Billy Crudup on Working with Adam Sandler & George Clooney + Theater Horror Stories

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Episode: Billy Crudup on Working with Adam Sandler & George Clooney + Theater Horror Stories
Date: December 4, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features acclaimed actor Billy Crudup, known for his roles in The Morning Show, Without Limits, and the new film J. Kelly alongside Adam Sandler and George Clooney. With hosts Dana Carvey and David Spade, the conversation dives deep into Billy’s acting journey, behind-the-scenes stories from stage and screen, athletic movie roles, and the philosophical reflections on fame, mentorship, and the nature of showbiz. The episode also touches on Billy’s upcoming stage role in High Noon in London.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins and Oddities of Theater Life

• [03:00] Billy shares early theater experiences, including a panic-inducing moment where he forgot his lines during a one-man show:

  “I called for line and we didn’t have any system in place for line.” – Billy Crudup [10:43]

• The trio riff on the vulnerability and unpredictability of live performance, and why audiences remember debacles.

  “Audience would never forget it, though. I’d actually rather see a debacle.” – Dana Carvey [11:32]

• Billy discusses the physical and mental toll of theater, including naked stage appearances for little pay (“$225 a week” [08:04]) and the confusion of multi-role performances.

2. The Morning Show and Building a TV Character

• [19:38] Discussion pivots to The Morning Show; Billy describes the process of revisiting the same character season after season, which is rare in his career.

  “To return to this guy where they keep writing weird for me to do has been... really fun.” – Billy Crudup [19:48]

• The hosts praise Billy’s electrifying, “alpha male” performance:

  “We were reintroduced to you by that season and that arc and that character... you were just sort of in the pocket.” – Dana Carvey [20:35]

• Billy reflects on channeling “room readers” he observed at NYC galas for his role, delivering monologues that reflect real-life power dynamics:

  “It's just riddled with dudes who are room readers looking for the power. They talk fast, they think fast, they’re very proud of themselves. They’ve never failed before…” [21:23]

3. Fame, Ambition, and the American Dream in J. Kelly

• [36:54] Focus on J. Kelly (directed by Noah Baumbach), starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler.

  “There’s something just gorgeous about George playing that character... Adam is his agent in it and is absolutely spectacular.” – Billy Crudup [37:37]

• They discuss the film’s premise: a famous actor reflecting on the life he missed while chasing career ambitions, and American cultural ideas of success.

  “Most of the lives that people lead are normal and they are fine, but they're not gilded... while you’re waiting for your great life to start, you miss your life.” – Billy Crudup [39:02]

• The conversation highlights the contrast between real life and social media curation:

  “Everyone seems to be better looking than they are... Everyone's on a yacht and they're all curating their lives.” – Dana Carvey [41:24]

• Memorable scene: Clooney’s character has to confront whether anything he’s achieved professionally can make up for what he’s lost personally.

  “But all of this, everything that I've done, all these movies that I've made... it must be worth something. And she's like, ‘but what if it isn't?’" – Billy Crudup [42:49]

4. Sports, Athletic Roles & Without Limits

• [25:25] Dana, a self-described track and field nerd, is excited to discuss Without Limits, where Billy played legendary distance runner Steve Prefontaine.
• Billy explains his athletic upbringing, intense research, and physical training to portray Pre:

  “We spent about six weeks training out here. And the guy ran in a kind of specific way... He liked to run with guts.” [29:46] “Middle distance runners... are running like four minute mile pace. For anybody else, it’s a full sprint.” [30:19]

• The hosts acknowledge the movie’s enduring appeal among runners and sports fans.

5. Mentorship and Navigating Showbiz

• Adam Sandler’s mentorship is discussed, with Billy noting how crucial supportive figures are in an often competitive business:

  “Very few do you see, like, some mentorship... but tells the story of you to people who want to hire you.” [51:22]

• They reflect on how rare—and important—it is to find genuine support in entertainment.

6. Upcoming Stage Role: High Noon in London

• [54:10] Billy is gearing up to play the Gary Cooper role in a new stage adaptation of High Noon, written by Eric Roth. He shares the process of adapting film to stage, learning from classic Westerns, and building a physically and psychologically authentic sheriff.

  “I play the Gary Cooper part... watching a lot of Westerns now. They're actually great to revisit.” [56:39]

• Challenges include minimal dialogue and bringing a gunfight to the stage:

  “He’s known as a guy of few words on stage. That doesn't really translate, you know.” [58:03] “So what they've done... they've given him like an internal monologue where he gets to speak to the audience.” [59:14]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On stage horror stories & vulnerability:

  “I started to have a full-blown panic attack. You get tunnel vision. My heart’s coming out of my chest... I called for line and we didn’t have any system in place.” – Billy Crudup [10:12]

• On the American myth of endless opportunity:

  “Most lives that people lead are normal and fine, but they’re not gilded. So while you’re waiting for your great life to start, you miss your life.” – Billy Crudup [39:02]

• On Clooney’s real-life persona:

  “Clooney is phenomenal. He has the most brilliant stories. He is incredibly generous, really gregarious... He talks about his career with a level of humility that is unusual.” – Billy Crudup [45:33, 46:42]

• On mentorship in the biz:

  “Very few do you see like some mentorship... not only makes you feel good about it, but tells the story of you to people who want to hire you.” – Billy Crudup [51:22]

• On the paradox of social media fame:

  “Everyone's a star... Everyone seems to be better looking than they are... Everyone's on a yacht and they're all curating their lives.” – Dana Carvey [41:24]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:00-11:30 – Theater horror stories and line-forgetting disaster
• 19:38-24:54 – The Morning Show deep dive: Billy’s character, writing, and real-life inspirations
• 25:25-34:02 – Sports, Without Limits, and the Pre interview
• 36:54-43:03 – J. Kelly: working with Clooney & Sandler, American ambition
• 54:10-62:21 – New play: High Noon in London, blending film and live stage
• 45:33-47:58 – George Clooney stories: humility, longevity, and modesty

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Final Thoughts

Billy Crudup proves to be a thoughtful, funny, and candid guest, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look into both the highs and pitfalls of an actor’s journey—from stage fright to star turns with Hollywood royalty. The episode is a blend of sharp industry observations, affectionate ribbing, and nostalgia, complemented by Dana and David’s signature comic banter—a must-listen for fans of acting, comedy, and showbiz storytelling.

Transcript

[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

I know. Yeah, me too. I mean, I'll open the fridge in December and it's like half a pizza and an orange from 1997. Not a lot of healthy options, David. But here's the thing. Staying on track doesn't have to be impossible. Our new friends@forkful meals.com totally flips that script. Honestly, I didn't think I'd stick with it, but these meals show up fresh every week. Chef prepared real food, not frozen mystery mush. Just heat it, eat it, and boom. You're not calling DoorDash for the fifth time that week.

[David Spade]

Yeah, it's not just about eating better. It's about time. I'd rather spend 30 minutes working on a bit for my hilarious act than 30 minutes staring into my oven going, is this thing even on? Right?

[Dana Carvey]

This is that one little thing that keeps you sane during the cold months. No stress, no junk, just done. But here's the deal. Do it now. If you. If you wait till the holiday slump hits, you'll be knee deep in stuffing and regret. Head to forkfulmeals.com and use the code POD50 for 50 off your first order.

[David Spade]

All right, that's forkfulmeals.com code POD50. That's POD5,0. Seriously, don't wait. Your future self will thank you.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes, thank you for not feeding me the leftover lasagna for the 12th time.

[Billy Crudup]

Let me see what you got.

[David Spade]

Space.

[Dana Carvey]

Look. Not as good.

[David Spade]

Not as good.

Scribbles.

[Billy Crudup]

I called for line and we didn't have any system in place for lion.

[David Spade]

So calling it back from the booth.

[Billy Crudup]

I hear our poor stage manager go.

[Dana Carvey]

I don't know what, I'm gonna shoot him.

[David Spade]

Yeah. You have to tell the audience there's real bullets and you're really shooting at each other.

[Billy Crudup]

This is a great idea, David.

[David Spade]

And once put it on the playbill.

[Billy Crudup]

The kind of producing we need.

[David Spade]

So Billy Crudup is. What did we. He's on the morning show. He's in Prefontaine. Right.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. I was really excited to talk to Billy because I've just, you know. You know, he. He's one of those just kind of always good actors, you know, Everything he does is great. He amazing in the morning show. Like electric.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And yet he's sort of under the radar as a celebrity. I don't know how you describe those kinds of people. He's always good, but he's. He's not around. Then he comes in. He's always great. And he's in J. Kelly, which he was promoting with. With Adam Sandler and George Clooney.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And just very, very interesting guy to talk to. Very interesting.

[David Spade]

Adam says a lot of great things about him because once we talked to him, I went on the road without him and loves this dude. Thinks he's a big star. He's a great looking, cool dude that. You guys get into that Prefontaine movie a lot.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And he starred as Steve Prefontaine. There was a few movies about this famous Olympic runner from the 70s, and his was great. He did a great job with that.

[David Spade]

So.

[Dana Carvey]

I know. It's just fun talking to a guy like that.

[David Spade]

You know, he's in so many. Once you see his face, he's. He's very well known, anyway, but you go, oh, that guy. Okay, okay.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, yeah. We were watching Spotlight last night. It's a Michael Keaton movie in Spotlight. And. And then he shows up in Spotlight. It's like. And he's great, you know? So anyway, really fun, nice guy, and highly entertaining, highly intelligent. Anyway, I enjoyed it. I hope you will.

[David Spade]

There he is. Billy Cruder.

We're not going to talk about how good looking he is. We're going to skip that. Cuz people get sick of.

[Billy Crudup]

Look at those notes.

[Dana Carvey]

My.

[David Spade]

Look at goodness.

[Billy Crudup]

Let me see what you got. Space.

[Dana Carvey]

Look. Not as good.

[David Spade]

Not as good.

Scribbles, man.

[Billy Crudup]

Who prepares.

[Dana Carvey]

That's right, you and I found Justin Throw. When I found out you were friends, I went, oh, that makes sense.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

This is how I connected good looking guys, handsome guys. Because I mean, obviously spade and our, you know, sex symbols with a small S. But you guys and you don't. You don't play it up that much.

[David Spade]

The small what?

[Billy Crudup]

You know, which S is it? The sex or the symbol that's small? I don't know.

[David Spade]

Or the wiener.

[Dana Carvey]

Somewhere an angel gets their wings when he says wiener.

[David Spade]

Got it in fast. This show.

[Billy Crudup]

This is where Justin and I met. We were doing a play in New York and he and Paul Giamatti and I were all in. The three of us used to take breaks regularly while the rest of them were doing drama to go play video games in New York Times Square. And that's when he and I became friends back in 1996.

[Dana Carvey]

Whoa. There's something about you guys. I say two ex cons, you know, white collar criminals, become undercover cops. And it's called we know all the tricks.

[Billy Crudup]

We go to the same surgeon, we've been using the same guy year after year. GMI decided to go with a different guy.

[Dana Carvey]

God, these are three of my favorites. You're already in my top three, GModi. I love talking to Justin. And now you. We could stop right now. You guys are my. Because that guy's. Both those two are.

[Billy Crudup]

They're incredible. I can't keep up with them.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, geometry is just.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, he's a monster.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Are you in New York now?

[Billy Crudup]

I'm in LA right now. Just doing some pressing stuff.

[David Spade]

Now here's a big question everyone gets with you. Is it three options are crud up.

[Billy Crudup]

Crudup, or some people pronounce it fuck wad face family. And I have always pronounced it crude up.

[David Spade]

Crude up.

[Billy Crudup]

It's German and I think there used to be an umla over it.

[David Spade]

Oh, an umla.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Like in Lowen Brow.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. Doing the movie with.

That's right. You did that play where you played 14 characters. You get what. What were some. Did you do a lot of different voices and accents?

[David Spade]

Can you do seven of them?

[Dana Carvey]

Could you do. I've already seen German.

[Billy Crudup]

I'm not giving it away for free, pal. If I know I want something on the side. I'll give you three. I'll give you.

[David Spade]

I heard that movie multiplicity with Keaton was seven or eight. That was. I thought that was impossible.

[Dana Carvey]

But this was a play where you came out naked and then you do 14 characters.

[Billy Crudup]

It's. There's. You're. I think you're conflating two things.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm not a good researcher.

[Billy Crudup]

That's right, Your fantasies and the actual off Broadway production. Actually, no, the theater that I did do. The plan, that was the first place I ever did a play in New York in 1994. And in fact there was a scene where I appeared completely naked for $225 a week. And what I might say was a relatively chilly theater. That being.

[David Spade]

Yeah, I would say that you had to. I know you put it on the playbill.

[Billy Crudup]

It was, it was an esoteric think piece on Japanese internment camps. So I'm sure you didn't miss it. Spade.

[David Spade]

You know what? I was sick that week, but I usually try to get out and watch the boards.

[Dana Carvey]

Spade worked as a stand in Naked Guy. Remember the Broadway show you did, Spade? There was. Yeah, guy's supposed to be naked and then you would stand in for him. It was kind of a shadowy thing.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Billy Crudup]

The last time we used stand ins on stage.

[David Spade]

Yeah, it was the stage version of Police Academy form.

[Billy Crudup]

It's like I'm here and I'm naked.

[David Spade]

So when I'm a stand in, the audience was like this girl or boy and they go.

[Billy Crudup]

They just go, spade. That's all.

[David Spade]

Yeah, they go, it's a spade. Whatever that is.

[Billy Crudup]

The other one that I did was.

Just. I told a story for, you know, an hour about a guy who's going through a bit of an identity crisis. And he's from Indiana, but he grew up wanting to speak with a British accent. So his dad beat the shit out of him. And he'd never, none of them had ever been to England. But he didn't like, he didn't like that his son liked to speak like this all the time. And so he came up with this other alter ego which was like, oh, go. You want to fuck with me? Go yourself. How about that, dad? You know, let's take this punch in the nuts, you know. So there was that kind of character was going back and forth, so I was having dialogues between the two of them. And so by the end of it, you just feel like you've seen a story and then the lights come up and it's just one dude. So you go oh, theater's fun. So that was the kind of whole.

[David Spade]

Is that the 14, you say?

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Oh, wow. Yeah. So you had to do all that is very tough to do.

[Billy Crudup]

It was. Well.

Was so tough, in fact, David, that they. During the first preview, first week of previews, I went up. I forgot my lines. And so we didn't. I've never forgotten my lines like that. And I started to have a full blown panic attack. You know, you get tunnel vision. My heart's coming out of my chest and there's only 150 people there. It's not like anything terrible, terrible. It's going to happen. But still you feel responsible for their $30 in each seed. So I called for line and we didn't have any system in place for life.

[David Spade]

So calling it back from the booth.

[Billy Crudup]

I hear our poor stage manager go.

At which point I. My pants, the full norm pits everywhere. I cut about 20 minutes from the show. And it's a thriller that your things are supposed to accumulate over time. So nobody knew what the hell I was talking about. And then I get home and my wife is like, I'm sure it wasn't that bad. And I'm telling this story a couple of years later, and there's silence at the word a brunch. And there's silence at the end of the table. And this director, who my wife knows, says, gabby, I'm sure it wasn't that bad. Right? And she goes, I was at that production that night, one of the worst experiences of my life.

[Dana Carvey]

But you know what?

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, you weren't paying.

[Dana Carvey]

Audience would never forget it, though. I'd actually rather see a debacle because, yes, it was.

[Billy Crudup]

It was a complete train wreck.

[David Spade]

Why do they say Saturday Night Live?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, this is I. We have so many. It's going to be a two hour. But why do they say when an actor loses their train of thought or they've gone up, Is that expression?

[Billy Crudup]

I. I mean, this is the first time I've thought about it, Dana. But I suppose because when you forget your lines, you typically go like this.

[David Spade]

Oh, yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Looking for you.

[David Spade]

Look up. Because you go, wait.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, maybe that's it. I don't know. I'm sure there's a better explanation.

[David Spade]

The first few beats, they think you're acting, so they don't know. And then someone. Is it. You're standing, supposed to yell it out. Is someone.

[Billy Crudup]

Well, typically it's a stage manager. But actually that reminds me of another time that I went up, but I didn't have a panic attack on this one, it was just a quick, you know, as you get older, you. I think this is my theory, guys. Any actor already has a brain that's hardwired for internalizing text. So you can take a speech, you read it once or twice, and you know the general gist of it. You get the story of it and the words kind of go. You just have a brain that's ready for that. And as you get older, that starts to atrophy a bit. And you don't. Until you're front of people and all of a sudden the words aren't there. And I was doing a play with Martha Plimpton and Ethan Hawke, amongst many others, and I had this big, long, like five minute monologue. And at the beginning of it, I went up and that was the first time I'd really gone up on stage. And I thought it was kind of funny. So I just kind of paused. And I'm supposed to be lecturing the whole group and they're listening to me and pause. And I was like.

[Dana Carvey]

It works.

[Billy Crudup]

This is an awkward experience. And so I went and sat down and just kind of put my hands together, waiting for the lines to come and to watch Martha Plimpton go from fake listening to real listening. My most joyful listening. Like this. And then she was like, oh, so.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, this isn't the way it's supposed to go.

[David Spade]

They have to adjust their acting. Because you're adjusting. You're acting like, oh, he's doing this happening.

[Billy Crudup]

Exactly.

[David Spade]

Somebody might not. They think you're coming over to make a new move on your speech. And they're like, okay, we're doing this now, right?

[Billy Crudup]

There might be. Billy's gonna improv some Tom Stopper.

[Dana Carvey]

Some Tom Stop.

It was.

[Billy Crudup]

It was a Tom Stopper play. There's no improvising there.

[David Spade]

That's funny. Sounds like a Dennis Miller reference.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, Dennis Miller had some great references.

[Dana Carvey]

Tommy Stopper, you know, it's like the Sam Shepard of the east side. All right. I don't where that came out. I just watched Baby Boom last night with my wife. Keaton. Yeah, Sam Shepard was in that. It's slapstick. It's 1930s. It's absolutely brilliant. And so is Diane Keaton and Sam Shepard.

[David Spade]

But anyway.

I'm going to tell you, Dana, something you do know, but you don't think about a lot, that the human body is fascinating. But did you know that scientists now openly say that your gut is the cornerstone of your health? The gut is the foundation of overall health and vitality. It's not just about digestion. The gut affects everything from energy to mood to weight management. I knew this. I knew this. And even longevity. But here's the problem. Most gut supplements only contain probiotics or probiotics and prebiotics at best. And that's why Bioma is different. Go ahead.

[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

Go to bioma.com fly and use code fly to get Bioma with an extra 15 discount. This is a limited time offer, so don't miss out. Claim your extra 15 savings today. You know this last year, Dana, after my big dinner slipped into the old food company.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh my goodness.

[David Spade]

Is that basically fused in with the couch? I'm talking stuffing, pie. All the fix.

I tore into.

I don't remember reading it. I said just the roof.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, one of those. Yeah. I did a lot of pumpkin pie. Yeah.

[David Spade]

Anyway, now what do you do? Now Chava is my holiday reset. I keep a couple servings in my carry on stash, some at home. My friends and family show up, the snacking gets a little too nutty. Chava has a new limited edition chocolate mint flavor.

[Billy Crudup]

Right.

[David Spade]

That's basically the holiday in the glass.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, yeah.

[David Spade]

Rich chocolate, cool mint, none of the sugar.

[Dana Carvey]

Crash might be my new favorite though. I still rotate in their chai and coconut acai. I blend mine with nut milk and frozen fruit or iced coffee.

[David Spade]

A little extra.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, right.

[David Spade]

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[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. That's right. Food coma recovery made easy. Go to kachava.com and use Codefly for 15% off. Off your next order. That's good job. Kachava. K a c h-a v a.com cofly for 15% off.

[David Spade]

You know, some mornings feel impossible, Dana. Like today. Freezing cold, holiday to do's piling up. And you just want something from your wardrobe. You just want it to make your life easy and just perform. Yeah. You want your. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Something to perform. You want a wardrobe to perform.

[David Spade]

Yeah. You want a wardrobe to bring something to the table. That's why I'm turning to Quince. Their Mongolian cashmere sweaters. Dana.

[Dana Carvey]

Mongolian cashmere sweaters.

[David Spade]

Insanely soft. 50 bucks for a cashmere sweater and looks way more expensive than they are. Italian wool coats. Structured, polished, perfect fit for these chilly months. Honestly, the down jacket, I got to get that from Quince because that's a go to it keeps you warm, looks sharp, holds up through the whole season.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes, Quince really nails the essentials. They got denim and chinos that actually fit David. Outerwear that lasts. From leather jackets to wool top coats, all made from premium materials by trusted factories. And because they cut out the middleman, you get luxury quality without the crazy price tag.

[David Spade]

You were in a high school band called Denim and Chinos if I recall.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes, and BBQ was the lead singer.

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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So where do you want to begin? I mean, morning show's out now.

[Billy Crudup]

Yep. We've got the fourth season out now and.

You know, it feels like we did it more than a year ago. I could barely remember what happened. But I know it's a great experience working on it. I've never worked on a character, you know, more than a couple of months. So to return to this, this guy where they keep writing, you know, weird for me to do has been, it's been really fun actually. The, the, the best part has been just being with the cast and the crew because it's been seven years now and you never get a chance when you, I mean you've had the, you know, I do plays and movies and wherever kind of the jobs come up. So it's like three months somewhere and you get really intense with a group of people and then you don't see them again for a while. So this one getting to come back again to Los Angeles year and year with the crew and the cast has been. That's been awesome.

[Dana Carvey]

I'll say that this true story. So my wife and I are watching, I guess season three or Something. And Jon Hamm's in it, and you're in it, and, you know, you. With live streaming shows, you. Sometimes you miss a season, you come back. So we watch your character, who's sort of a genius egomaniac, and just. And by the end of it, we went Billy Crup. I mean, we both said he. We were just sort of reintroduced to you by that. That season and that arc and that character where someone is so in the pocket and so rhythmic and so connected, and those monologues and your alpha male confidence, it just must have been a blast. But it really landed with us. We're like, hey, honey, want to watch anything else? Like Billy cries?

[Billy Crudup]

I had to convince them, though, that they didn't want me for that part. I had just done that play where I was doing all those different characters, so I was like, no, if you guys give me a lot to say, I bet I can do it. Okay. And then when I read that specific character, if you've ever spent any time in New York and gone to a gala of any kind, it's just riddled with dudes who are room readers looking for the power that they don't care about the charity, they don't care about their jobs, whatever. They just want to be in proximity to power. And they know how to read people. They talk fast, they think fast. They're very proud of themselves. They've never failed before. If they have, they thought it was a lark. And so that's not how I live. It's a sweaty experience for me being in those. But I knew those guys. And so when those monologues started to come, the writer, Carrie Aaron, she just started writing them for me. Like, she would use the kinds of ways of speaking that I would use. So it was. And I never had that experience either. It was just. She was teeing it up for me. So all I had to figure out how to do is think more quickly. Because the guy thinks in paragraphs. He doesn't think in, you know, like, little phrases. And he's sure he's seeing around corners. Knows a lot more than everybody else does. Very proud of himself. It's very easy. It's a good character in that environment, too, because everybody's so.

It. All the. The stakes are so high. Everything's so.

[David Spade]

Yeah, it's kind of wound tight. Yeah.

[Billy Crudup]

So tightly wound. And so when you got a guy who comes in and goes, hey, this won't be a problem, let me tell.

[David Spade]

You, the fifth very laissez faire, the.

[Billy Crudup]

Audience gets a quick reprieve. And then you get back to the drama.

[Dana Carvey]

So the smartest guy in the room. Who knows he's the smartest guy in the room.

[Billy Crudup]

And you know what's funny too? There is that there are plenty of producers out here, and politicians too, who will either come up to me or come up to my agent and say, that's based on me, isn't it? Because they're the smartest guy in the world.

[Dana Carvey]

Really? And Bernie Sanders said that to you?

[Billy Crudup]

Wait, how would he have said it? Dana.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm your base the character on me. Did you just have a cup of coffee? This is how I talk. I made it. Do not proceed. Why do him as a crosswalk guard in my standing back? Don't proceed.

The system's rigged. The system's rigged. He has a lot of energy for an 84 year old.

[Billy Crudup]

He sure does. He sure got a lot.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

Billy got a good line in the pilot where.

Well, the setup is we're setting the whole stage for the whole series. But I thought the pilot was super cool because it's very glossy, very expensive, it looks great. Mimi Leiter, I guess, is director from the old ER days maybe. Indeed.

[Billy Crudup]

She pioneered a lot of those Warners.

[David Spade]

And so when Steve Carell gets fired and Jennifer Aniston is sort of soaking in it and he says, nobody wants to watch a widow get fucked.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, yeah.

[David Spade]

I'm like, if I was reading the pilot, I would circle that and go, make sure that stays in, let me tell you.

[Billy Crudup]

And that was a temp one. They were like, we're gonna go ahead and do a couple takes of this. We're not entirely sure. And I have to say I think we have a couple others that were even.

I don't know, rougher.

Yes. More late night audience.

[David Spade]

But you need those lines that stand out like that. Everyone goes, whoa, okay.

[Billy Crudup]

And I would say it. And. And they go, cut. And I'd say, I need a shower.

You guys actually put that out there?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, that. Yeah. Steve Carell being a bad guy is just so much fun.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, that was great. He was brilliant in that. I was sad to see him go.

[Dana Carvey]

Such a sweet, sweet guy.

There's one little fetish I have about this, this interview, and that is that you play. I'm a track and field guy and I.

Distance running miles through.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, you did all right. About pre. Prefontaine.

[Dana Carvey]

Yes.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And you know, yours.

[David Spade]

I'm a play the field guy, but go ahead.

[Billy Crudup]

Okay. That's similar but not the same. You're not a. That's Not a dick athlete. That's a dick athlete. Right?

[David Spade]

That's. Something like that. Yeah.

I interrupted. Dan Dana's actually a good runner, so I'm glad we're talking about this.

[Dana Carvey]

I was during that running and Prefontaine was the Beatle of, of distance running. And Jared Leto did one.

[David Spade]

That's right.

[Dana Carvey]

Called Prefontaine. And then yours was Without Limits and you had Donald Sutherland. And I was just curious about your training. What did you, did you do sports in high school?

[Billy Crudup]

I did. I, you know, my dad was kind of a jockey guy. My granddad, he, he set records, high school records in, in boxing and football and track in North Carolina. And he had all the pictures up, all the clippings and the trophies and stuff. And my dad was always trying to live up to that. Tried out for the semi pro jets team, but blew up both shoulders and was selling yarn.

[David Spade]

But he was a natural next move.

[Billy Crudup]

You know, every, all of the guys who don't make it into the semi pro league.

[David Spade]

That's right.

[Billy Crudup]

Yarn, one way or the other. But he had a, A, a crazy affection for sports. You know.

Ended up coming out in a not necessarily legal way. He was a, it was a bookie for many years, but we had TVs on all the time. And so sports, it was a big thing. I don't know if you guys ever saw the Great Santini.

[Dana Carvey]

I, we both lived it. We had kind of.

[Billy Crudup]

So that was my dad.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, really?

[Billy Crudup]

Dad saw that, he called us sports fans for about two years. And he, he was the kind of guy who, my brother played baseball in high school and my dad would bring, you know, six pack of Miller High Life or whatever, start to get drunk in the stand, start yelling at the umpire, get kicked out to the parking lot where he had another six pack and start laying on the horn and yelling at him from out in the parking lot. So there was a lot of sports and I was, you know, I was the feelings guy. I was short and skinny and I put on shows and stuff, but I liked to compete. And about when you get to high.

[David Spade]

School.

[Billy Crudup]

First of all, a fastball your freshman year, if, if you're not feeling it, that, that looks really fast. And oh yeah, baseball wasn't going to be the thing for me. And soccer, which I had played since I was like, you know, first grade or whatever, I became, you know, a lot slower as the guys got faster so much so they called me Flash for a while and I thought, nope, that's not for me either. But I had always, I Had wrestled since fourth grade. And that's when, you know it's a handicap system. So you're always wrestling guys your weight. So I wrestled when I was in high school, but I was not a great asset to the team the year.

[Dana Carvey]

What was your weight class?

[David Spade]

Yeah, what were you?

[Billy Crudup]

I was 148 and I think we had 152 at the time.

[Dana Carvey]

Were you. That's, that's big for. I would have wrestled.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, you were a heavyweight.

[David Spade]

I don't even know how tall you.

[Dana Carvey]

I don't know anything.

I would have wrestled it at 112.

[David Spade]

I think I was about, honestly I was 114 or something. I was like a full pip squeak, so.

[Billy Crudup]

But I, I loved the competition. So when I, I, I got to do that movie. Yeah, I did like exercising and stuff. But there was a woman named Patricia Donnelly who was in another of Robert Towne's movies called Personal Best, which was. Yeah, you remember that, David?

[David Spade]

I do, sort of.

[Billy Crudup]

I know you do.

[Dana Carvey]

And Robert Town made a lot of great moves.

[Billy Crudup]

There was a relationship between two of the athletes and there was a shower scene. That's why I'm thinking you might remember that.

[David Spade]

All right, let's look at the clock.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. So we did our research about you and you did your research about David.

[Billy Crudup]

I mean, yeah, the research comes from just taking a hard look at him. Right.

[David Spade]

There's nothing to know. It's all, dude, stop.

[Billy Crudup]

She said, listen, the, the, the thing that'll screw you up if you do this is if we run anything more than 200 meters at a time. Because we're gonna, we're gonna do these takes and right then we're gonna, there's gonna be an hour between the setup and during that time, if you cool down, you're gonna tear something when we get back up and going again. So I'm only gonna train you with intervals. And we spent about like six weeks training out here. And the guy ran in a kind of specific way. He's sort of barrel chested and.

[Dana Carvey]

Barrel chest, bent arms a little bit.

[Billy Crudup]

Exactly. He's kind of giving it and yeah, he wasn't as efficient as some of the other runners. He liked to run with guts. So I, I just had a incredible time getting to hang out with all those people and, and, and some really world class athletes and runners, you know that. And all of them, when, when, when you see middle distance runners, it looks like they're jogging, they're running like four minute mile pace. You know, they're just so efficient with their movement and a 4 minute mile pace for anybody else is a full sprint. So learning how to do that, you know, was, that was, that was a really fun experience.

[David Spade]

They wanted them chunk together and it looks like they're all going medium totally because they're all together. But if anyone else was running, they wouldn't be able to keep up.

[Billy Crudup]

But 100% you can't. The cardio on those guys, it's unusual. They all have, you know, pretty physiologically unique bodies.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, VO2 max is a big VO2 max measurement. And Prefontaine was 84, 85. There was a Norwegian cross country skier that was 93. Then some of the people stopped testing, but Lance Armstrong apparently was an 83 or an 84. He knew he couldn't beat a 91 or a 92. Just the engine, your, the way your oxygen gets to your muscles and through your, your cardiovascular system, heart, lungs, arteries and all that. And so if you're really efficient and you have a gift, like you have.

[David Spade]

A head start a little bit.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, you definitely do. That's the gift of it. You just can run and then you can train it. But what. So I, I thought it was great. I thought you really captured it. And Donald Sutherland was, was great as Bowerman. So that, that was a tremendous movie.

[Billy Crudup]

Conrad hall, who shot Bonnie and Clyde, he was our cinematographer and.

[David Spade]

Cool.

[Billy Crudup]

You know, the fact of the matter, I was just scared shitless. That was my first like big part and I did not want to let anybody down and I, I wasn't sure that I was up for the task, you know, and so I couldn't really ever take the time to enjoy the fact that I got to, was getting a chance to work with these, you know, great people.

Conrad hall was testing out some new equipment because he wanted to do these, these specific kinds of shots where he was using a very long lens at magic hour. So low light, long lens means you have a very small depth of field, which means the focus puller, if you are running at him, has to be able to keep up with you in a very precise way. Otherwise, you know, you'll be like in real time.

[David Spade]

It's constant.

[Billy Crudup]

He was developing the laser at the time. He was one of the first ones using the laser to try to. Well, meanwhile I'm running over these hills again and again and again. He's like, all right, we got precisely. Which is not the exact great attitude to take with Conrad Hall. So never. So it was, it was, it was a bit of a mixed bag. I look back at it now and I Think, oh man, I wish I wasn't such a. I know.

[Dana Carvey]

I thought you came. I thought your Pre was great. And I thought you actually had a resemblance once you got the kind of wig on and everything and you're playing this insecure but hyper confident, hyper cocky. I mean, Pre was so charismatic. He was about, I'll get it down to a pure guts race because then no one can beat me.

[Billy Crudup]

His interviews are bonkers when you look. I mean he had such incredible confidence and he also, he, he had, he was kind of prescient about athletics as well. He was one of the first guys who was advocating saying you're not paying for anybody, you should pay for somebody. I mean, these amateur athletes are busting their balls. They're living in, you know, squalor and you're, the colleges are making money off of it.

[Dana Carvey]

So.

[David Spade]

Yeah, I've always said that like the Olympics is another feels like a scam because you go there, you train your whole life and then it's over. And even if you won, what's next? Coaching? I mean, you, you win or you lose even worse. So you trained all that for nothing or whatever. And then you go, I have to start studying for a life or a career or.

[Billy Crudup]

Because I love amateur athletics.

[David Spade]

I do love it. It's a big sacrifice for sure.

[Billy Crudup]

Socks. I mean, I went to Carolina, so I'm a college basketball fan and trying to figure out.

One of the things that is exciting about watching college athletics is you will inevitably be watching a game where a young person becomes themselves and they'll do it in front of a crowd of 30,000 people. And it is incredible to watch. All of a sudden this young athlete becomes the professional athlete that he's going to be the rest of his life.

[David Spade]

That's cool.

[Billy Crudup]

You know, you don't. If you're paying for it one way or another, I'm not sure you're going to get the same experience. But obviously I always thought it, it should be deferred income. They should be able to. There's like a pool of Money that at 25, they start to get.

Tap into the rest of their lives or something like that.

[Dana Carvey]

But well, at least they can do N I L I mean, name, image, likeness. They can monetize.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, they can do that. Yeah, exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

So that's, you know, they almost don't.

[David Spade]

Use any of those letters. It's just money. It's like, what happened to the image? Like they go, no, no, we'll just shovel you some cash.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, some of those attractive people or gymnasts that they can go on Instagram, whatever. They. They make really good money. They gotta stay in school, but there's a lot of money in professional sports. I'll just go out and say it. I don't know.

[David Spade]

Yeah, that's a hot take.

[Dana Carvey]

It is, but you want to get, like, Brock purdy and the 49ers. Got it. He. He came in as the, you know, the last guy drafted, and then he had these great seasons, but he got his contract. He's hurt now, and it had a guarantee.

[David Spade]

Yeah, he's rolling out there with 900 grand a year when everyone else is getting 40 million. He must have be like, my ship better come in soon.

[Dana Carvey]

Right. If he finishes this game, then he's on to his $200 million contract. Oh, he's tackled. He's down. They're taking him off.

[David Spade]

Yeah, I wouldn't give it to him. I wouldn't give it to him.

[Dana Carvey]

$3,800.

[Billy Crudup]

Heartbreaking.

[David Spade]

It's so brutal.

[Billy Crudup]

They're calling it now. I mean, they've got the. They've got the lines up on every game while you're watching them. So, like, probability to have a career will be the next one.

[Dana Carvey]

We have nine lives. We can keep coming back.

[Billy Crudup]

It's true.

[David Spade]

I watch those running backs. They're like, this is the running back for the next four years. And they. They pull their hamstring. They go, next guy up. We forgot about the other guy already. It's unreal.

[Billy Crudup]

It really is. It's a tough.

[Dana Carvey]

That's a rough one. Shall we talk about J. Kelly?

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, yeah, man, let's.

[Dana Carvey]

I don't want to drive the interview because I can talk to you about pre for a half hour.

[Billy Crudup]

Well, it was a fun experience. And typically, it's the people who were runners in high school or college that. That respond to it. So I'm always happy to talk about it, but. Yeah. Jay Kelly. You know who does some running in this? George Clooney.

[Dana Carvey]

Clooney.

[Billy Crudup]

He's not doing the same kind of running. He's running from something, but.

[David Spade]

Yeah. What is the premise?

[Billy Crudup]

Well, the premise is there's a guy who's in the last part of his career, an actor, a big, famous fat movie star, and he's got two daughters who he has a kind of.

Unfamiliar relationship with. They both wanted more from him than he could give. And he finishes this one big picture, and he's at home, has a, like, sort of brief. Rest of his mentor dies, and he goes to the memorial, sees some of his old friends, some of his old classmates and realizes that maybe in this process of trying to pursue this career, he's missed out on his life. And, you know, for me, there's something just gorgeous about George playing that character. The. And Adam is his agent in it and is absolutely spectacular. But. And he's really loving, adoring, kind.

[David Spade]

Yeah, he's a nice guy in it, right?

[Billy Crudup]

Sure.

[Dana Carvey]

Beautiful. Yeah.

[David Spade]

Yeah. And.

[Billy Crudup]

And George is too. And, you know, it's up also to. About America and how we attach our own expectations on a movie stars. That's like the. The gilded idea. What if everything goes perfect? You could end up with this sort of life where limousines are always pulling up for you and you're in the perfect.

[David Spade]

And is it perfect?

[Dana Carvey]

It's.

[David Spade]

It's a. It's a great, interesting concept because someone who doesn't get to do that, they have their kids and they give up their career. The whole life, they're going, wow, what if I had that? You know, I never got that. And then the person gets. It goes. I didn't get that. I didn't get the other thing, which they got.

[Billy Crudup]

I'm gonna put this out there for you guys to discuss, but I do think there's something very American about that. This capitalistic idea that we're the land of opportunity leaves a lot of people feeling like. Because most of the lives that people lead are normal and they are fine, but they're not gilded. And so when we. This country has the expectation that you have all the opportunity in the world, most people end up feeling like, oh, my great life is about to start. And meanwhile, while you're waiting for your great life to start, you miss your life. Rather than accepting the fact that, you know, you can still work hard, you might have some. There might be some great payoff there, but there's a beautiful life to be had just the same. But I think there's some of that in J. Kelly.

[David Spade]

Yeah. You know, it's funny because they always say, tell your kids you can do anything in the world. Like, you can't.

[Billy Crudup]

Right?

[David Spade]

That's a little. Exactly overreaching. Because then the whole time they'll be whatever they're doing, like, wait, I could do anything? And you're like, not really.

[Billy Crudup]

That's what I mean. That's what I mean. And. And, and you. You end up feeling. My dad, he felt like about himself the whole time because he never hit the jackpot. And that's a tough way. You know, Death of a Salesman is all about that. There's an American kind of ideal that there there. If you don't make it then you have failed. And by make it, you know, like.

[Dana Carvey]

You'Re the big wig and interfere things going system. There's whimsy to it. Like my friend knew someone who just was a nice young woman out of junior college or something. Got a job at Apple in 97, got shares, retired Millionaire. You know, we're in a casino where people can pull the slot and I'd say the. The things that had to come together for just me to get on snl.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

That the previous season wasn't so good. I was there at that time. My manager Bernie Burleson knew Lorne Michaels. I mean so there's always whimsy to it and luck. But in the end of the day, most people are hanging out, whether it's George Clooney or you and me, you're with your wife watching this show, going for a run, whatever. Most people just hang out. But it's very difficult I think especially right now. Hot take social media for young people. Everyone's a star, everyone's making millions. Everyone seems to be better looking than they are in the Mediterranean. Everyone's on a yacht and they're all curating their lives.

[Billy Crudup]

None of it's like I'm like how much of that shitty picture. Why not post that one? Because we look terrible and that's kind of how we felt that day. Wouldn't that. That makes for good content that might.

[David Spade]

Be a real like shows the life that it's not always 10 out of 10 every second.

[Billy Crudup]

I. I think that would be great. Whatever platform is going to take over.

I don't know. There's some Instagram corollary in there you could come up with.

[David Spade]

You're like, hello, Sharks.

[Dana Carvey]

Everything you get, you give up something and everything you give up, you get something. So if you're gonna get all that fame then you're. You're sort of an exotic insect out in that world.

[Billy Crudup]

That's precisely what Noah is taking a look at. You know, I think part of him too was kind of disenchanted with moviemaking. After this movie he did, white Noise came out and he didn't feel like people understood it in the way maybe that he wanted and so he wanted to make a movie that was about how lovely moviemaking is and how lovely we the experiences for the people who get to do it. So part of it is really charmed. But there's an underbelly of I think I've really missed my entire life. And.

There'S this Great line by his daughter where she says, you know why? I know you didn't want to be there? Because you weren't there. And it's like.

[David Spade]

Dagger.

[Billy Crudup]

And he goes, but all of this, everything that I've done, all these movies that I've made, all the. The ways in which I. I've transformed culture and entertainment. It must be worth something. And she's like, but what if it isn't?

[Dana Carvey]

You're like.

[David Spade]

What if I'm talking to that kid?

[Dana Carvey]

Because they are just. Just.

[David Spade]

I'd be like, you're out of my way. Just those two. And, yeah, he goes, you know, it's probably. He's going, you know, I did all this for you. And she's like, no, you didn't.

[Billy Crudup]

Yes, exactly. That's exactly it. It's. It's. I think it's a really. It's. It's a beautiful.

[Dana Carvey]

It would take some of the pretense off if we got rid of the word acting and said. And the. You know, the best pretender goes to. He can pretend in front of a lens. Really good at this. Liar. I've never seen a pretender like this, but actor. Now, your character in the movie is the one who quite didn't make it. Who's friends with George.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah. Acting school or Eddie took acting so perfect, and he didn't.

[David Spade]

That always happens.

[Billy Crudup]

I mean, the. Our worlds are replete with them. It's just, of course, it's an impossible business. And. And so George's character runs into him at the memorial. And because George is feeling like he. He's just on the. On the verge of having that idea that he may have missed out on his life. And he was like, hey, man, you were one of my buddies back in the day. We should go have a beer. The guy's like, oh, that would be really nice. Should I, you know, call your office or something? And he goes, no, no, let's go right now. So they go and have a beer, and George's character is kind of regaling him and like, oh, you were the actor we all looked up to, or whatever. I could watch you do anything. So he kind of peer pressures them into doing some impromptu acting. And so it's like.

[Dana Carvey]

It's a.

[Billy Crudup]

It's a great weird trick tries to pull off.

[David Spade]

And that's Noah Bomb back.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, Noah Bombach.

[David Spade]

We didn't say that. That's. No.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, I didn't say that before.

[David Spade]

Director. Writer.

[Billy Crudup]

Director, writer. I mean, just a fantastic collaborator. It was. It was. It was a completely charmed experience. For me to get a chance to do it and work with those guys. So I, I breezed in for four days and now I get to do. You know, we went to, we went to Venice. No, this is great.

[David Spade]

Was Adam there? I think he was right, was.

[Billy Crudup]

We had a great time in Venice and then we went to Telluride together. So I feel it's, it's all icing on the cake for me.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

So behind the scenes, just man to man, is Clooney. What's, what's, what's that all about? Yeah. No, I wanted to give Clooney a compliment in case he hears this, but.

[David Spade]

Yeah, he hasn't had one.

[Billy Crudup]

Clooney is phenomenal. He's almost exactly as you might imagine. He has the most brilliant stories. He is incredibly generous, really gregarious. I remember when we were in Venice, the, the, the paparazzi follows you on boats. It's kind of nerve wracking experience. And so Naomi and I were kind of hiding under the canopy from them and George does the opposite. He goes up and takes the wheel of the boat and so he can.

[Dana Carvey]

Get all the pictures he can't escape. He's like Mickey Mouse.

[Billy Crudup]

Out in the world is Venice is my life. And he's pretty impressive the number of ways that he's involved, not just in the career, but involved in our culture and our politics. And he's out there. He's. He's out there. He lives a very, very big life.

[David Spade]

He did a nice thing early on and came to the premiere of either Black Sheep or Tommy Boy and talked to my mom for 10 minutes and my mom will always remember it.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

And he was, he was killing it then. He's actually never really been. Not killing it for most people from er on it's been up here. So even back then he talks about.

[Billy Crudup]

His career with a level of humility too that is unusual for someone who's accomplished the kinds of things that he's accomplished. But he still has that old memory of being a working actor, not having er yet trying to get jobs, doing some shitty movies. I mean he.

[David Spade]

Facts of life.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Billy Crudup]

Were on the, the stage at New York Film Festival talking about the fact that they had both been in Grizzly 2. Which wasn't.

[David Spade]

Someone else just told us that.

[Billy Crudup]

Yes. Until like recently. And it's like they die in the first scene, but they're the headliners now on the, on the case.

[David Spade]

Oh, that's so.

[Dana Carvey]

I love George Clooney and the Descendants, which is one of a great, great one of a movie. One of those movies that my wife and I will visit once in a while.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Because it's so brilliant. And his scene at the end where he says goodbye to his wife in the hospital, that is masterclass. I mean, that's as good as it gets.

[Billy Crudup]

I agree.

[David Spade]

You know.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, I agree. He's a superb actor and he's. And there is a funny kind of thing that happens in the movie is there's a tribute to Jay Kelly and.

You see the George Clooney movies.

[Dana Carvey]

The actual ones.

[David Spade]

That's funny.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, funny.

[Billy Crudup]

So it's kind of like spoiler alert there.

[Dana Carvey]

No, that's interesting. 16. They're okay.

[Billy Crudup]

And it's supposed to be at a film festival. So when we took this to film festivals and watched the film festival crowd watching George film festival trivia, it's really, it's a exceptional and unique experience.

[David Spade]

And you. Would you call it dramedy comedy? What would you say?

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, dramedy sounds good.

[David Spade]

Okay.

[Billy Crudup]

Always likes to bring in a little bit of.

There's some edge to even his most light hearted movies. There's something uncomfortable, something. But George and Adam's relationship in particular is it's, it's really sweet and it's executed so well and there's just, it's just charming.

[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[David Spade]

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[Dana Carvey]

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[Dana Carvey]

I think, you know, we're in the same management company as Adam and you know, we know four or five managers, you know, so Adam would have a lot to draw from. So I'll be interested to see, see.

[David Spade]

Which one he picks on. He might be more like himself.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And himself as well, you know, because he's, he's just a mentor like, you.

[Billy Crudup]

Know, and we've all had people in our lives. You can't do this alone. And you can see in some of them raw ambition. In some of them you can see like distraction. And some of them, you can see like they're biding their time. But very few do you see like some mentorship and like they, they see what you specifically David Spade have to offer. Yeah. And they're able to promote that in a way that not only makes you feel good about it, but tells the story of you to people who want to hire you. And yeah, that's who he plays.

[David Spade]

And it's hard to find.

[Billy Crudup]

It's hard to find.

[Dana Carvey]

There's a great line in the movie where Adam says, he goes, you're J. Kelly and I'm Jay Kelly.

[Billy Crudup]

Exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

You know, it becomes like this and you know, it's, I'm sure you've done it yourself, you know, a young actor you saw in a play or you meet and you want to say nice things or encouragement or, and that's a skill set and an art really too, to not look like you're shining a mom. But actually, specifically, I always say specific compliments.

[Billy Crudup]

Absolutely. And not condescending either, like, oh, I'm an old stage, or whatever. It's really hard to. But it's important. I mean, I remember the people who.

Terrific actor. Victor Garber, who I did with. And do you know Victor.

[David Spade]

I just remember him being unlike Mannix.

[Billy Crudup]

Yes. So Victor. Victor was like a veteran when I was working with him first time. But the way that he was supportive was, you know, unique. It was. It's the kind of thing that you. You feel like, oh, okay, this might be a hard profession, but at least there's some people in it who I can align myself with and.

[David Spade]

Right. Some people are too competitive. It's not always the case. There's not. Everyone's out there to help you out, so that's.

[Billy Crudup]

It's mostly competitive.

[David Spade]

They want you to go away, especially if you're any good, they want you out of there. So it is good to get someone that actually feels. Feels like they give a shit. It's. It's.

[Billy Crudup]

It's unusual for some reason. Soap. This just popped in my mind.

Great movie. I mean, Kevin Klein, though. But there was some kind of competitive thing between them, so.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Billy Crudup]

I love that scene where he's on stage and he's doing it's. But it's dinner theater and he's doing Death of a Salesman and somebody's eating, and he turns to him, he goes, you're doing very well.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, man.

[David Spade]

What's. What's the play you're doing?

[Dana Carvey]

I want to talk about this because this is fascinating me. First of all, J. Kelly, November 14th in the theaters. Number. December 5th, Netflix. Okay, so then you. London, December 17th, High Noon, which I saw as a kid.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

And I remember it to this day. It really hit me hard. I think I might have been alone in 10 years old. Black and white. You're making High Noon, the gary Cooper movie. 1950s. Two, three.

[Billy Crudup]

Right.

[Dana Carvey]

As a play in London. Okay.

[Billy Crudup]

That's right.

[Dana Carvey]

Tell us about it.

[Billy Crudup]

There's a great screenwriter, Eric Roth. He wrote Forrest Gump, recently did.

Star Is Born, and has collaborated on, you know, a million things. Probably been nominated for six Academy Awards. He's never written a play before, but he was really interested in this story. And he.

[David Spade]

He.

[Billy Crudup]

He and I worked briefly together on the Good shepherd. It was called. It was a spy movie. And.

I just had ready affection for him. He was like one of the guys you're talking about, like a real mensch, like, really wants to support and Encourage the creative process. He understands how insecure everybody is and is just a really.

Expert writer. In any case.

High Noon, it turns out it was written by a guy who was blacklisted with. The timing is not necessarily correspondent, but what I think he saw coming was that in the face of.

Physical threat, people and communities will capitulate. And that this sheriff, who's been taking care of this town for 15, 20 years now and has just turned in his badge, the. The bad guy is coming back to town on the High Noon train. He's about to leave because he's just married a Quaker. And she says, I don't want you to have anything to do with guns. And the town is like, nope, we'll be totally fine. Don't worry. And he's like, wait, I can't leave you guys. I. I know what you guys were like before I got here. You're about to get screwed. This guy is, you know, slaughtered. He is a badass and he shouldn't have been released from jail. I don't know what happened. The politicians up north released him, but. So he goes around to try to get a posse together and everybody's like, like, I don't know. My shop is in really good shape.

[Dana Carvey]

I'd love to help you.

[David Spade]

The Apple Dumpling Gang.

[Billy Crudup]

Exactly. The Apple Dumpling game. Tim Conway popped out of it.

Oh, one of my all time favorites.

But. So he wrote this for the stage.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Billy Crudup]

And it's for you. I play the Gary Cooper part and so I got to figure out who my sheriff is right now. So that's what I'm gonna. I've been watching a lot of westerns now. They're actually great to revisit right now. There's one called the Oxbow Incident with Henry Fonda.

[Dana Carvey]

Another one that blew my mind as a kid.

[Billy Crudup]

My Darling Clementine. Another great, like the first Wyatt Earp story. Henry Fonda, again, freaking incredible. Shane. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

The man who Shot Liberty Valance.

[Billy Crudup]

The man who Shot Liberty Vance Balance, that's another phenomenal one.

[David Spade]

So you're in on that? You can sort of help figure out.

[Billy Crudup]

I'm going to try to. David. We went. We've got some fantastic.

Collab. The director, Thea Sharek, who is really a brilliant director and a great designer named Tim Hadley, and an actress named Denise Goff, who is just otherworldly on stage. And so, yeah, we're going to give that a go in London.

[David Spade]

Exciting.

[Billy Crudup]

Hopefully.

[Dana Carvey]

I love theater in London. I saw the Ferryman out there and.

[Billy Crudup]

I was just, oh, that was a great Production. I saw that one as well. Jerusalem there.

[David Spade]

No.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, it was another. It was a Mark Rylance one and just sublime.

[Dana Carvey]

I said with a set design, you know, like a Western town.

[Billy Crudup]

That's the problem of it.

[Dana Carvey]

Exactly.

[Billy Crudup]

So, you know, when you watch the movie, they cut from inside the saloon to. Then to the barber shop.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Billy Crudup]

Do that on the stage. So it's going to take some inventive also, too. There's a gunfight, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Billy Crudup]

How exactly do you stage that? In a way that is both, you know, dramatic enough, reveals something about what it means to be shooting at each other.

[David Spade]

Yeah. You have to tell the audience there's real bullets and you're really shooting at each other.

[Billy Crudup]

It's a great idea, David.

[David Spade]

And one person put it on the playbill. Producing.

[Billy Crudup]

We need.

[Dana Carvey]

That's.

[David Spade]

You need fresh ideas.

[Billy Crudup]

There it is, guys. Real guns.

[David Spade]

Real guns.

[Dana Carvey]

Think about it.

[Billy Crudup]

At lunch, everybody signs a waiver.

[Dana Carvey]

Let's just say it's after the intermission. We use real bullets. It's blank.

[Billy Crudup]

You can design this.

[Dana Carvey]

You can leave if you want.

[David Spade]

You come to that. You want to come to the good show or the bad one?

[Dana Carvey]

But Gary Cooper didn't have much dialogue, so you probably won't have a lot of dialogue.

[Billy Crudup]

Dana, you have hit on two of them. Major challenges in trying to stage this is he. He's. He's known as a guy of few words on stage. That doesn't really translate, you know.

[David Spade]

Are you adding your precious monologues?

[Billy Crudup]

Well, so what they've done. Yes. They've given him like an internal monologue where he gets to speak to the audience, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, he's thinking. Yeah, yeah.

[David Spade]

No, you go like this. Here's the new one. You walk into the horse. You go check out this saloon. That looks pretty cool. Oh, look, they have a general store. They're like, Billy, you sure you want to add all this stuff?

[Billy Crudup]

Hold on, I gotta write this down. David.

[David Spade]

A lot of good filler. Yeah, yeah. You need filler.

[Dana Carvey]

Here's my Gary Cooper. This is your only line in the first act, I reckon. I don't know where I'm gonna be going.

[David Spade]

Is that Obama?

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, no. I should have done Henry Fonda. If you have any problem, just do Henry Fonda. Nobody knows what he talks like anymore.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, that's it.

[Dana Carvey]

You can use that voice the whole time.

[Billy Crudup]

He could have done it on man that Is Dead.

[Dana Carvey]

Wants to listen to anyone but Jimmy Stewart from Old Timey Actors.

[Billy Crudup]

Oh, no. I mean, when Henry Fonda. His voice actually in. In those westerns in particular. That's the thing that gives him authenticity. That's the thing that makes you feel like, oh, yeah, that guy seems like a Marshall.

[Dana Carvey]

I figure I better figure out what I want to do. You know, it's kind of a very distinct rhythm. And then again, I don't like your.

[Billy Crudup]

I don't have that one yet, but I'm going to be working on it.

[Dana Carvey]

But you're going to be stoic. And how. How tall are you?

[Billy Crudup]

I'm six two.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay, so you're, you know, I mean.

[Billy Crudup]

I've played five, eight my whole life, but.

[Dana Carvey]

So you'll be six four with the cowboy.

[Billy Crudup]

You know, it's one of those things like. Like when you meet someone of a stature like myself who's running in about buck 65, 5, 5, 8, 5 9, you have to figure out what community would want him to run the show with respect to law enforcement. So he's got a couple of chances. He's got to be really good at talking. He doesn't mind negotiating uncomfortable situations. And it helps that this character is a vet. He fought in the Civil War, so he must have. And there's a couple of guys that I found online that were small guys who were, you know.

Awarded a lot of medals and stuff because they just had a screw loose and they didn't mind going into a dangerous situation. The third is you got to be really good with guns. So that's. Those are the ones that I'm going to lean on primarily is that he doesn't mind getting into weird situations and he's really good with guns.

[David Spade]

Maybe Kevin Hart could play the other guy.

[Billy Crudup]

By the way, if I had him as Frank Miller, people would say, well, that makes a perfect parent. But, you know, Kevin Hart, he's pretty stocky there. He. Yeah, he's always think about De Niro. De Niro.

[David Spade]

He.

[Billy Crudup]

He plays the power guys. Pacino played the power guys because they got a screw loose. So there's something unpredictable about them. And at the, you know, if you're on the short side of it, what's going to happen is he's going to rip your throat out.

[David Spade]

Something, you know, Pesci and Goodfellas.

[Billy Crudup]

Yeah, precisely. Exactly. So you got to figure out the good guy version of that.

[Dana Carvey]

That's interesting. That's interesting. I might come along with it and see it.

[David Spade]

That sounds cool. And Billy, I have to say, very nice to meet you and thank you. I know we're busting your balls, but it's great to have you on here.

[Billy Crudup]

Right back at you David.

[David Spade]

I appreciate it.

[Dana Carvey]

A lot of fun.

[David Spade]

Hey guys, if you're loving this podcast, which you are, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app. Give us review 5 star rating. Maybe even share an episode that you've loved with a friend.

[Dana Carvey]

If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please subscribe. We're on video now.

[David Spade]

Fly on the Wall is presented by Odyssey, an executive produced by Danny Carvey and David Spade, Heather Santoro and Greg Holtzman, Maddie Sprung Keyser and Leah Rees Dennis of Odyssey.

[Dana Carvey]

Our senior producer is Greg Holtzman and the show is produced and edited by.

[David Spade]

Phil Sweet Tech Booking by Color Cultivated Entertainment.

[Dana Carvey]

Special thanks to Patrick Fogarty, Evan Cox, Maura Curran, Melissa Wester, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Colin Gaynor, Sean Cherry, Kirk Courtney and Lauren Vieira.

[David Spade]

Reach out with us Any questions to be asked and answered on the show? You can email [e-mail] that's a U D a C-Y I dot com.