[Rerun] Adam Brody

Summary

Podcast Summary: [Rerun] Adam Brody on Podcrushed

Release Date: April 2, 2025
Hosts: Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, Sophie Ansari
Guest: Adam Brody

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Introduction

In this rerun episode of Podcrushed, hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari welcome the talented actor Adam Brody. Known for his iconic role as Seth Cohen on The O.C., Adam delves into his middle school experiences, struggles during adolescence, his journey into acting, and insights into his personal life and marriage.

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Early Life and First Tech Experiences

The conversation begins with a nostalgic discussion about early technology.

Nava recalls her first gadget:
"My first piece of technology was a digital diary that you could type into and it would save your notes... as a 10-year-old, that was the most exciting present." [00:26]

Penn jokes about his first "tech" being a spoon, adding humor to the exchange:
"It was a spoon. I just couldn't figure out how to hold that." [01:13]

Sophie shares her first tech experience:
"I had a Nokia 3000 in third grade. I played Snake on it until it was gone within a couple of months." [01:13]

Adam Brody adds his own early tech story:
"My first piece of tech wasn't a phone. It was a digital four-track that I recorded music on when I was 14." [02:05]

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Junior High Challenges

Adam opens up about his tumultuous junior high years, describing them as the darkest period of his life.

"Junior high and maybe freshman year of high school were like the darkest period of my life... It was a fairly lonely kind of scaryish time." [08:43]

He discusses the exposure to violence and the impact it had on him:
"People can get jumped. It's like, people were getting jumped, which is something I also think... is violent." [15:53]

Adam also touches on his early experiences with substance use:
"I started smoking pot early and got suspended for it in eighth grade." [10:24]

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High School and Surfing

To cope with the challenges of junior high, Adam immersed himself in surfing during high school.

"In high school, my whole four years were mostly built around surfing. I loved it and it was my way of staying close to the ocean." [09:57]

He describes the surfing culture at his school and how it provided a sense of community and purpose:
"We'd get up at 5:30 in the morning to surf. It kept me grounded and focused amidst the chaos of school life." [32:45]

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Friendships and Tragedies

Adam reflects on his friendships during his youth, highlighting both the camaraderie and the tragedies that befell his peers.

"We had a friend who tragically took his own life shortly after eighth grade. It cast a pall over our group and made the environment even more daunting." [19:24]

He also shares a harrowing memory of witnessing a friend's violent encounter:
"I remember a white kid, a bit of a provocateur, being chased by a crowd and getting utterly destroyed by the end of it. That was the last time he ever went to that school." [17:33]

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Transition to Acting

Despite his earlier struggles, Adam made a pivotal decision to pursue acting, which eventually led to his successful career.

"I never thought I'd become an actor until just before my 19th birthday. I decided to give it a try on a whim, and that's how my career took off." [10:24]

He explains how a lack of direction and dissatisfaction with surfing motivated him to explore acting:
"I was uninspired by school and surfing felt anticlimactic. Acting seemed like a new path, so I decided to commit to it." [10:24]

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Marriage and Personal Life

Adam shares heartfelt insights about his marriage to Leighton, emphasizing the strength and partnership they share.

"My best friend is Leighton, and our relationship is the most important project of our lives. We complement each other's strengths and support one another through everything." [19:50]

He speaks about the depth of their connection and the joy it brings to his life:
"I am the happiest I've ever been. Our kids are incredible, and being financially secure allows us the freedom to spend quality time together." [43:36]

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Insights on Relationships and Happiness

Reflecting on his personal growth, Adam discusses what constitutes a healthy and fulfilling marriage.

"Marriage shouldn't require you to be on the same team in terms of tolerating each other and enjoying each other's company. It's about partnership and mutual support." [36:43]

He emphasizes the importance of communication and evolving together:
"We are so fused, forever. So much of who I am is her, and who she is is me now." [40:02]

Adam also shares his philosophy on dealing with challenges and maintaining happiness:
"Being content and grateful for what I have is essential. It’s a balance of hard work and recognizing the rewards that come with it." [43:36]

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Reflections on Acting Career

Adam provides an honest assessment of his acting journey, highlighting both enjoyable and challenging aspects.

On The O.C.:
"I don't recall a particularly hard day. The set was comfortable, and I had my dog around, which made it fun." [44:25]

On Promising Young Woman:
"I knew it was going to be impactful. The script was exceptional, and working with Carey Mulligan was a highlight." [60:56]

On Shazam!:
"The kids in Shazam! are great. The concept of kids turning into superheroes is a refreshing take, filled with joy and innocence." [71:36]

Adam discusses how different roles have allowed him to explore various facets of his craft, blending enjoyment with the responsibilities of storytelling.

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Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Adam Brody offers a candid look into his formative years, the adversities he faced, and how they shaped his path to success. His reflections on personal relationships, career choices, and maintaining happiness provide valuable insights for listeners navigating their own middle school-like challenges. Adam's journey from feeling adrift to finding fulfillment in both his personal and professional life serves as an inspiring testament to resilience and the pursuit of one's passions.

Notable Quotes:

• "Junior high and maybe freshman year of high school were like the darkest period of my life... It was a fairly lonely kind of scaryish time." — Adam Brody [08:43]

• "Marriage shouldn't require you to be on the same team in terms of tolerating each other and enjoying each other's company. It's about partnership and mutual support." — Adam Brody [36:43]

• "I am the happiest I've ever been. Our kids are incredible, and being financially secure allows us the freedom to spend quality time together." — Adam Brody [43:36]

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This episode of Podcrushed offers a deeply personal and relatable exploration of the trials and triumphs of adolescence, illustrated through Adam Brody's experiences and growth. Whether you're reminiscing about your own middle school days or seeking inspiration from Adam's journey, this episode is a heartfelt reminder of the enduring quest for self-discovery and happiness.

Transcript

[Sophie]

Lemonade.

[Pen]

Nava, hit me.

[Nava]

I'm. I would I wish you were here so that I could actually with a question.

[Pen]

Oh, it's like we prepared that one.

[Nava]

That's our next tick tock. I'm gonna find one where I have to like fake slap.

[Pen]

Yeah, like. Oh, I'm sorry. We were two cams. I just got a little.

[Nava]

Yeah, okay. I was thinking about the other day in the shower. I was thinking about like, what was the first piece of like tech that I owned as a kid. Obviously for a lot of kids listening, it's like it's a silver spoon. For a lot of people listening, it's a phone. But I'm old, so my first piece of technology was not a phone. And it was a little diary that you could like type into and it would save your notes. Basically like a file, which doesn't sound exciting, but as like a 10 year old that was. It doesn't so exciting. It was like the most excited I was to get a present and I was just curious what was yalls first little like gadgety thing that you remember that you got really excited about?

[Pen]

Oh, I like this one. I keep wanting to say spoon. Yeah, it was, it was a spoon. I just couldn't figure out how to hold that.

[Adam Brody]

Spoon.

[Nava]

Is that because you don't have opposable thumbs though?

[Pen]

Yeah, it was, yeah. When I was born as a blob.

[Sophie]

I think my first piece of technology was actually a phone for a brief moment. I had a phone when I was in third grade because I'm the youngest child and I would just get like hand me downs and I think there was like an extra phone at one point. It was a Nokia 3000, 310 and I played Snake on was like gone within like a couple months. Something happened to it. Someone else in my family needed the phone back and then it was over. So that was my first piece of tech.

[Pen]

You know, surely a phone came around the same time. But since you guys have said phones.

[Nava]

Mine wasn't a phone. Mine was a digital diary.

[Pen]

That's right. I'm sorry. I checked out. I was just like, oh, you mean it? It was a laptop with one file.

[Adam Brody]

This is great.

[Pen]

This is great. Spoon would have been better.

[Adam Brody]

Knobs.

[Pen]

Spoon would have been better. It was a digital four track that I recorded music on. So I was 14, I think so. And in fact it was the same four track that I recorded that song that one of our earlier guests, Evan Rachel Wood cited as a really cringey reference. No, it was better than we Recall. But much worse than I remember.

[Nava]

It wasn't Stay with me. Didn't I?

[Pen]

No, you're not doing that.

[Sophie]

Go out walking. Go out talking.

[Pen]

No, no. By the way, it wasn't that.

[Nava]

Let's make it a single.

[Pen]

Here's what it was, guys. It was an opportunity to harmonize. I just built harmonies on that thing. Like four part harmonies. I didn't like the lyrics, so. Meaning, like, the phone didn't seem that useful, actually. They were still not exciting, you know?

[Sophie]

Yeah.

[Pen]

Texting took forever. And I think texting wasn't even really a thing yet. And Snake was maddening to me. All my friends, like, Snake, Pen still.

[Nava]

Hasn'T learned how to text.

[Pen]

Yeah.

[Sophie]

I was like, I will never respond. Texting was crazy. Like, the way you had to like, to get to O. You'd have to press 6, 3 times or something like that. You know, kids these days have no.

[Nava]

Idea what third grade Sophie had to go through.

[Pen]

Third grade Sophie, little Satanist. Just like sex shack shacks.

[Sophie]

Actually, to this day, I think because I got an early start, I'm a very fast texter, and people comment on it, like, frequently. For years, people have said, like, you're very fast. They watch me.

[Pen]

Great. You can put that on your resume when you're looking for a new podcast to host on.

[Nava]

Pen names new host.

[Pen]

Oh, it's so good. Welcome to Pod Crushed, where your hosts. I'm Pen.

[Sophie]

I'm Sophie.

[Nava]

And I'm Nava. And I think we would have been your middle school besties.

[Sophie]

And Pen's the guy who would have been invited to all the girls sleepovers.

[Pen]

I'm so excited to watch Notting Hill again. Can we please get to our guest?

[Sophie]

Yes.

[Pen]

Adam Brody. The iconic Adam Brody.

[Sophie]

That's right.

[Pen]

I mean, he's most recently, he's in Fleischmann is in Trouble, which is a brilliant show on Hulu, the miniseries. He also had iconic and memorable roles in Mr. And Mrs. Smith. Thank you for smoking and promising young woman. What a lot of you might know him from is a show about orange juice that took place in sunny Southern California called the O.C. adam had a lot of stories to tell. I feel like we could have spent a lot longer with him. So you will love this one. Please don't go anywhere. Please, for the love of our numbers, don't go anywhere. We will be right back.

[Nava]

And don't leave before we can point out that Pen Said made an orange juice joke, even though the initials of the show are OC and not O.J.

[Pen]

Nope. We're keeping it. That's great.

[Sophie]

It's like, did I miss something?

[Adam Brody]

Yeah.

[Pen]

I'm thinking to myself, like, no, I didn't. I literally did not.

[Nava]

No. I think let's keep us pointing out how dumb you are. Emphasis on this is what happens when you drop out in middle school.

[Sophie]

Stage school kids.

[Pen]

I cannot tell the difference between letters or juices.

[Nava]

They both have curves, you know?

[Pen]

Yeah. You talking about the orange juice bottle now? All I can think of is a great glass of orange juice. This is good content. We'll be right back.

[Adam Brody]

I'm Hasan Minhaj, and I have been lying to you. I only pretended to be a comedian so I could trick important people into coming on my podcast. Hasan Minhaj doesn't know to ask them the tough questions that real journalists are way too afraid to ask. People like Senator Elizabeth Warren. Is America too dumb for democracy?

[Pen]

Outrageous.

[Adam Brody]

Parenting expert Dr. Becky.

[Nava]

How do you skip consequences without raising a psychopath?

[Adam Brody]

A good question. Listen to Hasan Minhaj doesn't know. From Lemonada Media, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Pen]

Hi, everyone. I'm David Duchovny. Join me on my podcast, Fail Better, where we use failure as a lens to reflect on the past and analyze the current moment. I speak with makers and performers like Rob Lowe, Rosie O'Donnell and Kenya Barris, as well as thinkers like Kara Swisher and Nate Silver, to understand how both personal setbacks and. And larger forces impact our world. Listen to Fail Better wherever you get your podcasts. All right, so let's just. Let's just. Let's just get going. This is a joke that I didn't think I would ever tell, and it's not really a joke. Let's just see how it goes over.

[Nava]

Oh, God, what an intro.

[Pen]

Adam, I'm very. I'm very happy to have you here back in, like, 2000, I don't know, eight or something like that, when Gossip Girl was getting going and the OC had been huge, and then Josh Schwartz, who created not only those two shows, but a third named, I think it was called Chuck with Zachary Levi. Is that right?

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Pen]

We each played his sort of avatar. You played Seth in the OC I played Dan in Gossip Girl, and Zach was Chuck. And Chuck and I used to say that if all three of us were in a room, that Josh Schwartz would implode. So that's my. That's my little. That's my.

[Adam Brody]

I know. Isn't it weird? Isn't it weird to have Josh Swartz inside all of us?

[Pen]

Not the first time I've heard that.

[Adam Brody]

We definitely are cut from a similar cloth and we have such a similar backing background. It's weird. And then, of course, I married Leighton.

[Pen]

I know.

[Adam Brody]

I don't know what that says. You're the real Josh.

[Sophie]

It's all a little too much. I was looking at interviews and lots of pictures of you, Adam, last night, and I was like, if I squint, if I put these far from my face and I squint, it's like, adam, Pen. Pen, Adam.

[Pen]

But it's not just us. It's a type. It's a very much type.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, it's a type. But there is. But I think, and this is a popular phrase on I was whatever on Twitter, I was today years old when I found out so and so and so and so were different people. But I've seen that a lot for you and I. I like that.

[Pen]

No, I mean, seriously, this is why I like having you on. It's like, it's a special nod. It's a nod to the content that people want. So thank you again for coming on. You've never indicated. And I don't, you know, you're not necessarily, like, sharing all your personal details in press, but it didn't seem like you didn't indicate that you had a super awkward phase. In fact, what you said about growing up, little leads you've given about high school and stuff, you know, you spent a lot of time surfing. I think you were playing music. You were in California, you know, you said you had some relationships. You know, it sounds like maybe you had some balance and even some ease and some joy in those years.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah.

[Pen]

Is that accurate?

[Adam Brody]

You know, the truth of the matter, and, you know, I don't know, my parents will probably listen to this, and so sorry, but in many years, in many ways, junior high and high school were like the darkest period of my life, with a few other years thrown in there. But, yeah, yeah. No, and I didn't. I didn't chalk it up to awkwardness. Although I would say junior high was. And maybe like freshman in high school was awkward, but really like a sort of, I think a loneliness. I think adrift. It was a fairly lonely kind of scaryish time with also other great, you know, highs. Highs as well. Sure.

[Pen]

I mean, highs as well. I think parents, for better or worse, can't protect you from all those things. And then they're often the source of those things. I've said a lot on this show, so I won't bore you with my story, but those years, for me I think were the darkest as well. I'd say about 12 to 12.

[Adam Brody]

Oh, interesting.

[Pen]

Was the darkest.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah. Yeah. You know, same for me. Same for me. 12 to like, 8, 9. Yeah, 12 to 20. And then with a, like, couple years in my late 20s, you know, throwing my butt.

[Pen]

But in this way, we are also very similar. I guess I'm also curious, like, because you are such a performer for a living, not only do you act, you play music. So you were surely on this path as well. So, like, I'm just curious. Keep. Keep painting that picture for us. This young kid who was, I guess, you know, as you say, struggling and then. And then on. On his way to making a living out of expression. That's. That's really, you know, that's quite poignant.

[Adam Brody]

If you think about it. Yeah. When I was 10, 11, 12 years old, I'm roughly or, like, almost exactly the same age as Macaulay Culkin. I remember seeing Home Alone and going like, hey, I'd really like to do that. And then meanwhile, River Phoenix was being real cool and dramas, and I was like, I'd like to do that. And I brought it up to my parents and they were like, we can't take your auditions in la. I lived in San Diego. We worked full time, but, you know, go do a play. So I did. I did Inherit the Wind at the local community theater, but it was for adults, and I just was a newspaper boy and I had a few lines and wasn't, you know, so it was kind of boring. It was interesting, but I didn't pursue it. And I completely never thought twice about it until I, you know, pretty much right before my 19th birthday. So all to say, I had really. Except for flirting with it for, you know, a couple months in sixth grade, I never thought I would be an actor. That was something I sort of decided to try on a whim. And. And I think that actually, had I known what I wanted to do, that would have alleviated a lot of my stress, but I didn't. And in fact, I. In junior high, I was really into, like. I started smoking pot early and was really. And I. I love pot, but I mean, like, you know, too early is too much. Junior high, too early. I got in a trip, you know, I got suspended for it in eighth grade. I didn't get to go on the Washington D.C. trip, et cetera. And. But all to say that I guess I was into, like, pot and, like, grunge was big then, you know, and I was into music then. And then in high school, my Whole four years was mostly built around surfing. And I loved it. But I also knew, you know, I was already, you know. You know, at 14. Like, you know, you're not gonna be professional if you're not already amazing. You know, I knew I wanted to build my life around that somehow. I just thought, like, I'm gonna live by the ocean. I'm gonna surf. I can't wait to be out of high school and surface just when everyone's in school. It was really just as long as I have an apartment somewhere, somewhere closer to the beach than I live with. My parents, we lived inland, and I was always trying to get closer to the ocean. I thought that would be enough and exciting. And so I went to junior college for a semester. I was like, I don't even know what I want to do. So I'll just take two classes and I'll work at Blockbuster and live in this apartment with a couple other guys and finally have my dream of surfing on, like, Wednesday morning at 10am and it was so boring, so quick, you know, I was so, you know, it just felt so anticlimactic, so unglamorous, so. And it kind of freaked me out. And so very quickly, my roommate and I, you know, we had another friend in LA who was starting to be an actor, and we thought, like, let's go, just give it a try and I'll give it a year and see if that's something that I make some headway in and have a knack for and I'll go from there. But that's that. I think part of what was missing for me was a sense of direction. And I was so uninspired by school. It was just. It was like white noise to me. I mean, it just bored me to tears and to the point, like, I didn't. I understand now that I think I'm smart. I didn't even think that in high school. You know, I didn't think of myself as smart. I didn't think of myself as funny. So I don't know. That's that. And then junior high in particular. You know, there's a socioeconomic element to this that I'll never, You know, I only have my own myopic view on, but I went to. So I don't even know. It's tough to. I'm trying to, like, say kind of what class. I grew up a little bit, and, you know, it's middle, I think, you know, maybe it's upper middle per capita for the country, but, you know, but they had an elementary School in my school, and that was fine. Or in my, in my suburb. And then we went to the neighborhood over. They didn't have a junior high. And although I don't think of it as a rough town, you know, or part of town necessarily, it was definitely tougher than where I grew up. And yeah, I saw more like fights and violence and saw some like, darker stuff in those two years than I did in my high school preceding or the following four where I went to like the new high school that opened in my suburb.

[Pen]

That's interesting.

[Adam Brody]

And, you know, I survived. Most of us survived. I mean, you know, not every, I don't know, not everyone. I mean, we had a friend kill himself, but I don't think it was junior high. Yeah, yeah, in eighth grade. It was one of the things, one of the kind of tragic things that happened there. Um, and you know, but yeah, it was, it was, it was, it's kind of violent. Kind of violent like a couple years where like all of a sudden you're in. You're in elementary school and like you've never seen a fight and all of a sudden you're in seventh grade. And like, people can get jumped. Not just fights. Like, it's like people are getting jumped, which is, you know, it's like. And I apologize for my naivete, this is probably most fucking schools, you know, But. Which is a shame. But for me, as a like pre pubescent 13 year old, it was kind.

[Nava]

Of dramatic, I think also Adam, it's like okay and normal and good to not feel comfortable with violence. Like, I feel like that there doesn't need to be any, like, nervous qualifiers.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, yeah.

[Nava]

Like, you were 12. Like, it was not cool that you were like exposed to violence. No 12 year old should be.

[Sophie]

Yeah, exactly. It's a lot of stress to deal with on the way to chemistry. Like, am I gonna get jumped? Am I not?

[Adam Brody]

Well, speaking of that kind of thing, I remember vividly. I'll never forget it. It's pretty funny. This one kid, white kid, like, shaved head, friend of mine, but like kind of a little bit of a provocateur. Punk, you know, like, punk was into him and another friend. This outside where like the parents pick you up, right, right at the gate. I remember, like, him running with his backpack, my two friends running to the car, to his mom's blue minivan with like, in my mind a sea of people chasing them. Maybe it was just five, five more. It was like a good, a good 10 people chasing them to, you know, fucking hurt him. They Dive in the car. Literally. They're beating their moms. The other guys are, like, kicking in the mom's minivan as they're, like, trying to close the door and, like, trying to topple it as she peels out. And he never goes to that school. That's the last time he ever went to that school. But a true, like, yeah, like a. What do you call? Heroin escape. But that's something I also think, like. And I'll shut up. I'll be done in a sec. This is the last thing I'll say. But, like, yeah, the hour's almost done.

[Nava]

This is all about you.

[Adam Brody]

But I also think in terms of awkwardness, like, as someone who, like, did not remotely start entering puberty in seventh grade. And, like, I think it was funny. It's like, you know, they go. All of a sudden, every day you have PE and they're, like, getting those showers. Everyone get naked, all hundred of you, unsupervised. Like, we're not really keeping close eyes. Enormous cold shower. You have to shower every day. You better get in there naked. But also, like, we don't care. We don't care what you do with your clothes. Those I never took home in a year, Meaning the PE Clothes. So they'd be everyone. No one did. So you'd have these truly awful, mildewy, disgusting clothes by the end of the year that you would throw out at the last day. But, yeah, first thing seventh grade, 100 of you get naked in there in the showers and then fights in there. Everyone would. I didn't. But naked, slip and slides through it. One time, I was like. My leg was warm. I turned around, like, this kid's peeing on me and then ran away.

[Pen]

Adam, you are a rich vein of middle school stories, possibly more than any other guest. You're just listing them. You're like, yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I mean, keep going.

[Adam Brody]

The school is Wagenheim Junior High School. I don't know if it still exists. I don't know if it's considered nice or bad. Probably somewhere in the middle. But, yeah, for me, that was more traumatic than the following four years of high school.

[Sophie]

Adam, you initially mentioned some feelings of loneliness, and then you did also mention these two friends. I'm wondering if you can tell us a little bit more about your friendships. Did you have people you felt you really clicked with?

[Adam Brody]

Yes, I did. You know, I always, like, I always wanted and maybe never totally had that, like, best friend, you know, I had, like, revolving best friends in My life, but I never had that one that really stuck, you know, I mean. I mean, for sure. My best friend is Leighton, and I.

[Pen]

Was actually gonna say. I could feel that when you said that, by the way.

[Adam Brody]

Oh, yeah. And that's beautiful. Yeah. But, you know, and I have a lot of good friends, and I have a lot of guy friends, but, you know, I've always been even jealous of, like, you know, you meet the writing duos or directing duos, and it's like they've been making movies since whenever. And I'm like, that's amazing. You know, And I have old friends, for sure. But. So, yeah, there was a group, but like I said, one got chased out school, the other died tragically. I don't know if it was, you know, I say suicide, but I think it was. This was, like, right after. I don't know what it had to do with. It was his dad's gun. And I don't know if it had to do with Kurt Cobain at all. He did, like, Nirvana a lot. This is, like, the year of his death. And to me, I find he was also, like, the most popular of us, the kind of most developed, the most experienced. Like, he was the. You know, if there was a leader or someone who's the most confident, it was him. And I find it hard to believe, even though I'm sure it's possible, and I have no clinical experience but that he was so depressed that he couldn't take another day. You know, I find it. I feel like it was more an accident in some capacity or another, but that certainly cast a pall. And he wasn't even my best friend. It's not like I knew kind of. Yeah. I mean, he was in our circle, and I was very friendly with him, but it was more just like a dark thing that happened that sort of. That clouded it. Like I said, you know, I also got suspended, and that was. Who cares? But, you know, in the. In the. I don't know, it just made it again. It made it a little more adult in eighth grade. And, like, I'm talking to the cop, you know, and they're not gonna arrest me, but we arrested the other guy who was selling you the pot and whatever. You know, it felt like adults kind of quickly.

[Pen]

The picture you're painting is vivid and sort of Technicolor, as dark as elements of it are being at all close, significantly close to somebody who takes their own life or even just dies suddenly, especially with a gun. I mean, in this country, this is becoming more common. But it certainly shouldn't be because it's a tragedy that marks your youth.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah. And I think too, you know, hopefully, if there's any counterweight to that, and I don't, I think generationally we are more in communication with our kids than every, you know, I think we, you know, communication is getting better between generations, you know, and so I just think like, you know, with my parents and all parents of that generation, like, you just didn't talk in the same way. You know, I have a hope my kids are much younger still, but, like, I just have a hope that I will be able to have more, get on their level more and have more of a, you know, open communication and be more knowledgeable myself about how it might affect you and, you know, how it might affect them. And so I think when I say a little bit lonely too, I don't know, my parents were always a safe place. But, you know, I mean, anyone you grow up and they recede more regardless, you know, But I feel like, yeah, I don't know, you know, they were, they, they were working as most people, as most are. But it's also like we weren't, I don't know how much we were talking and you know, I mean, I do know not that much. And, and I love them, I have a lovely relationship with them, but, you know. Yeah, I think some of the things are generational. So if there's anything that gives me a little bit of hope going forward, it's that, like, the lines of communication I think might be more open.

[Sophie]

Yeah. We had someone on our show, Gabor Mate, who is a physician and author and talks a lot about child development. And Nava actually asked him a question. She asked, how can we prevent trauma that's experienced or a traumatic event that's experienced in those adolescent years? How can we prevent that from kind of crystallizing into long term trauma? And his answer, or part of it at least, was to talk about it. To have adults in your life who can talk about it with you.

[Nava]

But he did specify too that it shouldn't be your parents.

[Sophie]

If it is your parents, you're really lucky. But oftentimes it won't be.

[Nava]

Yeah. That for most people, they don't have that relationship and that it's really important in communities that there be adults that you trust that you can go to. And actually, as you were speaking, Adam, I was thinking, I agree with you about parent and children relationships, and that's really important. But we're more and more isolated from communities and I think human beings just as like tribal, sort of like the nature of our species is actually to be in groups and we thrive in communities and we're like, more and more isolated and especially with technology, like people being behind their screens. This generation is the loneliest ever documented. The most anxious, the most depressed.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah. All that I know.

[Nava]

And it has to do with isolation. Like, that just has to be a key, key part of why there's so much anxiety amongst this generation.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah.

[Nava]

Sad.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah. I don't doubt that at all.

[Nava]

Stick around. We'll be right back.

[Sophie]

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[Pen]

One of the most powerful things we.

[Sophie]

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[Adam Brody]

Flies, the running to the curb every.

[Sophie]

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[Adam Brody]

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[Sophie]

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[Adam Brody]

Even in, like, second grade, I remember, I mean, you know, and I think she felt the same. I'm not sure. But I, in my hindsight, I feel I had a girlfriend briefly. You know, like, I was early to dating, early to, yeah, falling in love or at least in, in lust and like, and friendship, all those things. And so I felt like I had a couple girlfriends in elementary school. They were both tomboys that I believed, like, were very good athletes that turned out to be lesbians. I don't know, I don't know what that says, but it's, it's a funny coincidence. And then, you know, I kind of felt like by the time I got to high school, and I think honestly, part of the reason I was so, like, one of the reasons I was so underwhelmed with my high school and high school in general and more drawn to the beach and that culture is because by the time I got into high school, like, I knew the small pool of girls and there was just no one excited. Like, I felt like the dating pool was too small and, you know, and so, yeah, it didn't have that, like, glamour or appeal or excitement to me, you know, a little bit when I was in the younger grades and there were older girls, you know, to have crushes on. But basically, like, yeah, by the time I was older, I was dating girls, like, I met at the beach and Things like that in that world. Because, you know, the beach I went to, a few of us surfed for my high school. But then.

[Pen]

Wait, four year high school?

[Adam Brody]

No, from my high school.

[Pen]

Oh, sorry. Kind of surfing team?

[Adam Brody]

No. Well, they did have what we did have. It was kind of this, like, it wasn't a scam, but it was. This explains a lot of my words.

[Nava]

A nice way to start that sentence. I'm excited.

[Adam Brody]

We had we, like four of us in our school because there's only like four serious surfers in my school, as an inland school, had what is, you know, what was called surf PE and it was like, basically you could do it for anything. If you were training to be an Olympian or a professional athlete, you could like, ostensibly, I'm going to be an ice skater in the Olympics for a fifth period. I need to go and train at the ice rink. I'll have my professional coach sign a bunch of papers. You sign up for it, and then somebody, an adult professional, signs the papers and you get the free period and nobody's checking on you. And that's what we did. But it's not like I didn't surf. I mean, I surfed. We would get up at 5:30 in the morning and surf. And consequently, I slept through all of high school. I mean, that was another reason it was uninteresting to me, is cause I was asleep, I was so tired. But anyways, yeah. So all to say, like, I was much more drawn to, like, you know, everything that was happening culturally at my local surf spot.

[Nava]

Adam, just before we leave, this topic of love. And I think you listened to it, so this will be fresh for you. But Leighton shared a sweet story of the first time she. The first time you entered her consciousness was on someone's screensaver, actually, before you guys met or she was aware of you as an actor. And I'm wondering if you remember the first time Leighton entered your consciousness.

[Adam Brody]

I think the first time I saw her is when I met her. And forgive me if you were you. I don't know if you'll know if you were there or not, Pen. I remember us having an early conversation on a rooftop in Manhattan.

[Pen]

I remember being in a party or something with you.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, small parties.

[Pen]

I'm pretty sure Layton was there, but.

[Adam Brody]

Previous to that, at Canters, the deli in Los Angeles. I used to eat there all the time. And I think Josh. I was there on my own with maybe a friend or two. And Josh happened to be like, taking a bunch of the cast of Gossip Girl through, like, After a party for like your first upfronts. And I saw her and yeah, that's when I. That's when I saw her. And yeah, I was smitten instantly. And I was, you know, smitten for a long time. I didn't get to know her for many years after, even though we even worked together briefly and, you know, I didn't get to know she's so lovely and she's so sweet, she's so nice, she's so good. And yet, you know, and this is to her credit, but she remained elusive to me for so long, you know, and aloof. I didn't, I couldn't like, get a total read because, you know, even though she professes to be. To have been interested in me and all those things, you know, you know, not only did she not pursue that, I mean, she was perfectly willing to let that never happen if it never, you know, like many, many false starts. And yeah, she was. She was perfectly willing to let that message in the bottle return to sea. And at several points, that means she.

[Pen]

Already had faith in your love. She was already letting you go.

[Adam Brody]

She says, oh, it's because I knew if we did it would be the thing or like, it's too powerful. That's what I said, I think.

[Nava]

So that was actually a line in Gossip Girl and she's respecting. Get back to you.

[Sophie]

Well, you two have been married for quite a. Quite a few years now. I don't know how many.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, we just had our N9 anniversary.

[Pen]

Nice.

[Sophie]

Wow. Well, I'm wondering if there's anything sort of surprising about marriage or about relationships that you've learned with Leighton.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, I mean, well, let's see here. I mean, there are the basics, like, because I've been in. I thought I was in long term relationships before, and while I was, I had been in a few two, three year relationships. A two year relationship. And, you know, they felt significant and they are in certain ways, but there's no comparison in my mind to the level of like, they didn't require teamwork in the same way, you know, we didn't have to be on the same team. We had to like, tolerate each other and enjoy each other. And as soon as is, we weren't going our separate ways. And not only when you're married and have that commitment, but, oh my gosh, when you have kids, you know, you are partners on the most important project of your life. And there's a lot of work required from both of you. And it's not just. Even though it's Immensely. It's the most pleasurable thing in my life. It's not always instant pleasure, and there's a lot of, you know, compromise and pride swallowing and, you know. But we're very fortunate. And I also think, if done right, if you can be so fortunate, you know, and this is kind of Leighton's line, but, like, I believe it, too, and I don't. I don't. Hopefully it doesn't sound condescending or, like, gloating, but we kind of both, I think, believe. And I think it's just a romantic in us, maybe, or our penchant to not fight. We're just. I've never been like, a. I've never had screaming matches with anyone I've ever dated. But, like, marriage shouldn't be. You know, there's a trope of, like, marriage is hard, and I don't think so. I don't think it's in its best form. It shouldn't be. Raising kids is hard. It's very hard, and, you know, you got it. But ideally, like, you're complimenting each other, you know, your skill set, and you're growing together. And, like, it shouldn't. You know, I personally would be unhappy if I thought my big takeaway from marriage is fucking hard, you know? Yeah. I don't know. I'm a romantic, and I sort of have. I'm so fortunate. And to brag, you know, I've, like. I pursued a career, and so I don't know what else I would have done. There's a million ways I could have been stuck in something I like. Okay. But I was so fortunate to be able. Able to pursue and have a career in something I love. And I feel the same way about, you know, my relationship and marriage. And so, yeah. And it's a dream. And it's also funny to have been at this sort of milestone of time and look back and go, like, you know, you're different people. You started. You're now both different people than you were when you started, and the world is different. And not only that, but you're. You're so fused, you know, forever. Yeah. And so much of who I am is her, and who she is is me now. You know, it's. It's. And we're just fortunate that, you know, we're fortunate to love each other like we do, because, yeah, it would be. It would be tough if we didn't. But anyways, I don't know. I don't know if those are surprises or anything. They're not exactly.

[Nava]

But those are beautiful, Adam. I'm really happy you shared that. Yeah.

[Adam Brody]

Okay. Thanks.

[Pen]

And I was just thinking, too, that, like, you've come a long way from the adrift. The. As you described, the adrift. Youth.

[Sophie]

Like, say it.

[Nava]

I thought you'd say lonely boy. The adrift, lonely boy.

[Pen]

No, I don't talk in pop culture sound bites, Nava.

[Nava]

It didn't even enter my mind, you know, that one.

[Pen]

Honestly, like, you know, you described. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I mean it. You know, it sound like you're kind of aimless. Feeling aimless, at least. Feeling adrift. Feeling like, you know, you really didn't know what was going to happen, but you pursued a career and achieved it. And, you know, having a healthy and successful marriage and family with kids, it's just. That's an amazing thing. So, like, congratulations is the wrong thing to say because it's your life, but, I mean, it must.

[Adam Brody]

I'll take it.

[Pen]

Do you get. Do you get a sense of, like, gratitude or satisfaction or happiness or just the sense of how you've grown?

[Adam Brody]

Absolutely. I mean, I'm. I'm. I'm the happiest I've ever been. I'm the most content I've ever been. I'm the proudest I've ever been. And, you know, to go on bragging further, oh, my God, you know, I mean, the proof of it all to me is in our kids. You know, like, they're so great and we have such a great relationship with them, you know, and I feel like that's the ultimate. That's just the ultimate. I don't know, that's the reward and that's the satisfaction. And that's even where a lot of the source of pride comes from. For me, a big part of perhaps our happiness, a big part of our. Is the fact that we are so financially secure and we have such dream jobs with such dream schedules that we are allowed the freedom. We are free from the pressures of a lot of the pressures. Not all of them, but a lot of the pressures that 99% of people have. And also we have more time, unlike even my parents, to spend with our kids. You know, I mean, that's one of my favorite things of this job. Now, being an adult is the work life balance. And so that puts us in a different realm, and it's a real different context. So, you know, I could sound. I'm aware that I could sound wildly out of touch when I say the stuff about my marriage. And I also say the stuff about our kids. But, you know, I just think the idea. And I think people feel this way less and less, but it's an outdated idea. You have kids and then you work, work, work, and then they're off to college, and you're 18 and you're out the door and you're done. And I'm just like, why would you do it? Why would you do it? It's the most work you'll ever do. If you're not gonna be best friends, if you're not gonna want them sleeping in the fucking bed, why, you know, like, you're bed. I mean, not always, but if you're not gonna want to hold their hand every minute of the day, like, God, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of work just to, like, you know, just to go, like, I did it. You're successful, Job done. Come see me at Christmas. You know, I don't know. I mean, perhaps that's satisfying enough to most people. And, you know, most people, again, are just putting one foot in front of the other, and so are we, to an extent. But, like, I just feel, like, so happy and fortunate to be able to drink it in.

[Pen]

Yeah.

[Adam Brody]

Because. Because, holy shit, is it, you know, hard work, but also hard work's rewarding.

[Pen]

It's nice. And it's refreshing to hear someone say, with some confidence, like, to talk about their happiness. It's a really lovely thing.

[Adam Brody]

Oh, yeah. Okay, cool. Thanks. Well, I just feel. I feel so fortunate, and I feel like also, like, well played, Adam. Well played.

[Pen]

Okay, well, you know what? That's enough.

[Sophie]

Pat on the back now.

[Pen]

I've had enough.

[Nava]

We're editing in that one. Adam, let's talk about your career a little bit. You've done some of the most iconic, I think, some of the most iconic projects ever, some incredible movies. I just want to ask you one question about the OC because we would be remiss not to. I actually just want to know if you could share one of the, like, most joyful days on set and one of the hardest days on set.

[Adam Brody]

You know, I don't recall a particularly hard day. And I think of it all as mostly joyful, you know, even in the second half, which I've been very open about, you know, being much more disillusioned with. And while I still maintain that I was friendly to everyone, I certainly was not as respectful of the work as I could have been. But also, you know, it is what it is. And anyways, even with that said, because I knew everyone so well, because I. Because I was so comfortable. Because it was, for whatever reason, I was able to do so much reading on that set. Just stuff like novels or, you know, newspaper, whatever. It was a very comfortable. I had my dog around. It was a very comfortable set. So even in the latter years, when the work was less invigorating and even when I dated my co star for a big portion of it, and then we broke up and we were still hanging out, like a day later, it was still fine and friendly and still hanging in each other's rooms and chatting and like. So I'll just say, like, I don't recall a particularly hard or dark day. And in general, the whole thing was pretty fun.

[Sophie]

Yeah. I heard you say something in an interview that I really admired. You were talking about acting and you were saying, like, there are some projects that you've been extremely proud to be part of and that you, like, respect the art and you loved. And then also, on the other hand, you also see it as a job. And so if there are some roles you want to take to be able to work and to be able to feed your family, you're going to do that. And I think that's not always how people talk about acting in that industry, but it is a job. And hopefully it's also a way that you can express your art and your creativity. But I just really loved that take. I feel like I hadn't heard anyone say that before.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, I think, you know, a lot. I mean, listen, I think people don't want to disparage the projects they're in. So anything they're doing press for is always the most challenging. And it's exactly what I want to do, because X, Y and Z. But, you know, I mean, myself, it's like, I watch a lot of stuff. How many things do I really like a year? 5, 10? You know, what are the chances I'm going to be in one of those? In anyone? I mean, a great script, a great original story is very hard to come by, and everybody knows it and everybody wants in. And so it's competitive and it's. But that said, I've had as much fun. In fact, maybe the most fun I've had are on comedies that aren't particularly good, where they kind of require a lot of improv and we're all just making each other laugh. And the script certainly is not sacred. They don't turn out to be the best products, but that's kind of where I have the most fun. Honestly. There's another excitement to when you're doing something, you're like, I think this might be kind of special. We might be. You know, that's its own kind of excitement. But, you know, in a way that comes with a different level of, like, stress. And in some ways, I think the worse it is or the more one dimensional it is, the more I can kind of, like, the freer I feel if it's really good. I'm like, I just want to do this service. I just, like, it doesn't even need my input. It's perfect. Let me just try. Try and sing this how it's written or whatever, you know, I mean, look, the perfect blend is both. It's like, it's written beautifully, but it also wants a bunch of new inspiration and taken in a bunch of different directions. But again, oftentimes when it's not as well written, I feel like the stakes are a little lower, and I feel like there's more blind spots in it or room to throw in extra ideas. And so, yeah, I don't know. That's. That's. That's fun. But so, yeah, I guess to summarize, be creative in anything. High brow, low brow, whatever. And it's all, you know, it's all a lovely way to make a living.

[Nava]

Speaking of five good projects I love Fleischmann is in trouble. I think it's, like, one of the best. I'm obsessed with that show in succession. For me, those are two of the best written TV series I've ever seen. And with Fleischmann, I really liked it because this is a little bit of a spoiler if you haven't seen it, but there's like a. I don't know if it's gestalt or gestalt.

[Pen]

Yeah. So I am actually finishing the second episode for once. I am really enjoying a television show.

[Sophie]

That I could do a television.

[Pen]

And I know we want to talk about it, but I rarely am ever in a position where I'm caring about spoilers, and I finally am. And for the sake of my podcast, do you want us to talk in a coded way? Nope, Nope. I'm gonna have to sacrifice it. I'm gonna have to sacrifice it.

[Adam Brody]

All right, all right, all right. Okay, fine.

[Nava]

I have to sacrifice the question or you're gonna sacrifice.

[Pen]

No, no, I'm getting. I was like, no, we're not sacrificing it by sacrifice.

[Adam Brody]

You know, if it's any consolation, I read the book first and the scripts, and then still. It's still satisfying.

[Nava]

The show pulls off this switch in perspective on A character in a way that I've never seen. So you feel one way about Claire Dane's character pretty much to like half. A little more than half. And then there's an episode where you see everything from her perspective and it's not that you're seeing like she has a secret life or it doesn't pull anything like that off. It's just that suddenly she's reframed the exact same series. It's just reframed. And your point of view completely changes and your understanding of what the show is about completely changes. And I just, I don't know, I just found it so stunning. And your character was a bit of a surprise. You know, you think he's just gonna be one way and then he ends up being like the most grounded of the three, the most mature of the three. Although he starts the most. You perceive him as the most immature, the most sort of superficial, and he's not that way. That's a very long ramble. But I wanted to ask you from your perspective, what is the show about? Because my idea of what it's about keeps changing and I haven't quite landed.

[Adam Brody]

In some ways it's like the death of the American century happened then I feel like. And so I think it, for me it speaks to that, but I think it also very much there are, you know, it takes what is a male, a popular male POV and trope really. The man, the midlife, the sexual reawakening, and he's not a philanderer, but the sexual reawakening of a middle aged man, which is popular in literary forms mostly and it has a very novelistic feel. It was a novel. And then it also has a ton of the voiceovers in it, which I like because it, it feels like it's about writing, even though, you know, it's really just a subplot. But. And then much as Lizzy Kaplan's character, who is a stand in for Taffy Ackner, who is the writer, was a magazine profile writer and she would often say, I would, I would kind of. I would always write about men for these men's magazines, but I would have to like Trojan Horse, My Woman's Story, I kind of make it about me, but like feed it to them as it's a man. And then they would pay attention if I sort of. If I trojan horsed myself into it. And that's what happens in the show and in the.

[Nava]

I want to scream because it's so good. Because you totally think it's about Him, Jesse Eisenberg. And then it's about the women. It's incredible.

[Pen]

Yeah.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah. And it's about. In fairness, it's about him too.

[Nava]

It's about him too.

[Adam Brody]

It starts and it serves you up, this thing you feel you've seen before. Even though it's. It's really well done and I think still has a freshness all its own. But then it sort of. It just subverts. It's about subverting a genre. It's definitely sad, but I also find it personally, and I think the reason a lot of people watched it as well, I've heard it's wrecked a lot of people, but at the same time, I find it very hopeful and I do find it romantic. I don't find it bleak. I think they will all live in love again. And it's beautiful. It's shot well. It's lyrical. It's New York City. It's. It's gorgeous. It's like. It's still aspirational. So, yeah, I mean. I mean, but I mean, I guess most ostensibly it's about a bitter divorce. I mean, you know, if I had to give the one line. But I think it's. I think there's more going on there, which is the beauty of it. Claire Danes has a traumatic but very common, all too common birth story in the show. And I think that really hit home for a lot of people, women and men, and hasn't been dramatized in popular culture in this way before. I don't think it's been quite shown exactly like this. So that also seemed to really speak to people.

[Nava]

That last scene, is it Lizzy Kaplan closing the book or is that really happening?

[Sophie]

I can still hear her.

[Adam Brody]

This is not a spoiler.

[Nava]

I didn't say what the scene was.

[Adam Brody]

You're asking, but you're asking, is it real or imagined?

[Nava]

Yeah. Is it real or imagined?

[Adam Brody]

I definitely don't know. And I think even Taffy would not, you know, would. Probably has both opinions. You know, I mean, I'm sure even to her own self it's undecided, but, you know, for me, it's the book. You know, that's my take too.

[Nava]

I think it's the book too. Yeah, There's.

[Adam Brody]

I mean, it's just. I mean, look, it's literally what she just said, how the book is gonna end. Also, there's a great cameo in it and it's a perfectly meta. Timed one. But Lizzie says that. Says how this is how I think the book's gonna end. She walks out into the like outside to wait for Toby and right when she goes outside to light a cigarette in the foreground but well lit is Taffy. That's the only cameo she has in it. And then she passes Taffy. So I don't know. I feel like the author appearing right there in that moment where potentially everything from here on out could be fantasy. There's something there that's so cool.

[Nava]

I didn't notice that. Thank you, Adam.

[Pen]

Yes, I didn't realize it was based on a book. And it all sounds so brilliantly conceived from start to finish.

[Nava]

Yeah, it is, it is, it is.

[Sophie]

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[Nava]

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[Sophie]

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[Nava]

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[Sophie]

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[Adam Brody]

It's hard to commit to your favorite every. Anything. Once you do, you're like, does this. This speaks for me? This is the best. This is the. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sophie]

No, I mean, so far I think it's my favorite film. And I'm wondering what it felt like to shoot that. Did you know, while you were shooting it? Like, this is going to be impactful.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, yeah, I did. You know, I watched a short that Emerald Fennell the director did first, and it was very similar. It was like, it was candy colored and it was mean, it was nasty. It was like. And funny and dark. And then this script read like, I don't know, it reminded me of some of these scripts I've seen over the years and some went on to be really big movies and some not, but where you just like, everyone knows it's edgy and well written and it's also, at the same time very broadly circulated and very industry friendly. You know, it's not like a little indie script that you. And it's, you know, Europe. You're cheerleading and it's like, no, the town knows, like, this is the cool. This is the hip one.

[Sophie]

Yeah.

[Adam Brody]

But anyways. Yeah. And then the cast was like, you know, they just. There's just. It's just filled with great cameos, but anchored by Carey Mulligan. And so. Yeah, no, I Knew for sure that the floor for that movie would be pretty high.

[Nava]

Every time I think about Promising Young Woman, which I also really loved. It's one of the only movies that I've watched back to back. I watched it with my dad and then I went back and watched it the next day. Cause I was like, I need to process this. It's so powerful. But I heard Carey Mulligan tell a story about, you know, the scene I'm spoiling. I'm ruining everything.

[Adam Brody]

Oh, yeah. No, no, no. The poor.

[Nava]

Where she suffocated and that she almost died. And I think about that all the time. Like, I don't know why, but I think about it all the time. Like, how do you protect actors from something like that?

[Sophie]

Wait, she actually almost died?

[Nava]

Yeah, they had come up with this. So he basically, he suffocates her with a pillow. And when she and he had practiced that they had talked about, she would say a safe word if it was going too far. And he was going too far, but no one could hear her. And she was screaming under the pillow and she was dying and a crew member noticed and then they pulled it off her and she had to leave. And she was like sobbing because she almost died filming that scene. And I, like, I just think about what would have happened if she had died. How would have ruined. I mean, how many lives would have been ruined? Like, I don't know. It just really. That story really shakes me up.

[Adam Brody]

That scene in particular, it goes on forever. You know, that's what's so brutal about it. It's not like a movie like, oh, she died. He's holding the pillow for like two minutes. You know, I mean, it's just like you watch like a fish flopping on the boat for, you know, as long as it takes. Which is particularly brutal. I mean, it's. Maybe it's not as brutal, but I just recently on a plane rewatched Casino and the Joe Pesci and his brother Death always stayed with me because it's so freaking long. And you know, you're just, just. Anyway, so real time deaths and stuff are pretty visceral, pretty powerful. I don't know if you've gotten asked a fair amount, like, what did you turn down? Or what do you not want to do or what? And I never say, not that it's been so much, but it's just impolite. I mean, you don't want to go going around saying what you turned down. But what I never get asked that I would is what did I audition for that, I never got, you know, and I don't know, we probably have a few famous roles between us that.

[Pen]

We read for that, you know.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah.

[Pen]

I'm trying to. So one that I've actually spoken about recently that I've now had to tell the story a few times in. In this, you know, our beloved press cycles was. It was the role of Jesse in Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul's role.

[Adam Brody]

Oh, wow.

[Pen]

We were. The two. We tested against each other, and I thought I was going to get it. I. Wow. I really was tired of television. Wasn't wanting to read television scripts. That pilot season, I'd already been doing it for something like eight or nine years. And that one was so exceptional. The voice in that script was so. I mean, you know, when you read a lot of scripts, it's like, there's a similar voice throughout many of them, nearly all of them. And that one just had such a different voice. And, you know, nobody knew about AMC at this point. It was like, amc, sure, sure. I mean, nobody, of course, nobody knew getting the script, exactly what was going to happen. But I wanted that role, and. Which has only happened three times, and two out of the three, I got the role. I thought I was gonna get it, you know.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah.

[Pen]

And then I didn't. And I don't even recall being heartbroken or crestfallen, but I was like, all right, you know what?

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Pen]

Then that's it. I'm not gonna do any more tv.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah.

[Pen]

I did nothing but more television.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah. What's your. You know, I don't know if you're similar. My philosophy is, you know, a lot of people, I think most people, most actors, they read for something, they want it, and then they kind of, like, try to forget it. Don't, you know, put it out of your mind, you know? And for me, it's not that it's backfired. You know, I always kind of try to enjoy the moment and go like, no, it's just if you're gonna fantasize about having it, really fantasize about having it, you'll be.

[Pen]

Oh, you mean when you're saying before you've, like.

[Adam Brody]

As you're auditioning before, you know, you didn't get it.

[Pen]

I see.

[Nava]

Yeah.

[Adam Brody]

Like, if you read for it and you're like, I don't know if I got her yet. You know, and you try to, like, not have your, you know, most of the time, or. I think most people, you try instinctually to, like, tamp down your expectations. Yes. And for me, I have Kind of just taken to embracing that moment and that, like, euphoria and just kind of going, like, no, I'll let my mind there. I'll enjoy thinking I have it. And if I don't have it, I probably won't be any less crushed than if I tried to, like, put it out of my mind. And then I find out I didn't get it, and then I'm like, okay, fine. You know, like, I. So I don't know.

[Pen]

I can't recall the last.

[Adam Brody]

I don't know what your philosophy is.

[Pen]

No, I think yours is probably healthy. It's. Again, you just can't continue to express nothing but emotional health here, I think. I don't know. I. I can't recall a time recently that I've had a long wait period. I mean, the truth is, with the pandemic and my show becoming so big as it is right now, I've not. I've not really. And then having my first biological son, I've not really had the time to, like, pursue a role like that or to get excited that I. Yeah, sure.

[Adam Brody]

Same, same. I mean, most of my work comes with a phone call and not with a, you know, audition.

[Pen]

Yeah.

[Adam Brody]

So it's not.

[Pen]

But I mean, there's been things when I do. I mean, you know what I think I have that I've overcome or am overcoming, but had for nearly all my 20s was probably, like, a tough cynicism about the industry and about the likelihood of things going your way, which is actually statistically true. You know, I mean, it actually doesn't. I did. I mean, I did have one role that I really loved, where I played Jeff Buckley, and that was. You know, that was like. That was like the. The peak experience of dreams feeling as though they were coming true, you know, I can't. I can't recall any others, though.

[Adam Brody]

Like, I know I listen to a lot of. I was listening to a lot of Tim Buckley and Leighton. Can't stand it, but I like it.

[Pen]

Tim is an acquired.

[Adam Brody]

It's like a. It's between us, you know what I mean? My God, he's got some good ones.

[Nava]

I had a therapist tell me that it wasn't about acting. I'm not an actress, but I can't remember what it was. It might have been about relationships, but that I would not get excited because it was so painful if it didn't work out. And he was like, if it doesn't work out, it's gonna be painful anyway. But you've now deprived yourselves of those days that you could have been really happy and excited. That's a good experience. That's a good feeling to have.

[Adam Brody]

That's exactly how I feel about it. I'll get my hopes up. Why not? Hopes are fun.

[Nava]

I love that.

[Adam Brody]

And I don't feel like I'll be more crushed versus If I tried to.

[Nava]

Well, according to this therapist, you won't. According to him, you will feel the disappointment that you feel.

[Adam Brody]

I believe him. I believe him.

[Pen]

But you know what just came to mind? I remember I really wanted that role in Mr. And Mrs. Smith.

[Nava]

Wow.

[Adam Brody]

Was that even a role, like, up for grabs? I didn't, you know.

[Pen]

No. See, but you.

[Adam Brody]

You. You read. You read for it.

[Pen]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah.

[Pen]

And then.

[Adam Brody]

And then when.

[Pen]

See, and we were still at that stage where when you got. I was like, yeah, of course. Adam Brody got it wearing a fight club shirt.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah. It's all very cute. My recollection of that, because Doug Liman, who did the OC Pilot, directed the movie. And so, like, you know, he called me, or I got offered it, and I was like, that's amazing. And, you know, at the time and even in it, still, his name nickname is Tank. And, you know, obviously there's irony there. And, like, I sort of. Doug thought. And I still. I'm surprised to hear that, because we're of a type. My thinking was, and Doug works this way. He's very scattershot, and he's brilliant, but, like, it takes a long, you know, many drafts to come to the right, you know, and a lot of wrong turns to come to the. To find the right path. And I kind of thought that they had no idea that the character was such a blank, that they didn't know were we gonna go with, like, the rock type person, you know, or what are we gonna do with this? And then it was like, the idea was, wouldn't it be funny if Adam. Cause he's so not this type.

[Pen]

Right, right.

[Adam Brody]

You know, maybe that'd be fun. And I just worked with him. Come on over and do it. So I'm surprised that they sort of were reading similar types.

[Pen]

I have no recollection of. Yeah. But I do. I know that I read for it, and I know that I was interested to see who it was. And I mean, it's not, you know, it's an iconic, memorable role, but it's not a huge role in the movie. So it's like. It wasn't.

[Adam Brody]

No. Nor am I particularly good in it, you know.

[Nava]

No, you're so good in it. I disagree I think it's iconic.

[Adam Brody]

Look, tonally, clearly the movie's a hit, so, like, it all works. You know, it's a well regarded movie and it was very good. But, you know, for my own. It's a shame for me, that and all it would have taken for me to like feel differently is like one smart improv that I thought was funny. You know, I had the room. If I could have just came up with one thing that I thought was clever, I would. It would be the difference between me liking it and hating it. But as it stands, I can't bear it, which is a shame because it's a classic movie. You know, it's like maybe the biggest stage I've ever been on. But what are you gonna do?

[Pen]

The last 20 years, we've seen so many superhero films that no one was prepared for the last two decades of superhero films. I don't think I did not see that coming back in the day. You know, I mean, we live in a. It's like those are the biggest films in the world and have been for a long time. Shazam Is markedly different from what I understand. I mean, what is your experience of it and what do you think makes it. Makes it different and sets it apart?

[Adam Brody]

The differential is that they're kids and it's a big concept where kids say the word and they become adult superhero versions of themselves. So even though they're adults, they have kid brains and they're talking like kids and they're acting like kids and nobody knows they're kids. And therein lies the whole concept and the fun of it and the kind of joy and innocence of this versus the darker stuff. And it is markedly different, especially from recent dc. That is so. Yeah, that is getting real dark and dramatic. Yeah. And no disrespect to that, I like that stuff too. But yeah, I mean, Marvel has had some lighter stuff. Spider man is. I think they're like the Tom Holland. Spider man stuff is probably the closest tonally to what we're doing because he's a. They went with a young. He's a kid and they play into that and I think that makes that fun as well.

[Sophie]

So David is my husband and he's a producer on the show, but right now he's in Australia and on a different time zone. So he wasn't able to own up to writing this. But he had written that back in the day, movies had like an. At the end of the movie, maybe at the end of credits, they would have like a BTS reel of bloopers Blooper reel. Sorry, not BTS reel. A blooper reel at the end of the movie that would play these fun moments. And I want to know for you, if Shazam had that, like, what are some fun moments that you think would.

[Adam Brody]

Be, what would it be? Well, I mean, I think like, we spend a lot of time collectively freaking out over a dragon that's chasing us. So if you remove the CGI dragon, you know, you don't even need to like have bloopers. You can just use the tanks without the dragon. And it's, you know, it's quite, it's quite preposterous.

[Pen]

That's like my show. If you remove the voiceover, you're just left with nothing. You got nothing.

[Adam Brody]

Yeah, yeah. So I don't know that. And then I guess, like, what else? All of us with our fans and our. Here, you know, this one was Atlanta. The other one was Toronto. The first one we did, so that was cold. So it was like people running out to jackets and they're not superhero suits and like, give me my mittens. Give me. You know, and in this one, yeah, we're just over. We're cooking. So it's like people running out to give us water and fan our sweaty chests and. Yeah, yeah, that's good.

[Nava]

We have a final question. We ask every guest. If you could go back and talk to 12 year old Adam or spend some time with him, what would you say?

[Adam Brody]

I mean, what I want to say to him, and I don't even know that it's fair, but all these things you think are colossal, you know, I could be humiliated. What if I, you know, what if I got beat up and cried in front of the whole school? You know, like. And it wouldn't matter in 10 years. I mean, it might, it might matter to. But it's not gonna be relevant to anyone, you know, in 10 years. And it's like all these things that are so colossal when you're young are such a. They're formative to be sure. But, you know, I remember I failed my driver's test when I was 16. I took it on my birthday and I didn't know about a green left turn yield. I didn't know you yielded. You know you were supposed to yield.

[Pen]

No.

[Adam Brody]

Oh no, I didn't get in an accident, but it was clear I didn't know that. And I was failed. And I remember those two weeks were like the longest, most embarrassing, awful two weeks of my life. You know, I was humiliated. And I was like, you know, it was Just shameful. And you know, does those two weeks. How do I do it? You know, how do I feel about those two weeks now? And so to communicate that somehow this sort of minuteness and insignificance and at the same time, I don't know, because a. I don't know if conceptually 12 year old anyone can really wrap their head around that and also does that invalidate their feelings then, you know, because what does that mean? That like deeply felt feelings don't mean anything or you know, the highs and lows of their life? Well, you got, you lost a tooth. So what, you know, it's not a big deal when you're older, you know, does it mean that nothing should have a lot of significance? So the idea that nothing will really matter until you're older is. I don't know, you know, and it just don't worry about, you know, So I don't know. So other than that, what would I say? I guess I would say that like, well read and being well educated is really a wonderfully powerful tool and an attractive quality to do anything you want in life later. And so I don't know, to communicate the sort of necessity and the joy of it and the attractiveness of it because it just not only did it not appeal to me in the moment at the time, but it also didn't even seem that like practically, you know, like my dad was the. Was the sort of role model and in many ways anti role model for me. He was a lawyer. He seemed to hate it, or at least if not hate it, be dispassionate about it, you know. And so he'd admonished me for not getting good grades. And he didn't ask for much. He was just like, just get, you know, a B average and get into a decent school. It's not, it's reasonable. And at the same time I just thought like, like why? So I can have your job? You don't seem to like it. It's not attract, you know, and, and I didn't realize, you know, the, the opportunity that that affords you and that I would want someday. So I don't know, I guess I convinced myself to get good grades and if nothing else, I would have bribed me. You know, I don't think my dad bribed me. I would have said, you are the.

[Pen]

First one to want to bribe your.

[Adam Brody]

Angry self and I will buy you a new surf. You get a this and this and I will take you somewhere you want to go. Like, you know, if nothing else, I do That I love that.

[Pen]

That's going to the top of. That's going to the top of my list. Now bribe him. Bribe him to do better. Adam, thank you. Thank you for coming.

[Sophie]

Thank you, thank you.

[Adam Brody]

It's been really.

[Nava]

Adam, before we jump in, I already told this story on the podcast, so this is just. I just want to share this with you. I've met you. You did a movie with my dad in Puerto Rico called welcome to the Jungle.

[Adam Brody]

I know. Oh, I know this. I. I listened to Leighton's episode and she told me as well. And that was. That was very sweet. And I was so pleased that, like, the one good thing I've done has come back around in a problem, like for. In a public forum. I mean, what better?

[Nava]

Yeah, but my whole family really loves you, so they're very excited that I was talking.

[Adam Brody]

Oh, that's so. That's so neat. Oh, great stitcher.

[Sophie]

Hey, I'm Reshma Sajani, founder of Girls who Code and Moms First. I consider myself a pretty successful adult woman. So why is it that in midlife, as I'm about to turn 50, I feel so stuck? Join me as I try to find the answer on my so called midlife from Lemonada Media. I talk to experts and extraordinary guests about divorce, exercise, menopause, sex, drugs, and more to understand what we're going through and how to make the most of it. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Pen]

Hi.

[Adam Brody]

Is this an okay time? It's your girl, Dylan Mulvaney, and I am inviting you to my weekly cocktail party and my brand new podcast, the Dylan Hour, brought to you by Lemonada Media.

[Sophie]

Life is stressful and there is so.

[Adam Brody]

Much darkness in the world. I think we could all use a little bit of trans joy.

[Sophie]

So join me every week as I.

[Adam Brody]

Interview some of my favorite A list.

[Sophie]

Celebrity friends and gurus, and of course.

[Adam Brody]

The dolls while we sip and spill the scalding hot tea. So put your worries aside and join.

[Sophie]

Me at the Dylan Hour.

[Adam Brody]

You can listen on Apple, YouTube, or.

[Sophie]

Wherever you get your podcasts. Love ya.