JOHN C. REILLY Talks Step Brothers, Empathy, New Album

Summary

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The Adam Friedland Show: JOHN C. REILLY Talks Step Brothers, Empathy, New Album

Date: January 10, 2026
Guest: John C. Reilly
Host: Adam Friedland

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Episode Overview

This episode features acclaimed actor and musician John C. Reilly in a wide-ranging, often hilarious and deeply thoughtful conversation with Adam Friedland. The main themes include Reilly’s career in comedy and drama, his experiences and thoughts on artistic authenticity, empathy in today’s culture, his new music project "Mr. Romantic," and stories from Hollywood and music history. The tone is irreverent, honest, and frequently poignant, with both lighthearted banter and heartfelt reflection.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Height, Hollywood, and Early Acting

[00:01 – 03:26]:

• Playful banter about Hollywood height conventions and resumes.
  • “People over 6ft don’t actually care about how tall they are. It's the shorter people that are like, 'I'm five eight and a half.'” – John C. Reilly [00:08]
• Beginnings in children’s theater and the role of acting in personal growth.
• The value of casting for growth, not just talent:
  • “We would pick the kid who needed to be Thor… something about him that needed to grow.” – John C. Reilly [11:41]

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Revisiting Classic Cinema and Early Roles

[04:06 – 14:36]:

• Adam’s admiration for Boogie Nights and Barry Lyndon as 'rise and fall' movies.
• The impact of seeing classic films in a theater as opposed to at home.
  • "Taxi Driver played like a comedy in the theater." – Adam Friedland [07:56]
• Reilly shares insights about Jodie Foster’s early career and the challenges faced by child actors.
  • “She was acting since she was literally a baby… a veteran.” – John C. Reilly [08:50]

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On Loss, Love, and Magnolia

[15:10 – 17:37]:

• Adam’s personal connection to Magnolia—how loss transformed the film’s meaning.
  • "The only thing as a transformative experience… was like, the first time I realized what's the point… is that, like, having love and giving love." – Adam Friedland [16:01]
• The metaphor of chaos in Magnolia (raining frogs) and its parallel to personal tragedy.
  • “Frogs falling out of the sky makes about as much sense… as getting hit by lightning or your father or mother getting cancer.” – John C. Reilly [16:49]

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The Craft of Comedy and Step Brothers

[17:37 – 20:33]:

• Reilly’s approach: not a comedian per se, but a committed actor, treating make-believe seriously.
  • “My approach is… what are the facts… and if you commit fully to that, like it’s a serious thing, you’re in a comedy.” [18:53]
• Step Brothers drew directly from his real life; many scenes based on childhood experiences.
  • The famous “drumsticks” scene is rooted in true sibling rivalry.

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Chicago, Identity, and the Neo-Nazi Story

[20:33 – 21:17]:

• Memories from growing up on Chicago’s South Side and the city’s divisions.
• Discussion of the neo-Nazis’ history in Chicago and Skokie.

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Musical Influences and Bob Dylan

[22:03 – 34:03]:

• Reilly and Adam’s mutual reverence for Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and the Beatles.
• Anecdotes about appearing on Dylan’s radio show (without meeting him), and why Reilly avoids meeting heroes.
  • "I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner with [Bob Dylan]… I actually don't want to meet the human being." – John C. Reilly [26:13]
• The loneliness of genius and the pressures placed on cultural icons.
  • "Everyone's trying to blow his fucking mind." – John C. Reilly [26:12]
• Candid discussions about artistic interpretation, heartbreak (Dylan’s “Idiot Wind”), and blending personal life into art.

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On Empathy and Misanthropy

[53:19 – 56:32]:

• A powerful discussion about the current cultural mood, empathy’s perceived weakness, and societal cynicism.
  • “Empathy, to me, is the foundation of civilization. It’s the only way that civilization actually works.” – John C. Reilly [53:39]
• Pushback against the trend of misanthropic storytelling in film, arguing for nuanced, honest depictions of life and humanity.
  • "To take this posture of a misanthrope and to be cynical… I think is lazy. I think it's immature." [54:44]

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On Boogie Nights and Family

[56:54 – 58:30]:

• Boogie Nights’ underlying message is choosing and forming family, not just sensationalism.
  • “Boogie Nights is about choosing your family… it’s not about porn actually.” – John C. Reilly [56:54]
• The significance of emotional and sexual awakening in cinema, and how these moments imprint on viewers.

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John C. Reilly’s Musical Project: “Mr. Romantic”

[43:21 – 47:30, 62:19 – 64:15]:

• The concept: a vaudeville-inspired live act where Reilly's character seeks love from the audience to avoid returning to a steamer trunk; explores universal longing for connection.
  • “Mr. Romantic… if he can find one person in the audience who… will love him forever.” – John C. Reilly [43:06]
• The new album incorporates the American songbook, Tom Waits covers, and original songs.
• Music as a means to stay inspired and resist uninspired Hollywood work.

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On Acting, Directing, and the Modern Industry

[64:15 – 67:54]:

• Reilly’s stint in the MCU (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) and why genre spectacle doesn’t inspire him.
  • “There was no emotional content… it was all just facts and plot points.” – John C. Reilly [64:40]
• Discussing both the joy and the grind of acting, and interest in potentially directing.
• The importance of respect and the avoidance of manipulation or bullying in creative work.

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Remembering Philip Seymour Hoffman

[67:54 – 68:52]:

• Recollections of their close working relationship and Hoffman's unique gravitas.
  • “A lion among men… gravitas as a young man, that was a mystery.” – John C. Reilly [68:03]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Empathy:
  “Empathy, to me, is the foundation of civilization. It's the only way that civilization actually works is if I care about you. And even though I don't know you, I care about you.” – John C. Reilly [53:39]

• On Step Brothers:
  “We took stories from our lives when we were 11 years old and told them as 40 year olds—therefore, it’s a comedy. A lot of that stuff really happened to me.” – John C. Reilly [19:25]

• On Comedy:
  “My approach is like… what are the facts of what we’re talking about? Okay, this, this, this—we’re gonna go chop pumpkins in the garage with a samurai sword. And if you commit fully to that, like, it’s a serious thing, you’re in a comedy.” – John C. Reilly [18:53]

• On Misinterpreting Art:
  “Try to take the songs that Bob [Dylan] offers, like he wants them offered. Like, this is just a song I wrote. Don't make it about my life… then it's my song, too.” – John C. Reilly [32:56]

• On Boogie Nights’ Message:
  “Boogie Nights is about choosing your family and finding your family. He chooses his family, and at the end, he's happy.” – John C. Reilly [57:11]

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Timeline of Key Segments

• 00:01–03:26 | Height, Hollywood resumes, and the start of the episode
• 04:06–14:36 | Early acting, films like Boogie Nights, children’s theater
• 15:10–17:37 | Magnolia, loss, and the meaning of love; chaos and metaphor
• 17:37–20:33 | Comedy as acting, Step Brothers, childhood stories
• 20:33–21:17 | Chicago’s history, neighborhood gangs, and neo-Nazi background
• 22:03–34:03 | Musical influences, Bob Dylan, celebrity, and authenticity
• 53:19–56:32 | Empathy, misanthropy, the purpose of art
• 56:54–58:30 | Choosing family, emotional resonance in Boogie Nights
• 62:19–64:15 | Mr. Romantic: music, inspiration, and creative rebirth
• 64:15–67:54 | Challenges of modern acting, thoughts on directing
• 67:54–68:52 | Philip Seymour Hoffman remembrance and legacy

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Final Thoughts

The episode balances humor and gravity, drilling into what makes John C. Reilly’s performances so resonant: authenticity, empathy, and the pursuit of real connection—on stage, on screen, or in music. Reilly’s philosophy of acting and art is deeply human: embracing both joy and pain, seeking to break down boundaries, honor individuality, and find family wherever possible.

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Transcript

[Adam Friedland]

You're 6 foot 11. How's it fit? That's nice, dude. For Hollywood. That's a Hollywood 6 8.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, people over 6ft don't actually care about how tall they are. It's the shorter people that are like, I'm five eight and a half.

[Adam Friedland]

Five and a half is.

[John C. Reilly]

I would.

[Adam Friedland]

I'm a. Thank God I'm five ten. Every inch is so like, I used

[John C. Reilly]

to put five ten on my resume because I didn't.

[Adam Friedland]

That is so annoying.

[John C. Reilly]

No, it was supposed you wanted.

[Adam Friedland]

Why are you doing.

[John C. Reilly]

You wanted to be below 6 foot feet so you didn't seem too tall.

[Adam Friedland]

My culture is not a costume, sir.

[John C. Reilly]

You can't.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, I imagine like acting real culture warrior.

[John C. Reilly]

I didn't know that.

[Adam Friedland]

Only about this one topic. Welcome back to the Adam Friedland Show. I'm Adam Friedland. I'm going back on the road end of this month. Emerald City Comedy Club, Seattle, Washington. January 22nd and 24th. Five shows with Caleb Pitts. Get [e-mail] There's a link in the description below. Guys. Also, happy new year and I'd like to thank all of our members here on YouTube.com you guys are fueling us into the new year. You make our show popular. Seriously. Thank you, guys. If you'd like to join, members get access to all the episodes early. And if you pay a little bit more, a couple shekels more. The second and third tier, you get your name in the credits of this fine program. If you'd like to join the freelife Family foundation, you can do so by clicking Join and here on YouTube or by clicking the link in the description below. Also, there's a Patreon set up, if you prefer to use Patreon. Link is below as well. And there's merch. The. The adamfreelondon show. Fucking get the. It's. Get the merch. I mean, it was just the holiday season, you know, just get. Just buy the crap so we can get Obama on the show. My guest this week is Mr. Romantic himself, John C. Reilly. He's hitting the road in 2016. You can get tickets, guys. It's been a long year. This is not January 15th. What day? Or December 15th. My brain is shutting down, guys. This is the last thing I have to do the year. I'll be back. Second week. Okay. Nothing. My guest this week is the legendary actor John C. Reilly. His new live act, Mr. Romantic, is hitting the road in 2026. Get [e-mail] they're also selling these awesome Mr. Romantic black plates. What is it? Open it up. They're also selling these. So stupid. This is Kale. This is one of the stupidest ones. Ten seconds ago, it's not even black.

[John C. Reilly]

I had nothing for this one.

[Adam Friedland]

Guys, in one minute. Okay. Guys are also selling these Mr. Romantic black plates. No. I'm leaving your copy as you wrote it. Play with the vinyl record in a way that damages it. No. Please enjoy my conversation with John C. Reilly, guys. Thank you. Boogie Nights. That boy had a big penis. Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to introduce a legendary American actor and now folk artist, John C. Reilly. Everyone, give it up for him. Be big.

[John C. Reilly]

Thank you very much.

[Adam Friedland]

The talk show debut. How are you?

[John C. Reilly]

Thanks for having me, Adam. I'm good.

[Adam Friedland]

It's thrilling to have you here. I don't know, you've been tricked or something or. I feel like I lied in, like, a make a wish scenario, and now I'm like, you have to hang out.

[John C. Reilly]

I wasn't tricked. Someone said, this is a good, good idea.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, you relied.

[John C. Reilly]

But I've never seen your show. I have to admit that. Really? Yeah. Was I supposed to do homework or something?

[Adam Friedland]

Well, I thought you were a member of the manosphere, just like me. Like, I thought you were.

[John C. Reilly]

You're a member of the Man.

[Adam Friedland]

I do. I thought we were going to talk mma. I thought we were going to talk. What's that? Sex changes or. I don't know.

[John C. Reilly]

I try to stay abreast of contemporary topics, but, Yeah, I don't know.

[Adam Friedland]

I don't pay attention.

[John C. Reilly]

I don't have much to say about MMA other than it's too violent.

[Adam Friedland]

Really?

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

I think it's not violent enough. No. I've only watched it, like, recently, and it kind of. There was something there. I didn't expect for something to be there, but I was like, there's something about, like, these guys who are, like. They put everything into it, and it's a. There's a passion that I. That was a discernible.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, when I was a kid, I was a wrestler for a while. It was, like, one of the only kind of sports that we thought was cool in my tough little neighborhood in Chicago. And wrestling is one of the most humiliating things to lose at.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Because, like, a baseball team, like, you're like, well, I missed the bat. And some of the other guys also got struck out. So our team lost. When someone beats you at wrestling, you have tried with every ounce of anything you have to get them off you, and you failed. And you get Pinned and you've lost. So it's so deeply humiliating that. Yeah. I don't know where I'm going with this.

[Adam Friedland]

Were you like Andy Kaufman? Like.

[John C. Reilly]

No. Like real wrestling girls? No, no, no.

[Adam Friedland]

The way you're talking about the humiliation, as if.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, it is. You want to wrestle? Like, I can show you.

[Adam Friedland]

You're being. You're a tall glass of water. I don't want to wrestle. I don't wrestle you. No. I love you, dude. I'm a huge fan, man. It's really cool. I mean, historically, I'd say probably Since I was 15, my favorite movie has probably been Boogie Nights. I think it still is. I think it's kind of the. That and Barry Lyndon are my two favorite movies. And Barry Lyndon, they're kind of similar movies, right? They're like rise and fall movies.

[John C. Reilly]

That's true. Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Like a nimrod is like nature forces him upwards. Like a leaf being blown around in

[John C. Reilly]

the wind rod at the beginning, I think. Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Eddie.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, Eddie Adams from Torrance.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, he's a sweet boy. Yeah. Yeah. His mom's mean to him. It's just a very special film for me because it's. Yeah. I mean, there's also a lot of Altman in it, too. And, like, it just got me into movies, I would say.

[John C. Reilly]

Paul just made a new 70 millimeter print of Boogie Nights, which I highly recommend. You see, it was a revelation. They screened it a couple times in LA recently. And, I mean, the photography, of course, in a 70 millimeter print is incredible, but the sound was so much better. You realize, like, a bigger negative has more room for audio information. And it was. It was like. Yeah, it was like another movie. In a way.

[Adam Friedland]

It's really cool to, like, revisit movies like that in a cinema. And, like, kind of. Because I never saw it in the cinema. Right. I was like, I rented it from Blockbuster because I heard that it had sex. You know, like, I saw a taxi driver in the movie theater only recently. I'd seen that movie 100 times. Right. But I wasn't alive when it was, like, out in the theaters. And it played like a comedy. Right. So which is.

[John C. Reilly]

It played like a comedy in the theater.

[Adam Friedland]

In a theater.

[John C. Reilly]

Interesting.

[Adam Friedland]

And it is kind of funny because

[John C. Reilly]

everyone knows the movie so well already and maybe iconic lines and whatever.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, maybe it's like looking at me. It is funny to take a girl on a date that you're, like, creeping on to a porn theater.

[John C. Reilly]

He called you a piece of chicken.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

He called you a piece of chicken.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. And like a pimp looks like Michael Jackson, basically. Yeah. But like. Yeah, to think that this is what adults do. Like this bizarre guy thinks that adults. Like when. When you have a crush on a girl, you take her to a dirty movie. Like that is very funny. Like Travis.

[John C. Reilly]

Travis Pickle might not be like your average date goer. Yeah. You know, I worked with Jodie Foster and I think that was a really surreal moment in her life too. I mean, she came off doing Bugsy Malone, this kid's musical.

[Adam Friedland]

She was like a 45 year old, like 10 year old. You know what I mean?

[John C. Reilly]

In a way. But you know why? Because she was. She was acting since she was literally a baby and she was the main breadwinner of her family. So she's. Yeah, she was a veteran. In fact, she told me, I was like, I love the movie Bugsy Milano, if you've ever seen it. This great gangster movie that's all played by kids and they shoot.

[Adam Friedland]

Have you seen Biggie video that rips that off? The Notorious B.I.G. video?

[John C. Reilly]

No.

[Adam Friedland]

The skin Sky's the limit, I think is. But it's all kids rap. Like. And there's a little kid rapping. Anyway, go ahead.

[John C. Reilly]

But Jody said I was like, what was it like? I'm Buggy Bugsy Malone. Like, this one must have been so cool.

[Adam Friedland]

She was like tortured.

[John C. Reilly]

She was like. It was really hard because I was a professional actor. I was. Someone had so much. I've been acting since I was an infant, literally. And all these other kids were like, sometimes maybe what's his name, Scott Baio, maybe had some experience. But all the other kids were just like found off the streets, like, whatever. The first time actors.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

And they were just regular kids.

[Adam Friedland]

Amateurs.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. And they thought she was like. They almost like treated her like one of the adults or something.

[Adam Friedland]

She got bullied. Sounds like she got a little bit.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, a little bit.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. It's interesting because actually like when I had a partner, Nick, who worked on the show with me and he's now doing other stuff. But we, we directed Kids. Nick wrote this short that we made and it's. It was amazing because the kids. Communicating intention to a child actor. And like a kid understanding, like emotion and intention is really difficult because you have to be really emotionally intelligent. Right. Like, and the kids we had on it, like, got it and it's like, it was really incredible to like see it and like also to see Nick like communicating it over to them. And you know, like when you watch Disney Channel. Right. They're like, today I went to the store. You know, they can remember the words, but it's difficult.

[John C. Reilly]

Little robots.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

And they've been practicing with their parents all day. Yeah. I've directed a lot of children's theater, actually.

[Adam Friedland]

I wanted.

[John C. Reilly]

I wanted to go there from all ages in theater. And it's an amazing experience to watch someone, like, the therapeutic qualities of theater and acting, like, with little kids that are not necessarily, like. I did this at a Waldorf school, and it was part of the curriculum. It wasn't like these kids wanted to be actors. Like, maybe one of them had some interest or something. But all the other kids, it was just what they had to do for class. So I watched how acting can, like, bring someone out of themselves. And we used to cast the plays in that way, too. Like, you know, we did, like. We do, like, Norse myths or, like, Greek stories or whatever. And one of them was Thor Betrayed. And all the kids were like, oh, no. So. And so Adam should be Thor. He's. Adam should be Thor.

[Adam Friedland]

No, certainly not.

[John C. Reilly]

I don't have that.

[Adam Friedland]

I don't have it.

[John C. Reilly]

And so we. But we wouldn't pick that kid. We would pick the kid who needed to be Thor.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Because there was something about him that needed to grow. And so we let him be Thor. And suddenly, you know, anyway, it was really.

[Adam Friedland]

That sounds like some participation trophy snowflake kind of. No, I'm just kidding. But like.

[John C. Reilly]

No, you're like. It was literally.

[Adam Friedland]

It's a kid, like, finding out, like, who they are. Like finding their inner strength. Yeah. It's kind of cool.

[John C. Reilly]

But I was. When you mentioned Taxi Driver, I was. I always think about Jody because here's someone. She was probably pre sexual in her own life, you know, I don't know. But she played like a floozy, an adult in Bugsy Malone. She plays like a. What do you call it? Like a burlesque dancer.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Then she goes from that to playing a prostitute in Taxi Driver. Like. Oh, when she's pre sexual or whatever. Like, not. I don't know. That must have been a really confusing time to be a young woman in movies.

[Adam Friedland]

I feel like they can't do that. That's kind of old.

[John C. Reilly]

And yet there's still. Whatever. These movies are still beloved movies somehow. But I watched Bugs and Milan. That's the one part I'm like, I don't know. The sexy outfits is a little.

[Adam Friedland]

It's rough. When did you start acting?

[John C. Reilly]

When you were about 8 years old. Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

You were doing theater like a School theater? Yeah, community theater.

[John C. Reilly]

I was at the park near my house.

[Adam Friedland]

I was in VIDSummer Night's Dream, fifth grade. What part?

[John C. Reilly]

As Puck. Wow. Yeah, like one of the leads.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah. But I had to wear tights and I was really scared about it. Yeah. Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

And were you tall as a kid?

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, actually, if you seem pretty.

[John C. Reilly]

I don't know how tall you are, but you seem long.

[Adam Friedland]

What are you doing right now? What do you say?

[John C. Reilly]

You called me a tall drink of water.

[Adam Friedland]

Six foot. You're six foot eleven. How's it fit? That's nice, dude. For Hollywood. That's a Hollywood six, eight.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, people over six feet don't actually care about how tall they are. It's the shorter people that are like, I'm five, eight and a half.

[Adam Friedland]

Five and a half is. I would. I'm a. Thank God I'm 5 10. Every inch is.

[John C. Reilly]

So, like, I used to put 510 on my resume. Because I didn't.

[Adam Friedland]

That is so annoying. Why?

[John C. Reilly]

You wanted to be below 6ft so you didn't seem too tall.

[Adam Friedland]

My culture is not a costume, sir.

[John C. Reilly]

You can't.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, I imagine, like a real culture warrior.

[John C. Reilly]

I didn't know that.

[Adam Friedland]

Only about this one topic. No, no, I don't care anymore. But, like, no. I hit puberty late, so everyone sprouted. It's kind of fucked up because you're with everyone your age. Right? But there's some guy that looks 45 and I look like 6.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, when you direct kids theater, you see the girls are like this. And then some of the guys are like, hey, you want to go on a date? You know, like, the difference in their development is insane. But I also bloomed kind of late in terms of my tallness. And when you did finally grow, were you a little bit like, oh, yeah. How do you like me now?

[Adam Friedland]

Like, no, I was like, I, I. I was mad at God. I was like, how dare you? I was like, no.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

I was like, just counting. I was counting pews.

[John C. Reilly]

Not listening.

[Adam Friedland]

Really? I. Literally, yeah. When I got one, I was like,

[John C. Reilly]

you or she are not listening.

[Adam Friedland]

There's nothing. There's nothing up there, dude. You know what? What's up there? Freaking. Just. No. He seemed confident I was gonna say. I thought I was gonna come up with something good. And I started a sentence. I had nothing. Rock and roll, dude. You know what's up there? The only God I believe in is freaking. Rock and roll, dude.

[John C. Reilly]

There's gotta be something. There's gotta be something. I'm not saying I know what it is. I'm not saying it's God or Jesus or whatever.

[Adam Friedland]

It's love, dude, seriously, I'm gonna be

[John C. Reilly]

a smart ass the whole time.

[Adam Friedland]

No, no, seriously.

[John C. Reilly]

We're having a real conversation. I thought this was like, Cavett where we could actually get into some fucking ideas.

[Adam Friedland]

Cut that. Cut that.

[John C. Reilly]

Instead of just snarky bullshit, smart, alky.

[Adam Friedland]

I said it sarcastically. But I watched Magnolia recently, and after losing a parent, it hits completely different. And it was like, I loved that film. And then it was a completely different film. I lost my mother. And that was the first time I said love. Sarcastic. I'm such a shit guy. Why do I, like, I act like crap, but, like, the only thing as a transformative experience that I like, it was like, the first time I realized what's the point? Is that, like. Yeah, it's like having love and giving love. The fact that we were all together.

[John C. Reilly]

I think Paul asked his dad shortly before we made that movie. So it was definitely coming from a personal place with him.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

The question people always ask me about that movie is like, what's up with the frogs? Why the frogs? Why the frogs? Well, the first thing is that it's real, for frogs do fall out of the sky. Philip Baker hall, who's in that movie, experienced a rain of frogs in the 50s in Germany, where he was working for the government. Anyway, he was a spy. Yeah, he worked for, like, the precursor to the CIA. What was it called?

[Adam Friedland]

The Naval Intelligence. Was that.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, they had another name for it before, but he would. In post war Germany, he would drive around and do the government's bidding.

[Adam Friedland]

Those guys had amazing lives.

[John C. Reilly]

But the point is that frogs falling out of the sky makes about as much sense to a person as getting hit by lightning or your father or mother getting cancer. Like, it doesn't make any sense.

[Adam Friedland]

It's chaos.

[John C. Reilly]

It's this thing that happens to us. And I think Paul's never explained to me what he felt the metaphor was, but to me, that's what it is. Like your father dying of cancer. Like, when my father died of cancer and, you know, I asked the doctor, like, what? So what is it? And they were like, well, it's a tumor, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, so what? What is that?

[Adam Friedland]

You know, like, what's the tumor?

[John C. Reilly]

Why did it happen? He's like, you know, I realized, like, you don't know anything.

[Adam Friedland]

They're idiots.

[John C. Reilly]

This is very primitive where we are with this science. And so, yeah, it might as well have been a rain of frogs.

[Adam Friedland]

You're like an incredible comedic actor. Right. And like, you're one of the best. Like. And I kind of just like coming from a theater background, I can imagine, like, you know, there's some classically trained actors that, you know, just can't play comedy, you know, and like, coming from your background in the theater, like, how did you kind of learn that? Or is it inherent to you?

[John C. Reilly]

It's funny that you. I actually don't think of myself as a comedian or like a comedic actor per se. I think I'm just an actor and someone who really, who knows how to commit to make believe ideas and believe that they're true and believe that they're true for me, you know, like someone like Will Ferrell is a brilliant comedian. You know, he can make literally reading the phone book funny because he just has some kind of magical quality, you know, like, who else is like that?

[Adam Friedland]

Set Brothers is one of the funniest people.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. So I understand that. I have been funny in things. I accept that. I'm not like saying, like, I'm not a funny person. Like, I've been in funny things. I get it. But my approach is totally different than a comedian. My approach is like, okay, what are the facts of what we're talking about? Okay, this, this, this, we're gonna go chop pumpkins in the garage with a samurai sword.

[Adam Friedland]

That's funny.

[John C. Reilly]

And if you commit fully to that, like, it's a serious thing, you're in a comedy. Like, that's how I know how to do it.

[Adam Friedland]

If Chris Farley's doing that, it's funny because there's an inherent.

[John C. Reilly]

But that's another guy. He just, he will something to be funny, brother.

[Adam Friedland]

You got the sauce? You have the sauce. I'm saying it. I know, I mean, it's not. Who cares?

[John C. Reilly]

But I have the sauce because I don't think I have the sauce.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, of course, yeah. I mean, in stepbrothers, like, you know the basic premise of like two unemployed 40 year old men behaving like 11 year olds, I mean, it's just like it's always going to be funny.

[John C. Reilly]

And like, yeah, it's the same. We took stories from our lives when we were 11 years old and we did and we told them as 40 year olds, like, therefore, it's a comedy. A lot of that stuff really happened to me. You know, one of my brothers played the drums and would inspect the drumsticks if there were any marks. He'd be like, I know you touched my drums. That was all real. That was just real for My life. I got jumped by a gang of kids once when I was. Me and my friends were out looking to try to start a gang fight with the Catholic school. I went to a public school and they all ended up going to a liquor store to try to get beer. And I was alone and got jumped by the other gang. And they left you? Yeah. Did you and their comrades, like, you know, like the flying monkeys in the wizard of Oz, like. Like just tearing me apart.

[Adam Friedland]

You got a couple in though, or it was just a melee.

[John C. Reilly]

I said, he's like, what school are you from? Because it was kind of a school based gang fight scenario. And I was like, I'm from Eberhard. But I didn't come to boof. Like, punched right in the face before I could even say I didn't come to fight. I was just trying to like, talk my way out of this. Like, anyways, of the school your parents

[Adam Friedland]

put you to, like say you two. That's so funny though. It's so arbitrary.

[John C. Reilly]

It's very like Chicago is very like little, you know, kingdoms, little city states.

[Adam Friedland]

Where Chicago are you from?

[John C. Reilly]

South side Park.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah, I was just there. It's. It's kind of like.

[John C. Reilly]

It has a very bad reputation among Jewish people in Chicago.

[Adam Friedland]

Jewish people have a bad reputation?

[John C. Reilly]

No, I think everywhere has a very bad reputation among Jewish people in Chicago. Because the neo Nazis of the 1970s started in Marquette Park. No, they didn't. They went to Skokie.

[Adam Friedland]

They went to Supreme Court Case. Right.

[John C. Reilly]

They were from Marquette park, my neighborhood. Frank Collins and all those goons that started the neo Nazi movement in Marquette park because there was this big black white divide. And he realized, like, this is the perfect place to be a Nazi. He went to Skokie to march because it was primarily a Jewish neighborhood.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, there were a lot of Holocaust survivors there, too.

[John C. Reilly]

Exactly. So anyway, swap the music.

[Adam Friedland]

What do you want to do?

[John C. Reilly]

I don't care. I mean, obviously that's why I came here was to talk about Mr. Romantic.

[Adam Friedland]

We're going to talk about it because I want to talk about music for a while because I think this is

[John C. Reilly]

kind of a Jewish phrase. What's not to love.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah. To love. What's not exactly.

[John C. Reilly]

I named my album that.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, it's. Let's. I don't want to spot some music yet, though, because I want to talk like a little bit more film. And then, I mean, you want to stay forever? You want to have a sleepover?

[John C. Reilly]

Whatever, man.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

You know, I was excited to be on the Dick Cavett show. But he's.

[Adam Friedland]

He's 98 years old. He's. He lives in Montague.

[John C. Reilly]

I mean. I mean, a format like the Dick Cavett Show. I was saying to my friend on the way here, like, I've said so many times, why don't we have a Dick Cavett show anymore? Why isn't there a central square of our culture that can talk about ideas, that can get into, like, what we really believe? Why is it always like, oh, I'm here. I'm just gonna keep it light and talk about my project? And. Oh, they were great to work with. They were great to work with. Meanwhile, there's wars going on and all this shit. Like, that was what I loved about Dick Cavett. You could have Tennessee Williams on there, you could have Marlon Brando on there, and they would tell you what they really thought. They weren't afraid to express themselves as citizens of the country.

[Adam Friedland]

Like, when's the last time you talked to Paul McCartney? I'm just kidding.

[John C. Reilly]

I did meet him once.

[Adam Friedland]

He's the best. Who's your favorite? Wait, this is a stupid question, but, like, top five. Who are your top five songs?

[John C. Reilly]

My top five Beatles.

[Adam Friedland]

No, songwriters. Top five Beatles. Brian Epstein.

[John C. Reilly]

There's only five.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Brian Epstein, if you count Billy Preston.

[Adam Friedland]

Such a pure soul. And he was part of so much other stuff that we love.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. And some. Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Anyways, he was a child prodigy, too, I believe. I think. Yeah. I mean, like, I was talking the other day, and it's like. It's kind of like a dorm room conversation. But I'm like. For me, it's like, Paul, Bob Dylan. And then. And then. I don't know. Then I can. I can argue for number of people

[John C. Reilly]

after John Lennon doesn't even get in after Bob Dylan. Like, he's a pretty important, Important part of that band.

[Adam Friedland]

I'm not saying. I'm not diminishing him, and I'm not saying Bob Dylan's in the Beatles.

[John C. Reilly]

That's the problem with these numbered lists.

[Adam Friedland]

It's a stupid thing.

[John C. Reilly]

People get diminished.

[Adam Friedland]

It's very espn. But in my heart and, like, in my formative, like, experiences in music, those. I mean, Bob Dylan is probably, like, made the biggest impression on me. Have you met him?

[John C. Reilly]

No, but I was on his radio show a couple times, which is a funny experience because. Oh, no, because you don't meet him when you're on the radio. He doesn't do the radio show anymore.

[Adam Friedland]

Was he nice?

[John C. Reilly]

You don't meet him. You know, you sit with someone else. This guy Eddie, who puts the show together for him, and he's like, okay. Like, we just talk about whatever and, like, you know, like what? Like, just tell me something interesting happened. You. When were you the most lonely? He's so weird. Well, the most lonely was when my parents left me, and da, da, da, da. But he's like. But phrase it like you're talking to Bob. And I'm like, well, Bob, I was the most lonely when I was. When my family left me at a truck stop. Stressful, I know, but. No, it's not. But listen then. So then you hear. You listen to the radio show, and it's like, I met John C. Reilly in Barnes and Noble. He had this to say about loneliness. And then they play this clip of me talking to Eddie, and it sounds like I'm talking to Bob. It doesn't matter, you know, like. So Bob does all the kind of transitional stuff, introduces the song. He has a big part of choosing the music, obviously, that he plays, but the guests and stuff. I don't think anyone ever talks to him.

[Adam Friedland]

But then you're like, I would just be.

[John C. Reilly]

And I'll tell you why I didn't want to meet him because I hold him in such a high place as an artist that I was like, I actually don't want to meet the human being. I don't want to meet the human being.

[Adam Friedland]

He would hate me.

[John C. Reilly]

I want him to live in the place where he already lives. For me, it's already perfect. I don't need to know that he doesn't like asparagus or something. I don't need to know.

[Adam Friedland]

Did you see the Rolling.

[John C. Reilly]

He gave me Visions of Johanna, you know, I don't need to know, like, what his favorite beer is or something, you know?

[Adam Friedland]

Do you see the Rolling Thunder last thing? I loved it. I love that it was half. It was kind of Norm MacDonald's memoir that he published was also the same thing, was half true, half fake. It's like. It's a really, like, awesome way to tell a story. But one thing you see is that, like, there's this notion of genius. And then you kind of look back in the day, there were all these geniuses. But then you see how people interact with him. And it has to be very lonely because everyone's trying to say the most incredible thing they've ever said when they. During their.

[John C. Reilly]

Or some meaningful gratitude that that will land with you, Bob. No, you don't understand how much. And I was like, everyone's trying to

[Adam Friedland]

blow his fucking mind.

[John C. Reilly]

I was Invited to Thanksgiving dinner with them one time with his family. I know. Why didn't you go? Because I was like, I don't want to know. I don't want to see, like, the weird interactions at Thanksgiving. I have my own weird interactions at Thanksgiving.

[Adam Friedland]

We would be best friends with him. Dude. No, I'm just. I get it. I get what you're saying.

[John C. Reilly]

Still chances to meet him, he's not gone, you know, like. But I don't know. I've met some of my heroes, and a couple of them were exactly like I wanted them to be. And a couple of them, I was like, ah, shit. This was a better hero to me before I met them, you know? And I just didn't want to take that risk.

[Adam Friedland]

What was the. What was the. What were nice ones?

[John C. Reilly]

What's the worst. Nicholson.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, my God.

[John C. Reilly]

Exactly like you want him to be. It's as if you have a dream of Jack Nicholson and it's exactly. That Tells you stories about Dennis Hopper. Tells you stories about Stanley Kubrick. He just totally free, like a man's man. Like, just shooting the shit, like, exactly like you want Jack to be beat

[Adam Friedland]

was the worst one.

[John C. Reilly]

I don't like to talk shit about people.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, just.

[John C. Reilly]

It was bad enough. I don't need to publicize it, you see. Can you tell who it was?

[Adam Friedland]

I'm trying to do, like, a. What are you saying? The metaphysical?

[John C. Reilly]

No, it's just. You just see, like, they have, you know, music person. When you don't meet someone, you can just see them without their flaws, you know, you just see, like, all I see is tangled up in blue. When I look at Bob Dylan, you know, like, I don't see, like, oh, he was mean that when he talked to his assistant in a weird way, or, you know, this just garbage. That's mean.

[Adam Friedland]

Have you been going to the. To his shows recently? The last couple years?

[John C. Reilly]

No.

[Adam Friedland]

He's locked in.

[John C. Reilly]

He's locked in.

[Adam Friedland]

It's amazing because you.

[John C. Reilly]

Did you like that last record that he put out? I love Contained Multitudes.

[Adam Friedland]

I loved it.

[John C. Reilly]

I absolutely.

[Adam Friedland]

It's incredible. I loved Key West. Oh, my God. He's just. There's something about. He just wants to be on the road the rest of his life. And this goes back to. What I'm saying is, like, everyone's trying to be the most. Prof. You see Allen Ginsberg stressed out around him, right? You see, like. You see fucking Patti Smith, like, and she just like, fuck, I'm a loser. Like, just walking away, and it's just like. You realize that genius is just as rare as it always has been. Right? And that has to be really.

[John C. Reilly]

He thinks of himself as a genius, you know.

[Adam Friedland]

No, he thinks of himself probably as like, everyone's fucking being lame my whole life because. And it's probably a very lonely thing.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, it's lonely at the top. I've heard that before. I think he. I think. I mean, what I've read about when he talk. What he talks about himself or how he sees himself, like, especially that era when everyone thought he was the political leader of a new movement, that he was gonna. Him and Joan Baez were gonna change the world forever. Maybe he was gonna be president or something. He was like, no, man, I write songs.

[Adam Friedland]

He just wants to write songs.

[John C. Reilly]

I'm a contemporary songwriter. And you can see it lo even this. You know, him and the Rolling Stones are like that a little bit too. They're like, no, I'm not some. I'm not like, I don't have some particular thing that I do over and over. I'm trying to move with the culture. I'm trying to find out what do people want to hear from music right now. And Dylan's like that, you know, like. And he described himself as a Tin Pan Alley songwriter. It sounds so good in the old fashioned way of the Brill Building. Like, you go in, you knock around some ideas. How does that sound? Put some words maybe that. I don't change that word. He didn't see himself as like, God has told me how to lead the people. You know, like, well, no one.

[Adam Friedland]

The only way you could stay productive

[John C. Reilly]

people die who are treated like that. And that's probably in his era was probably like, no, man, they did this to Martin Luther King. They did this to Bobby Kennedy. You're not doing it to me. Oh, you're.

[Adam Friedland]

The CIA was going to kill him.

[John C. Reilly]

No, you think you're going to hold me up as some kind of thought leader that some people are going to be pissed off enough to kill?

[Adam Friedland]

It's just like, if you want to make songs for 60 years, you don't think about what impact this has on the Zeitgeist. You just go to the fucking studio, you make more songs. You know, you can't, like, get lost in your own legend. You're like, I want to make more songs. Maybe this album is gonna sound like this. Maybe I'm gonna get Sly and Robbie because I'm done with my Christian stuff. Maybe I'm gonna start working with Daniel Anwar now.

[John C. Reilly]

But maybe stuff like, if you go, there's A great exhibit of him at the Jewish Museum center in. In California. And there's this. There's this footage of him when he was like. I think he was speaking on behalf of Medgar Evers or something like that.

[Adam Friedland]

That song is so good.

[John C. Reilly]

He must be like 19 years old, maybe 20 years old. He's in a field playing a guitar, surrounded by black people in overalls and shit.

[Adam Friedland]

I love that song.

[John C. Reilly]

And he's just a song of righteousness and the. So even though what I just said about his point of view, about not being a genius and not being a leader and not being part of me feels like. But, Bob, you are Bob. You can deny it, but I see it. You know, you look at that film and you watch him standing there in front of those people, coming up with the times, they are changing. Coming up with the words to express the injustice of the time. You're like, no, you weren't just a Tin Pan Alley songwriter. You were someone that was tapped into something. You know, like, he just wanted to

[Adam Friedland]

play electric guitar, man. I mean, in retrospect, like, watching those. The clips of, like, the people at,

[John C. Reilly]

like, you know, don't look back. Yeah. What were you people looking at?

[Adam Friedland]

They're like, wait, you guys are fucking pussies. Like, I came here for a fucking folk concert. Yeah. It's like, what's wrong? He's playing also, like, the best music. Fort Collins of 76. Best Bob. Best Bob. Best Bob.

[John C. Reilly]

I've only listened to the bootlegs that he released out of respect.

[Adam Friedland]

The video, him doing Idiot Wind. And his life was falling apart and he was drinking so much and he was playing terrible shows up until that point. And something clicked. And Sarah Dillon and his mother were in the front row. And he's singing Idiot Wind. And he's so angry, he's singing it. So pissed. And it's like, your wife is like. Like it's a wonder you know how to breathe. Like.

[John C. Reilly]

You think he's talking about her?

[Adam Friedland]

I think it's about that. Yeah. He's pissed at his wife. No. What do you think that song's about?

[John C. Reilly]

I don't know. Maybe. Maybe. I don't know. He never told me what it was about. I know.

[Adam Friedland]

You never got to ask him.

[John C. Reilly]

I thought. When I listen to that song, I think it's about some idiot.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, I. Maybe I'm just. I got a fight with my girlfriend and I connected on a different level once.

[John C. Reilly]

But no blowing every time you move your mouth. Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

It's a very sexist song, but it's just like, is it. It's a well go. You know why? Because that album's a breakup album. That's why. So that's why I always thought that

[John C. Reilly]

I try to take the songs that Bob offers, like he wants them offered. Like, this is just a song I wrote. Don't make it about my life. It's about some idiot. And then it's my song, too. Then when I listen to Idiot Nguyen, I'm not like, man, he should have been more fair to his wife. I'm listening to idiot win going, yeah, that person was a fucking idiot. I wish I thought of this song to say to them when they treated me that way.

[Adam Friedland]

Sarah Dillon, I know she was being an idiot. No, but I. No, in the context of that it's not about, like, celebrity, whatever, that I want to know about his relationships or something. It's that wise performance, like, so passionate is because his life is falling apart and something clicks in that concert and it's also filmed, you know, so that that entire concert is like, you know, was a television broadcast, I think, on ABC or something.

[John C. Reilly]

And I haven't seen what you're talking about.

[Adam Friedland]

The one where he's has the thing tied around his head, like, because it's raining. He has, like, a T shirt tied around his head. He looks like he's, like, in the Middle east or something. And he's. He does that. Whatever. Okay, you haven't seen it.

[John C. Reilly]

I think it can be interesting to delve into what an artist was going through when they made a certain piece of art. Like when. Like, for instance, when Buster Keaton, the famous shot of Buster Keaton, the house falling on him, and it just misses his head. What's fascinating about that? I mean, it's funny as a bit of comedy film, but what's fascinating about it is, like, he was on the verge of suicide. His life was ruined. He was bankrupt, so he didn't care if the house hit him.

[Adam Friedland]

Damn.

[John C. Reilly]

So that makes that much more poignant.

[Adam Friedland]

But, like, have you ever been in a position where your personal life has affected a performance like that?

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, of course. I don't think you can be a really true artist if your own personal experiences are not informing everything that you do. That doesn't mean you advertise it or you tell people that you went through. But for sure, yeah. And as an actor, you're channeling stuff that you went through, you know, or past experiences.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, of course. No, but it's just. It's interesting to say.

[John C. Reilly]

My father died when I was making the River Wild. Which is, you know, you could say whatever. Silly kind of Hollywood movie about a family gets taken, kidnapped, gets kidnapped on a river rafting trip. But my father died while I was making it. And at the end of that movie, when I'm broken and my arm is broken, it's the final kind of, you know, end of the movie and I'm weeping on a rock. I was weeping because my father died. He had just died right before that. But you didn't know that, right? When you watch the movie, you're like, oh, yeah, that guy's fucked up. Because they got caught and they. Whatever, you know.

[Adam Friedland]

Have you heard that Yoko Ono album, Season of Glass?

[John C. Reilly]

No.

[Adam Friedland]

So it's.

[John C. Reilly]

Have you seen the new Yoko and John doc?

[Adam Friedland]

No. Where. What's it all.

[John C. Reilly]

Should we watch it after Yoko and I or something? Should I get weed? Really good. It's really good.

[Adam Friedland]

It's really good.

[John C. Reilly]

I mean, I could.

[Adam Friedland]

That relation. I could go on about.

[John C. Reilly]

You were gonna ask me something, but I can tell you.

[Adam Friedland]

She made an album three months. That came out three months after this. The. The.

[John C. Reilly]

Why am I.

[Adam Friedland]

The assassination. I was about to say suicide three times. My brain is. I'm mentally. I. I not the art.

[John C. Reilly]

You're all right.

[Adam Friedland]

I'm the art. I'm just nervous right now. I.

[John C. Reilly]

Okay.

[Adam Friedland]

She made an album, and the artwork is amazing. Cause they gave her his glasses and it had his blood splatter. And it's right next to a glass of water. And it's taken from the Dakota, and Central park is behind it. And she took a picture of his glasses in front of the window.

[John C. Reilly]

That's gonna make me cry. That's just too sad.

[Adam Friedland]

The album is just the purest expression of anguish and love. And, like, in the context of that and in the context of, like, we know this guy John, and we love him, and this woman is, like, in pain. I mean, it does contextualize this, like, amazing album that I can't just view as, like, that song's good, right? And, like, so sometimes I agree with you. Like, sometimes it's art from the artist, but other times it's like, yeah, that makes me appreciate this all.

[John C. Reilly]

Deeper.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Deeper. Yeah. Well, also, because I'm obsessed with Dylan. Like, I just, like, tend to know where he was in his life at that point.

[John C. Reilly]

And we were born on the same day. May 24th.

[Adam Friedland]

Seymour, dude. May 24th. He being ministry, you know.

[John C. Reilly]

One of the most beautiful things about that Let It Be documentary that Peter

[Adam Friedland]

Jackson did, I watched it three times.

[John C. Reilly]

It was like a gentle rain Washing away the misogyny that people treated Yoko with.

[Adam Friedland]

She was vindicated.

[John C. Reilly]

It was like a gentle rain. That showed you, like, no, these guys loved each other. They loved each other. This whole thing of this whole bullshit story we've been told that John and Paul hate each. It's all bullshit.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, they loved each other.

[John C. Reilly]

How could they have done all that with. With that bullshit storyline? Like, so that was a real gift that I thought Peter Jackson gave to the world that he showed. Like. No, there's. There's a. There's a much more interesting story here than that original movie.

[Adam Friedland]

There's a moment where Paul says, john loves her and if he wants her here, I want her here.

[John C. Reilly]

Exactly.

[Adam Friedland]

How nice was that? Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

How about George helping Mingo with, like, oh, no, actually, you should do the change here on Octopus Garden. You know, it's like, so stupid.

[Adam Friedland]

Baby song.

[John C. Reilly]

And it actually. And it gave me a lot more respect for Paul, to tell you the truth.

[Adam Friedland]

You're a John guy.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, I just kind of bought into this thing of, like, oh, Paul was the pop one. He was just always trying to keep things light or whatever. Like, actually, he's the workhorse. If you watched it, he was the one who's like, ideas, ideas, ideas, ideas.

[Adam Friedland]

You know, first guy in, last guy out.

[John C. Reilly]

The really heartbreaking thing that happens in that movie, which I'm sure you've noticed, but beginning. I think John and Yoko were doing smack at the time or doing heroin, and they were a little checked out, and John said he would do it. So he shows up with Yoko. They're there, but he's kind of, like, not really participating for a while. And then George and Paul start to, like, come up with something maybe a little bit interesting. Suddenly John perks up. There's a good idea on the floor, and he moves in with Paul. Suddenly, John and Paul are back together, and George has left, like, yesterday's news. And that's when he quits the band.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, that's when he's like, I can't

[John C. Reilly]

take this hurt again. You know, watching it from the outside, you're like, oh, wow. Like, it's so obvious what happened there. Anyway, they were also, like, 27 and also the. Yeah. Super young and the. And they. And a costume designer friend of mine pointed out something really interesting about that movie, which is that first I forgot who the first one is who comes out all blinged out. I think it might have been Ringo. One of them shows up, like, with clothes, you know, and then the next day, another one shows up. We Got a fur vest on now, like. And by the end of it, they're all stunting with hips. Yeah. They're all peacocking for each other kind of.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Well, the. My understanding, my reading. And it's like the cool thing about that Peter Jackson thing was like, I went. I was going to live the rest of my life and never expect to see that. Right. I had no expectation. And then it happens and I'm like, I'm so lucky. This is something you imagine I have imagined. It's like that happened before I was born. It's like seeing pictures of your parents before you're born. You create a narrative and a story in your mind, but it doesn't. It's not real. Right. You're not there. And so those sessions, I knew that they were recording it all live. I knew Billy Preston came in, but I didn't know anything. The fuck else. I knew.

[John C. Reilly]

What? I didn't. I didn't know that those recordings on the roof are on the album. I didn't know that.

[Adam Friedland]

Is that right?

[John C. Reilly]

Yes.

[Adam Friedland]

Fuck, dude.

[John C. Reilly]

Some of the greatest songs on that album are from the fucking show on the roof.

[Adam Friedland]

Have you heard the.

[John C. Reilly]

I was looped. It was wired to the studio.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, that's right. Yeah, I remember that. Have you heard the isolated.

[John C. Reilly]

I know. I thought the concert on the roof was like a little thing they did for fun. At the end they were recording it. It's on the album.

[Adam Friedland]

They were locked in on that. Have you heard the isolated tracks of Paul's bass on Don't Let Me down and stuff? It's like he's playing. It's like Jocko Pastorius. You don't realize this guy until you watch that this guy, in the same way as Bob, just cares about making songs and like, his friend is in pain. I just read a book about them. Oh, my God, I could talk about this forever. There was when he wrote Yesterday, the band was John kind of as a featured. You know, John Beadle. And then. And they were best friends since childhood. They probably fucked one time. A couple. A couple times. John also let Hot take John. It's implied that when they went to Paris, they were in love with each other and. But they were also like, they. There's a.

[John C. Reilly]

Nothing wrong with it, by the way. I just have never heard anything like that.

[Adam Friedland]

John also let Epstein hit once too, because Epstein was in love with him. That's why he signed them. He was in love with John. I don't want to.

[John C. Reilly]

I heard about David Bowie and Mick Jagger.

[Adam Friedland]

David Bowie's like, apparently he only tried once. And he's like, it's not for me.

[John C. Reilly]

Really.

[Adam Friedland]

That's what I heard. And I'm like, you have all the. Like, I know every guy who's had sex with every guy. Yeah, but no, I don't know any.

[John C. Reilly]

Isn't it all just the same? Anyway, that's what we. No, no.

[Adam Friedland]

But that's interesting about.

[John C. Reilly]

On this album.

[Adam Friedland]

Gay sex.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. Well, the fact that love is love. It really is. This character is trying to fall in love with someone during every show. And I start out talking with women at the beginning. I go into the audience, and the idea is that Mr. Romantic is this mythical character. He lives in a steamer trunk that's been traveling the world for thousands of years. These four musicians are carrying around the steamer trunk. They know, they remember, but they're caught in a kind of purgatory. He comes out of the steamer trunk, and he has no memory of the past. All he knows is that he has to stay inside the steamer trunk. And when he comes out of the steamer trunk, he has to put on a show. And he doesn't have to go back into the steamer trunk. If he can find one person in the audience who. Fuck who. Who will love him forever.

[Adam Friedland]

Wow.

[John C. Reilly]

Right? So then in the beginning of the show, I start talking with women, right? And then at a certain point in the show, I walk out and I start talking to men, and the guys are like, wait, what? And I say, look, I'm not gay or straight. I'm desperate.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah. I just don't go back in that box. Yeah, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

So then what happens in the room is, like, all the women, first of all go, oh, thank God. It's not gonna be just him leching on all of us, the whole show. And all the men go, oh, it's on me, too, to think about love.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, you're famous, dude. Why, Mr. Roman?

[John C. Reilly]

So what it does is it brings everyone into this present moment. And, like, when you talk about this gay stuff, like, why is it like this?

[Adam Friedland]

It's not worth.

[John C. Reilly]

Scandalous thing that.

[Adam Friedland]

I didn't say it scandalously. I meant it as, like, Literally. Like, literally that was mentioned in the book, that there was a. Like, a connection there. Hey, folks, Adam here. I want to talk to you about Zoc Doc fighting an actual doctor that you actually like sometimes. Hey, babe. Hey, folks. Today I want to talk to you about Zoc Doc. Finding a doctor that you actually like sometimes feels like finding a diamond in the rough. We all know the feeling. Sometimes you want to find somebody in network sometimes you want to find someone that's nearby, someone with open time slots and let's be honest, that's just the start you deserve. Someone that really listens, makes you feel comfortable, makes you calm your nerves. Explore explains it I think clearly tells you that things are just gonna be okay. Remembers your kids names. I don't know about that. Do you want them to. If they're a pediatrician, you want them

[John C. Reilly]

to remember your name.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, if you're. If they're a pediatrician you want them to remember your kids names. But sometimes they want one that roots for your favorite sports team and makes you laugh. Makes you laugh. That's that. And still gives you a lollipop even though you're a full grown adult. Your diamond in the rough doctor exists and finding them is easy on Zoc Doc. Okay, raise your hand if you've been putting off dental cleaning. Annual checkup on honestly, any doctor's appointment. Yeah, that's my hands. Both my hands are up there too. My teeth are disgusting, my breath is disgusting, I'm Overall disgusting. And 2026 is a year of Adam's health. You will be seeing me getting stronger, getting fitter and overall getting my. I'm going to get my deviant septum fixed perhaps and maybe my nose will be maybe a little bit slightly smaller. Yeah but when something feels off, what do I do? I usually doom scroll my symptoms, self diagnose using the the Internet. I spiral quietly to myself, I vent to my partner and I don't do anything about it. The worst is resorting a TikTok. So one of the wellness trends I load up on vitamins, hope for the best, downplay it and say it's probably fine. Does that sound familiar? This year we're doing things differently. We're going on Zocdoc.com we're finding doctors we love and we're booking appointments on Zocdoc. I want to talk to you today about Zocdoc. Zocdoc is an app and also a website where you can book high quality in network doctors so you can find someone that you love talking about in network appointments. With more than 150,000 providers across 50 states. Whether you're looking for dermatology, dentistry, primary care, eye care, one of 200 other specialties, they're all offered on Zoc Doggy. You search by specialty or symptom to build the care team that's right for you. You want to see your doctor in person, Great. Prefer a video visit? You could do that too. You can view thousands of verified patient reviews to give you a sense of who your doctor is. Maybe they hate small talk just as much as you. You or they root for your favorite sports team. Whatever it is you feel confident that you book with that doctor that you know that you'll love. When you're ready, you can see their real time availability. Click to book Instantly no phone tag, no waiting around Appointments made through ZOC Talk happen fast, typically within 24 to 72 hours of booking. You could even score a same day appointment which I've done before. I use this and you should too. So stop putting off those doctor's appointments. Go to zdoc.com ts to find an instantly book that a doctor you love today. That's z o c d o c.com tafs zoc.com tfs thanks zoc doc for sponsoring this message. That's it. Okay.

[John C. Reilly]

Okay.

[Adam Friedland]

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[John C. Reilly]

Thank you.

[Adam Friedland]

Squarespace Squarespace is the all in one website platform designed to help you stand out and succeed online. Whether you're just starting out or or scaling your business, Squarespace gives you everything you need to claim your domain. Showcase your offerings with a professional website to grow your brand. Get paid all in one place I've used Squarespace before. When I was first starting on Comedy, I made a website on Squarespace where I posted all my tour dates where people could go and see me perform all around the D.C. metropolitan area where I started Comedy. You know that Squarespace gives you everything you need to offer services to get paid all in one place. From consultations to events experiences. Showcase your offerings with a customizable website to attract clients and grow your business. Get paid on time with professional on brand invoices and online payments. You can use it to get paid on time with professional on brand invoices and online payments. Plus you can streamline your workflow with built in appointment scheduling and email marketing tools. One thing that is very useful is their integrated Squarespace SEO tools which help you get discovered fast. Squarespace makes it easy to showcase your expertise and engage clients with video content on your website, Upload your and organize your videos, create stunning video libraries and even monetize your content by adding a paywall. Perfect for online courses, exclusive tutorials and premium workshops. So guys, head to go to checkout squarespace.com tafs for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use Offer code TAFS to save 10% off your first purchase of a website domain. It's pretty exciting. Your first website folks, that's squarespace.com TAFS for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use Offer code TAFs to save 10 off your first purchase of a website or domain. Thanks a lot.

[John C. Reilly]

Some things I wanted to talk about.

[Adam Friedland]

Let's, let's, let's. Let's get into.

[John C. Reilly]

And it's not just promoting this product, which is actually not probably gonna make me any money. It's just sort of a gift to the world. But what I wanted to talk about

[Adam Friedland]

was let's act like I thought of

[John C. Reilly]

the question and misanthropy.

[Adam Friedland]

So what do you think about empathy and misogyny?

[John C. Reilly]

Fuck empathy. We're in this weird, like, moment where empathy has become uncool. Like, even Elon Musk's said empathy is weakness or something like the empathy trap or whatever, and he's completely wrong. And empathy, to me, is the foundation of civilization. It's the only way that civilization actually works is if I care about you. And even though I don't know you, I care about you.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

All right.

[Adam Friedland]

So being nice.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, just trying to understand what it's like for another person and giving them the benefit of the doubt and understanding. Like, they deserve dignity, they deserve kindness. They deserve whatever I deserve because they're also a human being like me. I do think that's we're at a really a juncture in the world where. Or junction or whatever the hell is. We're on a junket.

[Adam Friedland]

Junction. I don't know. Do you have kids?

[John C. Reilly]

Misanthropy.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, yeah, sorry.

[John C. Reilly]

There's this really. There's a trend right now among people that tell stories, that make television shows, that do reality tv, that make movies where it's this posture people take where the world sucks. Okay? This is what's wrong with the world. And there it is. Watch this movie and you'll understand why the world sucks. And people are ultimately stupid and they're not. And there's no redeeming characters in this story. There's nothing good. You're going to walk out of here and realize the world's a piece of shit, right? Except I already know that. I read the news every day. So this whole trend, to me, people who are misanthropes are overly sensitive people who have decided if the world's not perfect, it's a piece of shit. And I think the truth about life is actually much more nuanced than that. You know, if you're at a funeral, someone will make a joke and you might smile at a funeral, if you're at a birthday party, you notice, like, oh, that kid is having a hard time. You know, like, so to me, that's the truth about life. So when I see art, I want it to reflect the truth about life. That it's complicated, that, that sometimes people are shitty. But sometimes even shitty people do something good because at the bottom of it all, all of us have good and bad in us. Right? So to take this posture of a misanthrope and to be cynical about the way the world is, I think is lazy. I think it's immature. I think it's something like a 15 year old who listens to death metal. You know what? Fuck it, man. The whole world sucks. Well, if you grow up a little

[Adam Friedland]

bit, you'll see adolescence.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, the whole thing doesn't suck. There's joy out there every day. There's something out there every day too.

[Adam Friedland]

Right. Like, I think what I'm picking up on is that just the fucking, the fucking movies are all trying to engage with a discourse these days and like about, you know, the public contemporary moment. And sometimes you just want to see a movie about like this kid has a big dick and then he starts doing porn. Right? And then he starts doing coke.

[John C. Reilly]

But you know what that movie's about? You know what Boogie Nights is about? Boogie Nights is about choosing your family and finding your family. But we get that it's a family movie.

[Adam Friedland]

We get that in the context of like this kid has a big dick and he's mother's a nightmare.

[John C. Reilly]

So he finds another mother, he finds Julianne Moore instead of his actual mother. He chooses his family and at the end he's happy. He's found a family that loves him. Yeah, it's not about porn actually to

[Adam Friedland]

me, but I think, I think that, that I've read Paul saying that about the movie too, you know, and like when you go like this during the.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, I wasn't aware that I did it.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, when, when apparently he takes out the monster.

[John C. Reilly]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

So funny. I mean, that movie is so funny.

[John C. Reilly]

I mean that is a sexy scene in that movie and you don't see any nudity in it with her. First scene with him. Is it okay if I come and you. Yeah, baby, whatever you want. Like there's something so hot about that. It's not even the explicit part of the movie.

[Adam Friedland]

Don't. Yeah, you know her probably so don't tell her. But I was, I was so. I was so in love with her. It was crazy when I watched that.

[John C. Reilly]

If you include that in this segment, she's gonna find out.

[Adam Friedland]

Heather Graham's one. She's gonna watch this.

[John C. Reilly]

Heather Graham. I was talking about Julianne Moore, Roller Girl.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, no, no, that scene, dude, I

[John C. Reilly]

thought the first Julianne Morris faster than Julianne Moore.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah, that's that one.

[John C. Reilly]

I thought it was when intimacy, when

[Adam Friedland]

roller girl does the takes. Yeah, that's for a 15 year old boy. Yeah, that was my bar mitzvah. Yeah, that was a formative moment in my life.

[John C. Reilly]

I had a similar experience when I watched Dangerous Liaisons and Uma Thurman does that. I literally. I was with a wonderful, dear departed, dear friend of mine, this gay fellow named Ted went to see that movie with me. And after we came out, I was like. I turned, I was like, oh, my God, how about that girl? And he's like, oh, I know you like that. And I was like, what? And he's like, you really don't know what you said? And I was like, what he said when she lifted up her shirt like that. You said, oh, my God, you didn't realize out loud. And the audience laughed at me. And I was completely like, you're in a trance.

[Adam Friedland]

You have children?

[John C. Reilly]

I do. I have two sons.

[Adam Friedland]

One thing my friends are becoming parents recently.

[John C. Reilly]

Look, this guy's Jewish. Boom. This guy's Jewish and this guy's Jewish. These two are Catholic.

[Adam Friedland]

You can't. Oh, cousins. Nice. You're an Irish Catholic?

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, I'm Irish Catholic, yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

They're the best people on earth.

[John C. Reilly]

Irish, are they?

[Adam Friedland]

I think so, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

They're pretty good.

[Adam Friedland]

There's a soul.

[John C. Reilly]

They got a nice little democracy over there right now, I'll tell you that.

[Adam Friedland]

Do you feel like, why are they coming over here taking American roles? Why don't those bastards go back over? I'm not going over there playing Sinead. I'm not gonna play Sinead o'. Connor. Go over there even though I can't.

[John C. Reilly]

You know, the crazy thing is that what they're saying about people from Latin America, about coming and taking jobs, this is exactly what they said about Italians and Irish and Polish and everyone else before. Like, it's the same old song, you know?

[Adam Friedland]

But they're better at acting than us now.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, I do have a little bit of a bone to pick about some of that. Like the Australians, like, try getting, try going to Australia as an actor and making it in movies.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, it's Australia.

[John C. Reilly]

They would be like, what are you doing here?

[Adam Friedland]

We're the best.

[John C. Reilly]

You're not Australian. Why would you come here? To tell Australian stories. But somehow we, we're much cooler about it.

[Adam Friedland]

Some of the, like, worst, like comedians go over to London. They get big because they don't understand what's funny over there in Stand Up.

[John C. Reilly]

That's not true. No, no.

[Adam Friedland]

Their satire is better than us.

[John C. Reilly]

Steve Coogan sells out stadiums. They obviously understand what's funny.

[Adam Friedland]

Their stand up isn't good. Their satire isn't miles light years ahead of us, like, because it's.

[John C. Reilly]

I haven't seen enough stand up there. But I might agree with you all

[Adam Friedland]

the stand up is like, oi. And if you don't think that a trans person is a human being, maybe stop it. And then it's huge. Laugh. And it's like. It's not a joke, but it's a good.

[John C. Reilly]

That sounded like New Zealand, that accent.

[Adam Friedland]

But if you don't think. If you don't think a trans woman is a woman, maybe not. Don't. And then they laugh. But it's. Which I agree with. But it's like they make points like, their satire is amazing because they used to run the world and then they had to go back to their shitty gray place.

[John C. Reilly]

That's the key to understanding the English. They just can't believe they don't have the world anymore.

[Adam Friedland]

They're just.

[John C. Reilly]

If only they would listen to us again, we could fix all of this.

[Adam Friedland]

There's an inherent irony in that, don't you think? Like, that they're like. They just had to say goodbye. Like, you know, like, they were like, goodbye.

[John C. Reilly]

A little more violent than that in Ireland. Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Well.

[John C. Reilly]

And in India.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. I mean, Ireland is the Palestine of England, basically.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, that's why I think the Irish are so supportive of the Palestinian people, because they understand what it's like to be. Be under the heel of, you know, a superior military force.

[Adam Friedland]

But you just want them out of Hollywood.

[John C. Reilly]

The Irish.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. Yeah. They're taking all our jobs.

[John C. Reilly]

No, man, come on. Free country. It's still a free country.

[Adam Friedland]

Who's this Keoghan thinking he could.

[John C. Reilly]

He's great. That kid's great.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah. He looks intense. So I just want to talk, like, moving forward. Like, you have a music project coming out, transitioning career wise. Like, is this just something additionally you want to do or something you want to focus on moving forward? Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Well, music in general for me is like something I've always done. Since I was a kid, I've been doing musicals, but it's something. Since I became a professional actor, something I've always done to keep me from doing things I shouldn't be doing in movies. Because I know as an actor, and I know actors in general like to feel like we're working, we're useful. The world Wants me to work. And so we end up taking stuff we shouldn't take.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

So I started doing music so that I would have enough patience to, like, wait for the next good thing to do so I could have something I was inspired by and then I thought gave something back to the world. And this one in particular, this project in particular was really about, like, trying to address what's going on with this lack of empathy in the separation between people. You know, computers have done a real number on us.

[Adam Friedland]

Last thing is, like, in terms of, like, the music that you're influenced by and interested in, it seems like it's heavily influenced by Americana and like American folk music.

[John C. Reilly]

Like Bob Dylan. I contain multitudes. You know, I used to have a blues band. I used to have a folk band that did like, you know, roots music, for lack of a better word, or country music. And now I have this sort of vaudeville act.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

That does songs for the American songbook. A few Tom Waits songs. A beautiful insert.

[Adam Friedland]

Where is that?

[John C. Reilly]

This is a. It's not a photographic. Yes, it's a photograph. That's a real photograph of me. These rocks are real. And then this is a painted painting that they put behind.

[Adam Friedland]

Why they paint you six three, though? Yeah. I mean, I. I think it's like Stephen Berkman.

[John C. Reilly]

You should look up his work. That's who shot this photograph, too. And this photograph, this is a photograph that's been painted over.

[Adam Friedland]

So is it your impression, like, so you get MCU offers, then you're like, I'm going to the studio.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, basically.

[Adam Friedland]

That's kind of chill.

[John C. Reilly]

I did do one MCU thing and I was like, that's enough.

[Adam Friedland]

Which one do you do?

[John C. Reilly]

I was in Guardians of the Galaxy.

[Adam Friedland]

Oh, that was fun.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. Which I found it really hard. I found it hard. I couldn't, like. Anyway, I don't want to get into this.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, it's just like. It's all like. What I understand is like, it's like blue screen.

[John C. Reilly]

There's a lot of that. Also, for the first time in my life, I found it hard to memorize lines.

[Adam Friedland]

Did you have, like, balls?

[John C. Reilly]

There were no, like. There was no emotional content to it. It was all just like facts and plot points and things about spaceships. And I was like, I just couldn't get it into my head or into my heart or something.

[Adam Friedland]

You didn't have to wear one of those motion tracking, ping pong face. That would have been cool, right?

[John C. Reilly]

The guy. Yeah. There was playing the rope. The guy who was doing the raccoon was in a Green Morph scene.

[Adam Friedland]

Bradley Cooper.

[John C. Reilly]

No, the director's brother was actually on the set in a green. And, you know, it's crazy.

[Adam Friedland]

Like, Bob Dylan. He's making some other schmuck go out there instead. Instead of the Coop, play the raccoon.

[John C. Reilly]

The director's brother played the raccoon. Look, so that people had something to look at. But he was, like, much taller than the raccoon, so it was very strange. He had to wear this morph suit. Then he would crouch down, like. I don't know. It was very strange. Look at, like, making all the Guardians of the Galaxy. You'll see. It's crazy. Like, well, how they pull that off.

[Adam Friedland]

Do you have any projects coming up that you want to plug or anything you're excited about?

[John C. Reilly]

A few movies coming out. One is called Heads or Tails or Testo o Croce, an Italian film I made where I played Buffalo Bill Cody.

[Adam Friedland]

Awesome.

[John C. Reilly]

I have another movie coming out called A Prayer for the Dying, where I play this doctor in the 1800s dealing in Wisconsin, dealing with this plague. Is there something else? I don't think so.

[Adam Friedland]

Who may and who directed those pictures?

[John C. Reilly]

A girl named Dara Von Dusen. A woman named Dara Von Dusen directed A Prayer for the Dying. And these two guys, Matteo and Alessio, they're directed the Italian one. Oh, right. Yeah. I'm in a new movie, too, called how to Rob a Bank with a bunch of the Young kids. Zoe Kravitz is in it with me. I play an FBI agent who's trying to catch bank robbers.

[Adam Friedland]

They respect you on set, the. The youngins.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, they did.

[Adam Friedland]

You're an elder statesman, although not that elder, but you're.

[John C. Reilly]

Oh, I was way older compared to them. Yeah.

[Adam Friedland]

Do you. Do you ever intend on. On, like, directing and.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, I would like to direct, actually. I think I'd be pretty good at. Like I said, I've done a lot of children's theater. Like, I've done a lot of theater directing, but I don't know. Acting is kind of a demanding job. Like, you're kind of always on this treadmill, and to direct, you have to, like, get off the treadmill. I'm not gonna even consider acting offers. I'm just gonna dedicate two or three years or seven years of my life to getting this story told, and I just can never quite find myself in that spot. Like, no, I must tell this story. I'm someone that's used to telling just being a vessel for other people's stories.

[Adam Friedland]

Well, I Was gonna follow up with that because it's like, I imagine a director. Has you ever had a guy just fucking with you just to get the performance he wants? Like a psychopath

[John C. Reilly]

you have to manipulate. Spot those people before you sign on. And I don't sign on with people. I don't like people that are like, patronizing like that.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, you're not doing like a hurt. And I don't like Werner Herzog with the gun.

[John C. Reilly]

Like.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

If anyone ever tries to bully me or bully someone in my presence, they're gonna hear about it and I'm not gonna be working with that person anymore. There's no time for bullies.

[Adam Friedland]

Were you close with Phil Hoffman?

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, very close.

[Adam Friedland]

I mean, he was perhaps the best actor. I mean, he's the best, right?

[John C. Reilly]

And a lion. A lion among men, I would say. Yeah, really? Like he had gravitas as a young man. That was a mystery. I was like, how do you have this gravitas? We're both the same age. Like, how? I don't know. I had a lot of respect for Phil. We did a show on Broadway, True west, together.

[Adam Friedland]

I know, it was a big moment for us. They have to go.

[John C. Reilly]

No, I have to go. They have to go to the airport.

[Adam Friedland]

There's just.

[John C. Reilly]

No negotiating with airplanes, please.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah. I appreciate your time and it's weird to throw the fill off the thing at the end, but I hope you've enjoyed it.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. It's funny that you mentioned because I was just. I do some earlier interviews and other people mentioned him too, but.

[Adam Friedland]

Yeah, you know, I mean, one of

[John C. Reilly]

the all time greats.

[Adam Friedland]

I associate you with, like an ensemble, I think, because of all the PTA movies.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, we were part of that ensemble together, definitely.

[Adam Friedland]

It was kind of like a crew that was like, oh, these are the best.

[John C. Reilly]

But yeah, if you say so. Thank you, Adam.