Vault: Hayden didn't get the part for Owen Wilson movie

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Bert Show

Episode: Vault: Hayden didn't get the part for Owen Wilson movie
Date: July 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on Bert’s son Hayden and his recent audition for a role in an Owen Wilson movie being filmed in Atlanta. The hosts discuss Hayden's journey from local stage performances to his first on-camera audition, the emotional process of handling both hope and disappointment, and reflect on how such experiences shape young performers. The conversation is candid, humorous, and supportive, with parents and friends sharing their takes on the challenges of rejection, especially for kids pursuing acting.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hayden's Audition for the Owen Wilson Movie

• Background: Hayden was called in for an on-camera interview to audition for a part in an Owen Wilson film. The part was for the younger version of an actor, and Hayden's physical resemblance was the main factor.
  • Bert (01:02): "One of the actors in the movie, Hayden looks like him as a kid. So as this guy gets older, Hayden could be this guy as an adult. So we need a younger version of this adult."
• Process: The audition was brief and focused on Hayden's appearance rather than acting ability.
  • Bert (01:52): "He literally was in their office for one minute. He comes in, they turn the camera on, they say, what's your name?...And then he leaves the office."
• Parental Perspective: Bert and Stacy were more excited about the opportunity than Hayden, who handled the process with casual nonchalance.
  • Bert (02:26): "He seems to like the whole process. But, you know, he's just not...as excited."

2. Performance Nerves and Stage Antics

• Hayden reportedly gets a burst of nerves just before performing, but settles in quickly once on stage.
  • Bert (02:48): "Right before he has to do anything, he gets a little freaked out...Then the lights go on and he's fine."
• Hosts joke about giving "mini Jäger bombs" and using a funnel to calm pre-performance jitters (purely tongue-in-cheek).
  • Stacy (02:59): "And the little Jaeger bombs have helped him calm down too, right?"
  • Supportive Adult (03:14): "Oh, my God...People are gonna believe you."
• They clarify later that this is all in jest, referencing shot glasses and thimbles for comedic effect.

3. Learning from Rejection

• Result: Hayden did not get the part; the team received the call a few days after the audition.
  • Bert (03:25): "We got the call a couple of days ago that they gave the part to somebody else."
• Parental Reflection: Bert uses the rejection as a lesson, equating the acting journey to sports—learning to balance wins with losses.
  • Bert (03:33): "...with acting, I just want this to be Hayden's sport. So he's gonna have to enjoy the successes and he's gonna have to learn how to deal with the disappointments."
• Talking with Hayden: The family was honest with Hayden about not getting the part and framed it as a normal aspect of the business.
  • Bert (03:53): "We just want to let you know that first of all, it was a huge honor that you were even selected...But no, you didn't get the part this time around."
• Hayden’s emotional response was brief, reflecting the resilience and short attention span of a seven-year-old.
  • Bert (04:36): "...his disappointment, a 7-year-old's disappointment lasts 40 seconds and then he's on to something else."

4. Humor and Future Plans

• Stacy requests that when the movie comes out, Bert should record Hayden’s reaction to seeing the actor who got the part.
  • Stacy (05:02): "Can you promise me that...when you and Stacey go to it, that you will record the conversation you have...about the little punk that they put in Hayden's place?"
  • Bert (05:05): "It'll look like interviewing Hayden about the kid that got the fuck."

5. Brief Update on Bert’s TV Show

• Bert shares a minor update about his own television project, noting some off-air drama about inadvertently revealing cast members.
  • Bert (05:16): "...the last I heard from Princess, she was upset at me because I accidentally told who the players were on the air that day."
• No major developments on this front, and Bert is still waiting to hear more.

6. Coping with Rejection—For Both Parents and Kids

• The hosts empathize with Bert, noting that the experience of rejection is new and impactful for both Hayden and Bert as a parent.
  • Stacy (06:43): "And I can see in your eyes, this is the first time you've ever dealt with rejection."
  • Bert (06:46): "Yeah, it hurt. It hurt. It really, really hurt a lot."
• There’s a broader message about building resilience and perspective at any age.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Industry:
  Bert (03:53): "In the acting world, for every like 10 or 15 auditions that you go on, you'll get a part. So don't think you fail every single time. But no, you didn't get the part this time around."
• Parental Wisdom:
  Bert (03:33): "I just want this to be Hayden's sports. So he's gonna have to enjoy the successes and he's gonna have to learn how to deal with the disappointments."
• On Children’s Resilience:
  Bert (04:36): "A 7 year old's disappointment lasts 40 seconds and then he's on to something else."
• Humor:
  Stacy (02:59): "And the little Jaeger bombs have helped him calm down too, right?"
  (followed by laughter and clarification—no actual drinks are involved)
• Parent-Child Conversation after Rejection:
  Stacy (05:02): "I want to hear Hayden's review of that movie or of that kid. So he didn't get the part, but he seemed okay with it."
• On Coping:
  Stacy (06:57): "You need to understand that this is just part of what you're doing."
• Comic Relief:
  Bert (07:04): "Can we watch Phineas and Ferb now?"

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Hayden’s Audition Story: 01:02–02:26
• Performance Nerves & Jäger Bomb Jokes: 02:47–03:23
• Receiving the News & Talking About Rejection: 03:25–04:32
• Consoling Hayden (Parental Take): 04:36–05:08
• Bert’s TV Show Update: 05:13–06:33
• Reflection on Rejection—for Kids and Adults: 06:43–07:07

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Tone & Style

The episode embraces the Bert Show’s trademark warm, witty, and authentic tone. There’s a blend of supportive advice, self-deprecating humor, and heartfelt parenting moments. The hosts strike a balance between honest reflection and comic relief, making the conversation both relatable and entertaining.

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Summary prepared for listeners who want the heart of the conversation—without the ads or the wait.

Transcript

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[Announcer]

This is the Bird Show.

[Bert]

The update on Hayden. Hayden got a call last week to do an on camera interview to have a part in this new Owen Wilson movie that has been shooting around Atlanta. And it was an audition and they really, they said, look, it's just, it's just the perfect storm for him right now because one of the actors in the movie, Hayden, looks like him as a, as a kid. So as this guy gets older, Hayden could be this guy as an adult. So we need a younger version of this adult. So why don't you bring him in and we'll put him on camera for a couple of minutes and we'll see if the producer likes him or not. Which would have been a huge coup because he's never done anything except, you know, on stage stuff. And he's only been doing that for about a year now here around Atlanta.

[Stacy]

What was that? The Seussical, Wasn't that what he was in a few weeks ago?

[Bert]

Yeah, Seussical.

[Stacy]

What a leap to go from Seussical

[Bert]

to an Owen Wilson movie. So we got him an agent and they booked him this audition and a couple of weeks ago he went down and he literally was in their office for one minute. He comes in, they turn the camera on, they say, what's your name? He says, hayden Weiss. They say, what color are your eyes? He says they are blue. And they say, thank you very much, Hayden. That was great. And then he leaves the office.

[Friend]

Not wasting any time.

[Bert]

Not wasting any time. I don't think it really had much to do with talent. I think it just had to do with how closely does Hayden look to this adult actor?

[Friend]

And he wants to be an actor so badly. So what did he think of the whole experience?

[Bert]

So nonchalant about things. Like, I think his parents are way more excited about it than he is. So he seems to like the whole process. But, you know, he's just not. I don't know. He's not as excited.

[Friend]

He doesn't get nervous in front of the camera or say, daddy, I don't want to go.

[Bert]

No.

[Friend]

Because some kids will, like, talk a big game and then they sort of freak out at the moment.

[Stacy]

You know, Hayden, he's a performer, man.

[Bert]

Well, right before he has to do anything, he gets a little freaked out. Like, he's confident, confident, confident. And then right before the lights go on, he gets a little freaked out. Then the lights go on and he's fine. So I think the same thing happened with this audition.

[Stacy]

And the little jaeger bombs have helped him calm down too, right?

[Bert]

Totally, man.

[Friend]

Yeah.

[Stacy]

15 minutes before he's gotta be on stage.

[Friend]

I love it how you created that. My little jaeger bomb.

[Bert]

Isn't it cool? The funnel.

[Friend]

How about the little.

[Stacy]

My little funnel, you know, before you get freaked out.

[Supportive Adult]

Oh, my God.

[Stacy]

It's not.

[Supportive Adult]

People are gonna believe you.

[Stacy]

It's not a full jaeger bomb. It's actually a shot glass and a thimble. So it's smaller. Cause Hayden is obviously smaller. So we're.

[Bert]

Yeah, let's not be crazy. Yeah, it's cute.

[Announcer]

So.

[Bert]

So we got the call. We got the call a couple of days ago that they gave the part to somebody else.

[Friend]

Oh, bummer.

[Bert]

Which allowed us because remember what I said when this whole thing started that with acting, I just want this to be Hayden's sports. So he's gonna have to enjoy the successes and he's gonna have to learn how to deal with the disappointments. So I was actually looking forward to having to have the talk with him that he didn't get the part. Cause he doesn't understand, you know?

[Stacy]

Like, have you told him he knows now or.

[Bert]

Yeah, yeah. Stacy brought him and I brought him. We talked about it a couple days ago and just said, look, we were very blunt about it. Like, we just want to let you know that first of all, it was huge honor that you were even selected. And in the acting world, for every like 10 or 15 auditions that you go on, you'll get a part. So don't think you fail every single time. But no, you didn't get the part this time around. And I could tell he was a little bit like, what? I didn't even know that was really an option. We told him that they gave it to somebody else and, and again, we told him that you're not going to get every part. And it really probably had very little to do with his acting ability. And just it was based on looks and he just doesn't. This other kid might have looked a little bit more like the, the adult.

[Stacy]

Can you promise me, do you think

[Friend]

that's the first time he's dealt with rejection?

[Bert]

I could see it in his eyes, you know, and as a parent, like, you want to embrace, but you also want them to have to absorb it and learn how to deal with it, you know, and his, his disappointment, a 7 year old's disappointment lasts 40 seconds and then he's on to something else, onto something else.

[Stacy]

Can you promise me that when you, when that movie comes out in theaters and you and Stacey go to it, that you will record the conversation you have immediately after the movie talking about the little punk that they put in Hayden's place.

[Bert]

It'll look like interviewing Hayden about the kid that got the fuck.

[Stacy]

That's. I want to hear Hayden's review of

[Bert]

that movie or of that kid. So he didn't get the part, but he seemed okay with it.

[Stacy]

Will you bring us up to date on your TV show?

[Bert]

I don't have an update. The last I heard from Princess, she was upset at me because I accidentally told who the players were on the air that day. And you guys heard me off the air going, I'm so sorry. You didn't tell me. I wasn't allowed to talk about it and I haven't heard a thing since. So I don't know.

[Stacy]

I thought the. I thought it was. I wasn't there then. I don't remember that call.

[Bert]

You weren't here that day.

[Supportive Adult]

Oh, well, that was. Yeah, I mean, it was basically what Bert said is, I mean, he was talking about the party that y' all went to to meet other cast members or potential cast members. And he was just talking about the party and a couple names came out that he didn't realize were undercover. And so Princess, are they different than

[Stacy]

the ones you had brought up before? Because she didn't seem to care. Before.

[Bert]

Yeah, some of them we had not talked about before. And they, they just got us in sort of a restaurant atmosphere just to hang out to see if there was some chemistry between all of us. And the night went great. It was fantastic. All the dudes got along and everything went Great. So I came on the air the next day, and I started naming who the other cast members were. Halfway through the conversation, I get a text from her saying, I'm not listening right now, but please don't mention who the other cast members are. So it was too late at that point, and I haven't really heard from her since. I apologized afterwards. She said, you know, it's okay. I understand you made a mistake, but I haven't heard anything about the show since.

[Stacy]

Well, Bert, what's important to remember is for every 10 or 15 auditions you go out for, you'll only get one or two jobs. So this is not a failure.

[Announcer]

No.

[Stacy]

And I can see in your eyes, this is the first time you've ever dealt with rejection.

[Bert]

Yeah, it hurt. It hurt. It really, really hurt a lot. So I don't know.

[Supportive Adult]

As soon as I want to embrace you. Right now, we want to embrace you

[Bert]

want me to sit in a disappointment right now?

[Supportive Adult]

We need you to be able to adapt and handle and deal with it on your own, too.

[Stacy]

You need to understand that this is just part of what you're doing.

[Bert]

Right?

[Stacy]

And you'll. You know what? It'll all make sense when you're older.

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[Bert]

Can we watch Phineas and Ferb now?

[Friend]

Yes.

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Was it scary?

[Mom]

Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Bert]

Did the car have a sunroof?

[Mom]

It did, actually.

[Bert]

Okay, good story.

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