Trump Targets Obesity & Threatens Nigeria While Airlines Cut Flights Amid Shutdown | Ethan Hawke

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Targets Obesity & Threatens Nigeria While Airlines Cut Flights Amid Shutdown | Ethan Hawke
Date: November 7, 2025
Host: Jordan Klepper
Guest: Ethan Hawke

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition delivers its signature satirical take on the biggest political and cultural headlines: President Trump’s push to lower Ozempic prices and his dramatic threats against Nigeria; the ongoing government shutdown’s effect on air travel; and how America’s dysfunction becomes comic metaphor. The “Sportswar” segment lampoons recent sporting news, while the second half features an engaging and insightful interview with acclaimed actor and director Ethan Hawke about his new film “Blue Moon,” artistic authenticity, and the narratives that define American culture.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Trump’s “War on Obesity” and Ozempic Price Cuts

• [01:00-04:23]

  • Jordan Klepper opens with Trump’s headline-making deal to cut the price of Ozempic and similar weight loss drugs.
  • Satire targets Trump’s consistency (“his one consistent principle of no fatties”) and a mock HIPAA violation as Trump calls out officials’ personal use of weight-loss medication.
  • Jokes about unrealistic targets (“Americans will lose 135 billion pounds by the midterms”) exaggerate the typical bravado of political health promises.
  • Klepper attempts to inject seriousness: “Obesity is a serious issue, so this could be a benefit,” only to have the bit spiral into statistical absurdity.

  Notable Quote:

  • “Did they add a swimsuit competition to [the midterms]?” — Jordan Klepper (02:30)

2. Trump Threatens Nigeria

• [04:23-06:09]

  • Trump delivers an ultimatum to Nigeria, threatening to cut aid and even suggesting military action in response to violence against Christians.
  • Klepper mocks the saber-rattling tone and compares Trump to cartoonish figures: “Guns a blazing. President Yosemite Sam.”
  • Even right-wing Newsmax anchors are baffled (“Where did Nigeria come from?”).

  Notable Quote:

  • “We're going to do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about and may very well go into that now disgraced country guns a-blazing.” — Donald Trump (04:23)
  • “Guns a blazing. I mean, if you say so, President Yosemite Sam.” — Jordan Klepper (04:44)

3. Government Shutdown and Air Travel Chaos

• [06:09-08:37]

  • The record-setting shutdown, in its 37th day, is dramatized as a presidential abdication of responsibility.
  • FAA announces unprecedented flight reductions at 40 major airports; Klepper lampoons obscure airports and the poor advice given by airline CEOs (“have a backup ticket on another airline”).
  • Klepper offers dark comic commentary on leadership paralysis and holiday travel woes.

  Notable Quote:

  • “Frontier Airlines wants me to get a backup ticket. Respectfully, you’re the backup ticket.” — Jordan Klepper (07:39)

4. “Muddy Gap, Nebraska” – The Last Vacation Destination Standing

• [08:37-10:25]

  • A mock segment advertises rural Muddy Gap, Nebraska, as immune to the shutdown due to having no airport or federal government.
  • Satirical comparisons to more famous vacation spots (Vegas, Disney, Manhattan) highlight the absurdity of the shutdown and American resilience, with “feral hogs with a taste for human flesh” as a local attraction.

  Notable Moment:

  • “Forget seeing Mickey and Donald at Disney World. We've got our own lovable animal friends. Specifically, feral hogs with a taste for human flesh.” — Muddy Gap Local (09:42)

5. Sportswar: World Series, Gambling Scandal, and Darts Nicknames

• [10:25-17:45]

  • Segment hosted by Jordan Klepper and Ronnie Shea with combative banter:
    • Dodgers win back-to-back World Series, Will Smith’s home run heroics, and jokes about confusing actor/baseball player names.
    • Satire on gambling in sports, addressing the NBA’s betting scandal and making tongue-in-cheek appeals for insider info.
    • Ridicule of the professional darts league for banning Australian player Tim Pusey’s nickname ("Magnet") for being “vulgar”; extended wordplay on the player’s name ensues.

  Notable Quotes:

  • “If you want to see a true Hollywood underdog story, imagine a team of grandmas winning the World Series, all played by me, Ronny Chieng, in nine different old fat suits. I call it Grand Slam.” — Ronnie Shea (13:13)
  • “Why are these officials being such a dick to Pussy?” — Ronnie Shea, on the darts nickname saga (15:58)
  • “The only reason a dart league should have a governing body is to make sure you’re drunk and fat enough to play.” — Ronnie Shea (16:06)

6. Interview: Ethan Hawke on “Blue Moon,” Art, and American Mythmaking

• [18:59-30:00]

  • Hawke’s Prolific Work: Jokey references to a “Hawk-assance” as Hawke seems to be everywhere, both on film and TV.

    • Hawke: “You should be worried, because I've been watching you and I've got some ideas.” (20:10)

  • About “Blue Moon”:

    • Set in 1943, the film is about the night following the premiere of “Oklahoma!”, and the historic transition in American musical theater from Rodgers & Hart to Rodgers & Hammerstein.
    • Hawke explains the metaphor: as one creative partnership ends, another begins, akin to the Beatles breaking up with one going on to more success and the other fading away.
    • Collaborative art is likened to a symphony, with each actor bringing unique energy.

    Notable Quote:

    • “It's a moment in American history... we start this process of self-mythologizing ourselves as a country. The musical is called ‘Oklahoma!’ — that is not the story of the Oklahoma territory. ...It's what my character sees as the start of a lie, of being nostalgic for a world that never exists.” — Ethan Hawke (25:30)

  • Performance Challenges:

    • Hawke describes the challenge set by director Richard Linklater to truly “disappear” into his character.
    • “He just basically said to me, ‘I don’t want to see you [...]. You’ve been talking about acting for the 30 years I’ve known you. Why don’t you show me if you can do it?’” — Ethan Hawke (23:47)

  • On Artistic Sincerity vs. Satire:

    • Discourse on whether art should comfort (myths, nostalgia) or challenge (social commentary, satire).
    • Hawke refers to Hitchcock’s critique of musicals mythologizing American life.

  • Other Projects:

    • Hawke praises shows like "Reservation Dogs" and the vibrant new wave of storytelling in Tulsa.
    • Discusses the FX show "The Lowdown," collaborating with new generations of filmmakers.

    Notable Moment:

    • Jordan teases Ethan’s online presence, referencing viral clips of Hawke discussing art, and jokes about ChatGPT and Hawke’s wardrobe choices (28:10).

  • What Inspires Hawke:

    • Shares recommendation: “There’s a new book that just came out called ‘John and A Love Story’ ... it’s really just a portrait of [Lennon & McCartney's] friendship. … There’s so much, I think, that is special about what they touched ... A level of artistic excellence that we haven’t seen very much of, and B, male friendship. ... When you see a real sincere friendship, it’s powerful.” (29:15)

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Memorable Quotes and Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Did they add a swimsuit competition to [the midterms]?” — Jordan Klepper (02:30)
• “Guns a blazing. I mean, if you say so, President Yosemite Sam.” — Jordan Klepper (04:44)
• “Frontier Airlines wants me to get a backup ticket. Respectfully, you’re the backup ticket.” — Jordan Klepper (07:39)
• “Forget seeing Mickey and Donald at Disney World. We've got feral hogs with a taste for human flesh.” — Muddy Gap Local (09:42)
• “If you want to see a true Hollywood underdog story, imagine a team of grandmas winning the World Series, all played by me, Ronny Chieng, in nine different old fat suits. I call it Grand Slam.” — Ronnie Shea (13:13)
• “Why are these officials being such a dick to Pussy?” — Ronnie Shea (15:58)
• “It's a moment in American history... we start this process of self-mythologizing ourselves as a country. The musical is called ‘Oklahoma!’ — that is not the story of the Oklahoma territory. ...It's what my character sees as the start of a lie, of being nostalgic for a world that never exists.” — Ethan Hawke (25:30)
• “You’ve been talking about acting for the 30 years I’ve known you. Why don’t you show me if you can do it?” — Ethan Hawke, relaying Linklater’s challenge (23:47)
• “There’s so much ... A level of artistic excellence that we haven’t seen very much of, and B, male friendship. ... When you see a real sincere friendship, it’s powerful.” — Ethan Hawke on Lennon & McCartney (29:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump’s Ozempic Announcement: 01:00–04:23
• Trump Threatens Nigeria: 04:23–06:09
• Shutdown/Airline Cuts: 06:09–08:37
• Muddy Gap Mock-Travel Ad: 08:37–10:25
• Sportswar Segment: 10:25–17:45
• Ethan Hawke Interview: 18:59–30:00

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Tone and Style

The episode is fast-paced, sardonic, and irreverent, blending political satire with pop culture jabs and absurdist humor. Jordan Klepper’s delivery is sharp and playful, with guests—especially Ethan Hawke—matching his wit while occasionally pivoting to earnest reflection about art and meaning.

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Conclusion

This episode exemplifies The Daily Show’s ability to turn the news cycle’s chaos into sharp comedy, skewering everything from presidential bluster to cultural mythmaking. The interview with Ethan Hawke elevates the discussion, exploring the tension between truth and nostalgia, the power of collaboration, and the ongoing evolution of American storytelling. The episode is both biting and, in its best moments, genuinely insightful.

Transcript

[Babbel Announcer]

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[Comedy Central Announcer]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Jordan Klepper]

From the.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Jordan Clover.

[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome to the Daily Show. Welcome back to we got so much to talk about tonight. Trump finds a new country to invade. You might have to walk home for the holidays, and Dr. Oz wants to make you snatched. So let's get into headlines. Let's start with the big healthcare news. Today, Donald Trump announced a major deal to drastically cut the price of Ozempic and other weight loss drugs. It's all part of his campaign promise and his one consistent principle of no fatties. He made the announcement at the Oval Office today in an event that turned into a major HIPAA violation.

[Donald Trump]

Secretary Howard Lutnick. Do you take any of this stuff, Howard? Yeah.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Okay, good.

[Donald Trump]

CMS administrator, memorize. He doesn't take it. Where's Steve Cheir, head of public relations for the White. He's taking it.

[Jordan Klepper]

Steve. He's on Ozempic. Told his wife he's been doing CrossFit in the garage, but nope, it's Ozempic. Steve's gotta be careful, though, because I heard Ozempic interacts with Cialis, which Steve is also on. You know what? Joking aside, obesity is a serious issue, so this could be a benefit. Dr. Oz, you're a doctor. Theoretically, give us a reasonable expectation of success here. Mr. President, our estimate, based on the company numbers as well, is Americans will lose 135 billion pounds by the midterms. Whoa. 135 billion pounds by the midterms,. Why the midterms? Did they add a swimsuit competition to those? Look, I'm no mathematician, but 135 billion pounds divided by 340 million Americans means we each have to lose 400 pounds by the midterms. Look, and I know that sounds like a lot, but remember, that's just the average. Some people only lose 300 pounds while other people will lose 500 pounds. Some of us will lose no pounds at all, which will be offset by everyone losing. The point is, regardless of how much you lose, Donald Trump will be tracking it and announcing your personal results at a press conference. And by the way, another crazy thing that happened at this health conference is that someone had a health emergency. He passed out. They attended to him. He's fine. But I only bring it up because it resulted in one of the greatest images of the Trump presidency. Look at this. Everyone is attending to this guy. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is zoned out like he's in a marriage counseling session. You know what? All kidding aside, Mr. President, I appreciate your war on fupas. You're the America first president. I'm just glad you're focused on the American people.

[Donald Trump]

If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria. We're going to do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about and may very well go into that now disgraced country guns a blazing.

[Arch Manning]

Whoa.

[Jordan Klepper]

Guns a blazing. I mean, if you say so, President Yosemite Sam.

[Donald Trump]

You know what?

[Jordan Klepper]

Maybe try it again, but with a bit more gravitas.

[Donald Trump]

I'm hereby instructing our department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.

[Jordan Klepper]

Fast, vicious, and sweet? You talking about military action or a new wing sauce on hot ones? I. Look, I. I don't know where this attack on Nigeria came from, and I'm not the only one. Trump's boys on Newsmax were also a little surprised.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

You know what? It's about time someone stood up for Christians.

[Jordan Klepper]

Rob. He's doing a lot. That's a big one. Nigeria came out of left field. Yeah. Even the anchors on Newsmax are like, oh, where the fuck. Where the did Nigeria come from? I prepared 20 minutes on bad Bunny doing the Super Bowl. Now I guess I'll pivot to Nigerian holy war shit. You know what? It seems like President Trump has the time to start lowering the price of weight loss, drugs, and fomenting war with Nigeria, because turns out there's not much else going on.

[News Reporter]

The government shutdown is now the longest in American history.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, yeah, that's right, the shutdown. Nothing's going on because the government is irrevocably broken. It's day 37 of the shutdown, and there's no end in sight. Especially because Trump still refuses to even meet with the Democrats. At this rate, by the time the government opens back up, Mike Johnson will have gone through Puberty. Look, don't worry, Mike. Those hairs are supposed to be there. Okay, you know what? It's fine if the shutdown stretches on forever. It's not. It's not like things are falling apart.

[News Reporter]

New details about the FAA's plan to make unprecedented reductions to air traffic beginning tomorrow to ensure the safety of the flying public during the government shutdown. The list of the 40 airports that will be affected, from Hartsfield Jackson in Atlanta to LAX in Los Angeles and from Miami to JFK in New York.

[Jordan Klepper]

40 of the top airports. That's all the important airports. And don't come at me. Buffalo, Lancaster Regional Airport. Your Hudson News is shit. That New Yorker was from two months ago. Get out of town. Look, this is going to mess up travel for the holidays for most of the country. And the airline's plans for how to avoid this.

[News Reporter]

Not super helpful, Frontier CEO, making this recommendation. If your flight is canceled, your chances of being stranded are high. So I would simply have a backup ticket on another airline.

[Jordan Klepper]

Frontier Airlines wants me to get a backup ticket. Respectfully, you're the backup ticket. Yeah, you've always been the backup ticket. It goes United, then Southwest, then American, then the Goodyear Blimp, then A Catapult, then Frontier Airlines. So here's where we are. Our reality right now is that the President is spending his time doting on his pet projects and starting new wars while the country is scrambling to deal with the immediate crises that he is actively ignoring. If only there was a picture that would offer a perfect metaphor for this. Now, in the meantime.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

If you were.

[Jordan Klepper]

Hoping to travel to any major city anytime soon, you're shit out of luck. Although there is one place that's taking advantage.

[Muddy Gap, Nebraska Local]

The government shutdown is ruining air travel. Flights are canceled in cities around the country, except for one. Come to Money Gap, Nebraska. Our airport is unaffected by the shutdown because we don't even have one. Your plane can just land on the highway. No one's using it. Our little town has everything. You were planning to do somewhere else. Were you looking to play slots in Vegas? Well, we got a payphone that sometimes gives up a quarter. Try your luck. You don't need Nashville to help have a bachelorette party. We got a large storage shed, a boombox, and a copy of Jock Jams 4. Traveling for loss in the Family. We don't have your grandma's funeral, but we'll have a grandma's funeral. People die here all the time. And you won't miss the beauty and splendor of the Grand Canyon when you can stare at our sinkhole. Been there since 79. Forget seeing Mickey and Donald at Disney World. We've got our own lovable animal friends. Specifically feral hogs with a taste for human flesh. And why spend the holiday strolling the streets of Manhattan when you can come here and do Fentanyl. You don't need a fancy convention center to host your business conference. Come here instead and do Fentanyl. You don't need to pay for expensive glamping here. You can sleep pretty much anywhere except there. That's the Douglas Ranch. And he shoots to kill. You don't need a New Year's Eve wedding in Miami. We'll marry you here. No Catholics here at Muddy Gap. We're not worried about the shutdown because we don't even recognize the authority of the federal government. And when the final war comes, you'll join us in our last stand against the globalists. Muddy, America's only remaining vacation destination.

[Jordan Klepper]

When we come back, Ronnie and I talk sports. Don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. I think I speak for everyone when I say politics rules and sports rules. For a full recap of the biggest stories in the world of jocks and straps, we turn to Sportswar.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Get ready for battle. It's time for Sportswar. Brought to you by Gambling Gamblin. It's not just for professional athletes.

[Ronnie Shea]

What's up, numbnuts? I'm Ronnie Shea.

[Jordan Klepper]

And I'm Jordan Klepper. This is the show where we are legally not allowed to agree with each other. So if I say college basketball is more exciting than the NBA, well then.

[Ronnie Shea]

I say college basketball. Who's watching the NBA and thinking, gee, I wish these players also had homework.

[Jordan Klepper]

Come on, Ronnie. Homework builds character.

[Ronnie Shea]

Yeah, your mom builds character. That's right. She raised a good boy who grew up into a fine man with compassion and empathy.

[Jordan Klepper]

You Ronnie. Let's kick things off with the Los Angeles Dodgers who continued celebrating their World Series victory this week.

[News Reporter]

The Dodgers and their fans basking in.

[Jordan Klepper]

The glow of back to back World Series titles.

[News Reporter]

Will Smith was the hero hitting a game winning home run in the top of the 11th inning. An estimated 250,000 fans flooding downtown LA.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Met the world Series after party Dodger.

[Jordan Klepper]

Star and newly crowned champion Freddie Freeman doing the worm.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Wow.

[Jordan Klepper]

Wow. Congratulations. Who says white people can't dance like it's 1995? My penis hurt just watching that.

[Ronnie Shea]

All in all, this World Series reminded me of Jordan's pre show bathroom routine. It was long, dramatic and involved multiple Japanese guys.

[Jordan Klepper]

Shut up, Ronnie. Everything done by them, to them is consensual. For me, nothing. Nothing. Top Dodgers catcher Will Smith hitting that series winning home run and finally redeeming himself for that time he slapped Chris Rock in the face.

[Ronnie Shea]

That was a different Will Smith, you moron. This one is a white guy.

[Jordan Klepper]

I know, Ronnie, and I'm talking about a white Chris Rock that white Will Smith slapped. There's a lot of people named Chris Rock and Will Smith out there, and they all hate each other. Point is, the Dodgers championship was straight out of a baseball movie. A true Hollywood ending.

[Ronnie Shea]

Ugh, did someone break a bat over your giant head? This was another boring Hollywood reboot, okay? The Dodgers won. Hooray. They won it last year and spent more money to do it again this year. Big deal. If you want to see a true Hollywood underdog story, imagine a team of grandmas winning the World Series, all played by me, Ronny Chieng, in nine different old fat suits. I call it grand slam. And it's filled with hardcore nudity.

[Jordan Klepper]

Which brings us to our fat suit fat cat. Better the night. Which British actor will play Shohei Ohtani in a Netflix original series about the Dodgers? Brought to you by gambling. Gambling, you lose 100% of the bets you don't make with your wife's credit card.

[Ronnie Shea]

Speaking of gambling, it's been a tough month for America's favorite new pastime.

[Jordan Klepper]

A new fallout from the gambling scandal in the NBA. Authorities accused Miami Heat player Terry Rozier of faking an injury and feeding that information to Betters Commissioner Adam Silver.

[News Reporter]

Speaking up.

[Jordan Klepper]

There's nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition.

[Ronnie Shea]

That's right. That half man, half lizard is right. This affects not only the integrity of the NBA, but it puts the entire sports gambling ecosystem in jeopardy. Which is why it's time for a rare sportswar ceasefire.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Sportswar ceasefire activated.

[Ronnie Shea]

We here at sportswar have prepared a joint statement.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thank you, Ronald. To whom it may concern, if you're the kind of depraved, low life scum that would throw a game to win a bet for your friends, then we have one thing to say to you. Hit us up, bro.

[Ronnie Shea]

Seriously, Terry, what the. I love having inside information. Hey, anyone planning on tearing the AC out tonight? Slide into my DMs. I'll put you in my parlay. Don't worry, I can be trusted. Okay. You wouldn't believe the stuff Jordan has told me in confidence. Like how he's the hims.com customer of the year.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, you know what? You only know that because you were the runner up.

[Ronnie Shea]

Which brings us to our rock hard. Better than night. How many months until Jordan flies to Thailand for penile rejuvenation? Brought to you by gambling. Gambling? Your wife's pin number is 5266. If she changes it, just say what, you don't trust me?

[Jordan Klepper]

Turning now to sports for people who can't play sports, big news in professional darts. Aussie darts player has been banned from using his nickname at the upcoming world championships.

[Ronnie Shea]

Tim Pusey, Magnet, as fans refer to him, is not allowed to use his moniker for the December event after the.

[Jordan Klepper]

Governing body deemed it, well, vulgar.

[Ronnie Shea]

Hey, chill out. Professional darts league let him use his nickname, the Magnet. Why are these officials being such a dick to pussy? All right, the only reason a dart league should have a governing body is to make sure you're drunk and fat enough to play.

[Jordan Klepper]

Ronnie, you know less about darts than you do about pussy. The darts governing body is right on the money here. First of all, this guy stole my nickname from college.

[Ronnie Shea]

There is no chance your nickname in college was Pussy Magnet.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, I know it was Tim. What?

[Ronnie Shea]

Your name is Jordan.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, but back in college, let's just say I was a real Tim. So I say good for the dart sling. When I'm watching darts, I'm not trying to think about Tim Pussy getting laid. I'm trying to think about what went wrong in my life that I'm watching a professional darts game. Which brings us to our Vajayjj parlay. Bed of the night. What will Tim Pussy's new nickname be brought to you by Gambling? Gambling. Your wife's birthday's coming up. Buy her a nice necklace. So the credit card statement says Kay Jewelers. Then return that necklace for cash and buy a much cheaper necklace. Use the leftover cash on a seven way parlay on North Korean cornhole. If your wife calls you out and says, wait, this cheap ass necklace cost $10,000? You didn't buy an expensive necklace, return it for cash and then buy a cheaper necklace so you could bet the leftover cash on North Korean cornhole, did you? You just start crying and say, how dare you? Then head straight to the airport and beg them for a job. After a few months, they'll promote you to baggage handler so you can rifle through people's luggage until you find a decent necklace. Then bring it home to your wife and say, found it, honey. Gambling, it's just that easy.

[Ronnie Shea]

Well, that's all the time we have for sportsw time where we debate if hockey would be Better if it had a ball court and black people.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's basketball.

[Ronnie Shea]

Oh yeah, that's a great name for it. I was going to call it black hockey. I mean you can put.

[Arch Manning]

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[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an Academy Award nominated actor, writer and director who currently stars in the film Blue Moon. Please welcome Ethan Hawke. Hey. Oh, look at this. King of the world over here. King of the world.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Just feeling good. Just. You guys made me feel good, right?

[Muddy Gap, Nebraska Local]

They love you.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, you made me feel. I gotta tell you, Ethan Hawke. I have heard stories about Hollywood contracting and getting smaller and then I see you are in black phone 2. You are in blue moon. I turned on the TV, you are in the lowdown. Like, are we experiencing a hawk assance right now? Like, I'm not worried about AI taking my job. I'm worried about Ethan Hawke taking my job.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

You should be worried because I've been watching you and I've got some ideas.

[Jordan Klepper]

You can do it, right?

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Yeah, yeah, I got some ideas. I could do that sports center thing you guys got going. I could take Ronnie on.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's, you know, it's harder than it looks. You know, it didn't look very hard. Okay, just leave some jobs for the rest of you.

[Arch Manning]

Yeah, you got it.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

You got it, you got it.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's so funny in that clip you hear everybody gasp when they see you. You're, you're a five foot tall man who has a comb over hair. Like, there's Ethan. Oh God, he's let himself go.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

He's let himself go. I know. My wife came to set when she was watching the monitor and she's like, I think I'm gonna go home. This is not doing anything for me.

[Jordan Klepper]

What's harder? Playing a five foot person or a comb over person?

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Oh, comb over.

[Jordan Klepper]

Comb over is right.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Yeah. It's just not sexy, you know, And I. So I had to shave the, you know, middle of my head and leave it wrong and comb it over. And I dyed the hair. And you really realize that you work on the comb over. And when you're in the mirror, it looks fantastic. You know, but it's just any other angle from the back that it's just the direct on. Looks kind of fine.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

And I see why, guys, you know.

[Jordan Klepper]

Trump does it pretty good. He does give him the. The one thing we can all agree on is his hair looks fantastic. Right? God. God.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

It does. The envy of his generation.

[Jordan Klepper]

Everybody loves it.

[Arch Manning]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

This movie's fantastic. Blue Moon is wonderful. It takes place in a night at Sardis after the premiere of Oklahoma.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Right.

[Jordan Klepper]

And it's a theater movie. It's very much. It's a true story based on.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Yeah, but that makes it sound not good.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, shit.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

No theater movie.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Like. It's all right. It's.

[Jordan Klepper]

Can I set it up? You know what, y'?

[Ronnie Shea]

All.

[Jordan Klepper]

You're taking everybody's ignite. Is that what this is? Set it up. What do you got?

[Arch Manning]

All right.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

It's a night in the life. It's 1943, the middle of the war. Rodgers and Hart, greatest songwriting team of their generation. Cover of Time magazine. Did the Lennon and McCartney of their day. Except this is the first time Rodgers has written with anyone else. A young man by the name of Oscar Hammerstein. They're about to change musical theater history. Larry Hart is about to be sent off to Antarctica to death. It's literally as if you're with Lennon McCartney. The day the Beatles are going to break up. One of them is going to be in a band five times bigger than the Beatles. And the other one is going to be. Be dead. That's. We're talking real time. You're at the party. It's a good movie.

[Ronnie Shea]

Did I tell it?

[Jordan Klepper]

That's it. It's a great movie.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Thank you.

[Jordan Klepper]

I think, honestly, you get to sit. This movie has such great conversations about. About art, the world, about love. Like, it's all in there. And also, it's directed by Richard Linkletter, who you worked with many times before. And he loves in a way that you. He does not. There are no tricks. They sit on you. You have long, long monologues. And it's. There's no tricks around. It we're sitting with Ethan Hawke and we're watching him act. And that has to be intimidating as I'll get out.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

It was the hardest job I've ever had.

[Jordan Klepper]

Is that right?

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Partly because you say, rick loves me. And I imagine some part of that is true. I don't know. He's never said that. And I feel the same way about him. And we were taking a big dare together, and he's directed me. This is our ninth film together, so he's seen. He spent years of his life editing my performances, and he just basically said to me, I don't want to see you. And so anytime we'd be shooting the movie and I'd do a take, he'd go, I saw you there in the third line, you know, when you picked up, I saw that that was you.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's it. I know. He just.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

He wanted me to disappear. So I had to come on that set 5ft tall, comb over, terrible skin, alcoholic shaking, nervous wreck, and I tried to disappear into it. And, you know, he basically said to me, you've been talking about acting for the 30 years I've known you. Why don't you show me if you can do it?

[Jordan Klepper]

Hot damn.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

And I was like, I'll show you. And then I got really nervous.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, the cast is amazing, though.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Yeah, yeah. Margaret Qualley, Andrew Scott, Bobby Cannavale a lot. Great of great people.

[Jordan Klepper]

You guys are dancing with each other up there the whole time.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Well, Bobby and I have known each other, you know, for a long time. We've done plays together. And he really came over there and supported me. He's a great actor, and he. I just needed. He's the barkeep and I'm the drunk at the bar stool. Can't stop talking. And so I needed him. And Andrew Scott, I didn't know before I'd seen him play Hamlet years ago in London. I wrote his name down in a journal. I was like, I got to work with that guy. Margaret Qualley's friends with my daughter. So that worked out well. I got to use my daughter to make connections.

[Jordan Klepper]

Use whatever connections you have. Right. There's an interesting conversation that happens in the movie. It's about Oklahoma. And your character kind of articulates an artistic vision for theater in a way that he leads in the satire. He wants theater to be used as a commentary on what's happening right there, mixed with Rogers view of sincerity in the theater and sort of reaching towards that. Where do you land on that divide?

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Where do I land on my Judgment of the musical. Oklahomo. Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes. Who's right? He's critical of it. That thing goes on to be the biggest musical ever, and yet he thinks this thing doesn't deserve the praise it's getting.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

It's what I see the movie as about is it's a moment in American history where we're right in the middle of the war, we're winning the war, and we start this process of self mythologizing ourselves as a country musical. Is called Oklahoma. That is not the story of the Oklahoma territory. All right. Girls in gingham dresses saying I can't say no is not the story of America.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay.

[Arch Manning]

All right.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

And we start doing this thing where we believe our own narrative about us as a hero. And it does a lot of good and it makes a lot of people really happy and it feels really good. And it's what my character sees as the start of a lie, of being nostalgic for a world that never exists. And so the movie's kind of spinning around. It's not just it is a night in the life, but it's an important night in art history. Jazz Age is ending. Something else is starting. I think it was Hitchcock who said Sound of Music set cinema back 20 years. Did you ever hear this quote?

[Jordan Klepper]

No. Well.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

And that's a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical too. And it's. It's. We love it so much. I don't even know what Hitchcock meant, but I kind of know what he means because it's just. You just believe in this myth of everything being and, you know, my favorite things. And Hitchcock was asking more of an audience than he knew. Oh, we're never gonna be able to sell it.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah. I mean, American exceptionalism is a comfortable lie, but is inherently. Perhaps.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

And you tell it every night.

[Jordan Klepper]

I do. Right. Thank you. And I deliver it, Ethan. I deliver it with compassion. Right. I'll say this. I've heard you talk about the cast in Blue Moon. You talk about it being like a symphony in different instruments. Look to what's happening on FX with the Lowdown, which is a totally different experience. It's a fun. It's noirish, it's gritty. It's. Tulsa. It's not giving into this narrative of American exceptionalism. It's showing some fun, moneyed sides of.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Have you seen Reservation Dogs?

[Jordan Klepper]

I have, very much so.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Well, the guy who makes the Lowdown, Sterling Hard Joe, is a great filmmaker. And I fell in love with that show Reservation Dogs. I went down. I did a little cameo on the show, and it was just the most exciting time I'd had on a set since, you know, working with Linklater. Really, it was. The whole city of Tulsa is alive with all these young artists, and they really have something to say, and they feel like, I don't know, there's something in the whole spirit and energy of what they're doing. I just wanted. I wanted to join their band, and Sterling invited me down there. We made the show the Lowdown, and the season finale aired, like, yesterday, I think. So it's out. Check it out. It's very good. Not a waste of your time.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, yeah, it's fantastic. I will say, I have not only such a fan of your work, but the algorithm sends me so many Ethan Hawke videos of you talking about art and my clothes. Your clothes, Some of them. I asked Chatgpt to take it off so I get the whole picture.

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

But I keep you with the code. It's just a weird thing.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

I have the nude stuff with the combos. My best, that is.

[Jordan Klepper]

I really think you're so vulnerable there, Ethan. I appreciate it, but I think you have great taste. You did a movie called Blaze, which I loved, and got me way into Blaze Foley.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

I told you this backstage for the Criterion Collection. You suggested a movie called the Blues According to Lightning Hopkins.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

See it? It's amazing.

[Jordan Klepper]

Which was an amazing documentary that I never heard of, and it blew my mind before I let you go. What are you passionate about now? Give me something to get interested in myself. Make me love something.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

Yeah, to get interested in yourself. You want me to get. You want to get interested in you?

[Jordan Klepper]

No, I'm already. I'm way too fascinated with that. I was gonna say that. I was gonna say that.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

You seem fine on that side.

[Jordan Klepper]

I love it. In fact, I can give you stuff about me if you want to get more interested.

[Guest or Interviewee (Ethan Hawke or other guests)]

It's just first thought, best thought. I'll tell you, you may think you know everything. There's a new book that just came out called John and A Love Story, and it's the story of McCartney and Lennon not told as the Beatles story, but it's really just a portrait of their friendship. And it's really, really moving. And it made me kind of revisit all my thinking on the Beatles. And I thought, there's so much, I think, that is special about what they touched and why they continue to touch people is A, a level of artistic excellence that we really haven't seen very much of, and B, male friendship. And I think that's what really connects people to it is we don't see a lot about that. And when you see a real sincere friendship, it's powerful.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's beautifully said. Well, the movie Blue Moon is fantastic. I haven't seen a performance like that since John Durrymore. Oh, you're my man. The legend Ethan Hawke. Blue Moon is in theaters now, and all episodes of FX's Below down are available to stream on Hulu. Ethan Hawke. You can take a quick break right back after this. That's our show for tonight. Now here it is.

[Donald Trump]

All because they want to return to the failed Biden policies that created and also Obama policies. I watched him the other day up talking. Donald Trump is a mean person. I'm not a mean person. I just want to have a country that's great again. Is that okay? I'm not a mean person. He's a mean person.

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