit. Well, they see after all the way off in the me telling off in the Mediterranean. Hey, man, you know, keep it relatable. That's something you can Google if anybody wants to do. You do look good though, JB. Yeah, you look really good. No, not really. Yeah, I'm crazy. I'm crazy.

4:04It's a dad bod right there. That's a dad bod has been working out. Oh, that is. So that's my shower shot, right? I know. See, embarrassing. You're never nude, right? I don't remember that show. By the way, I got a bunch of, you know, I think it's, I'm, I want to give out the, the, the correct website, but I'm going to guess at DavidCross.com. But I, I went on David's website for his, you know, stand up site where he's got a lot of his performances on there, which is awesome. And I bought myself a bunch of swag. I've got David Cross t-shirts. That's cool. No one's great. No one's great. And they threw in a beer cozy. I know, like, and I said, it's said to picture to David, you know, once it arrived at the house, I said, hey man, just wanted you to know I'm a, I'm a fan and I've been, I've been buying stuff. I don't know what site I was on, but it was some sort of a link or somehow I got to his website. I was like, oh, look at all of this stuff.

5:04He's got merch, you guys. That's right. I don't know. If you like David Cross, like I do, go get yourself a t-shirt. Love David Cross. We love ourselves some David Cross. Yeah, yeah. He should come back on the show. He should. We're doing a treat now, aren't we? We're going to do repeats. Well, this one's not. No, this is a fresh new, fresh new meat. This is fresh new meat. And this is heavy hands. Yeah, a loud clap. Yeah. This guy knows how to clap. Sure does. And he probably learned it from all the audience who's clapping for him. He's a musician. He's not a musician. He's a performer. A magician. A magician. He's an, he's an, he's, his acting is sometimes magic. You know, I think his good magicians are a podcast. Yeah. We learned that last one. Look at this. They're an easy booking. What's that? I would describe some of his performances in magic. He grew up in Minnesota. There was a time when he thought about joining the Marines before he started pursuing acting.

6:04And then we got to see him in so many amazing movies and stuff over the years. Way back when, all the way to today, movies like Reality Bites, which he was so good. And he does the thing we go through, through independent film and big studio films. And then he does like Crimson Tide with Tony Scott. And then he was in that thing you do, which has become like a cult hit. And then he's did a happy Texas, which he was amazing in. I remember him in Suburbia. Did you do that? You guys, it steves on. How does it show? I love Steve's on. I love Steve's on. I love Steve's on. I love Steve's on. I love Steve's on. I am Rockwell, showing me some pictures of Steve's on the other day. I just lit up like a cruise. I didn't even get the chance to mention his movie She Dance is, which is available now, which I wanted to get into. Steve will ask you about that. But welcome to Smartless Man. Huge fan. Thank you. I'm so stoked to be on this. This is a guest. Yeah, this is a guest. I'm a big fan of your Steve. Big fan. I'm a fan of all you guys.

7:05And I got to say, like, how is it that in 30 years, I have not been in the same room with any of you. No, no, no, no. Where are you living? Where do you and your macaroni art were live? That's the name of his production. Macaroni art. Yeah, you got to piece the macaroni art. Is the name of his production company? Yes, it is. Is that true? That's it. That's crazy. So, listener, you should know there's a painting behind him with an elbow macaroni upside down in the shape of a U. Just over his left shoulder. That's it. It's a brick wall, Steve. And so, the macaroni that is macaroni, that's the name of his company. And the brick wall is in Midway, Kentucky. Wow. Well, that's why we haven't seen you for 30 years. Yeah. Well, I've, you know, I've always, I've always kind of lived outside, outside the world. Yeah, I like that. I think, God, you're still finding your way to our movie screens and TV screens. Yeah. Did you ever live in Los Angeles, Steve?

8:05No. Because, you know, back in the day when you actually worked in Los Angeles, I would just, I would rent a place for a long time and it was great. Oakwoods? Yeah, I would, yeah, I'd stayed at the Oakwoods and Marina Del Rey when I did that thing you do. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. But, but so I was, you know, I was like, well, if I can rent a house for an extended period of time and live in a different neighborhood all the time, my buy. Right. But I was New York. I was New York. Your? Okay. Yeah. And then I met my wife a long time ago, 1990. And we met doing national tour by-bye birdie. Okay. Oh, wow. I meant with John Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, John. Cool, John. Which, how are we, tune and Anne Rankin? No, no, no, really. Take it easy. He's crazy. Fuck. Wait, which part were you? I was you. Well, of course you were a huge, okay. Of course. It was 13 months on the road. Anyway, we got back and then we had, you know, we had tour money. We thought we were rich. And so we bought a little cabin in Pennsylvania.

9:08And then we didn't work. So we had to give up the apartment and then live in this cabin. And then we commuted to New York. So really early on, you got used to not being in the city. Yeah, exactly. So. Well, now, and you're not the kind of fellow that needs to go in there and take a bunch of meetings because people, people know what's going on with Steve's on. They know what they know. It's like you, you, you make a call. It's a lot of get me. Steve's on. It's a lot of get any chance Steve's on is available. I don't care where we got to fly him in from. Yeah. We just need him. Yeah. No. Yeah. You're like a special firefighter. You got to. I will say Steve, I remember, I remember hearing that you are like a special fire. Yeah. Let's get him in here. What I would have. He's a problem solver. You solve problems for people. I'm a solvent problem. No, but I remember hearing that you lived in like Pennsylvania or something and I would way back when because I was always such a fan. I was like, that's so fucking cool that that he doesn't even live in the city. Yeah, we don't have three of us don't have balls to live outside this.

10:08No, I certainly I'm too afraid to miss the meeting. I know. Oh, you guys are on New York, right? No, I'm just soft L.A. I'm here now. I'm both. I looked at your phone. Sean, he's got both, too. These guys are doing real well, Steve. Yeah. No, but I was a New York guy back in the 90s. You know, for sure. And just what he thought you're doing good. Yeah. You know what, though, Steve, it's true when Jason just said he is Steve's wherever he is will make it work. You pop up and like when you popped up in the white lotus, I was like, oh my god, you're brilliant in that. And then I watched Silo and I was like, is that Steve's, is that Steve's on behind the door and saw that was that was amazing. And we were thanks. You pop up in the most unique places. How do you, do they come to you? Is it something you seek out? You're like, I love that show because it seems like you're on all the good ones. Well, no, Silo, they approached me. Rebecca did. She actually, Rebecca saw a short that we did that macaroni art did. We did a series of shorts called on Candid Portrait.

11:09And I played this like, I played this fictional artist, this photographer that's famous for taking photographs of fireworks. Yeah. And it was just short. She saw it. I got, he'd be perfect for this part. Yeah, for my sister, for my sister who doesn't watch it's Rebecca Ferguson, brilliant actress. Yes, she's amazing. And really cool. Anyway, but white lotus, that was one of the last times I had, I went on tape. Yeah. Wow. Well, audition. And now what about that process? It's, do you prefer it to self, do you prefer the self taping as opposed to going into a room? I don't do it that much. I mean, usually I get an offer, but it's like, but it's nice to like, because you don't have to send it in until you're happy with it. Exactly. I was always afraid I was going to get my pants in the room, you know, and, yeah, right. Right. That's because you're in all those diuretics too. Yeah. Just trying to drop water weight is constantly, it's just runs, runs havoc with the valve.

12:12But you know what? So it's like whenever I remember reading, you know, being in New York and going in an auditioning at like three of us, and there was like 70 guys there. There we go. Yeah. You know, remember that? Yeah. And like, Sam Rockwell was there and, you know, the row. The Rho. The Rho. The Rho. The Rho. Everybody was there. It's all jammed in. And the Rho using the offices is there to tend to the sleeves. But you would go winning. You would read with someone that might not be that great. And so as the instinct of an actor is to make that moment good. So you might do something completely different to what you planned. Right. Because the other hand is clapping in a real weird way. Right. It's just right anyway. Yeah. That's a great point. So wait, hey, well, while I got you there, let me ask you about that. Yeah, he's not going anywhere. Oh, if you can't go right now. We got you for a little bit, right? Yeah. Oh, my God. But I was just talking to somebody about that. I don't want to get into bullshit actor weeds here. But you are a guy who clearly has many different pitches in his arsenal.

13:15And you can throw the ball a bunch of different ways. And I won't torture the metaphor. But if you're working with an actor that is doing something wildly different than what you assumed the night before when you were running your lines and making your plan for how you're going to do the scene tomorrow. And you show up on set and that other actor is doing it completely differently than one would assume. Are you okay with pivoting and taking a different angle on your character? Just as you said, to make that scene work. Because a lot of actors, they, I find they just, they don't or they're not able to or they don't want to or. No, I think for sure. That's the fun part, isn't it? I mean, well, not for some. For some, which is like, what the fuck are they doing? You know, I tell my director, can I talk to you? I tell young actors, I tell my daughter, it's like, look, just show up early. Overprepare and don't be a dick. And overprepare is the main thing. Right. You know, it's like, no, it's so well that you can act with anybody. Yeah, that you can adjust with anybody at any kind of, anything they throw at you, you

14:19can adjust, yeah. In the end, it's just a show. I just want to show. True. But wait, but Steve, do you, do you find that you've kind of on that thread? Do you find that you've kind of changed the way you approach as you've gotten older? Do you work differently than you did when you were a young actor? Is it kind of the same? No, I'm not really. No. I kind of do it. Yeah, I'm the same. I get, I still get really nervous, man. Yeah, yeah, I'm scared when I go to a gig and, you know, I was nervous coming on here. I mean, you know, I'm nervous right now. Yeah, interviewer of the year. Yeah. Well, Sean, it's like he's snorting a Xanax right now. What the fuck? Anything. Well, don't you find it, do you remember the last time you weren't nervous for a part? And do you remember that performance being not that great? Because I certainly do. Like the few times I've not been nervous, I just don't think it's any good. I think nerves are a good, good opponent to perform. Yeah, no, I agree. I think that's, yeah, for sure.

15:20Yeah, I agree. Let me ask something. The macaroni art production company in Kentucky, is that what you said? Yeah. Well, there's a Kentucky office. Oh, there's a Kentucky office. Yes. I thought it was the only office. Well, no. No, no, no. No, no. Is your office a little computer? Two and a bunch of you. Yeah, no, for sure. I just didn't know like how you get, how is it, how is it you can accomplish all you want to accomplish from Kentucky for a lot of work going on in Kentucky? There is. Or in the street. Oh, there is. Oh, okay. Yeah, no, the film instead of here is really it. There's a lot of work that came here. No, no, I think I know what he's driving at. It's like it's, it's obviously, you know, New York and LA are typically thought of as the centers of the entertainment. Access to people. Access to people. Right. You find it easy to sort of work remotely as it were. Yeah, but, you know, we have a feature that's out in the site guys now called She Dance as we shot it here. Yeah. And Rick Gomez is my partner. We wrote it.

16:20He directed it. I started it. My daughter starts in it. Nice. We shot it all here. And by shooting it here, we saved so much. I'm sure. I'm sure. Yeah, do they have one of those rebates there in that state? Yeah, we have a 30% and then 35% outside. And is that above and below the line? Or is it just below the line? Just below the line. So tell Tracy what below and above the line? Well, the line is drawn between the, the, well, the above the line is typically the director, the producer, the writer, the actors, and then below the line is the everybody that works in the crew and post production and all that stuff. Don't quote me on that. I think I, I don't know. Look it up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. God, this is all legally binding on this podcast. Talk to me like Kentucky in general, though. Like what do you, how did you find yourself? How did you move from Pennsylvania down to Kentucky? Wait, I've been coming here since my wife grew up here.

17:21Okay. Okay. I've been coming here since 90 and I've loved Kentucky. And then we had kids and we lived on a farm in New Jersey, West Central, New Jersey. And there's not a lot out there, you know, I mean, we kept saying like we're only an hour from them. Is that near Somerset? It was Delaware Water Gap. You know where 80 hits Pennsylvania? Yep. Yeah. It's like Blare Town area. Eastern Pennsylvania is close by. Is that right? Yeah. The Polk knows Stroudberg. Sure. You go directly, directly west from the city. And we had GW straight out. And so we had kids and it was like, I don't know if this was great out here for kids. Because why? Because it was too isolating? Yeah, there was not a lot out there. And so we decided, you know, I said, why don't we move to, you know, outside Lexington? And my wife of course was like, I'm not moving home. I'm like, well, I'm not living in your parents' basement. Right. You're in a sweet place. Right. Right. And you went ahead and you did.

18:21Yeah. Yeah, the kids grew up here. They know nothing other than this place. And how old are these little angels? 20, 26 and 24. Oh, gosh. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Yeah, they're out. Gotcha. Where does Steve, Steve, does Rick live in Kentucky as well? No. Gomez lives up in Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Oh, wow. And we've shot stuff up there too. That's California. I love that. That town is awesome. I haven't seen that, dude. Yeah, I used to know that, dude, 30 years ago. He's the best guy. He's great. I haven't seen him forever. Please add him for me. I will, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. And we will be right back. And now back to the show. What was it like working with your daughter in the film? It was amazing. Yeah. She's been acting a while. It was just the first thing. Audrey went to musical theater, a great school called Baldwin Wallace. Sean, you probably know about that.

19:23But it's, you know, it's one of those, they didn't have these schools when we were young. It's like very specific to musical theater. Right. She was there two years and then she started working in theater, musical theater. So she's got a great voice, I bet. She's got a great voice. She's an amazing dancer and even better actor. Have you guys worked together before? No. And will we work together again? Or is that it was it? And okay. Bridget Burn. No, it was the best thing. I mean, it was like working on any other movie for me. Right. And that's a compliment to her. And it's got to be wild though to adjust your, um, brink, to like dad to then co-worker, right? Yeah. Kind of, but I don't know. No. It was, we worked on it so much. We, we read, I was doing silo and she came to visit for like a month and we read every day. Oh, yeah. I mean, I'm not really sure if I can afford it. You know, but you didn't have any moments on set where they were cutting your like, Hey, are you going to do it like that every time because you know we're rolling, right?

20:24Yeah. Yeah. No. No, she's, I mean, see the movie. It's, it's, you know, I'm her dad so I'm going to say great things. But, um, I can't wait for it. She's fun. When does that come out? Is it, uh, it's, it's been out, it premiered at Tribeca. It's now you can, you can rent it or buy it on, you know, your, okay. Got you. I mean, it, forget red, buy it. Buy it. And then, and then it comes out on peacock on the 21st. Got you. Wow. Amazing. Uh, wait, so, so Steve, you grew up in, uh, Minnesota. Yeah. Uh, in the Twin Cities region. I love hearing the train in the background. I was, do you hear that trick? Is that trick? Great. No, it's literally, it's going to go by and it's, it's like, it's like, it's, it's sound concerned. Can you feed away? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, boy. Oh, wow. Yeah. Oh, buddy. There goes the train. That's cool. It's really cool. It splits, uh, mainstream. It's, you know, it goes down the middle.

21:24It would be great if you, if we pan the camera and it was just some due to where it's for you walking by with a speaker. Yeah. Volxy. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just add to the alert. Add to the alert, Bobbi. Just grab the speaker and walk by. Now, growing up in Minnesota, that probably makes you a hockey fan. Yeah. Yeah, I dig docky. I have two friends that played pro. No kidding. Well, I would like to know their names. Um, Dennis Vasky. Oh, sure. And Lance Pitlick. Lance was a head flexed man. You know, Lance played for Ottawa. He played for, he played for a lot of, a lot of teams. I don't know. You know, kid, Ode. He knows. He knows that. He was our quarterback and football at my high school. And then he went on ahead and then he came up and I said, I know. He's athletes. I can do anything they want. You know, and they can go out there and you put a golf club in their hands and off the guy. But those guys were insane, man. They would shoot pucks every day. Yeah.

22:24Winner's summer fall sprang, it didn't matter. And I was, I was the guy who had the, the, the, we made, you know, goalie pads out of like an old couch. Yeah. And I would just suffer in front of, you know, Steve. We, I used to drive through, I spent all my summers on Lake, the woods, the, the dips into Minnesota up. Yeah, yeah. Because my whole family's from Winnipeg, Manitoba. So I used to spend a lot of, and we would drive through Minnesota to get there. Oh, yeah. It's beautiful. It's beautiful, man. It's beautiful country out there. You get back to Minnesota at all? Yeah. Yeah. I was in fact visiting my mom. How did you, so then how, was it Twin Cities area though that you grew up? I grew up in, I was born a Marshall, I grew up in Mancato, which is a smaller town south. Okay. And then I, and then I moved during like, Juneron high school up to the suburbs, you know, suburban kid. And did you, so, and then how did you, because you started acting professionally pretty young, like you're like 20s, right?

23:24Like early 20s? Yeah. You were getting more to, how old were you when you did reality bites? Like you weren't that old. That was, I was, I moved to New York. I'd been in New York for like three years. Okay. And then I got that. Did you audition for that for reality bites? I did. I was doing, I was doing a play with Ethan Hawke at Playwrights Horizons. Oh, nice. And a play called Sophistry. Yes. And. And I don't know that. I don't have none. And I do. I do. That was a great cast. It was like Anthony Ramp and Callista Flockhart. Wow. When was that? Dick Latessa. Dick Latessa was the improvises with me. Oh, great. Dick is, he was one of the greatest, greatest guys of all time. I mean, he was like 90 when he was in Promises Promises. I was like, that's cry, are you seeing and dancing at 90 years old? I was a decent show. I was a decent show. Anyway, Ben came to see Ethan in the show because he was, you know, directing him in reality

24:25fights and then I auditioned and I got the part. That's so cool. Was that a sort of bit of a career changer doing reality fights? Yeah, I thought it was going to be much more of a career changer. You know, it's like your first movies, you go do them and you come home and you're like, poor. Yeah. You were like, how was that possible? Yeah, right. Right. You pay to do it. Yeah. Right. Well, what's been the opposite in your career, do you think? It's something you thought was just going to be a, not a stinker, but it's success surprised you. I would say, you know, like, I mean, a whole lot. I mean, I'm always surprised, I think. Yeah. You know, and then sometimes I mean, comedies, you laugh your ass off on set and then you go see it and you're like, yeah, wasn't as funny as it was on the day. Yeah, I'm going to do Will's shot here. You blame the editor on that. Oh, no, I, well, I can't guess what he's thinking about. I don't know. Like movies. Let's like, finneas and ferv. What about, how does sight, night train?

25:27How does sight, you know what? I was, I was really surprised when I saw how to sight for the first time. I blew me away. And I had no clue I was in that movie. No, I was, I was, I remember Cheetle sitting in front of me. He was like, isn't it great? I'm like, I haven't seen it, man. This was like the premieres. He's like, you haven't seen it? Like, no, he's like, oh, man. And he's like, he watched me react to the movie. Yeah. It was really, it was really cool. But like Will said, that, that thing you do, that was pretty, that was a pretty big career turner. That was huge, thank you. For me. Yeah, it was all, was that Tom, Tom Hanks directed that, right? Yeah, yeah. Tom, was that his first thing that he directed that? Yeah. Was it, I think he directed maybe an episode of like from Earth to the Moon, like that HBO and Three Buzan Buddies. And Three, maybe. But yeah, that was crazy because Tom was at the height of the height of the, you know, and everybody that worked on that movie was like phenomenal.

26:30Yeah. Was that, I did, I missed it. Was it, was it singing and dancing? No, it was, it was, it was about, it was about a 1960s rock band that was like a one-hit wonder. Yeah. It was a great movie. Any musical performance at all in that? Did you guys, yeah, we played a bunch of songs. We were, and the song, the thing, that thing you did. That thing you did. Right, so same thing. You've never seen it. No. It's good. You should see it. It's one of those movies that people come up to me and go, you know, it's like Thanksgiving and my family watches it every year kind of thing. Right. It's had this, like, it's had this super long shelf life. It's funny that, that movie, right? I mean, it's, yeah. Did you have to fake the, the music playing or do you know how to do that stuff? Well, we were, that was crazy because Tom and Gary Getsman had his rehearse for like a month, just as a band. Yeah. Because they didn't want to waste time, not us screwing up and not being on. So we had to, we had to be, yeah. Yeah.

27:30And, you know, when you're back in the day on film and big shows. What instrument were you playing? Lead guitar. Oh, shit. Whoa. And did you have, did you have prior experience? Yeah, but I was just like a, a foaky kind of, you know, acoustic guy. But you had a rock out. Actually, Ben still or bombing my first guitar. Did it? Wow. Just because of reality. Because he, you know, I would sit my trailer all day and he was like, what you learn to play guitar? We keep, we keep calling him in early and not getting to his scene. So let's buy a kid at guitar. What did you do? What did you do? Something with your fricking time. Okay. Well, you sit in your honey wagon. Hey, think about it back then though. It's like, you tell people now you have all these devices and things to keep you preoccupied back in the day, man. Yeah. You like, I would like draw on stuff. Yeah, read books. Yeah. Read books. Yeah, you would get a hard, I'd take a nap. I used to be good about reading books back then. Oh. Oh, Sean's got a train.

28:31Hey, that didn't take more than 15 minutes to find. That's where Sean's been. Good job, Sean. How's that dial up service? Wait, wait, I miss it. I'm thinking about like out of sight, like, you know, that you did with Steven Soderberg and obviously Clooney and then you worked with so many, you worked with so many, you were at Denzel Washington writing in Crimson Tide. I mentioned Tony Scott and then I was thinking about her song and I was going to say Werner Hutz, Herzog was a Richard Link later. I've been rescued done, right? Yeah. Yeah. What was it like working with? I've always wanted to ask you. What was Don's last name? What? No, it's not about rescuing a girl named Don. Oh. That's you was in trouble. He could have been in trouble or done. Yeah, no, no. Donnie. But it was you and Chris, you write Christian Bale, rescue Don. What was that process like working with?

29:31How did that, how did that movie materialize? I, it was, it was originally a documentary that Dead Werner made called Little Deater Needs to Fly about this real Deater Dengler who was a Navy pilot, his first mission over Vietnam was shot down. Sean's got the cutest little Deater Dengler. I'm going to post it later, especially when he's getting in line for a cold shower. Anyway, he gets captured and then he's in this camp and then so it was a really, you know, it was a really heavy movie and we lost all this weight and you know, went out to the church. Did you know, but did Werner hurt side? Was that another one you went in? You read for it, right? I found out that he was doing it and I just, I just told, you know, I called on my people and we're like, I have to meet, I have to meet him. This is one of my favorite documentaries and so I met him. I went to his house up in like the hills and he, he wanted to know what I wanted to eat and I was like, oh, what do I say to impress him?

30:33You know, I was like, steak and so he went, he cooked me a steak. He just went to it at his skillet and he was, and he showed me, how is crazy. We had this night. Did he, too? Did he, too, or he watched you? He was watching. No, we shared a steak. Okay, okay. And then, no, wait a second, he shared the same plate. I can't remember specifically, but it was very, I mean, was he turned? Harps offered, it was you wearing a shirt. See, Steve, we bring everything back around. So you keep your knees bent, okay? Okay. Oh my God. Yeah. Wow, wait, so you were, so you go up to, I want to know about this. So you go to Werner Herzog's house that he's probably renting in the hills in California. Yeah. You're talking about the movie, then, then you agree and you guys, he wants you to come and do the movie or you read from that. Yeah, no, he was like, Steve, I think you're better to be honest. You play not the lead part, but the other part, you know, I'm like, great, fine. I'll play fucking anything. I don't care. Not so much, Dita. Yeah.

31:33Yeah, not, yeah. So, and then it went on forever. It was like, you know, when it was independent movies that fell apart and the Christian would call me and go, eat, eat tonight. I don't think the movie's happening. I was like, fuck. And then it'd be like, stop, stop eating. It's back on. And, and it put it was, it was phenomenal. It was amazing. It was, I mean, Werner is, is genius and he's also the guy on the set where you're like, does, it's, what, what's happening? Really? And then, and then like a, a fucking butterfly will fly through and he and the, throw it in the operator or just run off into the woods and you're like three hours late. Oh, one time I was in my, my coveralls and get grazed with a bullet and he was like screaming at hair make up. More blood, more. And he was like, let me do it and he grabs it. And he puts up all this blood on my, on my face and then his hands are covered in blood, fake blood. And he doesn't know what to do. He just looks at me and he wipes it off on my costume.

32:33No. Wow. It's for him and God's for him. That's cool. Yeah, it's awesome. Wow. And Christian was one of the funniest guys ever worked with, by the way. Really? Yeah. Oh my god. I'm such a big fan of his. He's so big. Yeah, me too. So talented. Would you do any of that, any of that weight gain weight loss stuff that he does so sort of seamlessly? I mean, what, what was it? The, the machinist machine. Machine. He went down to look like 120 pounds and then you should know Steve Jason had a picture of Christian and the machinist on his wall in front of his trest. For years, for years. And he just looked at it. I get it. As running gold. As running towards it. Never worked. Never worked. And then I put up a picture of when he, what was it, when he played Dick Cheney. That worked. That worked for me. Oh, that's right. You thought it was that. I'm sure that it was a mirror. You thought. No, he put on a ton for that, right? And took it. I just don't think I can do it at this age. Yeah. He, he lost a lot of weight. We shot the, the end of the movie first.

33:36So he lost all the weight. And then he had like a week. I'm wearing a Thailand and I remember seeing him on the street and, and he was walking up and he had, he had quarter of a year. He had quarter of a pounders in his pockets. No, really. And there's cargo pants. I swear to God, he was, he had, he was gaining weight in like a week. That's amazing. Wow. I get not puffy. A lot of stuff. How about that? Yeah. I don't think playing the hamburger. I only did, I lost 40 pounds for that. And you know what? Oh my God. Yeah. And you know what? It was really liberating. It's, I lost, I was down to like, you know, whatever junior high weight. And I still had back fat. Yeah. That's hard stuff to lose. You know, you know, it's, but it was like, oh great, this will never go away unless I'm in like a lifeboat. Right. You know, for a month. You feel like the back fat is for, remember you don't look like on the old like, I love those she shows or whatever they put on that. Oh, you've got a point of view on back fat. You don't even give you a hot take on this.

34:38You know the belts, the little vibrating belts and the old timey stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that what those are for? They just shake it till it falls off? Yeah, maybe. I don't understand how those were. I don't understand what made you think of that, that I know exactly the conveyor belt thing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. That's all that. That's great. Yeah. Yeah. What is it? I have a friend of mine who played who played professional hockey who will remain nameless and, uh, he played for many years. And I won't say any. And he talked about being in a fight for an ancient true story. He was in a fight. It's shanny. It's got to be shanny. I know you can't confirm it tonight. But so shanny's doing what? So not shanny. Not. I'm going to say not shanny. I got it. It's a huge fight in the NHL and there's a big pile up. There's a real Donnie Brook is happening, right? Everybody's going at everybody. Tarts are coming off. Tarts are coming off. Hey, like guys, everybody's dropped the Cooper's. Everybody's just going down. Yeah. Right? Yeah, just real cool and up going. And there's a big pile. And my friend said he, at one point, he didn't realize who's grabbing what and he grabbed

35:40and he realized there was another guy in the pile and he had his hand on his back fat and he just grabbed it and twisted it. And he said, you heard from the bottom of the pile. Ah! Ah! Not the fat. They should teach that in self defense classes. Just going back. They ended up calling it, they all given the nickname back fat after that. The Doodle Me Posing Team. I swear to God, it's a true story. It's a cheap shot. It really is. Dennis Vasky, my friend and played pro hockey. He woke me out. I slept over at his house and he woke me up doing a double titty twister. No. Oh, God. And he was an hockey player. I don't know what it is. They're such tough dudes. We'll be right back. And now back to the show. Wait, what sports have you played, Steve? Going up football. And baseball. Oh, you did, yeah. Full stop. That's it. Now, does that make you a Viking fan or a twin fan?

36:40I'm a Vikings fan and a twin fan. Oh, boy. Yeah. So the twins, that's a tough bus to ride on. Jason, cool. No, no, really. I mean, I do good this year. Are they? We had 87 and 91. You know, boy, look at them reach back. Uh-huh. I know. It's pretty far back when they used to play in the big baggy, right? Wait a second. I'm remembering. 80s. 87, you guys beat. Is that the old dome stadium in you guys? Toronto. It was great to be here. I'm probably beating up on Toronto, right? No, because there is no. No, in the World Series, it was not Toronto. It was in 87 might have been the giant. Do I mean, it was like a cardinals? Yes, it was. Wow. How do you write on? Oh, man. Yeah, games seven. Yeah, I can see it. And now you feel it. And you just put it in the piece of gun and you're like, um, how about those Vikings? Are you looking forward to the Vikings are looking good this year? I don't know. We'll see. I mean, you get shitty.

37:40I mean, I'm sorry. I ain't got a second here with the morning zoom crew. Go ahead, Sean. You got to know. You got to know. You got another card to play. Here he comes. Go ahead, Sean. It's just the button. The red one. There you go. Oh. Go ahead, Will. You got to you got a fly, fly, fly or something. Go ahead. Anybody? No. All right. We're going to be right back after these messages. No, no, no, no. Oh, God. All right, wait, Steve. Wait, Steve football. You played football. Go ahead. I was going to say theater stories. I was going to get into it because theater. Yeah. Well, I'm going to ask you a question about football first, but then get a theater story. But then get rid of it. Oh, second. Yeah, theater story. But football, what position did you play and how long did you play? Because I played as a kid. I played, I played junior high in high school. And I was a corner, corner back. And I returned boxing kicks. Oh, wow. So you don't mind getting hit. Do you? I do. You run right into the wall, don't you? I was scared.

38:41Shitless. I was scared. I actually could not do a fair catch because I couldn't coordinate my hand and then catching the ball. Oh, really? So I would just catch it. And they thought it was a badass. And it was just because I was mentally challenged. I mean, I couldn't do it. You couldn't do it. No, I couldn't. I go, wait. Now, what was going through your head there? Were you thinking, I can't throw up the arm early enough to get it back down into catching position? Because if I throw up the hand too early, they're not going to see it, right? Because you got to throw it up late so that they're looking at you, right? But then it's too late to get the hand down into a catching position. Right. When do you call for a fair catch? Am I calling it too early? Right. And I could make it time to hit me. And I'm going to yell that for that. Sure. I played safety, but I don't know what that means anymore. But I remember that was my position. And I would be so nervous because I'd be in this position. I was called the shadow.

39:42You know, when you... No. You played safety in the shower. You played safety in the shower. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Okay. Next question. The last question. The last question. The last question. Let us finish this story. Sorry. I'm going to be great. Oh my god. Is there a verse on it all Sean? Something bright in orange. Just an orange, Best in the shower. Waiting for your folks to come through like a crossing guard. No. No. You're in the line of scrimmages. That's what it's called in the line of scrimmages. You're in that. That's a book. ready for the post what is that called you're in the whatever and I would be so

40:42nervous because I was I would the guys across from me would be like I'm gonna fuck you I'm gonna fuck you up I'm gonna beat the shit out of you whatever they're gonna it's they're talking shit right before the ball snap so you see you may have been lined up in the wrong position as a safety if you're on the line yeah I don't I don't know that oh that would it is anyway I would get so scared because I would be so intimidated that I would take it personally what did you hear what he said to me yeah totally yeah that's exactly that's where they had you start lining up in the shower that's right I'm gonna sue you now Steve can you know how do we get to macaroni art as a title of your of your company there you are you cook no Rick and I were just you know we just want to make shit basically and we and we and we we were like I can't if it's like he will just we'll just stuff like macaroni art like the like his kids like when you look at the paper scale of one to 10 how high were

41:42you guys when you came up with this yeah what was a substance six six okay good thank you for the honest answer no but it came quick oh when did when did Sam Rockwell run into your life Sam and I have known each other since early in New York yeah and then and then we did a movie together called safe then sure yes which was really with with with Gianmatti yeah it was it was a great John Hanberg's first movie and he wrote it he's yes it's like it's one of those movies I get approached every once in a while so many will come up and say hey that plays that played it on a loop in our friendhouse or whatever well now you know Jason's directing Sam you probably know that as we know you're directing Sam right now yes sir just finished great finished he's oh you're done with the actors David you have to go back and shoot other stuff or I was shooting with the two other actors and and Sam himself is probably going to be replaced but it's not that much to reshoot this late this lady wanted to get all the way to

42:45the end to see if he's gonna pull it out it just never got better but it's not a lot of scenes it'll be fine it'll be good Steve what's your availability I'm open good wait just the back back to macaroni art you got do you do you develop things for other people and other things or just just for you guys and you're about to get a script in your inbox yeah just our stuff right now it's you know we're we got we got we got like a docu series we we did on a chef we to Michael that's good town here and yeah we're doing our own stuff right now every time I think I keep looking at that art and I keep thinking about my favorite in New York or cartoon of the one of the the piece of Rigatoni pizza pasta he's on the phone it's like right and he's got a face of written any he says Fusilli you crazy bastard how the hell are you it's my favorite cartoon of all time hey I was gonna say I'm I need to get some David cross

43:49merch stop I I did a movie with David and it was amazing he's a man an incredible funny incredible stand-up too yeah no when you're not making macaroni art and you're not doing your million things and you seem to be everywhere what are you doing what are you doing with your time like what's the thing when you're back there that you're doing that's not related to your craft your art or your whatever what do you do I live on a farm so I that's keeps and I will work on the farm what we got on the farm I got a couple horses I got some goats I really stuff I'm on my fields I I've just spent eight days trimming on my trees do you drink the goat do you drink the goat milk or no just point and laugh yeah they're pets other palms okay and then what to tell me about cutting these trees down so you're up there you're you got you get yourself like a like a lift or something or do you have yourself a bunch of ladders and extended pole saw and then I have a hand saw and there that's really all you need

44:53that's kind of a gym and then you got one of those chippers and you get all that stuff on the ground you got to you got to grind it all up no then I I have a huge bonfire that I start and when the coals are you know you got to have a real dry one that's got a lot of wood in it and then and then you keep the fire going basically it's so hot that you can put anything green on top and so I have a side by side you know meal Kawasaki me on I fill that up and I go to the fire and they throw it in I just keep going Jesus I mean three of us yeah I have no idea what to do about getting a callus just even the podcast I put my I put my headphones on and go all really yeah so you got a bunch of rideable farm equipment out there I would be fun for me you got need like those those handsome green John deer things the gators I do I have a I have a yeah big tractor then I pull a 12 foot bat one I just got to be fun going down to one of those stores and buying those things like real man they're a

45:54little pricey but yeah hot down there I it does know when you get on a tractor and you know you you just slow down it's like forced meditation are you sipping on a sweet tea oh sorry I like the sweet tea I like just plain tea plain tea sorry it's all you got any air conditioning on those riding mowers by the way no open I used to I used to have a cab with AC but when it breaks then it's like you're in hell because you can't can't recamp when the AC breaks and you can't take the doors off yeah yeah yeah so seed now you got Chad powers yeah come come it's it's Aaron right around now September 3rd it drops yes all the all episodes season two this is what that that Glenn Powell guy yeah piece of ask Glenn Powell yeah I love he's a great guy very nice guy nice guy easy to look at he's got talent coming out the years yeah he's so fucking good in this show yeah it's it's it's it's I'm like dude when

47:00it when we showed up first day I'm like my god he's in prosthetics you know he's like playing this crazy character yeah and it's like oh my god man you got to swing hard this is a big swing dude yeah yeah like you can't you you you got to go all in man or else what do you do right yeah you have to it's a paid manning associated with the show at all yeah paid in an Eli yeah Eli did a did a video that so many people saw where he he put prosthetics on he went to Penn State and he and the only person that knew it was him was the coach yeah the head coach everybody was so he's like you know that the walk on try out and he's just slinging these balls and people watching rockets who's this weird dude that's like 30 you know and so that was the premise that Michael Waldman and and Glenn they they they pitched it and they said that's the series that and I read it and I

48:00thought this is the dumbest thing I've ever read this is crazy yeah yeah prosthetics how is this gonna work and it works and you got the really great and you got the gang from Omaha are still involved their producers on it I'm at yeah yeah Peyton you have to deal with notes from Peyton these two guys this freaking guys you know what I mean go ahead well go ahead let it out man no you just got in coming from Peyton and it's just like yeah I mean this fucking guy we love Peyton we love we love love both yeah we love all three of them you know oh yeah and coupe well we love yeah we'll get we're going on coupe boy I'm here all day have you ever met if you ever met coupe before Steve no the third oh my god he is no I haven't he's an absolute jam of a guy we love the secrets us oh yes it's a fun show man I get to play a coach I mean I it's like it's like the things the check marks that you you have is like a 10 year old like wouldn't it be cool someday

49:01to like give one of those lottery speeches I want to be yeah I want to I want to be inspiring and I want my team to run out after me I can check that off you know I want to be in a way how they done that yeah I I did that the season yeah you played so I'm just think you've done so many different characters so many different like in so many different levels is there character well yeah I'm I mean please but I mean like we should all be so lucky we should all be so lucky to be able to play all these you know do all these different things and it is there's something that's out there before we let you go because we kept you forever but is there something out there that you're like I want to do it like you were saying like you want to do it like you always dreamed of like doing a coach playing a coach is there kind of a roll out there that you're something that you've always wanted to do that you haven't done yet I don't I don't know I really I mean I could say I would love to go back to the theater I'd like to do that you know but as far as like something specific I really feel like you know I wanted to be in a war movie I wanted to be in a western I

50:01wanted to I wanted to experience that I've experienced all those things and now it's like it's it's a surprise it's like I do you want to play this guy that's like in silo that yeah hasn't seen anyone for for 40 years and he's basically 11 years old yeah and he's alone he's been alone for 40 I was like yeah that's amazing oh my god yeah I think you just did a movie with your daughter like that's pretty awesome I mean you're you're you've living on a dream it's really cool yeah good for you yeah Steve listen man big we're just such we're just such big fans thank you for showing up for us I know we're lucky to have you thank you you guys are so stoked to be on this you guys are amazing keep that macaroni are coming okay yeah please okay send us all some macaroni merch yeah thank you Steve Chad powers comes out September 3rd yeah drops the new the new season and she dances is gonna be available on peacock dude you got it all going on the great steves on thank you Steve thank you Steve thanks guys good to see you bye pal see you

51:08Steve's on right Steve's on the number of the number of characters he's played I'd love to put I'd love to put like side by side all his looks just to be like wow look at how different he isn't every single it's just like a mosaic all the characters that he's played yeah and then when you pull back those the end of it to me oh sorry see oh he's on time we don't make one bit yes yeah you do you I he's one of those guys every time you turn something every time he shows up you're like oh yeah man not only in my yeah in good hands I'm so happy to see him so many yeah all that how exciting would it be like acting a scene with him too like the very first day you just kind of looking across from there about to roll and you're like I can't wonder what's coming on my way yeah are you ready right oh god the nerves talk about speaking of I get no not yet she's about getting ready will it looks like you are getting ready to start working yes yes and not coming out you got nice astronaut here but you look really good you started shooting it no no we're about a month away a month out yeah just over a month until we start I mean it's

52:11one of the things I'm I'm all joking aside yeah it's one of the things I'm really looking forward to is you playing that part in and watching that series because it's right up my alley and I can't wait to see you do it yeah I'm excited he's my character is not an astronaut himself he's a former you know pilot test pilot whatever he's in charge of the astronaut program and it's yeah it's pretty it's pretty is there tension there between the astronauts and you like hey you can't tell us what's going on you never been an astronaut is there a there a line there's a lot of regret there's a lot of regret there's no line like that I mean I don't know this by the way if you mind if we borrow that yeah fine fine with me so wait there's a lot of regret on your characters part because you never never we're gonna watch we're gonna he wanted to leave the atmosphere just watch my eyes you just watch my eyes just watch your eyes you're gonna tell a story right there in the windows while I'm a storyteller yeah right there with the eyes yes you're ready for this you ready sure it's smoke it's where it's where it's where oh shunny's got more yeah we're gonna

53:16oh wow what's from that oh there he goes there I come I just didn't want the train to pass us bye that was great that was worth it that was worth it we had to bring it back smart smart list is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Michael Grant Terry rub darn jav postal number