1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:06,120 How you doing out there? It's me Tigger Duc Wayne Duck. It's me 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:10,439 Bunker's Deep Bobcat. All right, y'all, did it great? Your favorite 3 00:00:10,519 --> 00:00:15,720 firefly you desire hold old knock goud. My name is Jim Cummings and welcome 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:21,239 to tuned In. Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today. Welcome to 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,000 tuned In with Jim Cummings. Today we have a very special treat and old 6 00:00:26,039 --> 00:00:30,600 buddy of mine and a bodacious actor. You know him, you love him, 7 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,439 you can't live without him. And the crowd went wild for Rodber. 8 00:00:37,039 --> 00:00:40,840 Thank you, thank you so very much for being here. That's my pleasure. 9 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,039 Bro. We go way back, We go a little way back, 10 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:49,759 and uh, I remember it like it was yesterday, and it was okay. 11 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,479 Actually I don't remember much, but I do remember yesterday and you weren't 12 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:58,640 there. However, Uh it was great because I walk in and there's this 13 00:00:59,159 --> 00:01:03,640 incredible actor that everybody loves, including me, and I'm getting to hang out 14 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:08,560 with him because we're doing a TV show called Bunkers, and it was you 15 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:14,599 and then Rita Moreno was sitting across the room and I'm going, are you 16 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,280 kidding me? Wait? And I'm pinching myself, you know. And and 17 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:23,879 I've I've dug you from in the name of the Rose and then the Father 18 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:29,439 and of the Son and the spare amen. But I used to be in 19 00:01:29,519 --> 00:01:37,480 my stage name Spiritue sang to just call me spirit human spear. And why 20 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,439 did they? No? No, but I joke, Yeah, you joke 21 00:01:42,519 --> 00:01:46,480 professionally. Well no, not really, as you'll you'll you'll find that as 22 00:01:46,519 --> 00:01:49,200 we as we go on here, no one would pay me for this ship. 23 00:01:49,439 --> 00:01:55,959 Well I'll have what he's having. But but no, it was incredible 24 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,079 and uh and and of course I think one of your big boost would have 25 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:05,840 been the Beast. M Yeah, this was a post beast, Yeah, 26 00:02:06,519 --> 00:02:10,919 roast beast. Yes, this is like doctor Seuss. Yeah. You know, 27 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:15,719 it's funny when you talk about, you know, everybody's reaction to somebody 28 00:02:15,759 --> 00:02:21,560 walking into the room and you you know whatever, whatever, you know, 29 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,520 the moment of recognition, and it's always the absolute shoe on the other foot 30 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,560 for me, Like I walked into that room feeling like I'm a tin horn. 31 00:02:30,599 --> 00:02:34,199 I've never done a voice and a cartoon before walking into a world I'm 32 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,520 unfamiliar with. Nobody knows who the fuck I am, and and I'm looking 33 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:46,159 around and you know the obvious, you know, like big Shanny object. 34 00:02:46,159 --> 00:02:51,680 Of course it is Ridam Arena. Everybody knows who she is. So I'm 35 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,439 like going, oh my god, I'm not the only one that like, 36 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:58,960 you know, like you know, has has figured out like, Okay, 37 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,560 maybe cartoons is going to be the way I go for the rest of my 38 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:07,439 career. But I told I just told the story with you, Jim a 39 00:03:07,479 --> 00:03:13,159 second ago as we were getting ready to roll here. Andrea Romano was the 40 00:03:13,159 --> 00:03:20,039 director of that thing, and you were playing Bonkers and another role, so 41 00:03:20,159 --> 00:03:23,199 you were a couple. You played you played two of the lead roles, 42 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:32,039 but anybody who was anybody in Voiceover World Cartoon World was in that room and 43 00:03:32,479 --> 00:03:38,639 we're doing pretty good. And it was one of those beautiful experiences where you 44 00:03:38,759 --> 00:03:43,240 record it, you know, in real time, with the entire cast present, 45 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,759 rather than coming in individually, which is how sometimes you do it. 46 00:03:46,039 --> 00:03:50,039 So I got a chance to sit there and be part of an ensemble and 47 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,280 listen to what everybody else was doing. And at the very end of the 48 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,360 session I went up, everybody had kind of dispersed and left, and I 49 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,960 was kind of like so blown away that I just I couldn't really move. 50 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,080 And I was the last one out of the room, and I walked up 51 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,199 to Andrea Romano, the director, and I said, who do I pay? 52 00:04:06,159 --> 00:04:09,159 She said, what do you mean? I said, well, this 53 00:04:09,319 --> 00:04:13,719 was the most entertained I've ever been in my life. This was my mind 54 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,199 blowing. Like the talent that I just watched just throws it away. There's 55 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:24,319 got to be a cover charge. And she she thought that was kind of 56 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,439 amusing. Yeah, but she still took you fifty bucks and she said, 57 00:04:27,439 --> 00:04:30,639 and also, no, we don't validate, so you can pay the parking 58 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,120 attendant. I'll validate here. Let me validate you. You're a hell of 59 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,839 a nice guy. Get out of here. Yeah, there's a second opinion. 60 00:04:38,879 --> 00:04:44,319 You're ugly too. But anyway, Oh Jesus, that was our first 61 00:04:44,399 --> 00:04:46,600 day of meeting each other, and I was, I was, you know, 62 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:55,839 a fanboy for real inexplicable talent. You guys who do that? All 63 00:04:55,879 --> 00:05:01,439 I could think of was you have to be the most unsung hero of creating 64 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,839 entertainment that there are, because you know, you're most most of the time 65 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:11,480 exclusive to that world. You know you don't and so you're you're just a 66 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,360 voice. You're faceless most of the time. Yes, and yet your the 67 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:23,319 creativity, the inventiveness, the genius way of approaching a role. And for 68 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:29,199 me, my favorite kind of acting is city of your Pants and going for 69 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,800 the performance on takee one, which is what you are charged to do when 70 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,680 you're when you're doing voices, especially in a cartoon. You go as big 71 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,319 as you can. You go as you go for the result, you go 72 00:05:40,399 --> 00:05:44,360 for the performance, you go for And I'm in the room with the people 73 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,759 who do that as good as any anybody I'd ever seen. So, I 74 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,879 mean, I was like floored and odd and every time I see you and 75 00:05:51,399 --> 00:05:56,680 all those guys Maurice LaMarsh and you know, Rob and you know all those 76 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:01,560 guys that I go back all that way with, I just my heart goes 77 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:09,240 all the flutter because that's you. Guys are just amazing actors. It's wonderful 78 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:15,079 and so in touch with your all these you know, inner and outer child. 79 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,160 Yeah, but you know, I mean, you know, being an 80 00:06:18,199 --> 00:06:23,399 actor, you have to access parts of yourself that most people don't ever have 81 00:06:23,439 --> 00:06:28,879 a chance to even explore them or know that they know it is. We're 82 00:06:28,879 --> 00:06:32,920 always digging down but I really feel what you're saying there. You know. 83 00:06:34,079 --> 00:06:42,360 It's it's interesting because I remember you just reminded me of it. We'd always 84 00:06:42,399 --> 00:06:46,199 do a read through and they would, you know, and Andrea or whoever 85 00:06:46,199 --> 00:06:47,720 it would be, would perfect voice, well, yeah, yeah, this 86 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,040 guy's not from Brooklyn. I think he's from Montgomery, Alabama or you know 87 00:06:51,079 --> 00:06:55,759 what what are And then you're okay, okay, okay, So we do 88 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,439 this and that, and and you you bade me one of the coolest compliments. 89 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,560 I don't want to be sounded self aggrandizing here, but but we did 90 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,560 the read through and you said to me something to the tune of, do 91 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:13,360 you go this hard when it's not rolling? You know? And I said 92 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,600 I couldn't. And it never occurred to me that I was going, you 93 00:07:16,639 --> 00:07:20,279 know, overdoing it or not overdoing it, but you know, giving it. 94 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,040 And I said I don't. I don't think I know any other way, 95 00:07:25,079 --> 00:07:28,279 you know. And you said, so everyone's the super Bowl, and 96 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,120 I go, yeah, yeah, I think it is. I said that 97 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,120 yeah something very yeah, very sick. You're confusing me with Tony Roberts. 98 00:07:35,279 --> 00:07:42,639 No, no, no, but I was so about that. But that's 99 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,720 kind of like I don't know how to go halfway, which is why I'm 100 00:07:46,759 --> 00:07:49,759 one of these guys. Yeah, what's really I you know, even when 101 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:55,319 I'm when I'm shooting in front of the camera, Let's shoot the rehearsal. 102 00:07:55,560 --> 00:08:00,480 Oh yeah, yeah, let's let's start shooting immediately, because the first thing 103 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,879 that comes out is going to be the most unjudged per going to give. 104 00:08:03,879 --> 00:08:09,720 It's going to be it's going to be instincts of instincts are the best thinks. 105 00:08:09,959 --> 00:08:13,720 Yes, that's so true. I wish I had said that, and 106 00:08:13,759 --> 00:08:18,279 I will on my next podcast, coming to you Live from Higher Top. 107 00:08:20,399 --> 00:08:24,839 Anyway, Uh no, I'm off to the floor. I like I like. 108 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:30,040 I like taking that very very first reaction that I have to what I'm 109 00:08:30,079 --> 00:08:33,159 what I'm what I'm reading on the page, and now I'm having to embody 110 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:39,399 it, channel it or whatever and see what happens. And very often it's 111 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,279 wrong, but sometimes it's really really like, it's not going to get any 112 00:08:43,279 --> 00:08:45,840 better than that, which is why I like to shoot the rehearsal, which 113 00:08:45,879 --> 00:08:50,120 is why I was. I was the minute I got introduced to the cartoon 114 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:56,960 world and giving these pure voice performances where you don't have to worry about anything. 115 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:01,519 There's no vanity involved, that's for sure. There's just performance, and 116 00:09:03,039 --> 00:09:07,440 there's a kind of an invitation to be entertaining, you know we are. 117 00:09:07,519 --> 00:09:11,000 Yeah, we're not playing Louis Pasteur. Yeah that's right. We are not 118 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,240 curing anything here. We're not looking for you know, a Humanitius Award or 119 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,720 anything. We're just Saturday Morning. Yeah, we're just trying to fuck up 120 00:09:18,759 --> 00:09:24,559 the mind on our part of the next generation. Yeah that's right. God, 121 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:26,840 I'm going to carve that into stone. That's so true. And we 122 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:31,600 succeed so much of the time sucking up these little kids. I'll never be 123 00:09:31,639 --> 00:09:37,840 the same after that. Yeah, that ould hold the little bastards. Yeah 124 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:43,320 yeah, okay. Now Super Sales, Oh my god, it wasn't that 125 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:48,679 him who said that. No, Actually there was a movie that pre dated 126 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:54,000 Super Sales, but Super Sales was kind of like the new incarnation of what 127 00:09:54,039 --> 00:09:58,000 I'm about to share with you, okay, And they made a movie of 128 00:09:58,039 --> 00:10:01,200 this thing was called Facing the Crowd with Andy Griffith. Was actually a movie 129 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:07,320 that was directed by Elia Kazan, the guy who did like streetcar name on 130 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,279 the Waterfront, Facing the Crowd, and he played this kind of country boy 131 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:16,879 who was always getting in trouble and he was in jail and he just starts, 132 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:20,000 you know, playing guitar and talking and giving all this local knowledge and 133 00:10:20,039 --> 00:10:24,639 he's as charming as charming could be. And somebody walks through the jail and 134 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:33,799 hears him and decides to give him a morning radio show, and he instantaneously 135 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:39,039 becomes the hottest thing in America and he becomes a star, which turns him 136 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:48,879 into He was always kind of like nefarious, but success takes nefarious and pumps 137 00:10:48,879 --> 00:10:56,159 it up to a volume where it's not just harmless, it's megala maniacal. 138 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,159 And that's what this movie is. It's the study of this guy. He 139 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,679 his character in the movie is Lonesome Roads, and he's based on a real 140 00:11:03,759 --> 00:11:07,799 guy, lon some Roads that name. He was based on a real guy 141 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,879 who had been on the chain gang and he went from jail to jail to 142 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:16,519 jail. But he was as funny as fuck was charming and the women loved 143 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:18,639 him, and he used to get on early, you know, daytime stuff. 144 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:26,159 And then he got so successful that he became he had so much weight 145 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,759 to throw around at the network that he became a monster, complete monster, 146 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:35,799 and he said, after he had done this this real homespun kind of show 147 00:11:35,919 --> 00:11:43,440 where he's just given recipes and talking about what's going to happen at the next 148 00:11:43,519 --> 00:11:48,639 church social and everything like that. And he gets done with the broadcast and 149 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:54,519 he says that out of hold the little bastards, and they and his engineer 150 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,080 kept the mic open because he wanted to. He wanted to show the world 151 00:11:58,159 --> 00:12:03,879 what a fucking monster this was, and he spun he went down the drain. 152 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,919 From that moment on when everybody realized this guy is completely full of ship. 153 00:12:07,919 --> 00:12:13,960 Wow. So it was one of the you know, go see it. 154 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:18,240 It's it's a phenomenal and it made Andy griff of the star. It's 155 00:12:18,279 --> 00:12:24,279 called Facing the Crowd Ilia Kazan. It's as underrated a movie as you're ever 156 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:28,240 going to find. Patricia Neil was the girl who discovers him and then and 157 00:12:28,279 --> 00:12:31,360 then Patricia Neil and then becomes you know, she rused the day that she 158 00:12:31,519 --> 00:12:37,879 made him a star because she watches him become this, you know, monster, 159 00:12:37,039 --> 00:12:41,360 the most the most objectionable human you could be. I will check that 160 00:12:41,399 --> 00:12:46,240 out though, Yeah, as you you have your assignment. Yeah, oh, 161 00:12:46,639 --> 00:12:48,320 I didn't realize we were filming this. Oh yeah, I should have 162 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,759 given you my good side, but then I don't have one, So here 163 00:12:52,759 --> 00:12:54,919 we go. Just take a good side. Is when I'm out of the 164 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,080 room and the cameras are going, Yeah, you said something that made me 165 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,679 think of a question for both to you, how do you think you've changed 166 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,759 becoming famous? Like how do you think fame has changed you? Or has 167 00:13:05,799 --> 00:13:11,639 it? As a person? I swear to God I'm not being COI or 168 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:16,799 saying this for effect or being disingenuous in any in any way, shape or 169 00:13:16,879 --> 00:13:24,879 form. I am incapable of thinking of myself as famous. If anything, 170 00:13:24,879 --> 00:13:28,720 it's the opposite, if anything, is like this guy who nobody knows, 171 00:13:28,159 --> 00:13:33,480 who's obscure, who never you know, who never got to that level that 172 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:39,600 one dreams of when one dreams about fame and money and success and all that 173 00:13:39,639 --> 00:13:43,720 stuff. In this business, I've always felt like I'm an outsider looking in, 174 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:48,559 and I always give all the credit to everyone else, Like you know, 175 00:13:48,639 --> 00:13:54,399 I know what a genius Jim Cumming is. I have zero sense about 176 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,120 that about myself, and I never have. And I'm conscious of the fact 177 00:13:58,159 --> 00:14:01,559 that I've done very well in the business, and I'm conscious of the fact 178 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:07,919 that I have standards that make me not behave like some newbie on the set. 179 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:15,320 I know what I'm doing. But that's different than celebrity or fame, 180 00:14:15,399 --> 00:14:20,960 which is with the question you're asking me. So yes, have I developed 181 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:26,559 a lot of confidence as somebody who feels like I know what I'm doing in 182 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,960 the business and when I'm on the set or whatever it is I'm doing, 183 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:35,679 you know, I'm having to give a performance. Absolutely, much more so 184 00:14:35,799 --> 00:14:39,159 than back in even ten years ago, way more so than when it all 185 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:45,919 started, where I have zero self esteem and zero confidence whatsoever. But I 186 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:50,600 don't consider myself. You know, George Clooney's famous. You know, I'm 187 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,120 a schlepper. I get what you're saying, and in my mind and you 188 00:14:54,120 --> 00:15:01,000 know, and I know it's a kind of dysmorphia of certain because you know, 189 00:15:01,519 --> 00:15:03,159 people keep the fuck out of here. Man. Yeah, of course 190 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,720 you're famous. I mean we're just in the lobby and like, you know, 191 00:15:05,879 --> 00:15:09,759 two out of the four people in there, yeah, half of them 192 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:16,120 and the other two we're going you know who that is. So that's kind 193 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,080 of cool, But that's that's just part of my fucked up you know, 194 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,639 wiring same question for you, Jim, how do you feel Do you feel 195 00:15:22,639 --> 00:15:26,639 as if you've changed when you started getting notoriety and you started getting fame and 196 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,080 people are coming up taking pictures, people are crying when they hear your voices. 197 00:15:31,679 --> 00:15:35,519 Yeah, well that's different. Yeah yeah, I don't even know what 198 00:15:35,519 --> 00:15:39,279 to think about that, because it's impossible for me to think of. The 199 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:45,440 first thing I think of is well, you flunked math in eighth grade and 200 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,320 then in ninth grade, and then you know, and I ended up taking 201 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:52,919 business math my sophomore year in high school twice because you had to have that 202 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:56,399 math, and and lord knows, we all use that high school diploma. 203 00:15:56,759 --> 00:15:58,200 I mean, without that high school diploma, I would have never have been 204 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:02,240 here. It's bring up a hole in the wall that I punched one day. 205 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:07,080 Yeah, yeah, so you know, it's a dubious worth. I 206 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,799 mean I always say that the best lessons I learned were in the hall, 207 00:16:11,559 --> 00:16:15,960 you know, when I got kicked out of class for doing those weird voices 208 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,639 and everything, and I still remember. I don't know if this is within 209 00:16:19,679 --> 00:16:25,559 the realm of the answer, but having a guy who remained nameless is jim 210 00:16:25,559 --> 00:16:30,399 on on M A U. G. H. A n he's manning nameless 211 00:16:30,919 --> 00:16:34,159 and he slammed me up against the wall and he goes, look, you 212 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,519 think you're mister cute and mister this and that, and you say all these 213 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,720 voices, all these kids, but let me tell you something. You're gonna 214 00:16:41,759 --> 00:16:45,200 end up just like your cousins. He knew he used to date my cousin. 215 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,200 You're gonna end up working at the Youngstown Sheeting Tube until you're sixty five. 216 00:16:48,559 --> 00:16:52,360 Then you're gonna retire. Then you're gonna drink Budweiser and lose money on 217 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:57,080 the Browns or maybe the Pirates. I don't know, but you're gonna lose 218 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,200 money, and you're gonna be sitting there and you're and then you're going to 219 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,240 die. I said, oh, I guess I can go home now. 220 00:17:03,319 --> 00:17:12,720 I mean, just killed myself. And I remember thinking that I'm going to 221 00:17:12,759 --> 00:17:17,920 live long enough to make you eat those words and that, you know, 222 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:22,839 I've always been a negative encouragement guy, me too, you know. You 223 00:17:22,839 --> 00:17:26,359 know that's that's the one thing where like, oh yeah, well, you 224 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:30,559 know, I mean, I can remember some of the early earliest meetings I 225 00:17:30,599 --> 00:17:37,599 went to. It took me so many years of going to regular school because 226 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,400 I wanted to kill time, because I was terrified of actually saying, Okay, 227 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:42,960 I'm a professional actor. I'm going to start trying to do this. 228 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:51,440 When I finally did it, I got nothing but disrespect and negative reinforcement, 229 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:56,640 and like one casting director actually said, what makes you think you deserve to 230 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,480 be here? She actually like asked me that kind of question, Like, 231 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,480 you know, it's almost like, don't you realize you're wasting everybody's time. 232 00:18:04,799 --> 00:18:11,000 If you're somebody who's never been validated professionally and that's the only feedback you get, 233 00:18:11,319 --> 00:18:15,680 that's suicidal, man. I mean that's devastating because that becomes, oh, 234 00:18:15,799 --> 00:18:19,799 is that what they're seeing? They're seeing a guy who really just shouldn't 235 00:18:19,799 --> 00:18:23,279 even bother. But at the same time, there was that, you know, 236 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:29,440 like luckily there was that part of me. They went really really well, 237 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:30,920 I guess I'm going to have to show you. Yeah, yeah, 238 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:37,839 because we all got the bug performing bug early, because we did it and 239 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,759 we were successful at it. In other words, even if it was like 240 00:18:41,759 --> 00:18:45,759 a junior high school play or a high school player high school. When I 241 00:18:45,799 --> 00:18:48,480 did my very first play, and when I did that first play, the 242 00:18:48,519 --> 00:18:53,839 feedback was through the roof positive. So even though that casting director didn't see 243 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:57,240 it, I knew there's something I'm holding in reserve here. Maybe it's not 244 00:18:57,279 --> 00:19:00,359 coming out in a commercial setting. Maybe, you know, like when you're 245 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,720 trying to cast one life to fucking live, because that's you know, look 246 00:19:04,759 --> 00:19:11,519 what you're doing, bitch. Yeah, you know, sure, go ahead, 247 00:19:11,759 --> 00:19:15,400 sit up on your ivory tower and piss down on me because you know 248 00:19:15,599 --> 00:19:22,519 you can, but you really like you have to use that that indignation and 249 00:19:22,519 --> 00:19:25,519 that like, no, no, I know there's something in there that's worth 250 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,279 sharing. I've seen it, I've felt it, I've seen it happen, 251 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,519 and I don't know how long it's going to take, or what it's going 252 00:19:32,599 --> 00:19:34,880 to take, or whether I have what it takes to stick it out. 253 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:41,519 So much of that coming up in New York, so much time with no 254 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:47,119 validation or whatsoever. You know that you got to reach back and find some 255 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,920 reserves that are going to get you through those times. I'm just really, 256 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:56,880 really lucky that nothing was devastating enough to make me give up. Yeah exactly 257 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:04,759 was there? Hello? Hello? Yes, And that's right. Yeah, 258 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,559 I've heard I've heard show business described as a battle of attrition. You know, 259 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,240 just the older you get, the more you kind of miss out on 260 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:17,279 things that your peers are doing, and you know they're starting families and you 261 00:20:17,319 --> 00:20:21,759 know, whatever they're doing, you know, and when you're in this industry, 262 00:20:21,839 --> 00:20:25,279 would you guys agree that, like you kind of the longer you hold 263 00:20:25,319 --> 00:20:27,119 on to that and the more you work at it, do you think it 264 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:32,640 really does increase your chance of success. I feel like there are so many 265 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:34,599 other factors, and I have to say luck has a lot to do with 266 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:38,920 it, because one of the most heartbreaking things for me was watching some of 267 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:44,279 the people I started out with that did fold up their tent and get out 268 00:20:44,279 --> 00:20:48,200 of it, and watching them make that decision like I'm not doing this anymore. 269 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,400 This is like banging my head against so well, I'm not doing it. 270 00:20:51,519 --> 00:20:55,200 Yeah, And they all ended up taking civilian jobs. It was heartbreaking 271 00:20:55,279 --> 00:20:57,720 because I saw their talent, and it's just they didn't get the breaks, 272 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:03,000 you know, things, and break their way enough so that they could be 273 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:07,599 just encouraged enough to give it another day, another week, and another month, 274 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:14,079 et cetera. And I'm really really lucky I had just those enough crumbs 275 00:21:15,039 --> 00:21:19,759 to sustain me through the really really rough times men say, Okay, here's 276 00:21:19,759 --> 00:21:25,240 a little bit of encouragement. Maybe I can parlay that into something. Would 277 00:21:25,319 --> 00:21:29,279 you agree though, that with the statement that luck is being prepared for the 278 00:21:29,279 --> 00:21:33,119 moment? Well, was it Leo Derosi opportunity or something like that? Yeah? 279 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:37,759 Who was it? I couldn't have been a baseball manager, But I 280 00:21:37,759 --> 00:21:44,519 think they credit this quote to I think maybe Leo de Rosia, the manager 281 00:21:44,559 --> 00:21:48,640 of the Dodgers, who said luck is the residue of design, and the 282 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,039 harder you work, the luckier you're going to get. Right. The more 283 00:21:52,440 --> 00:22:00,359 you insist on not succumbing to being dispensed, the luckier you're going to Yet, 284 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:07,039 because you're you're kind of putting yourself in a position to get lucky by 285 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,359 just being there. And it may take fifty times to get lucky once, 286 00:22:11,759 --> 00:22:14,920 but if you get lucky once, and you know, that could be the 287 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,039 key to everything. You know, It's like the other old expression. You 288 00:22:18,039 --> 00:22:21,759 know, it took me twenty years to become an overnight success, you know, 289 00:22:22,279 --> 00:22:25,960 Yeah, yeah, yeah, why were you doing this again? It's 290 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,039 too late now we're stuck exactly. Yeah, We're too late. And I'm 291 00:22:30,079 --> 00:22:32,720 at this point now and I'm just looking here at Jim. You know, 292 00:22:32,759 --> 00:22:37,759 I'm almost When I see my friends who are able to look back and have 293 00:22:37,799 --> 00:22:44,400 all these things to be proud of, makes me very emotional because I know 294 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:48,480 what they've been through, I know what they had to I know how many 295 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:52,359 of those moments they had to go through where it was they were getting nothing 296 00:22:52,839 --> 00:22:57,240 back that was encouraging and they had a supply it on their own, and 297 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:03,759 so and then I see that they are Now I'm seventy three years old, 298 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,279 you know, I know what a body of work feels like. You know, 299 00:23:07,839 --> 00:23:11,119 like, Okay, there's a body of work. There's something you can 300 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,640 actually look at. If I never work again, I just you know, 301 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,160 yeah, there's something you can point to. And I see that with guys 302 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:22,079 like Jim and some of the other guys that hung in there and have a 303 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:30,359 tremendously prideful body of work that they can look to, and it's really moving 304 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,400 to me. It's really like because I understand what it took, what it 305 00:23:33,519 --> 00:23:37,319 cost to get there. Yeah, yeah, it's true, well said. 306 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:41,359 It's not for the faint of heart, no, but it's like an addiction. 307 00:23:41,759 --> 00:23:45,240 I'm never going to get the kind of high that I get from when 308 00:23:45,319 --> 00:23:52,359 I'm on that set or in that sound booth creating bonkers, just a cartoon 309 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,960 character, but I'm creating you know, right right, and I'm and it's 310 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:03,000 getting it gets a response. Yeah, it plays on television or plays in 311 00:24:03,039 --> 00:24:04,240 the movies and people go, yeah, I just saw that thing you did. 312 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:07,200 Man, that was fucking awesome. You know. So it's like not 313 00:24:07,319 --> 00:24:11,799 just an exercise, it's not just a wank. It's like it's cause effect, 314 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,960 you know, it has the world. Yeah, and and that that's 315 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,119 another thrill of it all too. It's like to just see, like you 316 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,960 know, it's like a mathematical equation without the actual product getting out there and 317 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:29,880 and and get and and generating a response. It's not a full equation. 318 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:34,000 Yeah, but when it when, when it reaches that final you know that 319 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,880 which is the end zone. Yeah, that's true. That's a great way 320 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:42,279 of looking at it. You're welcome to use that. I'm going to write 321 00:24:42,279 --> 00:24:47,759 it soon. I hope you do, because I'm never going to remember anything. 322 00:24:47,799 --> 00:24:52,640 I'm saying, right, well, I'll have what he's having whatever. 323 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,000 Anyway, I'm with you, I'm with you, man. Yeah, that's 324 00:24:56,079 --> 00:25:00,559 that's really inspiring because really, yeah, you know, Chris is an actor, 325 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:06,799 so he knows it's it's I'm reticent to say this because it's not the 326 00:25:06,799 --> 00:25:11,640 first time I've said it publicly, but we all start out acting for a 327 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,240 set of reasons, and I think the longer you do it, the more 328 00:25:15,319 --> 00:25:21,839 those reasons transform and shift into other reasons. Oh that's for sure. Yeah, 329 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,119 Like that's a great observation. Actually, the reason why I say that 330 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:30,400 is because when I first discovered acting, it was the antidote to being me. 331 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:34,599 Like being me I was disastrous. I was like a schmuck. I 332 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,799 was a putts. I didn't fit anywhere. I you know, I you 333 00:25:37,839 --> 00:25:44,000 know, I had tremendously low esteem. But I played a character and I 334 00:25:44,039 --> 00:25:48,119 had a shot at getting the character right, even though everything else in my 335 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:52,200 life was wrong. So it was pure therapy. It was like walking into 336 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,920 somebody else's shoes, which was kind of like a relief from the drudgery of 337 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,279 being me. And it was all so like a high. It's like, 338 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,640 this is as close as I'm going to get to a human that's sort of 339 00:26:04,799 --> 00:26:08,799 bordering on perfect. Even though it's an illusion, it's like a character. 340 00:26:08,839 --> 00:26:11,519 I'm playing it and then I go home at night and it's over. You 341 00:26:11,519 --> 00:26:22,319 know, So what started out as a tremendously therapeutic endeavor was transforming myself into 342 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:26,559 something that wasn't me. Over the course of time, as you get more 343 00:26:26,599 --> 00:26:30,079 and more comfortable with yourself, but you still find like, I'm still getting 344 00:26:30,079 --> 00:26:33,960 a thrill out of acting, then you have to start exploring, like why 345 00:26:34,039 --> 00:26:38,920 do I still dig it? And I'm at this point now where I feel 346 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:45,279 as though the amount of admiration that we all receive as part of the storytelling 347 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:52,079 community from people who really do have shitty lives but who get to watch something 348 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:56,319 beautifully well performed and they see humanity there, and they see suffering there that's 349 00:26:56,519 --> 00:27:00,599 enacted in a beautiful way. But they get to see that they're not the 350 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,480 first people to feel lonely. They're not the first people to feel like losers. 351 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:10,519 They're not the first people to feel like they're in an insurmountable situation. 352 00:27:10,599 --> 00:27:11,559 They don't know how they're going to get out of it, but they watch 353 00:27:11,599 --> 00:27:15,200 the hero journey in a movie or something like that, and it gives them 354 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:22,680 hope. So what we're doing is we're providing humanity with as noble an expression 355 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,440 of the beauty of what it is to be human as there is. And 356 00:27:26,839 --> 00:27:30,000 if that sounds corny, I'm sorry. I'm not going to apologize, but 357 00:27:30,319 --> 00:27:34,960 that's truly like. That's what sustains me now is that I realize like I'm 358 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:42,000 in a very very exclusive, wonderful club where I get to work in some 359 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:48,839 kind of an incredible world that some amazing writer has invented with amazing humanity all 360 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,119 over the place, and I get to be one of the colors on the 361 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:59,079 painting by playing this one character. And if we do it successfully, and 362 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:03,400 we do it well and it gets lucky enough to get marketed properly and enough 363 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:08,279 people see it and it affects them, then I'm performing as useful a service 364 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:17,000 as one can. Because the collective consciousness is our only hope at rising to 365 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:21,920 the prayer of all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with life, 366 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:25,440 liberty in the pursuit of happiness. That's what we're doing in our endeavor 367 00:28:25,519 --> 00:28:30,519 to tell stories and show humanity in all of its many, many different highs 368 00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:36,640 and lows. We are participating in an exercise of the collective consciousness, which 369 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:41,920 is as valuable to somebody in Kenya as it is to somebody in Alabama because 370 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:48,039 it resonates on the same human level. And I didn't really sorry, I 371 00:28:48,039 --> 00:28:51,720 didn't expect to go there, but that was pretty pretty great. That's wonderful. 372 00:28:52,279 --> 00:28:56,640 That's sentiment. Yeah, so it really is. I want to sing 373 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,759 Kumbayan now, go ahead, okay, by I don't even know what that 374 00:29:00,839 --> 00:29:04,319 means, but I know I meant that somebody said anything that was really really 375 00:29:04,359 --> 00:29:10,079 touching and really heartfelt and really well thought, well considered. Thank you. 376 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:15,400 That's pretty awesome pleasure. Yeah, that good stuff. I'm very very lucky, 377 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:18,319 dude. Yeah, well, I think that's one of the keys keys 378 00:29:18,319 --> 00:29:22,359 to happiness is gratitude. You know, if you ever there's no way to 379 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,359 run into somebody going well, I should have got that job. I mean 380 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,839 cheese now now I'm working for the asshole or took my job and blah blah 381 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,720 blah. Well, you're not going to be very happy because you're not grate. 382 00:29:32,839 --> 00:29:36,319 You should be grateful for having that job and then be good enough that 383 00:29:36,359 --> 00:29:40,200 when this guy gets promoted, you'll get his job. You know, it's 384 00:29:40,799 --> 00:29:45,200 it's all perspective. Perspective is our friend, yeah, or in a can 385 00:29:45,279 --> 00:29:48,839 be our enemy. There's a million cliches that come to mind, but it's 386 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:53,160 it's true. Now we're being invaded. Yeah, there's the Hollywood biker gang. 387 00:29:55,000 --> 00:30:00,640 Yes, is this friends of yours? Yeah? Yeah, that's my 388 00:30:00,759 --> 00:30:04,759 ride right off. Good night everybody. Obviously they're a little early lily. 389 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:14,039 Those are the Sons of Sunset. Yeah the sun Where was that film? 390 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:22,720 Now? And now I'm my new club is the Sons of Arthritis. I 391 00:30:22,759 --> 00:30:26,480 think I'm joining that guy I saw somebody with with the leather the leather cut, 392 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,559 you know, the motorcycle clubs. Guys were said Sons of Arthritis. 393 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:34,920 So it wasn't original, guys, throwing myself under the bus, but yes, 394 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,759 Sons of Anarchy was supposed to take place up in northern Cali, up 395 00:30:38,799 --> 00:30:45,480 around the Bay Area, but we shot it all here. Oh that's the 396 00:30:45,519 --> 00:30:48,880 miracle of of television. Yes it is. And it looked like Canada, 397 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:55,920 which was which was really amazingly shy. Wrap your mind around that one. 398 00:30:56,279 --> 00:31:00,240 Yeah, man, we managed to pull that off. Well that's beautiful. 399 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,720 No, but yeah it was a great experience and I got to sleep in 400 00:31:03,759 --> 00:31:08,279 my own beds, so yeah, when that counts, it sure does that 401 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,720 really counts? Did you guys have any idea going into it, how big 402 00:31:11,759 --> 00:31:15,599 of a show that was going to be. No. No, In fact, 403 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:21,440 I on the other side of the coin from all that Kumbai eye and 404 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:26,960 I was just doing them a second ago. Is that I'm also completely wired 405 00:31:26,039 --> 00:31:33,039 for failure because you too, huh yeah, no, because of security and 406 00:31:33,559 --> 00:31:36,880 good at failing. By the way, I can no, no, no, 407 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:40,240 you have no idea. If you look at if you look at MIAMGB, 408 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:45,799 this like over two hundred entries, and only three or four of them 409 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,279 were successful. But those three or four of them were what people remember, 410 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:56,200 so but they didn't see the other two hundred and thirty two that really stunk 411 00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,519 out the joint. And it wasn't as if you went into any of those 412 00:32:00,799 --> 00:32:02,519 thinking you were going to stink out the joint. It just that's the way 413 00:32:02,519 --> 00:32:08,839 it went. Because there's just so many ways amazing things have to happen in 414 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:15,319 order for something to be really really good and perfect and break through and be 415 00:32:15,319 --> 00:32:19,359 regarded as as as a classic or there's a lot of moving parts successful. 416 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,119 And the longer you do this, the more you realize how rare that is. 417 00:32:23,519 --> 00:32:29,720 And so what I do now is I just expect everything to fail. 418 00:32:30,599 --> 00:32:36,319 One of the great realizations I made in order to protect my thin skin is 419 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:42,720 like, no expectations, no disappointments, and if you expect nothing, you're 420 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,000 never going to be disappointed because if something good does happen, then it's a 421 00:32:46,039 --> 00:32:52,200 complete pleasant surprise. So to answer your question, no, I mean I 422 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,200 went into Sons of Anarchy thinking this is this is going to be one and 423 00:32:54,319 --> 00:32:59,119 done. You know, we're gonna we're We're lucky. We're lucky they got 424 00:32:59,119 --> 00:33:05,279 that far. This is too special, it's too weird, it's too unlike 425 00:33:05,319 --> 00:33:09,319 anything anybody's ever seen before. And you know, Hollywood is not known for 426 00:33:10,279 --> 00:33:17,960 breakthrough you know, original content, especially these days. So uh yeah, 427 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:24,240 that's and then there was so much violence and so much bloodshed towards the middle 428 00:33:24,279 --> 00:33:30,119 of season one that people wanted more. And that's when I realized that people 429 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:34,960 wanted more. Yeah, that's when I realized, Okay, that's just that's 430 00:33:34,759 --> 00:33:37,480 that's the function we serve. Yeah, there you go, not not a 431 00:33:37,519 --> 00:33:42,319 normal men of mayhem. Well, you know, you hope for the best, 432 00:33:42,559 --> 00:33:45,119 you expect the worst, and you take what comes exactly. And you 433 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:49,880 know, when you when you really really do have no expectations or you or 434 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,000 you think this is never going to fly when it doesn't. You know, 435 00:33:53,119 --> 00:33:57,279 you're you're just you're good. Yeah, you were there, Yeah, you 436 00:33:57,359 --> 00:34:00,000 were you beating you know, and we're all doing the best we can. 437 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:05,880 But you know, there's just too many other factors that, yeah, need 438 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:09,800 to go right in order for things to resonate. Now, this is a 439 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:15,480 funky question because I've had and I remember it because I've been asked any number 440 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:20,559 of times. But was there something you really, really really wanted and then 441 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:25,119 they gave it away somebody else? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that there were. 442 00:34:25,639 --> 00:34:29,519 Yeah. I blocked all that out though, you too, Yeah, 443 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:32,000 Wow, Okay, that's my answer. Yeah, because you got to suggest 444 00:34:32,079 --> 00:34:37,239 there has to be Yes, I was doing. Did we mentioned this earlier? 445 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:42,840 We talked about this prior to when we came on the air. The 446 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:47,599 last show I did on stage was I came in and replaced Stephen Lang in 447 00:34:47,679 --> 00:34:53,199 a Few Good Men on Broadway, And while I was performing it, that 448 00:34:53,320 --> 00:35:00,239 show was such a huge success that Hollywood started coming to call. So while 449 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:04,360 I was on stage, Rob Reiner came one night to see it, and 450 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,400 then a couple of nights later Rob came with Tom Cruise to see it Wow. 451 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:12,400 And then the rumor started flying Hollywood is going to make the movie. 452 00:35:12,639 --> 00:35:15,880 Rob Briner is going to direct it. Tom Cruise is going to star in 453 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:22,599 it. And I wrote Rob Ryner a letter saying, well, I know 454 00:35:22,639 --> 00:35:27,599 you saw me play Colonel Jessup and you know, and this thing and you 455 00:35:27,639 --> 00:35:30,679 know this, this, this piece of material means so much to me, 456 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:34,960 and you know, blah blah blah, and I know my odds are crazy, 457 00:35:35,119 --> 00:35:37,519 you know, but I'm just I just want to put it out there, 458 00:35:37,559 --> 00:35:39,599 you know, if there's any way you could consider me for this role. 459 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:45,800 And it went to Jack Nicholson and I wrote another note to Rob and 460 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,760 I said, I get it, man, he needs the work so much 461 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:57,280 more than I do. But that was I mean, you know, I 462 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,360 finally remembered one that you know, I kind of want and yeah, yeah, 463 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:05,480 yeah yeah and fell by the wayside. Yeah. And also anything that 464 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:09,760 anything in the world that you see Josh Brolin in should have gone to me. 465 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:15,639 Okay, he's my he's my nemesis these days. But I'm losing to 466 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:22,599 to better people than I ever thought I would. Like, you know, 467 00:36:22,639 --> 00:36:25,679 I'm losing the better people than I ever thought I would did you audition for 468 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:30,440 Thanoms. Well, there was a thing that went on, you know, 469 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:36,480 like on social media for what's the character in Deadpool that got introduced in the 470 00:36:36,519 --> 00:36:43,079 second dead I know who you're talking about. Yeah, justin I can't remember. 471 00:36:43,199 --> 00:36:45,639 It went to Josh, but yeah, he wasn't even in the fucking 472 00:36:45,679 --> 00:36:49,360 survey. Yeah really, you know, me and and about five other people 473 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,800 in the survey. And you know, I got one hundred and fifty times 474 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:57,400 more votes than anybody else because the cable. It was a roll of cable. 475 00:36:57,519 --> 00:37:01,000 Cable, that's cable. Yeah, with the bionic Josh Broland. Are 476 00:37:01,039 --> 00:37:05,519 you kidding me? Yeah? Enough when you imagine my cable. I mean, 477 00:37:05,599 --> 00:37:07,480 no disrespect, Josh. If you're listening to this podcast, which I 478 00:37:07,519 --> 00:37:13,199 know you are, that's right. You're fulling no one. You're fooling no 479 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:21,639 one. Yeah, and that's good stuff. Whatever it is. I said 480 00:37:21,679 --> 00:37:22,920 it, I said it, God damn it. I'm sticking to it. 481 00:37:23,119 --> 00:37:29,000 That's right. Are you on the on the circuit nowadays? Are you you 482 00:37:29,119 --> 00:37:31,679 got a lot lined up right? Well? As we as we speak, 483 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:38,760 we're still on strike. Yes, but but I'm always I produce a lot, 484 00:37:39,119 --> 00:37:44,119 and I always have little projects that I'm trying to push up the mountain, 485 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:46,679 whether we're striking or not. So yeah, I stay very, very 486 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:52,239 busy promoting some of my own ideas and some of the things that i'd love 487 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:57,159 to see get made. And I've been really really lucky over the last few 488 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:00,000 years, you know, just a lot of work coming my way. Even 489 00:38:00,119 --> 00:38:04,719 during the strike, some of these independent films of which I do a lot, 490 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:07,840 have been green lit because they've signed this interim agreement which allows for you, 491 00:38:08,559 --> 00:38:14,400 you're if SAG approves, you're allowed to make a picture on this independent 492 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:19,119 This interim agreement kind of a reality. So I made a couple of those 493 00:38:19,199 --> 00:38:22,760 during the strike. So you know, I'm doing fine, keeping my head 494 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:27,880 above water and waiting for better days ahead, which I think are right around 495 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:30,960 the corner. I have a question for you about how boy, how many 496 00:38:31,039 --> 00:38:37,920 hours of makeup was that process? So it was four hours of makeup every 497 00:38:38,039 --> 00:38:43,840 day except for the days where I was shirtless, and then that was six 498 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:49,400 hours, jeez. And it was one hour to get cleaned up, only 499 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:52,920 one hour to get cleaned up. Yeah, that's because I had a lot 500 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:57,920 of drinking to do, so I made them. Sometimes I just left the 501 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:00,400 gig with the makeup on. Yeah, I went to h the bar as 502 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:06,599 Hellboy the runner. Oh hi, run, I got really good service. 503 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:12,239 Yeah, I bet you did really good service. Oh God, you wouldn't 504 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,239 like me when I'm mad. You don't. You don't want to ignore brought 505 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:20,320 the gun and everything. Jesus. Yeah, that was a real That was 506 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:22,719 a high watermark for you, I would think. Because I saw it, 507 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:28,440 I was like, oh, hell yes, I mean that's that's every now 508 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,519 and then they get it right. And that's was perfect casting, perfect timing, 509 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:36,440 perfect care I mean perfect that. You were amazing. Thank you. 510 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,800 I thought it was the damn thing. So lucky to have been in the 511 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:46,360 very first film of this young Mexican director named Giamo del Toro. He's been 512 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:51,079 struggling through a little, yeah, tiny, little vampire movie that he made 513 00:39:51,079 --> 00:39:55,280 when he was twenty six years old in Mexico City, and they called Kronos. 514 00:39:55,840 --> 00:40:00,079 Some years later, he said, I want to do this comic a 515 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:04,760 character called Hellboy, and you're like, you're the one I want. And 516 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:08,119 it took him seven years to get the movie financed with me in it, 517 00:40:08,159 --> 00:40:15,199 because I wasn't bankable or I wasn't considered you know, name of the title, 518 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:20,440 especially the star of a comic book franchise. And he just spent seven 519 00:40:20,519 --> 00:40:22,119 years saying, sorry, I won't make it with him. I won't make 520 00:40:22,159 --> 00:40:23,800 it with him. I won't make it with him. This is what I 521 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:30,159 want. And so I was the recipient of something that I've never seen before. 522 00:40:30,679 --> 00:40:32,079 And I don't think an said anything I'll ever see again. It's like 523 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:39,480 one guy's so dogged determination to make it his way. He had a kind 524 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:45,039 of a vision of what the kind of tone of the character needed to be. 525 00:40:45,199 --> 00:40:52,880 He was conceiving a superhero who was a complete under retiever of slob schmuck 526 00:40:52,039 --> 00:40:55,400 who liked to watch Marx Brothers movies and play with cats and eat pizza. 527 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:00,599 And let's face it, when you narrow it down to that, there is 528 00:41:00,639 --> 00:41:06,400 nobody better than me. There you have it. And he knew it got 529 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,800 you, he got he fought for it, but he got it done after 530 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:13,000 seven years. Yeah. Wow, that that. I didn't have no idea, 531 00:41:13,079 --> 00:41:15,519 and it wasn't background. It was a game changer, just you know 532 00:41:15,559 --> 00:41:20,840 it, Like I would think. Yeah, as hard as it was to 533 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:24,119 get the guys who write the checks to wrap their brain around me playing that 534 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:30,000 role, that's his dramatic reaction as one guy. You know, when it 535 00:41:30,039 --> 00:41:35,440 came out and the public got to see it, So it was phenomenal opportunity. 536 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:39,320 Would you say that that's like among your biggest or the biggest success commercial 537 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:45,880 success or yeah, commercial. I mean that that and Sons were there were 538 00:41:45,679 --> 00:41:52,320 the two biggest commercial successes and the ones that were most mainstream. A lot 539 00:41:52,360 --> 00:42:00,440 of wonderfully peripheral uh artsy fartsy successes along the way, but nothing that hasn'tated 540 00:42:00,559 --> 00:42:04,440 enough to be game changes. Whereas hell Boy was on a huge stage. 541 00:42:05,159 --> 00:42:09,559 You know, it was a comic book franchise, and Giamo had already established 542 00:42:09,599 --> 00:42:15,079 himself as that by that point, as being a force of nature. So 543 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,719 I got all of the toys that came Yeah, yeah, boy, that's 544 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,440 not bad. Yeah luck Yeah, I mean have a friend like that. 545 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:28,679 Well, I remember Quest for Fire right and uh in the Name of the 546 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:30,920 Name of the Rose, Name of the Rose. He had a lot of 547 00:42:30,119 --> 00:42:37,800 interesting characters. That's so cool. I mean your your your resume is like, 548 00:42:37,199 --> 00:42:40,119 oh that was so cool. Oh I remember that. Oh that one 549 00:42:40,159 --> 00:42:44,280 was really Oh he was really good in this That's what it feels like when 550 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:46,760 you look down to your you know, it's that's good stuff. Thank you 551 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:51,000 man. Yeah, what would you say, is your your favorite project that 552 00:42:51,039 --> 00:42:54,400 you've ever worked on? And again, not not wanting to sound disingenuous, 553 00:42:54,639 --> 00:42:59,440 but what Jim was saying, like, for an actor to have played so 554 00:42:59,559 --> 00:43:05,159 many characters that were like really like mind blowingly interesting and cool, it's impossible 555 00:43:05,199 --> 00:43:08,960 to pick one. I would say. There was a period there from twenty 556 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:14,519 thirteen to twenty eighteen where I had my own production company and I was producing 557 00:43:14,559 --> 00:43:19,159 my own projects, and the very first project that came across our desk was 558 00:43:19,199 --> 00:43:22,320 called Asher. It was a story of an Israeli assassin living in New York 559 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:28,039 just killing people you don't even know why or who. And that was really 560 00:43:28,079 --> 00:43:31,320 hard to get made, and I crawled on our bellies to get it made 561 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:37,239 and finally lost a lot of money. You know, she was supposed to 562 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:44,360 start shooting it, how to get canceled. So finally made that And that 563 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:47,199 was the biggest sense of accomplishment I've ever had, because that was, against 564 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:51,800 all odds, a tiny movie. To this day, no one has seen 565 00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:53,639 it. So I'm not telling you it's my favorite because it was a success. 566 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,599 Because it wasn't. No one has seen it. No one has seen 567 00:43:57,639 --> 00:44:00,320 it, like it hasn't been I've seen it released or I've seen and I 568 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:04,760 know what went into getting it finally fucking done. But it was released, 569 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:07,199 right, you mean you're like exaggerating then nobody. Yeah, you know, 570 00:44:07,519 --> 00:44:12,840 it was sort of released, but it really wasn't. These little distribution companies 571 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:15,719 they give you no money, not even close to what you spent on the 572 00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:21,159 picture, and they don't do any advertising, so no one knew it it 573 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:25,400 even existed, right, and they take their cut and that's it. Yeah, 574 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:30,239 it's the nature of the beast show business. Yeah, well it's one 575 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:35,880 of those learning experiences. Yeah, like the School of Hard Knocks. Yeah, 576 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:42,079 where you do all of your really important learning death. Do you mind 577 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:45,760 telling that story of how you came to be on a role on Archer again? 578 00:44:46,199 --> 00:44:50,840 Can you tell that for the audience? So? Yeah, I was 579 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:54,800 on a show, The Sons of Anarchy, was on FX and FX like 580 00:44:55,079 --> 00:45:00,320 all the networks. There's a thing in Hollywood called Critics Week where the rics 581 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:04,039 come out and they take every network and they have all the stars of all 582 00:45:04,039 --> 00:45:07,159 the networks and they have press conferences and stuff, and then you know, 583 00:45:07,639 --> 00:45:12,360 network throws a big party. So FX through this party at the Ritz Carlton 584 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:19,000 and Pasadena, and there were thousands of people, their critics and directors and 585 00:45:19,079 --> 00:45:23,760 producers and stars and you know. And at the end of the night, 586 00:45:24,039 --> 00:45:27,760 I was at the last table. Everybody had got home. It was like 587 00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:30,000 quarter to two in the morning, and I'm sitting at this table. I 588 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:31,400 don't even know who I'm sitting with. I'm drunk out of my mind. 589 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:35,880 And I said to this one guy said, so, what do you do? 590 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:37,320 He says, well, I got this new show on FX. It's 591 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:42,320 an animated series. And I go animated series on FX. He goes, 592 00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:45,239 yeah, yeah, it's kind of it's kind of cool. It's kind of 593 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:47,199 like an adult animated series. It's the first one that's ever going to be 594 00:45:47,239 --> 00:45:50,599 on the network. And I said, well, I don't know if you 595 00:45:50,639 --> 00:45:58,079 realize this, but I'm the premiere voice actor in America, obviously hoping they'd 596 00:45:58,119 --> 00:46:02,280 never heard of Jim Cummings. Yeah, And the guy said, oh, 597 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:06,840 really you are. I said, yep, number one. He goes, 598 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:10,840 wow, that's really good to know. And two weeks later I got a 599 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:15,239 call for my voice OVERGIN. She said, well, you at a party 600 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:20,119 with a guy from Archer because he just he's offering you this role he wrote, 601 00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:27,079 playing a gay Cuban spy, and I knew that. He was like, 602 00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:30,159 let's find out exactly how premiere you are, because you're going to now 603 00:46:30,199 --> 00:46:35,039 play a gay Cuban spy. And I go, yeah, I don't have 604 00:46:35,199 --> 00:46:39,079 that in me. That's not part of my my you know, my my 605 00:46:40,159 --> 00:46:46,880 repertoire. For the right amount of money, he tested me and we ended 606 00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:51,039 up having a great time, and then they invited the character back a couple 607 00:46:51,079 --> 00:46:54,039 of times after that, so it was I fooled them. I fooled them 608 00:46:54,039 --> 00:47:02,960 again. That's wonderful. Gosh, I knew I should have never turned that 609 00:47:04,079 --> 00:47:08,960 role down, damn it. Apparently it was well received. Well that's amazing. 610 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:16,679 Yeah, that's great. So what do you think now? Man? 611 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:21,159 What's do we have anything on the books that we can see you in? 612 00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:24,239 I think I've asked a variation of this. A couple of things that I 613 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:29,880 was really looking forward to have come out during the strike, one of which 614 00:47:29,880 --> 00:47:32,719 I was like, the title character. But I am not allowed to promote 615 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:36,960 anything, right, right, Okay, So the movie came and went. 616 00:47:37,159 --> 00:47:39,519 I wasn't able to even share with anybody that I was in it, you 617 00:47:39,559 --> 00:47:45,840 know publicly. Yeah, but what do I have coming up? I have 618 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:53,280 another movie, big movie with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck coming up, which 619 00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:57,320 I'm also not allowed to promote. So what was it like working with me? 620 00:47:57,320 --> 00:48:00,920 I can't tell the name of it was omenal guy. Yeah, terrific 621 00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:07,880 guy, as nice as the day is long, man and fun and smart. 622 00:48:07,199 --> 00:48:10,159 Yeah, and really cool to do. He seems really dedicated to his 623 00:48:10,199 --> 00:48:15,920 craft, like a he loves being an actor, he loves other actors, 624 00:48:15,960 --> 00:48:19,639 and he loves like shooting the ship like we're doing here. I mean, 625 00:48:19,679 --> 00:48:22,440 he could just do that with you, you know, hours and hours and 626 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:27,440 hours on it. Yeah. Oh man, I thank you enough for coming 627 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:30,119 here and doing this. Hey. Thanks, this has been a thrill bro, 628 00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:35,559 hanging with you and reminiscing and and we're still here and we're still here. 629 00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:37,800 Yeah, this has been great. Thank you so much for Let me 630 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:42,280 give me let me ask one more question before we before we wrap things up. 631 00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:45,400 I guess I guess we're not saying goodbye. Well, I know there's 632 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:49,960 always one guy I'm calling it off. That's right, one guy. I 633 00:48:50,039 --> 00:48:57,000 just want to know what Charlie. Charlie Huntum is like as a co star, 634 00:48:57,559 --> 00:49:02,400 a good guy. Yeah, yeah, I absolutely love the guys from 635 00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:08,000 that show. Yeah, and Charlie and I were born four days and thirty 636 00:49:08,079 --> 00:49:12,519 years apart. As much as I believe in that astrology bullshit, you know, 637 00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:15,280 when I met him, I saw my younger self, you know, 638 00:49:15,320 --> 00:49:21,519 a guy who was full of idealism and righteous indignation about things and stuff, 639 00:49:21,519 --> 00:49:24,920 and so I kind of always took him on as my kid brother. Rightful, 640 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:29,119 beautiful guy, beautiful guy. God bless you, buddy, Thank you 641 00:49:29,159 --> 00:49:34,599 so much. I'll bless you. Jim