WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:08.160 Oh ye is boot. It should die. 2 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:10.560 People say good money to see this movie. 3 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.560 When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, 4 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:17.239 hot popcorn, and no monsters in the protection booths. 5 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:19.199 Everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring. 6 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:43.719 Got it off? Tenseltown is attempting to reboot another nineties sitcom. 7 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:46.640 Randy Robbins is behind the reboot of A Baker's Dozen. 8 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.920 But the whereabouts of his coast style vegas are unknown. 9 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:50.000 Aren't you gonna do that? 10 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:50.320 Show? 11 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.600 Everybody who said they loved me and supported me left 12 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:57.280 me alone as soon as that showing sorrna first rate. 13 00:00:57.560 --> 00:00:59.880 It's no more anniversaries. 14 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:02.280 Excuse me, Paul, I'm Nela. 15 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:04.920 By the way, take care of yourself. 16 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:07.319 Because there are a few nice people who give a ship. 17 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:24.040 Just feels like I'm stuck here forever. 18 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:39.400 There is no suck Munster, explain this. It's a suck. 19 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:21.400 What should I call you? 20 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:34.039 Hey, folks, welcome to a special episode of The Projection Booth. 21 00:02:34.039 --> 00:02:36.680 I'm your host, Mike White. On this episode, I am 22 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:40.759 talking with Sean Whalon. He may not be a familiar name, 23 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:45.400 but he's definitely a familiar face and he's also the writer, director, 24 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:48.479 and star of the new movie Crust, which is now 25 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:54.000 available on DVD wherever finer DVDs are sold. Had a 26 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.520 great time talking with mister Whalen. I hope you have 27 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:58.520 a great time listening to it. Thank you so much, 28 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.240 and I hope you enjoyed the interview. I've seen you 29 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:04.960 in so many things for so many years, starting all 30 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:06.840 the way back when I was in college and the 31 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:10.599 famous Gott milk commercial was on and I'm just like, Yeah, 32 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.319 this guy, he's got a great face. I want to 33 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:16.520 know more about this person. I want to see him 34 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:19.479 in more things. Tell me more about you, and how'd 35 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:20.199 you get your start? 36 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:24.599 I started as the youngest of four who was just 37 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:26.919 trying to get out of doing dishes. So I would 38 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:29.680 entertain my brothers and sisters and they would laugh and 39 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:35.080 clean the kitchen. From our previous conversation, I haven't grown much, 40 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.199 I was, by the way, I was just telling him 41 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:41.840 that I was glad that our meeting was the lady 42 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:43.360 so I could clean the kitchen and knock up my 43 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.800 wife put me in the doghouse. Yes, I haven't grown. 44 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:49.159 And so then one they figured it out and they'd 45 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:51.520 go they were leaving and I'd go, hey, we're not 46 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.120 done yet, and they go, we're done. This is your 47 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:56.560 pans to clean and I was like, I need a 48 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:59.599 new kit. And I got into it and then I 49 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:02.120 had the but you needed to direct a version of 50 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:05.759 Rumpel still Skin, and I put my girl Crush in 51 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:09.319 the lead of the thing. I saw her like just 52 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:11.919 a couple of years ago in France. She's French, and 53 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:13.599 she was like, why was I in then? And I 54 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:17.959 was like, it was a terrible accurance, but I remember 55 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:22.519 having the greatest time doing the role. And then I 56 00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:24.959 said it was We did it for the whole school. 57 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.000 I was getting a great response, and when I came 58 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:31.879 out to do my curtain call, my school went nuts. 59 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:34.759 They just were crazy and I was like, wait a minute. 60 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:39.800 I love doing this, they loved seeing it. This is 61 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.319 really my thing. This feels right. Didn't do a lot 62 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:45.600 in junior high school. That was fifth grade in elementary seal, 63 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:49.560 but I did do a very big community theater version 64 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:52.240 of Tiny Tim. It was like I was ten years old. 65 00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:55.560 It was like six weekends and three or four that 66 00:04:55.639 --> 00:04:57.360 was a weekend. It was a real it was a 67 00:04:57.399 --> 00:05:01.360 big deal. So and then I did some ward in 68 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.240 junior high school and then just the normal theater kid 69 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:13.800 high school kid. So I did chorus, choir, men's choir, barbershop, quartet, musicals, theater, 70 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.920 the whole thing, and then I got into UCLA. Didn't 71 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:19.600 really love the program, but I did have a nice 72 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:23.480 role in a play with Dafties, a negive from Spaceball's 73 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:28.079 Fame and Melrose places fame, and she and I had 74 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:29.959 a great time. I got some heat. It was just 75 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:33.040 too much. I just came out from Maryland and I 76 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:35.879 just knew I wasn't emotionally intelligent to handle that yet, 77 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.800 and so I just thought I didn't like the program. 78 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:43.519 I wasn't ready for the heat, and so I just 79 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:46.759 finished my years out building a fraternity with some friends 80 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:49.600 and had a great We were basically like Revenge of 81 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:52.800 the Nerds. It was great. And then I got into 82 00:05:52.839 --> 00:05:55.959 Growlings and that changed everything. My boss used to go 83 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:57.759 to the shows. I went to the shows and I go, oh, 84 00:05:57.759 --> 00:05:59.959 this is the place for me. I have to be here. 85 00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:02.480 Did the Groundings for a while, got into the Sunday show, 86 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:06.079 had a blast, and then I didn't get in the 87 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:09.040 main company on my first go round. The extended me again. 88 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:10.959 I thought I'm just gonna go learn how to act, 89 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:14.839 went into playoffs West It's serious drama thing. And then 90 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:18.160 I got a coach that merged my comedy training with 91 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:22.519 my dramatic training, and I got a couple guest stars, 92 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:25.519 and then I got people under the Stairs. That wasn't 93 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:28.480 a big break, which is shocking because we were number 94 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:33.240 one for six weeks and we never got the same 95 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:36.879 love that if we were number one for six weeks today, 96 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:40.399 it would be a big deal. Oh yeah, back then, 97 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:42.800 it wasn't that big of a deal for a horror 98 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:46.160 movie because that was why Dalloween. No one cares. But 99 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:48.600 we did very well. But my big break came when 100 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.000 I was doing more commercials and theametrical stuff, and I 101 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:53.879 did the milk commercial. Bailberg saw it, he loved it. 102 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.199 A student of mine worked with him and said, he's 103 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:58.519 going to put you in something. I guarantee it. Eight 104 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.600 months later, I auditioned for Twist and the rest was 105 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:05.839 history for the nineties. The nineties blew up for me 106 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:09.639 because the milk commercial got me seen, but it killed 107 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:12.800 my commercial career. Never did. I think I did three 108 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:16.639 commercial stints, but it started my theatrical career, which is 109 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:19.920 what I wanted in anyway. And because I worked with 110 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:24.839 Spielberg and Twister, meaning the executive produced Twister, you were 111 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.920 on a hot list in town and I saw the 112 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:30.680 difference and I got into a lot of good roles 113 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:33.920 since then since that time. And then it flowed down 114 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:36.560 in the two thousands because everything changed after nine to 115 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:40.720 eleven and companies bought Hollywood and things like that. So 116 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:42.800 I had a slow period of time right when I 117 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:44.879 had kids, right when I had a house, and so 118 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:49.399 I had to sell blenders and do demonstrations of pans 119 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:53.319 and a costco and I literally knew everything about the 120 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:56.319 costcos and they used me for a reference all the time. 121 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:59.079 So wow, it was great. And there is one scene 122 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:00.839 in the movie where they say we need you to 123 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:02.800 walk around and talk about that, and I go, I 124 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:05.879 got it that it doesn't want and I walked through 125 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.439 and I knew all the terminology and everything like that, 126 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:11.120 So that was really fun. Or else I would also 127 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:14.720 say I got to feed my kids. Man. After that, 128 00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:18.199 I got into teaching, and then I was always writing. 129 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:20.759 I started writing the Groundlings I wrote, and then I 130 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:25.519 got a job on Disney Channel cartoon shows. PEPPERH. Jake 131 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:31.120 American Dragons. Phil Moore, another show by Scott Gimble actually 132 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:34.120 did The Walking Dead. He did a cartoon show and 133 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:37.000 it was great and I was a writer on that 134 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:39.200 in terms of punching up, and I wrote a couple 135 00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:41.039 of scripts. So I've always been writing, and I had 136 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:43.039 a few scripts that I had written over the years, 137 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.519 tried to sell and then I wrote this after a 138 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:50.559 depression in twenty fifteen, after my divorce. It just flew 139 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:52.879 out of me. I had an idea before about a 140 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:56.519 cheap idea of horror movie, which is just one location 141 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:59.360 a guy in a sock suit. I thought it would 142 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:02.960 just be cheap and take white clothes and cover it 143 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:05.519 with socks and that's it. But as I get closer, 144 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:08.240 I realized and definitely for the guy who designed Crust, 145 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:11.519 Eric Porn, who does the special effects forteen wolf On, 146 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:16.320 he built Crust and he said, what should be like 147 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:19.639 Oogie Boogie in a basket except for a cute part 148 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:23.519 of Ougi Boggy, the nicer part. And he was right, 149 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:27.120 and he built that puppet. We tried to get it going, 150 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.799 meet Felicia Rose, other people tried to get it done 151 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.720 in twenty sixteen, and we just didn't know enough about 152 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:36.639 indigogo or producing. And it was the seven years in 153 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.360 between where Felissa ga is a producer and learned a 154 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:42.639 lot more, and I learned a lot more. And then 155 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:46.240 I had gone with other producers, maybe starting up, and 156 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:48.080 they'd be like, oh, I don't like the color. I 157 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:50.039 was not going to play well in Walmart, and I go, 158 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:53.360 this is not for Walmart. And then they go, yeah, 159 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:55.240 but the DVD you would put it in the wall. 160 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:57.120 I go, no, I won't. This is going to be 161 00:09:57.159 --> 00:10:00.360 in the nerd guy's garage that has the block buster 162 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:04.360 racks and racks and he's gonna name you forty movies 163 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.879 you've never heard of. That's who this is for. For 164 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:11.279 that guy. We just got a screening now at the 165 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:16.159 Coney Island Freak Show Theater. Well they did, and this 166 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:18.320 is a serious question. He goes, when you come for 167 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:20.639 the screening, now you don't have to do this, but 168 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:25.919 before year screening, we could do a fifteen minute sideshow 169 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:26.919 freak show for you. 170 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:31.320 And I was like, absolutely, are you kidding? And I'm 171 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:33.759 not insane, of course I want that as my war. 172 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:36.840 And then I circle back a falescent. She had her 173 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:40.399 new partner Dan Kearney, who was every other producer, was like, 174 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.519 maybe more movies, or maybe more blood, or maybe not 175 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:47.639 black and white or maybe whatever, always things that did. 176 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:50.039 And he got on our zoom colony said I know 177 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:53.639 what you're doing. I've had mental health myself, and I went, 178 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.559 this is the guy. He gets it. We got a 179 00:10:56.600 --> 00:10:59.919 going Indiegogo was great. It was starting to get really hectic, 180 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:02.720 so we brought in Chris Surgy, my NIXT producer that 181 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:06.200 helped us really get through. Definitely helped us sort out 182 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:08.960 SAG stuff and landed the plane at Anchor Bay and 183 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:13.279 all distribution and things like that. It's how I got here. 184 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:16.440 And then when I was gonna direct it or no, 185 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:19.759 I was producing it, co writing and starring, and I 186 00:11:19.799 --> 00:11:22.840 thought this is great, told my manager. He said eh, 187 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:25.600 and I go what and he goes, Unfortunately, in this 188 00:11:25.639 --> 00:11:28.679 town it doesn't matter unless you direct. And I thought 189 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:30.320 really and he goes yeah, and I go, I guess 190 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:34.440 I'm directing it. And I watched master classes with Ron 191 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:37.120 Howard and Spike Lee and it's one of those things 192 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:40.759 where you know more than you'd think. Yeah, I just 193 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:43.120 I've been on so many since I've learned so much. 194 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:47.080 I was panicking. Bradley Cooper before he did A Star 195 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:49.919 Is Morning. He was like it, I was in researching 196 00:11:49.960 --> 00:11:51.799 and doing it and I hadn't done any of that. 197 00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:54.440 But I also just knew more than I thought. I 198 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:56.759 worked a long time with my DP, which was the 199 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.399 part I didn't know the most. I prepped a lot. 200 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:02.879 I rehearsed a lot with all my actors. And that's 201 00:12:02.919 --> 00:12:06.919 one thing I have heard is that you're acting throughout 202 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:10.879 it is fantastic. And I was like, it'd be embarrassing 203 00:12:10.919 --> 00:12:14.399 if I was an actor director and my actors. Of course, 204 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:17.399 I had to make that a priority and it came 205 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:19.840 very easy to me. But I think it's also feeling 206 00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:22.919 powerless as an actor. Then you're finally in control of 207 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:25.240 all of it. As an actor, we don't know who 208 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.480 we're going to act with, what the set's going to 209 00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:30.440 look like, how it's going to be edited, will I 210 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:34.279 even make the final cut? And so I thought, this 211 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:37.120 is a great one. I love filmmaking, and Rebecca Kennedy 212 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:41.000 and I were just bonding as friends. Her husband is 213 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:43.399 a great friend of mine, my wife is a great 214 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:47.320 friend of hers, and we just all four got together 215 00:12:47.399 --> 00:12:52.200 and said let's do this because we want more control. 216 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:56.200 We did a comedy series which drops in two weeks, 217 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:59.080 which I'll plug, which is Psyche on Sunset. It's going 218 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:01.679 to be on our website. Four episodes, but the hottest 219 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:05.799 restaurant in LA where all the waiters are trained and 220 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:09.360 licensed there Base, but they're the worst therapist in LA 221 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:13.279 because they couldn't get her an office trip. They gased 222 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:14.879 like you and stuff. So it's Oh, I'm gonna have 223 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:17.080 a martini and my wife will have the same. It's wow. 224 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:20.200 So you don't think she's capable of ordering for herself 225 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:23.720 and you're like no, and she likes it. He goes 226 00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:25.480 on instead of you telling us how she feels, how 227 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.000 about you telling I do it all the time. When 228 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.120 he goes, oh, you're a control for you, she's gas 229 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:32.879 lighting and fun and they're really fun. And that drops 230 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:37.480 in a couple of weeks. That's me and Rebecca Kennedy's production. 231 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:39.480 So she is a production company with her husband. I 232 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:42.080 have a production company my wife and we co produced 233 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:46.679 and we're co producing another feature that's coming that we're 234 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:49.000 shooting in February and pre production for that. So it's 235 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:51.919 great and yeah, so it was really great. I learned 236 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:56.600 a lot and move forward and yeah, that's my journey 237 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:57.559 on how I got here. 238 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:00.759 Yeah, you said you've been on a lot of over 239 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:03.679 one hundred roles credited. That's pretty crazy. 240 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:07.799 During the pandemic, TikTok saved my life just because I 241 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:12.320 had something to do. My wife was a essential worker 242 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.960 because she does insurance for nursing homes and things like that, 243 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:17.919 so she was going into work every day. I was 244 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:21.360 just alone with my kids, you know, divorce. I would 245 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:24.519 get comments all the time, you're such a great actor, 246 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:27.159 you're so underrated, you should get bigger roles, and I'm 247 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:32.120 it's not up to me. But then what the new 248 00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:38.120 fandom and Indiego Go and all that showed me you 249 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:40.960 don't need the gatekeepers anymore. It felt like it's a 250 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:44.200 wonderful life almost. They were like, you've entertained us for 251 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:47.879 so long, we wanted to see you in a bigger part. 252 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:50.960 For you to say that is so powerful for me 253 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:55.799 to hear, because through their actions, the town that you're 254 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:58.759 trying to make says you're not a lead or you're 255 00:14:58.759 --> 00:15:00.840 gonna pop in every once in a while and do 256 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:03.279 something fun and give us some spice. But you're not 257 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:06.639 elite and certainly not a romantic lead. Not in a 258 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:10.120 million bazillion years have I, Me or Rebecca ever gone 259 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:14.639 out for those lead romantic roles. What's beautiful about this 260 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:18.279 new community? In the way social media and Indigogo and 261 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:21.759 all this stuff works, people know you can reach people more. 262 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:25.200 But then they can say, you know what, I don't 263 00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:28.399 agree with the studios. I have to show them, oh, 264 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:31.679 I actually can be a leader. But they wouldn't know 265 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:35.519 that unless they saw it. So again, I'm not knocking them. 266 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:38.840 I'm just saying I couldn't wait for you to decide. 267 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:41.320 Kevin Hart did a great thing. He goes. I just 268 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.240 didn't understand, coming from stand up when I would go 269 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.440 and just take in charge of my career, that all 270 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:49.559 of a sudden, I'm supposed to sit here and wait 271 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:53.759 till you decide when I work. That makes no sense 272 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:57.679 to me. And he started producing his own stuff, and 273 00:15:57.720 --> 00:16:00.919 that's I think that's the new thing. And I've already 274 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:03.320 got an investor who's all say, A felt like you 275 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:06.639 followed me your old career, and now he wants to 276 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:10.799 finance my next several films. So a few investors, so 277 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:15.320 I'm booked and busy for the next few years. I've 278 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:19.600 got our next movie that we're doing, and then yeah, 279 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:23.559 I'm literally booked to twenty twenty seven and just movies 280 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:28.879 that I'm producing and directing and acting in every single one. 281 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:32.000 And then after this one that I'm doing that I 282 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.240 didn't write, the next three year all ones that'll write, produce, direct, 283 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:39.000 and star. And again that's so great. Yeah, it's really great. 284 00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:41.639 But thank you for saying that, because you think am 285 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:43.879 I crazy? But then when I hear it from someone 286 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:46.639 who's following Mega, No, they actually did want to see that. 287 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:49.440 Oh yeah, Like I said, before we even started talking, 288 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:52.559 just the idea of when you would show up, it 289 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:55.519 was just always such a thrill. Oh there he is 290 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.720 in Cable guy. Are people in the stairs? Such a 291 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:01.879 great role? Or my god? And I hope you take 292 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:04.400 this the right way. But the level of geekdom and 293 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:08.400 Twisters and just having that crew together with Alan Ruck 294 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:11.480 and just like every nerd character that you can think of, 295 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.559 and even phillipsy Moore Hoffman, Like before that broke big, 296 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:17.680 it was just like, Holy, I'll look at all of 297 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:18.680 these guys. 298 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:23.440 Yeah, Todd Field, he's an Academy Film Director and writer 299 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:28.319 and so great. I didn't have the Allan Rock career 300 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.519 where he had a lead role when he was very young, 301 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:35.160 and that starts a conversation that goes, oh, he's supposed 302 00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:38.279 to be in big roles, and either you do small 303 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:40.880 roles and then busting the big roles or whatever. But 304 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:44.720 when I started to think, wow, five ten years ago, 305 00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:46.839 I don't think this was ever. They're never going to 306 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:49.960 put me in a lead of anything or a regular part. 307 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:53.400 Hopefully this allowed to keep people to go, I actually 308 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:56.359 can be a leader. Look, and I was a terrifying proposition. 309 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:01.200 Rebecca had done a couple of lead roles, felicaid lead roles, 310 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.599 and I hadn't been, so I thought, oh my god, 311 00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:06.440 you do you wake up in the middle of the 312 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:08.519 night with those night sweats and going what if people 313 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.960 go you can't carry a movie? And luckily no one 314 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:14.240 has said that, So I'm glad. 315 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:17.160 With the smaller roles. Were you having a good time? 316 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:17.839 Yeah? 317 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:21.480 I never thought. I wasn't sitting there pining for a 318 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:25.319 lead roll or whatever. I was like, all right, this 319 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:27.640 is my career, but it's better than not having any 320 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:30.799 kind of career, and yes, I had lean times. Like 321 00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:32.720 I said, for eight years I had to sell stuff 322 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:35.319 in a costco stuff like that. But I was fine 323 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:38.240 with it. But then I thought, I may as well 324 00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:41.759 give this a shot. As you get older, I thought 325 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:46.000 this great analogy, like if yours are cookies, younger people 326 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:51.359 have more cookies than me statistically, right. Well, so I go, 327 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:55.039 if I'm getting older, this is the time to make 328 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:57.480 a stab and go. You know what it's like the MNFL. 329 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:00.640 You got one shot, like I got a few more 330 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:03.960 years left, so you may as well just go for 331 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:06.200 it and see if it works. But it doesn't, at 332 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:09.359 least I tried. My role is always try something for 333 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.839 a couple of years. And I tried Crust. And it's 334 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:16.079 been two years since we started it, but since I 335 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:18.880 shot it, it's been less than two years. And already 336 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.960 I've got my second movie, green Let, which will be 337 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.599 dropping in the trades in the next few days about 338 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:27.119 who's in it and things like that, and so I go, okay, 339 00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:31.599 I'm not crazy. I think that. Thomas Zembeck, the president 340 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:35.319 of Anchor Bay, nailed it at our La premiere and 341 00:19:35.400 --> 00:19:39.640 he said, I kind of challenge anyone to not have 342 00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:43.160 a good time at this movie. It's just fine, and 343 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:45.359 that's what I love more than anything. If you follow 344 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:48.359 me on, So for me, like Evan, fine making people laugh, 345 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:53.599 being silly, engaging with people, and if I can give 346 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:57.640 anything to this modern world a couple hours of fun, 347 00:19:58.440 --> 00:20:01.359 that's it. Message of mental health. 348 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.559 Tell me a little bit more about the shoot. How 349 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:06.680 was that actual experience for you, being both behind and 350 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:07.599 in front of the camera. 351 00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:11.240 Yeah. I crapped a lot for me and my DP 352 00:20:11.559 --> 00:20:15.039 and he was great. Jared Letis was fantastic. He got 353 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:20.599 me to storyboard this whole thing wait beforehand. We finished 354 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:23.480 a few weeks before shoot, but then we'd go over 355 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:26.079 it and review stuff. And then he came in a 356 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:29.519 couple days early and we looked through the set and everything, 357 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:32.599 and I made sure my costumes were alling up. I 358 00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:35.640 had my notebook with my C numbers and my what 359 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:38.160 page we're on and the continuity and all that stuff, 360 00:20:38.680 --> 00:20:42.440 and so I got very prepared. And the great thing 361 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:44.480 was on the set. I knew we had to move, 362 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.440 but I was so excited to see these people speak 363 00:20:48.519 --> 00:20:51.799 my words and say this stuff out loud, that you're 364 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:54.839 I'm having such a good time, And people said it 365 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:56.519 was one of the funnest sets they've ever been on, 366 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.880 because I was so excited to be there, to have 367 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:02.839 this opportunity. I think I knew I was lucky. When 368 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:06.200 you've had success young and then you don't have it, 369 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:09.680 when you get any whiff of another shot at it, 370 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:13.480 you're so much more grateful because you don't know what 371 00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:16.519 you have when you first get it. Could you just think, oh, 372 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:18.680 I've worked a lot in high school, and I worked 373 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:20.680 a lot after I could get in the growling and 374 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.920 moved there really quick. Of course I'm gonna work, And 375 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.200 so I didn't know how lucky I was, And now 376 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:32.559 I absolutely know how I d am. So you ingested 377 00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:36.720 a lot more and respect it more. But I just 378 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:39.400 had so much fun on set. And then at night 379 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:42.559 we had a playlist. Everyone had a playlist, but they 380 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:47.079 couldn't have songs at not sixty percent of the crew new, 381 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:50.519 and we had old people down to twenty somethings, and 382 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:52.759 we would always dance to it, and friends came in 383 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:55.279 later in the shooting. I've never seen a more joyful, 384 00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:59.599 fun set. And it's a night shoot and you guys 385 00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:03.599 are having a dance party at lunch, which was crazy. 386 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:10.240 So it was great. But acting wise actors, and we 387 00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:13.359 all do, and because I've had problems with anxiety, we 388 00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:15.920 get in our head. But because I was so busy 389 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:18.799 with everything else right before we rolled, I had no 390 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:22.319 time to think about anything. So because I couldn't think 391 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:27.960 about anything, I thought to myself, there's no overthinking, and 392 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:30.519 I would just go, So there's a similar moment in 393 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:33.359 the movie, which you know that involves music and dancing 394 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:38.319 and fun, and the movie is before that and after that, 395 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:41.200 because everything before that is a little sand and everything 396 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:45.319 after that slowly starts to change, right, I would always go, 397 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:47.599 what scene is it? Oh? Is it before that thing? 398 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:52.400 Because I knew it was sweats, sad makeup, and then 399 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:55.720 or it was after that and it was starting to grow. 400 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:57.839 So I think it was honestly a gift because I 401 00:22:57.880 --> 00:23:00.599