Bonus #148 - Live Call Show Vol. 32 w/ JP McDade (Euro Catch-up) [PATREON PREVIEW]

Summary

Stavvy's World – Bonus #148: Live Call Show Vol. 32 w/ JP McDade (Euro Catch-up)

Date: October 2, 2025
Host: Stavros Halkias
Guest: JP McDade

---

Episode Overview

In this Patreon bonus episode, Stavros Halkias and comedian JP McDade kick off with an in-depth “Euro catch-up,” focusing on Stavros’ recent wild trip to the Venice Film Festival. Stav describes surreal moments mingling with Hollywood elites, his anxieties about debuting in a high-profile film, and the bizarre realities of red-carpet and celebrity culture. The conversation is full of signature irreverence, humility, and hilarious behind-the-scenes tales of movie festivals – with personal reflections on fame, imposter syndrome, and the absurdity of showbiz.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Venice Film Festival Experience (00:00 – 04:00)

• Stavros recounts attending Venice, mingling with Oscar winners and “one of the greatest filmmakers.”
  • “It was me and a couple, you know, Oscar winners, Oscar nominees. Two of the best actors of our generation, one of the greatest filmmakers, a legend. Aiden. My boy Aiden, he was great.” (00:19)
• Surreal logistics for celebrities: Boat arrivals, no cars, extravagant expenses.
  • “Each boat ride’s like €200. These Italians, really, they know you’re… They’re like, okay, walk.” (00:53)
  • “You pull up on a little boat, you have to go everywhere by boat. It’s like an ancient city.” (00:54)
• Red carpet nerves:
  • “No more nerve-wracking moment of my life than in a tuxedo, having just been on the red carpet. Everybody's sucking your dick and then being like, what if I suck in this movie?” (01:19)

2. On Being a Comic in a Serious Film (01:43 – 02:23)

• Anxiety about the “comedian in a drama” trope:
  • “Comedians get their big shot in a movie and they’re so bad, it’s just their career craters.” (01:49)
• Reflecting on fitting the “Fargo-esque” vibe of the film.
• Honest self-assessment:
  • “I have some notes for my own performance for the future, but it was a great—I mean, this is one of the best things that’s ever happened.” (02:09)

3. Navigating Fame and Legacy (02:23 – 03:14)

• Playful riffing on possible career arcs, likening himself to Brando or John Goodman:
  • “I just skipped the part where he’s one of the sexiest men in Hollywood and just get to the point where he's losing his mind and is fat as shit.” (02:44)

4. Hanging Out with Hollywood (03:35 – 05:11)

• Hanging with Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone:
  • “Me and Plemons hung out all the time. Stone was there a little bit and she was cool, but we didn’t chill that much.” (03:45)
  • Candid hook-up with Emma Stone’s director husband, who has a comedy background.
• JP reflecting on finally watching Breaking Bad and Plemons’ acting gifts.
  • “This guy really is unbelievable.” (04:18)
• Failing to impress Willem Dafoe in a car ride, feeling out of place:
  • “I am bombing with Willem Dafoe. He does not like anything I’m saying. He’s being polite... just, 'yeah, nice, okay.'” (04:30)
  • “It would’ve been better if he was like ‘shut up.’” (04:36)

5. The Social Awkwardness of Celebrity Interactions (05:11 – 07:14)

• The agony of small talk with Dafoe:
  • “Made a joke. Completely went over everybody’s head. And even if it connected, they probably would have given him a weak chuckle anyway.” (07:04)
• JP and Stavros relate to getting in their own heads around famous people.
• Stavros likens bombing the conversation to "fumbling the snap" in a stadium (06:48).

6. Red Carpet Absurdities & Culture Clash (07:19 – 09:16)

• Craziness of red carpet treatment, rude autograph seekers, and security:
  • “I told the guy to shut the fuck up because he was rude to Alicia Silverstone.” (07:27)
• Notable anecdote: Stav gets mistaken for security, gets skipped in photos:
  • “They assume I'm like security or something... They say, skip right past me. And I go after Jesse, I think.” (09:10)
  • “It literally just looked like some fat guy with Alicia Silverstone.” (09:04)

7. The Surreal, Disorienting Side of Fame (09:16 – 10:10)

• On how the surreal attention warps your brain:
  • “I don’t understand how famous people don’t go insane. That amount of attention... it was literally like hallucinatory. Like when it’s over, you feel like you just did a drug.” (09:34, 09:49)
  • “Nobody knew who the fuck I was. Everybody else is getting their name shouted. I didn’t even bother to go over to the autograph section…” (09:50)

8. Fans, Autographs & the Hustle (10:10 – 11:01)

• The only one seeking Stav’s autograph: “There was one fat guy in a Hawaiian shirt… but it’s like, dude, we’re literally leaving. Like, I’m going on a boat.” (10:10)
  • “He was like, ‘oh, you big time me?’ I was like, you picked the wrong time, dickhead. I was doing nothing for a half hour.” (10:18)
• Dismisses the idea of negative celebrity encounters being indicative:
  • “Take it with a grain of salt whenever anyone has a report of a celebrity being rude… you have no idea.” (10:27)
• Comic riff on signing memorabilia for profit:
  • “Should we just start our own? Should we just flood the market?... That’s actually a great idea, give out signed pictures…” (11:01)

9. European Jet Lag & Roasting Italians (11:09 – 11:52)

• Arriving in Europe jet lagged and immediately working.
• Making fun of Italians on the red carpet, big laughs from the cast:
  • “I was getting big laughs mocking the Italians on the red carpet to my… to my, you know, my—” (11:43)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On red carpet anxiety:
  “Everybody’s sucking your dick and then being like, what if I suck in this movie?” – Stavros (01:19)
• On fame's surreal nature:
  “When it’s over, you feel like you just did a drug.” – Stavros (09:49)
• On bombing with Dafoe:
  “He does not like anything I’m saying. He’s being polite… but I am just bombing.” – Stavros (04:30)
• On his career arc:
  “I just skipped the part where he’s one of the sexiest men in Hollywood and just get to the point where he's losing his mind and is fat as shit.” – Stavros (02:44)
• On starstruck fans:
  “I didn’t even bother to go over to the autograph section. I don’t need to be to like have one guy pity ask me for my autograph.” (09:50)
• On showbiz absurdity:
  “It was literally just some fat guy with Alicia Silverstone.” (09:04)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 04:00: Venice Festival, arriving by boat, first night nerves
• 04:00 – 05:11: Hanging w/ Plemons, Stone, bombing with Dafoe
• 05:11 – 07:14: Social anxiety and celebrity awkwardness
• 07:19 – 09:16: Red carpet culture and fan interactions
• 09:16 – 10:10: The disorienting aftermath of fame
• 10:10 – 11:01: Thoughts on autographs and celebrity stories
• 11:09 – 11:52: Roasting Italians, jet lag stories

---

Tone & Language

The tone is irreverent, honest, and self-deprecating, employing comedic stylings and plenty of biting wit. Stavros and JP McDade blend candid showbiz reflection with constant self-awareness and humor, never taking themselves – or Hollywood – too seriously.

---

This episode provides hilarious, behind-scenes glimpses into the chaos and comedy of breaking into Hollywood’s elite circles, with plenty of humility and roasts along the way. Perfect for fans interested in the intersection of comedy, movies, and absurd fame.

Transcript

[Comedian/Actor]

It was a crazy trip and so we figured we'd open it up. There we are.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

I mean, the first time I was expecting an image like this to come back. And even still, nothing could have prepared me when this hit the timeline.

[Comedian/Actor]

Yeah, I was.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

I was filled with such joy.

[Comedian/Actor]

It was me and a couple, you know, Oscar winners, Oscar nominees. Two of the best actors of our generation, one of the greatest filmmakers, a legend. Aiden. My boy Aiden, he was great. He was. He's in the movie. Anyway, I. Yeah, Venice. So we started off with Venice, which was crazy. And then this is literally the film.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Festival that like the world's elite go to. Like, I saw a video how they planned their, like, yacht schedules to like be in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. And they want to be here for like the Formula one Grand Prix and the Venice film.

[Comedian/Actor]

It's fun. It was crazy. Yeah, it was insane. You pull up on a little boat, you have to go. You have to take boats everywhere. There's no cars. It's like an ancient city. And each boat rides like €200. These, these Italians, really, they know you're. They're like, okay, walk.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

We are the only game in the town. The. Are you going to do swim? So in your Armani suit.

[Comedian/Actor]

But, yeah, I was tuxed up, you know, on the red carpet, standing ovation. Venice, you know, I will say I hadn't seen the movie. There's no more nerve wracking moment of my life than in a tuxedo, having just been on a red carpet. Everybody's sucking your dick and then being like, what if I suck in this movie? I know I'd never seen shit. And I. I did fine, you know, whatever.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

I didn't embarrass people. Typing in reviews. Whole movie great. Except for Stavros completely took me out of it.

[Comedian/Actor]

That happens with comedians so often where, like, comedians get their big shot in a mov and they're so bad, it's just their career is just craters. You know what I mean?

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

No. See, just seeing the trailer and how this movie, like the general tone, like the, The Fargo esque kind of tone that is getting good. It's like it's. You're a perfect fit to fucking slide in there.

[Comedian/Actor]

I think so. And I have some notes for my own performance for the future, but it was a great. I mean, this is. This is one of the best things that's ever happened. Like, it's insane to be like, oh, nice. I'm. My life is peaking. I'm experiencing the peak right now.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

The entry. This is the atrium of the pe. Cheek, my friend. The way we're talking about the cheeks.

[Comedian/Actor]

Tower, we gotta. Listen. We got a couple more years, but let's be honest. It's gonna level off. Dude, it's fine. That's fine. I don't want. I mean, whatever. It doesn't matter.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Beginning of your John Goodman arc.

[Comedian/Actor]

This is your brand.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Your Brando arc.

[Comedian/Actor]

But your Brando arc for your whole.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Life is like the second half of this life.

[Comedian/Actor]

It's just him and the Mr. The island of Dr. Moreau. I know. I just skipped the part where you're hot. I just skipped the part where he's one of the sexiest metal. Where he. Every hot woman man in Hollywood and I just get to the point where he's losing his mind and his fat as shit.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Just. Just put me under a sheet and shoot all my coverage for Superman by myself. I'm just going to make the production very difficult for everyone else involved.

[Comedian/Actor]

Yeah, I'm just. I'm a fat. I'm a fat difficult queen.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

You send eldest to receive your Oscar. And he's wearing a Native American headdress.

[Comedian/Actor]

He's wearing a traditional Albanian gear. I changed my tune. I'm. I'm all for Albanian independence now.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

This belongs to the people of Alban.

[Comedian/Actor]

Yeah, but it was fucking crazy, man. It was. It was fucking. It was an insane. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Clemens and Stone, good hangs.

[Comedian/Actor]

I mean, they're the. They literally are the coolest people of all time. It's like. Yeah, that was the. I mean, I did the movie and I was nervous because I don't know these people at all. Obviously.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Sure.

[Comedian/Actor]

And I get there. And they were cool as. And me and Plemons hung out all the time. And Stone was there a little bit and she was cool, but we didn't chill that much. I got there.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Oscar winners are just on a different schedule and like.

[Comedian/Actor]

But she was. No, no. The first during the movie. When I got there, she couldn't have been like, nicer. It was awesome. And her. Her husband's a awesome dude. He was on snl. He's a director, right? Yeah, I was on Good Neighbor. He was cool as we. Actually, that's the. That's the reality is like, oh, there's a comedy guy here. Yeah, we hit it off. It was awesome. I mean, plumbing. Aiden's awesome.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

I was. I had finally just watched Breaking Bad for the first time in like the Plemons arc later on. This guy really is unbelievable.

[Comedian/Actor]

He's truly insane.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

He's. He's not. He's Underrated, if anything, but it was awesome.

[Comedian/Actor]

There were some hilarious moments of, you know, that you take fucking black cars to get to boats and shit, and they just kind of shuffle you in there. And I just ended up in a car with Alicia Silverstone, me. And in the middle was Willem Dafoe. And, dude, I am just. I can't. I am bombing with Willem Dafoe. He's just. He does not like anything I'm saying. He's being polite. It was like. It would have been better if he was like, shut up. But he was like, like, you know when you're bombing and first, like, yeah, nice. Yeah. Oh, okay. Like, just kind of keeps the conversation moving. Doesn't want to make it all, like, is being nice about it, but he clearly.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

I'm just nervous, kind of brushing it away. Like, what kind of angle were you taking? Conversation?

[Comedian/Actor]

I don't know. You know? You know, I don't even. It was just like, I'm trying anything.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

You know, I'm a Patreon subscriber.

[Comedian/Actor]

You know, I obviously, yeah, that would have been awesome. I'm. I'm obviously complimenting him because he's incredible. I wish I had said Boondock Saints, but I didn't. I really. I was. That would have been at least if I had said I love Boondock Saints, I would have gone down swinging instead.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Of being like, the big home run. Because, you know, of all the people who approach Willem Dafoe to compliment it, the. The most annoying guys.

[Comedian/Actor]

Oh, my God, you're so right. Thank God I didn't say that, but he was treating me, you know, Dude.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

I fucking love Boondock Saints, bro.

[Comedian/Actor]

Yeah, I wish have a picture with us. I wish I would have said that, because I do love Boondock Saints, but.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Wish we do.

[Comedian/Actor]

It's a great movie. But I comment, you know, just on all his movies, whatever. But, yeah, it was just unexpected because it's like, you know, everybody else I know, and, like, I have some rapport with them, and it was just. And then, you know, we get in a boat again, and it's like the bigger crew, and I'm fine, but I'm telling. I am just bombing. Bombing because you're.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

You're an outgoing guy. You're going to chat up whoever. But do you ever get in your head as I do, like, oh, maybe I'm playing it a little bit too cool around this?

[Comedian/Actor]

Absolutely. That. That happened instantly when I didn't, like, when I just kind of falter on three exchanges with Defoe, I'm like, yeah, I'm cooked. And now you're in your head. Now you're getting the, like, rumble. It's like college football, ncaa. And it's like the stadium pulse is going. I'm like. I'm like the kicker about in the whole stadium.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Routes are wiggling.

[Comedian/Actor]

Yeah. Yeah, Here we go. Here's one last riff on third and 12. Can he get it? And I just fucking fumble. The snap just slips through my fingers and I just stay silent.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

False start offense.

[Comedian/Actor]

Made a joke. Completely went over everybody's head. And even if it connected, they probably would have given him a weak chuckle anyway.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

But I was.

[Comedian/Actor]

It was still awesome. It was incredible. Oh, yeah, there's me and my girl Emma.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

More candids.

[Comedian/Actor]

I didn't see that one. Where'd you find that one, Elder?

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Just Google, man. I mean, I love her and everything. She's so good at comedy.

[Comedian/Actor]

Well, the. I know. Very funny and an incredible actress. I mean, the thing about these red carpet guys, though, is, like, they're rude. I was just being like. I told the guy to shut the up because he was rude to Alicia Silverstone. I was like, dude, shut the up. He's trying to get her to sign something. He was like, you are so. He was like, you are some mean. You are. You are stingy. You.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

You know, what a pig.

[Comedian/Actor]

It was crazy.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Everyone was jumping all over, who's the sexy guy? The dog? Tall guy with the dark hair. Because he. He told some guy on the red carpet, like, don't ever tell me what to do.

[Comedian/Actor]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

But it's like, apparently those guys rude.

[Comedian/Actor]

Oh, yeah. I was like, dude, I was like, you need to check your attitude.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

That's great.

[Comedian/Actor]

It's awesome because someone's got celebrities. Celebrities have to be like, nice. But I didn't have. It was cool, dude.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Yeah.

[Comedian/Actor]

I got to just be like, shut the up.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Podcasters privilege.

[Comedian/Actor]

I was like, you, dude. They didn't know who I was, dude. Oh. The best part was when we get out, you know, they start with, like, obviously the least famous people. It's like reverse the procession. Yeah. So I'm in a car with dealers, you know, not even. Not even famous. It was like, you know, whatever the, like, the way you're billed, right? Yeah. Like, Silverstone has a great. She's really great in her part, but it's a small role. Right. So she's first. I go. They. They assume I'm like security or something. They don't even. They don't even. They say, skip right past me. And I go after Jesse. I Think or like something weird happened where I'm like, all right, here's my moment. You're like striking poses and then they're like, Mr. Pl. I was like, wait, I'm in the movie. Cuz it literally just looked like some fat guy with Alicia Silver France.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

You are blocking the view of a four or five important people. Get out of the way.

[Comedian/Actor]

Oh, dude, it was crazy. But it's in sane, dude. It's crazy like that, that whole, that whole experience is like, I don't understand how like how famous people don't go insane. Cause it's like that amount of attention and that amount of like the pictures and the.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Like anytime you move, it's.

[Comedian/Actor]

It was fucking wild, dude. And I. It was just like, you know, it was cool to experience and it was literally like hallucinatory. Like when it's over, you feel like you just did a drug. Like it's just your body's in such a weird.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Doesn't feel real.

[Comedian/Actor]

Your mind is like, what the fuck's going on? This is one of the most unnatural things possible. And again, they didn't. Nobody knew who the fuck I was. Everybody else is getting their name shouted. Everybody wants autographs. I didn't even bother to go over to the autograph section. I'm like, I don't need to be to like have one guy pity ask me for my autograph.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

The huge comptown fan.

[Comedian/Actor]

There was one guy, there was one fat guy in a Hawaiian shirt and he tried to get me to sign an autograph. But it's like, dude, we're literally leaving. Like, I'm going on a boat. And he was like, oh, you big time me? I was like. I was like, you picked the wrong time, dickhead. I was doing nothing for a half hour. You could ask me then.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

That's why I take it with a grain of salt whenever anyone has a report of like a firsthand encounter of a celebrity being rude or whatever or not signing an autograph, it's like, you have no idea.

[Comedian/Actor]

Like, well, dude, the crazy thing is some of these just bring you stacks and they clearly just want you to.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Sign here, I brought you 15 minutes of work so I can make money. What the.

[Comedian/Actor]

It's so funny. Shane was telling me that like people just tail him to get him to sign stuff. Like he can't even like. And he's like, how? And then you think like, who the buying this? But people buy it online. It's kind of crazy.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

Yeah, they're collect. There's a whole market for that. It's brutal should we start.

[Comedian/Actor]

Should we just start our own? Should we just flood the market? Maybe we should dude that's actually a great idea give out signed pictures so.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

They dropped them from a plane over over la overall yeah Was this your. Was this the first thing you did in Europe? Did you just like hit first and it's like get right into hit the ground I had.

[Comedian/Actor]

I was insanely jet lagged I take a weird fucked up nap this is where I was making fun of Italians that was killing on the red carpet I was like Emma, please if I don't get this picture I'm gonna kill myself. My whole family is gonna starve I'm not buying linguine I'm the only person.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

In my family who work the entire rest of my family work a collective.

[Comedian/Actor]

For three hours a week yeah I was getting. I was getting big laughs mocking the Italians on the red carpet to my stat to my, you know, my.

[Podcast Co-host/Friend]

It.