Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Guest: Joel Edgerton

Release Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Australian actor, writer, and director Joel Edgerton, whose latest film “Train Dreams” has just been released on Netflix. Dax, Monica Padman, and Joel delve into Joel’s upbringing in Australia, his circuitous path to mainstream Hollywood, themes of masculinity and vulnerability, filmmaking family dynamics, and deep reflections inspired by his latest role. The conversation is candid and engaging, traversing topics from childhood stunts and sibling rivalry to the changing nature of modern life and male emotional expression.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Joel's Personal Life & Relationship with Style (03:01–07:14)

• Vintage Watches & Shopping Habits:
  Joel shares his passion for old watches, recounting shopping for vintage pieces in Budapest and Tokyo. He speaks about feeling self-conscious wearing fancy watches, preferring inexpensive vintage ones over showy modern designs.

  “I thought I'd wanted to go and get a really fancy expensive watch and I did and I barely wear it. And the watches I love are these watches I got for like 50 bucks.” — Joel Edgerton (03:29)

• Fashion Influences:
  Dax brings up Joel's wife, Christine, who’s the editor-in-chief at Vogue Australia. Joel credits her for upping his style, sharing that she can instantly judge his outfits with a subtle glance.

• How They Met:
  Despite knowing each other since the 1990s through Australian social circles, Joel and Christine didn’t become a couple until 2018, after years of mutual acquaintances and evolving circumstances.

2. Australian Upbringing, Family, Masculinity (07:14–30:44)

• Sibling Dynamics:
  Joel’s close relationship with his brother Nash—stuntman, filmmaker, and daredevil—heavily influenced his path into filmmaking. Nash was prone to wild stunts as a kid, while Joel was less inclined to match his risk-taking but learned from Nash’s fearless approach.

• Masculinity and Emotional Expression:
  The trio discuss changing perceptions of masculinity, Joel’s admiration for actors like Russell Crowe who combine alpha-male presence with tenderness, and the generational transmission of stoicism vs. emotional openness in men.

  “The deficit of old school masculinity is tenderness ... The moment you feel the tenderness from a male figure in your life, I think it sets better cues.” — Joel Edgerton (27:23)

3. Careers, Fame, and Meeting Heroes (11:21–23:39)

• Being Recognized:
  Joel recalls his discomfort when strangers approached him purely because of his fame. He prefers relationships formed outside the context of celebrity.
• Who Makes Joel Starstruck:
  Athletes—especially tennis players and gymnasts—excite Joel more than meeting movie stars. Notable story: meeting Javier Bardem and seeing him act heroically in Madrid, reinforcing Joel’s admiration for character over celebrity.
• Film Industry Culture:
  Dax and Joel riff about the unique ‘safe’ feeling of being a supporting actor and how his “little brother” dynamic equipped him to blend into big productions and learn from stars like Clive Owen, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

4. Stunts, Danger, and the Nature of Risk in Film (16:19–21:59)

• Joel recounts harrowing stunt stories involving his brother and others, emphasizing the physical and psychological complexity of professional stunt work.

• The inherent risks and the filmmakers’ responsibility towards crew safety, especially after widely publicized set accidents.

  “That’s a good thought process for all of us directors to think about when we’re asking people to do stuff — what if my brother was doing this?” — Dax Shepard (21:49)

5. Modern Rage, Male Socialization, and Primal Instincts (22:43–26:27)

• The panel talks about “middle class rage,” suppressed aggression in safe societies, and the male inclination towards rites of passage, stunts, or competitive activities as outlets for primal wiring.

  “We live these very safe lives, so fight or flight gets triggered by the most benign things ... It’s a weird thing.” — Joel Edgerton (23:57)

6. Parenting, Vulnerability, and Raising Boys (26:27–30:44)

• Joel reflects on fatherhood, raising twins (a boy and a girl), and his intention to cultivate emotional openness, especially in his son.
• He shares a lighthearted parenting anecdote involving “webbing” conflicts among four-year-olds.

7. Career Milestones: From Australia to Hollywood (34:53–47:41)

• Family Influence:
  Joel comes from a family with a performer-lawyer dad and a multi-talented brother. Despite not being in show business, his father was a “real raconteur,” shaping Joel’s approach to storytelling.
• Hard Work, Luck, and George Lucas:
  Joel describes his “Stars Wars” casting as “pure luck” — George Lucas had to cast Australians for the prequels, and Joel's physical resemblance to a young “Uncle Owen” clinched it.
• Supporting vs. Lead Roles:
  He likens himself to “Scotty Pippen,” supporting “heavy-hitter” actors and enjoying the learning process.
• ‘Warrior’ & Working with Tom Hardy:
  Joel discusses training for “Warrior,” the intensity of preparation, and director Gavin O'Connor’s practice of treating every scene as the most important.

8. Train Dreams: A Simple Life, Loss, and Beautiful Cinema (50:13–1:00:01)

• About the Film:
  Dax lauds “Train Dreams” as one of the most beautiful movies he’s seen: “It's been a minute since a movie got me this much ... I just have not stopped thinking about it.” (50:13)

• Themes:
  The film is a “celebration of an ordinary life,” capturing the brutality, loss, and quiet heroism of a logger in 1917. Joel is moved by the universality and scale of personal tragedy and resilience.

• Acting with Restraint:
  The role required near-silent expressiveness. Joel references “Loving” as preparation for this kind of performance.

  “If you think those things, they’ll be there for the camera ... making sure that with the hardest stuff in the film, I just knew how to keep a lid on it.” — Joel Edgerton (56:35)

• Life’s Peaks, Kindness, and Regrowth:
  The importance of everyday kindness, community, and the idea that life, while often brutal, is also marked by beauty and resilience.

9. On Technology, Modern Abundance, and Gratefulness (1:07:10–1:09:10)

• Dax and Joel discuss the rapid shift from subsistence living to modern abundance—how such progress didn’t necessarily create lasting satisfaction or gratitude.

  “I'm so shook when I see that movie of how unsafe we all feel and how much we all still pine for things ... we live in total abundance and that we can eat whenever we want ... And then within five minutes, it's literally about do you have phone 12 or 13 as a crisis? ... How could we have problems when the abundance has arrived?” — Dax Shepard (71:48)

• Amusing aside about how early video cameras made people feel the need to narrate everything they filmed.

10. Male Intimacy, Homophobia, and Social Stigmas (59:20–65:40)

• The group examines men’s fear of expressing physical affection due to societal stigma and homophobia, sharing anecdotes about awkward male bonding and the lasting grip of early social shame.

  “Men don’t get together and brush each other’s hair ... there's no world where—apart from maybe my brother ... and it's fear of intimacy.” — Joel Edgerton (60:01)

  "Specifically, it's a fear of being called gay from when we were younger." — Dax Shepard (60:27)

• Monica references the show “Couples Therapy” and how even minor secrets about sexuality can burden men for years—furthering her sympathy for men’s emotional struggles.

11. Social Progress and Backlash (65:00–65:40)

• Joel reflects on making "Boy Erased" and the sad reality that acceptance for LGBTQ+ people remains inconsistent, even regressing in some areas.

  “Literally 10 miles down the road, you'd be keeping a secret ... all rights and freedoms and general acceptance of things, it becomes okay to march all progress backwards.” — Joel Edgerton (65:00)

12. Modern Challenges: Social Media, Creativity, and Generational Shifts (81:10–83:00)

• Concerns about raising children in a digital world dominated by social media validation.
• Nostalgia for boredom-induced creativity—drawing, daydreaming, and building imaginary worlds.
• The increasing pressure for young people to perform and be seen on social media.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “One of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen … I keep thinking about it.”
  — Dax Shepard on Train Dreams (00:49)

• On masculinity:
  “My idea of masculinity used to be Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger ... but the idea of sensitivity mixed within masculinity ... as bearded as we can all get as masculine, we're still a child, you know?”
  — Joel Edgerton (25:46)

• On fame and forming relationships:
  “The realization that the only reason she’d done it is because she’d seen me on television ... whereas I love where when people are disinterested, it becomes even keeled and good.”
  — Joel Edgerton (11:21)

• The power of kindness:
  "At the core of us, that as kids, until we're corrupted, that we are actually wired to look after each other. Even if we're not family, we don't really want to hurt each other.”
  — Joel Edgerton (76:07)

• On the legacy of old school masculinity:
  “I think that's the deficit of old school masculinity, is tenderness. And this is why I think masculinity continues on through generations of being stoic and nonverbal and inexpressive because you take your cues from the person above you.”
  — Joel Edgerton (27:23)

Highlighted Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Quote/Event | |---------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 03:29 | Joel on preferring vintage watches | | 07:14–10:57 | Story of meeting his wife Christine & reflections on relationships | | 23:57 | Joel on “middle class rage” and the loss of primal outlets| | 25:46 | The changing definition of masculinity | | 27:23 | On the deficit of tenderness in traditional masculinity | | 34:53 | Joel’s dad’s influence and family storytelling | | 50:13 | Dax's effusive praise for Train Dreams | | 56:35 | Discussing acting with restraint in Train Dreams | | 59:20 | Fear of male intimacy and social stigma | | 60:01 | “Men don’t get together and brush each other’s hair” | | 65:00 | Aftermath of "Boy Erased" – progress and setbacks | | 71:48 | “How could we have problems when the abundance has arrived?” | | 76:07 | “At the core ... we are actually wired to look after each other.” |

Tone & Language

The episode maintains the inviting, introspective, and often humorous tone characteristic of Armchair Expert. Dax is candid, effusive, and self-deprecating; Monica is thoughtful and empathetic; Joel is open, articulate, and good-humored, frequently punctuating serious insights with levity.

Conclusion

This episode offers a compelling look at Joel Edgerton’s personal and professional growth, the complexities of masculinity, the role of vulnerability in relationships, and the enduring power of simple, beautiful storytelling as embodied in Train Dreams. The trio’s honest, often funny, often moving conversation is a testament to the human truths Dax seeks to draw from his guests—making this a must-listen for fans of thoughtful, wide-ranging podcasts about life, art, and being human.