"Jesse Eisenberg"

Summary

Episode Summary: SmartLess – Featuring Jesse Eisenberg

Episode Title: Jesse Eisenberg
Release Date: January 27, 2025
Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett

In this engaging episode of "SmartLess," hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett welcome actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg. The conversation delves deep into Jesse's multifaceted career, his perspectives on social media, his experiences in the entertainment industry, and his personal insights on creativity and resilience.

---

1. Introduction and Background

The episode opens with the hosts introducing Jesse Eisenberg, highlighting his extensive work in film, television, and theater. They commend his versatility and accomplishments, setting the stage for an in-depth discussion.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [05:07]: "I've acted in film, television, been nominated for the most prestigious awards. I've written plays, directed films. I'm a father and a husband, and I'm here to tell you how I do it all."

---

2. Early Career and Initial Challenges

Jesse recounts his early foray into acting with his role in "Roger Dodger" at the age of 18, which was pivotal in launching his career. He shares a humorous yet insightful story about writing a script about Woody Allen at 16, which led to a cease and desist letter from Allen's lawyers.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [13:15]: "When I was 16, I wrote a script about Woody Allen. It got sent through various channels to his lawyers, who then sent me a cease and desist letter."

---

3. Transition to Writing and Directing

Despite initial setbacks with his plays being canceled, Jesse discusses his passion for writing and his eventual transition into directing. He reflects on the differences between playwriting and screenwriting, emphasizing the unique challenges each medium presents.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [12:42]: "This is the first thing that I'm really getting more attention on. It makes me wonder where I went wrong 20 years ago."

---

4. Education in Anthropology

Jesse shares his academic journey, explaining his studies in anthropology influenced by his wife's background. He differentiates anthropology from sociology, highlighting its focus on cultural studies.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [32:37]: "Anthropology is the study of other cultures. You learn to view cultures as their own value, the effect they have on each other."

---

5. Perspectives on Social Media

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Jesse's critical views on social media. He articulates his discomfort with the pervasive nature of platforms like Instagram, arguing that they often lead to isolation and reinforce societal divisions.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [27:59]: "I feel weird putting more stuff about myself online. It's already kind of embarrassing."

---

6. Experiences with Directors and Set Dynamics

Jesse talks about his interactions with various directors, praising those who create supportive environments. He shares a particularly challenging experience with Bob Weinstein during the production of "Cursed With," highlighting the difficulties actors can face with overbearing producers.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [38:49]: "He threatened my career. At the end, he said, 'I know where you live.' It was unbelievable."

---

7. Handling Personal Challenges and Scrutiny

The conversation delves into personal challenges Jesse has faced, including panic attacks during scenes. He emphasizes the importance of compassionate directors who understand and support actors through such moments.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [55:38]: "Greg Mottola handled the crew and cast with such understanding and compassion. That was key for me."

---

8. Reception and Criticism

Jesse reflects on the dichotomy between his personal satisfaction with his work and external reviews. He discusses the subjective nature of criticism and how it influences his approach to future projects.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [52:54]: "I feel like the reviews are just these aggregate things that don't always align with my personal experience of the work."

---

9. Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

In the concluding segment, Jesse shares his thoughts on creativity and resilience in the entertainment industry. The hosts express their admiration for his candidness and depth, wrapping up the episode on a positive and reflective note.

Notable Quote:

• Jesse Eisenberg [58:38]: "To have a prescribed way of behaving because of a character and lines feels so comfortable. It's the greatest thing in the world."

---

Key Takeaways

• Resilience in Creativity: Jesse emphasizes the importance of perseverance and adaptability in the face of setbacks within the creative industries.

• Critique of Social Media: His critical stance on social media highlights concerns about its impact on genuine human interactions and societal cohesion.

• Supportive Collaboration: Jesse's experiences underscore the value of compassionate and understanding collaborations in bringing out the best in creative endeavors.

---

This episode provides listeners with a comprehensive look into Jesse Eisenberg's professional journey and personal philosophies. His insights offer both inspiration and critical reflection on contemporary issues in the entertainment landscape.

Transcript

[Jason Bateman]

Rosetta Stone's immersive lessons guide you to think in a new language from day one. There's a reason why Rosetta Stone has been a leader in language education for over three decades. So I'm gonna check in with Scotty about his goals using Rosetta Stone to learn German. And I need to sit down with him and set goals because I can't wait till he starts speaking in German. I think that's really it's one of the greatest languages in the world. I could riff on that for a while, but I'd just get back to the call to action. Today, smart listeners can take advantage of Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership. For 50% off, visit rosettastone.com smartless that's 50% off. Unlimited lifetime access to 25 language [e-mail] smartless.

[Will Arnett]

Whether you're listening to Smartless at double speed or regular speed, you'd probably love to know how you can get more cash back on your credit card. Either way, we'll slow things down a bit so you don't. Discover automatically doubles all the cash back you've earned on your credit card at the end of your first year with Cash Back match. That means with Discover, you could turn $150 cash back to $300 it pays to discover see termsiscover.com credit card while Hilton is always expected to have top notch service, you'd be surprised at the unexpected places they're offering it now. They've partnered with aut, which offers insanely cool Airstreams in iconic outdoor destinations. Hilton also has an exclusive partnership with small luxury hotels of the world, providing Hilton Honors members access to over 300 luxury boutique hotels across the globe. And they've added romantic and refined nomad hotels and graduate hotels in your favorite college towns to their portfolio. Explore all the new ways to stay with those Hilton Honors points you've been saving at Hilton Hilton for the stay. Hello listeners. We've got something special for you today.

[Jason Bateman]

What is it?

[Will Arnett]

It's a podcast called Smart what's what happens? Don't turn the channel. We've got a real fun show.

[Jason Bateman]

Who's on today, Jay, who's on?

[Will Arnett]

We've got a special guest that the audience you know we're talking about, but two of us do really great one. Who are the two guys that don't know who the guest is? Stay tuned to find out.

[Sean Hayes]

Welcome there Jason Smart. Welcome to Smart Smart.

[Will Arnett]

Smart.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Smart Less.

[Jason Bateman]

I'm gonna unmute our surprise guest feed.

[Will Arnett]

Just give us a little clap if you're with us. All right.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, Jesus, that's powerful. Clap. We were talking, Will, before you came on that, Jason. Well, first of all, we did this photo shoot yesterday, and Jason found one gray hair and pulled it out because people think that Jason dyes his hair, and he does not dye his hair. I do sometimes, but you don't either, Will.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, he doesn't.

[Sean Hayes]

I don't. But I have these.

[Jason Bateman]

I have these unbelievable.

[Sean Hayes]

I have these grays on my temple now.

[Will Arnett]

What are you going to do for those for the. The project coming up? Leave them.

[Sean Hayes]

Keep it. Yeah, man.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, just keep it.

[Will Arnett]

Exactly. Why would you try to trick someone into thinking that you're different than you are? Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. I'm not going to use makeup.

[Will Arnett]

There's only one Sha Hayes in the world. Why would you pretend to be anyone else?

[Sean Hayes]

We love Sean Hayes. And you look. By the way, Jason, to bring it up. You look great. You don't need to do it. You.

[Will Arnett]

What did I tell you yesterday? Your fa. You have a. The face of a 13 year old.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Ye.

[Will Arnett]

Well, you'll never look old.

[Jason Bateman]

I know. Okay. I was going to make another joke about some famous.

[Will Arnett]

I mean, look at. Look at how gorgeous Will Speck is with his.

[Jason Bateman]

With his.

[Will Arnett]

With his gray hair. Look at how gray.

[Sean Hayes]

White.

[Will Arnett]

Richard Ehrlich, the realtor in Southern California, John Slattery. You know, the most handsome actor going.

[Sean Hayes]

Richard Ehrlich.

[Jason Bateman]

I'll do it. All right. Maybe I'll let it go a little bit.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. All right. Apologies to the guest. Here we come. Tighten up, gang. Now, this isn't a great intro. It just doesn't fit what this guy does. But I was rushing this morning, so today we got a fellow that's done. I apologize for the chainsaw outside my house.

[Jason Bateman]

God damn it.

[Sean Hayes]

We actually can't hear it.

[Jason Bateman]

Good.

[Will Arnett]

So today we have a fellow that's done more with his 41 years than we have with our combined 150. He's acted in film, television, been nominated for the most prestigious awards. He's written plays, directed films. He's a father and a husband, and he's here to tell us how he does it all. Gang, let's get to it. It's Jesse Eisenberg. Come on, Jesse.

[Sean Hayes]

Jesse.

[Will Arnett]

Come on, Jesse. Hi.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Hi, Hi.

[Will Arnett]

Hi.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Thank you so much for the introduction.

[Jason Bateman]

You're Very nice to meet you.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Sorry I clapped so loud. Thank you so much. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

You have large hands. Let's see your hands.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, I think I was like. I think I didn't understand where I Have to be in relation to this microphone. You know what I mean?

[Jason Bateman]

I know. It's.

[Will Arnett]

They just got to know that their mic.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

This is a new mic. I'm working with a new mic. Yeah, yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Do you do a lot of. A lot of microphone work? Do you have a podcast, everybody?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, no, no. Nor do I do a lot of mic work. I mainly used, you know, just like the. My headset. But today, you know, your podcast is worthy of this rode nt USB mini.

[Will Arnett]

Stop trying to get free, Jesse.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, we bought it. You don't have to sell it even across the pond.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I take my road.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I'm in England. Oh, that's why. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Get ready to be showered with Mike.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, right, exactly.

[Will Arnett]

Now are you. Damn it. You're in England doing what? Doing something else, that is.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I'm in the dressing room of the, like, grand Graham. Graham Norton Show.

[Will Arnett]

Graham, are you really? This is not chatty man. Right?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

This is. I'm doing a meta press junket. I'm doing it from the press. Yes.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[Will Arnett]

You're about to go out on a talk show and you're recording a podcast?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, but this is good because I can stay in this kind of like self indulgent place. I could just talk about myself for the next 48 hours and I'll be okay.

[Will Arnett]

You work so hard. Like I can only do one thing a day and the rest needs to be played.

[Sean Hayes]

Here's an idea, here's an idea. Just go with me and Jesse. You can throw this out if you'd like. And also, welcome to Smartless. But I just want to say this. Why don't we, the four of us, come up with a fake story for you to tell on the Graham Norton show that we will all then.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Sean Hayes]

Because he won't know now until it comes out, which is way later. Later.

[Will Arnett]

Go, go, Will.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

So. Okay, wait, this is. This is like a prank pulled on me or him or what?

[Sean Hayes]

On him or on the world?

[Jason Bateman]

You're gonna be in on it.

[Sean Hayes]

It's just a fun little Easter egg that a couple months from now, people.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That's interesting. Do you wanna do a whole story or should we do like a word?

[Sean Hayes]

Or we could do a word.

[Jason Bateman]

Or you could do a word. Or you could do that. You actually both of your legs are. Have been replaced.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Let's do the word.

[Will Arnett]

This does bring up a good point. Will. Will. Unless you've got something in mind here. Yeah, it does bring up a good point.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

That maybe Tracy is unaware of Jesse Tracy is Sean's sister. Hip, hip to all the. The business tree.

[Jason Bateman]

The inside. She's on the outside.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Sure.

[Will Arnett]

And so for Tracy, before we do talk shows, you know, the nighttime set, you do what's called a pre interview, where you talk to the segment producer and you come up with stories and crap you're going to say and kind.

[Sean Hayes]

Of work out, which I imagine you've done, Jesse, for this show for. Yeah, not for us.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, there's a big pre interview.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

This one's a weird one. The one with this is Weir. Basically, like, we're on with, like, I'm with Kieran, who's in my movie. And then, like on with Daniel Craig, you're on with other people.

[Will Arnett]

Stay on the couch.

[Jason Bateman]

And so.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Pre interview. Exactly. And so the pre interview with this one was like, Daniel was shooting in Italy. What was it like shooting in New Orleans 15 years ago on a movie. Basically, the link is that we both didn't shoot a movie in New York City. And so, like, I realized the stories they're going for are just these incredibly tenuous links with the guests who have nothing in common, which never.

[Jason Bateman]

Right, right.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

You know what's funny is that both you, ironically, you, Kir, Kieran, and Daniel have all recently or all recently.

[Will Arnett]

It might have been the last three guests we've had.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. On our show.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. Truly.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Well, that's the thing. That's the.

[Will Arnett]

Karen Kieran. What a pain in the ass he is. Jesus Christ. Just an. This guy. I mean, so negative. Not cheery at all. No energy at all. No hobbies, nothing.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, wait, I can't tell if you're kidding because actually, that does describe a version of him that I know very well.

[Will Arnett]

He's like, okay, the greatest.

[Jason Bateman]

We love you.

[Will Arnett]

Very nice things about you as well. We.

[Sean Hayes]

Maybe it's something about the fact that everybody that now that doing the Graham Norton show, you can't do it until you've done Smartless. I don't know.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, work on it.

[Sean Hayes]

No bad ideas. No bad ideas.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Something like that. Listen, I'll figure that out in the moment. Don't you worry.

[Jason Bateman]

But literally, the order was Daniel Craig, Kieran, and then you on our show, and now. That's crazy that you're all on the same panel on that show.

[Will Arnett]

What we just said, Sean.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, I know, but we can continue to analyze.

[Will Arnett]

Was that literally the. No, no, it wasn't literally the last three.

[Jason Bateman]

I think it was.

[Sean Hayes]

Was it?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, never mind.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

You know, Kieran is like the. Oh, he's like the biggest fan of your show. And just a very uncomfortable thing happened once is where he told me we were on a plane and he said, like, he loves your show so much. He said, except one episode. And he told me the name of the guest. And it actually does escape my memory now. I forgot who he said was, like, not a good guest. And then I ran into that person and I was so nervous that I had this information in my head that they were the worst guests on Smartless. And so I said to them, kieran said you were the best guest on Smartless.

[Will Arnett]

Tell me when.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

They were like, oh, really?

[Jason Bateman]

And you don't remember who it is?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I don't remember who it is.

[Will Arnett]

All right, wait, let me get to my questions. I've got great questions. I'm an incredible interviewer, by the way.

[Jason Bateman]

It's so nice to meet you. I've been such a fan, too.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, my God, of course.

[Sean Hayes]

Jesse. Jesse. We met Bruce.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

We met each other. Well, yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, what?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Where? We just, like, it was like. It was at. Well, it was in la, like a studio. But we were doing like a promotional video with Jimmy Kimmel for Batman.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Do you remember that?

[Sean Hayes]

It was so weird with Ben Affleck.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That's right. It was like a reverse engineered idea. Yeah, that's right. It was like they were meeting at a party and I was playing the bad guy and. Yeah, you came in afterwards. And I think Jimmy Kimmel came in afterwards as Batman or something. I can't remember it.

[Sean Hayes]

He came in, he was saying batman and Superman and then.

[Will Arnett]

And then Lego Batman.

[Sean Hayes]

And then I came in and said, lego Batman. And then Ben said something like, you're not. You're not really supposed to be a real Batman. And I said, well, you might want to check the box office.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, God, yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Or something. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Here's what I was left with. And tell me if you agree with me on that, Jesse.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Sure.

[Sean Hayes]

I was really impressed with Jimmy Kimmel's acting. I thought he did a great job that day.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Really?

[Sean Hayes]

And I told him that.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, I would hope so. Yeah. That's not exactly the thing I walked away with. I can't remember, was he really good? Wait, like, how so? Like, he seemed genuine.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, in that, I guess. Look, the bar was low. Cause I thought he would be fucking terrible.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, got it. And he was engaged. He was like, genuinely engaged.

[Sean Hayes]

He was engaged. He seemed like he was really listening in the moment.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, no, that's true.

[Will Arnett]

I guarantee you he's a great actor. You know, you can just tell with some people that they just kind of know the way they come across, and therefore they're able to sort of calibrate that and guide that, you know, and incorporate lines into that. Like, I bet he'd be a great actor.

[Sean Hayes]

But, Jesse, when did you start? We all know you as a very accomplished. As I said, very accomplished actor. And I am also like Sean and Jason. I'm a very big fan of your acting. I think you're really, really good at what you're doing.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, God, me too, of course.

[Sean Hayes]

But as a writer, when was that that you. Did you always write? Or is that something that came later?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, I've been, like. I've been writing plays in New York for, like, 20 years, but this is like. And I've had, like, some, you know, some popular plays or whatever, but, like, nothing to, like, this level. Well, I had two plays that were gonna go to Broadway and were both canceled the week before we put out the press announcement for different weird reasons. So, like, this is the first thing that I'm really getting, like, more attention. And it's quite surreal. Cause I feel like, well, I've been doing the same thing for 20 years, but people like this one. And it makes me wonder where I went wrong 20 years ago.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, tell me what it is. Tell me what it is.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

What? What what is?

[Jason Bateman]

You're saying you're doing a play right now?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, no, no, no. Now I.

[Will Arnett]

A real movie. That's.

[Sean Hayes]

You said.

[Jason Bateman]

I thought you were saying you were.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, no, no, no, no. I gave up on. Gave up on the medium entirely because I gave up on. You Got it. And so. No, no, Just now, like, I wrote a thing that's like, now. Now people like it and they're saying, well, you know, it has this unusual tone. I want to say, I've been doing that for so long, but no one liked it. But anyway, so, yeah, and before that, I was just writing, like, joke writing. I wanted to write, you know, sketch comedy when I was younger.

[Will Arnett]

No way. Really? Really?

[Sean Hayes]

Really?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. Like a packet for Saturday Night Live. Actually. When I was 16, I wrote a script about Woody Allen, and it got sent to him. It was about, like, a fictional version of him now at 16, which is what I was changing his name to Woody Allen, and it got, like, sent through various channels to his lawyers, who then sent me a cease and desist letter.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, my God.

[Will Arnett]

But then you ended up doing three films with him. Did it come up.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I did movies. It came up. Once we were on, like, a press junket. He's so uninterested in anybody else, you know. So, like, I don't mean that as a criticism. He's just like, he's just like. Basically, I knew what would happen is that somebody during press would bring it up. Cause it's like a cute story that's on the Internet. And he would go, oh, that's interesting. I never didn't know that and would never think about it again. And I knew I can go up to him and say, hey, that was weird, right? He would just have. No, he just doesn't have any interest in stuff like that. I think he's just been like so famous and celebrated for so many years that he's uninterested in the public Persona. And so, no, he didn't care about that. And we didn't share a nice laugh or a drink.

[Sean Hayes]

I love the idea that you're like waiting, waiting to get a response to your submission. And the response is as simple.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, but it's also like, you bring up like, hey, so you sent me a lawyer letter. What about that? No, I don't know anything about that.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Well, the lawyer is his producer. Like, I got to know the lawyer, but I'm sure there were 10,000 letters like they were sending that every day to everybody who wanted to make a movie about him. But I remember I was, you know, I was. I got home from school one day and my dad said, we have good news and bad news. I was like, what's? He's like. I said, what's the good news? He's like, we heard from Woody Allen. I was like, what's the bad news? He's like, you might have to get a lawyer. And he sent me the thing and I framed it right away. It was so exciting, you know.

[Will Arnett]

Wow, that's pretty good. So when you're writing a play versus a film, to a ding dong like me, it would seem that writing a play is easier because it's just dialogue and a film you've got to incorporate what the visual component is going to be as well and sort of imply some of the, you know, the inner thinking of the character and all that. Is that fair to say that writing a screenplay is more difficult?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I mean, no. I mean, I think it depends on the project. And you could make the same argument that you have to keep people's attention for two hours on one set. And there's something incredibly difficult about that. Whereas a movie, you can have music come in and you could have close ups and you could re edit it within an inch of its Life. And it could turn into something that's test screened a bunch of times. So, no, I mean, my plays have been basically like four scenes total. So like a half hour scenes. And you know, so like half hour scenes for a two hour play. And I like that my mind works in that way to like keep scenes going. So my struggle with like movie writing is to just make sure the scenes are not 7 minutes long. Shit.

[Sean Hayes]

JB, he just clowned you, dude.

[Will Arnett]

Why?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Why?

[Sean Hayes]

You just got totally clowned because you.

[Will Arnett]

I'm so clowned, I didn't even realize.

[Sean Hayes]

You didn't even realize? No, I'm kidding.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

But I thought there was. I was clowning him, but I thought there was a gentle. I was doing it gently.

[Jason Bateman]

You were clowning him with a baby wipe.

[Will Arnett]

Speaking of clowns, your mother. Your mother started another silly Internet thing, you know, because I do deep research on Wikipedia.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, yeah, it sounds like you read that first paragraph. Yeah, yeah, it's right up top.

[Sean Hayes]

Fucking Jesse. I want Jesse to come once a week and just come in, set JB straight, straight, and then be like, I gotta go.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

He read the snippet from the Google search engine, you know, where a million things come up and he read the snippet.

[Sean Hayes]

Now click on the link.

[Will Arnett]

The directing thing. Are you loving the directing thing? And I apologize, I bet you've gotten this question a thousand times. Are you loving it more, less, or the same as writing and acting?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Maybe a little less. Only because it's such a managerial thing as, you know. Well, I don't know actually what your experiences have been, but for me, it just felt like I was just aware, constantly on set of somebody's plane maybe being delayed. My experience. And when I'm writing, I'm sitting in a library by myself and acting. It's like kind of an emotional, private experience that you can have. And then I just remember, like, I spent the day thinking about this person's hair person flying in from England, and if there was rain in England, they were going to be late. And then I don't think the actor would come to set. And I was like, this was the least creative thought I've had in my life, let alone on the set of a movie.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sean Hayes]

Fucking interesting. That's such a great point.

[Will Arnett]

Right, right, right, right.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Does that ring true for you?

[Will Arnett]

Yes, it can. But then I just make sure I hire correctly. You know, when it comes to line producers and ads and stuff, really, you know, they sort of. They're, they're, they're. Their sweet spot is manage that Kind of stuff.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you ask jb? Do you ask them to protect you from information that you.

[Will Arnett]

No, I actually. I actually want to hear about it all. I just don't want to have to fix any of it.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, right.

[Jason Bateman]

I get that.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Wow.

[Jason Bateman]

I get that.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

So you don't take on, for no apparent reason at all the anxiety of their jobs?

[Will Arnett]

I do. To the extent that it. That it affects the harmony on the set, that. That's the part I get really passionate about, is that everybody deserves to have a great work experience.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, me too, Jesse, never having met you before, you see, But I've seen tons of your work and I.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you think I should dye my hair? Is that your question?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Do you think I heard about the sides.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Sean, you look amazing.

[Will Arnett]

You look awesome.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes, yes.

[Will Arnett]

Sweet little baby.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Listen, I was sitting there in silence just evaluating all of your temples, and I think you all look great. And you're ways.

[Will Arnett]

I'm. I'm in the. My piece is getting washed, so I've got the lid on.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Your piece is getting.

[Jason Bateman]

You know. What is that. Is that a hood or what?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, it's a shitty hood. There we go.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, it's a hood.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, look at that. Oh, it's shorter than I thought. Okay. Yes.

[Jason Bateman]

My. So I'm gonna make. I'm gonna make a guess about you, and you tell me if I'm way off or not.

[Will Arnett]

Capricorn.

[Jason Bateman]

You seem. I've seen interviews, I've seen your work. You seem extremely intelligent. You very. You're very cerebral. You're. And you speak very quickly.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, sorry. Keep going.

[Jason Bateman]

Cerebral. And so am I right in guessing that if. That one of your pet peeves is people that can't keep up with the pace of your intelligence?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, God, not at all. No. I feel mortified and. I feel mortified and pretentious when I open my mouth. No, I. Oh, really?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I'm aware that I probably sound, like, annoying to many people.

[Jason Bateman]

No, no.

[Will Arnett]

You sound music.

[Sean Hayes]

How dare you?

[Will Arnett]

It's classical music. Turn it up.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

It's classical.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, yeah. That's all I listen to. Because I do. Because I get. I have a short fuse. If I'm, like, focused on something and somebody can't keep up with me. I have a short fuse.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, God. No, I don't.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you suffer fools?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, I have.

[Will Arnett]

I've got a tough time with that.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Deep shame and self hatred. I assume everybody else in the world is, like, kind of. Right.

[Will Arnett]

But what about. How about said differently? What about people who don't work as hard as you at a given moment, especially when you're kind of. What I mean, when you're directing or when you're having to oversee a bunch of stuff, you notice someone's just kind of dogging it. Like, does that get at you?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I just haven't felt that way ever. I just feel like so indebted to that. Anybody's coming to the set and waking up at six in the morning and they probably have a dog that's being left home alone. No, I just don't ever feel that way. But I think I'm just encumbered with guilt. So, like, I just wouldn't. I thought. I wouldn't allow that thought to come into my mind because I would feel, well, why am I worthy of having that? You know?

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, got it.

[Will Arnett]

And we will be right back.

[Jason Bateman]

My mochi is the number one mochi ice cream in the usa. If you've had mochi before, you kind of get it. But if you've never tried mochi, it's premium ice cream wrapped in sweet, pillowy dough for a cool, creamy and satisfying treat with no spoon required. My mochi comes in delicious flavors like strawberry, mango, double chocolate and cookies and cream. Each box comes with six perfectly portioned mochis that are great for on the go. They're gluten free and only around 70 calories per piece. My mochi are delicious and indulgent, whether you like them hard right out of the freezer or chewy and a little melty. For me, I like mine a little melty because it really melts. I don't like to, you know, bite into cold ice cream, so I love to. I let mine sit out for a little bit, make it a little soft. You put it in your mouth. Ah, it's like eating on a cloud. It's like eating a cloud. Feel joyfully chill with every bite of my mochi ice cream. Look for the purple box of my mochi ice cream at Target or visit mymochi.com to find a store near you. That's my m o c h I.com There's a lot to say when buying a new home or car, but only one thing to say that can help you protect them. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. And just like that, a State Farm agent will be there to help you choose the coverage you need. No matter where you are in life, when you need coverage options, your State Farm agent is there to help. On the phone or in person.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Person.

[Jason Bateman]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. This new year is here. And if you need to hire for your business and want an easier way to find qualified candidates, head to ZipRecruiter. And right now you can try for free at ZipRecruiter.com smartlist ZipRecruiter's smart technology starts showing your job to qualified candidates immediately. And their powerful matching technology works fast to find top talent so you don't waste time or money. You can also invite top candidates for your job to apply and encourage them to apply sooner. Here's to a new year of hiring made easier with ZipRecruiter. Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. See for yourself. Go to this exclusive web address to try ZipRecruiter for free. ZipRecruiter.com Smartless again. That's ZipRecruiter.com ZipRecruiter the smartest way to hire.

[Will Arnett]

And now back to the show.

[Sean Hayes]

Did you grow up in the city? Are you. Did you grow up in New York?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I grew up in Queens and New Jersey, so I'm never Manhattan.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, you did?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, wow.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That's why I have this neutral accent.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you live in New York now? On the East Coast?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, I live in Chelsea.

[Will Arnett]

Be careful.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, you do.

[Will Arnett]

What do you mean he's getting close to the address? Don't give it.

[Sean Hayes]

No, he said Chelsea. He said Chelsea.

[Will Arnett]

I can tell you don't give him a street and.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I'm just saying. Do you want to have lunch at Cafe Clooney next week? That's all I'm saying.

[Will Arnett]

In the West Village for a second?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, why not?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, we could do that. Yeah. It's a great place.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm going to be there if you'd like to have lunch. I'm going to get.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

You're going to get the table.

[Will Arnett]

Let me ask you about this. The, the amount of focus it takes to write. I've done it once and it was a very long time ago and it was very humbling. And I've got a massive amount of respect for folks that can fill a blank page once through that process. And you've really, you know, grinded away at the wordsmith of it all. And then an actor starts to play with that dialogue on set and starts to kind of go off a little bit and round the edges and, you know, paraphrase a little here or there. Does that. Are you good with that? Or does it make you crazy? And then I've got a follow up to this and I think you know where I'm going, but go ahead.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, yeah. So no, as a. Like, again, my background is playwriting, and no one changes the words ever. Because when you do a play, I mean, as you all know. Well, yeah, that. But also, like, most playwrights are dead, so you're just not. Theater actors are not in the habit of changing dialogue, you know, and then. So this is my second movie, and, yeah, it doesn't. It rings weird to my ear, so I don't like it. But, you know, occasionally somebody so brilliant, like Kieran, as you met, he's so clever and quick and spontaneous. So, you know, he would sometimes change a word here and there, and it was always really good.

[Sean Hayes]

You wouldn't, like, come in. You wouldn't come in after taking. Go. Huh. Okay. All right.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

It's just a script. Interesting. Just gonna double check. Yeah, sorry, I'm just gonna leave it right in front of you. Just because we don't have a coaster.

[Sean Hayes]

You must have gotten an old.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

You must have gotten an old. Exactly, yeah.

[Will Arnett]

So then it wasn't onerous to you to work on Social Network with Aaron Sorkin's stuff, who is somewhat famously. Versus is sometimes a problem. Like, you have to really stay straight, word for word. Is that true? Was that your experience on that film? And if so, was it a hassle?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That wasn't my experience, but I don't also think I tried to change anything. It wasn't like I had a clever idea that was, like, funnier than Aaron Sorkin's joke. You know what I mean?

[Will Arnett]

No, but just in an effort to make it sound sort of just naturalistic. And my character.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That's really interesting. My character didn't talk in a naturalistic way. He was kind of like this almost robotic presence. And so actually, for me, it felt like this is perfect. In fact, the gamesmanship of, like, adhering to this exact thing was part of the character.

[Jason Bateman]

I just saw it, by the way, like, two. Like, last year for the first time in that film. Yeah, it was so good.

[Will Arnett]

And you got an Academy Award nomination for that. Yeah, that's right.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

So. So good, right? Shine's not the official review, so. Because I'm just gonna, like, make sure to log it. Hey.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, because I was like, I think.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, hang on, there's more. Go ahead, Sean.

[Will Arnett]

So.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

It's so good.

[Jason Bateman]

Ellipsis, I think I. I avoided it because I knew there was going to be a lot of talking in it. And then. But then I watched it and I was like, oh, I wasn't. This is so fucking.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, this is, this is Jesse's.

[Will Arnett]

Interview, but I got it.

[Sean Hayes]

But I, I'm. I'm having a tough time escaping from. I avoided it because I knew there'd be a lot of talking and it.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Fucking go down that.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, if ever there were an example of why we're living in idiocracy, this is it right now. It's a fucking blight on the entire civilization. People like you have a fucking encour just to know we're in this hole we can't get out of because you want to drool in front of the television. Hey, Jesse. Anyway, having seen, having, having been in the social network, what did it must. What impact did it have on you in, in your regard to social media? To Instagram specifically, Social media in general. Back to it back then, a few.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Years later and now, I mean, I never did it and don't do it. But I don't know, I feel weird, like putting more stuff about myself online. Like it's already kind of embarrassing, you know, like it's weird to be a public person in general. So I didn't want to go online. But that mostly has to do with my just complete discomfort with myself. And so like, I didn't want to like, talk about, you know, I guess things. But, you know, I don't know, I'm suspicious of it for so many other reasons too. And you know, the movie depicts like this person creating it who does not have what I would consider kind of healthy social relationships. And so if this product is the extension of this person's social behavior, then this is not great.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, yeah, that's a really good way to put it in effect, that this person's behavior, this person's outlook on human relationships is now being projected exactly as a way, as a mode of living and as a mode of people interacting. And now.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

But think about it this way too. Like, we used to interact like in kind of ways that are kind of mushy. You know, you would make a weird joke and the person wouldn't react the way so you wouldn't make that joke again. Or you would find that somebody has the same sense of humor and like what relationships get reduced to like on like line. And forgive me, because I'm not on these things, but this is my kind of cynical attitude towards it is like we like the same band and so it hooks us up and everything. And that's essentially like the character I was playing could interact with people like that on this very much. Like we both like this band. Let's stand here and talk about it. And like, that's the way the thing works too. It recommends this person to you, or, you know, if you're dating, it recommends this person to you. And it just takes out like the squishy humanness that we have in our lives outside of the Internet.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

However it. I mean, because you. You speak. You've spoken before. You've spoken already on. On this, in this episode about your. Your, you know, not to belittle it, to be honest. It is. It's charming that yourself are facing sort of, you know, that you comfortable with yourself. And I thought, like, I get it.

[Jason Bateman]

We.

[Will Arnett]

We. We all are. But I feel like these, These social media things are meant to be a tool to actually help folks. That.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That's true. And probably it does. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

That wouldn't get out to a bar and, And.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

And start.

[Will Arnett]

So I'm. I'm wondering if, you know, I'm sure you're right.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I truly know nothing about this because I'm not on it. I haven't had the experience of being on it.

[Sean Hayes]

No, no. I think that that. Jason, I think that there is. That it's word sold as.

[Will Arnett]

Right. Right.

[Sean Hayes]

And. And I. And I think that in its. In its best version, were people actually looking to do that and it wasn't used as a way to enrich people, then that's what it would do. Unfortunately, what it's become is it's designed to keep you engaged to sell ads. Now what it's done is it's designed to keep you opening the app so that your eyeballs will be exposed to advertisers. We all need advertisers. I'm not. But it keeps us all employed. That is its design. And it's not to keep people engaged. And I think that there was a time that maybe that was the idea and maybe that's what the social, when it was called the Facebook was about. But unfortunately, what it has become is become this thing that's become incredibly divisive. And it is. And all it's done is reinforced instead of. Of instead of celebrating the similarities, it's reinforced the differences between people. It's had the opposite effect. It's stunning. All these kinds of things. We're talking, you know, we talk about inclusion stuff. All these things that all they've done is help create these many barriers between us all and said, I'm this and I'm this and I'm this and you're that, and we've created more division. I think. I don't Know.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, that's my perspective, but my perspective is really as an outsider because I haven't been on it, but yeah, like, that. It. It. It creates, you know, isolation, sectarianism, all this stuff.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, just. Are you on social media? No, no, no, I'm kidding.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm actually. Do you mind? I'm actually live tweeting this whole thing, like, going, great. Sean said, social network is so good.

[Will Arnett]

Thumbs up. Now studying anthropology and social psychology in college. Yes. Now, why did you study that when you knew you wanted to do what you're doing now? Or did you do it at the same time?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, no, I was like, I went to college for 18 years before I got my degree because I would, like, go to a semester and then take off and work and then go back. And so I got that, like, got my degree during the pandemic, finally. Oh, you're certainly.

[Will Arnett]

It took you 18 years.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, exactly. It took me 18 years. Yeah, exactly.

[Will Arnett]

No way.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, like the second 18 years of my life. Yeah. From 18 to 36. And I chose anthropology because that was my wife's degree. She graduated, like, many, many years before, so that was her degree. And I just wanted to, you know, have something to talk about with her. That's cool. Yeah. Because I knew I wanted. Because I.

[Jason Bateman]

Otherwise it's silence.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Be in the arts. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Otherwise she would not define anthropology for me.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah. Anthropology is like the study of. And I'm using quotes, the other. You know, it's the study of other cultures, the study of other people. You know, what you learn from it is that, like, your culture is not superior to another culture, even if that culture is, like, let's say, more poor or something. You know, you learn to kind of view cultures as their own value to the effect that they have on each other, you know, so an anthropologist would go to study, you know, famously go to Samoan village. Margaret Mead is a famous anthropologist. Go to a Samoan village and live with them and study their ways and everything.

[Will Arnett]

I literally asked somebody last night who has a master's in anthropology. I asked her to define same question last night. She said something very similar. And I said, well, what is the difference between that and sociology? And she said, sociology is much more data driven. Is that fair?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, yeah. My dad's PhD is social psychology. And so he was studying basically, like, you know, human behavior irrespective of culture. You know, it was about people interacting with each other. Anthropology really focuses on, like, cultures.

[Will Arnett]

Right, right, right.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow. So. So what? So. And you got your Bachelor's or master's or.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I got my bachelor's degree.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, that's amazing.

[Sean Hayes]

Bachelor's degree. And then your dad's got a PhD.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

This is an accomplished family. Jay, what'd you learn on the set of Ned and Stacy? I remember you doing.

[Will Arnett]

I learned how to scoop a bed bagel. You know, that's where I started really cutting the cards.

[Jason Bateman]

So, Jesse. But first of all, by the time you're 65, you get your masters. But second, you. That's really funny. What. In your studies, what is the one kind of culture that you found the most fascinating or actually interacted with or whatever?

[Sean Hayes]

Best and least. And least, to be fair, the least fasting culture.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Okay. The most boring culture, you guys, is. I'm doing top 10 worst culture cultures.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, I would love if you only. You got on Instagram just so you could start posting things like, the worst cultures.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah. And this one is boring but also stupid, so. Okay. This one. No, I mean, well, I kind of like. I did my, like, ethnography, which is like, you know, your big thesis. I did it on this, like, this restaurant in Chelsea that was, like, the last remaining authentic Latin American restaurant, because everything else had been, you know, gentrified away, and this place was. But it was. So. It was kind of a cheat because it was, like, down the bottom block, and I got to eat there while I was doing my field research, you know? But it was. It was really interesting to see how this place was trying to survive against, you know, basically.

[Jason Bateman]

So you do restaurants. I thought it was, like, cultures across the world.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Like, you're like. It is. This was cultural.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

It was My white wife. My wife went to Nicaragua.

[Sean Hayes]

Restaurant review, dude.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, no, it actually.

[Sean Hayes]

What restaurant was it? We can always cut it out.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

It was called La Taza de Oro. It's. It's not on. It's not there anymore. Yeah, we published the thesis actually, to Yelp, so it was interesting to get to publish. No, no, no, I'm kidding. You know, not every. Not every student gets their work published, but for me, it went.

[Sean Hayes]

I got my. My PhD from food. Food Porn on Instagram. Fucking.

[Will Arnett]

All right, now, what about. Let's talk about. Was Squid in the Whale the thing that sort of launched you a bit?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, I was in a movie before that when I was, like, 18. Roger Dodger, right out of. Yeah, Roger Dodger. Right out of high school. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Right.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

And it was like. It was like the difference between having an acting career or not. Like, it was literally the difference. Cause, like, I was supposed to go to college that year, and my dad, like, I pled with him. I was like, please just read the script. It's so good. And my dad read it and said, okay, you could take off a semester and do this movie. The movie was, like, not a hit, but was, like, popular amongst, you know, people who like movies.

[Will Arnett]

And. And. And then that. That meant, again, God bless Wikipedia. That meant no NYU for you, but the new school, when you were done with it. Yes, yes.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, my God. Which paragraph been up to?

[Will Arnett]

I've been up for at least an.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Hour and a half.

[Sean Hayes]

Are you. Is that early career in school, or are you on personal info?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I think it's like they're controversies because.

[Sean Hayes]

Sometimes they mix it up. You know what I mean?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Like, sometimes I think it's under cancellation.

[Will Arnett]

All right, so then. So you do Roger Dodger and you feel there's something.

[Sean Hayes]

Can I just say this? Sorry to get it. Can I just say it is a real. Maybe I've mentioned this before, but it's a real testament to who you are in this world when your filmography has its own page on Wikipedia. Have you ever noticed that?

[Will Arnett]

Oh, yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

What does that mean?

[Sean Hayes]

That is something else. Well, you go into somebody's and they have filmography, and it goes. And there's a little.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, transfer you.

[Sean Hayes]

It transfers a link because it has its own page.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, is that what's happening here?

[Sean Hayes]

That is the highest.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That is the goal. That is the goal. You know, you've made it when you have to link transfer.

[Will Arnett]

So there's. There's a feeling that is very tangible that it's like, oh, I think I might be able to make a career out of this based on this. This sort of newfound access and inclusion.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yes, exactly. Exactly. And like, right after that movie, I got, like, offered another movie, and it was to pay. Hey, Scale. It was like a movie. I don't think it ever got made. It was probably like a $50,000 budget. But I remember going to my dad and, like, I could get jobs. Like, I could literally just get jobs. Cause before that, you know, I was auditioning for commercials and anything that I could possibly get an audition for and, you know, understudies and plays and stuff like that. So it felt like, oh, I can literally make a career and a possible living from this.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow.

[Will Arnett]

Right? And then what was the next big job? Was it. Was it Squid and the Whale?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, actually, no. Right before that, I did this movie, Cursed With. It was Dimension. And it was Dimension. So it was run by Bob Weinste this guy would. It was crazy. This guy. Basically, it was a Wes Craven directed movie and Bob Weinstein would just constantly scrap everything we'd done to the point where we shot. Supposed to be a 55 day shoot. We shot 125 days. Because this guy, Bob Weinstein, who's not like, you know, a writer, you know, we just decided he wanted to change everything in the script. And it was crazy. It was crazy and fascinating to work with that.

[Will Arnett]

I wonder what he's up to right now. I think we know what his brother's doing, but wonder what?

[Sean Hayes]

Probably his neck in lawsuits, what he's up to.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I wanted to turn down the movie and he called me in for a meeting and he's threatened my career. And then he said at the end, as I was leaving, he said, I know where you live. I said, what?

[Will Arnett]

Jesus Christ.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

And I was like, are you kidding? And he was like, no, no, she told me his casting director. He goes, no, no, she told me where you live.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, these guys. Wow, what a duo.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I know. Unbelievable. When all the stuff came out with the breath, I was just like, oh, yeah, I've been telling this story forever and people sometimes can't believe it. It sounds so shocking. And then of course, my story was like, nothing compared to, you know, cute.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cute.

[Sean Hayes]

All right. Yeah. You're like, who knew? It's just like a fun. It's fun banter for a podcast.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, exactly. You know what I mean? Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Not so. Now we're to Squid and the Whale with the great Laura Linney, the incredible Noah Baumbach and Jeff Daniels. Did you learn a great deal from Mr. Baum back there and the directing? Did that plant an early seed for you?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Well, it just like he was writing just stuff that amused him and so that was the trick. It's like, oh, yeah, you can write the things that you like and it'll translate, you know, hopefully. And the other main thing I learned was from Lauren. I don't know if she ever did this to you probably, but she had to slap me in the movie. Has she slapped you?

[Will Arnett]

Probably. Probably.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Okay, so this is what she told me right before she slapped me. She said, do you know what. What the trick is to slap somebody in a movie? And I was like, no, please tell me. Thank you.

[Will Arnett]

Tell me she just whacked you. Surprise. Yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

She goes, you look the person in the eye and then you just. You hit them with your hand. And I was like, oh, that's not a trick at all. And so she just Spent the night slapping me. And that was the trick. And then in this movie I made with Kieran, I said, you know, I have to slap him at the end of the movie. And it's this big thing at the end of the movie. And I told him, do you know the trick? I learned this from the great Laura Linney. And I was like, you just. I slap you really hard.

[Will Arnett]

You just gotta make sure you have eye contact.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, exactly. Make eye contact. Yeah. Which doesn't mitigate the feeling at all.

[Will Arnett]

No, it doesn't.

[Sean Hayes]

It makes it more personal. If anything, it makes it worse.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Exactly.

[Will Arnett]

Yes, that's true. I've had to do some slaps, and I've found that you just have to change the timing of it on every single take so that you get that genuine surprise, you know.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, that's interesting.

[Will Arnett]

Which is not really fair to the person receiving the slap, but it's great.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

For the audience, you know, on Will.

[Jason Bateman]

And Grace, if we were to slap somebody, Jimmy Burrows would clap off the screen.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Wait, what time it.

[Sean Hayes]

Really?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Wait. But. Oh, but you were not actually near them.

[Jason Bateman]

Like, not here. I would. You would fake the slap. You would. You would go just in front of their face. But he would time it. He would just, you know, clap.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, that's interesting.

[Will Arnett]

So that the audience would hear that it wasn't a miss.

[Jason Bateman]

Yes, that's right.

[Sean Hayes]

Interesting.

[Will Arnett]

The great Jimmy Burrows.

[Jason Bateman]

And by the. By the way. And that's the sound that they would keep in the show. Yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, wow.

[Sean Hayes]

JB do you remember season one of Arrested Development? I was in a wheelchair, and I was just. I was wearing a hospital gown, and you were leaning down. It was the end of an episode, and you're leaning down in front of me, and as you lean down, I slapped you in the face. It was not in the script. It was apropos of nothing. I slapped you and you looked at me, and my bare leg was showing because I was wearing a hospital gown. And as you got up, you slapped the inside of my leg so much.

[Will Arnett]

Just about as hard as I could.

[Sean Hayes]

Hard as I could.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, wow.

[Sean Hayes]

And in the show, I go, oh, just because it really happened. You fucking killed me.

[Will Arnett]

Right? And it was safe to do that because you're in a wheelchair. You can't possibly get up and run after him.

[Sean Hayes]

My character couldn't get up and run after him. So he.

[Will Arnett]

The character. Yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, that's funny.

[Will Arnett]

Isn't that dumb?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Was it? It was not. It was. Happened on one take.

[Sean Hayes]

How about one take in the show? And that's what I'm saying.

[Jason Bateman]

I learned on the tour of the Smartless Tour that Jason will just. I've never had somebody do this in my entire life. He will just walk up to me and slap me on my face.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah. Why? Just make eye contact.

[Will Arnett]

Hey, bud.

[Sean Hayes]

I love the way you act like you're. You're just as surprised as everybody. Jason, you just went. Yeah, I know. I learned that.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Isn't that crazy? Yeah. Like, I just do that. Like, I do it all the time.

[Will Arnett]

It's a love tap, y'all.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, it's pretty hard.

[Will Arnett]

We'll be right back.

[Jason Bateman]

My mochi is the number one mochi ice cream in the usa. If you've had mochi before, you kind of get it. But if you've never tried mochi, it's premium ice cream wrapped in sweet, pillowy dough for a cool, creamy and satisfying treat with no spoon required. My mochi comes in delicious flavors like strawberry, mango, double chocolate and cookies and cream. Each box comes with six perfectly portioned mochis that are great for on the go. They're gluten free and only around 70 calories per piece. My mochi are delicious and indulgent, whether you like them hard right out of the freezer or chewy and a little melty. For me, I like mine a little melty because it really melts. I don't like to, you know, bite into cold ice cream, so I love to. I let mine sit out for a little bit, make it a little soft. You put it in your mouth. Ah. It's like eating on a cloud. It's like eating a cloud. Feel joyfully chill with every bite of my mochi ice cream. Look for the purple box of my mochi ice cream at Target or visit mymochi.com to find a store near you that's M Y m o c h I.com.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Do you own a business that's ready to Thrive?

[Will Arnett]

Let Intuit QuickBooks take things like unpaid invoices and tracking expenses off your plate to take things to the next level. Intuit QuickBooks is an all in one business platform that can help with day to day tasks like invoicing and expenses. Manage and grow your business all in one place. Intuit QuickBooks your way to money. Money movement services are provided by Intuit Payments, Inc. Licensed as a money transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services.

[Jason Bateman]

This is a paid advertisement from BetterHelp. Guys, what do you want your 2025 story to be? What do I want my 2025 story to be? I want Mine filled with kindness and success for everyone. And gratitude above everything. Gratitude for the big things in life and the little things in life. I think it's important to wake up every single day and find at least one thing that you're grateful for. So every January brings you 365 blank pages waiting to be filled in 2025. Maybe you're ready for a plot twist. Or maybe there's a part of your story you've been wanting to revise. Life isn't about resolutions that fade by February. It's about picking up the pen and becoming the author of your own life. Think of therapy as your editorial partner, helping you write new chapters and create the meaningful story you deserve to live. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Write your story with better help. Our listener get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com smartless that's betterhelp. H-E-L-P.com smartless and now back to the show.

[Will Arnett]

Now, speaking of magic, the magic of movies, let's get to now you see me. So there was a lot of magic in that. Or illusions. Sorry, Will. Illusions. I would imagine you did a little bit of training for that. And have you retained any magical talent? Like, do you have a card? Do you have a go to card trick?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I do. I do. And it's weird cause I have, like, muscle memory from it. We just finished doing the third movie like a month ago, and I just do the same one trick. I know. And for audiences who are paying attention, they'll realize that the greatest magician in the world knows one trick. Yeah, I just repurposed the one thing I learned. Yeah. In a different outfit.

[Will Arnett]

Someone was doing a magic thing at something I was at last week. And I just thought that, like. And he did a series of magical tricks as they do before they're done with their set. And by the time you get to like the third trick, you know your mind's gonna be blown. You know, you're gonna be like, oh, my God, how do you do that? And you just sort of like click into a gear of like, all right, let's see it. Here comes another sort of mind bending. Wow. And what I thought was, what would really be impressive at this point is to now tell us how you did it, because I know I'm going to be shocked. What would be really impressive is to see how you're doing this stuff, how you've trained yourself and taught yourself to Hide all these things that I didn't see, see. So when is magic going to change into that? Perhaps?

[Sean Hayes]

When are you going to enjoy life? When. When will you enjoy.

[Jason Bateman]

That's the magic. That's the magic.

[Sean Hayes]

My heart is breaking from you. I just had therapy, but when we're done, I'm going to call him and I'm going to bring you in. Jb, jump on with Terry, man. Oh, God, my heart.

[Will Arnett]

I want to see you, Terry. I want to wonder if you see the same Terry.

[Sean Hayes]

I really want to hug you right now. I feel just. Just. There's just. Just zero inner.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, you can't experience.

[Will Arnett]

I'll take it. I'll take a hug anytime or slap.

[Jason Bateman]

But. But, Jason, there is this show on tv. It was called, like, Breaking the Magician's Code or something like that. It's like magic's biggest secrets or something like that. And they did that. They revealed all those big, like, tricks and.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, they did.

[Jason Bateman]

How they did it I thought was fascinating.

[Will Arnett]

I want to see that. I'll look.

[Sean Hayes]

And then what are you left with?

[Will Arnett]

Then I'll just start reading ingredients on food packaging. You know, just knowing what's on the inside. There's tons of stuff. Read credits on movies.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

You're peek behind every cur.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

You know, when you. When you hear about these, like, when you hear how these magicians have done the trick, though, sometimes it's far more impressive than the trick because the kind of work that went into making something look seamless is, like, yeah. You know, shocking.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Right, right, right, right. All right, talk to me about your. Your move into directing, why that happened and when it happened. Was it. Was it simply a result of you arriving at a place in your career where you could say, hey, I want to now direct, and you had the sort of industry capital in order to say that, or did it happen more organically than that?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, I just.

[Will Arnett]

In other words, had you wanted to do it for a long, long time and then.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

No, I've always just wanted to write plays. And then my last play, which was, like, 2019, just, like, wasn't received well. And I was, like, kind of really kind of heartbroken or whatever. Like, the play wasn't received well, and, I mean, the actors were amazing in it, but the play wasn't received well. And, like, so I just was like, I have to try something else. It just made me feel bad. And there was, like, scrutiny in a way that felt, like, mean spirited in a way that was like, oh, this industry can be. I mean, movies can also be reviews. But there's something about theater because it's such a small community. I don't know. It just. Anyway, so I just thought, let me try to. I'll do a movie next. Yeah, no, but I love writing plays more than anything. But I just thought maybe I should do a movie because. Yeah. And the thing you said about clout that, like, I did, I guess, feel not so much clout, but more like, oh, I feel like I've been around it enough to kind of have an understanding of what to do. I know that sounds so lame. Like, I didn't go to film school, but I just felt like I've been on sets that have been great, and I've been on sets that didn't work, and I've been on sets that were terrible sets but made great movies and vice versa. So I felt like, oh, no, I think I know what to do. If I can write something that is, like, tailored to my limited skill set, there's nothing wrong.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, you. Obviously, you're around it. You pick up on it, and it makes sense that you would. Would want. You know, want to sort of take agency and kind of do it yourself. And Sean. Sean last week is watching his chef open tuna cans for. And finally he was like, I'm gonna open a tuna can.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

That's not dissimilar.

[Will Arnett]

I can pinch the top on and make the water come out, or at.

[Jason Bateman]

Least let me try it.

[Sean Hayes]

I can eat the Hershey syrup out of the bottle. You know what I mean?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Of course. And I think it took. And I think in Sean's case, it is cloud, you know, I think you feel you've worked up to this, and I think the industry recognizes that you can open up.

[Jason Bateman]

I didn't want to embarrass anybody.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, no. And it's good that you're finally in a place where you feel like, yes, I can do that, and, yes, I'm not going to get.

[Sean Hayes]

Really.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Will Arnett]

So wait, so you. You were. You. So you were feeling a little in your fifis about getting the. The bad reviews, basically, on the play, and then you thought you'd go for something ev. With even higher exposure, directing a film where you would. Opening yourself up to even more.

[Jason Bateman]

A broader audience.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I was very brave of you. You went the other way.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, thanks. I mean, I don't know. Yeah, but I. I guess I'm used to scrutiny. I mean, I'm used to scrutiny, and I, like, I care about it so much. I guess while it's happening and then literally not the next day. I just, you know, I don't want to be governed. Laura Linney said the greatest thing that I actually didn't hear her say, but my dad heard her on Charlie Rose talk about this 20 years ago. But they asked, or he asked her, do you read reviews? And she says, no, because I don't want somebody else to tell me how to do my job. And my dad was telling me this because I'm such like. I was like a, you know, self conscious person. He said, you know, your colleague who you were in that movie with, you know, this is how she views it. And it did really change my perspective.

[Sean Hayes]

That's interesting.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, it is a really odd concept. I totally understand the aggregate of them. All right, so Rotten Tomatoes, where they put them all together and then there's sort of like a consensus. Does this work for the general public? I suppose, since you're making a public effort with your art. But specific, inter. Specific reviewers, their specific take on how it affected them as an individual. Well, we're not making things for one individual, making things for a whole public. And so it's not going to work for some people. And that doesn't mean that it's.

[Sean Hayes]

But I also saw like. Well, I. I think you're right about the aggregate thing. But. But at the same time, have there been films or pieces or music that have gotten bad reviews that you really like?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, my God, yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Can you think of one?

[Will Arnett]

Think of a film, a Terrence Malick film. The New World got. Got. Not great reviews. Interstellar, Chris Nolan's film. Not great review. Like.

[Sean Hayes]

Sean, what about you?

[Will Arnett]

I love those two films.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, Interstellar. I mean, I can't think of them, but I know, I know that I'll. Or I'll look on Rotten Tomatoes and.

[Will Arnett]

Conversely, the latest Batman film I thought was incredible, but.

[Sean Hayes]

Jesse, can you. Jesse, can you think of a film?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I mostly have it, like, with theater. I mostly have it with theater where, like, I am enthralled by the, you know, by a piece. And then it. I look online, I'm like, how is this torn ap? This is the greatest thing I've ever seen. Because there's something about, like, and I don't know, maybe that even has to do with, like, different performances, offer different things. I don't know. But yeah, no, I do feel like.

[Jason Bateman]

But I'll go the other way too.

[Sean Hayes]

I felt the same way. Season three of Ned and Stacy. Cause there were. Sorry, go ahead, Sean.

[Jason Bateman]

I'll look at Rotten Tomatoes and something will get like, 90% or 95% and I'll watch it. I'm like, oh, good, they did the work for me. It's gonna be great. Right?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Right.

[Jason Bateman]

And it's terrible.

[Sean Hayes]

I love Tenet. Nobody. A lot of Tenet ruined.

[Will Arnett]

I've seen it three times during COVID It got lost. Right.

[Sean Hayes]

I. I loved it, Sean. You didn't love it? I loved it.

[Jason Bateman]

Didn't get it. Yeah. I didn't understand.

[Will Arnett]

You didn't love it. One more thing about the directing thing. Have you. Have you. Have you ever gotten a really crazy direction from a director that's a b? How has getting weird direction from directing from directors affected the way in which you interface with actors? Also, you know, being an actor yourself, like, you've. You've worked some incredible directors, and I'm sure you've been able to cherry pick from. From the best of them and decided what not to do from the bad ones. But was there one in particular moment where you're like, I will never, ever do that to a poor actor or.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Remember only my friend, like, Ruben Fleischer, who I think you guys know. Like, you know, he just. Oh, he did, like, the Zombieland movies. And then we just did. Now you see me together. I've worked with him a lot. And I just remember on, like, the first Zombieland, we were shooting in, like, what was supposed to be, like, a mansion. And so he was, like, several rooms away on the monitor, and I just heard this muffled scream. Now smile. And I was like. I could, like, understand that he was kind of talking to me, but also, I'm not, like, a smiler, you know? But also, like, it can't come. You can't. That's not the way you act. Like, oh, my face will smile, you know. Right, right. So that was just something. I was like, oh, yeah, I'll never do that. But I love Ruben. And now he's. Now he's great. But you guys have worked with Greg Mottola, I think, too.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

And he's just, like, my favorite. Like, I just. The way he handled this crew and the cast. And I had, like. Which happened to me maybe two or three times in my life, I had, like, kind of a panic attack during a scene, and I just shut down, and I just couldn't act. I don't know what happened. I just couldn't act. And so I. It was on this movie, Adventureland. I took him aside and I said, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I think I had a panic attack, and I Thought he was gonna say, well, you know, we can't. I thought he was gonna, you know, respond annoyed. And he said, I don't understand how you're not having a panic attack every single. Like you're exposing yourself, you're bringing your emotions, you're trying to not think about your own vanity.

[Will Arnett]

He's such a sweet man.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

And I just remember thinking, that's the way I want to think about actors forever. Which is that like, they're already doing this difficult thing. They're trying to avoid thinking about their face being blown up on screen. They're avoiding thinking about the scrutiny that they're going to get. They're trying to live in the moment despite 100 strangers standing around them. And so that was a key for me. He's just the best, isn't he?

[Will Arnett]

Right. Which is why I don't understand. For the most part, we actors are pretty crazy. And I'm talking about myself like I'm fucking nuts and I'm filled with neuroses and insecurities. It is a helpful tool to. It's a helpful tool to call on when you're playing vulnerable characters. The central thing that we are doing, which is being up there in front of the camera, sort of is at odds with the inherent insecurities a lot of us have. So speak about that because again, getting back to, you know, you're so. You're so self effacing and honest about your own neuroses. How were you possibly drawn to this incredibly, you know, exposing profession?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Because to me, to have like a prescribed way of behaving because of a character and lines, I feel so comfortable. Like the thing that makes me nervous is like you go into a party and what am I saying to this person? Do I remember this person? What did this person? And tell me, why do I have to be funny in this thing? I just want to go home. Like to have like a prescribed way. Like you're playing this character, they wear these pants that we put you in and you have to now go talk to that other person in this voice. Much greatest thing in the world.

[Jason Bateman]

Calming. Yeah, yeah.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

So calming.

[Will Arnett]

Now what about. I had the same. I had the same feeling. And then I started doing talk shows when I was a kid and it freaked me out because you have to be you. And there is no script and it's like.

[Sean Hayes]

And there is no you.

[Will Arnett]

Right, exactly. I mean, talk about panic attacks. I'm prone to panic as well. And talk shows for a long time were just like my kryptonite.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

It's the only thing that still freaks me out in our industry, like, literally nothing else but going on these talk shows at night freak me out, because I don't. I can't be funny telling a story for, like, the second time, you know?

[Will Arnett]

I know.

[Jason Bateman]

I don't know. I've seen you on talk shows, Jesse. You're always. You kill it every time. Every time.

[Sean Hayes]

I agree. I've seen you too.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Because I. I try to not tell the story on the show that I told to the person before the day, because I know if I did that, it would just be weird and phony. You'd be trying to remember what made them laugh on the phone, kind of like a performance.

[Will Arnett]

But if you get a great host, like Kimmel or Conan or those guys, like, like, they'll. They'll go with you, right? You can go. You kind of freestyle, and they can just get into a conversation and you forget you're even in front of people.

[Jason Bateman]

But then. But you're doing this now. Then you're doing Graham Norton. Do you ever get burnt out by all of the chatter that you have to come up with?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I don't. I don't. I feel like an adrenaline rush when I'm meeting people like you who are really funny, like. And him, I'm sure he's very funny. You know, you get the adrenaline rush of doing a thing that's fun.

[Will Arnett]

Right. And when you're promoting something that you love, like this great movie, a real pain, like, I'm sure it's just, like, you could talk all day about it, right?

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, I guess. Yeah. Cause I've done junkets that we all have for things that have not gone well, and. Yeah, that can be really uncomfortable. And you're kind of just parsing the euphoria.

[Jason Bateman]

Yes. Before we let you go, I just wanted to find, find, find you on social media if I wanted to find your social media.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jason Bateman]

Where do I.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

At the real. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Jesse, you're awesome. You're funny as. You're talented as hell. Nice as ever. Please.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

I love your show. Thank you so much for having me on.

[Will Arnett]

Say hi to Karen and Daniel and Graham. Yeah. Enjoy the rest of your. Thank you very, very much for doing this. Thank you so much.

[Sean Hayes]

Pleasure having you, dude.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Oh, yeah. Thank you. Such an honor, too. Okay, well, have a great morning.

[Will Arnett]

Look forward to meeting you one day in person. Yeah, yeah, me too. All right, buddy. All right, enjoy.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Bye. Bye.

[Will Arnett]

Now. There's a nice fella.

[Sean Hayes]

Love that guy, right?

[Jason Bateman]

He's really funny. I have no idea what to expect did you before this?

[Will Arnett]

No. Now I want to. I want to do a lot of in person with him. I want to find him at a party and corner.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, I know. I'm going to Cafe Clooney to have lunch with him next week.

[Will Arnett]

Hey, you don't. Nice pipes, Will listener. Will just removed his sleeves.

[Jason Bateman]

Jesus, Will, what part of your brain. What part of your brain came up with Ned and Stacy?

[Sean Hayes]

I don't know.

[Will Arnett]

Well, that's the place where Will and I first met.

[Sean Hayes]

That's where Jason and I first met on the set of.

[Jason Bateman]

What are you talking about? That was Deborah Messing shot.

[Will Arnett]

She was buddies. Yeah, correct. I was doing a guest shot on it, and Will was friends with Nadia Dejani. Dejani. And we all went out for drinks after the show, as one does. And there I was with Will at the bar, apparently getting hammered, because we were getting hammered.

[Sean Hayes]

And Jason had a very weak bladder because he kept going to the bathroom.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

And.

[Will Arnett]

And. And it was years later that I said to Will, after. After I had put down the.

[Sean Hayes]

The bottle, like seven years later.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I said to Will, I said, you know, and Will hadn't been drinking either for a long time. I said, boy, fuck, I wish you and I had really gotten together when we were drinking, you know, and we would have had so much fun. And he just looked at me and goes, oh, we did. And I had no recollection of partying with him that night.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, that's so funny.

[Sean Hayes]

I love that Jesse.

[Will Arnett]

I mean, that. That. That Jesse Eisenberg, he's really left me in a. In a great, great mood. High quality guy, high talent guy. High intelligence guy. The guy, he's a writer. He's an actor. I guess you could call him by talented. No, sorry, I'm trying not to go. Try not to do the fucking shit on it. Like what? You do it. You do it. Let's hear it.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. Why is that? Why do you go into. That feels good.

[Jason Bateman]

It feels really good in my throat.

[Will Arnett]

Can we harmonize the. By talent?

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, ready? Ready? Go. One, two, three.

[Will Arnett]

No, someone's got to go high. Someone's got to go low. Everyone's got to go middle.

[Jason Bateman]

I'll go middle.

[Will Arnett]

I'll go middle, you go high, and Will go low.

[Jason Bateman]

Ready? Ready? Go.

[Sean Hayes]

Sean, you start, okay?

[Jason Bateman]

No, you got to start at the base.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Bye.

[Sean Hayes]

Smart.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Smart less.

[Sean Hayes]

Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Michael Grant, Terry, Rob Armjarv, and Bennett Barbico. Smart.

[Jesse Eisenberg]

Less.

[Will Arnett]

Hello, friends. Jason here we are so excited that Smartless has officially joined the SiriusXM family. We can't wait to announce new surprise guests who we know that you'll love. And if you want to be the first to hear new episodes ad free and a whole week early, subscribe to SiriusXM podcasts plus on Apple podcast to start your free trial today.

[Sean Hayes]

Where'd you get those shoes?

[Jason Bateman]

DSW has all the shoes you need for whatever you're into.

[Sean Hayes]

You know, like running shoes that give.

[Will Arnett]

New meaning to personal best, or everyday.

[Jason Bateman]

Sneakers that make coffee runs look cool. Basically, DSW has all the best styles.

[Will Arnett]

From the brands that always get it.

[Jason Bateman]

Right, like Nike, Brooks, Timberland, and more. Oh yeah, did we mention they also happen to be the perfect price? Find a shoe for every you at your DSW store and dsw.com.