Fail Better with David Duchovny

"Fail Again: Roads Taken and Not Taken with Jason Beghe"

Release Date: February 3, 2026
Guest: Jason Beghe
Host: David Duchovny
Podcast by: Lemonada Media

Episode Overview

In this deeply personal and candid episode, David Duchovny sits down with longtime friend and acclaimed actor Jason Beghe (best known for NBC’s "Chicago PD") to explore the nature of failure, especially as seen through the lens of their 50-year friendship. This episode veers from the show's usual interview format and instead becomes a conversation about friendship, missed opportunities for intervention, and how the roads taken—and not taken—shape us. A major thread in their dialogue is Jason’s journey into (and out of) Scientology, and David’s sense of having failed as a friend during that time.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Their Friendship (02:17–15:41)

• Duchovny recalls meeting Beghe at age 14 at Collegiate High School in New York, and how Jason’s unique approach to life inspired him to become an actor.
• David highlights Jason’s nonconformity, independence, and early sense of self:

  “You were always your own man. Even at 14, you were not part of whatever herd there was. … You were in the midst of kind of creating your own culture in some way, from a place of … not accepting what the system was telling you.” (06:30)

• Jason reflects on being misunderstood and his lifelong search for self-knowledge:

  “I would look in the mirror at a very young age trying to see who the fuck I was. And I couldn't see myself, you know, because there was this resistance and being told this is who you are, and feeling like that’s not who I am.” (08:37)

• The friends discuss their contrasting personalities: David as the anxious rule-follower, Jason as the risk-taking nonconformist.
• They reminisce about Jason’s nickname “Bam Bam,” his influence on David, and the complementary nature of their friendship:

  “It’s like puzzle pieces. … That discipline and that undiscipline that I have, those two puzzle pieces fed each other, and I think … the success that I’ve had as an actor, a lot of it is from the discipline I learned from you.” (14:36)

2. Jason’s Introduction to Acting (18:00–22:11)

• Jason explains he was always told he should be an actor but never took it seriously until college, where he almost gave up after one class—until a professor offered accommodations for his restlessness.
• He describes the liberating sense of validation from this teacher, who “saw” him and made space for his unique needs.

3. The Scientology Years & Friendship Drift (22:11–32:18)

• David frames this section as an exploration of his perceived “failure” as a friend:

  “I felt my friendship—I failed in warning him … like a good friend might, I think. And it’s haunted me a bit ever since, even as we become very close again and repair fractures … caused by that time.” (03:54)

• Jason recounts how he was not recruited by anyone but essentially recruited himself through an acting teacher (Milton Katselas) and a personal realization that he could not trust anyone—not Milton, not his friends, not even himself.
• This lack of self-trust led him to seek answers in Scientology, starting with the “purification” program, investing substantial money and trust into the system.
• A key revelation: during a Scientology exercise (TR0), he experienced a moment of “going exterior”—a sensation of separating identity and self, echoing a near-death experience from a horrific car accident in 1999.
• That moment felt like the answer to his lifelong question, "Who am I?"

  “That moment where I went exterior and I felt the difference between being Jason and just being. I finally answered that question that I’d been asking myself in the mirror. Who am I?” (31:00)

• Ultimately, Jason notes, he gave massive trust to Scientology—and was betrayed.

4. The Wedge Between Friends & Lingering Regrets (33:25–41:12)

• David and Jason discuss how their friendship suffered during Jason’s years in Scientology.

  “What happens when somebody goes into Scientology … their vocabulary changes because it’s … a brainwashing. … All of a sudden you were speaking to me in a different language, which scared me, and I didn’t trust and … I didn’t call bullshit on that. I guess I sensed that I couldn’t.” (34:45)

• Jason recalls being pressured to recruit David and receiving warnings that David was a “suppressive person,” a Scientology term for “evil” or anti-Scientology influences—but he never accepted that label for David.
• David confesses his guilt for not intervening more forcefully but admits he was unsure and afraid to drive a wedge between them.
• Jason, in turn, reassures David:

  “Your behavior was almost perfect as a friend, in retrospect, because you never made me wrong. … You mirrored my level of closeness and warmth. And I felt … you judged me, but you kept it to yourself. … I want to tell you that you may feel shitty about that. … Listen, you did it.” (36:41–39:17)

5. Leaving Scientology & Career Resurrection (41:12–44:58)

• Jason’s exit from Scientology was pragmatic: “I want my money back. It doesn’t work.”
• Discussing re-entering acting, Jason and David recall working together on "Californication" and how Jason’s comedic bravery shone through.
• Jason unexpectedly landed the lead role on "Chicago PD" at age 50+, a rare event, which they compare to winning at poker with impossible odds—a fifth card to an inside straight.
• Jason reflects on not trusting even “Jason” as he now understands him; his goals have shifted away from ego and ambition.
• David notes Jason’s growth, now sitting “number one” on the call sheet—leading a huge team on set, a role that the younger, nonconformist Jason never would have wanted.

6. The Power of Lifelong Friendship & Shared Understanding (44:58–47:30)

• The episode closes with mutual affirmation and gratitude, especially the value of being truly understood:

  “I feel good about myself, and I feel, you know, like a lot of people want to win an award, like an Oscar... that’s how I feel when you say that to me. … That’s a hell of a thing to give me, David. And I love you for it.” (46:17, Jason Beghe)
  “Well, I love you. … I have to pee.” (46:43, David Duchovny)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jason’s unique spirit:

  “You were a catalyst of change … for me, again, coming back to, like, me looking at you, I’m like, wow ... there’s like a free zone around this guy.” (11:04, Duchovny)

• On lifelong questions:

  “Who are you? Who are you? And I would look in the mirror at a very young age trying to see who the fuck I was. And I couldn’t see myself... feeling like that’s not who I am.” (08:37, Beghe)

• On the moment of trusting Scientology:

  “I want my money back. It doesn’t work. … That was the whole thing.” (41:12, Beghe)

• On failed friendship:

  “I regret … even though I know that probably couldn’t have persuaded you at that point.” (36:36, Duchovny)

• On friendship through decades:

  “He’s a keeper of a version of me from many different times in my life and I’m a keeper of a version of him from many different times in his.” (47:39, Duchovny)

Important Timestamps

• 02:17 – David introduces the episode’s personal focus and Jason Beghe.
• 06:30 – David & Jason discuss Jason’s distinctiveness in high school.
• 14:36 – On learning discipline from each other.
• 22:11 – Transition to discussing Scientology and David’s feelings of failure.
• 31:00 – Jason's "exterior" experience—parallel to his out-of-body accident.
• 36:41–39:17 – Jason reassures David on his role as a friend.
• 41:12 – Jason's pragmatic appraisal as he left Scientology.
• 43:00 – Landing lead role on "Chicago PD" at 50+.
• 46:17 – Jason expresses the power of David’s affirmation.
• 47:39 – David on the unique perspective of lifelong friendships.

Tone & Style

The episode is warm, confessional, self-deprecating, and often playful even as it deals with deep, sometimes painful themes. David and Jason’s decades-long bond is evident in their banter and willingness to reflect honestly on their triumphs and failings. The language is direct and frequently laced with humor and swearing, in keeping with the show’s ethos of laughter in the face of failure.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode is both a meditation on friendship’s durability and the ways we can fail—and forgive—each other, with an eye-opening insider’s view of Scientology, the acting world, and two men’s intertwined paths through life’s setbacks. Whether you’re interested in Hollywood, personal growth, or just a great story, Jason and David’s dialogue delivers wit, rawness, and insight in equal measure.