Jesse Usher Reveals Hilarious Middle Name Mix-Up & Secret Pandemic Gatherings!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dropping Names ...and other things

Episode: Jesse Usher Reveals Hilarious Middle Name Mix-Up & Secret Pandemic Gatherings!

Hosts: Brent Spiner & Jonathan Frakes
Guest: Jesse Usher
Date: May 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

This engaging episode brings actor Jesse Usher (“The Boys,” “Independence Day: Resurgence,” “Shaft”) to the table with hosts Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes. The conversation is a blend of Hollywood war stories, on-set secrets, and playful banter, centering around the quirks of Jesse’s middle name, the reality of pandemic-era filming, evolving traditions in auditioning, “dropping names” of Hollywood legends, and Jesse’s career journey from “Hannah Montana” to major blockbuster and streaming success.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & The Infamous Podcast Bell

• The hosts riff on sound effects and the signature “bell” used to punctuate moments in the show, humorously debating its style, sound, and even whether it should be “cut” or have the cord “extended."
  • Notable quote (Brent): “It’s hard sometimes to cut the cord if you’re in a good family.” [01:10]
  • They joke about getting paid extra for ringing the bell. [03:08]

2. Jesse Usher’s (Mis)Middle Name & Family Connections

• Brent confesses to researching Jesse’s middle name online and getting it hilariously wrong:
  • “I got bad intel. Jesse Fezer. So he walks in, I say hello to him … he looked at me like I was insane.” [04:15]
• Jesse shares that his middle name has been the subject of debate, with people intentionally spreading confusion about it.
• Family names run in circles: Jesse has an uncle and cousin with the same name, and his sister, Jestia, is a designer who styled him for premieres. [06:01]
  • Notable quote (Jesse): “My sister’s name is Jestia Usher … there’s four Jesse Ushers.” [06:10]

3. “Are You Related to Usher?” and Name Drop Olympics

• Jesse laughs off ubiquitous “Are you related to [singer] Usher?” questions.
• The hosts playfully trade stories of working with Usher Raymond and other celebrities — Geppetto (Disney), Dean Devlin’s praise for Jesse as one of the most professional actors.
• Brent and Jonathan read out glowing reviews about Jesse from colleagues Dean Devlin and "Carl," highlighting his professionalism and warmth. [07:22, 07:49]

4. Hollywood During the Pandemic—Secret Gatherings

• Jesse recounts the surreal experience of returning to “The Boys” set in Toronto just after the pandemic:
  • Mandatory two-week hotel quarantine, strict Canadian tracking of quarantined cast.
  • Underground, semi-private cast dinners at a local restaurant with blacked-out windows for secrecy.
  • Quote (Jesse): “We were able to have some drinks together, and they cooked the meal in front of us, and we all just sat and communed. It was like the greatest relief we’d ever, you know, like, in that moment.” [09:09–10:44]

5. On the Phenomenon of “The Boys”

• Jesse notes the show’s global growth, massive international audience, and camaraderie among cast.
• Playful banter about “getting rid of Carl” and Jack Quaid’s “natural funny,” with Jesse emphasizing the genuine personalities on set. [11:41]

6. On Filming & Promo Adventures in Rome

• Jesse describes recent international press and premieres for “The Boys” in Rome, the contrast to his past visits, and the perks of guided tours and foodie experiences. [12:15–14:10]

7. Playing the “Famous Son” in Hollywood

• Discussion of Jesse’s recurring roles as the “son” of major cinematic icons (Will Smith, Sam Jackson, Richard Roundtree).
• Jokes about always being recast as the next-generation hero in franchises — “I play every son of a famous actor who doesn’t want to do another sequel.” [15:31–16:03]

8. Behind the Scenes of “Independence Day: Resurgence”

• Insights into working with Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, differences in their on-set approaches.
• Jesse laments the technical restrictions of shooting complex action scenes and missing the chance to work with Will Smith.
• Brent pitches a TV series spinoff (Area 51 themed) and invites Jesse to join, with Jesse eager to participate. [23:29–25:13]
  • Memorable exchange (Brent): “So I went to see Steve Asbell at Disney, pitched it … He said, I’ll get back to you. What was that, three years ago? Yeah.” [25:30]

9. Early Career: Hannah Montana & Hollywood Firsts

• Jesse recounts his early break in “Hannah Montana,” the competitive fray of young actors, and Miley Cyrus’ evolution. [28:40]
• Comic references to being mistaken for Usher on casting calls — “I think on IDR, they thought they had hired Usher.” [28:29]

10. Craft Talk: The Changing World of Auditions

• Reflections on how casting has shifted post-pandemic, from in-person auditions to nearly all self-tapes, and nostalgia for the old-school “room” experience.
  • Notable insight (Jesse): “Now, I wish that we can do a lot more in-person auditions … That’s something that’s sort of, you know, spaced out.” [40:44]

11. The Joy of Collaboration & On-Set Magic

• The group dives into technical craft: the role of camera as character in horror (referencing Jesse’s film “Smile”), the magic of crew collaboration, and storytelling as shared experience.
  • “This was one of the first films where the camera, the timing of the camera, was a character in the movie.” (Jesse on “Smile”) [36:44]
  • Anecdotes about dolly grips, focus pullers, and a “natural” kid in Kenya on “The Librarians.” [38:10]

12. Legendary Names: Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree, and More

• Jesse shares admiration for Sam Jackson’s professionalism and behind-the-scenes efficiency — “Sam just walks right in, lays everything out. Already familiar with what’s going on. Already knows.” [51:19]
• Richard Roundtree (“Shaft”) as his on-screen grandfather, still working late into life.
• Jesse’s dream collaborators: Christoph Waltz, Ryan Coogler, Quentin Tarantino, Hitchcock. [52:12]

13. Career, Age & Perspective

• Rapid-fire questions: First movie seen, experiences as a “son” character, comparisons to other actors (Kevin Kline).
• Age guessing game: Jesse reveals he’s 34. [44:23]
• Brent and Jonathan reflect on their “Star Trek: TNG” first days and Hollywood longevity. [44:46]

14. Cameos, Pep Talks, and Fan Connections

• All three trade stories about doing shout-outs on Cameo — for birthdays, pep talks, often with tongue-in-cheek dark humor for “The Boys” fans. [46:06]

15. Filmmaking with Legends

• Brent shares stories about working with Martin Scorsese on “The Aviator,” the dedication to craft, the intensity of classic directors, and movie night traditions for cast and crew.
  • Quote (Brent): “I had this one moment... I literally was in for about 60 seconds in the movie... We shot for two days for that 90 seconds.” [56:16]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the pandemic dinners:
  “We all just sat and communed. It was like the greatest relief we’d ever, you know, like, in that moment.” – Jesse Usher [10:15]

• On recurring “famous son” roles:
  “You play every son of a famous actor who doesn’t want to do another sequel.” – Brent Spiner [15:31]

• On camera as character:
  “This was one of the first films where the camera, the timing of the camera, was a character in the movie.” – Jesse Usher [36:44]

• On Sam Jackson:
  “Sam just walks right in, lays everything out. Already familiar with what’s going on. Already knows.” – Jesse Usher [51:19]

• On directing style:
  “He directed like any good director you’ve ever worked with. It wasn’t something magical. Mystical. It was the same.” – Brent Spiner (on Scorsese) [54:21]

• On industry changes:
  “Back in the day, when it was only that... Only in the room. It was a treat if you could say, 'Hey, can I send you a tape?' ... Now it's completely reversed.” – Jonathan Frakes / Jesse Usher [41:10]

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Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 00:00–03:45 | Podcast bell banter, introduction, “real shit” jokes | | 03:45–05:45 | Jesse’s middle name confusion, family stories | | 05:45–07:22 | Name dropping Usher, networking Hollywood | | 07:22–08:20 | Praise from Dean Devlin and “Carl” on Jesse’s work-ethic | | 08:20–10:44 | Pandemic shooting in Canada, secret cast dinners | | 10:44–12:12 | “The Boys” international success and cast camaraderie | | 12:12–14:10 | Rome premiere stories, food tours | | 15:28–16:03 | “Famous sons” jokes, roles as sequel inheritor | | 16:03–17:20 | “Independence Day: Resurgence” production stories | | 18:00–19:20 | Micah Monroe and the “horror genre”| | 25:13–26:36 | TV series spinoff pitch (Area 51), Jesse on board | | 28:29–29:08 | “Hannah Montana” days, Miley’s trajectory | | 33:06–34:38 | Favorite Oscar films & international cinema | | 36:44–37:49 | Film craft: “Smile,” horror, camera timing | | 40:44–41:24 | Auditions: self-tapes vs. in-person | | 44:46–45:59 | Age, TNG first days, crew memories | | 46:06–46:38 | Cameos, pep talks, show shoutouts | | 51:19–51:56 | Sam Jackson’s on-set precision | | 54:21–56:48 | Brent on Scorsese, “The Aviator,” classic film stories | | 58:01–58:19 | Closing praise—“You’re a decent young fellow.” |

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The Hosts' Tone and Atmosphere

Spiner and Frakes’ approach is relaxed, irreverent, and delightfully unscripted, blending nostalgia with insightful questions. Their chemistry invites Jesse to drop his guard and produce a memorable, laugh-filled, yet honest exploration of the realities of Hollywood work—past, present, and future.

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For New Listeners

Whether new to “Dropping Names …and other things” or the careers of these actors, this episode is a masterclass in humorous storytelling, industry authenticity, and generational perspective on what it’s like to build a career—and friendships—in Hollywood. Jesse Usher stands out as a candid, reflective, and witty guest whose stories bridge the gap from child stardom to streaming success.

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Transcript

[A]

Ladies and gentlemen, we're back. Episode

[B]

14. It would be episode nine. Episode nine.

[A]

That we only done nine. What do you think of the bell?

[B]

Love it.

[A]

Where's the ribbon for the bell?

[B]

I don't hate it. I just. I want it to change. I want it to to occasionally be a different sound.

[A]

I could get that shitty bell that everybody's predicting, which is the bell. Call me to the counter bell.

[B]

Yeah, that reverberates.

[A]

No, but it also is. It's cheap.

[B]

This is cheap class.

[A]

I went to the antique store for this.

[B]

Well, you should make that. We should talk about this. Are we rolling already? Oh, well, let's talk about it then.

[A]

You want to talk about the bell? Yeah, I want to know Rosenbaum's idea, as I mentioned. Yeah, I think it's a great idea. I know that you're sort of ambivalent. Ambivalent is exactly the word I was looking for. There's a faction of people around here who believe that we should maybe extend the cord. The cord?

[B]

But for what reason?

[A]

Some people think we should cut the cord.

[B]

Some people think we should cut the bell.

[A]

It's hard sometimes to cut the cord if you're in a good family.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

Some families. You can't cut the cord soon enough.

[B]

Do you think this is up to you?

[A]

Wait a minute. We're doing something. Aren't we gonna do some real shit?

[B]

Oh, I thought this was it. This is the real shit.

[A]

I'm sorry. This is the real shit.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

I said the S word.

[A]

Are you gonna never drop the F bomb? You know, I didn't ever think of you as a puritan until yesterday.

[B]

I'm not a puritan. I'm a coward is what I. Oh, that I.

[A]

That I knew. But you own that beautifully. Yeah, I'm a coward.

[B]

Are you? Yeah. Yeah. But you say the F bomb.

[A]

That doesn't change, like, freely.

[B]

I love that you do it freely. That's.

[A]

I'm less of a coward than I used to be.

[B]

Really? I.

[A]

You don't think so?

[B]

Jonathan. Yeah? You will do anything anyone asks you to do. I miss a.

[A]

No, that's a different thing.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

I sometimes have impulses to say, especially if I'm directing.

[B]

Yeah,

[A]

that's a story I can't tell, actually. I just had a great memory.

[B]

Oh, come on.

[A]

No, it's bad. It involves one of our friends.

[B]

Oh, really? But still, the fans, the people would love to hear this.

[A]

I don't usually say this. Yeah, trust me,

[B]

okay? I already know who you're talking About?

[A]

I rarely go out on a limb with that one because that immediately turns me off. Doesn't that make you think this is going to be a lie?

[B]

Yeah. You know what?

[A]

Can I tell you something?

[B]

Yeah, go ahead. Hey, Johnny. Yeah. Do you think this is up to you? Totally. And I'm okay with it.

[A]

Clearly not. You're leading the witness.

[B]

Let me ask you something.

[A]

Go ahead.

[B]

If. If we should ever actually be paid for doing this, that would be awesome. Yeah. But what I want to ask is, do you think you get more for doing the bell? I mean, you're doing the hard work. You're doing the pulling, the heavy pulling.

[A]

Let me check with Eric. Is there a. Well, when I worked for the moving company in New York, the walk up King and the trustworthy stepbrothers, we got paid five bucks an hour, six bucks if we drove the truck.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I think I should get a dollar more.

[B]

All right, Eric. It's fine with me. I won't be hurt.

[C]

Dropping names and other things where the whiskey flows and the laughter sings.

[B]

Pull up a seat, join the game of.

[C]

And Johnny Potash.

[B]

When Jeannie gave you that look when you got offered the job.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know what that look said?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Who's supposed to run lines with me?

[A]

I know. And then I got home last night and. And she had, like 20 pages to learn.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I'm married to Jeanne Francis, who runs. Who's a icon on a soap opera, who's been doing it for 47 years. And I run lines with her. She puts them in her head. We'll get to your lines. Ladies and gentlemen, with us today, we have Jesse Tacoma Usher. I, of course, wrote down from the fucking Internet. I got bad intel. Jesse Fezer. So he walks in, I say hello to him. We have mutual friends. I say, so how do you say your middle name? T H E Z E I R E. He looked at me like I was insane.

[B]

That's what he takes. That's not his.

[C]

You know what? There's been a lot of conversations about the middle name lately. That could be something that's. You know, I think people are playing around with the idea of what that tea could be.

[A]

So you think they went into.

[C]

I think they knew that. A reoccurring topic. And now they're just trying to throw you off, like, on purpose.

[A]

Watch this.

[C]

Ah. In the car. Can I get rid of.

[A]

I got you right here.

[C]

Be the only one chewing.

[B]

There we go.

[A]

Thank you.

[C]

Thank you, John.

[B]

Here you go, Jesse. Yes, sir, if I may call you that.

[C]

Yeah. No, Jesse, we're good with.

[B]

Yeah. Jesse, are you related to Usher?

[A]

Oh, God, I'm so sick of that question.

[B]

Because I know.

[A]

I know.

[B]

No, no, because I. I know Usher.

[A]

I. Oh, my God.

[B]

Yeah, I did a film with Usher, by the way.

[C]

What film was that?

[B]

Let me check. It was. It was called.

[A]

You gonna give us your one?

[B]

Yeah, please. Yeah, it was called Geppetto. It was a. It was for the Disney. For Disney. Steven Schwartz wrote the music. I sang a Stephen Schwartz song, which was a great song. And. Yeah. No, I don't remember. But I killed it. I do remember that. So Jesse Usher. I mean, Usher Usher Raymond.

[C]

Yeah. Different last name. Yeah, but no relation.

[A]

Maybe his middle name is there.

[B]

Yeah, maybe. But, you know, maybe Usher. Raymond is actually Raymond Usher.

[C]

I think I've never heard that.

[B]

Which would make him an Usher. And possibly a relative.

[C]

Possibly a relative.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I've met some other Ushers out there.

[B]

Have you?

[C]

Oh, yeah. Actually have an uncle and a cousin with the exact same name as your

[A]

sister's name isn't far off either.

[C]

Yeah, my sister's name is Jestia Usher.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

So there's four Jesse Ushers.

[A]

Did she put you in this cool shirt today?

[C]

No, I think I picked this for myself. But she does do a lot of my stuff.

[B]

Yeah, she does your stuff. She does stuff. She's a designer, right?

[C]

She is and she does. She's a designer. Do you remember, I don't know what

[A]

you wore in the Rome.

[C]

No, she didn't do Rome, but when we did our premiere, Independence Day, that's what it was. Independence Day, the all white thing.

[B]

Oh, yes.

[C]

That was her.

[B]

Wow. Would she do me? Does she do geriatrics? Yeah, she would do old white guys

[A]

who need clothes whose all clothes burned up in the fire.

[C]

You guys always look good, though. You know, I think she could.

[A]

So you watched the show? Have you seen the show yet?

[C]

Oh, yeah, I've seen the show.

[A]

Who'd you see?

[C]

I watched Seth MacFarlane.

[B]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

[C]

Great episode.

[B]

You can top it.

[C]

Now, listen, I feel like there's one. There's. There's a lot of things that Seth does extremely well, but dropping names is one of them that you know. Yeah, I don't know if I've met nearly as many people.

[B]

Well, let me just say that. Do you have any names?

[A]

I got

[C]

in your. And I'm just.

[B]

Yeah, you met me.

[A]

I'm stealing a bit from Amy Poehler, who does a podcast called A Good Hang with where she calls people who know you. Let's say oh. So I called Dean Devlin.

[B]

Huh? Right, yeah.

[A]

Who says hello?

[C]

Tell him I said hello.

[A]

I will. I'll have him say. I'll say that report and the report from Dean Devlin is that you're one of the most professional and hard working actors he's ever worked with.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

That includes Brent and me.

[C]

And Dean said that.

[A]

Dean said that.

[C]

And tell him. Let him know the tire.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And then I wrote to Carl, who we saw this weekend, we're doing a convention with Carl.

[C]

So I said, can you give me some Orlando?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, nice, nice.

[A]

Can you give me some tea on Jesse? Because I'm. And he opens by saying, first of all, the crew loves him. He's maybe the most hard working person on our show. Wow.

[C]

These two guys said this.

[B]

Can you do it with a Kiwi accent?

[A]

I don't even attempt. But he did give me one thing that I want to open. He said, ask him about the clandestine. I guess during the lockdown, you created a meal with blacked out windows and stuck these people. You had your whole cast together and you worked.

[C]

I did. Let's hear this. What happened, I wonder. Well, I guess it's too late to get in trouble for this now.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

Nobody watches the show anyway, so. Exactly.

[C]

So it's not like no one's ever going to know, you know. Yeah. What we were up to during this season. But we came back into our fourth season of the Boys right after the Pandemic.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

We were like one of the first productions to sort of, you know, get the wheels turning again up in Toronto. And they still had really strict.

[A]

When we got to town, we had to lock down in a hotel before we could go to the office. Yeah, I remember it well.

[C]

Two weeks in a hotel before you were able to go into production just to make sure. So we did that and then, you know, me and the cast would always sort of host dinners at each other's places and stuff just to like.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Spend some time with someone because nothing was open. There was really nowhere to go. You go walk and that's about it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And.

[A]

And you could get tracked if you went for a walk. Remember, you would get tracked if you happened to me.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I was. I was scared to stay in the hotel because I. Yeah, that's true. They had a tracker on you when he went through the airport.

[B]

Yeah. Wow.

[C]

Oh, yeah. They were like monitoring your place to make sure you were there at all.

[B]

Who was tracking you?

[A]

The, like the Canadian government.

[B]

Oh, the government.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Canadian FBI.

[C]

I felt like I was in like one of those. The same ways or something.

[A]

It was like we were being watched.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Thank God nothing like that happens in this country, huh?

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

You can move freely without being monitored.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

So there was this. Somehow I came across this restaurant that was doing these, like, semi private dinners. And it was obviously, you know, front doors are closed, so you kind of had to know someone in order to get in. And I asked my cast, I said, look, I can. I can pull us together. We can. We can go out. We can have a thing. We'll have our own room. You know what I mean? I don't know. There'll just be us and the chef. Like, would this be something you guys are interested in? And everyone loved the idea, of course. And I ended up pulling together this, like, this a hibachi type of restaurant. You know, we were there and we were able to have some drinks together, and they cooked the meal in front of us, and we all just sat and communed. It was like the greatest relief that we had ever, you know, like, in that. That. That moment brought. Because one, we had to. We had to meet, like, on the corner and then, like, sneak into a private.

[A]

And then they black out the window. So nobody see.

[C]

All windows completely blacked out. Even inside, I feel like the light was low. So, you know, if there was anyone who was there, you wouldn't even know.

[B]

Yeah. Were the servers in masks?

[C]

The servers were a mask. As soon as the chef. Yeah.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Well, the boys, which, of course, you are prominently featured more and more in

[A]

the last season, I'm told.

[C]

Oh, you gotta check us out. You gotta check us out. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

But the boys is like, is it the biggest show in the world or the second biggest show in the world? I know. It's gigantic.

[C]

I mean, worldwide, it's huge.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I don't. I don't know where we lie as far as the numbers go, but the international audience is. Season one to season four has been growing and growing, growing and growing. And I mean, you know, we're expecting to hopefully continue that rise with season five.

[B]

I'm sure you will.

[A]

Get rid of Carl.

[B]

Yeah, get rid of Carl.

[A]

Dragging you down.

[B]

Yeah, man.

[C]

We tried to quit season three. I don't know what it is. He's an executive producer. It's hard to get rid of this.

[B]

Oh, boy.

[C]

Now we love Carl, man. He's the greatest leader.

[B]

Yeah, He's a great guy. Yeah, we love.

[A]

Wonderful. What about Jack Quaid?

[C]

Oh, my gosh. What about Jack Quaid?

[A]

Her talent, amazing.

[C]

What, like a natural Funny. Just, like, really in tune with who he is and his emotion and what he can bring. And you meet the same Jack Quaid on set that you meet, like, on the street. He's just consistently incredible. He's like one of my favorites.

[A]

This is the kind of review you're getting from them, really?

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And I wouldn't bring that.

[C]

We're all just lying about each other. That's all. I don't.

[A]

Well, then that's what we. That's what we do.

[C]

I wouldn't do that. No.

[B]

Who do you hate on the show?

[C]

Let's see. How much time do we. We can go down the list. No, I'm kidding.

[B]

Were you in Rome?

[C]

I was in Rome.

[B]

How'd that go?

[C]

Incredible.

[B]

You did your. A premiere or just a junket in Rome?

[C]

Yeah, well, we did both. We've done our season five comes up in two weeks. So we went out to Rome to do our premiere and also, like most of our international press.

[A]

As you would.

[C]

Yeah, you know, just like it was either between Los Angeles down the street, or we would just, you know, take everyone from Los Angeles down the street and just sort of migrate us all to Rome to have the same. Same conversations there.

[A]

But, you know, better food.

[C]

There's. There's better food. Way better food. Way better food. Weather was perfect. You know, I feel like the backdrop was a little bit better. Oh, there. Yeah. That was a dream come true.

[A]

Yeah, man. Had you never been to Rome before?

[C]

I've been a couple times before. Never for anything like this. Well orchestrated. I felt like when I was there before, I was sort of just looking around, trying to figure stuff out.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know what I mean? I speak zero Italian, so. Yeah, I was just looking for familiar names on the menus on everywhere that I went.

[B]

I had been a few times, and finally we got smart and we hired people to show us around because we'd been to the Forum and the Coliseum and all that, and you just. You don't know what it is. You're looking at it and you go, yeah, that's old. That's nice. That's old.

[A]

Until.

[C]

That's old crumbling. Yeah, it's just like the last.

[A]

The last time I was here, I

[B]

remember it almost looked the same. Right. But when we hired some. Some guides who actually talked us through the specifics of it all. Yeah. It really opened the whole thing up. It was amazing.

[C]

I see. So maybe I need to do that next time. I didn't even do a guide through the Coliseum. I sort of just.

[B]

We actually hired A food guide all over Rome. I mean, walking, eating.

[C]

Just for that, I would do.

[A]

Is this you and Laurie and Jackson

[B]

on a walking eating tour? That was fantastic. Oh, yeah.

[C]

Oh, my goodness.

[B]

Yeah, you got to do that.

[C]

Yeah, I got to add that to my list.

[B]

Yeah, there's another way. There's one in Burbank, too, by the way.

[C]

Yeah, No, I think I could do the walking food tour. This is my neck in the woods.

[A]

Before we get to the famous Suns.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I want to hear about LeBron.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, yeah. So what was that called? That was called.

[C]

That was level up. Survivors remorse.

[B]

Survivors remorse. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. That was a television show. We did four seasons.

[A]

Did he. Was that his first producing venture?

[C]

I believe that was his first. Yeah. That was their breakout with the production company that he was launching was he and Maverick Carter and, like, a few of his other friends were sort of putting this thing together. And Survivor, first role in. Man, listen.

[A]

Right. I get that every time.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, he's just like, walking pod of wisdom.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And influence. You know what I mean? He's like such a force.

[A]

And. Were you a fan?

[B]

Of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can't have you. You haven't played his son, have you?

[C]

LeBron. Yeah, no, that's coming.

[B]

That's coming, man.

[C]

You think so?

[B]

I think so.

[A]

Bronnie's not gonna play it.

[B]

Oh, well, there you go.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I might be too old to play Bronnie. Legendary era by the time that story comes around.

[B]

Yeah. Playing famous sons segue.

[C]

I like that. Yeah, we got some names.

[B]

You play every son of a. Of a famous actor who doesn't want to do another sequel.

[C]

I love it.

[A]

Go ahead, drop it. Drop one. Will Smith.

[C]

Will Smith. Independence Day Resurgence.

[B]

I'm telling you, Will and Shaft.

[C]

Now, Sam and Richard Roundtree were in that.

[A]

Grandfather and father.

[C]

Grandfather and father.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Three generations in the one film. I don't think they would want to do another film if we were to do.

[A]

But you're available.

[C]

But I'm available. Ready? You know, I'm looking to put the coat back on. I love that movie.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Well, yeah, I had a good time.

[B]

What about. What was the. What's the Edward Woodward series?

[A]

Equalizer.

[B]

Equalizer. What about Equalizer? You could do Son of Denzel.

[C]

I would do an Equalizer.

[B]

Yeah, you could work on my. Well, you know, even better. You could do the series and be a Queen Latifah son.

[C]

That's true, too.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

So true.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, I think in the. In the grand scheme, of things. I don't know if they'd let me do both, but, you know, you don't

[A]

need to go back to my only

[C]

opportunity to do so.

[B]

I kind of think they would let you do both. Yeah.

[C]

Let me do both.

[B]

I mean, based on your past, about that history, I mean. Yeah. Who would we call?

[C]

Yeah. I don't know. You know.

[B]

Well, get somebody on the phone, Jesse, will you? Yeah.

[C]

I play a good son. If anyone's looking, had you seen, obviously,

[A]

the first Independence Day.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Starring Brent Spiner.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And the great Bill Pullman.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Huh? Yeah.

[C]

Great Bill.

[B]

And. And Jeff Goldblum.

[C]

We're not getting any bells. These are.

[B]

These are. Come on. Yeah. Thank God you're here.

[C]

Huge names.

[B]

See, you like.

[A]

You like the bell, don't you?

[B]

I do.

[C]

I do. I'm enjoying the bell. I'm enjoying the bell. Because I was thinking about it. I'm like, I wonder if they do that for every name. And you told me. Yeah. So now I feel like we're obligated.

[B]

Well, he missed.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That's okay. That's all right, too. Yeah, I would. I would, too. But I think my favorite person to sort of come into, like, six degrees of separation with someone with is Jeff Goldblum.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. Hands down, like, everyone has a good Jeff Goldblum story. Yeah.

[A]

Did you sing with him?

[C]

I feel like you have to.

[B]

You have. Exactly.

[C]

You have a choice.

[B]

You don't really.

[C]

Whether you want to or not.

[B]

Part of his process.

[C]

It is a part of his. He just gets in. He gets you really close and tight. He starts snapping and, like, tapping his foot. Next thing you know, you're in the middle of a jazz number with Jeff Goldblum.

[B]

Yeah. And he's the greatest.

[C]

Yeah. And you can't even sing jazz, but,

[B]

you know, Brings it out of you.

[C]

He brings it out of you.

[B]

He's got a new album out. I just yesterday.

[A]

And he's not afraid of style either.

[C]

No, no, no.

[A]

Sartorial style.

[C]

He's.

[B]

He's. He is really. Your sister doesn't dress him. Does.

[C]

No, but maybe they could do something.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I think they could have a nice

[B]

little me and your sister. Goldblum would be perfect for you.

[C]

She might be too busy to work, you know, with anyone.

[B]

True, true.

[C]

Yeah, Exactly.

[B]

Yeah. Jeff is as a character, and he's a wonderful guy and a bright guy

[A]

and a wonderful actor.

[B]

Yeah. I do his mantra. You do it inside.

[C]

Let's hear.

[B]

I do his mantra. Do you remember in Annie Hall.

[A]

Oh, God.

[B]

Jeff Goldblum One second he's on the phone, he goes, I forgot my mantra. And the camera goes past him. That's all you see him in the movie.

[A]

Nice reference.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Woodman.

[B]

Woodman. But yeah, so we had a great cast on that. I mean, even in the sequel we had a great cast. Micah Monroe, she's really doing stuff now.

[C]

She's on fire.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, she's, you know, Michael Monroe, she's. You got to know. Well, first of all, you got to kind of know the genre of horror because she like really has. Has become kind of the queen of. Of horror. But beyond that. Yeah, she's breaking out way beyond that.

[C]

Yeah, she is like, it's been nice to see her, you know, from the independence thing. That was like my introduction to the world of Micah and.

[B]

Same here.

[C]

Taken off.

[B]

Yeah, she was an athlete before. She was like a surfer or something.

[C]

What?

[B]

Something? Yeah, like, like world class.

[C]

What?

[B]

Yeah, and she gave it up to. Or at least put it on the side to become an actress.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Used to be an athlete, didn't you?

[B]

Yeah, I was on the Colt 45s for like the tiny bell for.

[C]

That was.

[A]

That's the former Houston Astros. That's before you were born. That was a nice poll. That was a really nice old school pole.

[B]

I was on their farm team in lagrange, Texas. The lagrange Losers, we were called.

[C]

Jeez, come on. I give you more than that.

[A]

Now, when you work with Roland, does Dean come up and they co direct or. Roland. Because I remember they co wrote that film.

[B]

But on the set Dean wasn't his present.

[C]

No, he wasn't as present. I feel like he was. He stayed in the office a lot more. He didn't come down to set as often. Roland was on set every day.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So they didn't co direct but they co. I guess developed the story together.

[B]

They wrote it together.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

On the first film, Dean was on set all the time.

[C]

I see. Did they like actually co direct back and forth.

[B]

They didn't co direct but they would.

[A]

They would share ideas.

[B]

They would share ideas and it was a very loosey goosey thing where you know. Yeah, you'd think of something then they'd say. And they'd say, just go, try this, try this. There was a bit of that on research.

[A]

I think Dean encourages that more than Roland. They have two different.

[C]

Two different styles in regards to that.

[B]

But research has kind of got a bad deal, don't you think?

[C]

Yeah, a little bit. I think we also had such like a technical build out as far as, you know, the scenes and everything that we would shoot, we had like almost exact blocking to what it is that we could and couldn't do.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You remember that? Yeah.

[C]

We had like the pre. Viz already sort of done before we got into. To the scenes and such. So we sort of had to make everything fit.

[A]

And this is before the volume you didn't have.

[C]

This was AR wall.

[A]

It was.

[C]

Well, yeah, there was no.

[B]

I don't think we had the AR wall, but we had. It was high tech. Everything that was going on at that time.

[C]

Oh, yeah, big time.

[B]

But before you folks start writing in. I didn't just say it's a great movie. Okay. But it is fun. And it's. It's, you know, it was just 20 years of anticipation. They were hoping for something more.

[C]

I think I understand. I mean, I was hoping that Will came on too. I thought, like, at least up until our first day. Yeah. Will would just pop up and go, all right, I'm just kidding. There's a version of this that I'm in. Or someone.

[B]

Yeah, but what would that have done to your part? I mean, because weren't you there to kind of fill the Will gap?

[C]

I feel like I would have helped my own.

[B]

Well, I think you would have. I'm just saying.

[C]

But I would have absolutely been fine with, you know, taking a smaller role, less lines, whatever it was.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Just to have that moment, you know. Yeah. Captain Hiller. I wanted to see him in the movie.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I wish he'd been in it. I. Will was. I loved working with Will before. Yeah. And I've run into them a few times. He's always been really kind and nice and nice. Never hit me.

[C]

That's good.

[A]

But I was waiting for that. Yeah, that was coming.

[C]

But.

[B]

But I'd love to be hit. That was a rough. I really would love to be hit. I think it would do wonders for. From my career.

[A]

Look what it did for Chris.

[B]

Well, Chris is doing okay.

[C]

I mean, he was hosting the Oscars. I feel like he was doing all right before, but.

[B]

Well, that's true. But Will. Will has always been really sweet when. When I've run into him. He's a Philly guy.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. I've met him like a couple times, but like very brief moments. Nothing.

[B]

Yeah, I wish he'd been there.

[A]

He's from West Philly. He went to Overbrook. Is that right where the great Nathan Cook went?

[C]

Are you from West Philly as well?

[A]

No, I'm from Philly, but my old college roommate, Nathan Cook From White Shadow and Hotel.

[B]

I think there were two films that were, they were planning to do back to back.

[C]

Yeah, that I heard about this. I mean, I didn't know too much in regards to what they wanted to do with the story, but I did hear that they were working on like another script while we were sort of doing our thing.

[B]

Yeah, well, I, I, I've been pitching, Dean.

[C]

Oh, let's hear it.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, here it is.

[C]

Oh, let's hear it.

[B]

Okay, so it's a good idea.

[C]

Come on.

[B]

So I had this idea, I thought, why don't we. Because the last line of the movie of Resurgence was my line. And I got to say, let's go kick some alien ass. And that was the last line of the movie. And I don't know if you remember, maybe you did one of them. He had almost everybody read that line.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

He filmed everybody reading that line. And you never knew who was gonna be actually in the film. And it got to be me. And I was lucky.

[C]

Rightfully.

[B]

Well, thank you. And it led to big things for me.

[C]

Do you sign that at all the Cons?

[A]

I do.

[B]

That's what, you know what, that's a good idea, man.

[A]

That's a great idea.

[B]

I usually put release me on it, but, you know, let's go kick some alien. No, just release me.

[A]

You know what he signs on his pictures. What do you sign to Jesse? A fine human.

[C]

Yeah. Everyone who gets it back goes, no, no.

[A]

And then he brings it over to me. I said, yeah, I know where you've been. I've been to Brent's table.

[C]

That's hilarious.

[B]

But so anyway, I thought, well, you know, you can't go like the next day to go kick alien ass. You're gonna have to plan for it. Right?

[C]

True.

[B]

And so sometimes the movies make you

[C]

think that you could just wake up next day and go straight out and

[B]

go, let's just get in a rocket ship and go, you know, but so I pitched this idea to Dean, which was to do a series, like a 10 episode series. And then leading to the film, after the tenth episode, the third feature would happen. And he was on board. He loved the idea.

[C]

Have you follow up with Dean?

[B]

Well, I have.

[C]

Don't think I have it.

[A]

Is Dean here? Dean was on the show.

[B]

We did a show with Dean that hasn't dropped yet.

[C]

He was great, nice.

[B]

It's good. And so I went to see Steve Asbell at a Disney. Who? You know Fox?

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Fox is now at Disney. You know, they bought It.

[C]

Right.

[B]

So he has an office there. And I pitched it to him and he said, you know, the problem is that he's the film division and then there's the TV division. And they don't really.

[C]

They don't mix.

[B]

Right. But they don't know each other that well. So he said, let me talk to the TV division, see if we can get something going. He said, I'll get. I'll get back to you. What was that, three years ago? Yeah.

[C]

Anyway, sometimes it takes that long.

[B]

I mean, look. Yeah.

[C]

How long was 20 years to get the sequel done?

[B]

Exactly. Yeah. How long was Chalamet working on Marty learning how to play ping pong for four years.

[C]

Was he really?

[B]

He learned to play ping pong, like, worked on for four years.

[A]

But didn't help him get that Oscar, though, did it?

[B]

He's very good in it.

[A]

Oh, he's a wonderful actor.

[B]

He is. But I talked to Dean about it, and Dean's still. He's still. It's not dead, so. Okay, I'm asking you right now, do you want to be in it if we do this, would you do the series with us?

[C]

Yeah, I'd do a series.

[B]

Yeah. Okay.

[C]

I'd love to do a series.

[B]

So we got Jesse, huh? We got me.

[A]

What about the guy who's your lover in the movie?

[B]

He's dead.

[A]

Oh, he died.

[B]

Not in real life.

[A]

No, no.

[B]

John story. He. In the movie, he died. But it could be floating through the movie.

[C]

Maybe that gives us the edge that could. We didn't see coming.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. You gotta get Liam guy. Liam. Liam. Yeah.

[A]

At least one Hemsworth in every movie.

[B]

Yeah. Micah's got to get revenge for her dad.

[A]

Bill Pullman goes in the pitch room. This is. That's what I was saying, breaking it here.

[B]

And I said, I'll be number five on the call sheet. Happy to come in once a week.

[C]

And he's already looking for the easy way out. No, man, we need you to lead.

[A]

He's a good leader. He's a good.

[B]

But don't you think that's a good idea, though?

[C]

I think it's great.

[B]

I mean, don't you think people would want to see that?

[C]

I know I would. You know, Samuel Jackson told me that he makes movies that he would want to see. I feel like if we make projects that we would enjoy someone else, you know, there's a chance that someone else would enjoy it too.

[B]

Well, here's the thing. When this episode drops, we're going to get a lot of comments and a lot of Those are either going to be, you're leaving, we're on board for that, or. Yeah, no, we've seen enough. It's going to be one of the other.

[C]

And then we'll track the people who said they've seen enough and then find them and beat them and destroy them. Okay, great.

[B]

Exactly. Yeah, exactly.

[C]

Amazing. Can't wait for those comments.

[A]

I got two words for you.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Hannah Mont.

[C]

They just did a 20 year thing, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Something I just saw. I think it's 20 year anniversary.

[A]

They didn't invite you back?

[C]

They didn't call me. Can you believe it?

[A]

I can't.

[C]

That one line didn't hold true, I guess. I don't know.

[B]

They called Usher. Yeah, he went back.

[C]

That happens a lot.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I feel like they tried to do that on IDR too.

[B]

Is that right?

[C]

You want to be Will Smith?

[B]

I think what happened is idr, they thought they had hired Usher.

[C]

Exactly. Couldn't dance. And they were like,

[B]

so Hannah Montana.

[A]

Yeah. One of your first gigs?

[C]

One of my first, like major gigs in la. I had done a bunch of commercials and plays and stuff on the east coast like that. And a few like television spots, some smaller stuff. And then, I mean, that was.

[A]

Did you know she would be what she is?

[C]

No. I mean, we knew she was gonna be huge. The show was all. By the time I got on, the show was already huge. Yeah, it was like the talk of the town. You know, all the child actors were all looking for a role on Hannah Montana. The audition rooms were massive competition.

[A]

But she evolved into an incredible talent.

[C]

She's like.

[A]

And a performer and entertainer. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Have you ever worked with Miley?

[C]

Miley child star.

[A]

Will Wheaton?

[B]

Yeah, Will Wheaton. I worked. I did a movie with the Duff sisters, Hillary and Haley Duff. Oh, did you? Yeah, not a great.

[C]

I might have seen it.

[B]

Oh, did you? Material Girls?

[C]

I did not see Matthew.

[B]

No.

[A]

Martha Coolidge.

[B]

Martha Coolidge, Nice. It was interesting. They had 247 film crew following them. Trailer and. Yeah. Everywhere they went. And I finally was like, what is going on here? What? They said, well, we're doing a special for a VH1 or something at that time. And they fought. There are videographers. They follow us around all the time and just get. And so I went to their videographer and I said, are you restricted to just doing them or could I hire you to follow me around? And they said, well, what kind of venue would you want your stuff shown in? I said, I'm thinking like, oh, like old folks homes. And, you know, this is what the

[C]

world needs to see.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

Yes. Yeah. All right, so we got two show ideas.

[B]

I'm telling you, that's a no brainer. Right.

[C]

One is the Brent show.

[B]

Yeah. You.

[A]

I. I won't mention it.

[B]

What?

[A]

I've seen people follow you around with cameras. With cameras.

[B]

Well, that's true.

[A]

Some requested and some not.

[B]

Well, I took that idea, ran with it.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And got to turn it into something.

[B]

So there's going to be a lot of, you know, when you get older, you'll be able to see the documentary.

[A]

They're going to be interviewing.

[C]

They're going to release the files.

[A]

They should interview me soon.

[B]

What's the first movie you ever saw?

[C]

Oh, I don't know.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

Who's the tallest man you ever saw?

[C]

Movie. What's the tall. Who's the tallest man?

[A]

You ever want to write your name in wet cement?

[C]

I have written my name in white cement.

[A]

Have you noticed how real estate agents have become celebrities? Do you ever want to go wandering beneath the deep blue sea?

[C]

I like this rapid fire.

[B]

Is that a real estate thing?

[A]

That's beyond belief. Fact or fiction?

[B]

I missed that.

[C]

I went off topic. Yeah.

[A]

I had you both. I had you, but did I not? I had them both. You're gonna use that clip I love.

[C]

He's like, yeah, I got that. Sometimes you just know when you kill.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

When you get one.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Did you meet Judd Hirsch when we did Independence Day

[C]

on that, like, last final sequence?

[B]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[C]

And then during press, I believe. Yeah. We didn't have much, much together at all.

[B]

I mean, my thing, you know, I've said this to me, the. One of the biggest reasons I became an actor was who. Who could I meet? Who do I get to meet?

[C]

I. I can see that being a driving force.

[A]

That's why we got this podcast.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

Honestly, let's just call people that we want to meet, have them come have a conversation.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

That's the best time to do it. Yeah. Get to know somebody.

[A]

But I'm glad you said yes.

[C]

I'm glad you guys asked.

[B]

Of course. Yeah.

[A]

Carl said he was okay. I said, when Carl said he was okay, I knew he was in.

[C]

Well, it was when the email came back from Usher and he said no. Then obviously.

[A]

I'm so sick of being turned down by Usher and Drake.

[C]

We're just tired of what. What happened.

[A]

I'm tired of getting turned out by Usher and Drake.

[C]

Oh, man.

[A]

All the ones.

[C]

Let me just call Drake up, see if I Can get him.

[A]

Cher turned us down.

[B]

Do you know anybody that you can feed this way?

[A]

I mean, we're looking for. We're looking for Emma Stone, you know?

[B]

Can you get Emma Stone? No.

[A]

Come on, Jesse.

[C]

That's.

[B]

That's top of our wish list right now. Okay.

[C]

All right. When I leave from here, I'm gonna hit the street and find him.

[A]

What was your favorite Oscar movie this year?

[C]

What was my favorite Oscar movie this year? I think. Well, the, the foreign film. The name is.

[A]

Is the sentimental Journey.

[C]

Sentimental value is my favorite.

[A]

Beautiful.

[B]

That's.

[A]

He recommended.

[B]

There were some great films this year from other countries. The. The sentimental value was great.

[C]

Incredible.

[B]

All of them. Every performance in it was tremendous.

[C]

Tough year. This was a.

[B]

It was actually year. I, this is the first year in a long time I've seen. I saw all the nominated films and Jackson helped.

[A]

Yeah, but there were so many Sons of Cynthia.

[B]

Well, I saw my last one. I saw F1 on the plane the other night.

[C]

Nice.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You just got. Just got to it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But I think it's one of the strongest years ever because so many variations could have happened and you would have been fine with it.

[C]

Fine either way.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But I agree, but the, the foreign film category, I mean, what do they call it foreign films anymore?

[C]

What do they call best international feature?

[B]

Because foreign is.

[A]

Foreign is politically incorrect.

[C]

Born to the Oscars. Right. I feel like the academy is an American. Or does the Academy all over? I don't know.

[A]

I think the academy is an international.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Is it?

[B]

But that.

[A]

The Iranians, that's what happened with the Golden Globes.

[B]

They got canceled. That was called. It was just an accident. That was great. Secret agent. Did you see secret agent?

[A]

Secret agent's great.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I need to write these down and

[A]

I could bing them to you.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, please, please.

[B]

Anyway. Secret age, but yeah, Sentimental value, good film, and good to see. Stella and Sarsgaard. You know, I could have played that.

[A]

His son is killing it.

[B]

I got to do a Swedish accent.

[C]

You could.

[A]

Let's hear it.

[B]

What do you got?

[C]

I could see it.

[B]

I would have talked a little like this, but it probably wouldn't have worked as much. Swedish, wasn't it?

[A]

That was. That's more like your, your boy from Night Court. No, maybe that was Norwegian.

[B]

That was Norwegian. I, I.

[C]

You travel too much, man. You got too many different accents up there.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So let me ask you. What, what was smile?

[C]

What was smile? Oh, yeah, that's smile.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Pulling smile.

[C]

Uh huh. Smile was Parker Finn's Brainchild. Parker Finn was a director, writer, also producer, and honestly just a huge fan of the genre, of the horror genre, the thriller genre.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[C]

He knew every reference to point on earth and he knew exactly how he wanted to configure these things all into this one film. And when I got introduced to Smile, I believe Sosie Bacon was just being discussed to be involved in the movie. I don't think they had signed her just yet. And he was just sort of pitching her husband's character to me. And I read the script and I was like, wow, this is. It reads so well. I had to have a one on one conversation with the person who wrote it and just hearing him talk about the genre and how much of like an homage this movie was to the genre. This was like his baby, his thank you to all the influence that has sort of filtered through him. And how could you not get involved in something like that? I was thinking, like, I don't know if I can pull off anything in the horror genre. I hadn't done much of anything at all, you know, and I hadn't really thought about that level of stakes either. So this is my first time really wrapping my head around that. But talking to Parker about it, I said, oh man, I have to. I gotta get involved in it.

[B]

Yeah, I gotta see it.

[C]

You gotta see.

[B]

I love horror films.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you? Yeah, yeah.

[C]

This one's like a psychological horror thriller film.

[A]

Did you feel you had to change your acting process because it was a horror movie?

[C]

No.

[A]

Oh, good.

[C]

No, no, no. I didn't have to change the acting process. No. But I wrap your head around this was one of the first films where the camera, the timing of the camera was a character in the movie. You know what I mean? It's just sometimes you can sort of feel the camera.

[A]

Alfred Hitchcock worked.

[C]

Yeah. You can feel the camera making a decision and you almost can't bite until the camera does. And that was my first time doing anything like that. Yeah.

[A]

So you had to be in sync with the grip and the focus polar and the operator and the director and they explained the shot to you so

[C]

much so that like. And you guys will know, you know what this feels like. But sometimes you're holding your breath until you hear the camera rack and then you feel like you can breathe. You can let that moment out because you know that they're holding something.

[A]

Isn't it great to be part of that?

[C]

Oh my gosh. This is what Peter DeLuise was telling me about. You know what I mean? He's like, it's those things. It's the moment. The guy who's way in the back in the corner pulling focus over there, and he's just as locked in on this moment as you are. And then when he sees it, rex to it. And it happens, and sometimes it just, you know, it ignites something.

[A]

That guy used to be right here, exactly, on the dolly, coming in with me.

[C]

I love when they can be right next to you.

[A]

But the focus puller now is way, way. But when the dolly grip and the focus puller and the operator were together on the dolly, and you're coming in and you're the subject of their sh. There's nothing like it. When it works, boom. You can feel it.

[C]

There's nothing like it.

[A]

And when you'd think, ah, we. Yeah, let's go one more time. And everybody goes back to one. And they go, yeah. And then I remember one time we were in Africa shooting the Librarians, and we had brought in a bunch of kids in Kenya who had never been on a film set. So we had this little kid who said, we picked them to push the dolly. And so I said to this kid, I said, when I touch you like this, you feather, start as slowly as you can possibly go in, and then I'll walk with you. And when I'm ready for you to stop, I'm gonna touch you on the back again. This kid had one rehearsal, killed it did take one, Killed it. And Gary Camp looks at him and looks at Connell and looks at me. He said, this kid is an natural.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This kid had two different color sneakers on. He'd come. He must have been 16 years old, and he got it and he knew it. And he felt. He could feel how serious we were about the shot. Yeah, he dug it.

[B]

And that kid is Ryan Coogler.

[A]

I don't know how I got off on that tangent, but I'll never forget that night.

[B]

Oh, man.

[C]

But you never know, you know, those are the moments we live for, though.

[A]

But it's also that it speaks to the collaboration of the. Of the craft that we're all in and how, you know, well, no wonder these people love you because you. You dig it. You can tell people, dig into. Some actors can't be bothered. You know, some actors don't even come in. In rehearsal.

[C]

Right. I don't understand it. I don't understand it. Yeah, you're missing them. You're missing the meat of it.

[A]

You're missing the magic.

[C]

Yeah. Missing the magic.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, I do feel like it is a Bit magical.

[B]

Well, it is.

[C]

We have those.

[A]

But it's good.

[C]

Really good moments. No, you're waiting on baited breath.

[B]

Oh, we do it. It is.

[C]

But I do best.

[A]

Well, waiting is a big part of it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We give Robert Mitchum credit for.

[C]

Right. You don't pay me to wait. Yeah, right, right.

[B]

I've always heard Richard Widmark.

[A]

Widmark.

[B]

But it could be. Or they could have both said it

[A]

could have been very confident. Could have been one of the DeLuise. Maybe.

[B]

It could have been. You know, speaking of.

[A]

A lot of saying.

[B]

Speaking of DeLuise, though, and mentioning Dom DeLuise. He was a comic genius. Dom DeLuise. You ever seen the Twelve Chairs? It's a Mel Brooks.

[A]

Mel Brooks, yeah.

[B]

Dom DeLuise. So hilarious in this movie. I mean, really just steals the movie blind. He's so funny.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah. So what do you want to do now? What do you.

[A]

What's up for Only guy now?

[C]

No, not necessarily. No. I read a lot of stuff. I still send in a bunch of tapes. I wish that we can do a lot more in person. Auditions. That's something that's sort of, you know, space.

[A]

Were you around for that?

[C]

Oh, yeah, yeah, Big time. I still ask every time there's a job that comes up and I'm like, oh, I really like this.

[A]

Can we go in?

[C]

Are they reading? Like, can I go? And they're. No, they're in London. They're here. They're there.

[B]

You know what's weird, though? Back in the day, when it was only that.

[C]

It was only the room.

[B]

Right. Only in the room. It was a treat if they. If you could say, hey, can I send you a tape?

[C]

Right, right.

[B]

Because then.

[C]

Now look.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Now it's.

[B]

It's completely reversed.

[A]

And.

[B]

And.

[A]

But if they liked your tape, then they brought you in to meet. This is a contract based on a. On a meeting. And then if the guy's clever, he'll persuade you to read the scene.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Most actors.

[C]

While we're here. Yeah.

[A]

Can we just take a.

[B]

Take a run? I just happen to have the patio.

[C]

I just saw it happen.

[B]

Well, if we go back far enough that the director was in the room when we auditioned and he might say, hey, can you do it again? Only do this. And I was looking at it, and

[A]

that's when you know you're close, but the director bothers to give you. Let's try it again. He's already engaged with the fact. Because I was told, always you go into the room and act as if the job is yours. And this is how I would do it if you. They hired me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that approach is. I think it's the way to go.

[C]

I think so, too.

[B]

I was. I was. Had dinner recently.

[A]

Here comes up somebody. Good.

[B]

Believe you were there with Larry Kasdan. And weren't you there? No, no. Okay.

[A]

I. I would have remembered.

[B]

You weren't invited, but I. I had dinner with. I had dinner with Larry Asdin. And I reminded him that many years ago I auditioned for the Big Chill, and he was in the room and he had written monologues that were not in the movie just to audition with. And I said, yeah, I. I remember them. He said, yeah, that's right. I wrote monologues.

[A]

Who got your part? Glenn Close.

[B]

I said, I didn't get the part. And he says, no, I didn't hire you. Who did I hire? I went, kevin Klein. What do you think? You know?

[A]

Kevin Klein is. I do.

[C]

I know.

[B]

No, the name Kevin Klein.

[A]

People claim that Brent resembles Kevin Klein.

[B]

Similarity.

[A]

We got the face to go with.

[C]

Yeah. We have Dropping faces. I'm a pro.

[A]

Yeah, that's what I've been picking. We dropped the faces with the names because, well, Larry Kasda. Nobody know what he looks like except those who were invited to dinner with him. But other people.

[C]

I haven't been invited either. Don't worry. Yeah. It's not just you.

[A]

You. It's coming. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. But I'm just thinking about my career right now.

[A]

Look, there we go.

[B]

That's Kevin. So.

[C]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course.

[A]

Important. He looks older than you.

[B]

I think he's maybe a year or two older.

[A]

Looks a lot older than you.

[B]

Well, that's a flattering shot, but, you know, you can get. I mean, you'd be surprised how unflattering I can be.

[C]

You gotta get the right lens, you

[B]

gotta get the right light, everything filter.

[A]

You gotta put some diffusion on that.

[C]

Destroy us out there.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

So you don't have to worry about that yet.

[C]

What's that?

[A]

You don't have to worry about not looking good on camera yet.

[C]

You know? Yeah, I don't worry about it.

[B]

Well, you got 60, 70 years, probably, so you have to worry about it.

[C]

How old do you guys think I am, 16?

[A]

No, I tell you, I think you're. I think 32.

[C]

That's pretty close.

[B]

I'm going with 30.

[C]

30? Yeah, 34.

[B]

34. 34.

[A]

You got 60 years. 94.

[C]

That's a long.

[A]

Shatner's 95, my friend.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

I know.

[B]

I loved being 34, didn't you? I did.

[A]

I had a ball.

[B]

I looked exactly like this.

[C]

Yeah, we started on the show, I

[A]

was, like, 32 when I started the show.

[B]

You were 32. I was 38 when we started the show.

[C]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, those are the good old days.

[B]

And I. Yeah, those were the good.

[C]

Do you guys have any specific memories of your first day on set?

[B]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[C]

Can I hear one?

[B]

Well, somebody wrote in. Oh, it was a cameo that we're supposed to do.

[C]

Oh, really?

[A]

Oh, yes.

[B]

That somebody wants us to recreate the first moment.

[A]

We did the first scene together.

[C]

Expensive. Ask.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, I think so, too. And we're talking 38 years, 39 years ago, you know, I mean, the first

[A]

day of the pilot was the. He and I together. First what, say, the first day of shooting on the pilot was he and I in Griffith park and Data was singing Pop Goes the Weasel.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And I was watching him create Data. Yeah, it was. It was a great day.

[B]

It was a great day.

[A]

It wasn't on the bridge. It wasn't as well.

[C]

Oh, my goodness.

[B]

Yeah, Yeah.

[A]

I remember the first day, meeting the crew. I saw Patrick Stewart coming around the corner and introduced myself and. But he started. We got on the subject of baseball. He said, no, darling, cricket's the game. And then a couple years later, he said, you want to go to the Dodger game? He became a huge.

[B]

Oh, yeah, he turned.

[C]

He was right in your backyard. Right. You kind of had to go.

[B]

Well, and he lived in Silver Lake then, so it was like, you know, walking distance. Yeah. But, yeah, that was that day.

[A]

It's ironic you brought that up because that just came in as a request that day in. Do you do cameos?

[C]

I do do cameo.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Do they ask you to do pep talks?

[C]

Happy birthday once in a while? I think because of the context of the boys. Most of the cameos that I have are usually putting people down. I get a lot of. Like, a lot of. You talk to my husband on our wedding day. She could take it. Exactly.

[A]

I guarantee you, you can't go too far.

[C]

Right?

[A]

Yeah, I get that.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I get a lot of those. Or I get a lot of parents saying, like, hey, my son's turning 18. You know what I mean? He's a really big fan of the show. Can you just wish him happy birthday? I get a lot of those.

[B]

That's the best. Yeah, yeah, those are great.

[C]

Right? When the loved ones reach out, I'm like, oh, I feel like the show really means something. To them. Yeah. I'd love to. I always love to do that.

[B]

Well, the hardest is doing pep talks. Because.

[C]

Because I could see that I've only.

[B]

You know, and.

[C]

Right.

[B]

As you know, most of us are very stupid.

[C]

Yeah. So we need lines to be written.

[B]

Exactly. What's that? Oh. Oh, sorry. Yeah. He's supposed to do that when I'm not sitting up straight. I see.

[C]

That's good.

[B]

Talk about unflattering. Right?

[A]

Well, that's what I'm. What are friends for?

[C]

You said give me two rings.

[A]

What?

[C]

I want you to.

[A]

You're fine.

[C]

Okay. Okay.

[B]

All right. Thank you. I don't know why I started sitting up.

[A]

I know.

[B]

And you slid little by little.

[C]

It's a little more comfortable.

[B]

So, Jesse. So the show's basically done, right?

[C]

The show is done.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

We've finished our fifth and final season.

[B]

But is there a sequel of some sort or a prequel?

[C]

There's a prequel that just wrapped up like a week. A week or two ago.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And that's called Vault Rising. That's. Soulja Boy is one of the characters from the show, which is Jensen Ackles.

[B]

Yeah. Were you in that?

[C]

I'm not in.

[B]

You don't play your father in that.

[C]

Maybe that could be my pitch. You know what I mean? It's like maybe a train has his long lost dad that I also play.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And. But he's not fast at all. I don't know. Something.

[B]

So aside from Independence Day, or, it depends. The Area 51, which is what the series will be, is there anything else you want to do? Yeah.

[C]

Is that what it.

[B]

That's where I'm going with it.

[C]

Yeah. You've thought about this a little bit.

[B]

I'm telling you.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. New Mexico has a nice tax incentive. You go to Roswell.

[B]

Oh, oh, really? Oh, yeah. Oh, all right.

[A]

I'm looking out for you.

[B]

I think we're gonna shoot in London.

[A]

Of course you are.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm not opposed.

[B]

Yeah. No, I'll go.

[A]

He likes Rome, too.

[B]

Yeah, Rome is nice.

[C]

Rome is nice.

[B]

As you know, I think the show

[C]

would be great in Rome.

[B]

All right.

[A]

You got Samuel Jackson for us?

[C]

I can get him.

[A]

No, I was thinking about a name drop. Yeah. Treat you well, you know.

[C]

Oh, my goodness. Yes. Yeah.

[B]

Was it good?

[C]

Sam was probably the most professional actor that I think I'd ever worked with.

[B]

No kidding.

[A]

I can't wait to tell Carl.

[C]

Well, yeah, I mean, you're. You're professional as well. Sam knew everybody's line.

[B]

Is that right?

[C]

He knew more names on set than anyone else.

[B]

Right.

[C]

More than the producer. You know what I mean?

[B]

Did he have it in his contract that he got to play golf every morning?

[C]

Yes, he did. Yeah, he does have it in his contract to play golf, but I feel like it's just there as a formality in case he really has to pull rank on someone. But he didn't.

[A]

Do you think he picks the gigs based on golf courses being close by?

[C]

Being close by? Yeah, I mean, we were pretty close.

[A]

I mean, that rumor was out there.

[C]

So I think, I definitely think he's not shooting anywhere that doesn't have any good golf courses.

[A]

Did you play golf?

[C]

Did you see that? What's that?

[A]

Did you play with.

[C]

Didn't play with. I didn't play at the time. I play now.

[A]

Yeah, but, yeah, you break 100?

[C]

I could break 100. I just shot 94 the other day.

[B]

No kidding. Why don't you call Sam and say, hey, man, it's been a long time.

[A]

I broke 100. He said, you got to get closer to 60 to play with me.

[C]

He's going to be like, you're still talking about breaking 100?

[B]

K, please.

[C]

Yeah, no, I'm still low 90s at best. Well, do you guys play?

[A]

I play badly. I never broke 100.

[C]

That's how I never broke 100.

[B]

I play worse than badly. I, I, I, I played several times. And I am determined that one day I will hit a good ball, a single good ball.

[C]

Then you'll be hooked.

[B]

Then I'll be.

[A]

That's exactly right.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Yeah. Once you hit one good when you're hooked.

[B]

That's right. Yeah, that's right.

[C]

It's a good game, though.

[B]

But Sam was cool.

[C]

Sam was great. Yeah, Sam was great.

[A]

And who was your grandfather?

[C]

What's that? Richard Roundtree. The original Shaft. Yeah, the original Shaft.

[B]

He did something towards the end of his life that he got a lot of attention for. He was apparently really good in.

[C]

He was doing a sitcom, I believe. I'm trying to think of the name. I know he was doing. He was doing a television series for sure. Like, right towards the end of his life. Well, but yeah, I mean, I, I was just, you know, admiring the fact that he was working so consistently all the way through. It's like every day. He was always sort of pursuing something else. Another gig, another role or whatever.

[B]

Wow, that's cool.

[C]

But Sam has, like, his own. He's like the nucleus of this, like, ever revolving machine. And they sort of work into. I think this is how they're able to do so many different projects. They're just able to effortlessly work into any production. And the way that he sort of came in and came out into his next and then went in and then it's just like watching them rotate in and out is nuts. I've never seen anything like it.

[B]

Huh. Interesting.

[C]

I never seen anything like it. It's like his assistant is two days ahead of him and prepped with the lunch team and the hair and the makeup and the wardrobe and the producers and the directors and the lines. And he comes, Sam, just walks right in, step, lays everything out. Already familiar with what's going on. Already knows.

[A]

Does somebody else do his rehearsals?

[C]

No, he does his own.

[A]

Oh, good.

[C]

Yeah, he did his own.

[B]

His own what? Rehearsals. Oh, no kidding. And off camera stuff.

[C]

And he does his off camera. And he came on days that he wasn't shooting to sort of light a little fire underneath. That's great. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

I worked with his wife once.

[C]

I hear she's fantastic.

[B]

Great. Latonya. Yeah, right? Fantastic.

[C]

Yeah. I've only met her, but I've never worked with her.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

What a time.

[B]

What a time.

[A]

You got somebody you want to work with? You got a dream. Yeah, a dream gig.

[C]

Christoph Waltz, I'd love to work with.

[B]

Oh, he's good. Yeah.

[C]

Christoph Waltz, I'd love to work with. Ryan Coogler, I'd love to work with. Yeah, he's also great.

[A]

I wish his career would take off.

[B]

Yeah, me too.

[C]

Quentin Tarantino, I'd love to work.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Let's see.

[A]

It's all going out there.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. I feel like.

[A]

Because they're all fans of the show, so they'll be watching you.

[C]

Let's hope this so. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[B]

Hitchcock, you want to work with him?

[C]

I would love to work.

[B]

Good. Yeah, me too. Me too.

[C]

Get him on the line.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

I mean, you know, the list goes

[B]

on and on and on. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, for sure.

[C]

What about you? Anyone left that you guys have all

[A]

those names you just mentioned?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Tarantino.

[A]

It was a rumor at one point where Tarantino was developing a Star Trek movie.

[B]

Movie at Paramount.

[C]

No way.

[A]

Way.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And Noah Hawley, the guy from Fargo, was directing a Star Trek movie and all these. All these rumors turned out to be not. But yeah, we loved them when there were rumors.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You imagine Tarantino's doing her Star Trek movie?

[C]

I'd watch that. I'd watch that.

[B]

Yeah, me too.

[C]

There'd be an interesting foot shot in it somewhere.

[B]

No doubt.

[C]

In there somewhere. I gotta find it.

[B]

Oh, I wonder if he knows that I dance. Tarantino.

[A]

Everybody knows.

[C]

I feel like he's asking for that.

[B]

Yeah, I think so, too.

[A]

Everybody knows you dance.

[B]

Yeah, that would be great. I. I can't think of. I mean, I have had the opportunity of working with one of the great directors. I would say the greatest living director. Can you guess?

[A]

Marty.

[B]

Yeah, Marty.

[A]

He was in the Aviator with Marty. Aviator.

[B]

Briefly.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

Not briefly.

[B]

Yeah, Pretty brief.

[A]

Nice scene.

[B]

It was a nice scene. I mean, you know, the film was three hours long. I was in it for 90 seconds, you know, but. But I dominated that 90 seconds.

[C]

That's all that matters.

[A]

Yeah, you owned it.

[B]

No, but. But you know, what I found, and I think it would be true of all of these directors. I'm not sure about that, but that he directed like any good director you've ever worked with. It wasn't something magical. Mystical. It was. It was like working with you. It was the same. It was.

[A]

Yeah, I get that a lot.

[B]

You and Scorsese.

[C]

Just like Martin Scorsese.

[B]

Well, Raging Bull was between the two of you, right? Yes, exactly. No, but he basically, you know, would say, like, I had this scene, and Leo DiCaprio was in the scene. And. Thank you.

[C]

Yeah, good night.

[B]

And Leo would say. He said to Leo, okay, let's do this scene. Let's try it this way. And let's do it, like, you know, 15 times. And. And then. And then let's try it a different way. And. And then they would do that a few times. And like, I had this one moment.

[A]

Oh, the door.

[B]

No, it was.

[A]

That's another movie.

[B]

It was. Yeah, this was a cloth. I. I came in with a model airplane. I played a guy who. Who from one of the big airlines, TWA or something.

[A]

And.

[B]

And I had a model of a new airplane that my character had built for our Hughes. And it was covered with a cloth. And I came in, the shot was just remove the cloth from the plane and reveal. And so I did the first take. Boom. He says, okay, do it again and do it faster this time. Pull it. Really pull it off. Shot again. FOOM. At least 15 takes of pulling different ways.

[A]

He was feeling it.

[C]

Pull it up, pull it back, pull it out.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

And everything.

[B]

The great Thelma Schoonmacher, who edits all of Scorsese's stuff on film, we'll look at all of that and put it together.

[A]

Yeah, that was shot on film, too. Yeah.

[C]

Wow, that's an expensive insert.

[B]

Well, you know.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

See, my producer brain Starts going, do

[A]

we have to do. Well, he only printed his own insert. You gotta love it. You get them so you don't go onto that insert day.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And the only director to shoot his own inserts.

[B]

No. I don't know. He printed a lot, I'm sure. Yes, he can.

[C]

Wow. Yes.

[B]

I mean, I. I literally was on. In. In for about 60 seconds in the movie, or 90 seconds. And we shot for two days for that 90 second.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That is fabulous.

[B]

And we almost went into a third day, but he finished it before we got to the third day.

[C]

Yeah, that's another testament right there. Just to have that sort of. That influence, that power that know how that you even have moments that you know are only going to live for 60 or 90 seconds on a movie and still. Still almost be pushing to a third day just to get it.

[B]

And another thing he did, which was really interesting, I wasn't a part of this because I was only there for three days, but on the weekends he had rented a house. This was in Montreal, and he had rented a house and he showed movies, classics for the crew, anyone who wanted to come on the weekend.

[C]

Oh, that's.

[A]

Yeah, I love that kind of stuff.

[B]

You know, he is one of the great film, you know, minds. He knows more about film than almost anyone.

[C]

Wow. More than Jeff Goldblum. Because Jeff knows.

[B]

I guarantee he knows more than Jeff. But. But Jeff knows the Jeff Goldblum oeuvre. No, Jeff knows a lot. He really does.

[C]

Have you ever play that game with him? You know the game I'm talking about, where you go actor to movie?

[B]

We, in the first Independence Day movie, there's a scene that was cut from the film, but it's in the director's cut where Jeff and I are inside the alien ship and I'm telling them how everything works and waiting for setups. We played that game the entire time.

[C]

Oh, yeah, yeah. And that's how I know that. Yeah. Someone's like, oh, I work with Jeff Goldblum. I'm waiting to hear. Yeah, we played this game. I was, ah. I know exactly what you did.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

I love it.

[A]

You know, they were right about you. About me? Yeah, yeah, they really were right about.

[B]

You're a decent young fellow.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

Yeah, I wouldn't do a show with you.

[C]

I would love to do this.

[A]

You are good energy on the set.

[B]

Well, you know what? We're already going to do a show. And when I talk to, I think maybe we can write a deal. Yeah, you're going to direct you're going to direct? Yeah.

[C]

Oh, now I'm really in.

[B]

Yeah. You know, he's a wonderful director.

[C]

I'm in.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, it's him in Scorsese.

[B]

Yeah. Right here. I've heard like that.

[A]

You heard it right here?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

Okay, man, you're the bomb. Thank you, man.

[B]

Say hi to your mom. And say hi to your sister. And tell her.

[A]

Does your sister really have 10,000 pairs of black shoes in the bottom of her closet?

[C]

Who said that?

[A]

I just. Sam.