How to Be a Great Collaborator in Any Industry | GaryVee x NPH Q&A

Summary

Podcast Summary: The GaryVee Audio Experience Episode: How to Be a Great Collaborator in Any Industry | GaryVee x NPH Q&A
Release Date: May 9, 2025
Hosts: Gary Vaynerchuk & Neil Patrick Harris

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Introduction and Special Guest Appearance

Timestamp: [00:00] - [02:01]

In this special episode of The GaryVee Audio Experience, entrepreneur and CEO Gary Vaynerchuk hosts acclaimed actor, magician, and creative powerhouse Neil Patrick Harris (NPH). The episode originates from an exclusive event for holders of the Hangout Hawk NFT, fostering an intimate environment where NPH engages directly with the community. Gary expresses his admiration for NPH, highlighting his dedication and multifaceted talents.

Gary Vaynerchuk ([01:33]): "You are truly one of my favorite people that walks the face of earth."

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Exploring Creativity and Authenticity

Timestamp: [04:03] - [07:34]

Gary and NPH delve into the core elements of creativity and authenticity, emphasizing their significance in both entertainment and business. NPH shares his philosophy, stating that creativity and authenticity are fundamental to his career longevity and personal growth. He underscores the importance of being genuine in a world saturated with noise and agendas.

Neil Patrick Harris ([04:16]): "The two tenants that I hold most important in my whole life are creativity and authenticity."

Gary Vaynerchuk ([05:06]): "Your authenticity is what makes you people draw themselves to you."

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Career Reinvention and Adaptability

Timestamp: [07:34] - [14:33]

The conversation shifts to the importance of adaptability in one's career. NPH recounts his transition from television to theater, particularly his challenging role as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He discusses the fears and learning curves associated with stepping outside his comfort zone, emphasizing that embracing new experiences enhances one's skill set and resilience.

Neil Patrick Harris ([12:07]): "Putting yourself in positions where you're not great at what you're doing makes you better at what you do."

Gary Vaynerchuk ([09:35]): "I think there's a little more room for that creativity with the way the world's now working with distribution."

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Audience Q&A: The Magic Castle and Magical Experiences

Timestamp: [15:04] - [16:38]

Audience member Laura poses a question about the Magic Castle, prompting NPH to describe this prestigious private club in Hollywood. He shares his personal experiences, including his tenure as president and the dedication required to become a member. NPH highlights the blend of magic as an art form with discipline and practice.

Neil Patrick Harris ([15:04]): "The Magic Castle is a private club in Hollywood... it's fantastic. There's a big giant stage show that's in there."

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Audience Q&A: Memorable Moments on Set

Timestamp: [16:39] - [21:32]

Filmmaker Mike shares his appreciation for NPH's performance skills and inquires about memorable moments from How I Met Your Mother. NPH reminisces about filming episodes with Lin Manuel Miranda and the unique challenges of creating a show that blends traditional sitcom elements with flashbacks and narrative twists.

Neil Patrick Harris ([17:48]): "We did an episode with Lin Manuel Miranda that was super fun. The entire episode was in rhyme."

Gary Vaynerchuk ([27:11]): "He sat me down when Doogie started... it's like surfing metaphor."

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Audience Q&A: Directing Actors to Foster Creativity

Timestamp: [22:02] - [25:38]

Aiden, a filmmaker, seeks advice on directing actors to enhance their creativity. NPH emphasizes positive reinforcement, suggesting that directors should encourage actors by highlighting what they did well and offering opportunities to explore different inflections and energies without disrupting the physical consistency needed for effective editing.

Neil Patrick Harris ([23:18]): "Push them in positive ways... if you want to try some crazy with comedy, it's fun to ad lib."

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Audience Q&A: Life Lessons and Personal Growth

Timestamp: [25:38] - [28:44]

Aiden poses a broad question about the biggest life lessons NPH has learned. NPH draws parallels between life and acting, likening both to an ever-evolving narrative where one must continually seek new challenges and adventures. He shares a metaphor from Stephen Bochko comparing a TV career to surfing—embracing the ride and preparing to paddle back after a wave crashes.

Neil Patrick Harris ([27:05]): "I don't ever want to be finished with it... always kind of looking for new things and new adventures."

Gary Vaynerchuk ([27:33]): "It's a good thing to think of because when you're on and when you're riding that wave..."

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Audience Q&A: Leveraging AI for Creative Agencies

Timestamp: [28:44] - [30:25]

Audience member Hayden discusses his interest in creating an AI avatar for his agency to produce mass content without using video. Gary acknowledges the rapidly evolving landscape of AI tools, recommending that Hayden reach out via email for personalized assistance and potential solutions.

Neil Patrick Harris ([30:04]): "I'll help you with that."

Gary Vaynerchuk ([30:04]): "Send me an email. I will give you some options to look."

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Collaboration Insights: Top Ingredients for Effective Collaboration

Timestamp: [30:42] - [32:42]

As the episode nears its conclusion, Gary and NPH focus on the essence of successful collaboration. When asked about the top three ingredients for great collaboration, NPH identifies wit, charm, and charisma as critical traits that foster excellent chemistry among team members.

Neil Patrick Harris ([32:22]): "Wit, the witty weasel. Charm, the charming cheetah. And what's like, sexy is not the right word, but charisma."

Gary Vaynerchuk ([32:40]): "Charismatic chameleon."

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Conclusion

Throughout this engaging episode, Gary Vaynerchuk and Neil Patrick Harris explore the multifaceted nature of collaboration across industries. From personal anecdotes in acting and magic to practical advice on fostering creativity and adaptability, the discussion offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs, creators, and professionals seeking to enhance their collaborative efforts. Notably, the emphasis on authenticity, continuous learning, and positive reinforcement underscores the foundational principles that drive successful partnerships and individual growth.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Creativity and authenticity are just really key for me." — NPH ([04:16])
• "Putting yourself in positions where you're not great at what you're doing makes you better at what you do." — NPH ([12:07])
• "The two tenants that I hold most important in my whole life are creativity and authenticity." — NPH ([04:16])
• "Wit, the witty weasel. Charm, the charming cheetah. And charisma." — NPH ([32:22])

Transcript

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Gary Vee Audio Experience. Today's episode comes from a special ad hoc event exclusively for the holders of the Hangout Hawk nft. In this private session, Gary is joined by none other than the Neil Patrick Harris, actor, magician, entrepreneur and creative powerhouse. What makes this one unique is that it wasn't just a conversation. Neil answered direct questions from the Hangout Hawk holders, diving into topics like creativity, risk taking, personal growth and and career reinvention. While the backdrop for this podcast episode is about entertainment and performance, the insights apply directly to anyone building something, a business, a brand, or a body of work. Neil shares how he stayed relevant for decades, why curiosity fuels innovation, and how authenticity is the real edge in today's noisy world. If you're an entrepreneur, creator, or operator looking to stand out, this one's gonna be legend. Wait for it. Dairy. Let's get right into it.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I'm okay.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You are in a small group like this. Fudge.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I can say.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Can I. Oh, my God. You know, you can't imagine how much you say here.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I know, right? That's.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You here is like the.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That's.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That's like the same general.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Here is like.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Oh my God. All right, Hawks. So a small group of very serious collectors of be friends of a specific NFT have the access here. We have a very small group. All I want. All I want is I have been such a fan of yours for so long. Now we know each other personally.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Truth.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You are truly one of my favorite people that walks the face of earth. And I mean that. I'll tell you why, actually. I love people that are very locked in when. So I got to see a recent play of yours and you just got, you know, you did the play, then you did the nice thing for the crowd and then we got to talk for a few minutes after. And the. You were still coming out of the trance of being locked in.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

True.

Well, yeah. The play was called Shit meet fan. And it was. It was an aggressive play about couples who have made. They're having a dinner party and they decide, oh, let's play a fun game. Since we all claim that we trust each other and we have no secrets, my wife, she says we'll all put our phones face up on the coffee table and if. And any text, any. Any. Any phone call is public and everyone has to hear it. And if we're as trustworthy as we think all should be fine and all is not fine. The all hell breaks loose and all secrets are out and it's. It's it was like a really chaotic show, and it was pretty aggressive emotionally to do, just because you're having to be authentic. It wasn't a comedy. It wasn't met well. It was funny because it, like, in, in. In a lot of aspects, but it wasn't meant to be, like, farce.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

No.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And so every single show, it got dark and it dealt with racist stuff, it dealt with homophobic stuff, it dealt with sex stuff.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

It was unbelievable.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And everyone's secrets came out. And so then when the show was over, it was sort of. It was hard to shake off. So I saw you and it was. That was a great show, actually. People were nice and we did a talk back after.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Guys. It was unbelievable. But what I most noticed was I know when I'm in the zone, and I know what a certain zone looks like. We have a sports agency, athletes at the highest level. All I will say is you are so of your craft and you're so uncomfortably fucking good, and you have so many fucking dimensions to your game, and it's super cool. And one of the things with Vee friends that matters to me a lot is creativity. We have a character called the Creative Crab, and the Creative Crab and the Curious Crane are two of my favorite. Oh, actually, Courtney's hoodie right there in the middle.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah. All right, nice.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So I would actually a. I'm going to ask you a question, but then mainly I want to get out of the way and allow people in the community to ask you questions around creativity, around curiosity, around magic.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Nice.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You're one of the great connoisseurs of magic.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Creativity is a big word for me as well. Let's.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I, I. You know, we've never really usually hang out in a person. We don't. I haven't really. We haven't really got to chop up about that. So go there. That's actually where I want to go. And then Jeremy, right after that. Let's, let's, let's see who wants to come up. Talk to me about, talk to me about creativity.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I just find it really important. I think the two tenants that I hold most important in my whole life are those are two words. Creativity and authenticity. Those are just really key for me. And I sort of found my way to those two core things. And when I am able to exist in a world, in a business world, where those two things can intersect. Chef's kiss. Right, Right.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So your favorite projects that you've ever had, those two elements are at the forefront.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Right. And authenticity doesn't have to mean earnest. You Know, just truthful, authentic. It just has to be that it's real. It's what I admire about you and what I think everyone, everyone does is your authenticity is what makes you people draw themselves to you. Because if people can, I can smell agenda and I think a lot of people exist assuming that there's another side to what's happening.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

When we first met, you were so nice. Immediately said like, let's go have drinks. We sat down, you were so nice. It was really hard to not think, okay, at the end of this, this drink that we're having, you're gonna pitch me something or you have some plan or something. And you were just wanted to hang out like you really did. And, and I goes to a different.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Place that goes to a. I think I got lucky that that happened because I don't need anything from anyone emotionally or financially heard and long before I had anything heard because I had the emotional part. I just genuinely like having relationships. And so thank you for that. And. But I felt that way about you and I'm, you know, I met you at a time where I'm now on the other side of that at scale.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah. You know, heard, you know, I just love all that. Even if it's a magic trick or if, if you're seeing a show on stage, actually live shows, authenticity and creativity come together really radically because you can see when someone is performing and they're, and they're faking it, you know, and they do the same big performance regardless of the reaction. And so I think it's better when you're watching someone on stage, especially when you can like bore into them. They're not speaking for 15 minutes, but you can still stare at them. It's not like a movie where the editor has chosen who to play. And so, you know, there's some, there's value in authenticity and creativity. Just. I'm 51 years old, right. And I don't, I don't, I don't feel old. And I think having a creative spark is ageless. And I'm just so enamored by people that continue to add skill sets to their, to their life resume. Whether it be like I'm going to learn how to swing on a trapeze, like you can do that. Why, why not do stuff like that? I find that creative.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You grew up in a business that actually that's real. That there are. What's really cool is unlike sports, a 60, 70, 80, 90 year old actor can add to their repertoire. She or he can do things like that. You know, I promise to bring it to the community, but now I'm too excited already. I want to just ask you this. Which actor. And again, you started so damn young, so this, you have a lot to probably choose from. And which actor, at what time did you see do something like take a risk or do something completely different? And you were at an age where you're like, Holy shit, this 74 year old icon did this. I'm only 29, 31, 42, whatever, whatever, whatever you're about to answer that gave you like incredible hope and excitement because you knew you were going to be able to do this for a long time. Was there ever a moment like that or as you're thinking it through, who, who touched on this energy? A 68 year old this or a 74 year old this? I mean, Dick Van Dyke for me.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Oh my God, that's a great.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Is that a good one? Blew me away. Just keep watching it. Like, I was like, this is doing new at 84, then 87. I was like, this is. And it inspires the living out of me.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

It's a perfect dancer because he also has done like dramatic work, but he's, he's a song and dance man and, and he just keeps on going, doing great work. I, I question, I question whether it's better as an actor to find your lane and to stay in it, or whether it's better to continue to pivot.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Can you have both? Can't. One of the things that works for me as an entrepreneur is I view that as like 80%, 20%. I'm going to stay in my lane, 80%. But if I am not flirting. Little different dessert, a little different appetizer. I'm going to eat steak. I do steak. But you know what, I might order a different appetizer and I might try to like just, you know.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah, I think Hollywood, that's great in.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That, that could fuck you up. Because the machine's like, oh, you know, like, I think. But I think with the way the, the world's now working with distribution, I think there's a little more room for that creativity.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

For sure. I mean, man, I've, I've done all kinds of different parts, so I'm voracious in trying notches on my belt. I think it's the same at. Sometimes I'm thinking, wow, I like, I'm, I would love to be in a big giant Marvel movie, right?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes. But I recognize people knew how in shape you were. You're ready to do it now.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Fit.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You are fit, bro.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

But I can't fit it in my mouth, and I keep trying.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You're.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That's the dream. No, it's not. I. I keep. I would love to be in one of those films, but I'm Recognize that who I am and, like, the different shit that I've done hosting and. And like, how I met your mother, but also Gone Girl, I, like, pivoted enough that I. I sometimes think, oh, if I was casting this Marvel movie, I don't think that my name would be top of mind. Like, I'm not just always the villain guy or, like, always the meeting.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

By the way, you'd be a bad. Good, bad guy.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I would love to do that. Right.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

But, like, really good.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

But I think you kind of have to continue.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Well, at this point, I think you could Magneto it. All right.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I really want to do one of those ones where you wear all the.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah, Magneto. Nice helmet.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

No, no, no, no, no. I'm saying, like, Thanos.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That's a fucking case where you're doing. But you look like motion capture.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You look like Magneto at this point with the gray hairs that I grew up in. All right, I'm gonna get yelled at by the community. Jeremy, I'm ready. Let's get some people up here.

I want to throw a question. And, you know, while I'm getting some people up, just about adapting. One of our biggest characters is the adaptable alien. And I think you and Gary were speaking to it a lot right now of just going through different chapters in your career.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You could speak.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I think it's important to not. I think it's important in my life to always be hungry for new information and to never sort of feel like you've plateaued. And so adaptability is important, I think also, like, putting yourself in positions where you're not great at what you're doing makes you better at what you do. And so that's.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Right.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And so you, like. If you're not good at Shakespeare, I'm gonna speak in actor terms, because that's what you know, then I think it's good to try Shakespeare. I think it's what was bad to just.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What was the biggest risk jump you did in your career?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

For you, it may have been Shakespeare. I was. I was 20 something. I'd never done it. I didn't go to college and study anything. And so I was working. I was on a TV show. And so I was asked to go to San Diego and to the old Globe theater and do Romeo and Juliet as Romeo in an Open space theater.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Juliette would have been better.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

What it.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You would have crushed Julie.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I was a stud man. Wonderful actress named Emily Bergle was Juliet. And. And it wasn't. We didn't do. It was directed by Daniel Sullivan, who's an amazing New York theater director. And it wasn't Romeo and Juliet by way of, like, the time frame was set way earlier. It was almost Game of Thrones style.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Okay.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

So we were using broad swords to fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt normally in a sword duel. And in this one, I brained him with a rock on a mountain. It was, like, very cool, but I didn't know Shakespeare and, like, how the. How it worked. And so that was terrifying for me.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Like, how long did it take you to get comfortable? A day, a week? A month? Never.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I. Probably a month before I started working with a guy named Dakin Matthews, who was a dramaturg. And we went through it, and he just explained to me what all the words meant and why you say it this way and why you're not supposed to say Shakespeare in the rhyming that it is. That's like, not what you're supposed to do. And. And. And it's a lot of text. And I was worried about the memorization of it all, but, man, doing it. And once you start getting into it, it just. It became such a safe space and, like, you get lost in it. So I loved those kind of adaptability things, but I had. I had done, like, Doogie Howser, which was a really fun show, but it was four years of kind of standing and not moving around too much because there was cameras and lights and all that. So I was really good at standing still, but I didn't quite know. I don't know if I can move my arms or, like, squat down.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Down.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And so doing.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You were the Scarecrow from the Wizard?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

A little bit, yeah. And so, yeah, doing theater was a big thing, and Shakespeare was. Was huge at that. Adaptability.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I love that.

All right, Germ plus, adapting to the real time feedback from the audience, the actors, and all those elements. Thank you for that answer. Very excited to have the hangout hawks on stage. I'm gonna go in the order you guys came up. So, Laura, I'm gonna pass it to you first, and then we'll go to Mike.

[Audience Member]

Thanks for being here, nph.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

You bet.

[Audience Member]

So my question is around magic. I know what the Magic Castle is in Hollywood, although I've never been there, But I've heard amazing things. So I would love to hear it, maybe tell everyone what it is. And then maybe could you share a really cool story from your experience while there?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

The Magic Castle is a private club in Hollywood, California that was, has been around for 50 some odd years. It was a mansion. It's right near Hollywood Boulevard, near it kind of near the Hollywood Bowl. And you have to be a magician member in order to go. In order to be a magician member, you have to audition with some tricks or you could be an associate member or you pay more dues, but you don't get access to like the library and stuff. But it's fantastic. There's a big giant stage show that's in there. There's a medium sized stage called the Parlor of Prestidigitation. There's the close up gallery. There's a full restaurant, five bars and you have to wear a jacket and tie, a proper dress code. And it's, it's old school and immersive and runs every single day of the year. And is. How often do you go super exciting? I used to go, well, I was a president there for three years and when I was in la I would go weekly. I was a junior member and then I wound up.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You got your skills up and got.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

My skills up a little bit. I didn't spend too much time with the juniors because I was working on a show at the same time. But yeah, the Castle is one of those miraculous places. I think magic as an art is so great because it requires practice and discipline. And when you see a good magician, they've worked hard at fooling you with card tricks or coins or whatever. And that's worth honoring and worth keeping around.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Love that. Thanks Laura.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Thanks, Laura.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Jeremy, who's next?

Mike is next. Mike Jy, take it away.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Hey guys. I'm not sure if you can see me, Neil, but there is blue French horn back up there. So you.

Yeah, dude, look at you.

I, I spray painted it myself.

I was gonna ask how you got that.

You might not remember this either, man, but at Vcon, like you were hanging before you spoke and I was like, man, I see him, but I'm not gonna bug him unless somebody else does. And then a kid came up to him and then I'm like, I gotta sneak in. And I had the playbook.

Hey, nice, dude.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Good.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Anybody ever bring in one of these to you? Like this was my Halloween costume in 2013. So I'm like, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna bring it. Loved how I met your mother, man. Such a special show. The one question I would ask is if you woke up tomorrow morning and could wake up and be back on set working on one episode. Do you have one where you're like. And maybe someone isn't around anymore that you worked with or, you know, it was just a really special day. Would there be any day that you would just be like, I gotta go back to that day?

We did an episode with Lin Manuel Miranda that was super fun. Was. The entire episode was in rhyme. Yeah, that was. That was super cool to do and to have, like, Lynn be a part of it. I also loved the hundredth episode was a musical episode, and we did a big, giant musical in the backlot of the 20th Century Fox lot where we filmed.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You must have loved that.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

It was great. But also Carter and Craig, who wrote the show, they perform in a band, and so music was a big part of that show. So lyrically, those songs are really good and really fun and funny. So I really. I really kind of enjoyed the spectacle episodes. A big suit. I don't think you can say fat suit now. I think that's inappropriate.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I think we're back to where you can say things. There's that problem.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That was kind of fun to be in a lot of prosthetic.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Neil, did you. I'm very fascinated by this. Sorry to take away. This could be real quick.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Did you.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Sense when you did the pilot or the first show, like, did you have a sense that that show had it, or was that, like, snuck up on you?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Snuck up on me. That show was a slow burn. I didn't think it would go to series. It was a pilot, and the pilot's title was How I met your mother, which does not sound like Friends or Seinfeld or Frasier, which were, like, more succinct titles. And so we did it, and it was. And. And it's a hybrid sitcom, so because of all the flash flashing back and flashing forward, it was. It was. It. We didn't have a studio audience that was there, and we would, like, rehearse all week and then perform it for the audience and hear their laughs and huddle. And they'd rewrite the jokes. That's what normally happens. Then you do it again with new jokes and the ex. That's the Will and Grace kind of style. Right. We just did it. We filmed for three days straight. And then they would put in laughs later. Well, for a couple seasons, they. They brought an audience in to watch the show that we had done, and then they would record their actual laughs. And then the laugh track got sophisticated enough that they could just add laughs. As needed. And so it was a weird hybrid job because I, as Barney was this delusional, kind of larger than life. Like, everything is a big thing. Like, let's make this terrible date where I'm not going to get a hand job job. Like, instead, the greatest hand job I've ever received story. Right? So that was how Barney lived his life. And so because of that, I could sort of pause in a kind of hammy way, I guess, for them to add laughs. So in my mind, I was imagining that I controlled the audience. And so I would say, like, you know, that whole. That whole. Wait for it. You know, like. Like pausing because I sense now so I could. And I'm the editor appreciated it because she knew that I would say half of my line laugh and then the other half of the line. Yeah, bigger laugh. So I was like. It was. I was. I was being a little bit of a conductor within that show. Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

All right, Jeremy, keep us going. I want to get everybody.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Thanks, dude. Sorry.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Amazing. A quick side Note. Someone in @v. Friends is also from outside of Albuquerque, and they wanted me to ask you whether you go red or green. Green on your burrito.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Well, green chili is amazing. Hatch. Green chili is like a staple in my. In our kitchen. Red chili, also delightful. And the correct answer is Christmas. Oh, that's red and green. Half and half. You can kind of like pick and choose and meet in the middle. It's like. It's like eating a cinnamon roll and, like, waiting for the delicious final bite.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

The correct answer was both. Thank you. Awesome. Jaden, I'm coming to you next. And then, Aiden, you're on deck.

[Audience Member]

I don't know if you can hear me.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

All right, brother.

[Audience Member]

Awesome. Gary, I just wanted to say, first off, I'm here all because of the generosity of big fish Benny. So I'm using his access pass to be here be with the Hawks. So thank you so much to Benny for that. He said, like, if you can keep giving, make sure you can keep giving. So I'm here because of that. So thank you to the Hawks and being so welcoming.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I mean, you're basically more a Hawk than him at this point, Jay.

[Audience Member]

A little bit. But very happy to be here. As a filmmaker, as myself, I love to be focusing on collaborations and involving everyone involved. Right. Currently, I'm at a film festival, taking a break from that. Right. To be here for this call. Right. But, hey, nph, firstly, thank you for giving us that little moment when you went into performing. It was like, you still have it right in there. You could just happen.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What do you mean he still has it?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

He's the.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

He's in the prime of his career right now. What do you mean he still has it?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I mean.

[Audience Member]

I mean, still having the.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Out here, it's.

[Audience Member]

It's like he could tap into the Barney part of it right away.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Of course, he's one of the great actors of all time.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

No, but I appreciate that because I. I do, like, I can just pop into. I can remember, like sense memory, what it was like to be acting in that specific role.

[Audience Member]

So thank you. Thank you for giving us that glimpse. Really appreciate it. My question for you is, you know, as a, As a director, I would like to involve and get my actors to be as creative as they can. So what can I do as a director to give the actors the space to do it or how have you experienced that in your career?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That's a good question. It sort of depends on which version of acting. Like live on stage, improv, drama, sitcom.

[Audience Member]

They'Re all kind of more film for me, as you know. So.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

It seems like overall, as directing actors, I think is to not tell them what not to do or what you didn't like that they did, but to sort of like, yes, and push them in positive ways. I loved that, that you took one moment there where you did something blank, and I love that. Let's do more of that next time. As opposed to don't just say the lines like this. Because people take criticism in very different ways. Right. And then I think sometimes directors will say, if you do a take and they like it and they're ready to move on, they'll ask the actors if they want to try anything different.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Oh, interesting.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And I think, like that. I like the, the option to do that.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

How often would you say yes, do you think that scenario?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Probably 25 of the time. I'm more the guy that says, I try to be utility. So I say, are you happy? If you're happy with what you got, then I'm good. I would assume if you weren't, you'd want to do another take. But if you want to try some crazy with comedy, it's. It's fun to ad lib, you know, but that's dangerous because scripts, script writers have written scripts for reasons. So I think they'll often say, like, do it as written. And once they've done that a few times, you can ad lib a little bit. But I also think it's good that we take to do something a little bit different with your inflection, with Your energy. I wouldn't do physical things different. Once you start doing the scene, do it the same way physically so that your editor can pick and choose between takes. If you do a whole thing when you're got something in your hand and then the next time you do the whole thing and you don't, then they have to choose one or the other. They can't like intercut between the two of them. But if you do the same thing every time then that's they, you know, you're kind of self protective in like a bad way.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That's cool.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

But yeah, makes sense.

[Audience Member]

Awesome.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That's great. Thank you.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Thanks, buddy. Have a good, good, good festival. Thank you, Hayden.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

All right.

[Audience Member]

Yo, what's good, gentlemen? I have a question for you, Neil and then I have one for Gary if I have permission for that. But it might be the right. You do, you do, Neil. I want to know just a very wide scope looking back at your, your whole life, what are the biggest takeaways or the biggest lessons that you've learned?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Oh, wow. I, I think I feel like life and acting are similar in that I want as many chapters in as big a book as possible. And so I just want to keep. I don't ever want to be finished with it and I don't, I don't feel like that's coming from a place of neediness of like not wanting it to end. It's just that I, I don't ever feel comfortable, comfortable being confident enough to just say I'm a master at this skill. So I'm always kind of looking for new things and new adventures and I'm very apt to try new things. So I am the guy that if people say let's go whitewater rafting, I'm like, yeah, let's do that. Let's try this weird food you never had before. Absolutely. Never had it once. Right. I think you should try all of this stuff. And also know at with acting you can be on at the top of your game and then two months later be just looking for a job again, you know?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah, it's wild.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

That's a really weird thing because it's really hard to get a job on a TV show.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I love pop culture and I factored in so much in business and I grew up in the 80s and the John Travolta thing was the first time I understood that when I was just like studying and watching and learning, I was like, this guy was the most number one dude in the 70s and he, he's nowhere to be. And Then bam. Pulp Fiction. And he's back and like, like, I. It's. That's absolutely right.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Stephen Bochko, who wrote Doogie Howser, MD and wrote LA Law and Hill Street Blues, which were really big shows back in the day.

[Audience Member]

He.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

He sat me down when Doogie started.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Like, how old were you the day Doogie started?

[Neil Patrick Harris]

It was 15 at that time when I did the pilot. And he said, this could be a big thing, but here's. I use TV like a surfing metaphor. He said, like, you're going to be on a board and you're going to paddle out and then this is a wave and you're catching this wave and it's great. And the wave will inevitably crash because they do. And then enjoy the ride and try and do as many tricks as you can, but then when it crashes, you're going to have to get back on the board and you have to paddle back out. And on the way out, you're going to get hit by other waves that you didn't get and you have to paddle out and it's hard. And then when you're there and you're tired, you have to sit there for a fucking long time before another set of wave comes and you may miss that set and you have to wait for the next life. It's kind of a life. It's a good, It's a good thing to think of because when you're on and when you're riding that wave, be aware that it's not going to just go on forever, ever, you know, and that there's more to come all the time.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Love that. Aiden, what can I answer for you, my brother?

[Audience Member]

Huge. Thank you so much, Neil. And also thank you for your time and being here with the rest of the Hawks. Seriously, Gary. So I, I want to make a AI avatar for my agency. I did not want it to be me. I wanted to just be a rep of the agency. That way I can produce mass content without video.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So an AI influencer, like a somebody that looks like a human to be the fake. Got it.

[Audience Member]

And you know, looking at a lot of tools and none of them just seem to be even sent me an email.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

We're spending an enormous amount of time on this. And, and here's the problem. I've. I've done this my whole life, aka 25, 30 years of really being on the forefront of tech. The speed in which AI is moving is profound. Like, like when social came, like, oh, this Facebook thing is better than MySpace and Fredster and that like sat for A while then Twitter came out and things came out that were different. Like the. Like the tool that I would most want to use for making creative. Mid journey six months ago has been outflanked 13 times over. Now Mid C come with update. So I'm paying attention, but there's company 1337 that I like a lot. Send me an email. I will give you some options to look. And there's different price points and things of that nature. So send me. I'll.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

I'll.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I'll help you with that. Okay.

[Audience Member]

Appreciate it. We gotta get Neil as the oak monster in the AI video.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I think Neil needs to be the voice of the oak monster one day in our animated movie. And we're.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Like this.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah, but we're all gonna laugh because we know it's his penis.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah, exactly.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You know what I mean? Like, that's the real kid.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Oh, wait, we weren't talking about penis.

[Audience Member]

This whole time that Gary has been meeting you and taking you out to dinner, that's literally just been the ash.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That's right. It was a long play for him to be the voice of the oak monster.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

All right, I'll do it.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

All right, let's keep it going. I want to sneak at the other two.

I love it all. It all makes sense now. Kind of in a similar vein, I wanted to ask you, you know, all of our character, most of our characters are tethered to an attribute we have like empathy. Elephant. We have self aware hair.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

We even have.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

On the flip side, we have cynical Cat. You know, we have a couple villains mixed in there.

Cynical Cat is a mother. I hate cynicism so much. I hate Cynical Cat.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Agreed.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And, you know, Gary wrote a book called 12 and a half that was like the ingredients of business success. And I kind of wanted to put it to you for creativity and more specifically, collaboration. Like, if you were going to say what are the top.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

No idea what this.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You've watched card breaking. Somebody's watched card breaking.

Before that. That was very well done.

Like, is that his aphrodisiac of choice? I'm like. I was like trying to analyze it.

You really got me with that.

You use that word. You just used it in a sentence.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

What, Ernest?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah. And I don't see a lot of people use it. You just use it. I really took note.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Candid. Clownfish.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Candid. It's touching on what you were asking.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

And the positive. Porcupine.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I love positivity.

Some of these V friends might come in to help. I wanted to ask you what might be, like, the top three ingredients for a great collaboration. Whether what bring me into the room or what others are bringing into the room. Like, what are you looking for in a collaboration?

Like a fellow actor in an ensemble. What are the ingredients, like, human traits that you think make for good chemistry? If I may, Jeremy?

Yeah, absolutely.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Wit, the witty weasel. Charm, the charming cheetah. And what's like, sexy is not the right word, but, like charisma.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Charisma.

Charismatic chameleon.

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Yeah, I think those are three good ones.