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This episode is sponsored by Lucy. 100% pure nicotine. Always tobacco free Lucy breakers or nicotine pouches with an extra surprise. Each pouch holds the capsule and they can be broken open to release extra flavor and hydration. Set yourself up with a subscription to have Lucy delivered straight to your door. What's my favorite? It's the mint. What's the strength? The strongest one? What do I throw it in before I. So guys, let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy. Go to Lucy Co TAFS. Use promo code TAFS. Get 20% off your first order. Lucy has a 30 day refund guarantee if you change your mind. Again, that's Lucy Co. And use code TAFs to get 20% off. And here comes the fine print. Lucy products are only for adults of legal age and every order is age verified. Warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. Guys, that's the first ad I've ever read. Straight through. You're 6 foot 11.
B
Six' two. You're 6' two.
A
How's it fit? That's nice, dude. For Hollywood. That's a Hollywood six, eight.
B
Well, people over six feet don't actually care about how tall they are.
A
Oh, they don't care.
B
It's the shorter people that are like, I'm five eight and a half.
A
Five eight and a half is. I would. I'm a. Thank God I'm five ten. Every inch is so like I used.
B
To put five ten on my resume because I didn't.
A
That is so annoying.
B
You wanted. Why are you wanted to be below 6ft so you didn't seem too tall.
A
My culture is not a costume, sir.
B
You can't.
A
Well, I imagine like acting real culture warrior.
B
I didn't know that.
A
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. Mikayla Pitts get tickets@emeraldcitycomedy.com There's a link in the description below. Guys. Also, happy New Year and I'd like to thank all of our members here. 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 Freelance Family Foundation. You can do so by clicking join 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 Adam Freeland Show. 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.
B
2016 was 10 years ago, guys.
A
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 T. Reilly. His new live act, Mr. Romantic, is hitting the road in 2026. Get tickets@mrromantic.com. 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. I didn't look at it.
B
I had nothing for this one. All these on one day and then.
A
This 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 vital 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.
B
Thank you very much.
A
The talk show debut. How are you?
B
Thanks for having me, Adam. I'm good.
A
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.
B
I wasn't tricked. Someone said this is a good, good idea.
A
Well, you relied.
B
But I've never seen your show. I have to admit that.
A
Really?
B
Yeah. Was I supposed to do homework or something?
A
Well, I thought you were a member of the manosphere, just like me. Like I thought you were.
B
You're a member of the Man.
A
I do. I thought we were going to talk, mma. I thought we're going to talk. What's that? The sex changes. Or so I don't know, I'm trying.
B
To stay abreast of contemporary topics, but, yeah, I don't know.
A
I don't pay attention.
B
I don't have much to say about MMA other than it's too violent.
A
Really? Yeah, I think not violent enough. No, I. 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.
B
Well, when I was a kid, I was a wrestler for a while because, 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.
A
Yeah.
B
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.
A
Were you like Andy Kaufman? Like.
B
No. Like real wrestling girls? No, no, no.
A
The way you're talking about the humiliation was as if.
B
Well, it is. I mean, you want to wrestle? Like, I can show you where.
A
You're a tall glass of water. I don't want to wrestle. I don't want to 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.
B
That's true. Yeah.
A
Yeah. Like a nimrod is like nature forces him upwards. Like a leaf being blown around in.
B
The wind rod at the beginning, I think. Yeah.
A
Eddie.
B
Yeah, Eddie Adams from.
A
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.
B
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.
A
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.
B
It played like a comedy in the theater.
A
In the theater.
B
Interesting.
A
And it is kind of funny because.
B
Everyone knows the movie so well already and maybe iconic lines and whatever.
A
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.
B
He called you a piece of chicken.
A
Yeah.
B
He called you a piece of chicken.
A
Yeah. And like the 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.
B
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.
A
She was like a 45 year old, like 10 year old, you know what I mean?
B
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.
A
Of course.
B
Yeah. This great gangster movie that's all played by kids and they shoot.
A
Have you seen Biggie video that rips that off? The Notorious B.I.G. video? No. The Skin Sky's the Limit, I think is. But it's all kids rap, like. And there's a little kid rapping. Anyway.
B
But Jody said I was like, what was it like? I'm Buggy Bugsy Malone. Like this one life must have been so cool.
A
She was like tortured.
B
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.
A
Yeah.
B
And they were just regular kids.
A
Amateurs.
B
Yeah. And they thought she was like. They almost, like, treated her like one of the adults or something.
A
She got bullied.
B
She sounds like she got a little bit. Yeah, a little bit.
A
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.
B
Little robots.
A
Yeah. Yeah.
B
And they've been practicing with their parents all day. Yeah. I've directed a lot of children's theater, actually.
A
I wanted.
B
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.
A
No, certainly.
B
Whatever. Yeah.
A
I don't have that. I don't have it.
B
And so we. But we wouldn't pick that kid. We would pick the kid who needed to be Thor.
A
Yeah. Yeah.
B
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.
A
That sounds like some participation trophy Snowflake, kind of. No, I'm just kidding. But, like, no, you're like.
B
It was literally.
A
It's a kid, like, finding out, like, who they are, like, finding their inner strength. Yeah. It's kind of cool.
B
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.
A
Yeah, yeah.
B
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.
A
I feel like they can't do that. That's kind of old.
B
And yet there's still. Whatever. These movies are still beloved movies somehow. But I watched Bugs and Me Alone. That's the one part I'm like, I don't know. This sexy outfits is a little.
A
It's rough. When did you start acting?
B
When you were about 8 years old?
A
Yeah, but not professional school. You were doing theater? Like a school theater? Yeah, community theater.
B
I was at the park near my house.
A
I was in MidSummer Night's Dream, fifth grade. What? Puck.
B
As Puck. Wow.
A
Yeah.
B
Like one of the leads.
A
Yeah, yeah. But I had to wear tights and I was really scared about it. Yeah. Yeah.
B
And were you tall as a kid?
A
Oh, actually, if you seem pretty.
B
I don't know how tall you are, but you seem long.
A
What are you doing right now? What do you say you call me.
B
A tall because they drink of water.
A
Six foot. You're six foot eleven. How's it fit? That's nice, dude. For Hollywood. That's a Hollywood six, eight.
B
Well, people over six feet don't actually care about how tall they are.
A
Oh, they don't care.
B
It's the shorter people that are like, I'm five, eight and a half.
A
Five and a half is.
B
I would.
A
I'm a. Thank God I'm five' ten. Every inch is so.
B
Like, I used to put five' ten on my resume. Because I didn't.
A
That is so annoying.
B
You wanted.
A
Why?
B
You wanted to be below 6ft, so you didn't seem too tall.
A
My culture is not a costume, sir. You can't. Well, I imagine, like, acting.
B
Real culture warrior. I didn't know that.
A
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.
B
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?
A
Like, no, I was like, I, I, I was mad at God. I was like, how dare you? I was like, no. Yeah, I was like, just counting.
B
I was counting pews, not listening.
A
Really? I literally, yeah. When I got one, I was like.
B
You or she are not listening.
A
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.
B
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.
A
I think it's love, dude, seriously, I'm.
B
Gonna be a smart ass the whole time. No, no, seriously, we're having a real conversation. I thought this was like a Cavett where we could actually get into some fucking ideas.
A
Cut that, cut that.
B
Of just snarky, bullshit, smart, alky.
A
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.
B
I think Paul asked his dad shortly before we made that movie. So it was definitely coming from a personal place with him.
A
Yeah.
B
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. Frogs do fall out of the sky. Philip Baker hall, who's in that movie, experienced a rain of frogs.
A
Yeah.
B
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?
A
The Naval Intelligence. Was that.
B
Yeah, they had another name for it before then. He would. In post war Germany, he would drive around and do the government's bidding.
A
Those guys had amazing lives.
B
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.
A
Chaos.
B
It's this thing that happens to us, you know, 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 is that? Why did it happen? He's like, you know, I realized, like, you don't know anything.
A
They're idiots.
B
It's very primitive where we are with this science. And so, yeah, it might as well have been a rain of frogs.
A
You're like an incredible comedic actor, right? And like, you're one of the best. And I kind of just like, coming from a theater background, I can imagine like you, there are some classically trained actors that just can't play comedy. And coming from your background in the theater, how did you kind of learn that? Or is it inherent to you?
B
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. 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?
A
Set Brothers is one of the funniest movies ever.
B
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.
A
That's funny.
B
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.
A
If Chris Farley's doing that, it's funny because there's an inherent.
B
But that's another guy. He just, he will something to be funny, brother.
A
You got the sauce? You have the sauce. I'm saying it. I know, I mean it's not. Who cares?
B
But also I think I have the sauce because I don't think I have the sauce.
A
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 and like, yeah, it's the same.
B
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. They left you? It was like, you know, like the flying monkeys in the wizard of Oz, like, like this tearing me apart.
A
You got a couple in though, or it was just a melee?
B
I said. He said, 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 anyway, because of the school your.
A
Parents put you to, like say you two. That's so funny though. It's so arbitrary.
B
It's very like Chicago is very like little, you know, kingdoms, little city states.
A
Where in Chicago are you from?
B
South side Park.
A
Yeah, yeah, I was just there. It's kind of like.
B
It has a very bad reputation among Jewish people in Chicago.
A
Jewish people have a bad reputation there. I think everywhere.
B
Market park 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.
A
Well, they Went to Supreme Court case. Right.
B
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.
A
Yeah, there were a lot of Holocaust survivors there, too.
B
Exactly. So, anyway, swap the music.
A
Swap to talking about, what do you want to do?
B
I don't care. I mean, obviously, that's why I came here, was to talk about a new albumantic.
A
We're going to talk about it because I want to talk about music for a while, because I think this is.
B
Kind of a Jewish phrase. What's not to love.
A
Yeah, yeah. To love what's not.
B
Exactly. I am a little Jewish. I named my album that.
A
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?
B
Whatever, man.
A
Yeah, yeah.
B
You know, I was excited to be on the Dick Cabot show, but he's.
A
He's 98 years old. He lives in Montreal.
B
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 Cabot. 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.
A
When's the last time you talked to Paul McCartney? I'm just kidding.
B
I did meet him once.
A
He's the best. Who's your fav. Wait, this is a stupid question, but, like, top five. Who are your top five songwriters?
B
My top five Beatles.
A
No, Songwriters. Top five Beatles. Brian Epstein.
B
There's only five.
A
Yeah. Brian.
B
FCV Count. Billy Preston.
A
Such a pure soul. And he was part of so much other stuff that we love.
B
Yeah. And some. Yeah.
A
Anyways, he was a child prodigy, too, I believe. I think. Yes. 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 a number of people after.
B
John Lennon doesn't even get in after Bob Dylan. Like, he's a pretty important, important part of that band.
A
I'm not saying. I'm not diminishing him, and I'm not saying Bob Dylan's in the Beatles.
B
That's the problem with these numbered lists.
A
It's a stupid thing.
B
People get diminished.
A
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?
B
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.
A
Was he nice?
B
You don't meet him. You don't 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 to you. When were you the most lonely? And you're like, well, the most lonely was when my parents left me and da, 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.
A
Yeah.
B
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.
A
But then you're like, I would just be.
B
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.
A
He would hate me.
B
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.
A
Did you see the Rolling?
B
He gave me Visions of Johanna, you know, I don't need to know, like, what his favorite beer is or something, you know.
A
Do you see the Rolling Thunder classic? I loved it. I loved 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 a really awesome way to tell a story. But one thing you see is that 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 during their.
B
Or some meaningful gratitude that will land with you, Bob. No, you don't understand how much. And I was like, everyone's trying to.
A
Blow his fucking mind.
B
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.
A
We would be best friends with him. Dude. No, I get it. I get what you're saying.
B
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.
A
What was the. What was the. What were the nice ones?
B
What's the worst. Nicholson.
A
Oh, my God.
B
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. Just totally free, like a man's man. Like, just shooting the shit like, exactly like you want Jack to be.
A
What was the worst one?
B
I don't like to talk shit about people.
A
Well, just.
B
It was bad enough. I don't need to publicize it, you see. Can you tell who it was?
A
I'm trying to do, like, a. What were you saying? The metaphysical?
B
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, I don't. This just garbage that's meaningless.
A
Have you been going to the. To his shows recently, in the last couple years?
B
No.
A
He's locked in.
B
He's locked in.
A
It's amazing because you.
B
Did you like that last record that he put out? I love that. Contained multitudes.
A
I loved it.
B
I absolutely.
A
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 profit. You see Allen Ginsberg stressed out around him, right? You see, like. You see fucking Patti Smith, like, and she's 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.
B
He thinks of himself as a genius, you know?
A
No, he thinks of himself probably as like, everyone's fucking being lame my whole life because. And I'm. And it's probably a very lonely thing.
B
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 talks. 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.
A
He just wants to write songs.
B
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.
A
The only way you could stay productive.
B
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.
A
Oh, you think the CIA was going to kill him?
B
No.
A
You think you're not going to hold.
B
Me up as some kind of thought leader that some people are going to be pissed off enough to kill?
A
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 and Wa now.
B
But maybe look at stuff like, if you go, there's a great exhibit of him at the Jewish Museum in California. And there's this footage of him when he was like. I think he was speaking on behalf of Medgar Evers or something like that.
A
That song is so good.
B
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.
A
I love that song.
B
And he's just a song of righteousness. 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.
A
Play electric guitar, man. I mean, in retrospect, like, watching those. The clips of, like, the people at.
B
Like, you know, don't look back. Yeah, you're like, royal. What were you people looking at?
A
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 for calls in 76. Best Bob. Best Bob. Best Bob.
B
I've only listened to the bootlegs that he released out of respect.
A
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.
B
You think he's talking about her?
A
I think it's about that. Yeah. He's pissed at his wife. No. What do you think that song's about?
B
I don't know. Maybe. Maybe. I don't know. He never told me what it was about. I.
A
You never got to ask him.
B
I thought when I listen to that song, I think it's about some idiot.
A
Oh. I. Maybe I'm just. I got a fight with my girlfriend, and I connected on a different level once.
B
But no blowing every time you move your mouth. Yeah.
A
It's a very sexist song, but it's just like. Is it. It's a well go.
B
No sex a woman.
A
You know why? Because that album's a breakup album. That's why. So that's why I always thought that.
B
I try to take the songs that Bob offers, like he wants them. Offer, 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 Nguyen going, yeah, that person was a fucking idiot. I wish I thought of this song to say to them when they. When they treated me that way.
A
Sarah Dillon. I know she was being an idiot. No, but I know 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. Why is this performance, like, so passionate? Because his life is falling apart, and something clicks in that concert, and it's also filmed, you know, so that entire concert is, like, you know, was a television broadcast, I think, on ABC or something.
B
I haven't seen what you're talking about.
A
The one where he has the thing tied around his head, like. Cause 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 does that. Whatever. Okay, we haven't seen it.
B
I think it can be interesting to. To delve into what an artist was going through when they made a certain piece of art. 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 he was on the verge of suicide, his life was ruined, he was bankrupt, and so he didn't care if the house hit him.
A
Damn.
B
So that makes that much more poignant.
A
But, like, have you ever been in a position, like, where your personal life has, like, affected a performance like that?
B
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. What you want to, but for sure, yeah. And you're. As an actor, you're channeling stuff that you went through, you know.
A
Well, past experiences. Yeah, of course. No, but it's just, it's interesting to say.
B
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, so. But you didn't know that when you watch the movie, you're like, oh, yeah, that guy's fucked up. Because they got caught and they. Whatever, you know.
A
Have you heard that Yoko Ono album, Season of Glass?
B
No.
A
So it's.
B
Have you seen the new Yoko and John Doc?
A
No, where. What's it all.
B
Should we watch it after Yoko and I or something? Should I get weed? Really good. It's really good.
A
It's really good.
B
I mean, I could.
A
That relation I could go on about.
B
You were gonna ask me something, but I can tell you he made an.
A
Album three months that came out three months after this. The, the.
B
Why am I.
A
The assassination. I was about to say suicide three times. My brain is. I'm mentally. I, I not the art, I'm the art. I'm just nervous right now.
B
Okay.
A
She made an album and the artwork is amazing because 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.
B
That's gonna make me cry. That's just too sad.
A
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.
B
Deeper.
A
Yeah. Deeper.
B
Yeah.
A
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.
B
And we were born on the same day. May 24th, dude.
A
May 24th. He being Minnesota, you know, One of.
B
The most beautiful things about that Let It Be documentary that Peter Jackson did.
A
I watched it three times.
B
It was like a gentle rain washing away the misogyny that people treated Yoko with.
A
She was vindicated.
B
It was like a gentle rain that showed you, like, no, these guys loved each other. They loved each other. This whole thing, this whole bullshit story we've been told that John and Paul hate each. It's all bullshit.
A
Well, they loved each other.
B
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.
A
There's a moment where Paul says, john loves her and if he wants her here, I want her.
B
Exactly.
A
How nice was that? Yeah.
B
How about George helping Ringo with, like. Oh, no, actually, you should do the change here. Octopus Garden. You know, it's like, so stupid.
A
Baby song.
B
And it actually. And it gave me a lot more respect for Paul, to tell you the truth.
A
You're a John guy.
B
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.
A
You know, first guy in, last guy out.
B
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.
A
Yeah, that's when he's like, I can't.
B
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.
A
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. I. 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.
B
You know what? I didn't. I didn't know that those recordings on the Roof are on the album. I didn't know that.
A
Is that right?
B
Yes.
A
Fuck, dude.
B
Some of the greatest songs on that album are from the fucking show on the roof.
A
Have you heard the.
B
I was looped. It was wired to the studio.
A
Oh, that's right. Yeah, I remember that.
B
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.
A
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 Beetle 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.
B
There's a nothing wrong with it, by the way. I just have never heard anything like that.
A
John also let Epstein hit once too, because Epstein was in love with him. That's why he signed them.
B
Interesting.
A
He was in love with John.
B
I don't heard about David Bowie and Mick Jagger.
A
David Bowie's like, apparently he only tried once. And he's like, it's not for me.
B
Really.
A
That's what I heard.
B
And I'm like, you have all the, like, gay, gay.
A
I know every guy who's had sex with every guy. Yeah, but I don't know any.
B
Isn't it all just the same? Anyway, that's what we talk about on this album.
A
Gay sex.
B
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 this 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 will love him.
A
Oh, okay.
B
Nevermind forever.
A
Wow.
B
Right? So then I. 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.
A
Yeah, yeah. I Just don't go back in that box. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
So then what happens in the room is like all the women first of all go, oh, thank God. It's not going to 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.
A
Oh, you're famous, dude. Why Mr. Roman?
B
So what it does is it brings everyone into this.
A
Yeah.
B
Present moment. And like when you talk about this gay stuff, like why is it like this? It's not worth scandalous thing that I.
A
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. They need to wrap. So can we talk about. Hey folks, Adam here. I want to talk to you about zocdoc. Finding an actual doctor that you actually like sometimes. Hey, babe. Hey folks. Today I want to talk to you about zocdoc. 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. Excitement 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 to remember. Yeah, if you're. If they're a pediatrician, you want them to remember your kids names. But sometimes the 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.
B
Yeah.
A
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 a 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. We're 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 Doggie. 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. 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 zoc.com ts to find an instantly book that a doctor you love today. That's zd.comtafs zoc.comtfs thanks to Zoc Doc for sponsoring this message. That's it. Okay, okay. Hold on.
B
Ready?
A
Ready.
B
Okay.
A
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B
It is.
A
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B
Use.
A
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B
There's some things I wanted to talk about.
A
Let's get into this.
B
And it's not just promoting this product, which is actually not probably going to make me any money. It's just sort of a gift to the world. But what I wanted to talk about.
A
Was, well, let's act like I thought.
B
Of the question and misanthropy.
A
So what do you think about empathy and misogyny? Fuck.
B
Empathy. We're in this Weird, like, moment where empathy has become uncool. Like, even Elon Musk 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.
A
Yeah.
B
All right.
A
So being nice.
B
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 a junction or whatever the hell is.
A
Junket.
B
We're on a junket. Junk.
A
Junk. I don't know.
B
Do you have misanthropy?
A
Oh, yeah, sorry.
B
Is this really. There's a trend right now amongst people that tell stories, that make television shows, that do reality tv, that make movies where it's this. It's this posture people take where the world sucks, okay? This is what's wrong with the world.
A
And there it is.
B
Watch this movie and you'll understand why the world sucks. And people are ultimately stupid and they're not smart and there's no redeeming characters in the story. There's nothing good. You're gonna 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. 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 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.
A
Bit, you'll see adolescent thought.
B
Yeah, the whole thing doesn't suck. There's joy out there every day. There's something out there every day too.
A
Right. Like, I think what you're. 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.
B
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.
A
We get that in the context of like this kid has a big dick and he's a mother's a nightmare.
B
So he finds another mother. He finds Julianne Moore instead of his actual mother.
A
Yeah.
B
He chooses his family and at the end he's happy. He's found a family that loves him.
A
Yeah.
B
It's not about porn actually to me.
A
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.
B
Yeah, I wasn't aware that I did it.
A
Yeah, when, when apparently he takes out the monster.
B
Oh yeah, yeah.
A
So funny. I mean that movie is so fun.
B
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 explosion. Explicit part of the movie.
A
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.
B
If you include that in this segment, she's going to find out Heather Graham's one.
A
She's gonna watch this.
B
Heather Graham. I was talking about Julianne Moore, Roller girl.
A
Oh, no, no, that's it. Dude. I thought the first.
B
Julianne Moore's first.
A
Yeah, yeah, that's that one.
B
I thought it was intimacy when roller.
A
Girl does the taste. Yeah, that's for a 15 year old boy. Yeah, that was my bar mitzvah. Yeah, that was a formative moment in my life.
B
I had a similar experience when I watched Dangerous Liaisons and Uma Thurman does that. And 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, Ted, 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.
A
You have children?
B
I do. I have two sons.
A
One thing my friends are becoming parents recently.
B
Look, this guy's Jewish. Boom. This guy's Jewish. And this guy's Jewish. These two are Catholic.
A
You can't. Oh, cousins. Nice. You're an Irish Catholic?
B
Yeah, I'm Irish Catholic, yeah.
A
They're the best people on earth, the Irish.
B
Are they?
A
I think so, yeah.
B
They're pretty good.
A
There's a soul.
B
They got a nice little democracy over there right now, I'll tell you that.
A
You 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 Shine. I'm not gonna play Sinead o'. Connor. Go over there.
B
Even though I know the crazy thing is that what they're saying about people from Latin America about coming, 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?
A
But they're better at acting than us now.
B
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.
A
Well, it's Australia.
B
It would be like, what are you doing here?
A
We're the best.
B
You're not Australian. Why would you come here? To tell Australian stories. But somehow we. We're much cooler.
A
But 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.
B
That's not true.
A
No, no. Their satire is better than us.
B
Steve Coogan sells out stadiums. They obviously understand what's funny.
A
Their stand up isn't good. Their satire isn't miles light years ahead of us, like, because it's.
B
I haven't seen enough stand up there. But I might agree with you.
A
All the stand up is like, oi. And if you don't think that a trans person is a human being, maybe stop it. And there's Huge laugh. And it's like. It's not a joke, but it's a good.
B
That sounded like New Zealand, that accent.
A
But if you don't think. If you don't think a trans woman is a woman, maybe not don't. And then that. 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.
B
That's the key to understanding the English. And they just can't believe they don't have the world anymore.
A
They're just.
B
If only they would listen to us again, we could fix all of this.
A
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.
B
A little more violent than that in Ireland. Yeah. Well, and in India.
A
I mean, Ireland is the Palestine of England, basically.
B
Well, that's why I think the Irish are so supportive of the Palestinian people, because they understand what it's like to be under the heel of, you know, a superior military force.
A
But you just want them out of Hollywood.
B
The Irish.
A
Yeah. Yeah. They're taking all our jobs.
B
No, man, come on, Country. It's still a free country.
A
Who's this Keoghan thinking he could.
B
He's great. That kid's great.
A
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?
B
Yeah, 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.
A
Yeah.
B
So I started doing music so that I would have enough patience to, like, wait for the next good thing to do and so I could have something I was inspired by and that I thought gave something back to the world. And this one in particular, this project in particular was really. Was really about, like, trying to address what's going on with this lack of empathy and the separation between people. You know, computers have done a real.
A
Number on us 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. And like American folk music.
B
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. Yeah. That does songs for the American songbook. A few Tom Waits songs. What's a beautiful insert?
A
Where is that?
B
This is a.
A
It's not a photo.
B
Fake. Yes, it's a photograph. It's a real photograph of me. These rocks are real. And then this is a painted painting that they put behind.
A
Why they paint you six three, though? Yeah. I mean, I. I think it's like Stephen Berkman.
B
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.
A
But so is it your impress, like, so you get MCU offers, then you're like, I'm going to the studio.
B
Yeah, basically.
A
That's kind of chill.
B
I did do one MCU thing and I was like, that's enough.
A
Which one do you do?
B
I was in Guardians of the Galaxy.
A
Oh, that was fun. Yeah.
B
Which I found it really hard. I found it hard. I couldn't, like, anyway, I don't want to get into this.
A
Well, it's just like. It's all like. What I understand is like, it's like blue screen.
B
There's a lot of that. For the first time in my life, I found it hard to memorize lines.
A
Did you have like.
B
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.
A
You didn't have to wear one of those motion tracking ping pong face. That would have been cool, right?
B
The guy. Yeah. There was playing the rope. The guy who was doing the raccoon was in a green morph suit.
A
Bradley Cooper.
B
No, the director's brother was actually on the set in a green. And you know, it's crazy.
A
Coop is like Bob Dylan. He's making some other schmuck go out there instead. Instead of the Coop play the raccoon.
B
The director's brother played the raccoon 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.
A
Do you have any projects coming up that you want to plug or anything you're excited about?
B
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.
A
Awesome.
B
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.
A
Who may and who. Who directed those. Those pictures?
B
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 and the.
A
Film you just finished.
B
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.
A
They respect you on set, the. The youngins.
B
Yeah, they did.
A
You're an elder statesman, although not that elder, but you're.
B
Oh, I was way older compared to them.
A
Yeah. Do you. Do you ever intend on. On, like, directing and.
B
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.
A
Well, I was going to follow up with that because it's like, I imagine a director. Has you ever had a guy who's fucking with you just to get the performance he wants? Like a psychopath.
B
Like, imagine you have to manipulate 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.
A
Yeah, you're not doing, like, a hurt. And I don't like Werner Herzog with the gun, like. Yeah, yeah.
B
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.
A
Were you close with Phil Hoffman?
B
Yeah, very close.
A
I mean, he was perhaps the best act. I mean, he's the best, right?
B
And a lion. A lion among men, I would say. Yeah, really? Like, he had gravitas as a young man that I 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.
A
I know. It was a big moment for us. Yeah. They have to go.
B
No, I have to go. They have to go to the airport. There's just no negotiating with airplanes, please.
A
Yeah. I appreciate your time and it's weird to throw the Philharm thing at the end, but. But I hope you've enjoyed it. Yeah.
B
It's funny that you mentioned because I was just. I doing some earlier interviews and other people mentioned him too, but.
A
Yeah, you know, I mean, one of.
B
The all time greats I associate you.
A
With, like in an ensemble, I think, because of all the PTA movies.
B
Yeah, we were part of that ensemble together, definitely.
A
It was kind of like a crew that was like, oh, these are the best.
B
But yeah, if you say so. Thank you, Adam.
A
Sam.
Date: January 9, 2026
Guest: John C. Reilly
Adam Friedland sits down with acclaimed actor and musician John C. Reilly for a thoughtful, candid, and often hilarious conversation. They delve into Reilly’s storied film career, his new music project ("Mr. Romantic"), and explore topics such as comedy vs. drama, empathy in a cynical cultural moment, and the enduring impact of family—chosen and otherwise. The pair riff on influences from Paul Thomas Anderson to Bob Dylan and discuss the power of live performance and authentic connection.
(6:00 – 16:00)
(11:30 – 16:00)
(16:00 – 18:28)
(18:28 – 21:20)
(21:20 – 22:15)
(43:11 – 44:15)
(55:01 – 58:06)
(23:35 – 34:11, 64:00 – 65:04)
(34:37 – 44:41)
(65:46 – 68:26)
On Comedy and Truth (19:43):
“If you commit fully ... it's a serious thing. You're in a comedy. Like that's how I know how to do it.” – John C. Reilly
On Empathy (55:23):
“Empathy, to me, is the foundation of civilization ... The only way that civilization actually works is if I care about you. Even though I don't know you, I care about you.” – John C. Reilly
On Chosen Family (58:35):
"Boogie Nights is about choosing your family and finding your family, so he finds another mother. ... He chooses his family and at the end he's happy. He's found a family that loves him." – John C. Reilly
On Meeting Heroes (26:05):
“I actually don't want to meet the human being. I don't want to meet the human being. ... I want him to live in the place where he already lives. For me, it's already perfect.” – John C. Reilly
On Working with Philip Seymour Hoffman (69:44):
“A lion among men ... He had gravitas as a young man that I was a mystery. I was like, how do you have this gravitas? We're both the same age. How? ... I had a lot of respect for Phil.”
The conversation is candid, reflective, and often playful—balancing humorous banter with sincere explorations of art and life. Adam’s tone is enthusiastic and occasionally irreverent, while Reilly brings a mixture of humility, earnestness, and sharp insight, often punctuated with dry wit and deep empathy.
This wide-ranging and often poignant episode showcases John C. Reilly as more than a gifted comic actor—he’s a thoughtful artist and a fierce advocate for empathy in both art and life. The discussion moves fluidly between the personal and the cosmic, finding common ground in the value of connection, chosen family, and the simple pursuit of love—in film, in song, and on the live stage.