Josh Safdie

Summary

Podcast Summary: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend — Josh Safdie (Feb 2, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this playful and genuinely insightful episode, Conan O’Brien sits down with acclaimed filmmaker Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time) to discuss Safdie’s new film Marty Supreme, the joy and madness of casting real characters, Adam Sandler’s impact, the agony and euphoria of the creative process, and much more. The conversation ranges from highly specific industry anecdotes to rambunctious tangents about smoothies and snack habits, always anchored by Conan’s quest for camaraderie and laughter. This episode is a boisterous blend of deep film talk and loose, comedic banter among Conan, his co-hosts Sona Movsesian and Eduardo Perez, and Safdie.

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Main Themes and Discussion Points

1. Building Friendship Through Hollywood (08:04)

• Conan and Josh on Friendship: The episode kicks off with Conan and Josh joking about the unique bond shared through Adam Sandler, affectionately referencing Sandler’s habit of calling Conan “Coney.” They reminisce about Sandler’s gregarious nature, spontaneous drop-ins, and his habit of calling almost anything “the best.”
  • Quote:
    • “I see Sandler... and I say, ‘What are you doing, buddy? I just saw Josh.’ ‘The best.’ …It’s down to the point where it’s like, ‘Oh, I took the Lexington Avenue—’ ‘Oh, the best!’” — Conan O'Brien (08:54)

2. The Inspiration and Casting Choices of Marty Supreme (12:27, 22:31, 30:04)

• Conan’s Praise for the Film: Conan enthusiastically praises Marty Supreme, describing it as “a juggernaut of delight,” and singles out the achievement of casting and the film’s revelatory supporting characters.
• Fearless Casting Philosophy: Josh details his unconventional approach to casting, often selecting people based on their essence or uniqueness rather than their resumés.
  • Quote:
    • “Every person you see—every face, even if they get one line—feels memorable, almost like Capra would do it.” — Conan O'Brien (30:04)
  • Safdie shares anecdotes about casting real-life characters, such as Mitchell Wenig, an autograph collector who appears alongside genuine stars, and details how creating comfort helps non-actors shine.
• On Realism and Blocking: Safdie prefers minimal technical restrictions for actors, trusting they’ll gravitate towards the right spot for both story and realism—even if it frustrates his cinematographer. (34:25)

3. The Sandler Effect (24:59, 25:00)

• Adam Sandler as Muse: Much of the conversation is about Adam Sandler’s centrality to Josh’s past projects, how Uncut Gems was written for him over a decade prior to its release, and how Sandler’s warmth and “mushy” side deeply affects those who work closely with him.
  • Quote:
    • “He’s very open… a big mastiff—gushy, mushy, tushy. That’s what I say to my daughter!” — Josh Safdie (25:44)
• Drama and Rage: Safdie discusses how Sandler’s electric energy and underlying rage were essential to the authenticity of Uncut Gems.

4. Timothy Chalamet & Physical Dedication (23:10, 40:46)

• Chalamet’s Commitment: The film Marty Supreme needed someone of “nuclear force,” which Josh found in Timothy Chalamet—highlighting his passion, physicality, and willingness to dedicate years to learning both guitar (for Dylan) and table tennis (for Marty Supreme).
  • Quote:
    • “He spent, like, seven years… just starting to learn guitar and table tennis. He got the mechanics down. By the time he was training with Olympians, it just clicked.” — Josh Safdie (42:41)
• Match Between Actor and Role: Conan marvels at how Chalamet’s wiry energy is perfect for table tennis, and Safdie traces the spark to stories of New York’s outsider ping pong scene. (41:17–44:03)

5. The Meaning & Loneliness of Dreams (46:01, 51:22)

• Ambition as Heist: Josh likens the narrative structure of Marty Supreme to a heist, where achieving dreams is as unlikely and suspenseful as robbing a bank.
  • Quote:
    • “Dreams are heists—you’re trying to control your own fate.” — Josh Safdie (46:05)
• Rooting for Flawed Characters: Marty, the protagonist, may not always be likable, but the audience always roots for him—a testament to the film’s emotional alchemy.
  • Quote:
    • “Love is more important than likability... you’re connecting to something pure.” — Josh Safdie (47:27)
• Post-Project Emptiness: Safdie reflects on the “hollow” feeling after completing a massive project and the temptation to change careers, like becoming an architect.
  • Quote:
    • “After Uncut Gems… someone said, ‘What’s next?’ and I started to cry. I didn’t know—I had this hollow feeling because my drive was gone.” — Josh Safdie (52:12)

6. The Comedy of Celebrity & Aging (58:47, 61:53)

• Conan and the Erewhon Smoothie Bit: In classic Conan fashion, the episode unspools into a riff about the “Hailey Bieber Smoothie” at Erewhon market losing its celebrity name, with Conan lobbying (semi-seriously) to have it renamed as the “Conan O’Brien Smoothie.”
  • Quote:
    • “I am willing to lend my name. And when I say lend, yes, there will be financial compensation... If you can’t get Hailey Bieber, I’m the obvious second choice.” — Conan O’Brien (63:06)
• The Aging Celebrity Gag: The hosts joke about transitioning from Hailey Bieber to Conan, playfully debating if it’s like going from Sean Connery to Mickey Rooney as James Bond.
  • Quote:
    • “I’m not young, but I behave in a very youthful manner. I’m very immature.” — Conan O’Brien (62:03)
• Self-Deprecating Humor: Conan plays along, fully aware of his less-than-youthful image, but doubles down (“You got to deal with me sooner or later. I’m gravity.” — 67:16).

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Notable Quotes & Key Timestamps

• On Sandler’s Ubiquitous “The Best” Phrase

  • “He once said to me in the Subway, I was like, ‘I’m gonna go to the bathroom.’ He goes, ‘The best’ … and I understood it, though.” — Josh Safdie (09:06)

• On Selective Casting Philosophy

  • “I want to see the best in them... I admire people who are iconically them.” — Josh Safdie (32:09)

• On Emotional Aftermath of Creative Work

  • “I’ve had that hollow feeling when I shouldn’t have… I should have felt a sense of accomplishment, but I didn’t.” — Josh Safdie (52:47)

• On the Importance of Love Over Likability in Characters

  • “Love is more important than likability.” — Josh Safdie (47:27)

• On Conan’s Brand of Celebrity

  • “If you can’t get Hailey Bieber, I’m the obvious second choice.” — Conan O'Brien (63:06)

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Memorable Moments

• Running Gag on Snacks & Semen
  • Early comic digression about Sona’s hunger, Conan’s snack stash, “pheasant chips,” and a wild tangent on walnuts’ supposed effect on semen (05:28).
• Anecdote: Abel Ferrara’s Chaotic Late Night Appearance
  • Safdie and Conan reminisce about legendary director Abel Ferrara fleeing the Late Night set, being chased down by a producer, and barely showing up for his unhinged interview (14:25–16:18).
• Casting Real People (“The Man With the Golden Voice”)
  • Josh talks about including viral personalities and genuine eccentric New Yorkers to enrich the film’s texture (35:10).
• Awards-Season Dissonance
  • Josh describes the weirdness of film festival competitions, including a story about racing through an abridged tour of Auschwitz to make a screening (55:10).

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Episode Structure & Key Segments

• [08:04] — Conan welcomes Josh Safdie and launches into Sandler stories and friendship themes
• [12:27] — Early praise of Marty Supreme; unconventional casting discussion
• [22:31] — Transition to Josh’s process, working with actors, and making non-actors comfortable
• [30:04] — Detailed conversation on finding memorable faces for small parts
• [40:46] — Chalamet’s intense preparation and the real history behind Marty Supreme
• [46:01] — Exploring ambition, dreams, and sports drama storytelling
• [51:22] — Reflections on the emptiness that follows finishing a major film
• [58:47] — Comedic detour: Conan’s pitch to replace Hailey Bieber on the Erewhon smoothie
• [63:06] — Debate about celebrity, aging, product endorsement, and self-aware humor

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Tone and Style

• The episode blends genuine admiration for craft, particularly Safdie’s authentic directorial style, with the signature Team Coco brand of absurd, intelligent, self-lampooning comedy.
• Josh Safdie matches Conan’s humor while also offering a thoughtful, often vulnerable insight into the creative process.

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TL;DR Takeaway

This episode is a rollicking mix of deep-dive filmmaking process, warmhearted showbiz stories, and spontaneous comedic detours. At its center, Conan and Josh dissect what real friendship and true creative risk look like in Hollywood—while ensuring the listener is constantly entertained.

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Transcript

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

I like more meaningful. I like things.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, Valentine's Day is a chance to celebrate relationships. From partners and friends to family, teachers, everyday heroes. Even if you're short on time, Macy's makes gifting easy with curated ready to go finds that still feel thoughtful. Get those diamond hoops or a Rolex. You getting me a Rolex this year on Valentine's Day?

[Sona Movsesian]

Am I getting you a Rolex?

[Conan O'Brien]

Be nice of you.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, Wait for it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, but amazing gifts. Le Creuset or Reigns or say thanks with throws, robes or Godiva.

[Josh Safdie]

Oh, Godiva.

[Conan O'Brien]

Or all three. Shop now in store. Check out Macy's V Day gift guide for more inspo. Couldn't they have said inspiration@macy's.com?

[Josh Safdie]

Hi, my name is Josh Safdie, and I feel like a liar saying that I feel anything about being Conan o'. Brien. Fall is here Hear the yell Back.

[Sona Movsesian]

To school Ring the bell Brand new.

[Josh Safdie]

Shoes Walk and lose Climb the fence Books and pens Friends I can tell.

[Conan O'Brien]

That we are gonna be friends I can tell that we are gonna be friends hey there. Welcome to Conan o' Brien Needs a Friend. I'm the aforementioned Conan, joined by Sonam Obsession, Matt Gorley. How we doing, gang? What's happening? Good, good, good.

[Sona Movsesian]

In the hood.

[Conan O'Brien]

What's the mood? What's the mood today?

[Eduardo Perez]

Mood's pretty good, I'd say.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Eduardo Perez]

Yeah. No. Am I wrong?

[Sona Movsesian]

No.

[Conan O'Brien]

No. I don't know. I'm just. I. I like to get the vibe in the room. I like to match the temperature. And I wasn't sure today I was you. You all seem pretty happy, right?

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, I. I wish I ate more.

[Conan O'Brien]

What do you mean?

[Sona Movsesian]

I just didn't eat a proper meal before. And then we're Recording. It's, like, almost two o', clock, and I'm. I'm hungry.

[Conan O'Brien]

What. What is a proper meal for you? What would that be? What did you have?

[Sona Movsesian]

Literally any food in front of me.

[Conan O'Brien]

What did you have for breakfast?

[Sona Movsesian]

I didn't have breakfast.

[Conan O'Brien]

You didn't eat breakfast?

[Sona Movsesian]

That's the problem.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. All the years that Sona was my assistant, I lived in fear of her not getting her sustenance because her mood would go, no, no, you would be. You would become the Tasmanian Devil. You really would if you didn't get your food. And another person who does that is my wife. My wife. I learned when we were early on going out, she would say, getting a little hungry. What are you thinking about? Lunch? And I would think, yeah, yeah, we could do lunch. I learned that I need to act on that first warning sign.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Because she's a lithium battery. She goes from having a charge to having no charge instantly. Yeah. And so then it would go downhill very quickly.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And so. And you're the same way, Sona.

[Sona Movsesian]

I pack snacks for my kids all the time, but then I'll eat them because if I don't eat. But also, you know.

[Conan O'Brien]

Can I say something else? Your kids are malnourished.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, they are. They're not.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're constantly eating their snacks.

[Eduardo Perez]

They're not oxygen mask in an airplane where you got to take care of yourself.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, but Liza can live off of, like, an almond. I need, like, a whole pheasant.

[Conan O'Brien]

What? It is true.

[Sona Movsesian]

Like a rotisserie chicken.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, she would. I can't tell you how many times on the Warner Brothers lot, Sona was screaming at the commissary people, I want my pheasant, Remember? And then we got you a crown and a king's robe.

[Eduardo Perez]

Remember that?

[Conan O'Brien]

And a scepter and a throne.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, I remember.

[Conan O'Brien]

I want my pheasant.

[Josh Safdie]

Where's my hot and fever?

[Conan O'Brien]

So. So you didn't get enough food?

[Sona Movsesian]

No, I did. I need to eat something after this.

[Conan O'Brien]

I saw you eating potato chips before, just before we recorded.

[Sona Movsesian]

I. I know I've been snacking. I understand.

[Conan O'Brien]

That wasn't an accusation.

[Sona Movsesian]

Well, I felt like you were accusing me of saying weight chips, so you're fine.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I'm not. Because there's no nutrition. Oh, wait, there were pheasant chips.

[Josh Safdie]

They were.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Now. It said now with 80% more pheasant. So I don't know why you're bitching.

[Sona Movsesian]

I need, like, a meal. I need something warm that was cooked, and I need it in my body, like I need. I need.

[Eduardo Perez]

What are you going to get after this, then? Are you going to go straight to a restaurant just by yourself? Corner table?

[Sona Movsesian]

I might. I might. I need to eat.

[Josh Safdie]

You all both need to eat. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. I need to eat something that gives you more intelligence. Not just brain food, but food that actually is made of brain and gives you brain.

[Sona Movsesian]

Did you say walnuts? Yeah, walnuts make you smarter brain. They help you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Make you smarter.

[Sona Movsesian]

Walnuts.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah.

[Sona Movsesian]

Tell people too. It's good for your semen.

[Conan O'Brien]

What? Wait.

[Eduardo Perez]

Are coming from different angles.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hold it, hold it, hold it. You. I'm pointing the finger at you, Sona. What do you mean it's good for your semen? What are you talking about?

[Sona Movsesian]

Like, you know, when you want to make a baby, you eat a lot of walnuts. No, Nobody tell me about it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Seriously, are you talking about it's good for your semen? Meaning that it makes better semen?

[Sona Movsesian]

I don't. I don't know what it does.

[Josh Safdie]

Like stronger.

[Sona Movsesian]

You want. If you want to make.

[Conan O'Brien]

Here we go. Here we go.

[Josh Safdie]

According to the Internet, it improves motility.

[Sona Movsesian]

Hel.

[Josh Safdie]

Hello. Fertility and morphology.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. Come to me for semen advice.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, okay. Come to me.

[Josh Safdie]

Jesus Christ.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's good.

[Conan O'Brien]

Can we make a famous.

[Sona Movsesian]

Now, there are foods that aren't there.

[Conan O'Brien]

Foods that affect the taste of semen.

[Eduardo Perez]

Well, I think. Is that a myth? Pine. They say pineapple, right. Is supposed to help it taste better.

[Conan O'Brien]

I mean, I. I say that I. Can I just say something. I can't taste the difference.

[Eduardo Perez]

I can.

[Conan O'Brien]

I've had. I ate tons of pineapple, and then I' I got any pineapple here.

[Eduardo Perez]

Wait, you're drinking your own seaweed?

[Conan O'Brien]

Of course I'm not gonna eat someone else's junk.

[Josh Safdie]

And you want Erwan to make a.

[Conan O'Brien]

Smoothie with your name on it?

[Josh Safdie]

Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, no. Yeah, I'm not gonna. Someone else's semen. That's disgusting. Why do you think I do all those back exercises?

[Sona Movsesian]

Such a narcissist.

[Conan O'Brien]

You will only drink your own. Constantly doing yoga, and I'm like, I'm almost there. Anyway, no. I've had so much pineapple and nothing.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, God.

[Eduardo Perez]

I've never held up a rap sign.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, listen, I think it's time to talk to an iconic filmmaker. Every publicist right now is taking us off the list. My guest today is a filmmaker known for such movies as Uncut Gems and Good Time. His latest film, Marty supreme, is already getting just insane Oscar buzz. It's everywhere.

[Eduardo Perez]

I'm sorry to interrupt, but when I go Home. I have to log these things into a spreadsheet. What each thing is about, we do. Like, Eduardo and I will put in a small descript. Like, Sona talked about being hungry. But this one's gonna be Conan drinks. Unchizz.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Oh, post pineapple binge. Okay, continue. But, you know, not for no reason.

[Josh Safdie]

All right.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm thrilled he's here today. Jah safdie. Welcome. I think you and I are friends now.

[Josh Safdie]

I think so, too.

[Conan O'Brien]

I think we are.

[Josh Safdie]

I do you know why? Through Sandler, Anyone who you know, through Sandler, you feel like you're a friend.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, my favorite observation about Sandler, and this is in the last couple of years, is he always says the best. I'll bring up anyone. So let's say I see Sandler in half an hour at the store where they sell overly long gym shorts for middle aged men. And I say to him, hey, I just. Only middle aged men. Yeah, only middle aged men. It is such a long marquee.

[Eduardo Perez]

They card you when you go in.

[Conan O'Brien]

But it's actually, I see Sandler, and I'll be like, oh, I know. What are you doing, buddy? What are you doing? Oh, I just saw Josh. The best. And then I can go, okay. And then 20 minutes later, I can say, oh, my God, by the way, I was just at a restaurant and I had a Reuben sandwich. The best. And he keeps saying the best down to the point where you're like, yeah. And then I was in New York and I. I actually, I took the Lexington Avenue. Oh, the best. The best.

[Josh Safdie]

He once said to me at the Subways, he said once to me. I was like, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. He goes, the best.

[Conan O'Brien]

The best.

[Josh Safdie]

And I understood it, though. It was real. I was like, he's like, yeah, it is the best.

[Conan O'Brien]

It is the best. You have that pressure feeling in your bladder, and then you don't. Then you don't. It's the best.

[Josh Safdie]

It is the best. My wife has to text me throughout the day saying, go to the bathroom. I'll pee when I wake up. And then I go to sleep.

[Eduardo Perez]

Is that right?

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah. It's unfortunate. So that's why when I talked to Santa, I said, we go to the bathroom. He was saying, the best. Like, I'm doing it. Yeah, I'm doing it. But he says it all the time, but there's variations. The best.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah, the best. The best.

[Conan O'Brien]

The best. The best. But I love that he would even say it about, like, yeah, you know, I think. Well, apparently the Wife, the way she killed her husband is she used. She used strychnine.

[Josh Safdie]

The best.

[Conan O'Brien]

What? Instant, no trace, doesn't show up in the blood.

[Josh Safdie]

The best.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wait, are we talking about toxins that kill you? The best. But okay, he calls you Coney. Coney. He calls me Coney. He's the only one that can. And you know, we.

[Josh Safdie]

I accidentally said it to someone. They're like, what are you doing? He's like, well, I'm gonna go see Coney.

[Conan O'Brien]

And we're like, what the are you talking about?

[Josh Safdie]

Is Tony like a seven year old boy?

[Conan O'Brien]

Also, we live in the same neighborhood. And I have been driving through my neighborhood and seen what looks like 1975 Stevie Nicks walking down the street covered in different colored garments. And I look closer and it's Sandler, where there's. And God bless him, he doesn't try to match any clothing. You know, it's just. It looks like a handkerchief store blew up near him and everything got glued to his body. And it's every single color you can imagine.

[Josh Safdie]

Unbelievable.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then I'll pull up and I'd be like, you know, hey, Adam, it's me. I'll lower the window. It's me, Conor. Oh, the best.

[Josh Safdie]

He got pulled into a. When I was once. I was once with him and he got pulled into like a. Some sort of high end retail store because someone, you know, he's the nicest guy. So someone's like, oh man, I'm a fan. He's like, let's take a picture. And they invited him into the store. He's like, I'd love to show you my, my clothing. Adam Sandler in a high end retail store is not. It does not make sense. So he said. I was like, what was going on in your head? He's like, I was counting the hangers. You know, at some point I have to just stop counting. All right, I did 20. Very nice stuff you have.

[Conan O'Brien]

You got good stuff, buddy. You got good stuff. I gotta go. I gotta go. Well, I also love. He will come by my house and he'll. Unlike other people, like in la, you call ahead, no one just drops in.

[Josh Safdie]

He'll do a drop in.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sandler will be outside the gate going, cody, Cody. And then you let him in and he's like, oh, buddy, buddy. And I'll say, hey, sit down. And then within maybe two minutes, he'll say, cause one time he brought his daughters with him. He was in my house for like five minutes. We watched part of a football game and he went all Right. I gotta go. I gotta go, buddy. He barely sat down, and then he starts charging out and he's shouting up the stairs, come on, girls, let's go.

[Josh Safdie]

Let's go.

[Conan O'Brien]

And he said, we know when we're not wanted. All I did was say, would you like a lemonade? Would you. You know, let's get out of here.

[Josh Safdie]

He moves fast.

[Conan O'Brien]

He moves fast. But we are not here to eulogize Adam Sandler. He's alive and well and we love him.

[Josh Safdie]

Yes, the best.

[Conan O'Brien]

The best. We are here, and I want to start with this, and then we'll talk about other things and then we'll get back to it. But your movie, Marty supreme is a juggernaut of delight. It is. I just love that movie. I have watched a lot of Oscar movies because I gotta host that thing. I mean, movies that are getting award. You know, getting up for awards.

[Josh Safdie]

Thank God you're a. Hosting. You're a great. You know what I was telling Mary? I was. You know, you could be the. If you were the host of a Denny's, I would go to that Denny's every day.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, thank you.

[Josh Safdie]

Every day.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, that might be more appropriate. You know, if this year goes well, it's on to Denny's. I saw your movie with my friend Rodman Flender, and I sat and the movie begins. And it was a party. It was just like the crowd. It was one of those things that you dream about where the laughs are all there, the highs, the lows. And from the moment that movie begins, I was in all the way. And it was just an absolute pure delight. And so I'm so happy you're here, because no spoilers. But I want to talk about this movie. This movie is a major achievement. And I hope. I mean, I know you're getting a lot of love, but.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah, but love from the people who you look up to and respect is different. Is just different.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

But it means a lot. And also, weirdly, I was saying someone was asking me because Abel Ferreira, who's in the film, who I've been a huge fan of, and I knew him when he was not a sober person, and I know you did, too. And one of the best Conan interviews is the Abel Ferrari Conan interview, because it is like yoga, man. You are stretching. You are doing.

[Conan O'Brien]

It was unhinged. You know, sometimes there are movies about show business, and in movies about show business, like, you know, my favorite year, there's just improbable, crazy things that happen. People get on stage seconds after they fix the Broken set. And the curtain comes up like a second before. Abel Farrar was on the old late night show. You know, he's his legendary director and Persona. And not long before he was gonna come out, he was not the first guest. He might have been the second guest.

[Josh Safdie]

Dennis Leary was the first one.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, Dennis Leary is the first guest, and Abel Farrar's gonna come out. And while I'm out doing the monologue or maybe even talking to Dennis Leary as the first guest, Abel Farrar, who's in his dressing room, runs away, gets to the elevator bank at late night on Frockfur center, hits the button, gets on the elevator and disappears. And he's the next guest up. And I didn't know anything about this, but God bless him, Frank Smiley, who's been one of my segment producer forever and did every single late night show and was a major, major force behind the show, he takes off, gets another elevator, goes down, and then runs out onto the street and does that thing in movies where you look right, you look left, and then he just gets a glimpse of Abel Farrar in, like, a leather jacket and that saunter. And he takes off. And Abel Farrar goes into a bar and starts ordering a drink. And Frank goes in and has to drag Abel Farrar back, convince him, cajole him, physically, pull him, gets him back. They take the elevator up, and he gets him back on his mark backstage. As I'm saying, ladies and gentlemen, Abel Ferrar. That's unbelievable.

[Josh Safdie]

I know that.

[Conan O'Brien]

Then he runs out.

[Eduardo Perez]

Any of that.

[Conan O'Brien]

I didn't know anything. Cause how could I?

[Josh Safdie]

You're on the stage. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I'm. And I'm just, you know, in full host mode. And then he comes out, and if you ever want to look up that interview.

[Josh Safdie]

That's amazing, I highly recommend.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's Abel Farrar, Conan o' Brien on the late night show. And it is me talking to a wild animal. And he is, I think, a big part of Marty supreme, which we will talk about.

[Josh Safdie]

My favorite part of the interview, though, is how quickly Dennis Leary abandons any sort of allegiance he has to you. And you would think the two of you, you kind of would be connected.

[Conan O'Brien]

And Boston, the Boston Irish guy.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah. He's like, all right, though. This is my. He goes, right. Maybe he wanted a part. I don't know what it was, but he went right to Abel's. Abel doesn't smoke cigarettes. He takes a cigarette. He's talking to Dennis. He's. He. You know, Abel Ferreira asked me once to do a Q and A with him. And I've watched him do Q and A's. And his thing, particularly when he was not a sober person, was to throw the moderator under the bus instantly and just take it to the audience and then just make fun of the moderator. And he did that to you? Yeah, he did that to you and I. But he's. He's. You know, I think you said something about, like, Stallone subtitles at some point. And he was just like, well, what's that mean? What does that mean? He would ask me every take, he would say to me, he would say. I'd tell him, you know, what the scene was and whatever. We had all these amazing conversations through WhatsApp, because he lives in Rome. And he said. He was like, all right, you do it, I'll do it. Yeah. He's like, you do the scene and I'll watch you. How did you do it? And then I'll know how to do it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Something no actor wants, usually.

[Josh Safdie]

And then he said, so I did it, but I'm doing the scene as if I'm Abel Ferreira. So. And I'm, like, doing, like the. I'm not talking. He goes, you're doing me doing the scene. I was like, that's what's gonna happen.

[Conan O'Brien]

Ye.

[Josh Safdie]

You know what I mean? That's eventually what's happening. So, yeah, that's exactly what his book is really good. He's sober. He's been sober 13 years. And his book is good.

[Conan O'Brien]

Good for him.

[Josh Safdie]

And I worked with my first film. It was that situation. Each take, he'd just walk away wearing the lava microphone, go to a bar.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Pound a beer and then put the beers inside of his jacket. Do the scene with Ronnie, who's the lead of the movie. Mary's husband.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

And who I wrote the movie with. And then Ronnie. Ronnie would do the scene with him. They never had one word outside of the actual scene where it was exchanged each other. And then for years, Abel would introduce me to people as his director. Cause I don't think he remembered my name. I don't think he remembered my name. I love him. He's this very special guy. And that interview with you is like one of the great Conan flailing interviews.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. No, it's. And you know what Lorne Michael said to me once? He said, conan, people like to watch you work. Which is. And I realized he was right. People like to watch me squirm, contort myself, both my soul and my physical body, in order to kind of make something work. And he said, they like to watch you work. And I said, well, I don't like it. I like it when it's really easy. Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Let's be honest. Shopping for a car is not the same for everyone, you know?

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Everyone has a different experience. You walk in, they probably don't wait on you right away. I walk in, they're like, oh, my God, it's Conan o'. Brien.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh.

[Conan O'Brien]

And they freak.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then. You know what I mean? And you're like, hey, over here, Sona.

[Sona Movsesian]

Hi.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hi, anybody? And they're like, please, miss, can you step outside? Conan o' Brien's here. We don't wanna buy your waffles. Well, guess what?

[Sona Movsesian]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's just, you know, CarMax is where there's a difference. Okay.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's the real difference. I was kind of kidding around about my thing. I get ignored, too. @stor not. CarMax makes buying or selling a car simple. So you can do it your way, on your terms. You can shop entirely online, visit in person, or bounce between both, like a deeply indecisive genius. If you're watching your budget, CarMax's pre qualification tool lets you check out personalized monthly payments with no impact to your credit score. Stylish cars, reliable cars, Cars that scream I peaked in high school. You're familiar with these cars, aren't you, Sona?

[Sona Movsesian]

What do you mean?

[Conan O'Brien]

You had some junkers in your day? Or just a solid vehicle that holds a lot of snacks?

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, I love snacks.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, and your car held a lot of snacks. Mostly old ones under the seat.

[Sona Movsesian]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Rotting in the hot Los Angeles sun.

[Sona Movsesian]

Some were fresh.

[Conan O'Brien]

I don't think so. I looked. Visit CarMax.com to learn more and find a car within your budget today. Want to drive CarMax? See CarMax.com for details. You know, there are days that the travel perks that you get with T mobile really come in handy. But then there are days that you just want to embrace couch life. And you love you. Some couch life.

[Sona Movsesian]

Loves me some couch life.

[Conan O'Brien]

And without ever leaving the house, I t mobile still has you covered. Find plans, including Netflix plus deals on DoorDash. The more benefits you use, the more value you get. I mean, why go anywhere when you can get your favorite takeout, binge a show and brag to all your friends? You won't believe what I'm not doing tonight. That's a brag. When you get to hang out on your couch and live life at its most supreme.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's so comfortable.

[Josh Safdie]

Ift mobile. It's great. And I always like to watch those survival shows and I like to get meat.

[Conan O'Brien]

So like a steak and then like a survival show. Yeah. And the monster's eating the person.

[Josh Safdie]

Pretend I'm the monster. Exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're a sick guy. Check it out@t mobile.com magentastatus wow. Receive Netflix standard with ads while you maintain a qualifying line in good standing. See dashpass details in the tealife app. I'm under the gun all the time. Would you say so? Sona? Yeah. Constant, constant, constant.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Everyone wants a piece of their conesy woansy. So when you're crunch for time and you want something wholesome, somebody's gonna give you some energy. Yeah. Nutrigrain delivers nutrition and great taste. No tr trade offs required. Nutrigrain's made with 10 grams of whole grains, 10 vitamins and minerals and no high fructose corn syrup. It's the hard working snack that fits into real life. Portable con. Portable. It's a portable snack. Perfect grab and go option for busy days. Nutrigrain has flavors people generally love. Hey, you got your strawberry, apple, cinnamon, blueberry flavors that are familiar and new. Nutrigrain Crunchy brings you another go to snacking option. This is what you want to do. Like here at Team Cocoa. We're slammed all the time. Grab that Nutrigrain bar, take a chomperoo and you're ready to go.

[Josh Safdie]

I love apple cinnamon flavor is my favorite.

[Conan O'Brien]

No one asked. Okay. Find nutritious and always delicious nutrigrain bars at your favorite store. Why don't you go shovel some papers, buddy boy? Or online retailer today and look for new Nutri Grain Crunchy bars in a store near you. I'm gonna get us talking about Marty supreme, which is getting all kinds of.

[Josh Safdie]

Love quickly because I'm getting. I have a three year old and she's probably trying to FaceTime me. It's all good.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, your priorities are correct.

[Josh Safdie]

Let me turn this off right now. Quiet.

[Conan O'Brien]

Quiet to the three year old.

[Josh Safdie]

Shut up, Minnie.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're talking.

[Josh Safdie]

I'm talking to Conan o' Brien right now. You have no idea what this means to me.

[Conan O'Brien]

I have so many questions about this movie. And then the first of all is I don't think this movie could be made without Timothy. Timothy is this nuclear force at the center of the movie that needs to propel it. And I know that you usually are thinking about who this movie has to be for. I know that you and your brother, when you were thinking about uncut gems, it had to be sandler and it had to be Sandler to the degree that you wrote it for Sandler in 2011. He passed. He passes again in 2015.

[Josh Safdie]

Sandy passed a bunch. That's what Sandy passed.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sandy Wernick. Sandy Wernick. His long time. And I love you, Sandy, but Sandy Wernick just kept getting this goofy script, and I think not even showing it to Adam.

[Josh Safdie]

Definitely not.

[Conan O'Brien]

But then finally, you guys kept at it. You didn't cast anybody else in 2017. You get Adam to say yes. And I think it has been such a wonderful thing for Adam because after that movie, those of us who know Adam saw that he was a real dramatic actor long before Uncut Gems. But you guys put him dead center in the crosshairs and gave him this acting challenge and he killed it. And that is you guys. That's Adam. But I know that that whole process of doing Uncut gems took you 10 years.

[Josh Safdie]

10 years. Yeah. 10 years.

[Conan O'Brien]

Unbelievable.

[Josh Safdie]

This one was six.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

My wife's like, you gotta figure it out. Can't do it that way.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

But I.

[Conan O'Brien]

So Sandler.

[Josh Safdie]

But Sandler. You know what's interesting is like, okay, so then I did the special with Sandler. Love you. And he makes you cry. Sandler can make you cry. I was just telling him in the clip that I saw from J. Kelly. Really? He's such a big golden retriever. Or not as a mastiff. He's more like a mastiff. Big mastiff who's like, you know, I don't even, like, I don't even want to say out loud some of the things I feel about him because I'm very. For me, he's. I'm very emotional about him. And I think most people who are close with him do get that way because he is very open. He's like a very mushy, mushy person. I love that word, mushy. He's very mushy. Mushy, Mushy. Gushy and mushy. Tushy. So that's what I say to my daughter. To a three year old.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

I say it all the time. I'm like, mushy, tushy. Everything is tushy with my calling again.

[Conan O'Brien]

She's like, you got it right. That's it.

[Josh Safdie]

I'll, like, literally just turn to my daughter Min every once in me, like, Minnie how. Guess what? She goes tushy. And I was like, anyway, Sandler, why.

[Conan O'Brien]

Do we have to evolve?

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah, we don't. We don't.

[Conan O'Brien]

I didn't.

[Josh Safdie]

You got to be forever Young I had. Jack Fisk is my production designer. One of the greatest of all time. He's just turned 80 or he's 79 or something. And he worked with the best and he grew up with David lynch and he. He's did some amazing movies. There Will Be Blood and Mulholland Drive and Badlands. He met his wife, Sissy Spacek on. And he is probably the youngest person I've ever really gotten to know. Like, he's like an 8 year old and like we're texting at it's 3, 4 in the morning. And I just felt so. I felt young with him.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, so.

[Josh Safdie]

So you just stay tushy. You just got to say tushy all the time. But Sam, when I was making gems and you know, spoiler alert to anyone who hasn't seen it, he dies at the end of the movie.

[Conan O'Brien]

Movie.

[Josh Safdie]

And the entire film for me was watching somebody who's so alive all the time and knowing that he dies, I would well up and cry throughout the movie.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right.

[Josh Safdie]

And he was like, what's going on with you? And I was like, I know I have. I have issues, but I. But I really would.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's so funny that I really would. You had the power to keep him alive. I know. Yeah, I could have.

[Josh Safdie]

Now he had to die.

[Eduardo Perez]

Not only that, but you essentially killed him.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah, I know it's weird.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then this is. I'm all broken up. Why I'm gonna murder you soon. O. It just breaks my heart.

[Josh Safdie]

But. But he is also the best. Yeah, he's. He's also so like, to me that he is that like alive, electric character who is like constantly looking to just disappear at any moment, just connect with somebody. And he's the has. He's anxious. He's a very anxious person. His early standup where he's talking, pretending to be things in the refrigerator, you know what I mean? He's. His humor is very unique. I grew up loving those albums so much. So much to the point when I'm meeting people who appear on the albums, I'm like starstruck. And so, so I, you know, felt like I knew him on some level. So when I wrote it for him, I also knew that he had. He has this rage in him, which he does. That's real. That's not, you know, I mean, it's obviously those who know him, he can get. He can have an outburst, but they're loving. And immediately he can go back to being mushy tushy. But he's still like he's still Sandler and, and he's the Sandman people. How many people do you know in your life you can just call them that, like their nickname?

[Conan O'Brien]

I knew like six. Yeah. I worked at a sand company for a while. I did. They just, they manufacture high grain sands.

[Josh Safdie]

And you knew no one's name, so you just called everyone Sandman.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's what you do. And half of them's names when I found out was Sandman. So, you know, but you know, it's interesting to me.

[Josh Safdie]

The last name was Sandman.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, the last name. I'm Moishe Sandman.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah. I'm Superman. Speiderman.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. The. That's what I would say.

[Josh Safdie]

I would say Marty is like, he, he's like Speederman. He's Marty Speiderman.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. You know, well, he is. I mean, here's the thing.

[Josh Safdie]

But I did write it for Timmy. I did, I wrote it for him. I met him before I really knew him as an actor. And this kid that I met, you know, I go, I was at the premiere for one of our movies. Agent comes up to me. Agent's at a party and they're like, oh, I want to introduce you to the next superstar. It's pretty obnoxious. You hear that all the time. Everyone's the next superstar. So I'm skeptical. And I go and I meet this kid and he's in the corner of the room and he's with his buddy. And he was there, but he wasn't like there. He wasn't where he wanted to be. And he had, he was like, he couldn't stand still. He was like coming out of his own skin. And he had these really big dreaming eyes. And then I, then I went to go see a movie. I called me by her name like four months later. And he. That movie could have been like kind of a small film, you know, and he just, through his acting, through his performance, expanded the walls of this movie, made it a huge movie. And. And I watched him on stage afterwards. He just turns in this like super serious star forming performance. And then he's being interviewed at the New York Film Festival, 1200 people. And he's rocking back on his chair, which I do all the time, uncontrollably. And he fell. He fell down on his ass onto his back. Could have been very embarrassing, but every single person in that room laughed. And we laughed like we were his guest. And that was so like. Because we felt so intimate to him. So I wrote it for when I said to him I was Like, I want that person to be this part.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, so what's interesting to me about this movie, I was watching it, and there's a bunch of things that struck me, but one reminded me a little bit of Frank Capra. Frank Capra used to make the most of small characters. So, yeah, okay, you're watching Jimmy Stewart or whatever, but then he goes in just to buy a newspaper. And the guy who sells in the newspaper is memorable. Maybe has one line, but is memorable. That is usually not done anymore. And Marty Supreme, I watched it and I turned to my friend Rodman afterwards and I went, those faces, all the faces of everybody. People that are in that dreary hotel where Abel Ferrara lives. Anytime there's a face in the crowd who. And the camera's on them for a second, their face is fascinating. These faces loom out at you, and they're absolutely incredible. And I was thinking about all the supporting players. David.

[Josh Safdie]

We cast every single.

[Conan O'Brien]

David Mamet, Sandra Bernhardt, Isaac Mizrahi, Abel Ferrara, Taro, the creator, Kevin o' Leary from Shark Tank. And, you know, you have, yeah, okay, Gwyneth Paltrow. Yeah, but that's not a shock that Gwyneth Paltrow was in a great movie.

[Josh Safdie]

But she hadn't acted in a while.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, but to see Kevin o' Leary and say, yeah, the guy from Shark Tank, he should have a major part in this and then have it work perfectly. I love the fearlessness with which you guys say, wait a minute, that's the face, that's the person. And I think you're seeing something in them that you think is, as you said, it's all a documentary. This Marty supreme movie is based on a guy loosely.

[Josh Safdie]

Very loosely.

[Conan O'Brien]

Very loosely. Very, very loosely.

[Josh Safdie]

Inspired by.

[Conan O'Brien]

Inspired by. But it's a completely fictitious tale. And then what you guys do, what you've done is you've extracted the essence of these people somehow, and they're perfect in those moments.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah, I always, when I meet somebody, I'm just. I want to see the best in them, you know? And I, and, and I'm. I admire people who are centered, like people who are kind of there invisible to themselves, because I'm not. But I, I, but I do, I, I, I admire people who are, I like, iconic. They're iconically them. There's a guy in the movie who plays Abel's, like, side. His friend.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Who. Who's also an uncut Gems, and his name is Mitchell Wenig. And he met him at a diner in 2007 or something. And I always wanted to put him in something and Benny and I put him in a short and then we put him in gems and I stay in touch with him. He shows up in the Sandler Special and he, he's a. His job. He worked for hud, the housing department in New York City. And then he, his hobby is he's an autograph collector. This guy is in the movie. And I saw him hovering and waiting outside Gwyneth's trailer.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh my God.

[Josh Safdie]

With a folder and glossy images of her from Emma. And I said, mitchell, what are you doing? He goes, you think it's inappropriate. I said, you're a co star. You want me to get to your audio? He's like, no, I really want to be the one to get it because there's a specific place where she has to sign. But what I love about him, he doesn't sell. So he's different from the guys you. Who. Who are selling stuff non stop and making sure it's here and there. He. And he was, you know, good friends with Johnny anyway. He is. I love being around him. I genuinely like, you know, every. His point of view on life. I find it so refreshing everything he has to say. And I am, you know, moved by people who are iconically themselves. So, so how do I get it? How do I do it? What is. I see, I mean, I just, I don't know, I just see somebody and I see them for their essence and, and, and I believe that if you know someone really well, these interviews help and getting to know them and making them feel comfortable. That's like so much of directing is just making people feel. I mean that's. You had to do. Yeah. Still have to do it. And, and, and then they can get into a space where they can be. Be without how. Starting to sound like evil, manipulated. But they can be.

[Conan O'Brien]

But that is your job.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah. They can be led into situations.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right.

[Josh Safdie]

And then having someone like Timmy, I can actually work with him through him sometimes. And I don't put marks down on the floor or anything. And, and Darius, my cinematographer is like master lighter. Spends three hours. He's like, no, they have to stand right here. I was like, not if they don't want to, Darius. And I was like, no, trust me. He's like, they, they have to. I won't be lit if they're over here. I was like, then they're not lit. Then they're not lit over there and they're standing there, but I'll get them there. And more or less the blocking that I Have. I generally know how this person's going to move, and they will most likely land in that pool of light. But if they don't, it actually helps add, I think, a little bit of realism to the movie because things aren't so perfect. Did you recognize the guy in the cage who's with George Gervin, who's the great iceman from the Spurs? There's a guy who works in the cage. He's kind of like the.

[Conan O'Brien]

The.

[Josh Safdie]

I guess the greeter. He's the voice of. Of the pingpong parlor. He was. There was a viral video in 2007 of this man on the side of the highway. He was homeless and he had a sign. And the guy said, all right, I'll give you a dollar if you use that magical voice that you claim to have. This is. Welcome to.

[Conan O'Brien]

I remember that. Famous.

[Josh Safdie]

So it was like a early viral celebration.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Then he became the man with the golden voice, and then he fell in some hard times, and Good Morning America called him the man with the so called golden voice. He still had the golden voice, but I don't know why all of a sudden it was so called. And I love, loved him. I found him to be so special and warm and, you know, and the voice, too. When you cast somebody, you're also casting a voice, which is interesting. Like, I put Marianne from Brooklyn from the Stern show. She's the first person you see in the movie. And her voice. What's great about Marianne from Brooklyn is she's so beautiful, but you hear this voice and they put the crow sound all the time. Fred's like, every time she speaks. But her voice, I find the voice to be beautiful. And then you see her and she's beautiful. And then you cast her and she's. She's the first face that you see, but you hear her first. Anyway, so I'm casting all of it.

[Conan O'Brien]

But here's the scenario. But what I'm saying is, here's.

[Josh Safdie]

Sorry, I could talk forever.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, no, but what I'm saying is the scenario that fascinates me is in this world now, post Marty supreme and Gems, you know, you're gonna have so many big actors, they're gonna be approaching you and saying, oh, you know, come on, Josh. I'd be great for this. I'd be really good for this. And, you know, it's Matt Damon and it's Ben Affleck, and they're big. Yeah, yeah. And I'd be great for it, too. And then you have to tell them, guys, it's not you. Well, who's it? Who do we lose it to? You know, who do we lose it to? You lost it to the guy who came to fix the toilet 40 minutes ago. He had the snake and he was routing around, but he had the light hit him. And I just knew he had that purity of, I need to get this toilet unclogged and I don't care how much shit I need to handle with my bare hands. And by, by the way, that guy's.

[Eduardo Perez]

Playing Jason Bourne too.

[Conan O'Brien]

Exactly. Also, I'm the Safdie version of Jason Bourne. But I mean, that is something that.

[Josh Safdie]

I happened with Dave Krumholtz, actually, because he was going for the part that Mitchell ended up getting and his audition was amazing. He was great. He's a great actor. I've always loved him since Sums of Beverly Hills even before then. And he's just a fantastic actor. But then he's like, you know, I saw the movie and I realized, oh, I lost it to that guy. You know what I mean?

[Conan O'Brien]

He paints lines in a parking lot.

[Josh Safdie]

He's, you know, know, he's. I. They wanted like this real, this real person, this guy's essence, who as much as that he could emulate it, he's not that person. And, and I think adding a lot of people who you also don't know, but you feel like you know them immediately has this kind of additive effect that you're just in real life and, and every, every single person I cast the guy who works in the shoe store, this guy Lloyd, he's horse better. He's the great horse better at Akuda grade and Ratzo, who's a friend of mine, who do you. Did he. You never crossed paths with him, right? He was not the Lampoon at all.

[Conan O'Brien]

I don't think so. No.

[Josh Safdie]

Ratso Larry Sloman, he was a great writer. He wrote Stern's book Private Parts.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, okay. I don't think I know him, but I could, I might be best friends with him.

[Josh Safdie]

I know I know him.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm a very empty man.

[Josh Safdie]

I know.

[Conan O'Brien]

Who are you, by the way? And where are we right now?

[Josh Safdie]

He's the guy who plays the uncle.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Okay, so he's. Anyway, so the backstory that I had for him is that he, he got the shop through his kind of his horse racing obsession. And then I tell that to Jen and then just like, oh, we'll look at horse betters. So then all of a sudden you're getting so amazing.

[Conan O'Brien]

This is, I mean, this is a, this casting technique. It might Change things because it's so effective and powerful. And this whole idea of, well, we gotta cast someone as the nerd who operates the elevator. Get me all the nerds and everyone who has got an 8x10 where they're wearing glasses that's taped in the middle and they're like. They. They just.

[Josh Safdie]

By the way, I just learned what the. What the word geek is. Do you know what a geek is?

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I know what I think a geek is.

[Josh Safdie]

What is. No, but, like, I just. I was talking to Ronnie and he. He casually mentioned, like, he was talking. He's reading a book about the circus and the six years.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

A geek is the person who, like, bites the heads off of chickens.

[Conan O'Brien]

That kind of geek. Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

And that must. Circus geek. Yeah, circus geek. There must be some correlation between him.

[Conan O'Brien]

But somehow became nerdy. It's like. No, it's not. It's original. Its original derivation is not nerdy nerd.

[Josh Safdie]

It's not nerd. Nerds are smart. Geeks are not. Smart.

[Conan O'Brien]

Geeks are totally outside society and they're.

[Eduardo Perez]

What's a dweeb then?

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, dweeb is very different.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah. What is a dweeb?

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I'll tell you because I have long experience. That's why I'm asking. I don't know. I have no idea. I like to pretend I know instantly.

[Josh Safdie]

Well, there was a great. All. There was a great In Living Color sketch. It was like a geek, a dweeb, or a spaz. And you had to pick.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

And I remember that as a kid, I loved it. Anyway, sorry, going back to. Why did I say geek? Oh, you're talking about the tape.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. But let's get back to the center of the movie. Timothy is. He's spectacular. And also, this is something he did last year in the Bob Dylan is that he went off and learned how to play guitar in a very specific way that mimicked how Dylan was playing guitar in those early Village years and got it down just right. Which is no easy thing to do.

[Josh Safdie]

No, not at all.

[Conan O'Brien]

Then for Marty Supreme, I mean, if.

[Josh Safdie]

There'S any voice you want to emulate, Dylan's probably the easiest.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Maria Callas, not so much. I lost that part. I don't know why.

[Sona Movsesian]

Why?

[Conan O'Brien]

But when you get to Timothy playing table tennis, he's so convincing. And I found out later on that, yeah, you can do things, I guess, with CGI or whatever, but he really spent a long time getting great at this. And I started to realize he's built like a Table tennis guy.

[Josh Safdie]

Absolutely.

[Conan O'Brien]

He's so wiry and kinetic and he's got so much energy that it's the perfect sport for him to play. I don't know if that went into.

[Josh Safdie]

I think he would like to imagine that he could be an NBA basketball player, but sure. Table tennis.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I don't tell him I said, no, no, no. I won't tell him I said, you know. Oh, yeah, Lakers.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah. The first. One of. The first, you know, the inspirations for the movie was this character. Then my wife, who's a producer on the movie, got this book that was an autobiography, memoir about this wiry kind of. There was a bunch of these intense outsiders who hung out at this table tennis parlor. Midtown New York. A footnote of history was interesting. It was owned by the first black business owner in the Times Square district. That's who his name is Herwald Lawrence, and that's who George Gribbin plays. But at this place, which my great uncle played at, he said there was like an orphanage for outcasts. And they were all these wiry, kind of proto add, super smart people who got terrible grades because they just did not care for school. School. Astrophysicists and criminals. Motley crew. And I saw. I was like, immediately when I was realizing, I want to know what these guys looked like. And I typed in, like, 1949 British Open. And I immediately see these guys, young guys, wire, wirey, bouncing all over the place. And I immediately called Timmy, and I was like, this is the project we can do together.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

And I said it weirdly. I. I don't know why I was, like, so fearful of the idea of period. So I put it to Peter Gabriel, and I have the touch that. That feeling. The time I like is the rush hour, because I like to touch the rush. And that was the beginning of it. And I just thought I was like, if there's any sport, this would be perfect for Timmy. And he spent, like, seven years. I remember he played me early on. Six years. Six years, yeah. Because he was doing it in tandem with Dylan. And I remember he played me and my wife. We went to see him. He was just starting to learn guitar. He didn't know how to play guitar when he started doing Dylan at all. And he's like, oh, I want to play you a Dylan song. And I wish I could remember the song. I remember him playing and me looking at my wife, and I was like, it's gonna be a rough one. You know, it was like. He was like, well, I was good, right? I was like, you're amazing, man. That was. That was something.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I meant that question.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah, yeah, that was something.

[Conan O'Brien]

But.

[Eduardo Perez]

But that's what people said to Dylan originally.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, exactly.

[Josh Safdie]

But then I watched him like over the years in tandem with table tennis. And he started training with this guy who was like the youngest of US champion. This guy Michael Landers, who was on a Wheaties box at one point. Maybe it was not Wheaties, but it was another cereal brand. Anyway, he. I watch Train and he got the mechanics good. And then when. By the time he. I linked him with these. This husband, wife, Team D. Diego Scoff and his wife Wei Wang, who. She was an Olympian.

[Sona Movsesian]

Who.

[Josh Safdie]

He did. Because I read that he did Forrest Gump. And I was like, I need whoever did Forrest Gump. I loved as a kid. I love that section, which is inspired by an amazing true story in the 70s that broke down the communication between China and the U.S. it was through help thaw relations. Yeah. It was through table tennis. It was like hippie guy missed his bus in Tokyo in the 70 and. Or the 60s and got onto the Chinese bus and they were all. They hadn't seen an American person. So now there's this like long haired guy and he's like, hey, peace and love, everybody. And the number one player in the world goes up to him, gives him a gift. The guy gives him a gift back. And that made news. And then Mao invited the team to China. And then that broke. And then Nixon was like, all right. And then it became known as ping pong diplomacy. Nixon visited shortly after. And I didn't know that story until I was doing research for this. But you watch Forrest Gump and you assume all of that sequence when, you know, when he. There's. He's like showing up like Zelig and all the world history. But. But anyway, so how did I get on that. Oh, ping pong. Diego who did Forrest Gump when they met with him. You know, Diego is. Has this incredible.

[Conan O'Brien]

So Diego is. Is helping to instruct Timothy.

[Josh Safdie]

He's gonna. Wei is gonna. His wife is gonna teach him how to play better because the mechanics had to be perfect. And Diego's gonna be the consultant and he has this incredible recorded like library of footage of going back to the 80s of these amazing games. So we combed through all of those and built each point, the narratives of each point.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's unbelievable.

[Josh Safdie]

And we. Yeah. It was really. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Games.

[Josh Safdie]

I imagine the. I hope the games are really engaging and entertaining.

[Conan O'Brien]

The games are thrilling. They are. They're. They're thrilling to watch. And you know, again, what adds to it is that Marty's desperately wanting to be the best and show everybody actually probably knows I am the best. And I need to show everybody I'm the best and I will do anything.

[Josh Safdie]

I love the Guinness Book of World Records. I've always loved it.

[Conan O'Brien]

I was fascinated with that when I.

[Josh Safdie]

Was a kid because it's amazing because you'd be like, wow, this guy's the best at this thing. He can hold his breath for three and a half minutes while, like, balancing a ball on his head. You know, there is something really beautiful about, about the, the desire to have a place in the sun, basically, to car, like, and everybody. And then dreams in particular are fascinating to me because they're, and I told the story kind of like a heist film. You know, it's, it's, but it's like dreams as heists. You're like, trying to control your own fate. And I think that kind of adds to the little level of suspense. It's like you're watching somebody. You know, his dream is totally ridiculous to 99.9% of the people he meets. And every moment that people do do not buy into his dream or. And every moment he fails is approbation to them. So it's like the whole every time he gets set back in the movie. I think what I like to hear is people really feel that and it adds a level of tension to it. But it's about a guy who really just wants to be the greatest table tennis player, which doesn't really get him.

[Conan O'Brien]

There's been, there's a lot of things about Marty that's unlikable, you know, very brash, very rude, cutting corners left and right, throwing people under the bus if he has to. And yet there's not a person watching that movie who isn't rooting for him. And I find that to be really fascinating. And that's the sleight of hand that I think is really magical about, you know.

[Josh Safdie]

Well, you have to give somebody. I think love is more important than likability. And I believe that those moments that you are connecting with him are kind of pure. And that they are, because they're pure, they have a feeling of love attached to them. Like liking is more of a casual thing. And look, you know, I, I, I. And I think that he's at chasing happiness, desperately chasing happiness. And happiness is a very fleeting, kind of haunted feeling. Happiness is very, is kind of sad in a way because it's so hard.

[Conan O'Brien]

To, to achieve it's. Trying to grab smoke.

[Josh Safdie]

Exactly. Exactly. And I think that there is something sympathetic to it, but I think his youth. Youth. I think when you're young, the concept of consequences. So it's. It's so small because the world is so big. And because it's so big, there's so many different options. Well, that didn't work. I can go over here. And I think that that youth is also kind of a little bit of. The movie is kind of about being an idiot in your 20s. You know what I mean?

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, my God. And also confidence. He's.

[Josh Safdie]

Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

This guy.

[Josh Safdie]

You need confidence.

[Conan O'Brien]

This guy who talks his way into all these situations and then he's in a big room. Room. And he's in London, I think.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And which one?

[Josh Safdie]

In the dining hall with Kevin o' Leary, when he comes up or.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, it's with. He sees Gwyneth.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Paltrow's character come in. So this extraordinarily beautiful woman comes in and he sees her and he's like, yep, gonna call her up and. And then he.

[Josh Safdie]

Well, his start. Her stardom is like. It's so interesting to him. He's just like, wow, she burns. Turns bright. And he. And. And. And distract. He's upset. The beginning. He's upset with the. It's the press conference that he's manipulated. He's upset that they're not paying attention to him in this moment because he has everything totally figured out. He knows how he's gonna get. He's gonna say the things that are gonna get a rise out of these people. So they're gonna wanna write a piece about him. Then he's gonna be proud of his little. I used to walk around with a little Village Voice clipping when I would do my research and I'd pull it out to show somebody, like, I'm a serious filmmaker. Check it out. Look at my little Village Voice clipping. And in hindsight, I was so proud of those little clippings. In hindsight. Hindsight, it's probably kind of pathetic. You know what I mean? I'm, like, showing this tiny little clipping and I'm like, trust me, give me some money to make this movie. Look at me. I was in the Village Voice and.

[Conan O'Brien]

Like, yeah, the minute someone pulls a clipping out of their wallet, you've lost the argument.

[Josh Safdie]

But he. But it's. But it's. But it's endearing when he. When Marty does it in the movie with Gwyneth. And I think that, like, the magic with time, I've been able to kind of, you know, it was tragic, but it's comedy. You know, what is the comedy's tragedy plus time like that feels it that I think that's what makes that funny is that it's so tragic that he is that way. But he's so confident that it kind of downplays. And I think his confidence is. Is interesting to people. I think it makes people are motivated to kind of want to root for him. Plus there's a little bit of a trick happening where you. It's the sporting elements. You're forced to root for him.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Josh Safdie]

You know, like any. I don't know any. I don't understand anyone who watches sportscast casually. Like you have to have a narrative. You have to have a team that you root for. There's stories inside of that so that you can invest yourself in the game just to like. That's why I think people love gambling so much because it's like, oh, I get to watch this sport and have something that I really want out of it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

And I think that that, that does help a little bit in the movie. I think you feel like you really have to root for him now.

[Conan O'Brien]

Let's. Let's go to 10000ft. Google Earth out of this whole thing. This movie. Now it's award season.

[Josh Safdie]

I was really there just now.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, no, I'm gonna go even higher and actually talk about plate tectonics. But no, we. Movie awards season. Are you chill during these situations where you're gonna go to. Depending on when this airs. But it's still gonna be awards season I think when this comes out and are you able to go and be somewhat detached or are you. Is every fiber of your being hope that you come home with a big award?

[Josh Safdie]

Oh my God. No, I. You know, part of the inspiration for this movie was the feeling that I had after finishing Uncut Gems. You have this like 10 year journey where you're filtering your entire life through these characters. You're trying to understand your life through fiction and you're writing, you're creating these characters and maybe you can change the way you feel and like, oh, that's why. Why I did this. Said this to my girlfriend or. Or whatever did this to my buddy. And I woke up every morning, I had this and I was like, I gotta get Adam Sandler. Got him Sandler. And then finally you're making the movie with a decent budget and with Adam Sandler. And then it's done. And then I finished the movie and I'm showing It. And the pandemic's, like, around the corner, unknowingly. And someone said, what's next? And I started to cry because I was like, I didn't know. I had this hollow feeling because this thing that was like my drive every single day was gone.

[Conan O'Brien]

Didn't you contemplate maybe being an architect?

[Josh Safdie]

I did. How do you know that?

[Conan O'Brien]

I. I ask around. I walk around alleys with Abel ferrara. Give people 20. What's the word? What's the word on Josh?

[Josh Safdie]

Well, I said to Ronnie, I said to Ronnie, I said, yeah, I don't even know if I want to do this anymore. And he was like, whoa, you're my writing partner. What do you mean? And I was like, I. I do. I would love to one day build a building that's, like, my big dream. I like the. The feeling of a narrative, of a building of going in and experiencing and having something happen inside, going out the back and coming through. And then, like, forever. That area. You have, like, a relationship with it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

But. So I've had that hollow feeling when. I shouldn't have had a hollow feeling. I should have felt incredible. Should have felt like I did this thing. I should have felt a sense of accomplishment. But I didn't. And that feeling, as you see that at the end of Marty a little bit, you know this. He finally does this thing. But it's for who? For himself, for what? And dreams are really lonely. So that I have that now. I can't. I'm not gonna lie.

[Conan O'Brien]

I feel done with this. And it's. Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

And I'm. Yeah. Next is the. Is the. I'm gonna contact Burger King about designing their new. Because I think that there needs to be more aesthetics in fast food. I don't like the direction of that. The fast food has gone in.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know what's gonna happen? You're gonna go into the Burger King because you want to design a better Burger King. And you're gonna see someone working the fryer and go, you're the next Myrna Loy. Myrna Lloyd. Fuck is Myrna Loyola?

[Josh Safdie]

But I do. But I do feel like. So right now, like, I'm just having a slightly, like, disassociative feeling. Sure. Kind of like you made this really personal thing. It's connecting with people and audiences.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. And deservedly so.

[Josh Safdie]

I went. I was once in a. At a film festival, and they. In Poland. And these were, like, a lot of very small art films. And I was there a movie, tiny movie that me and my brother made. And there's other movies that we like. And they sat us all on one room. He said, one of you will be leaving with €200,000. And it's. You look to your right and you look and look to your left, and it might be them and it might not be you. And all of a sudden, everyone's looking at each other like. You get competitive.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

You're like, holy. And it was horrible. I didn't like that. I thought I was coming to this festival to share this thing, get to see Poland. Then that volcano happened. Remember the volcano eruption that no one could say the name of that volcano. And then all of a sudden, all the US Best judges who were supposed to come in and be a part of the competition, we're grounded in America. So I'm like, oh, shoot. Our best. You know, Benny and I are figuring out how now we're not going to win because we had these US Judges. So then we partnered with another filmmaker. We're like, all right, if you win. Which we thought they had another great movie. If you win, let's share the money. And he was like, that's a deal done. And then, you know, you get there and you're just looking at everybody. And the competition thing is kind of weird. That said, it's nice to win.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know what I mean?

[Josh Safdie]

Oh, not some. The Polish film. Because they only could use Polish people. And the jury.

[Conan O'Brien]

I see.

[Josh Safdie]

You thought this was going to a place like. And we won.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, let's. Hey, do me a favor, Josh. Sorry. Let's do a rewrite.

[Josh Safdie]

No, no, no.

[Conan O'Brien]

You won.

[Josh Safdie]

But you want to know what's interesting is that they. They said we really wanted to go and visit Auschwitz. And they said, you know, okay, well, you know, there's a bit of a situation because. Because there was this volcano. Things are really scrambled. We can't really get people. All the people who wanted to go to go at once. So we're going to go at 2pm so we went at 2pm you drive. We get there, and this woman who ran like, another film festival was like, oh, man, I didn't realize. I had this screening at 6pm it's now like 4pm it takes, like an hour to get back. And they were like. She's like, can we do an abridged version of this tour? And I'm looking at an abridged version of the tour of Auschwitz. And they're like, well, it takes, like, three hours to walk it. And the woman's like, can we do the hour version? And I'm like, look, at this person. And we're literally like running through Auschwitz. That's where they, that's where they experimented on the fetus. This is, this is where they did this.

[Conan O'Brien]

And that's what they did.

[Josh Safdie]

And we're looking around and then the alternative, if you won to the 200,000, you can. Euros, you can get 2 million euros to make a movie that takes place in like in, in Poland. So that was going to be, the movie was going to be this comedy that took place at Auschwitz about the tourism industry.

[Conan O'Brien]

My God. Difficulty of the dive. I always judge a project by difficulty of the dive. You know, your comedy about Auschwitz is pretty good. Wow. Well, listen, I have to say I wish you all the best because I really did love this movie, as did so many other people. And I wish you well and I think you're the real deal. Thank you so much for being here. That was great.

[Josh Safdie]

Thank you so much. That was amazing.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, how's your Hyundai Palisade, son?

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, she purrs like a kitten.

[Conan O'Brien]

Does she really? Cuz a mechanic might want to look at that. Maybe there's a kitten in your back seat. Oh yeah, there's a kitten there.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, I love the, I love this car. The kids love it.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's a good looking car.

[Sona Movsesian]

It's great. I feel great driving it. It's got great cargo space, it's got all these awesome features. I almost backed into a car the other day and it stopped automatically.

[Conan O'Brien]

Any car that can stop you from damaging the world is a great car. You know what? It's so much more than just another suv. That's my opinion.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Get the best out of every journey. With class, leading interior space and purposeful tech like standard USB C ports. You use that a lot?

[Sona Movsesian]

All the time. I always use those.

[Conan O'Brien]

How about those available front and second row relaxation seats? That's pretty sweet.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. If the boys fall asleep in the car, I just lean back and sleep with them.

[Josh Safdie]

Wow.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then you just, you're there for a couple days, wherever you are.

[Sona Movsesian]

Sometimes I just sleep in my car.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm always getting calls from your husband. My. My family's missing. Nah, they're just, they're in the Palisade sleeping on the side of the road, ready to make your next drive feel epic. Learn more about the Hyundai [e-mail] Call 562-314-4603 for complete details.

[Josh Safdie]

This message is brought to you by Apple Card. It's a great time to apply for an Apple Card. You'll love Earning unlimited daily cash on every purchase. That includes 3% daily cash when you buy the latest iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at Apple through this special referral offer. When you get a new Apple card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify, you must apply at Apple Co getdailycash Apple card issued by Goldman Sachs bank usa Salt Lake City. Branch offer may not be available elsewhere. Terms and limitations apply.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, I have a burning issue I'd like to discuss. Oh, yeah, burning. No, no, not that. Creams have solved that issue. And various ointments, salves and related balms. But that's not the point. The point is there's something real that's happening in the world. Sona, why don't you tell the good people what I like to have maybe three days out of the week?

[Sona Movsesian]

You like to have. Have what was formerly known as the Hailey Bieber Smoothie from Erewhon?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. And so Erewhan makes this smoothie. It only costs $800. You need a co signer at the bank, but you get this smoothie. It's very delicious. And it's got various flaxes and resins, bombs and ointments aforementioned. It's got all kinds of stuff in it, but tastes good and I really like it. I don't get it all the time, but I get it maybe twice, maybe three times a week, sometimes on a beer.

[Sona Movsesian]

And your skin looks great.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's been so good for my skin. And it is called the Hailey Bieber Smoothie.

[Josh Safdie]

Right.

[Conan O'Brien]

Very recently, David went out and grabbed me one and he came back and he was pale as a ghost, ashen. I just like what happened. And he said it's no longer called the Hailey Bieber Smoothie. He looked up for it on the board. It's not there.

[Eduardo Perez]

There's not even an indicator like this is what you used to buy or formerly known as.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, her name's not there. It's no longer called the Hailey Bieber Smoothie.

[Sona Movsesian]

I think it's called the Strawberry Gold Glaze Smoothie. So there's just no name associated with it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right. There's no celebrity name. And I don't trust any product that doesn't have a celebrity name. Oh, I'm very hardcore about that. Do you know what I mean? If I want to. If I'm going to grill something, it's got to be on the George Foreman Grill.

[Eduardo Perez]

You just do any rock in New Year's Eve or only Dick Clark's rock?

[Conan O'Brien]

Only Dick Clark's and God rest his soul. I won't if someone says, hey, let's rock this Eve, I'm like, yeah, but it's not going to be just a generic rock. It's got to be the Dick Clark New Year's Rock and Eve. So I am very much attached to celebrity endorsement. It's the only kind of product that I really. That I really want and. Or that I trust. So this has been a blow, and I do think there needs to be a celebrity name attached to that smoothie. And so this message is going out to the good people at Arrow. I know that you must be devastated. My guess is that they had Hailey Bieber under contract for a certain amount of time and it expired. Yeah. And so now they're back to just old raspberry glaze Strawberry. Okay. Whatevs. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, but I don't wanna walk up to the counter and say, I'll have just some strawberry glaze.

[Sona Movsesian]

Boring.

[Conan O'Brien]

Exactly.

[Eduardo Perez]

Where are you headed with this?

[Conan O'Brien]

I think we all know you need a celebrity attached to this, and it needs to be somewhere, someone who. Oh, young compared. Young compared. Hold on. It's all relative. Young compared to, say, people that were serving when Pearl harbor was bombed. I think it's all relative. It's got to be a whippersnapper, which means anyone under 70, real hit.

[Josh Safdie]

I just wanted Eduardo pulled it up. And just to chime in, it's. Technically, it looks like the name is the Strawberry Glaze Skin smoothie.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Josh Safdie]

Okay, so I'm.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm going somewhere with this nerd.

[Josh Safdie]

Well, I just wanted to say that I think whoever they choose next, whether it be you or somebody else, they're going to want to be their model for the skin.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. Yes. Okay. And this is why what you. Some people listening are like, oh, that's going to be a problem for what Conan's about to pitch. No, no, no, no, no. It's all the more reason a lot of people associate Conan o' Brien with. Oh, it's super quick wit. You know, those bedroom eyes. Eyes. The eye vein that has been in a bedroom. No, the. Well, yeah, the hair, the pompadour, you know, all that kind of stuff. Whatever. First of all, I have a kind of strawberry look. Yes, I do have that. Yeah, you points here. I do have beautiful skin. It really does glow. It really does. And. And as you can see light through it, I. You can see my skeletal structure. Okay. I am the visible woman. And so I'm just saying I'm. I'm a pretty big name. And. Yeah. Am I young? No. I'm not young, but also, I'm one of those people you're like. You're not really sure how old that guy is if you don't have immediate access to the Internet, so. And I behave in a very youthful manner. I'm very immature. So all I'm saying is I am willing to lend my name. And when I say lend, yes, there will be financial compensation, but I am willing to throw my hat into the ring because I'm sure other celebrities are pitching this hard. I know for a fact that Paul Rudd was in there two days ago just screaming at them to call it the Paul Rudd. And that is a death knell for that. Yes. Does it have to be that one.

[Josh Safdie]

Or are you open to naming any one of their.

[Conan O'Brien]

This is my opening. It's a very popular smoothie, Eduardo. Why would you block me with this? They have, like, a whole bunch more. Let's see what we got here. All right.

[Eduardo Perez]

They have an Incessant Bits smoothie. That should be you.

[Josh Safdie]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wow. There's an incessant Bit smoothie that they already have, and it says, made with real comedy bits.

[Eduardo Perez]

You should choose the always on.

[Sona Movsesian]

I feel like this has to be it because this is the one you drink all the time.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, look, perfect. Amino Choco Revive by Gary Brea.

[Sona Movsesian]

That one's got Gary Brea. You're. I would do this. I'm sorry.

[Conan O'Brien]

If they're putting Gary Brea's name on a smoothie, then, yes.

[Josh Safdie]

I think he's like a longevity expert.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Okay. We'll see. Yeah, exactly. Let's see. Gorgi Cherry Crush. I mean, mean, if it's not. I'm putting my name in for this because there's a void. But if it has to be another smoothie, we can talk about that later. But you've opened a whole can of worms here.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, I think it. This makes sense because you.

[Conan O'Brien]

I enjoy it.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. You're red.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm plugging it right now. I am red. I have luminous skin.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

I am married to Justin Bieber.

[Sona Movsesian]

You're like, if. If you can't get Hailey Bieber, you seem like the obvious second choice to Hailey Bie, so that makes sense. Yes, I think. I actually think it would serve.

[Conan O'Brien]

But can't you see people saying, I want the Conan o'. Brien. I want the Conan o'. Brien. Be honest. Can you see them doing that?

[Sona Movsesian]

I actually would. I'm not even joking. I would. I think that Erewhon should name this smoothie after you. But wait, when you say compensation like, what do you mean? Like, do you want, like, $200?

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm not fucking around here. Okay. First of all, I would get my representation involved, and I would just start to hammer Erewhon, and I mean, hammer them.

[Sona Movsesian]

Okay, that might not.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, first of all, I go in and I'd say, what did he. Haley Bieber get? They would give an amount. I'd say, I get 80 more. I've been around a lot longer. I think I have even better skin than her. It glows more. What?

[Sona Movsesian]

No, but. But you don't.

[Josh Safdie]

Are you at all.

[Conan O'Brien]

What? You don't have.

[Eduardo Perez]

Don't.

[Josh Safdie]

Yuck.

[Conan O'Brien]

My yum.

[Eduardo Perez]

Are you worried at all?

[Sona Movsesian]

You're not using it right.

[Eduardo Perez]

You know, Lazenby followed Connery for Bond. You know, that.

[Conan O'Brien]

That Lazenby was great. Lazenby did a good job.

[Eduardo Perez]

He did.

[Conan O'Brien]

A lot of people, when you say James Bond, they think Lazenby. Oh, they don't think. No, he's one of the best Bonds, and he's one of the bonds people think about the most. Even though he only did for Her Majesty's Secret Service or on Her Majesty's Secret Service.

[Sona Movsesian]

Okay, but wouldn't it be, like going from Sean Connery to, like, that's what he just said.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, but are you high right now? Are you high? I see what you mean.

[Eduardo Perez]

Like Sean Connory to, like, Mickey Rooney.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yes. Thank you. Well, no, I was thinking someone even. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Older.

[Sona Movsesian]

Older.

[Eduardo Perez]

Oh.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh. Older than Sean Connery.

[Eduardo Perez]

Mickey Rudy was long dead.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Eduardo Perez]

And was old before he died.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Josh Safdie]

Really old.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. But, like, you know, like, I don't know. Abraham Lincoln.

[Josh Safdie]

We're like.

[Conan O'Brien]

Have you seen Lincoln's skin? Very dry. Look at those Brady portraits. He's got very dry skin.

[Sona Movsesian]

I just think there's so many young people that go. That know Hailey Bieber. I'm not saying young people don't know you, because I know young people know you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, they know Conan o'. Brien. They have to deal with Conan o'. Brien. They have to accept him as a reality. I don't even know what I'm saying now.

[Sona Movsesian]

I know, but why? Why do they have to deal with.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm like gravity. You got to deal with me sooner or later. I'm gravity. I will get you sooner or later. Oh, there's no escaping this Conan o'. Brien.

[Sona Movsesian]

Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

He's not even my generation.

[Eduardo Perez]

What if this actually does turn into Eron coming back and saying, let's do this.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, great.

[Eduardo Perez]

I know.

[Conan O'Brien]

Also, when I said great, I meant great for Erewhon. Great for them. Great for anyone who likes a good smoothie and wants to see it succeed. Because I bet there are a lot of people like me who need a celebrity endorsement to really trust a product.

[Eduardo Perez]

Let me ask you this, okay? Let's say they come back to you and they're like, we want to change it to Conan o'.

[Josh Safdie]

Brien.

[Eduardo Perez]

The Conan o' Brien smoothie. We feel we need to lower the.

[Josh Safdie]

Price a little bit.

[Eduardo Perez]

We need to reduce the price by about 90%.

[Conan O'Brien]

You having a good laugh over there?

[Sona Movsesian]

Most of the good ingredients.

[Conan O'Brien]

How you doing over there? Chuckles.

[Eduardo Perez]

Crushed ice and some unpasteurized milk.

[Conan O'Brien]

With sprinkles with a swirl of asbestos. We got real 1950s asbestos and swirled it in. Listen, I accept the realities of the marketplace. I am a capitalist and I believe in the. I live and die by the capitalist system. So I accept the realities of the marketplace. Am I as attractive as Hailey Bieber? No, I am not. Am I as vital? Am I as much a hero to the young people? I get it. I'm not. So, yes, it'd be a price reduction. Yes. They would probably have to discontinue some of the really good stuff that's in there and replace it with, I'll just say older stuff, same ingredients.

[Eduardo Perez]

But they're like, weeks old.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, not weeks old.

[Sona Movsesian]

What if they change the name?

[Conan O'Brien]

They're all like. All the ingredients have to be from the Kennedy administration. Yeah, but I mean, milk that's still left over from the Kennedy administration.

[Sona Movsesian]

Wouldn't you change the name of it, though? Instead of just being the Conan o' Brien smoothie, wouldn't it be something a little bit more fun, like the.

[Conan O'Brien]

What do you mean?

[Eduardo Perez]

He needs that name recognized.

[Conan O'Brien]

I need the name, okay? People want the name.

[Sona Movsesian]

Maybe you could have a descriptor in the name of who, who you are. And then they like in parentheses. He hosted a show for a long time. Your parents would know who he is or something like. I don'.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, no. This is a bummer. Ask your parents. Ask your parents. Smoothie. No, Sona, this is not what we're doing.

[Eduardo Perez]

Ground up K rations with the metal, tin included.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah. We took Korean War rations, put them in a blender. We found some government issue peanut butter from 1963 and some lucky Strike cigarettes. Listen, I, I, I get it. Yes, you are right. There have to be some adjustments to the product. I understand that. These Erewhon people aren't dumb. They'll do the right thing. And I get it. I'm, I have some humility but I will replace Hailey Beaver and it will be the Conan o' Brien smoothie. I'm going to make this happen.

[Josh Safdie]

To be continued.

[Eduardo Perez]

I hope so.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, all right, if the ball's in your court. Erawan. If that's even a real name.

[Eduardo Perez]

Conan o' Brien Needs a Friend With Conan o' Brien Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley Produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow Theme song by the White Stripes incidental music by Jimmy Vivino Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Bautista and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-58728 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign [e-mail] Conan and if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a Friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

[Conan O'Brien]

When I was growing up, I always see those Alka Seltzer commercials.

[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah, me too.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I'd think of them like, oh, that's for heartburn. But I'm wrong now, that's not just what they're all about. Oh yeah, apparently they have cold and flu medications as well. Yeah, and which begs the question, have you heard of Alka Seltzer Plus? Ooh, I came across kind of angry there. I shouldn't have. Alka Seltzer plus Effervescent tablets are designed to deliver fast cold and flu relief. Just drop the two tablets. Hear those bubblins burstings? That's bubbles bursting into action instantly. Ready to start providing cold and flu relief fast. Perfect for when slowing down on sick days isn't an option. Next time a cold or flu strikes, reach for Alka Seltzer Plus Cold and Flu Effervescent Tablets. Nothing works faster for cold and flu symptom relief. Among oral OTC products, use as directed. Make their hearts skip a beat. This Valentine's Day with Edible with same day delivery or local pickup, effortless gifting is just a click away. Choose from iconic chocolate dipped strawberries, fresh arrangements, or decadent baked treats for your someone Special [e-mail] or your local store.