Podcrushed – Tony Hale (August 20, 2025)

Overview

This episode of Podcrushed welcomes acclaimed comedic actor Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development, Toy Story 4) for an engaging, multifaceted conversation about his adolescent years, personal struggles, journey through anxiety, faith, and the unique path that led him to his iconic characters. The hosts—Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari—invite Tony to reflect candidly on his middle school experiences, creative calling, and the insights woven into his recent film, Sketch. The tone mixes warmth, humor, and depth, as Tony’s humility and wisdom shine.

Main Themes & Purpose

• The impact of middle school years and formative experiences
• Navigating anxiety, faith, and self-acceptance
• The role of the arts and importance of arts education
• Behind-the-scenes stories from Veep, Arrested Development, Inside Out 2, and Sketch
• Parenting, generational lessons, and creating children’s content
• Practical tools for staying present and managing anxiety
• The value of humility, compassion, and finding meaning beyond success

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tony’s Middle School Years & Finding the Stage

• Military Brat Upbringing: Tony moved seven times before 7th grade, finally settling in Tallahassee, FL, at age 12 ([05:00]).

  “I was a kid who was not into sports. And I was in the south, which is pretty much...sports is pretty much a faith down there. And so my parents really didn't know what to do with me. Then I found...this theater.” —Tony ([05:17])

• Young Actors Theatre as a Haven: Discovering a space where he could be “stupid and not judged,” Tony describes the children's theater as transformative ([05:58]).

  “Certain personalities need that environment to thrive, whether you go into a career or not...such an advocate for arts education, man. It's absolutely necessary.” —Tony ([08:29])

Family, Faith, and Anxiety

• Encouraging Parents & Artistic Influence: Despite his father's academic rigor (he taught nuclear physics), Tony received strong support for his creative interests, influenced by his grandfather who was an opera and lounge singer ([07:33]).
• Faith Evolution: Tony unpacks how his Christian faith grew from “more social” in the South to a deep, grounding personal spirituality, particularly during and after college as he faced anxiety and panic ([09:14]):

  “So much of the faith community, including myself in the past, tries to control. You can't control anybody's choices, anybody's behavior, anybody's reaction. If they ask for my story, then I love to talk about it. But...to control their choice is just crazy.” —Tony ([10:54])

Anxiety, Panic, and the Role of Humor

• Coping Tools in Middle School: Frequently bullied for being “artistic” and not into sports, Tony’s defensive humor began to form in childhood ([16:21]):

  “Your humor is formed...These kind of side comments that you do in your head in order to balance out that verbal trauma.”

• Early Panic Attacks: In a poignant story, Tony realizes a childhood “asthma attack” on stage was actually a panic attack—witnessing how lacking the language for mental health issues made it all the more isolating ([16:21], [18:00]).

• New Coping Methods: Through therapy, he’s learned to offer self-compassion to fear and anxiety:

  “Giving it a hug...there was something about giving that compassion to that fear that just was so opposite what I used to do...the minute I started, like, almost, like, giving it a hug and being like, hey, come to the table a little bit, it just diminished it.” —Tony ([19:43])

Crafting Iconic Characters: Buster, Gary, Fear, and Forky

• Buster (Arrested Development): Tony describes the auditioning journey, being cast out of commercial work as “not all there,” and how the show’s cancellation forced difficult reckonings with identity and satisfaction ([32:41]).

  “Getting a sitcom was my big thing...I got Arrested Development...and it didn't satisfy me the way I thought it was gonna satisfy me, and it scared the hell out of me.” —Tony ([34:58])

• Gary (Veep): Working with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony recalls their intuitive “dance” on set and the trust essential to great comedy ([29:50], [37:40]).

  “She sets the tone of authenticity. She set the tone of a team player mentality. Everybody was free to give ideas. I'm just so grateful for that, because it’s not always the case, you know?” —Tony ([37:40])

• Iconic Emmy Moment: Julia asked Tony to play Gary on stage when she won the Emmy—he was “petrified,” but it became a legendary bit ([42:29]).

  “On the show...she literally calls me a bitchy mime because I'm just not [allowed to talk]...So over time, I had to get...I'm communicating nonverbally all the time.” —Tony ([43:30])

Sketch, Grief, and Emotional Authenticity

• Long Road to Sketch: Co-developing the film over eight years, which centers on using art to process grief; inspired by the director’s sister’s real-life experience ([21:53], [44:44]).

  “There’s a message, especially by the finale, that there’s value in allowing ourselves to feel pain, to not rush past it or through it.” —Nava ([47:14]) “I felt like I was such a victim to my feelings, rather than bringing them to the table or having compassion on them, acknowledging them, being more of an observer of my feelings.” —Tony ([47:46])

Practical Tools for Anxiety & Presence

• Staying Present: Tony shares actionable strategies, with the caveat that some days, nothing works—self-compassion is paramount ([49:42]):

  1. Say “not now” to recurring anxious “what if” thoughts
  2. Grounding through the five senses
  3. Out-loud labeling, e.g., “feelings, feelings, feelings” or “thinking, thinking, thinking”
  4. Viewing emotions as “cars on a highway” that come and go
  5. Using language: “I’m feeling some anxiety” vs. “I am anxious”

• Acknowledging Protective Parts: Inspired by Internal Family Systems (IFS), Tony practices dialoguing with inner “protectors”—thanking his anxious parts rather than fighting them ([52:41], [52:51]):

  “If you try to just sort of force [protectors] away...they actually respond that they're there to protect...if you learn to embrace them, that's sort of the best way to deal.” —Penn ([53:51])

Parenting, Generational Perspective, and Children’s Media

• Fatherhood’s Refining Power: Tony on how fatherhood and marriage have "refined" him ([62:46]).

  “They're walking tools around you for your refinement...it's so hard and so much joy and you just change—I mean, you just change.” —Tony ([63:23]) Story: Daughter named Loy, after his wife’s late brother; memories of Arrested Development’s cancellation, buying a house, and supporting his family during career lulls ([64:57])

• Children’s Projects: Writing Archibald’s Next Big Thing as a lesson in living in the moment; his podcast Extraordinaries features everyday people doing incredible things ([68:07], [70:01]).

Notable Quotes

• On Arts Education:

  “Certain personalities need that environment to thrive… I'm such an advocate for arts education, man.” —Tony Hale ([08:29])

• On Faith and Control:

  “So much of the faith community...tries to control. You can’t control anybody’s choices, anybody’s behavior…that’s just crazy.” —Tony Hale ([10:54])

• On Surviving Bullying:

  “Your humor is formed...when someone would call me a really awful name...making jokes in my head…to balance out that, you know, verbal trauma.” —Tony Hale ([16:21])

• On Self-Acceptance:

  “If you're not practicing contentment where you are, you're not gonna be content when you get what you want.” —Tony Hale ([35:12])

• On Feeling Pain:

  “There's value in allowing ourselves to feel pain, and maybe not rush through it...to have compassion on them, acknowledge them, be more of an observer.” —Tony Hale ([47:46])

• On Fatherhood:

  “They're walking tools around you for your refinement...you just change.” —Tony Hale ([63:23])

• What He’d Tell 12-Year-Old Tony:

  “Your value where you are is the exact value if you ever do have success. And then I would just simply say, it's going to be okay.” —Tony Hale ([74:58])

Memorable Moments & Highlights

• Tony’s Comedic Roots: Painting green topsiders to play the Mayor of Oz; being “too obnoxious” for the Artful Dodger ([12:39])
• Hilarious Behind-the-Scenes (Arrested): Reenacting “baby bird” codependency by inhaling smoke from Jessica Walter’s mouth ([29:58])
• Veep Gag Reels:

  “What I do have saved on my drop is every season of the gag reel. And that’s what I always go back to…” —Tony ([40:47])

• Panic Attack on Stage: Recalling his first panic attack during a show as a teen, misinterpreted as “being too sensitive”; the impact of lacking vocabulary for mental health ([16:21], [18:00])
• Iconic Emmy Bit: Julia Louis-Dreyfus calling Tony that morning to execute their now-famous “Gary holds my purse” bit at the Emmys—with zero rehearsal and sheer nerves ([42:29])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tony’s Middle School Moves & Discovering Theater: [05:00] – [08:29]
• Evolution of Faith & Coping with Anxiety: [09:14] – [11:50]
• Drama Camp, Humor, and Bullying: [12:18] – [16:21]
• Panic Attack Story/Emotional Coping: [16:21] – [21:21]
• Inside Out 2 and 'Fear': [21:21]
• Making Sketch: [21:33], [44:44]
• Working with Jessica Walter (Arrested): [29:50] – [31:59]
• Arrested Development Audition/Impact: [32:41] – [36:18]
• Veep and Chemistry with Julia Louis-Dreyfus: [37:40]
• Tools for Anxiety/IFS Discussion: [49:42] – [54:52]
• Fatherhood and Balancing Career: [62:26] – [66:27]
• Children's Content and Archibald’s Next Big Thing: [68:07]
• Podcast Extraordinaries (Guinness Records & Puns): [70:01] – [74:28]
• What He’d Tell His Younger Self: [74:58]

For First-Time Listeners

If you've never listened to Podcrushed before, this episode beautifully illustrates the ethos of the show: warm, unguarded conversations about the awkward, tender, and transformative years between childhood and adulthood. Tony Hale's open, insightful reflections provide not only memorable Hollywood anecdotes, but also practical wisdom about surviving growing pains, building emotional tools, and the lifelong practice of compassion—for yourself and others.

Final Takeaway

The lesson Tony wished he could give to his 12-year-old self:

“Your value where you are is the exact value if you ever do have success...it's going to be okay.” ([74:58])

Listen to Podcrushed on Lemonada Media, and watch Sketch in theaters now. Follow Tony Hale @MrTonyHale.