"RE-RELEASE: Charlize Theron"

Summary

SmartLess Podcast Episode Summary: "RE-RELEASE: Charlize Theron"

Release Date: July 10, 2025
Guests: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, Charlize Theron

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of SmartLess, hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett welcome their mystery guest, the multifaceted Charlize Theron. Known for her talents as an actor, producer, and her humanitarian efforts, Charlize brings a wealth of experiences and insights to the conversation.

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Early Life and Transition to Acting

Charlize Theron shares her journey from South Africa to Hollywood, highlighting the challenges and pivotal moments that shaped her career.

• Starting Young in Dance:
  [16:03] Charlize recounts her early passion for dance, stating, "I fell in love with dance… really what I fell in love with was storytelling."

• Discovering Acting:
  [16:57] Influenced by her mother, Charlize transitioned to acting, saying, "Maybe I should go and try acting, which was like the most stupid, ignorant…"

• Arriving in Hollywood:
  [17:25] Upon arriving in Los Angeles at 19 without a plan, Charlize describes her initial struggles: "I stayed at the Farmer's Daughter because the cab dropped on Fairfax," and her early days cleaning bathrooms to make ends meet.

---

Acting Techniques and Method Acting

The discussion delves into different acting methodologies and Charlize's personal preferences.

• Method Acting Challenges:
  [25:08] Charlize reflects on her experience with method acting in "Devil's Advocate":
  "Method is basically immersing yourself in the character in the world 24/7… It was something so exhausting about it. My life was miserable."

• Finding Balance with Non-Method Approaches:
  [27:00] She emphasizes the importance of balance:
  "I work and I leave it behind, and I come home… life is good."

• Natural Ability vs. Learned Skills:
  [23:00] When asked if acting comes naturally or through study, Charlize responds, "I think it was a natural ability. It's easy for me to escape… but I had to learn how to break a script down."

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Experiences Filming Notable Films

Charlize provides behind-the-scenes anecdotes from her work on major films, including intense shoots and unexpected challenges.

• Filming "Mad Max: Fury Road":
  [33:26] Charlize describes the breathtaking yet demanding conditions in Namibia:
  "It's the only place where lions and whales meet… hundreds of miles of dunes. The desert is unbelievable."

• Enduring Physical Demands:
  [39:31] She discusses the grueling nature of action scenes:
  "I was cramping… can I just be able to walk?"

• Injuries on Set:
  [40:31] Charlize shares her toughest injury experience:
  "I herniated a disc in my lower back… that was the worst injury I've ever had."

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Balancing Career and Motherhood

A significant portion of the conversation centers on how Charlize manages her demanding career alongside raising her children.

• Co-Parenting with Her Mother:
  [48:37] Charlize emphasizes the support from her mother:
  "I am co-parenting with her… she really is very much a co-parent."

• Producing to Control Schedule:
  [48:37]
  "I've been producing for close to two decades now, and I think that's really helped, just taking some agency and making my own schedule."

• Involvement in Children's Lives:
  [51:35] Charlize highlights her active role in her children's activities:
  "I have two young kids now, 7 and 10… they spend time on set and things like that, so they think they know what the movie is."

---

Interpersonal Dynamics and Personal Insights

The hosts and Charlize engage in lighthearted banter, sharing personal stories and amusing moments.

• Tattoo Discussions:
  [10:26] Charlize reveals her tattoos:
  "I have my girls' middle names on my forearm… it's a PSA for whoever you're with."

• Humor and Nervousness on Set:
  [29:29] Charlize admits her nervousness:
  "I was like, what's wrong with you?… that was like my top five most nervous jobs."

• Favorite Moments and Interactions:
  [58:26] Charlize reflects on her favorite interactions with the hosts:
  "I was making a big dance for her and she looked at me like…"

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Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Charlize expresses her admiration for the hosts and the show.

• Appreciation for SmartLess:
  [58:16] Charlize states, "I really love the show. Congratulations. I listen all the time when I'm stuck waiting to pick my kids up. It's a joy to listen to you guys."

• Future Projects and Personal Goals:
  [51:50] She discusses upcoming projects tailored for her children:
  "I want to make stuff for them because they love this world, this kind of fantasy world."

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Notable Quotes

• Charlize Theron on Method Acting:
  "[25:08] 'There was something so exhausting about it. My life was miserable.'"

• Charlize Theron on Balancing Work and Life:
  "[27:00] 'I work and I leave it behind, and I come home… life is good.'"

• Charlize Theron on Her Tattoos:
  "[10:21] 'I have my girls' middle names on my forearm, yes.'"

• Charlize Theron on Early Hollywood Struggles:
  "[16:57] 'Maybe I should go and try acting… like the most stupid, ignorant…'"

---

Conclusion

This episode of SmartLess offers an intimate look into Charlize Theron's illustrious career, her personal philosophies on acting, and the delicate balance she maintains between her professional life and motherhood. Her candid conversations with Jason, Sean, and Will provide listeners with valuable insights and heartfelt moments, all delivered with the characteristic humor and warmth that define the SmartLess podcast.

Transcript

[Sean Hayes]

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[Jason Bateman]

Hey guys. Okay, I'm doing an intro right now for Smartless and I just got back from the market. I just bought a bunch of tapioca. I got nothing except a brand new fresh out of the oven episode of Smartless for you guys and a couple of morons to help me with it. Stay tuned. Here it comes. Smartless.

[Will Arnett]

Smart. Smart. Nice. Smart.

[Sean Hayes]

Hey, how was the golf vacation?

[Will Arnett]

How was your golf trip? It was good.

[Jason Bateman]

It was really, really good. You really missed one there, Arnett.

[Will Arnett]

That's okay. I was working. I was working.

[Jason Bateman]

You were busy providing.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I thought you guys went together.

[Will Arnett]

I couldn't go. I had to work.

[Jason Bateman]

I tried. I tried.

[Sean Hayes]

I was with your wife last night. Jason.

[Jason Bateman]

Sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

I hung out with your wife last night and your daughter, who I love.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, she's pretty great. My. So that was a 10 year old. That's maple. The 15 year old. Franny had her sweet 16 this weekend.

[Sean Hayes]

I know. I love that.

[Will Arnett]

No kidding.

[Jason Bateman]

She did. And it was the boyfriend back.

[Will Arnett]

Were you back for it?

[Jason Bateman]

I came back just in time to drive to where she was having it to kick them all out and lock up and. And it was. It was. It was great. I was. I was ready to see things that I wasn't ready to see. And I didn't see anything that I was worried about. It was very. I mean, there was like bowls of chips and Oreo cookies laid out on trays.

[Will Arnett]

You weren't like, sweeping up vape cartridges?

[Jason Bateman]

Exactly. At least I didn't find any.

[Will Arnett]

But, but like, just sweeping up Oreo cookies and stuff. And where, where was the party? Was it at Sean's house? Because.

[Jason Bateman]

There were a lot of Cheetos and, and cookies and.

[Sean Hayes]

And it sounds like my 51st birthday.

[Jason Bateman]

Sean, what was the last big party you threw? Sean? For yourself?

[Sean Hayes]

For myself? Or just in general for yourself? I don't know. Years and years and years ago.

[Jason Bateman]

Why don't, why, why don't you treat yourself?

[Sean Hayes]

Well, didn't you guys come to that? Remember that poker party that I had?

[Jason Bateman]

I don't.

[Will Arnett]

I did. Oh my God, Sean, that was 2004. Yeah, I'm not kidding.

[Sean Hayes]

I know that.

[Will Arnett]

All of 2004 in your backyard. I was there.

[Sean Hayes]

You remember the year?

[Jason Bateman]

You know, we used to play a lot of poker. Will, why don't we start playing poker again?

[Will Arnett]

We talked about it. We, we've been, we've been threatening. I guess we could do it over here at my house.

[Sean Hayes]

Why don't we just do it? It'd be fun. Hey, I texted Will yesterday if I could wear these shoes with the suit.

[Will Arnett]

Pants are you wearing now? Are you wearing them on the flight too?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean, flight? What do you mean, suit pants? Oh, right, you're taking off today.

[Will Arnett]

He's going to an event.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Why are you in suit pants? And who says suit pants? Aren't they called slacks?

[Sean Hayes]

Who says slacks?

[Jason Bateman]

Who says suit pants, bro?

[Will Arnett]

Here we go, guys. Here we are. Suit pants versus slacks. We'll be right back.

[Sean Hayes]

Who says slacks?

[Jason Bateman]

Let's go back to the socks. Get back up and let's question the socks.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Aren't there like little faces on that? Yeah. What are you doing? What is that?

[Sean Hayes]

They're just checkers.

[Will Arnett]

Are they fun?

[Jason Bateman]

They're houndstooth.

[Will Arnett]

Do you like people? People who are like, I'm gonna wear fun socks today, and I hope that people notice my fun socks and like, go, oh, man, you must have a real sense of humor. Cause I just noticed your socks. This really shows that you've got a real sense of humor. I've got a lot of character. Wow, you've got a lot of character. Look at this.

[Jason Bateman]

Where are you going, Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

I'm going to an event tonight. An awards ceremony in Chicago for theater.

[Jason Bateman]

Uh huh.

[Will Arnett]

And it's the event the events tonight, Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

The events tonight. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Wait, what time do you land?

[Jason Bateman]

Are you nominated or are you presenting?

[Sean Hayes]

I'm nominated in Goodnight Oscar. The show is nominated, and Emily Bergl, who plays my wife, is nominated and the writer is nominated. Doug Wright. And Lisa Peterson, who directed, is nominated.

[Will Arnett]

Amazing.

[Jason Bateman]

Are you not, Are you not nominated and.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I am nominated. Such an honor.

[Jason Bateman]

Are you also presenting? No.

[Will Arnett]

What time do you get in? You're leaving?

[Sean Hayes]

I literally land and have to go straight there.

[Will Arnett]

Okay, well, this feels like poor planning.

[Jason Bateman]

Do you have, do you have an acceptance speech written?

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, just in case. I have ideas of just who you want to thank.

[Will Arnett]

Will you be. I saw, look at. Sean showed me a copy of his acceptance speech and he had actually crossed out Scotty. He'd had him in and then he crossed it out.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you guys get in a fight last night?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, a little bit. Wait, I want to go back to the socks for two seconds.

[Jason Bateman]

Let's not talk about the Scotty fight. No, I want to pearl an Oreo at him.

[Sean Hayes]

No, no, I, I, I think the socks thing is, because we don't, as guys don't get a lot of. And as far as fashion goes, a lot of room to play with, like, it's always just a suit.

[Jason Bateman]

Opportunities for highs with clothes.

[Will Arnett]

I thought you were gonna say it's always just a hoodie, but I do have another hoodie on.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I do like to accessorize a little bit every once in a while. I, I don't have the moves that Will does because you're not afraid of a scarf or something like that, are you, Will?

[Will Arnett]

Or a cravat?

[Jason Bateman]

No. What's a cravat?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, what is it?

[Will Arnett]

Ask God, I guess. I don't know. You know, I get, I see the.

[Jason Bateman]

Way he was so, like, trying to have patience with us Philistines that don't.

[Will Arnett]

Well, what can I do? I mean, you know, I get, I get roasted for it if I just, you know, just for my common parlance.

[Sean Hayes]

That's why I texted you, because of the three of us, you probably dress the best.

[Jason Bateman]

You really do.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you very much. Thank you for saying that. Yeah, I know. I really take that as a compliment. And I did say to you. Yes. I mean, I think that those shoes are okay.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Will Arnett]

I said, give me the context where it is. And he said, it's this thing, it's not a big deal. And it's in Chicago. And I said, then it's fine.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, it's a big deal.

[Jason Bateman]

All you heard was Chicago and It's. It's good then.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. When it's in Chicago. Yeah, it's fine. Yeah, everything's fine in Chicago.

[Jason Bateman]

So they're tennis shoes.

[Will Arnett]

I'm just kidding. All my friends in Chicago. It should be noted. Love Chicago. We had a great time in Chicago. The three of us did. We did, and we love it.

[Jason Bateman]

But, Shani, those are. Those are tennis shoes you're wearing with a. With a suit or. Yeah, when I'm looking at the full outfit right now. Is the hoodie part of the.

[Sean Hayes]

No, no, the hoodie is just for the airplane. But what do you. What is your opinion, Jason, about, like, gym shoes with a suit as opposed to, like, dress shoes?

[Will Arnett]

Those are gym shoes.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Stop saying gym shoes and suit pants.

[Sean Hayes]

Like, you know, they're.

[Jason Bateman]

They're.

[Sean Hayes]

I wore them on the tour.

[Jason Bateman]

You call those. What do you call it? You give like rich guys. Sorry. We'll be right with you, guys.

[Will Arnett]

These are like adult contemporary. I call those adult contemporary shoes.

[Jason Bateman]

I'm a rich guy with a yacht.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, no, I'm a finance guy, and I'm trying to be cool. And so my. My wife got me some Tom Ford sneakers, and I'm like, hey, look, I'm hip. I don't have time to think about it. I'm worried about numbers all the time. And then I'm wearing jeans and I'm wearing these kind of sneakers kind of thing. And it's like, hey, listen, I'm wearing this suit jacket, but then I'm jeans under the desk, and I've got these fucking cool sneaks like, okay, just fucking do it. Or don't.

[Jason Bateman]

All right, let's get back to why.

[Will Arnett]

Am I so mad about you, Jason? You know, Jason gets it, you know, I'm not mad. I just get worked.

[Jason Bateman]

I know you're not mad. I know you're. You're to get real pleased. Today we have a guest that is all things. She's an actor, she's a producer, she's a mom, a model, an Academy Award winner, a United nations messenger of peace, and a friend of ours. She's been in 50 films, but is younger than all of us. Let's find out how she gets it all done today on Smart List. Shall we, gang? Please welcome the one and only Charlize Theron.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Bateman]

Hi, Charlize.

[Charlize Theron]

Hi.

[Jason Bateman]

Good morning.

[Sean Hayes]

She's got a cute haircut and a cute sweater on.

[Jason Bateman]

Cute haircut.

[Charlize Theron]

I do. It's a grow out. I don't think it's a haircut.

[Will Arnett]

It's a grow Out.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

What's a grow out?

[Jason Bateman]

And it's dark, listener. It looks real good. Dark.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. It's super cute.

[Jason Bateman]

Have I ever seen you dark?

[Charlize Theron]

I think so.

[Jason Bateman]

Or brunette? What do we call it?

[Charlize Theron]

Whatever you want. I mean, I'm not that picky about it.

[Will Arnett]

It's cute as hell is what it's called. She just put it right back into your court, jb.

[Jason Bateman]

Yes, she did. She's a sweater on that I think I wore in 84. She wears it real well. Let's bring those back.

[Charlize Theron]

Yes.

[Will Arnett]

What about socks, Charlize? Are you a Socks?

[Sean Hayes]

Let me see. Here she goes.

[Jason Bateman]

Nothing.

[Sean Hayes]

No socks.

[Jason Bateman]

No socks. No shoes.

[Sean Hayes]

But you got a couple tats on there.

[Will Arnett]

No socks.

[Charlize Theron]

Sean, quick eye there. You noticed, huh?

[Jason Bateman]

I'm fast.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm fast.

[Jason Bateman]

How many tattoos do we have today? I have two, I'm proud to say.

[Charlize Theron]

You have a tramp stamp. That's amazing.

[Jason Bateman]

It's right on the small of my back. It just says breathe. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

What does it say?

[Sean Hayes]

Breathe.

[Jason Bateman]

So it's.

[Charlize Theron]

So it's working.

[Will Arnett]

So it's like a PSA for whoever you're with.

[Jason Bateman]

Who? Sean, Will, any tattoos from you two?

[Will Arnett]

That's hysterical. Sure.

[Jason Bateman]

Sean's laughing because it's an idea.

[Sean Hayes]

Right?

[Jason Bateman]

No tattoos from Will? Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

No. I've always wanted to get one. When I was young, I wanted to get one on my bicep. My what? My bicep.

[Will Arnett]

And then what happened? It went away. So you had no place to put it? I wanted to get Wendell.

[Charlize Theron]

It would be one of those. When you're waving, it speaks. It's like.

[Jason Bateman]

That's what's happening to me now at 53, I'd like. I don't like to show my tattoos on. Because both are on the. My girl's names on the inside of my arm. There's. I notice how I don't say bicep. And then when I show it to somebody when they ask, and then that little bottom part of the arm just starts to wave at them. It's not good.

[Charlize Theron]

I have my girls middle names on my arm, too. Do you have in charcoal gray right here on your.

[Will Arnett]

But on your forearm.

[Charlize Theron]

On my forearm, yes.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, so let me ask you actors with tattoos, do you have to go through makeup when you're doing a movie to get like, is it a pain in the ass?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, you got to get it covered up.

[Jason Bateman]

I did for the first year of. Of Ozark. And then I said, enough. Let's see. I remember my guys got tattoos. Who cares?

[Sean Hayes]

What about you, Charlize?

[Charlize Theron]

I. I did this in charcoal gray, so it doesn't really photograph. It's super light, and so it doesn't. You don't really. You don't pick it up. And I have found as a producer that when they're light like this, it's easy to take them out in the di. You don't have to put a ton of makeup. It's almost easier to just leave it alone if it's a light tattoo. Right.

[Jason Bateman]

But there's also. But I think it started with Mike Tyson in. In Hangover 3, right. Where you have to get the approval or the sign off of the person who does the tattoo.

[Will Arnett]

Other artist.

[Jason Bateman]

Sue the artist. Yeah. Or they can sue you later for, like, showing a painting that you haven't bought the license for or something like that.

[Sean Hayes]

Really?

[Jason Bateman]

This world where, like, playing a song, you got to pay for it.

[Will Arnett]

It's kind of a.

[Charlize Theron]

Remember when was free?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Right.

[Will Arnett]

Just to remember when people didn't stress about. That was stupid. Yeah, I do. Oh, I didn't know that. We were all drinking.

[Jason Bateman]

Sorry, gang. All right.

[Charlize Theron]

It's nice to see you guys, by the way. It's been a long time. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Many, many years.

[Charlize Theron]

Many years.

[Jason Bateman]

I saw you when she was on Arrested Development.

[Will Arnett]

Sean, what was your favorite?

[Jason Bateman]

Remember when she was on Arrested Development, what was your favorite?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God. It's one of my favorite episodes. When she came in.

[Jason Bateman]

He's never seen Arrested Charlize. It's a point of contention. She played a character named Rita.

[Sean Hayes]

Rita.

[Jason Bateman]

Who was she, Charlize? Were you. I bet you don't even remember either. I don't. You were a spy.

[Sean Hayes]

I.

[Jason Bateman]

Or we thought you were a. You thought you were a spy.

[Charlize Theron]

You thought I was a spy? Yes, because I had a very interesting British accent. I sounded very smart.

[Sean Hayes]

Did you have a. Growing up in South Africa, did you have an accent as a kid and got rid of it, or what happened?

[Charlize Theron]

Oh, yeah, no, I mean, I didn't speak English really until I was, like, 19. I really spoke. I grew up in an area. Yes, I grew up in an area where. That's fucking terrible.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, wait, wait.

[Will Arnett]

Come on, Bru. Come on, Bru. Come on, Bruy.

[Charlize Theron]

Bru. Ensmuthanda. Dva.

[Will Arnett]

I know, it's terrible. It's a very difficult accent to do. South Africa. Very, very difficult.

[Charlize Theron]

Anyway, yeah, I didn't speak it, so I had it as a second language, but nobody in my neighborhood spoke English. But I went to ballet, and it was the Royal Academy of London, and so we had these teachers from London. And they couldn't speak up. So that was the only English I ever really heard was these two Brit. That's so cool. And I would do exams not even knowing I was doing exams because I didn't understand what they were saying. So when I came here at 19, it was really kind of like learning the language. And that's why it was easy for me to drop the accent because I was really learning English from scratch. I think English speaking South Africans have a harder time because it's an ingrained accent that they're trying to break. I didn't have that.

[Jason Bateman]

So Afrikaans is a completely different language. It's not. It's not a. It's not a. Yeah, severity of accent.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

This is new information for you. Wow.

[Jason Bateman]

And it is a common.

[Charlize Theron]

There's about 44 people still speaking it. It's definitely a dying language. It's not a very helpful language.

[Jason Bateman]

Do we know what it is a combination of.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, Dutch. I mean, we. Yeah, so we had pretty much all of Europe try to come in and, and take over. So. But the Dutch language is predominantly what it's based on. And then there's some German in there. And then we've. So if I. I understand Dutch, but when I speak Afrikaans, a Dutch person will be like, very hoity toity about it and they'll be like, I don't know what you're saying, because we've kind of bastardized it. We flattened it out a little bit.

[Will Arnett]

They might even say, that's a terrible, terrible accent. Like you said to me.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, I'm an idiot. Did you, did you ever play a part where you had to do a South African accent?

[Charlize Theron]

I did, yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

You did, yeah, yeah, probably super famous movie and I'm a dum dummy.

[Charlize Theron]

No, it's not actually. It's. Yeah, it was a film called the Last Face.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay. Because I could talk to you for nine hours about Alien, Prometheus right now. But because it's one of my favorite movies. I love that.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you. Scotty. Scotty's creeping in in the background.

[Will Arnett]

It did look like the door was opening. Oh, it's the dog.

[Jason Bateman]

It's the dog.

[Will Arnett]

If it was Scotty on all fours just coming to listen.

[Jason Bateman]

All right, well, okay. So then you said you came here at 19. Charlize, let's go back. So we're in South Africa. We decide to go to. Now ballet was not first, was it modeling in Milan?

[Charlize Theron]

Well, I started dancing when I was really young. And then I went to an art school for dance and that's really what I wanted to do with my life. I just, I fell in love with dance. And I mean, really what I fell in love with was storytelling. But I didn't know it then because technically I was never the strongest dancer, but when I was Swan Lake, I would fucking die on the stage. And so I always got work because.

[Jason Bateman]

I could stop nodding, Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, sorry.

[Jason Bateman]

I mean, he's eagerly nodding, but yeah, that's what I wanted.

[Charlize Theron]

That's what I wanted to do with my life until I kind of couldn't and had to kind of rethink my life. And my mom was the one that pointed out that it was maybe more the storytelling aspect of it that I loved than the dance. And so she was the one that kind of put it together that maybe I should go and try acting, which was like the most stupid, ignorant, like we knew nothing, nothing really about how you would even go about to be an actor.

[Sean Hayes]

So how did you.

[Charlize Theron]

A one way ticket to Hollywood literally bought me a one way ticket to Los Angeles. And I got off the plane and I had nowhere to. I mean, I just had no plan. I stayed at the Farmer's Daughter because the cab dropped on Fairfax. Yeah, and now it's cute. Back then it was like a by the hour. I bought a bottle of bleach right across from the Vons and started cleaning that bathroom. And I stayed there for like six months.

[Sean Hayes]

I stayed there for an hour once.

[Jason Bateman]

Hey. Oh, now, did you take acting classes right away?

[Charlize Theron]

Not right away. I had a very strange experience where kind of like the Lana Turner, you know, soda fountain story where I was at a bank trying to cash a check from New York, which was an out of state check, and I couldn't cash it. And this guy was trying to help me cash it, and he ended up being a manager. And, and he, he signed me on, which is just weird because I could barely speak English. And that tells you everything about how we find our actors these days. But anyway, he. He told me about an acting class and I started going there like once, what I could afford, which was like once a week at that time. And that was helpful because I knew nothing about acting. I knew nothing. I didn't even know who actors were. Like, I love Tom Hanks movies without knowing his name was Tom Hanks.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh God, there's so much in there.

[Will Arnett]

How long was he your manager, this guy?

[Charlize Theron]

He was my manager for about four years.

[Jason Bateman]

Wow. You're so lucky you found the actual manager that says, hey, young lady, I'm a manager. Like you found a real one instead.

[Will Arnett]

Of like, in my office is in my van.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Charlize Theron]

Everybody said that. They were like, this guy. This is what happens to everybody. Like, you're gonna end up in a ditch. And then somebody actually knew him who was in my car. His card was in my car for, like, months. And they said, yeah, he represents John Hurt. And I was like, well, that's a real actor. Okay, So I called him.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Jason Bateman]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Jason Bateman]

So when you started going to these acting classes and you didn't really know what acting was you said was your experience with it and it's starting to become comfortable to you, did you have the sense, like, oh, well, they just kind of have a name for all these things that I'm just kind of naturally doing anyway. In other words, did you find a very natural approach to acting or were you studying sort of like the technique and like going kind of dot to dot about how to act? Or did it just kind of come naturally to you because you're so good at it and you never really see you acting? It seems like it's very natural for you.

[Charlize Theron]

Oh, thanks, Jason. I, I think it was a natural ability. It's easy for me to escape. Like, I think I used it in my childhood. It was a way for me to survive. And it's where I've always found solace. And I think of it as this, you know, amazing opportunity that I get to go and do whatever it is at that time, material wise that I just get to dive into completely. And I love that aspect of it and that is easy for me. But I didn't know how to break a script down and I didn't even know how to read a script. And I didn't know about an arc necessarily, you know, so all of that stuff I had to learn. And that's what this class was really helpful for because they, they didn't just have actors, they had writers, they had directors. So I was around people and I could see kind of, you know, it from a little Bit higher in the ground. Not. So did you.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you have a. An early experience with an actor or director on a job where you. Them with the actor maybe breaking down their script or a director? Sort of. Did anybody. Was anybody a real helpful influence for you, like actually at work as opposed to on a. Or in a class?

[Charlize Theron]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I think, yes, this class was helpful, but really, ultimately, I became a student as I was working. I mean, I think that's always the best way to work. And I look at all of my experiences early on. I found great mentorship with producers and directors and writers and actors who really, you know, really just took me under my wing. I'm here because of the grace of a lot of those people and kindness of a lot of those people, because I was so eager and so, you know, I think they were entertained by me.

[Will Arnett]

Did you have a moment with one of them, though, where that you remember now that you kind of go back to and go. That was a powerful moment. Somebody that I worked with, director, writer, actor.

[Charlize Theron]

Early on, yeah, I mean, I worked with this writer, director, John Herzfeld. It was my first film that I ever did. And he was very kind. You know, he was very patient. I had to do a lot of stuff with James Spader, who's lovely, but, like, he's a pro, and he, like, shows up and he's ready to rock and roll. And I think I was, you know, like 19 at the time. And there were moments where John really kind of like, helped me, I think, get through a shoot. That could have been tough because I was so inexperienced, you know, so I'm grateful to him always. But then I got to work with Tom Hanks right after that, and he was just fucking lovely because with him, it was just all about the joy. He was just like, lean into the joy. The joy, the joy. And then I also had, like, you know, counter experiences. Like, I love Taylor Hackford. I did a film called Devil's Advocate with him, with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves. And that was a really big movie for me. And he. He loves. He really encourages method. And so everybody just. You don't really have a choice. Like, that's just kind of like how he makes. I don't know now, but that was back then.

[Jason Bateman]

So explain for, like, for Tracy, the non. The non entertainment people, what method is.

[Charlize Theron]

It's basically immersing yourself in the character in the world 24 7. And so you're never, ever out of it. You stay in it. Your director will call you by the character. Name. You just. You're kind of immersed in it the whole time.

[Sean Hayes]

Those people are super fun to hang out with.

[Charlize Theron]

That's exactly it. So I realized on that film that that was definitely not a process that was gonna work for me. There was something so exhausting about it. My life was miserable. I wasn't happy. And then, of course, you worry because you're like, well, if I don't do that, then maybe I won't be as good as the Marlon Brandos and the Monte Cliffs. And you read all these biographies, right? And then I did some work non method, and I was actually really happy with the work.

[Jason Bateman]

And I think you could pop in and out.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, I. For me, yeah. Having the energy to be able to go a lot further in darker material is way more helpful than being exhausted. When I'm exhausted, I'm a little bit. I'm just too tired. Like, I almost, like, don't want to, like, go into the dark room. But I think when I. So I. I made it a real discipline. I think dance really helped me with this. I. I work and I leave it behind, and I come home and I pick up my dog shit, and I love my kids, and I make pasta and drink a beer and, like, life is good.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, you're so goddamn funny. I wish. I wish you'd do more comedies. I'll bet. I'll bet it's. I bet they just don'. Come your way, Right? I mean, is it just a question of, like, them not sending you a bunch of comedic stuff?

[Will Arnett]

Are you talking to Sean?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, Charlize, we'll be with you in one second. Like, you know, there. It's like, well, maybe you wouldn't mind being immersed in. Well, I guess it depends on what sort of comedic character it would be. But going method on a comedy would not be as painful, I would suppose.

[Charlize Theron]

I think comedy is. You know, it's very much like a taste thing. Like, I think you love. You love comedy because you find something funny. And I think that's where I struggle sometimes.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. There's certain kinds of funny.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah. So, like, for me, the reason why, you know, I had just won the Academy Award for Monster, and the first job I did was working with you guys on Arrested Development, because.

[Will Arnett]

Makes sense to me.

[Charlize Theron]

I just thought, this is such an opportunity to work with these geniuses that I, you know, might never get again.

[Will Arnett]

And then they were. The geniuses weren't available, so you came and worked with us.

[Charlize Theron]

But, you know, Mitch was amazing and kind of, like, approaching me and saying, like, do you find this funny? Like, let's. If you find this funny, we can figure something out. And that's kind of the comedy that I'm. I don't want to. I don't think I can do comedy that I don't myself find funny. Like, I loved working with the Point Gray Guys and Seth Rogen on Long Shot. Like, that was a movie that I really loved. I would make that movie over and over and over again because it was just. Just hands down, one of the best experiences. Jonathan Levine kind of shepherded that thing, and everybody was just. I find them very funny.

[Jason Bateman]

How great is Seth?

[Sean Hayes]

Hilarious.

[Jason Bateman]

I remember how our minds were blown that you were coming to do the show. Remember, Will? We were just like, wait, what?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Charlize Theron's coming here?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was a difficult. It was difficult.

[Charlize Theron]

I was so nervous. I'm gonna tell you guys right now.

[Jason Bateman]

I don't think we were petrified.

[Charlize Theron]

I would say that's like my top five most nervous jobs I've ever done, because people don't think of me as funny. So there's this version of like, oh, here comes the dramatic, you know, but what was great? That's gonna, like, come and fuck our show up.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. You were just playing this great character, you know, like, it wasn't funny to her. You know, that was. That was that brand of humor.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah. And that's. I think that's the humor that I like. But I do feel pressure. Not pressure, but you guys are so good. So I look at you guys and I go. When I watched you two and that whole cast, I have to say, it's effortless. But I also know you guys had been on the show for a while, and you get into a thing. It's like, there's nothing worse than being the new kid on the show. Like, when you show up and it's like, right.

[Jason Bateman]

But hopefully you saw how quickly we were all morons and it was just this big, dumb family idiot.

[Charlize Theron]

No. I found you guys very impressive, actually. Very impressive.

[Will Arnett]

We were very. I remember just being like, what?

[Sean Hayes]

I have a question, though.

[Jason Bateman]

You turned into George Michael.

[Will Arnett]

I really did. I did. Embarrassing.

[Sean Hayes]

But what's kind of mind blowing to me, just hearing your story about coming here at 19 and not speaking English. You just kind of. It's kind of mind blowing that you jumped into these films, like, with these huge, successful people right away, where most actors stories are like, I did this commercial and I tried to get a TV show. I couldn't do that. You know, your journey was so Quick.

[Charlize Theron]

No, I did that. I just skipped over it. I did, like, Ross Dress for Less commercials.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, okay, okay.

[Charlize Theron]

And by that, I mean I was like an extra in the back. You know, like, not. Not featured. But no, trust me, I. I was an extra in Children of the Corn three.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, okay.

[Charlize Theron]

I know. It was definitely not like, oh, here you go.

[Sean Hayes]

Here you go. And what about, like, roommates? Did you have to find other actor room? Like, how was the living situation in growing up?

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I lived in a loft with two other girls right next to the big five down in San Vicente.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, sure.

[Charlize Theron]

And lived there for years. And it was, you know, like a one bedroom loft. It was just a room and a bed, you know, coming out of the wall. And three of us lived there for years. The bathroom was literally right next to the kitchen. And I just, I would look at that toilet from the kitchen sink and I just said to myself, let this be the motivation. Let this be the motivation. We need to live somewhere where your toilet is. Right. Not to the kitchen. That was like. That was a huge motivation.

[Sean Hayes]

You're still talking.

[Will Arnett]

Sean, didn't you and Scotty put a toilet in the kitchen just to cut down the commute? Just to cut down the commute?

[Jason Bateman]

You can only put so much sloppy Joe in your face before, you know, you just can't make it.

[Will Arnett]

They did the math. They did the math on how much time they waste going back and forth. They sat down, they had a meeting with their business. With their business manager.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, the truth is so funny sometimes.

[Sean Hayes]

You're right.

[Jason Bateman]

Charlize is still trying to catch a breath. We'll wait. We could trim it all out.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm literally crying.

[Will Arnett]

Jesus Christ.

[Charlize Theron]

Oh, God.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way, I've made these guys slappy Joes a couple times now, so maybe that's why.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, well, I've heard about your Swedish fish. And yeah, I listened to the show.

[Jason Bateman]

The plug that a Swedish fish and a piece of sloppy Joe can make. So, Charlize, the. The cushy shooting situation there at 20th Century Fox when we were doing Arrested is nothing compared to the grueling location of, say, a Mad Max. Right? I mean, walk us through. Was that. Was it as tough as it looked out there doing Mad Max out in the middle of an Australian desert?

[Sean Hayes]

I love that movie.

[Jason Bateman]

Or was there something really kush just behind camera?

[Charlize Theron]

No, we shot it in Namibia. Actually, we were originally going to shoot it in Australia.

[Will Arnett]

And then ask him where Namibi is. Just ask him what side of Africa it's on.

[Charlize Theron]

Do you know where Namibia is?

[Jason Bateman]

That's over there on the, on the left side. If you're looking at it from the west coast, you're right, north.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, it was a 50, 50 chance.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, we'll see. The way I confused you with the left and the north.

[Charlize Theron]

It's a beautiful place, Jason.

[Will Arnett]

Looks insane.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, it's really beautiful. It's where. It's the only place where lions and whales meet. Like, you'll see lions walk on the beach and eat, you know, discarded whales or.

[Jason Bateman]

No way.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, it's really, it's a magical place. There's places called, you know, Skeleton coast. And it's like, it's pretty magical.

[Will Arnett]

It has like, like, it's just like.

[Charlize Theron]

Sandy and sand, hundreds of miles of dunes. I mean, the desert is unbelievable. And we went there because there was a flood. There was like a rain monsoon that hit Australia right before as we were in pre production. And the whole red desert in Australia just ended up being wildflowers. So not very wild.

[Sean Hayes]

How long of a shoot was that? How many months?

[Charlize Theron]

Oh, I just want to listen to this. So we had 140 cars that were made in Australia and they had to ship. They put them all on a boat and drove. Drove them on the water. What is that?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God.

[Charlize Theron]

Sailed them on the water all the way to Namibia. Anyway, what were you asking, Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

I was just saying how long. The reason why. I don't know how long it is.

[Charlize Theron]

It was long.

[Sean Hayes]

You have to gear up mentally to be out of your house, in your comfort zone. Because when I hear about these year long shoots, I was like, it so uproots your life. Obviously we're all doing what we love to do, but it's. How are you? How do you cope with that? With the uprooting?

[Will Arnett]

Okay, Jason, you got a thought?

[Jason Bateman]

I just started to think about the. What would the list look like in order of heartbreak of the things you would be missing? Sean from home, if you had to be shooting in Namibia, like, what would be number one? You'd be like, gosh, I just don't know when I'd get my next.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, it's my bed. My bed is like, you know, for the sleep. Like you want to sleep in your own bed and you want to go.

[Jason Bateman]

Out in bed with your fan. And what do you like when you sleep? You need a fan. Running and what else?

[Sean Hayes]

Need a fan? I need a pillow between my legs. Legs. I need 2p. Like a hard and a soft pillow on the thing. Like, you know, there's a bowl full.

[Will Arnett]

Of three Musketeer Minis.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I gotta wake up in the morning. That gets me going.

[Will Arnett]

It's got to be within reach at any.

[Sean Hayes]

It can't be a king size.

[Will Arnett]

We're not going to get into Sean's rider right now. The point is.

[Sean Hayes]

But the point is, like, you have.

[Will Arnett]

But it's hard going away. Yeah. Leaving. Leaving town really hard.

[Charlize Theron]

I had my first kid. She was literally, I think, six weeks old. And I got on a plane with her as a baby. I was a new mom. And I was. I mean, I know Namibia a little bit, because most of my family is from Namibia. Namibia used to be part of South Africa, and then in the 90s, it became independent. So Namibia was kind of familiar to me, but not that familiar. But I also. I mean, I was. I was crazy.

[Sean Hayes]

And, Jason, don't get me started, because I know. I know what has to be done for you to go away.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I would not. I would have passed.

[Charlize Theron]

I can back you on that. I've been part of it. It's fucking pathetic.

[Will Arnett]

Jason can't even move to the valley. Who are you fucking kidding?

[Sean Hayes]

Trust me.

[Charlize Theron]

We had to shoot in the valley a couple of times, and it was rough. It was rough for him.

[Jason Bateman]

Nuh, that is a word.

[Charlize Theron]

But it was definitely long. And it was the same scenery every single day. It wasn't as long as it went. Way longer than we thought.

[Sean Hayes]

So you have to like, mentally prepare. Like, okay, I'm gonna be gone for this long. I need to. This is what. This is how it has to go. Whatever. My. What's in my room. And, like, you know, just so you can make it home. Because it's gonna be your home.

[Charlize Theron]

I don't need a lot. I just, like. I think for me, it was important just to know that I was safe, because safety is a bit of an issue there.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Charlize Theron]

And I had a new baby and that. What became the biggest issue, you know, I was. It was just me and Jackson in the house, and I got broken in, like, you know, three in the morning, like, five times. That was really scary over there. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Broken into while you're sleeping. Yeah. You can hear, like, where were you staying? In, like, a tent?

[Charlize Theron]

No, I was staying at this really nice house. Like, they have all these beautiful coastal homes, like, right on the water, and they're gorgeous. I mean, it puts Malibu to shame. But unfortunately, you're bringing in a big production, there's money, and you were dealing with people who are living way below poverty. And so it's just. It's It's a recipe for disaster. So. So that part of it was my biggest concern.

[Jason Bateman]

And the people that you would ostensibly hire for security would be.

[Charlize Theron]

They were kind of part of it.

[Jason Bateman]

Local.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Charlize Theron]

They were kind of. They were kind of part of the problem. Yeah. I ended up feeling really safe because if, you know the movie, the War Boys, the majority of the War Boys were actually real military, Australian military that George brought out. And so they.

[Jason Bateman]

Not to be confused with Hot cops, will.

[Will Arnett]

Got it, got it, got it, got it.

[Charlize Theron]

But I would text them. When I would hear something, I would text them and literally, like three minutes, three minutes later, I would see their flashlights coming in and I just kind of relied on them and they kept me safe the whole movie.

[Jason Bateman]

Right. Oh, God. And then you wake up.

[Will Arnett]

I mean, that was very physically, like, grueling part for you as well.

[Jason Bateman]

Like hot and dusty.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, right.

[Charlize Theron]

It was actually cold. Really cold.

[Jason Bateman]

Really looks hot.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, it was freezing. We had a lot of cases of hypothermia. Especially the young girls who only wear, like, bandages. Like, a lot of them got hypothermia. I was freezing just because when you don't have hair on your head, you forget, like, it's like a heat releaser. So it was really cold, actually.

[Jason Bateman]

Now I'd rather freeze than sweat. So, like, that sounds good to me. Yeah, absolutely. Would you have been happier if it was 110?

[Charlize Theron]

I like it when I'm. When I have to do, like, action. I like colder better.

[Jason Bateman]

Right?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, right. For sure.

[Charlize Theron]

It's harder for me to have a lot of a ton of energy to, like, do fight scenes when it's. And it's like. I just did this movie in Rome and it was one of the hottest summers. It was 115 degrees every single day. And I had to do these fight scenes out in these Roman streets. And it was just like, you couldn't keep fluid in your body.

[Jason Bateman]

And were you wearing clothes and playing a character where you weren't supposed to be sweating? That's when the heat is dragged.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah. I mean, after a while, I'm just like. That's like the last thing I'm fucking thinking about. I'm just cramping. Yeah. I'm like, that's like the last of my. I'm like, can I just be able to walk? Like your feet start cramping because you just have no fluid in your body. And so. Yeah, I definitely.

[Jason Bateman]

So many action films. I mean, are you. You must have been injured beyond any ability to recuperate. And keep schedules going forward. I mean, are there any stories of. Of you just saying. All right, that's it. It were down for a couple of weeks.

[Charlize Theron]

No.

[Jason Bateman]

With an injury. No.

[Charlize Theron]

I don't know if it's stupidity or if it's just a high. I have a high, maybe a high tolerance for pain, but I. I. On the first old guard, I tore this. The tendon off this bone on my thumb. It got stuck in a. In a. In a guy's like, as his. Yeah. And it just. He moved and he ripped my whole thumb backwards.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God.

[Charlize Theron]

And I. I mean, it was really painful. And I just kind of. You know, when you have an injury, you just kind of don't use it so much. And so I just didn't use it so much. But I had to do, like, three weeks of a big action sequence on a horse where I was riding with that hand and fighting with the right. And so I was just in denial. And then I came back and. And had surgery. It was the. It was just floating. There was like, nothing holding it. And I just finished the second one now. I just came back back, like 10 days ago, and I just had shoulder surgery two. Two days ago. No way.

[Jason Bateman]

You're not. You're not. You're not old, but you're not 15.

[Charlize Theron]

No, I'm not. But, you know, I recover really fast and. And I. My body is in great shape. These are all just, like, superficial injuries. Like, I actually. My shoulder is actually great. My knees are great. How's your stunt double doing? Huh?

[Jason Bateman]

How's your stunt double doing? Yeah, I mean, I bet you have the same one for years.

[Charlize Theron]

She does. She does. Like, you know, I'm not gonna do stupid hard falls. Staircase, or like, you know, falling from a second. I don't do stuff like that.

[Jason Bateman]

But she is. Is she still okay?

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, she's. She's 24. I mean, nothing hurts at 24.

[Jason Bateman]

What about Liam Neeson's stunt double? He must be all banged up. My God, that poor bastard.

[Charlize Theron]

It's fun to do this stuff. I like it. I really love it.

[Jason Bateman]

It's a nice sitcom. You need a nice sitcom.

[Charlize Theron]

No, I don't know. I don't. I think I'm. I'm not quite ready. I. I think, like another. Maybe in another 10 years. Years.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Charlize Theron]

There's something so invigorating about hanging off the side of a helicopter. It's amazing.

[Jason Bateman]

What about. Didn't you kind of got injured when you put on all that weight for Sully, Right?

[Charlize Theron]

I had more injuries on that movie? Yes. Just from gaining weight. I herniated a disc in my lower back because I just.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, how'd that happen?

[Charlize Theron]

Well, I gained like 50 pounds and then I had to wear a pregnancy belly that Jason Reitman, the director, thought would be a good idea to make the actual, actual size the weight of an actual. So it weighed like another 40 pounds. And then he put me in a fitting and I had to put shoes on over and over. And just, you know, from bending and putting on shoes, I herniated the disc in my lower back. And that's been the worst injury I've ever had.

[Will Arnett]

Wow.

[Sean Hayes]

We'll be right back.

[Jason Bateman]

Now you can stream the best of Hulu on Disney, which means the hottest Hulu series and movies are alongside your Disney favorite with Hulu. Say yes, Chef to a new season of FX is the Bear. And don't miss Marvel Television's action packed new series Ironheart on Disney. All of these and more now streaming with Hulu on Disney with a bundle. Subscription terms apply. Visit disneyplus.com hulu for details.

[Will Arnett]

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[Sean Hayes]

You know that point in the afternoon where you just hit a wall? Take a real break with Pure Leaf iced tea. Real brewed tea available in a variety of delicious flavors with just the right amount of naturally occurring caffeine. And you know what? It leaves you refreshed and revitalized. So you're ready to take on what's next. Next time you need to hit the reset button, grab a Pure Leaf iced tea. Time for a tea break. Time for a pure leaf.

[Jason Bateman]

All right, back to the show.

[Sean Hayes]

Can I tell you something? This is a true story.

[Will Arnett]

Okay, first of all, we're Gonna listen harder.

[Jason Bateman]

Thanks for. Stop lying.

[Sean Hayes]

Go ahead.

[Will Arnett]

Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

This is a true story. I was sitting there watching because you have this unbelievable ability to. Like we spoke about earlier, to lose yourself into every character you play. It's very rare that. You know, there's Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was just, like, transformative. There's you, who's always transformative. It's just an incredible feat. So I'm sitting there with Scotty, my husband, watching Bombshell. I swear to God, I'm not making this up. And like, half hour, 40 minutes in, I'm like. I thought, where the fuck is Charlize Theron? I thought she was in this movie. And he's like, what? You idiot, that's her. And I'm like, as Megyn Kelly. I was blown away. I mean, you look like her. You sounded like her. It was so funny, you guys. I think it's, like, amazing.

[Charlize Theron]

I don't fuck them. I'm enjoying this moment. Charlize, I'm just looking at your screen right now. It's just me and you.

[Sean Hayes]

That's all I wanted to say. I don't have a question. I was just like. I really, truly was. Like, I thought Charlize was in this movie.

[Charlize Theron]

Oh, that's nice. That's her.

[Jason Bateman]

It is pretty impressive.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, it was mind blowing.

[Jason Bateman]

What about this new thing, the School for Good and Evil? What are you doing in that and why do you want to do it? What about it was. Was it Paul Feig? Because he's a good dude.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah. He did a couple of episodes of our Arrested Development. Yeah, he's such an amazing guy. I also just, you know, I have two young kids now, 7 and 10, and they're gonna have to be, like, at least, you know, 52 to see any of my work. So there is a level of wanting to make stuff for them because they. They love this world, this kind of fantasy world. And it was also. Fuck, man. It was like towards the end of our lockdown, and I was going stir crazy. I was homeschooling the two of them, and I obviously couldn't take a job because I didn't want to move them. You know, it just wasn't the right time to move a whole family somewhere. So it was a two week job up in Belfast, and they got me back in 14 days, and my mom took the kids, and so that was nice, too. But, yeah, mostly I did it for them. I. I want, you know, there's something. I don't know, there's something about, you know, kids that no matter who you are. You want to impress them. Like, they're not impressed by Megyn Kelly. Like, they're not impressed.

[Jason Bateman]

And it's also proof of, like, well, this is, you know, mom is busy. But I swear I'm busy doing stuff. I swear it. Like, here's something you can see. It's proof.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, well, they see the posters when we drive to the bus. They never see the movies, right? But they always see the posters and they spend time on set and things like that, so they think they know what the movie is. And it's really funny when they're like, they see the poster and they just go, well, I don't know if that is the movie that I saw you make.

[Jason Bateman]

How do you manage to do all of this work and still be such a great mom? Because I know you put an incredible time and focus to being an incredible mother. And I know that you've got incredible help from your mother, who is an incredible woman. But as I said in the intro, 50 films, like, it takes a few months to do a movie, especially when you're the lead, like, you always are. Like, the math doesn't even work out. I don't know how you've gotten all that done and still been, you know.

[Charlize Theron]

Well, I've been producing for, you know, close to two decades now, and I think that's really helped, just taking some agency and making my own schedule. And so I really don't make anything. Like, I don't make any big movies unless I, you know, I push it into the summer where I can take my whole family. Like, we all went to Rome for four months and. But, you know, I get my kids back for school. But you're right, I can't do it without my mom. And I'm always very vocal and acknowledging that I am co parenting with her. And so that's kind of unusual for people to hear, but that is the truth. She really is very much a co parent.

[Sean Hayes]

I love that.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, it's amazing. I'm so lucky. I'm so lucky.

[Will Arnett]

How much. Because your mom's been there, obviously, the whole time, and. And you are so close to her. How much do you talk to her about what choices you make as a, you know, sort of artistically, as a producer or as an actor? Do you have a relationship like that at all? Do you go like, hey, I'm thinking about doing this thing. What do you think? Do you take. Do you sound stuff off of her in that way, too, or.

[Sean Hayes]

No.

[Charlize Theron]

So when I started, she was definitely. She was way more opinionated I mean, she definitely. She. She's very direct, Jason. You've met her. She's very funny. She's very direct. She's kind of. She's abroad. She's very, very brassy and loud, and she loves to swear, and she's just very honest. So in the beginning when I started, there was a lot of, like, wanting her approval, but she would go and see some of my movies and just be like, that's a piece of shit.

[Jason Bateman]

Before you even out of the theater.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah. And I was like, you should come out. And you could just tell on her face. She was like, that is not good. But I appreciate it so much from her. It's kind of our relationship. I remember as a dancer too, when I was little, like, I would have a competition or something. She was never the parent that would sugarcoat it. She wasn't, like, abusive about it, but she was very honest. I knew that when she said something was good, I was like, that was then. That was really good.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, right.

[Charlize Theron]

You know, like, I really believe that more than the negative stuff, it becomes.

[Will Arnett]

Like a real barometer for you.

[Charlize Theron]

Exactly. I can really trust her, so it's not so much. I mean, I tell her, obviously, because she's part of it, I have to, like, clear her tennis and golf schedule out here so that she can, like, you know, pack up and move with me. But, yeah, she likes a lot of stuff. I mean, she loves. She loves, like, the long shots. She likes those kind of movies way more.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Uhhuh.

[Charlize Theron]

But she loved this movie. This. This fantasy movie. This. The School for Good and Evil. She really loves it.

[Sean Hayes]

Can't wait to see that.

[Jason Bateman]

She's a big golfer.

[Will Arnett]

Big golfer. We.

[Charlize Theron]

We need a big golfer and a really big tennis player. She's super athletic. She going to be 70 next year. But she plays with 30 year olds. I mean, she's ridic. She hikes every morning at 5am, three miles every morning with six dogs. She takes my dogs and her dogs.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Charlize Theron]

Then she goes and she walks 18 holes and then she plays tennis.

[Jason Bateman]

No golf. No tennis for you.

[Charlize Theron]

I. I only play golf with her, and usually just on Mother's Day. And I. But I love tennis, but tennis is like a later sport that I just learned because I had to find something for cardio because I couldn't really run. Run anymore. And so I found tennis, and I was like, this is great cardio, and I enjoy it.

[Will Arnett]

Tennis is great. What about the pickleball? Jason and I play?

[Charlize Theron]

No, not pickleball.

[Will Arnett]

No pickleball.

[Charlize Theron]

No, I mean, isn't that, like, what old people play?

[Will Arnett]

Yes, I think so. But sweeping the nation just because it's easy.

[Jason Bateman]

Really sweeping.

[Will Arnett]

Americans really love to glom.

[Charlize Theron]

Do you guys play pickleball?

[Jason Bateman]

I. I have played. Sean's got a pickleball court and a toilet right in the middle of the court.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm up for pickleball. I would love to learn.

[Will Arnett]

I played before. I've played pickleball before. Before. It ruins your tennis game. I don't advise it if you like tennis because it engages the wrist too much.

[Sean Hayes]

I like ping pong.

[Will Arnett]

I used to play paddle a lot.

[Sean Hayes]

Anybody like ping pong?

[Charlize Theron]

Oh, I love ping pong. I have a ping pong table in my back.

[Will Arnett]

Are you trying to, like, just bring up stuff that you don't have to move at all?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, just my. Just my upper body.

[Jason Bateman]

Xbox. What about that? I play that tv.

[Will Arnett]

I like watching TV now.

[Jason Bateman]

You, you, you, you, you. You're. You seem like such a brave person. What. What scares the hell out of you? What are you most afraid of? What's like, your great question.

[Will Arnett]

You do seem like a very brave person.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, but I earned. Earned bravery, though, you know, it's not fake.

[Charlize Theron]

Kind of threw up in my mouth a little bit there.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Spit it out.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, moving. When you're 19, you can't speak English. You're making that, like.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah, I mean, a lot of that. When I think back and now that I have kids, I'm like. That was just. I feel like I, you know, if I didn't come out of the circumstances that I did. No, my mom would have never done anything like that, and I don't think I would have done anything like that. But I came out of. Of very complicated circumstances. You know, I didn't really. There wasn't a lot of choice. It was like, swim or drown. Like, what are you going to do? Stay?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. You're tough, though. You seem very. You're very tough. Like, you have this. You can kind of see it. You have this kind of resolve, this inner resolve that come for me anyway. I've felt like it's always shone through. And you seem. I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah. She's on top of her.

[Jason Bateman]

She's very. But, like, don't talk to her. Yeah. What about, like, bees? Because, like, bees. Bees will turn me into somebody. I don't want to be seen.

[Charlize Theron]

I think I've seen you, like, scream like a girl. I think I have. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

And I'll just run. I'll just. I'll Just disappear, like, with, like, a rocket flare, like a cartoon character. Just.

[Charlize Theron]

I'll tell you, I saw a cockroach yesterday, and I did not handle it well.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I'm not good with those guys.

[Charlize Theron]

I did not handle it well. I. I really could not. I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't want to kill it, but I also didn't want it to live. I was really. I was very. Really torn. And then I just. The idea of stepping on it, I couldn't. It was.

[Jason Bateman]

Then what did you do?

[Charlize Theron]

Then I made somebody else do it.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. You called somebody in and did you. Did you. Did you instruct them not to kill it?

[Charlize Theron]

No. This was. One lady was really brave. She just. She stepped on. She took her shoe off and just did it. I was very grateful. Yes.

[Will Arnett]

Is there anything within sort of what you. The realm and the bigger scope of what you do? So, again, as a sort of. As an actor or a producer, a writer, director, whatever, is there anything that you can think of that you think. Think that seems scary for me to do?

[Jason Bateman]

Would you dance or sing?

[Charlize Theron]

I mean, I would dance. I would love to dance. I. I don't know. I don't think I would sing. I'm a terrible singer.

[Jason Bateman]

Me, too.

[Charlize Theron]

Yeah. And I'm. I'm very uncomfortable singing. Like, I break out in hives. That's why Jason Reitman always makes me sing in his movies, because it's. He just loves torturing me. But I don't know. I mean, listen, I was really. I was really worried, scared. I was scared of doing Megyn Kelly. I really. I. You know, that's. It's one of those things where you're, like, hoping for the best, and you try and do as much work as possible, but there's no guarantee, right? And it's like you go. You're like, four or five weeks in, and you still don't sound like her. And I did the first round of prosthetics, and I looked like Glenn Close. Like, it was weird. Like, I was like, I don't know if this is gonna work out.

[Will Arnett]

And so you feel like. You kind of feel like you're out on a lane limb and you're.

[Charlize Theron]

I was like, this can. This can definitely go very wrong. Like, I definitely felt that.

[Sean Hayes]

How about when in Prometheus when you just lit some guy up on fire that was like, you had, like, a fire machine and the guy was standing a flamethrower?

[Jason Bateman]

Was it a fire machine, Chunk, or whatever it's called?

[Charlize Theron]

I didn't really do that, but.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, you didn't.

[Jason Bateman]

You had a fire gun.

[Sean Hayes]

You had like a.

[Charlize Theron]

No, they actually. That one did light up, minus, like there was nobody in front of me, but it did light up. Light up. I think they did one where it kind of lights up a little bit, and that was.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, so that wasn't you just like blowing them to bits like that, Lighting him on fire?

[Charlize Theron]

No, they added that later.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, wow. I'm so sorry, Charlize.

[Will Arnett]

Holy fucking.

[Sean Hayes]

I love that movie so much.

[Charlize Theron]

You do? That's so sweet.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God.

[Will Arnett]

Welcome to Fan Fest.

[Charlize Theron]

You know, I love that you go between Megyn Kelly and that. That's. That's.

[Sean Hayes]

I've seen Prometheus like 10 times. I love it. And, you know, it's wild.

[Charlize Theron]

Bender is pretty amazing.

[Sean Hayes]

I did a deep dive on YouTube about it because the engineer. I don't know. You're. Never mind. These guys are going to fall asleep.

[Will Arnett]

We want to hear his bad.

[Jason Bateman]

I want to know.

[Sean Hayes]

I don't know if this is true or not, because Ridley Scott had. I don't know if it's true, but I heard that he had this original script that explained kind of the whole. They gave this engineer this dialogue that explained the whole movie, but he cut it, which was that in the Bible, when Jesus wasn't there for however many years, because, you know, the Bible cuts from when he was a kid to 30, that these engineers, these aliens came, picked them up, brought them to their planet, taught them how they should teach humanity, brought them back, and then that's what he tried to do, but they failed. And that's why these aliens want to come back and wipe it out, because it's gotten so bad.

[Charlize Theron]

And you heard this where?

[Sean Hayes]

Online somewhere.

[Charlize Theron]

Wow. I can't verify that for you. That's really interesting.

[Sean Hayes]

It's fascinating, isn't it? And if it's not true, it's a good idea.

[Charlize Theron]

It's a great idea.

[Jason Bateman]

The world is round too, Sean. On It's. It's round.

[Will Arnett]

It's swear.

[Charlize Theron]

But anyway, I think some. Some. Some listeners right now are. Are like touching themselves. Like, you know, people really appreciate that kind of knowledge. So thank you for.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, I thought you've been touching themselves. Like, am I here? Is this, this, Is this actually.

[Jason Bateman]

Did I just pass out?

[Will Arnett]

What am I. Did I. Yeah, I didn't know if.

[Sean Hayes]

You knew, if you heard that, if that was true.

[Charlize Theron]

No.

[Will Arnett]

You know why? Because she doesn't spit her time on Reddit with you and Scotty going, putting in Prometheus theories. Scotty we should get to bed. It's 4am look at this thread. Look at this thread, man.

[Sean Hayes]

That stuff is fascinating to me.

[Jason Bateman]

I know. Angel.

[Will Arnett]

All right.

[Jason Bateman]

Charlize, you're the greatest. You're the best ever.

[Charlize Theron]

You guys, I really love the show. Congratulations. I listen all the time when I'm stuck waiting to pick my kids up. It's a joy to listen to you guys. You're really funny.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you. Thanks.

[Charlize Theron]

And thank you for having me. I. I guess you ran out of people.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Charlize Theron]

Every time I would listen to it, I thought, yeah, how dare you?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, we're on the.

[Charlize Theron]

Between Jason and Will. Between both of you. I could.

[Will Arnett]

But that's Vil.

[Charlize Theron]

That's how we say it in African. That's. I was like, wow. I'm like, you guys must have, like, really cleared your list. Even you, Sean. I know you, too. Like, what the happened?

[Sean Hayes]

Can I tell you something? Can I tell you something right now? 17 right now. You've been on my list since day one. And obviously Jason. You were on Jason's list.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. And I was like, no, I get her.

[Charlize Theron]

So Ville is the one that we.

[Will Arnett]

No, no, I have a nice different list. And then it just. I don't know. I didn't end up having a pen.

[Charlize Theron]

Well, thank you for having me, you guys.

[Jason Bateman]

Yes, we love you. Have a great rest.

[Charlize Theron]

Love you right back. You guys too.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you for doing this. All right.

[Charlize Theron]

Bye.

[Jason Bateman]

Bye.

[Will Arnett]

Bye. Bye.

[Sean Hayes]

That was so funny.

[Jason Bateman]

I love that. What is that theory for Prometheus? Is that really what it was about?

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I mean, there's this one guy's thing. He said he got a copy of the script and like, that the whole point of the aliens wanting to wipe out Earth is. Cause we're not getting it right. We're making the Earth worse.

[Will Arnett]

Why are you encouraging to tell it again? He's just repeating what.

[Jason Bateman]

He's just fascinated that you just like. Like go in and look for meanings. Like when you saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you did you do a deep dive, pretty much.

[Sean Hayes]

Straightforward. That's just from the book.

[Jason Bateman]

That's one of my favorite movies.

[Sean Hayes]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The original.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

I love that. I love that movie too.

[Will Arnett]

Great get.

[Jason Bateman]

Now, that was just great to have our buddy Charlize on.

[Sean Hayes]

How do you know her, Jason? I didn't know you knew her so well.

[Jason Bateman]

Just from Arrested in a movie.

[Will Arnett]

Can you guys make a movie together?

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, that's right. And we also did. Wait, did I do Hancock before or after Arrested?

[Will Arnett]

After, After.

[Jason Bateman]

After. Ye. Yeah, that was really, really fun. That was my first, maybe only, big budget movie. That was pretty impressive seeing that whole big superhero.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, that was a huge movie that you did. But yeah, she came and did five episodes of Arrested Feldman, something like that.

[Jason Bateman]

The most Canadian pronunciation of five.

[Sean Hayes]

I ran into her at the airport when she was nominated for Monster. She was making the rounds and I was doing press too, and there was this room and what were you doing.

[Jason Bateman]

Press for Sean, Will and Grace or something.

[Sean Hayes]

And. And we just done Oprah like the same day and I saw her at the airport and I did this big dance for her and she looked at me like I.

[Will Arnett]

At the airport you did?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, just trying to make her laugh and she was like, what's wrong with you? Like she.

[Will Arnett]

Did you have time to get into it land? Did you have time to get into what was wrong with you?

[Sean Hayes]

No, no.

[Will Arnett]

If you were. If you were late for a flight, you must not have had time to get to answer that.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, right.

[Will Arnett]

What's wrong with you? But remember, she had. So she did the show we had. And we had also had. Remember we had Patty Jenkins the year before who directed Monster. Oh, yeah, directed.

[Sean Hayes]

She's great.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, she was awesome.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, Patty Jenkins directed Arrested Moment too?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. Who went on doing Wonder Woman films and. Etc. Yeah. Who's amazing. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes. Had great directors.

[Will Arnett]

We sure did. The ruse.

[Sean Hayes]

What's the name of the show?

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, man.

[Will Arnett]

Oh my God, it's so.

[Jason Bateman]

Should we come over? One way we should come over. We'll walk over to Sean's house, we'll watch some Arrested Development and then you'll. One of our houses. We'll watch Will and Grace together.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, we'll watch Will and Grace.

[Sean Hayes]

That sounds like a fun.

[Jason Bateman]

We'll make a new podcast out of it.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

You know, a little watch through and we'll.

[Will Arnett]

We'll sign to. We'll sign a contract that we each. We're all going to watch it and that contract will be binding.

[Sean Hayes]

You guys, I fucking. I was crying, laughing so hard. Good God.

[Will Arnett]

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

[Jason Bateman]

Go smart less. Hey, friends. Jason here. We're so excited. The Smart List has officially joined the SiriusXM family. We can't wait to announce new surprise guests who we know that you'll love. 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 Podcasts or visit siriusxm.com podcastsplus to start your free trial.

[Charlize Theron]

Today.

[Jason Bateman]

At Capella University.

[Charlize Theron]

Learning online doesn't mean learning alone. You'll get support from people who care.

[Sean Hayes]

About your success, like your enrollment counselor.

[Charlize Theron]

Who gets to know you and the.

[Sean Hayes]

Goals you'd like to achieve.

[Jason Bateman]

You'll also get a designated academic coach.

[Sean Hayes]

Who'S with you throughout your entire program.

[Jason Bateman]

Plus, career coaches are available to help you navigate your professional goals.

[Sean Hayes]

A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella. Edu At Designer Shoe Warehouse we believe that shoes are an important part of.

[Charlize Theron]

Well, everything. From first steps to first dates, from all nighters to all time personal bests.

[Sean Hayes]

From building pillow forts to building a.

[Charlize Theron]

Life for all the big and small moments that make up your whole world. DSW is there and we've got just the shoes. Find a shoe for every you from brands you love at brag worthy prices at your DSW store or dsw.com.