Pete Hegseth Grilled in Senate Hearing, Boyd Holbrook on Playing Johnny Cash

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition Episode Title: Pete Hegseth Grilled in Senate Hearing, Boyd Holbrook on Playing Johnny Cash
Release Date: January 15, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and Paramount Podcasts

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Introduction

In this episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, host Jordan Klopper delves into the controversial Senate confirmation hearing of Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense. The show masterfully blends sharp political satire with engaging interviews, offering listeners both humor and insight into current events. Additionally, the episode features a captivating interview with actor Boyd Holbrook about his portrayal of Johnny Cash in the new film A Complete Unknown.

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1. Pete Hegseth’s Senate Confirmation Hearing

Overview:
The episode kicks off with a satirical take on Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing, highlighting numerous accusations against him, including allegations of sexual assault, mismanagement of a veterans' nonprofit, and excessive drinking.

Key Points & Discussions:

• Accusations Against Hegseth:
  Jordan Klopper outlines the serious allegations faced by Hegseth, painting a picture of a nominee whose past actions raise significant concerns about his suitability for the role of Defense Secretary.

• Humorous Commentary on Hegseth’s Drinking Habits:
  The host mocks Hegseth’s reported excessive drinking with humorous analogies and imagined scenarios, such as consuming three gin and tonics at a 10 AM breakfast meeting.

  Jordan Klopper [00:31]: "Hegseth is rolling up to breakfast like I’ll have the steel cut oatmeal and three gin and tonics, please."

• Senate Hearing Satire:
  The segment parodies the Senate hearing format, exaggerating the tension and scrutiny Hegseth faces from both Republicans and Democrats. Tim Kaine’s aggressive questioning is humorously likened to a Maury Povich-style interrogation.

  Jordan Klopper [04:14]: "Tim Kaine went full Maury Povich out there, huh?"

• Policy Positions Under Fire:
  Hegseth’s stance on women in combat roles becomes a focal point, leading to exaggerated reactions from Klopper and co-hosts.

  Jordan Klopper [07:04]: "I'm sorry, libs, but that's just the way Pete is. Maybe he's not good at leadership or management or money or vows or driving home past 10 AM but the one thing he does is stand his ground."

• Desi Lydic’s Commentary:
  Desi Lydic joins to mock the futility of digging into Hegseth’s past, comparing it to sifting through an embarrassing browser history.

  Desi Lydic [10:13]: "He's Pete Hegseth. When you start drinking at 10 AM, you have a full day of bad decisions."

Notable Quotes:

• Pete Hegseth [02:45]: "Our seven wonderful kids. Gunner Jackson, Peter Boone. Kensington. Luke Chethorn, Rex. Sorry, it's a lot of them. And Gwendolyn."

• Jordan Klopper [07:01]: "A military cannot function unless it's staffed by a system based on pure merit, where only the most qualified people rise to the top."

• Desi Lydic [12:19]: "Democracy also sleeps better in darkness. It can bundle up all cozy and hide under its weighted blanket and numb itself with CBD gummies until it wakes up in 2028."

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2. The Daily Showography of Pete Hegseth

Overview:
In a comedic biographical sketch, Klopper narrates a fictional and exaggerated history of Pete Hegseth, portraying him as a quintessential antagonist in America's ongoing culture war. This segment blends satire with absurd humor to highlight the absurdities of political dynamics.

Key Points & Discussions:

• Early Life and Character Building:
  Hegseth is depicted as the archetypal Midwestern American boy who transitions into a fervent culture warrior during his time at Princeton University.

  Pete Hegseth [15:21]: "I ran the conservative publication on our campus. We were like bomb throwing, fighting valiantly against the forces of diversity and gay."

• Military and Nonprofit Misadventures:
  The sketch humorously details Hegseth's turbulent career, including his near-collapse of a veterans' nonprofit and subsequent dishonorable discharge.

  Jordan Klopper [16:54]: "Eventually, his luck ran out, and Pete found himself dishonorably discharged from his nonprofit platoon."

• Satirical Portrayal of Fox News Tenure:
  Hegseth's stint at Fox News is lampooned with exaggerated tales of chaos and unprofessional behavior, emphasizing his unsuitability for high-responsibility roles.

  Pete Hegseth [17:09]: "I've always wanted to do this in good shape. I will not be abstaining from alcohol. Maybe if I do well, I'll get a pint."

Notable Quotes:

• Jordan Klopper [17:31]: "Fuck Hegseth."

• Pete Hegseth [18:38]: "Any general that was involved, General, Admiral, whatever that was involved in any of the DEI Woke shit has got to go. I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles."

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3. Interview with Boyd Holbrook: Portraying Johnny Cash

Overview:
The latter half of the episode transitions to an insightful and entertaining interview with actor Boyd Holbrook, who discusses his role as Johnny Cash in the film A Complete Unknown. The conversation delves into the challenges of embodying an iconic figure and the meticulous preparation involved in the portrayal.

Key Points & Discussions:

• Method Acting for a Drunk Scene:
  Holbrook explains his process for convincingly portraying an inebriated Johnny Cash during a 12-hour shoot, emphasizing the balance between authenticity and performance.

  Boyd Holbrook [21:43]: "Yeah, you definitely want to go method for a 12-hour shoot. I was gonna say it's really hard to keep that up."

• Research and Character Development:
  The actor discusses his research, including reading Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan's personal letters, and how these influenced his portrayal.

  Boyd Holbrook [23:42]: "I reread them on the way over here and they're written on the back of airplane sickness bags. And really just two guys at the, you know, the epic of fame without stationery."

• Attention to Detail in Filmmaking:
  Klopper and Holbrook touch upon the film’s meticulous attention to historical accuracy, such as the inclusion of Bugles in a scene set in 1964.

  Boyd Holbrook [24:33]: "We totally got us on that one. It was the Doritos of the era."

• Character vs. Iconic Persona:
  Holbrook reflects on the challenge of portraying a legendary figure without tarnishing their legacy, highlighting the importance of maintaining authenticity.

  Boyd Holbrook [25:55]: "You really just don't want to tarnish their image. And to take this on was a real challenge."

Notable Quotes:

• Boyd Holbrook [22:06]: "And literally they let you do this with a car."

• Jordan Klopper [25:37]: "Don't it up my mythology. The movie is truly wonderful."

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Conclusion

The Daily Show: Ears Edition masterfully intertwines sharp political satire with engaging interviews, providing listeners with both laughter and thoughtful commentary. Through its exaggerated portrayal of Pete Hegseth's Senate hearing and a sincere interview with Boyd Holbrook, the episode delivers a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of contemporary political and cultural narratives.

Listeners are encouraged to watch The Daily Show weeknights on Comedy Central at 11/10c or stream episodes on Paramount+ to stay updated with the latest in political satire and exclusive content.

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Notable Advertisements Skipped:

• Public.com investment platform promotions interspersed between segments.

Transcript

[Jordan Klopper]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

From the.

Most trusted journalists at Comedy Central.

It's America's only source for news.

This is the Daily show with your host, Jordan Klopper.

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Jordan. Clap. Where we got a big show tonight. Congress is super horny. Republicans pretend to vet Trump's cabinet, and we get mixology tips from Pete Hegseth. So let's get into another installment of Trump 2.0. Coming for the White House. I'm going to come. I truly hate that. So Donald Trump becomes president on Monday, and that means. I know, I hate Mondays, too, but it means we're invading Greenland on Tuesday. So we gotta decide who is going to lead the armada. Which is why today, the Senate held its first confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary. And dude who makes sure everyone at the frat house has their stories straight. Now, since he was nominated a couple months ago, we found out a lot about Hegseth, and most of it does not inspire confidence. He's been accused of sexual assault. He was accused of nearly running a veterans group into the ground. And he has a documented history of excessive drinking, which we learned even more about today. A Hegseth acquaintance describes a breakfast they had with Hegseth in the spring of 2023. We met at Fox News in New York for breakfast, and he suggested we go across the street to a bar. It was like 10 in the morning. Then he ordered two gin and tonics at the same time for himself. Then he had a third gin and tonic. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hegseth is rolling up to breakfast like, I'll have the steel cut. Oatmeal and three gin and tonics, please. You know what they say, beer before liquor. Never been sicker. Liquor before liquor. I'll have another liquor. This definitely raises some questions for the person. You may. So let's jump into today's confirmation hearing. And you know what? I'm not saying he showed up drunk, but it did start at 10am so how about we start with a quick sobriety test? You know, something simple, Pete. How about name your kids?

[Pete Hegseth]

Our seven wonderful kids. Gunner Jackson, Peter Boone. Kensington. Luke Chethorn, Rex. Sorry, it's a lot of them. And Gwendolyn.

[Jordan Klopper]

Okay. Little tipsy. Okay, big deal. All right. No biggie. My dad was always mixing up me and my siblings names. And he launched perfectly successful counteroffensive, rapid deployment amphibious incursions into Iran all the time. Although Pete probably should have given his kids names he could remember more easily. Maybe Like Don Julio, Jim Beam, Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo. And don't forget little Michael Hard Lemonade. Anyway, now that that's over, it's time for the grilling Republicans. I know he's your guy, but I also know you love the military, so I'm sure you've got some hard questions for the man who wants to run it. Why do you want to do this job? What drives you? Tell me something about your wife that you love.

[Pete Hegseth]

How many push ups can you do?

[Jordan Klopper]

Follow up question, Sir. I have this jar. Could a big, strong man like yourself open it? Okay. Okay. But Democrats made up for those softballs with a couple pitches that were really high and inside. I assume that in each of your weddings, you've pledged to be faithful to your wife. You've taken an oath to do that, haven't you?

[Tim Kaine]

You've admitted that you had sex at.

[Pete Hegseth]

That hotel in October 2017, and you.

[Jordan Klopper]

Were still married and you just had.

[Tim Kaine]

A child by another woman.

[Pete Hegseth]

Again, how do you explain your judgment?

[Jordan Klopper]

You have admitted that you had sex while you were married to wife two.

[Pete Hegseth]

After you just had fathered a child by wife three.

[Jordan Klopper]

But you didn't reveal any of this to President Trump. Why didn't you inform the commander in chief of the transition team of this very relevant. Oh, damn. Tim Kaine went full Maury Povich out there, huh? Wow. Wow. Tim Povich. Although. Come on, Tim. Come on. You're asking. Why didn't Hegseth tell Trump about how many times he cheated on his wife? Maybe because if he did, Trump would hi fi him so hard, it would break both their hands. Okay, that was a pretty wild line of questioning from Tim Kaine. Any Republican want to jump to his defense here? How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? And then how many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No, but it's for show. You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy. Because a man's made a mistake, and you want to sit there and say that he's not qualified? Give me a joke. Give me a joke. Okay, okay. How about a priest, a rabbi, and Pete Haig says, walk into a bar at 10am Are you happy now, Mark Wayne? Huh? I don't know if this was really the defense that Hegseth wanted, though. Look, we're all pieces of shit here. Let he without an Ashley Madison Premium account cast the first stone. I'll tell you who else probably didn't appreciate that defense. The other senators, they probably got home and their wives were like, uh, I saw Mark Wayne at the confirmation hearing today. He said that everyone in the Senate cheats on their wives. Honey, honey, you can't trust Mark Wayne. He's confused. The man has two first names smushed together. It's insanity. Okay, but after that, they did, in fact, get into Hegset's policy positions, and there was one in particular policy that had people very worked up. You previously have made a series of inflammatory statements about women in combat, and on a recent podcast, you said, quote, I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. You say we need moms, but not.

[Desi Lydic]

In the military, especially in combat units.

[Jordan Klopper]

What's wrong with a mom, by the way? Once you have babies, you therefore are no longer able to be lethal. Yeah. Are you saying moms can't be lethal? Does the name Casey Anthony mean nothing to you? Yes. Exodus has a long insisting that women have no place in combat. And you know what? I'm sorry, libs, but that's just the way Pete is. Maybe he's not good at leadership or management or money or vows or driving home past 10am but the one thing he does is stand his ground. Tell him, Pete. No women in combat roles.

[Desi Lydic]

Let's make it very clear for everyone here today. As Secretary of Defense, will you support women continuing. Continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?

[Pete Hegseth]

Yes. Women will have access to ground combat roles.

[Jordan Klopper]

From Washington, D.C. the Flash, apparently official. At 11:25 standard time, Pete Hegseth went. Woke. You know, perhaps the most damning comment about Pete Hegseth came from Pete Hegseth himself when he was explaining what the military needs in its leadership.

[Pete Hegseth]

The DEI policies of today are not putting meritocracy first. Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy. Getting anything that doesn't contribute to meritocracy out of how decisions are made inside the Pentagon. Ensuring readiness and meritocracy is front and center. Meritocracy. Meritocracy. Meritocracy.

[Jordan Klopper]

Oh, I know what his next kid's gonna be named. You heard him, though. You heard him, folks. A military cannot function unless it's staffed by a system based on pure merit, where only the most qualified people rise to the top. So says your next Secretary of Defense, who will run the most complicated, powerful, deadly organization the world has ever known and whose only qualification is that Trump liked watching sit on a couch on Saturday mornings. But listening to Republicans today, it seems like that's going to be enough to get him confirmed. I just want to say, for all the talk of experience and not coming from the same cocktail parties that Permanent Washington is used to, you are a breath of fresh air. Well, that's not what the breathalyzer said, but okay. For more on Pete Hagset series, we go live to the Capitol with Desi Lydick. Desi. Desi, we know Hagset apparently has a history of being drunk and abusive and corrupt. What else has your reporting uncovered?

[Desi Lydic]

I didn't do any reporting. Jordan, back to you.

[Jordan Klopper]

What do you mean there's got to be more shady stuff in his past.

[Desi Lydic]

Of course there is. He's Pete Hegseth. When you start drinking at 10am you have a full day of bad decisions. I'm sure he crashed his second wife's jet Ski into his third wife's beach house, but I'm not going to torture myself reporting on it now. The less I know, the better.

[Jordan Klopper]

Desi, transparency is important. We need to know the extent of his drinking problem.

[Desi Lydic]

Oh, we need to know the extent of his drinking problem. Come on. You really think that learning more about Pete's past is gonna actually stop his confirmation? Give me a joke. This is like going through your dad's browser history. He's still gonna be your dad, but now there's a bunch of stuff you can unsee.

[Jordan Klopper]

Desi, it's not that simple.

[Desi Lydic]

I'll tell you what's not so simple. Your dad's browser. Because I went through it. Illiteratemilfs.com Food Network Nip slips, nudeafrica.com okay.

[Jordan Klopper]

Stop it, all right? No, there's no way that's my dad. Mathquest.com oh, God, that's my dad.

[Desi Lydic]

Amtrak sluts Janetrenocameltoe.gov okay, no, stop it.

[Jordan Klopper]

Stop it. Stop it. Okay. See?

[Desi Lydic]

Not so fun knowing things you can't do anything about, huh? Look, I spent Trump's first term knowing every single sexist, misogynist, racist detail about his freak squad. And where did that get us? Four more years of this freak squad.

[Jordan Klopper]

So what, you're just gonna ignore it and not do your job?

[Desi Lydic]

It's called self care, Jordan. It was invented by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008. So at this point, I don't want to know any of the disturbing details about Trump's nominees. I don't want to ruin my day finding out one of them killed a puppy.

[Jordan Klopper]

Actually, Kristi Noem did kill a puppy. My God.

[Desi Lydic]

Why would you say that?

[Jordan Klopper]

You jack off because she's nominated for Homeland Security. Stop it.

[Tim Kaine]

Stop it.

[Jordan Klopper]

Stop it. You can't just give up knowing things, Desi. Democracy dies in darkness.

[Desi Lydic]

Yes, but democracy also sleeps better in darkness. It can bundle up all cozy and hide under its weighted blanket and numb itself with CBD gummies until it wakes up in 2028. Doesn't that sound nice?

[Jordan Klopper]

Oh, no, Desi, no. Look, I know. I know it is hard, Desi. I know it's scary. But it is the sacred duty of journalists to investigate our leaders to uncover the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or upsetting it may be.

[Desi Lydic]

Junkyard sluts. Butt stuff. Junkyard sluts. Butt stuff. Redhead.

[Jordan Klopper]

No. Okay.

[Desi Lydic]

CO's cutting their own bangs. Glenn Close. Cruella.

[Jordan Klopper]

Stop it. I'll get it.

[Desi Lydic]

You win.

[Jordan Klopper]

Ignorance is bliss. Desi Lydic. When we come back, we find out more on America's defense Secretary. Don't go away.

[Tim Kaine]

At public.com, we've brought all your investing together in one place. From stocks to options, bonds to Treasuries and crypto, it's all here. You can even put your cash to work at an industry leading 5.1% APY. It's the most simple yet sophisticated investing experience on the market. A place where all your investments are just a tap away. Because why juggle multiple investing apps when you can have one that does it all? Meet your new primary portfolio, Public.com, a US based company and member of FINRA with award winning customer support. All your investing in one place. 5.1% APY as of 521. Subject to change. All investing involves risk brokerage services for US Listed securities, options and bonds in a self directed brokerage account are offered by public investing member FINRA and sipic. Not a bank, not investment advice.

[Jordan Klopper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. We've been following the confirmation hearings for Secretary of Defense all day. But who is the real Pete Hegseth? Let's find out in a brand new daily showography.

Across the globe, the enemies of Uncle Sam are on the march. And the biggest war of all is the culture war. Taking on these kinky booted thugs demands a hero like no other. A man who will fight for America, for MAGA and most of all for his right to party. This is the daily showography of Pete Hegseth. Over served with honor. Pete Hegseth grew up in the Midwest, the most American part of America. He was the all American boy, the varsity athlete who married his high school sweetheart, his best girl who would then go on to be his second best Girl. And then his third best girl. A family man through and through, he went through several families. It was at Princeton University that Pete first enlisted in the culture war.

[Pete Hegseth]

I ran the conservative publication on our campus. We were like bomb throwing, Fighting valiantly.

[Jordan Klopper]

Against the forces of diversity and gay. He championed traditional relationships between men and women, even if the woman is passed out drunk. I mean, technically, being unconscious is as anti woke as you can get. After graduation, Hegseth joined the military, having given the matter careful consideration.

[Pete Hegseth]

I didn't know the army from the Marine Corps. I mean, I didn't know anything back home.

[Jordan Klopper]

In 2012, he decided to serve his country in another way.

[Pete Hegseth]

My name is Pete Hegseth, and I'm running to be your next United States Senator.

[Jordan Klopper]

Sadly, it was not to be. And Pete dropped out of the race to spend more time with whichever wife and family he was up to by then. Obviously, it's hard to keep track. Instead, Pete landed a job as the head of a small nonprofit veterans group, which became even more non profit after he nearly drove it into bankruptcy. Don't worry, the money went to a good cause. Cardian. He was once again a man with a mission. And the stories of his exploits became legendary. With the organization's HR department passing out in party buses, urinating on hotel lawns, leading a bar in chants of kill all. And getting kicked out of a strip club for trying to dance on stage. Eventually, his luck ran out, and Pete found himself dishonorably discharged from his non profit platoon. He was now almost completely without friends. Almost.

Come on up, Pete. You're next on Fox and Friends.

And while even Fox News had a few employees who quietly complained about Hegseth's habit of showing up Trump for work at 6am the network was mostly a perfect culture fit.

[Pete Hegseth]

I've always wanted to do this in a good shape. I will not be abstaining from alcohol. Maybe if I do well, I'll get a pint.

[Jordan Klopper]

A little bit of champagne.

[Boyd Holbrook]

There you go.

[Pete Hegseth]

I'm gonna get another refill.

[Jordan Klopper]

Hold on.

[Desi Lydic]

Champagne is my problem when it comes to hangovers. It just, it's.

[Pete Hegseth]

But it fixes the problem in the morning because then you have a little bit more champagne and then your problem goes away.

[Jordan Klopper]

Who better to fight terrorism than the only soldier who's been waterboarded with champagne? Damn.

Fuck Hegseth.

More importantly, Fox brought Hegseth back to the front lines of the culture war.

[Pete Hegseth]

Well, black lives matter trying to destroy Christmas as we know it. It's actually not hyperbole indoctrinating Our kids, opening our borders, canceling individuals, Wuhan virus, Chinese virus, maybe even the Kung flu. Apparently there's new lesbian characters. It's a female empowerment. Can the Black Panther be played by.

[Jordan Klopper]

A white guy with brain power like that?

It was.

No wonder Hegseth decided he didn't need his grad school diploma anymore.

[Pete Hegseth]

By the way, Harvard University.

[Jordan Klopper]

Let's see.

[Pete Hegseth]

Let's do that.

[Jordan Klopper]

And there were still some challenges along the way. Like the time Hegseth was banned from an assignment with his National Guard unit because someone noticed what looked like a white nationalist tattoo. But soon this recipient of two bronze stars earned the respect of America's greatest bronze star. And when Trump was reelected in 2024, he knew where to find his secretary of def who was willing to get his hands dirty.

[Pete Hegseth]

I don't think I've washed my hands for 10 years.

[Jordan Klopper]

Pete had his plans for winning the culture war ready.

[Pete Hegseth]

Any general that was involved, General, Admiral, whatever that was involved in any of the DEI Woke shit has got to go. I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.

[Jordan Klopper]

His confirmation seemed like a sure thing, but then an ambush.

[Desi Lydic]

Breaking news.

[Jordan Klopper]

The President elect's team has been caught.

[Desi Lydic]

Off off guard by a sexual assault.

[Jordan Klopper]

Allegation against Pete Hegseth. A whistleblower report that claims when Hegseth was president of Conserved Veterans for America, he was, quote, repeatedly intoxicated to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization's events.

The allegations of Hegseth debauchery were overwhelming. Nothing now would be able to persuade the Senate that he was fit for.

I intend to support Pete.

He made the pledge to me that.

He will not touch a drop of alcohol. As secretary, he offered up to me that he's not drinking and that's not something he's going to do when confirmed here.

Oh, well, never mind then. And so America's war on woke is now truly ready. To begin, with Pete Hegseth at the helm, the Department of Defense will finally have a true leader.

[Pete Hegseth]

Maybe if I do well, I'll get a pint.

[Jordan Klopper]

And one can only assume absolutely insane Christmas parties.

When we come back, Boyd Holbrook will be joining me on the show. Don't go away.

[Tim Kaine]

At public.com, we've brought all your investing together in one place. From stocks to options, bonds to treasuries and crypto, it's all here. You can even put your cash to work at an industry leading 5.1% APY. It's the most simple yet sophisticated investing experience on the market. A place where all your investments are just a tap away. Because why juggle multiple investing apps when you can have one that does it all? Meet your new primary portfolio Public.com, a US based company and member of FINRA with award winning customer support. All Your investing in one place 5.1% APY as of 521 subject to change. All investing involves risk brokerage services for US listed securities options and bonds in a self directed brokerage account are offered by public investing member FINRA and sipic. Not a bank, not investment advice.

[Jordan Klopper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an actor who plays Johnny Cash in the new film A Complete Unknown. Please welcome Boyd Holbrook. Welcome.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Thank you for having me.

[Jordan Klopper]

Of course. Thank you. Just in watching that scene, a convincing drunk, right? Yes. You're both Johnny Cash and an inebriated Johnny Cash in that specific scene. How do you prepare? Do you go method in a drunk scene?

[Boyd Holbrook]

Yeah, you definitely want to go method for a 12 hour shoot. I was gonna say it's really hard to keep that up.

[Jordan Klopper]

Yeah. What do you do in that? I've heard detail. Sometimes I see you pretend not to be drunk and that's how you become drunk or look drunk.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Yeah. Well, Ray Liotta used to say you should just have your head stand upside down for, you know, a minute or two. But really it's just about playing. It's just about finding your way around the set.

[Jordan Klopper]

Yeah.

[Boyd Holbrook]

And trying to, you know, crash into things.

[Jordan Klopper]

Just trying to just bump into things. And literally they let you do this with a car.

[Boyd Holbrook]

That's right.

[Jordan Klopper]

Yeah. So you play Johnny Cash, which is a tough thing to do. An iconic character in American history. But James Mangle, who directed this, also directed Wall the Line. Famously, Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash. So you're walking into the. You got a lot of, a lot of tripwires, big shoes to fill. Big shoes to fill. Did you guys discuss, like, how your Johnny Cash would be different than Johnny Cash or how is there an MCU metaverse separate thing going on here?

[Boyd Holbrook]

Well, you know, I probably wouldn't have touched this role if it wasn't for James Mangold. You know, as you said, he made Walk the Line. Very big shoes to fill. Playing Johnny Cash after Joaquin Phoenix. But, you know, it was in the research that James had done with Bob, found out they were pen pals and they'd written all these letters back and forth to each other. Johnny had reached out to him in the beginning. So I saw the importance of Johnny and Bob's life at that time. And I've worked with Jim two previous times and it's just the best working experience I've ever had. So it was definitely a leap of faith to go there. But yeah, yeah, he's the captain now.

[Jordan Klopper]

The letters are fascinating because they truly are. They show like a personal side to Cash and that kind of. They found they lived isolated lives in their own fame but were able to sort of reach out and talk to one another. Did you see those letters? Did you work off of those letters? I know they show up in the film. The film seems very honest to that part of the history.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Yeah, I reread them on the way over here and they're written on the back of airplane sickness bags. And really just two guys at the, you know, the, you know, epic of fame without stationery. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jordan Klopper]

Isn't that such a comment on fiction? You can get so famous but you can't afford stationery. And you're the top of your game at this time.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Yeah. There was no spell check or autocorrect at that time.

[Jordan Klopper]

No. This film takes a lot of efforts to. To be honest, to the time period. And a lot of nerds, Dylanologists, go over little bits and pieces of this movie, call out things, and this movie takes good care. And as somebody who's definitely not a Dylanologist or a weird nerd like this, I had a question about the Bugles that you used in that scene.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klopper]

There's a moment in that drunk scene where you're holding Bugles and you offer them to Bob Dylan. And a nerdy Dylanologist might point out the fact that Bugles weren't nationally around in 1964, let alone in Newport, Rhode Island. And I wonder if that was a choice that you were making with the.

[Boyd Holbrook]

You totally got us on that one. It was the Doritos of the era.

[Jordan Klopper]

Yeah.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Uh huh. Yeah. You know, Jim has this great way of just finding these little moments in films. And if you come in prepared, we can, you know, have the Coke bottle flying off the car. We can creative prop in the. In the car. It's just really coming up with those ideas.

[Jordan Klopper]

But why Bugles? Why the Bugles?

[Boyd Holbrook]

Because I think they're so. What are they? They're just. They're. They're not. They're not in modern day, I guess.

[Jordan Klopper]

Well, I mean, you can get Bugles. My mom puts Bugles in Chex Mix, which is a real good hack for anybody out there at home. Is it a musical reference? Because the Bugle itself is musical and it Says as if Johnny Cash is passing the torch. The musical, the conch shell of the music.

[Boyd Holbrook]

I didn't want to spell it out for you.

[Jordan Klopper]

Okay, good. Okay.

[Boyd Holbrook]

You kind of painted me into a corner, so.

[Jordan Klopper]

Yeah, I'm glad. Leave a little bit of mystery out there as well, right? Yeah. Do you like creating a character based on somebody that already exists, or do you like the idea of creating a character from scratch?

[Boyd Holbrook]

I've kind of made a living playing all these little small characters in these films, and I prefer character work. But when you play an iconic person like this, you do have some sort of a pocket to be in. You know, there's the iconic voice that you're making an impression of. There's the sound of him. And so I had two interviews that I just knew verbatim, and if I went out to my own speaking voice, I could always refer back to that. So it's almost like you're in a pocket of. Of an E or a certain. Like a song is in C. So you just know where this character lies all the time.

[Jordan Klopper]

Yeah. I'm curious what response you've gotten, because even just as an audience, people watch your performance, but they know what you're aiming at. They have a reference point for the attempt. In some ways, in watching your performance is sort of like watching you as a trapeze artist. We know what the pratfalls could be and what your goal is at the end, as opposed to watching a complete creation, a new creation, which was sort of investing in the discovery of what you find. Have you noticed a different response from movies where you are portraying people who do exist, that an audience watches?

[Boyd Holbrook]

Oh, gosh. You know, my whole thing with a legendary person like this, you really just don't want to tarnish their image. And to take this on was. Was a real challenge. But in difference of character to this character, there was a. I would say there was a lot of pressure in terms of that, of just taking them out of the movie. And I think that's really the important part of this. And you can really get lost in this film and taken back to the 60s of when all this iconic music was being made in such a pivotal time.

[Jordan Klopper]

I'm curious, because sort of embedded in this relationship are these two artists who sort of found a companionship through these weird times. Is there a. In your creative life, is there somebody else who's a Cash or a Dylan in your creative pursuit? Are you riding on the back of any kind of barf bags to anybody?

[Boyd Holbrook]

I'm not riding on the back of any airplane's thickness bags. I have my own heroes that I look up to. Michael Shannon is a great actor. He's from Kentucky. He really inspired me to be an actor. Christian Bale threw me a bone and brought me onto a film early in my career. You know, I think it's. Sometimes you don't want to meet your, you know, your heroes.

[Tim Kaine]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klopper]

You know, this must be awkward for you, though. Yes. Yes, it is. It is strange. Well, I hope I lived up to everything that was in your head.

[Boyd Holbrook]

It was truly an honor. Truly an honor.

[Jordan Klopper]

Good luck. And when you get to play me in that biopic years down the line.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Could we get a pickaxe?

[Jordan Klopper]

We can totally get a pick. We can totally get a pick. All right, but don't. But just let me know if you use Bugle. I'll give you a little secret. For me, it's not Bugles. Okay. It's Fritos. Okay. So, yeah, just.

[Boyd Holbrook]

I have some sour patches in my mouth.

[Jordan Klopper]

Sour patch. Don't it up. Don't up my mythology. The movie is truly wonderful. I loved it. Thank you very much. A Complete Unknown is in theaters now. Boyd Holbrooke, gonna take a quick break. Right. That's our show for tonight. Now here it is, the moment of name. By the way, would you explain what a Jag off is?

[Pete Hegseth]

I don't think I need to, sir.

[Jordan Klopper]

Why not?

[Pete Hegseth]

Because the men and women watching understand.

[Jordan Klopper]

Well, perhaps some of my colleagues don't understand.

[Pete Hegseth]

It would be a Jag officer who puts his or her own priorities in front of the war fighters, their promotions, their medals in front of having the backs that those are making the tough calls on the front lines.

[Jordan Klopper]

Thank you. So interesting. Explore more shows from the Daily show.

Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[Boyd Holbrook]

Plus.

[Jordan Klopper]

Paramount podcasts.