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The Viall Files
E883 Going Deeper with Sam Asghari: Moving on From Britney Spears
01:36:03
Welcome back to The Viall Files: Going Deeper with Sam Asghari! You’ve heard his name, but never his story… Now get ready to know the real Sam Asghari. From his childhood in Iran and moving to America, to his career in acting and modeling,...
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- [00:02]
Host 1
You're pretty smart when people talk about you too smart comes up a lot. So why are you trying to prove them wrong? Why aren't you pushing the limits of science and powering the nuclear engines of the world's most powerful Navy?
- [00:15]
Host 2
If you were born for it, isn't.
- [00:17]
Host 1
It time to make a smart choice? You can be smart or you can be nuke smart. Become a nuclear engineer@navy.com nukesmart. America's Navy, forged by the sea.
- [00:32]
Sam Asghari
You're crazy.
- [00:43]
Host 2
You don't have to wear the headphones, but if you pull the mic close.
- [00:46]
Sam Asghari
Oh, where it'll tuck my ears on.
- [00:49]
Host 2
Are you insecure about your ears?
- [00:50]
Sam Asghari
No, but they're still out there.
- [00:54]
Host 2
Minor Nick thinks are out there too.
- [00:57]
Host 1
They used to call me Dumbo when I was a kid.
- [00:59]
Host 2
What were you called?
- [01:01]
Sam Asghari
What? I mean, it's okay.
- [01:04]
Host 2
You don't have to relive different.
- [01:05]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, we don't have to live your childhood different languages. I was bullied in different ways. We don't call it bullying.
- [01:12]
Host 1
So what do you call it? Torture.
- [01:14]
Sam Asghari
We call it just growing up. And I was born in Iran, and I think the cultures are different because in Iran, a child is never being, you know, watched by their parents. They're out and about. My father was working when he was seven years old. It's a different culture, I think. Just it was different growing up. And when I came here, I was like, oh, you need your parents signatures to go to a field trip when you're like, 17?
- [01:42]
Host 2
Yeah.
- [01:43]
Sam Asghari
You know, so it's. It's different, you know, and other people kind of. If you see a child, you know, misbehaving in public, you kind of discipline and that's okay. That's the type of culture, like, never here. Yeah, especially.
- [01:56]
Host 1
Especially in la.
- [01:57]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, especially in la, you can't do that. But in where I grew up, it was, you know, if you misbehave, somebody's there to make sure you like, even a stranger. Yeah. So, you know, there's no bullying. Wow.
- [02:11]
Host 1
It's crazy.
- [02:12]
Sam Asghari
You guys don't wear the headphones.
- [02:13]
Host 1
You want to wear them?
- [02:14]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [02:14]
Host 1
Oh, if you are mower, let's wear them. Sam. Welcome to the Vols, man.
- [02:17]
Sam Asghari
Thank you for having me.
- [02:18]
Host 1
Hi. Thanks for being here. We're excited to have you on. I've been wanting to have you on for some time now.
- [02:22]
Sam Asghari
Oh, okay. Cool.
- [02:23]
Host 1
Yeah, we've.
- [02:24]
Sam Asghari
I.
- [02:25]
Host 1
Well, I'm. Because I'm very fascinated with you because I feel like everyone knows who you are and no one knows who you are.
- [02:32]
Sam Asghari
Yes, right.
- [02:32]
Host 1
I mean, do you feel that way? Is that like an accurate kind of representation of sometimes how you feel when it comes to the public eye?
- [02:39]
Sam Asghari
I think so. I think so. You know, it's. It's sort of an thing that you have to deal with. I think just being in the public eye, there's a perception of you. Even when people do know things about you, there's still your selfness that nobody really gets to know.
- [02:57]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [02:57]
Sam Asghari
And even with some of these reality people that you think that's their personality, there's still someone out there that they just. That's who they are. And you put up this mask to go out and sort of, you know, even if you're not in Hollywood and you're not in the industry, but you still have to wear a mask of this, you know, positive person or whatever. But you might be struggling deep down. So everybody's dealing with that. But I think with. When it comes to, you know, being in the public eye and, and being in the industry, it's even worse because people put presumptions and based on your past, based on, you know, the people that you are involved with, and they kind of sort of make assumptions and that's, that's what it is.
- [03:43]
Host 1
Certainly we know a little bit what it's like to be in that position. I think with you it's like a whole nother level. So I am definitely excited to sit down with you and, you know, just kind of get to know you because I feel like a lot of people have this fascination with you and whether they're fascinated because they've been fans or fascinated with you because they're a critic of you, I think there's just more questions about who you are than answers. And yeah, that's why I thought it would be really exciting to sit down with you and talk.
- [04:10]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, absolutely. Man, it's really good to do this. Podcasts are always amazing because, you know, you. You're talking and there's no clickbait and there's no, you know, take it. Let's take this and put it next to this and then make it something else.
- [04:27]
Host 1
Sometimes I try to do that, but there's always at least the tape, you know. Yeah, there's. You can always refer to the, the long form. Yeah, I think that's one of my favorite things about what Nally and I get to do. You know, I think back in the day, you know, when people like yourselves would go out and do press, they would do kind of the, the typical, like late night TV or the GMA and like, have like a, a five minute interview that, you know, and they have to come up with some sort of anecdotal story. And it was kind of a bit, you know, and it wasn't really a conversation. And I think, you know, especially with the guests we like to do our going deeper episodes with, you know, I always want my audience to feel like they're in the room with us, they're sitting down with us and kind of actually getting to know the person, you know, like all the little things that as, as humans do, like, you know, that kind of slogan when they say like celebrities, they're just like us, you know, and like, of course, you know, like, we all have the same interests or, you know, fears, insecurities and things like that. So it's always fun to sit down and actually get to know people. When we get to, when we get to talk to them.
- [05:25]
Sam Asghari
I think that's great because, you know, doing interviews with anybody, I don't want to name names because I love all the media stuff. I think they do a great job. And I think it's weird when celebrities do complain about media because that media gives you some sort of a platform, but they do like to, you know, focus on specific things. And you go into an interview and nobody really gets to know you. Your personality doesn't even show up. Besides one thing you said that they think might make people click on it. So that's the difference.
- [05:55]
Host 1
So, yeah. You moved to the States when you were 13?
- [05:58]
Sam Asghari
I was 12 and a half.
- [05:59]
Host 1
12 and a half. And then you, I'm assuming you came with your family.
- [06:02]
Sam Asghari
No. So what happened was we were always supposed to come to the US and where I'm from, the country of Iran, it's such a privilege to come to America. It's such a amazing opportunity. It's like, I feel so weird speaking about this because I, I sound like a, like a super proud American, which I am. And I always said, you know, I think that's okay.
- [06:24]
Host 1
I know now nowadays sometimes in certain circles, people act like it's not, but yeah, we still are. I, I feel very grateful that we get to be here. We. It's a.
- [06:32]
Sam Asghari
Absolutely. But you, if you were born here, you don't understand that. You know, a lot of my friends, my best friend doesn't understand that what you really have. And certain things like we, we, we had to leave because I had three sisters in my family. And in that country, basic human rights, especially for women, is next to nothing. They can't sing in public, they can't do many things in public. They don't have control of themselves when they get married and things like that. So being in a family with three sisters, we have to get out of here. And they're just such amazing people at accomplishing. They just want to reach this guy. One of them is a forensic scientist, the other one is a doctor, and the other one has their medical spa. And I'm the stupid one in the family.
- [07:19]
Host 1
Where do you, where do you fall in line?
- [07:21]
Sam Asghari
I'm last, okay? I'm last. The baby. I'm the baby. And the difference is by eight years and then they're back to back. And long story short, my dad was wanting a son because of those reasons. And, you know, he was a player, so God, or whatever the case was, like, no, you're not getting a son, you're getting three daughters.
- [07:42]
Host 1
That's crazy. Do you still have family in Iran?
- [07:45]
Sam Asghari
I have family that I don't keep in touch with. But, you know, luckily all of our. My mom's here and everybody that's close to me is here. And it's just, it's sad because it's, it's a different culture and it's a different government that, that takes, that takes, you know, that took over that country. And, and it's not the people talking about perception. When I, when I moved here, I was in, I think I went to seventh grade, seventh grade. And everybody was like, the only thing we know about Iran is the same thing we knew about Iraq or those Middle Eastern countries is a bunch of sands and camels and bunch of suicide bombers. I'm like, wait a minute. I never seen a camel in my life. I mean, the first camel was here in a, in a, in a zoo, whatever they have. The first llamas and camels I've seen are here. And I haven't seen sand. We have mountains. And, you know, it's a diverse culture, but unfortunately, the government is, you know, taking the people as hostage and taking the country as hostage. So I have to fight that perception in America. And everybody's like, oh, like, you're not, you know, you're this, you're that. But I was so enthusiastic that that perception didn't matter. It's me. You get to know me. Let me make American friends. Let me make all the people that, all the other immigrants that are here, we're all here for a reason.
- [09:09]
Host 1
I always really enjoy talking to, you know, first generation immigrants and people who weren't born here because like yourself, they, they very much come with a very different Perspective. And I think we do live in a time where, you know, our, I think even our younger generations, I think obviously every country has its problems and you know, we, we don't talk politics on the show, but obviously I think it's just very easy to complain about what you have and the current situation or not that are going on here. And it's always fascinating in the perspective of people like yourself because despite all the issues going on in the United States, I think it's still a place where we should feel very lucky to be a part of. And we do have a lot of very basic rights that, you know, like you were saying, your sisters, I mean like in like you're saying, they're essentially considered property.
- [09:58]
Sam Asghari
I mean, listen, I remember when I was, I think five or six, we got a call, me and my mom, and they were taken into some sort of a morale police. They have morale police that kind of go around the city and see if you're mistressed. If your hair is out, you got to cover your hair. If any skin is showing, then they're going to take you. And the whole purpose of the morale police is to teach you the proper ways of a Muslim woman. By the way, I'm not religious, but Islam is a beautiful religion. But that country, they've taken that religion to, you know, sort of make it a propaganda for sure. You know, it's the same thing with.
- [10:40]
Host 1
Like, I grew up Catholic, you know, I don't, I'm not actively like going to church these days. But I think it's a beautiful religion. I think Christianity is a beautiful, beautiful legend. But there's also a lot of radical Christians out there who do terrible things.
- [10:52]
Sam Asghari
Yes, basically what happened was they take you in and then they're going to teach you about this, you know, how to properly dress and how to do this. But they don't do that. What they do is they do things that, you know, nobody hears from and you know, they, anywhere between you know, torturing people, they do weird stuff to a point. Two years ago they, they did something with this girl, this young girl, 19 year old girl and she died, she suffocated. And there was a lot of protest around and that raised a lot of awareness. Some guy did a song about it, it was like some sort of a YouTube song and he won a Grammy for it. He couldn't even collect the Grammy because he lives there. They took him to prison. So. But long story short, I'm here now, you know, I'm an American, but coming from that country to the Total opposite. It was just such a great experience to where perception was, you know, any perception. Hollywood is easy. Let's, let's handle that with no problem coming from that, you know what I mean?
- [11:51]
Host 1
Kind of only.
- [11:52]
Host 2
So you were saying you were six or seven and you're sisters were taken by the morality police?
- [11:57]
Sam Asghari
Oh, absolutely. I mean, they were probably out doing whatever, you know, they were teenagers and they were dressed in a certain way that you're not supposed to dress, which I don't know. If you can show a couple inches of skin, they can take you in and they're not. There's no laws, there's no, you know.
- [12:14]
Host 1
They just get to decide.
- [12:16]
Sam Asghari
They just get to decide. Yeah.
- [12:17]
Host 2
You came here when you were 12 with your sisters and your mom.
- [12:23]
Sam Asghari
So when I migrated, I was alone. The reason why I was alone was because I was under the age of 18. And you don't need some sort of a background check or anything to go further in an American visa. So I came here first. Two of my sisters, it took them about six years and then the other one was about eight years.
- [12:40]
Host 2
Where did you go when you got here and you were alone?
- [12:42]
Sam Asghari
I had family here. I had. My uncle was here and my dad was here for a brief amount of time and he went back to kind of sort them out. But pretty much when I was in high school and middle school and high school years, I was pretty much with my uncle, which was, you know, keep in mind there's different culture, so nobody really needed to watch me. So I was staying at my uncle's condo and he had OCD and I couldn't stay at his house and all sorts of stuff. It was an interesting time. But the number one thing I did the second I came to the US and I was so proud to be here and I changed my name to Sam. And one of my best friends that I met right when I moved here in 8th grade, his name was Sam. My name was Hasam. H E S A M. His name was already Sam. It was already changed. And when I went to school, I met this guy and I knew right away from the way he looked. I said, he's one of my kind, he's going to speak my language. So I went and spoke to him and I think the counselors put us together and they said, like, you know, go to the classes and he speaks a little bit of English, he'll translate for you. So we went to a math class and you know, we have this math teacher, wonderful teacher. I think her name was Ms. Ortega or something. And, you know, she's explaining this thing for like 10 minutes. Like she's talking about how the homeworks work and how the school work. She's being helpful. And my friend is my translator. He doesn't speak much English. So he turns to me and says one word. And then the teacher's like, wait a minute. I just spoke for 10 minutes. How could you just translate? And she's like, you know, he gets it. And then she's like, what's your name? She asked me. And then I look at my friend Sam. And I look at her and then I say, sam. And then he goes, wait a minute. That's my name. You can't. Your name is not Sam. You can't take my name. I said, no, my name is closer. Just cancel the H E. And it's Sam. Your name is S, A J, J, J, A D. That's not Sam. You can change it. And he's like, no, try Henry. Why don't you try Henry? I was like, I don't want Henry. That sounds old. So, you know.
- [14:43]
Host 1
Well, yeah, Sam, like with your given name, it's just like a nickname at the time.
- [14:49]
Sam Asghari
You have to change it, you know. Again, I'm not going to fall into the trap of people were calling me names. People, they were, but they're kid. That's part of growing up is tough, tough, tough skin. I'm not going to take away from bullying, I think, you know, I stand up against bullies any time of the day. But for me, what I was made out of, I was able to hand. I needed it. You know what I mean? So people were going to call you names. They're just going to assume that name is something else or they're just not going to pronounce it.
- [15:17]
Host 1
And what, what was it like? I mean, did you speak. You didn't speak much English at all. How did you learn English?
- [15:23]
Sam Asghari
I had it nice because I was. I. I don't know. But I think, I don't think I'm stupid. I'm only stupid in school. And subjects that I don't like. I don't. I don't. Because I don't pay if I don't. If I don't like something, I genuinely don't pay attention to it. I just can't.
- [15:39]
Host 2
That's me with math.
- [15:40]
Sam Asghari
Me with every subject. But history, I was, I was very smart and, you know, I was fascinating. I don't know why I liked history. I was in drama and arts at the time, and that helped me a lot. Drama was because you get to improv and you get to talk and you get to, you know, learn Shakespeare, and that's far more advanced English than it is. And then I had friends, I played football. And that was a big factor of learning. I learned it right away, I think. I don't think I struggled. Struggled much.
- [16:11]
Host 1
Fascinating.
- [16:12]
Sam Asghari
Yeah. Yeah.
- [16:12]
Host 1
I could probably talk with you for hours about just like your upbringing in Iran, just because, like you said, I think there's. I mean, I think I knew more than like, I knew that, like, Iran has a beautiful landscape and doesn't have the deserts, but there's so much I think people don't know.
- [16:26]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [16:26]
Host 1
Is there any hope from you or your family that things might ever change there in Iran?
- [16:32]
Sam Asghari
You know what I think when it comes to politics and what's happening there, you take out whoever the dictator is, then do you have to replace it with the right one? The problem is the country has a lot of history. It has beautiful people, but it's very diverse. It's 88 million people. I think it's 80 million to 88 million people, but they're sort of diverse. Kind of like America where you got, you know, Kords and Turks and, you know, people from the south, There are people from the north and people from my capital city, which was Tehran. It's very diverse. So you have to make sure it's. There's a perfect, you know, democracy put in place, whatever the case that's going to work. But unfortunately, when you take out those dictators, there's always someone that's worse that takes takes place. So I hope so one day.
- [17:22]
Host 1
The neighbors, like, tell on each other sometimes. Did it ever get to that level or were citizens more protective of each other?
- [17:28]
Sam Asghari
You know what I think now, if you go back, because of the new generation, everybody there's. If somebody. If there's a morale police that, you know, goes up to a girl. I've seen videos, goes up to a girl, says something, there's a bunch of other people come in and get involved and make sure that doesn't happen. People have each other's back. But yeah, of course, I mean, you know, half of the people are happy with the government, half are not, majority or not. So it's just. It's. It's. It's tough. It's tough, but it's. It's a blessing. Like I said, it's a blessing to sort of have that. And it makes me very upset sometimes when I go to Dubai and Saudi Arabia and they do it, and these people, they do it amazing. And what Iran had in the 70s was much. They were much further than Saudi Arabia and Dubai. And what they have now, they're back by 50 years.
- [18:18]
Host 1
Yeah. So once you graduated from high school, how did you find your way into entertainment?
- [18:24]
Sam Asghari
So in high school, I was. Half of my time I was spending in the theater program and we had a great theater program at Westlake High School in California here, and we had a really good football program. So I was going from, you know, the hanging out with the jocks to hanging out with the drama kids. Nothing wrong with the drama kids, but there's something about when you're creative and you're an artist, it makes you different and you do things different. So I was doing that, I was doing both. And when football was no longer an option for me, I had to, you know, some sort of part ways from it and, and part ways from the size that you have when you're playing football, you're a little bit bigger. You don't really care about physique and the way you look. You care about performance.
- [19:06]
Host 1
What position did you play?
- [19:07]
Sam Asghari
I played when I stopped, I played tight end. But in, in high school, I was a D lineman. Okay. So I was, you know, already £300. It was much bigger. You can't get into the Entertainment when you're £300 the way I wanted to. I mean, sure, you can be a comedian. There's a lot of other stuff around it. Or you can take Olympic. That's a new thing nowadays, people, you're.
- [19:29]
Host 1
Like, I got option face. You know, like, I gotta.
- [19:32]
Sam Asghari
Well, you don't know, you gotta, you got some sort of a face until you lose it. Because then, you know, the puff goes away and everything goes away. So I had that, you know, I had that going naturally and I was paying attention to what I was eating and exercising and, and so on. And my sister and one of my friends really was like, oh, you should get into modeling. I was like, okay, I don't want to model because I'm not a model. Like, I, I didn't grow up, you know, I didn't grow up with people throwing compliments of the way you look and things like that. But I do genuinely love acting and I want to get into acting and maybe I'll go into, get an agent and start doing commercial acting. And that's what I did. I got into commercial acting. And after that, that went really well. And after that I want to get to TV and film. And we did a, with the same commercial agent, I did a music Video audition one time. It was for Fifth Harmony Group with, you know. I don't know if you've seen that one. It's. It's called Work from Home. It was some sort of. It's a good song. It's a catchy song. But, you know, they had us dress in construction clothes, and you got jackhammering.
- [20:44]
Host 2
You're jackhammering.
- [20:46]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, yeah, jackhammering. It was a cool one. And I think that was one of the times where I already had a social media. But pop culture is crazy because they. They love. It's just like the biggest thing in the. In the world. And they did. Cosmopolitan ran an article on that music video, and they were introducing all the people that were on it. And I think that was my first time of getting some sort of, you know, a taste of pop culture and a little notoriety. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [21:13]
Host 1
Is that how you eventually ended up meeting Brittany?
- [21:16]
Sam Asghari
So what happened was, at the time, you know, music videos are great, but MTV is no longer around.
- [21:22]
Host 1
Sure.
- [21:23]
Sam Asghari
Music video.
- [21:23]
Host 2
You aren't really watching them like they used to.
- [21:25]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, people are not watching them unless, you know, it goes viral and people love it. And whatever the case may be, times are different. So we're not. I'm not gonna be. I'm no longer gonna be at that level. There's nothing wrong with commercial acting. There's nothing wrong with soap opera acting and that stuff and commercial and music videos. But there's a respect that the TV and film side, they don't really have for that, you know, acting part, even though you might make more money on the commercial side. So I wanted to really get into that. My passion was to do TV and film. And so we said, let's no longer do a music video. Let's no longer do any commercial. Put a stop to that so I can go to the next level. And one day, one of my agents, I think it was some sort of a print agent I had at the time, they reached out and they said, oh, there's a music video for the. For. For you. And I said, oh, immediately, no. And then they're like, okay, good. And then they went away, and then they came back another day, and then they asked again. And then I was like, I don't. I don't think so. And they weren't giving. They weren't giving any details or anything like that. And then a friend of mine, a mentor that does makeup and hair, has done it for many years in Hollywood, called me and said, oh, just so you know, somebody might reach out to do A music video. I'm working on a music video. And my friend is a good director, Colin Tilly. He does a lot of great music videos and he does feature films now and he's really respected in that world. And he said, you know, my friend's doing it, I'm doing it, just come do it. Who cares? And I said, okay, cool, I'll tell my agent. Yes. And so I told him I'm available. Then they revealed like who the music video was for and whatever it is. Britney Spears, you know, with Tinashe. And it's called Slumber Party. Anyway, I go into this house in Beverly Hills on cold water and we start, you know, it was a two day shoot and it was really beautiful set and it was really fun. It was really great. Except the food that they gave me, whoever the production was had warm in it. The salmon had warmed in it. So I couldn't, I couldn't eat a worm. Oh, it was, it was crazy. So a worm was crawling outside the.
- [23:36]
Host 2
Salmon and you ate it and then you saw the worm?
- [23:38]
Sam Asghari
I, I, I wanted to eat it, toughen up and eat it. But I didn't eat it.
- [23:42]
Host 1
No.
- [23:42]
Host 2
Yeah. No, I didn't, I didn't know if you took a bite and then you saw the worm or if you saw the worm first.
- [23:48]
Sam Asghari
I was, I was eating it. I was eating it, then I saw it. But you know, that stuff doesn't.
- [23:54]
Host 1
He survives put it away services, you know.
- [23:57]
Sam Asghari
Yeah. Whoever that craft services was, was. I don't know. Yeah, I didn't tell. I'm not the type of person, person to tell on you or whatever the case is. It might be.
- [24:07]
Host 1
You handled it well. It sounds like it was just, I.
- [24:09]
Sam Asghari
Just put it away. Didn't tell anybody. I don't want to freak anybody out, you know, but that happened and you know, it was, it was a really good time.
- [24:17]
Host 2
What was your role in the music video?
- [24:18]
Sam Asghari
So in the music video is a very, I don't know how to explain it. It's some sort of a masquerade party type of theme. It's a slumber party, but there's a lot of different people on it and, and some of her dancers, they're amazing people. By the way, I think this was one of her dancers. His name is Willie Gomez and he had some sort of a, like a thunder type of mark on his eye.
- [24:43]
Host 2
It was like a, like a scar.
- [24:44]
Sam Asghari
Like, like a tunder, like mark, like an emoji of a thunder. But it was like, it's, it was, it was in Between a scar and some sort of a drawing. And so I was the leading man where, you know, there's a big. The first scene was a big, long table and I'm in a suit sitting down with that because I wanted to get that. I saw her dance. I was like, just give me that too. Because, you know, why not? And it's. She's crawling like a cat and she's licking milk from the glass that I spilled or something like that. It's really interesting.
- [25:17]
Host 1
Hot.
- [25:18]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, yeah, whatever.
- [25:19]
Host 1
But it's a music video, you know. Yeah.
- [25:22]
Host 2
Everyone's weird. Everyone's.
- [25:24]
Host 1
Yeah. No, it all makes sense in a music video.
- [25:26]
Host 2
Once it all comes together, it all makes sense.
- [25:28]
Sam Asghari
No, you know, it's shot really well. It's dark themed. It's. There's a lot of costumes and a lot of dancing. There's a lot of things that go into it. And. And by the way, it's. I think it's weird for TV and film not to have respect for a music video or commercial because they're doing this thing in two days. So if you pick up anybody from production, anybody that's worked in music video, they will get the work done much faster than the TV people shout out to the TV people. But I'm just saying, I think they should. They deserve some more respect as well.
- [26:00]
Host 1
They're very efficient people.
- [26:01]
Sam Asghari
They're efficient. They got, you know, you got a budget, you got time, you got people. Everybody works hard, I think.
- [26:07]
Host 2
Yeah. I mean, listen, the video vixens are sitting on this couch. So I myself am a video vixen. I was in a Bad Bunny music video.
- [26:15]
Sam Asghari
I love it. Bad Bunny. I love Bad Bunny.
- [26:18]
Host 1
So you're there doing the video. Who made the first move between you and Brittany?
- [26:22]
Sam Asghari
So, long story short, it happened very naturally. And I. There's something about work that is going to sound cliche and it's going to sound like I'm, you know, saying this, but really, truly, I want to be a professional because in my life, in my personal life, I'm messy and, you know, I have to work really hard to be on time. I am on time. Not today, you know, but. But when it comes to professional job, I like to be as professional as possible and. And, you know, be there and be excited, be on time and. And not really do any of that or not to try to make anything out of it. And I'm not a part, even though I was in a music video already. And I'm not really too familiar with her songs or. I know she's an icon. Well, I'm familiar now. Very familiar.
- [27:13]
Host 1
I was going to ask you because you grew up in Iran.
- [27:15]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [27:16]
Host 1
I'm guessing there wasn't a lot of pop culture.
- [27:19]
Sam Asghari
I want to tell you something about fame. When it comes to fame, pop culture, you know, Bad Bunny, for example, international pop culture and then also America, there's a thing that says Michael Jackson, Madonna and Britney Spears. Michael Jackson is the king of pop, Madonna is the queen of pop and Britney Spears is the princess of pop and period. I wasn't aware. Right. I'm not aware of that because I'm, you know, the music I listen to is, is 50 Cent and Eminem and you know, all these things and, and, and very. Trying to be very manly and not really pink and Barbie and pop culture like that, you know, you weren't.
- [28:00]
Host 2
Oopsing. I did it again.
- [28:02]
Sam Asghari
I was familiar, but I never, I didn't know any of the songs. If you put it on, I couldn't tell you different. So I wasn't. It was, it wasn't anything like that. We kind of spoke and everything went naturally and in between, you know, set. Everything was moving fast. But it's two days. So in between things, we kind of had a conversation of, well, have you had, you know, sushi? I was like, oh yeah, believe it or not, I had sushi. And matter of fact, I had one with a warm in it two hours ago. And you know, we kind of hit it off and we were talking and everything was normal and she mentioned this grab sushi sometime. And I said, okay, cool. And then when music video was done on the second day, one of her assistant came up to me and is like, oh, special goodbye. She's not here, so just give me your number and then I'll have her reach out. So she had me write my number on a piece of paper and then I think a few weeks later she text me and said, let's go grab sushi weeks. Yeah, it took, it took about. I don't remember exactly. It took about. It took about a couple weeks.
- [29:05]
Host 2
Okay.
- [29:06]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [29:06]
Host 2
Were you sweating or were you like. She probably just read about.
- [29:09]
Sam Asghari
No, no. The reason why is because I was just focused on what in this industry.
- [29:14]
Host 2
Yeah.
- [29:15]
Sam Asghari
You have to forget you. You have to have short term memory. Like that's. I built that up with sports. When you mess up in a sport, when you throw an interception and you're the quarterback, you have to. It has to go out of your mind. A short term memory, it's called. If you keep it up, then you you're going to keep messing up. And when you audition or you go into a job or you go do something, you can't keep your hopes up. You have to do the best thing possible, then forget about it. Onto the next. So that way, if you. If I keep my hopes up, every single audition, I'm gonna get disencouraged and I'm gonna give it back.
- [29:49]
Host 1
But she was asking me to sushi, you know?
- [29:51]
Sam Asghari
But like I said, every. For me, it was.
- [29:55]
Host 1
You didn't really know.
- [29:56]
Sam Asghari
It happened.
- [29:56]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [29:56]
Sam Asghari
If it happened.
- [29:57]
Host 2
Listen, I messaged Nick and then I was like, forgot about it, don't care. And then two hours later, he messaged me back, and I was like, two hours?
- [30:04]
Sam Asghari
That was fast.
- [30:05]
Host 2
Yeah, I know.
- [30:06]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [30:06]
Host 2
You know, you had two weeks.
- [30:07]
Sam Asghari
He messaged me back right away.
- [30:09]
Host 2
Really?
- [30:10]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [30:10]
Host 2
He slid into his DMs.
- [30:12]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [30:12]
Host 1
So how was sushi?
- [30:13]
Sam Asghari
Sushi was great. You know, I. I sort of. Okay. I'm not too nervous about super mega stars texting me to go to sushi. I'm more nervous about if I pick the right restaurant. But you had to.
- [30:27]
Host 2
You had to pick the restaurant.
- [30:28]
Sam Asghari
I had to. Well, you know, I still have to be the. Of course. What do you mean?
- [30:32]
Host 2
Well, I didn't know. I thought she was like, have you had sushi? Let's go get sushi. Here's the place.
- [30:36]
Sam Asghari
No, I have to pick the restaurant because I. You know, it still has to be some sort of a traditional waste to it.
- [30:42]
Host 1
Yeah, okay.
- [30:42]
Host 2
Love it.
- [30:43]
Sam Asghari
So I. I was nervous about picking the right type of restaurant. And do you remember where you picked? Yeah, uh, I picked Koi on La Cienega. You know, that koi restaurant. It was really good. And we went there, we ordered a few things, and it was very brief. It was about, like, maybe half an hour. And it was. It was great. It was really cool. And we were talking, and I got to know her a little bit, and she was super sweet, and everything was perfect. And then after that, I think we went to a movie. We kept seeing each other for a very long time and very traditional. Then she invited me to her Vegas residency, and that's when I went. And that's when I started seeing what an amazing performer she was. And I started putting two and two together. And I was like, okay, if you need to be an absolute hard worker and you need to be obsessed about your work and you need to be absolute genius in order to be a superstar, and there's a reason why people are superstars, and there's a Reason, it's not by accident.
- [31:40]
Host 1
No.
- [31:41]
Sam Asghari
So that, that's when it was. But things went naturally and I was handling that really well.
- [31:47]
Host 2
But who was the first person you told when you went to go get sushi?
- [31:50]
Sam Asghari
You know, my friend that, that was the reason I did the music video. Because I remember when I was in the music videos, like, oh, I think you're going to start dating, you know, dating, Dating her. I was like, okay, that's cool, whatever. But so I was like, oh, what you said came true. I was like, I know, I've seen it in my dreams. I was like, that's weird.
- [32:10]
Host 1
Psychic. Are you like her type or something?
- [32:13]
Sam Asghari
I hope so. I hope so. But right place, right time, meant to be. It's life, man.
- [32:20]
Host 1
What was the thing from your perspective that you know, drew you to, to Britney in terms of like. Yeah, like what was something that you noticed where you thought, you know, maybe this is more than just. Yeah, a one off sushi date.
- [32:32]
Sam Asghari
So what drew me the most is the perception, like you say, and you say, you know, people know you for something and people know who you are based on your work and things like that. What I saw was a sweet, beautiful woman and I think America fell in love with her because she was a, she was America's sweetheart. And that's what I saw. I truly saw that. And I didn't, I didn't know the music I was really fresh into. I love that because when you don't know anything about the person and you don't know what's happening, then when you get to really know them and you're the only few people that really, you're.
- [33:08]
Host 2
Not like jaded by anything. You know, you're not jaded with him. I didn't watch anything that he was on. And so when I met him, I, you know, fell in love for him. And then all these people were like, oh, well, he was such a villain on this show. And it's like, well, if I would have watched that, maybe you wouldn't be here today, you know, so. Yeah, I think it's definitely going in with a clear.
- [33:25]
Sam Asghari
Exactly. You don't, you don't know. Especially with. Was it a reality show you were on?
- [33:30]
Host 1
Yeah, I was the Bachelor.
- [33:30]
Sam Asghari
Okay, so he's a bachelor. I don't know anything about real. Still to this day is. I'm absolutely clueless. But I know they can edit you to look completely different. I know perception is different. I know the media wants somebody to be the bad guy, somebody to be the good guy. So I think Perception is, is, is wrong. And I think who really gets to know you is someone that gets to see you. And then when. That's what really drew me into her was I saw the exact reason why America fell in love with her and the reason why she was America's sweetheart. And I've always said, I think when you go to England, you got the royal family. For America, royalty is our, you know, Princes of Pop, King of Pop and Queen of Pop.
- [34:15]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [34:15]
Sam Asghari
And that's why her fans are super protective of her.
- [34:18]
Host 1
Yeah, that's true. I mean, yeah, she's been an icon for most of my life. If you're tired of shopping at the same old places and getting the same low quality, you got to shop at Quince. Because Quints is getting their customers high end, well made, versatile pieces at prices that won't break the bank. And what I love most about Quince is they have some of the best basics that go with everything we've all talked about. Their Mongolian cashmere and crew neck sweater. It's a must have. Like, it lasts. It looks great on you. It fits. It's cashmere also. Starting at 50 doll dollars, you can't beat any of those things. And they just have like a bunch of unique pieces that you just can't find anywhere else. And it always feels like when I'm shopping at stores, you know, and I go out, it's always like the same thing at different stores. Not with Quint. I really feel like there's some really unique pieces and that's why Natalie and I both love shopping there. Another one of my favorites is their merino wool all season short sleeve base layer tee. It's like a really simple shirt that fits great and it lasts and it keeps. Whether you're shopping for some basic essentials like socks and tees, or you're looking for some elevated pieces like a Mongolian cashmere sweater. Yeah. Gotta check out Quince. Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing prices. Along with premium fabrics and finishes. How amazing is that? Indulged in affordable luxury, go to quince.comV-I-A l l for free shipping on your order in 365 day returns. That's Quince. Q-U-I-N-C-E.com v I a l l to get free shipping in 365 day returns. Quince.com v I a l l Rocket monies Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps you find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps you Lower your bills so that you can grow your savings. Well, we all know what it's like to sign up for something that we think we're going to use or sign up something we need in the immediate moment, and then we forget that it's on our phone. And then the next thing you know, we're being charged for it. How about all those like 30 days free trial and you're like, oh, I'll just try it for 30 days and I'll cancel it. Well, how many times do you actually cancel it? Never. I know I never did. I was wasting thousands of dollars on apps I wasn't using. And I'm gu guessing you guys are wasting some money as well. Well, with Rocket Money, Rocket Money can do all the heavy lifting and dirty work for you. Identify the apps that you're not using, delete them from your phone, cancel those unwanted subscriptions, and even help lower your bill. It's crazy. I mean, how many times are you going to worry about calling customer service, getting on the phone with them? We know how much of an ordeal that is. Well, let Rocket Money do that for you as well. Rocket Money also has dashboards that give you a clear view of expenses across all accounts. Easily create personalized budgets to help you keep on track of your spending. Get alerts if bills increase in price, unusual spending activity, or if you're close to going under. Bud it. Everything about this feature really will help anyone. You can save so much by just getting a little bit more information on what you're spending that money on, and Rocket Money is helping you do that. Like I said before, I saved over a thousand dollars by Rocket Money canceling unneeded or unused subscriptions that I had. And then I bought my wife a really nice gift and she loves me for it. So yay for me, and yay. And thanks to Rocket Money, Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of 500 million users canceled subscriptions, saving members up to $740 a year when using all of the app's premium features. Cancel your unwedded subscriptions and research your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com v I l l today. That's RocketMoney.com v I a l l RocketMoney.com v I a L l.
- [37:30]
Sam Asghari
You.
- [37:31]
Host 1
Are no dummy, but you're kind of acting like one. You used to crush it in school, outsmarting opponents on the field, and then now, well, you're still smart, but not exactly challenging yourself. You could be advancing nuclear engineering in the world's most powerful navy, you were born for it. So make the smart choice. You can be smart or you can be nuke smart. Become a nuclear engineer@navy.com Nuke Smart. America's Navy forged by the sea. Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now, and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn Ads, go to Libsyn ads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today. And then like you guys kept dating and then how did, when did it go from? You know, I might, I might marry this girl.
- [38:47]
Sam Asghari
You know, this is a seven year long relationship and it's the longest I've been in a relationship with somebody and it's the longest she's ever been in a relationship with somebody. But you know, we had to deal with, she had, she was under the conservatorship and that was very strange for me to deal with. I got hit with that at the beginning.
- [39:05]
Host 1
She kind of explained, like, no, she didn't explain.
- [39:07]
Sam Asghari
Somebody called me and said, oh, just so you know, this is this. And make sure you're obeying by our rules and stuff like that. So for me, what did that feel like? You know, I'm coming from a country, I dealt with this already with women. So I dealt with women being suppressed and being controlled by men their whole life. So I kind of have. I was like, okay, this is weird, but wait a minute, this is America. Something doesn't make sense.
- [39:33]
Host 1
Yeah, that's weird that like giving your background and where you came from that you getting that phone call almost reminded you more of being back in Iran.
- [39:41]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, you know, I get a phone call, then I have experiences and it's just so strange. So now it's time to really understand what's really going on and, and what's happening and how I can, you know, when you're in a relationship with somebody, you want to be. I'm the type that I want to support in every Way possible, whatever you're doing, I'm going to support you in, in whatever way possible that I can to my abilities.
- [40:03]
Host 1
Did you end up like after you get that phone call, did you, did you go to Brittany and kind of been like, hey, I got this phone call and no, not necessarily.
- [40:11]
Sam Asghari
I kind of try to understand it. I also didn't go look up what's happening on the news because I know the news is different. I try to really understand it and I try to really see why was that ever in place to begin with. And you have to, you don't have much to say, especially if you're just a boyfriend or, or someone that's just there, you know, maybe I was afraid they're gonna maybe make me not see her and things like that. So you have to be gentle and provide support as much as you can. So I was just supporting and I was just seeing what I could do the best way possible to make sure that I'm there.
- [40:52]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [40:52]
Host 2
Were there, along with the kind of rules and regulations, whatever they gave you around the conservatorship, where there are also threats around, like if you don't.
- [41:04]
Sam Asghari
You know what, There's a lot of stuff. When I was on the Traders, there was an article that came out, oh, he has a gag order. None of that. That's not, that's not what it is. What I do have is an upbringing with a lot of respect. And what I do have is Morales. And sometimes when it's a personal life and something so personal, I don't go into details and I don't, I don't, I don't like talking about it. I get it. There was a lot of fans and there's a lot of questions and it's almost weird if you don't talk about it.
- [41:33]
Host 1
Like, you know, and that's why I wanted to talk with you because it's more like. And I can tell and appreciate how much respect you obviously have for your ex wife and Brittany. But like, you lived through that experience and I want to know what that experience was like for you dating the Princess of Pop, one of America's greatest and biggest icons. And her fans, obviously, even the ones who have the best intentions being as protective as they are, you know, what was, you know, that experience and how it had affected you and then how did you, you know, all these things, you know, it's, it's fascinating to hear from you because, yeah, I think you can be both respectful of your relationship and her more specifically. And like, still, what that experience was like from your point of view, I.
- [42:16]
Sam Asghari
Like to call it a college crash course in Hollywood and how Hollywood could be. And you know, it's many people in Hollywood, especially on mega star levels, they deal with this. You are exposed to the closest people to you and you are the most vulnerable to the closest people to you. And I think being in a relationship with someone that was such an icon and was at the top of her, you know, world, you're talking about someone that Taylor Swift looks up to and everybody else is looking up to and is she has a blueprint of what a actual pop star could look like. All the new pop stars right now, whatever they are, they're not even close. Let me tell you that performance wise, this is, I'm a fan now after being with her for seven years because.
- [43:01]
Host 1
You kind of almost. You saw what it took.
- [43:03]
Sam Asghari
I saw what it took and it's no bullshit. It's a lot of hard work and it's, it's a lot of things that happen in your personal life that's not worth the hard work. So I had a college crash course in that.
- [43:15]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [43:16]
Sam Asghari
So it makes me better at, you know, making decisions in my career and it makes me understand that what it takes and how the world is and how vulnerable you could be to the people around you. I mean, she was taken advantage by every single person that came into her life and that's not fair.
- [43:33]
Host 1
How did you propose?
- [43:34]
Sam Asghari
So long. Long story long. There we go. Long story long. The proposal had to wait till she was after the conservatorship. And we went through a lot until then and the proposal was way overdue and we wanted to get married way before and because of everything and the situation, we had to wait. And I remember the second that the judge, you know, I was holding her hand when she was speaking to the judge and she was talking about, you know, she wanted the conservatorship to be done with and, and the second that happened, that's when it was the right time to propose. That was one of her dreams was to have a princess shaped diamond ring. And you know, I found something, a piece of paper where she's written when she was younger. And it was basically all her things that she wanted to, you know, all her goals that she truly wanted that had nothing to do with the entertainment industry. And it was just like basic stuff. Get a new puppy, diamond proposal ring, princess cut diamond. And she wanted this and she wanted that. So that's when it happened. It was really, truly. Now that the conservatorship is over and all those restrictions are lifted. Let's do what she really wanted to.
- [44:52]
Host 2
Did you do it in the courtroom?
- [44:53]
Sam Asghari
Oh, I didn't answer that question ever. So, no.
- [44:55]
Host 1
No.
- [44:55]
Sam Asghari
What happened was. I mean, I like to. Ideally, I like to go and do it in the best way possible, but you're talking about tmz and everybody will get. Seriously. They would send a helicopter and.
- [45:10]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [45:11]
Sam Asghari
So I had to do it at the house. I had to do it at the house. I was like, calm down, you know, I have something for you. She's like, what do you. What's going on? She was nervous. She thought it was a puppy maybe. But, you know, I proposed to her and she said yes. And that's when. Yeah.
- [45:25]
Host 2
Did you ever get her a puppy?
- [45:27]
Sam Asghari
Yes, we. Yes, we got two dogs together.
- [45:32]
Host 2
So you were just knocking off that goal?
- [45:34]
Sam Asghari
I was trying to. You know, I was trying to. It was just. It was just I wanted to be the normal. Even though I was in the entertainment industry myself, but I wanted to be the normal part about that life because she never. I don't think she had that.
- [45:48]
Host 1
We've been talking a lot about perception. What do you think is one or the few biggest misconceptions about Britney, Especially, like, in the past few years? You know, again, the Internet can be very mean. The Internet likes to just, you know, kick people while they're down. Obviously, Britney's had a lot of ups and downs over the years, but are there things that, you know, you would see that you were just like, this is, you know, like, what the.
- [46:13]
Sam Asghari
You know, I think, you know, I. I don't read a lot of stuff online and I don't. I don't really see. Because I already assume it's going to be. One thing I learned. My mentor, my psychic mentor told me is like, Sam, dealing with this industry. Don't ever let it get into your head. When people tell you that you are the worst or you're the best, they're both lying. No, don't ever do. Don't ever believe that. So I never really believe what I read online or I try to stay away from it, but I don't. I don't know. I never got into perception. Like I said, I didn't know her. Going into it. I wasn't a fan of the music. I wasn't. I didn't know any of the media stuff that was happening. All I knew was that this person is vulnerable to being taken advantage of. And me as someone that's new to this country and, you know, this country is an opportunity for me. I'm not gonna fuck that up by trying to take an advantage of someone that's been through a lot.
- [47:07]
Host 1
When she made the videos, dancing with the knives, what were. What were you thinking there?
- [47:12]
Sam Asghari
I think, you know, I. I'm not someone that. Let me. Let me take your phone from you and not allow you to do anything and restrict you from posting your own content and especially if you're an artist. I think, you know, we're talking about people. She's. She's a genius artist. What's in her head is. Is gold. And what. It's what made her who she is and Michael Jackson, and they have genius ideas that I wouldn't have or somebody else that wouldn't have. So when you take away the ability to, you know, make art.
- [47:49]
Host 1
Express yourself.
- [47:50]
Sam Asghari
Express yourself. I think I'm not going to be the one that's going to stop anybody from posting whatever they want. Especially if dance is your. Especially if dances, you're the way you express yourself.
- [48:03]
Host 1
I thought it was a great video. People were concerned with the knives, but that's a great point. Yeah, I think you really put that in perspective in terms of, like, I don't think it sounds like people even realize just how restricted she was in so many ways.
- [48:18]
Sam Asghari
It's everybody else's fault. I promise you that.
- [48:21]
Host 1
That's sad.
- [48:22]
Host 2
What was your relationship like with her father? I know obviously he was in control of a lot of stuff. I remember reading he would have conversations with anyone she'd go on dates with about her, like, medical history and sexual history and, I mean, just giving details out to anyone. What was your relationship like with him?
- [48:42]
Sam Asghari
You know what? I don't think I had a relationship with him. I had a relationship with her, and I wanted him to know that. So I was like, I'm dating her, not you. But that's about it. I mean, I will always have my respect for everybody, and I will always stay respectful. And I always try to understand what really happens and why and how I could help in both sides and how I could just protect someone as well. So my relationship is always respectful. Even though I didn't agree with some of the stuff or anything really, but I always try to stay respectful.
- [49:18]
Host 2
I can imagine it can be hard just, I know, like, being in a relationship, like, I want to protect Nick to the fullest extent. I know he feels the same way about me. I love being in this relationship because I feel so safe and protected. And I'm sure that was like, your number one thing. Too. Of being like, I want to protect this person. And I can imagine it was just hard having so many other people involved.
- [49:39]
Sam Asghari
Yes.
- [49:39]
Host 2
That you couldn't feel like you truly had her.
- [49:42]
Sam Asghari
You know, that's what it is. I think it's. You know, when you have. That's the toughest part, is that. And then you also have media, which I. By the way, it doesn't bother me, but it does at the same time.
- [49:55]
Host 1
Well, you're only human. Right. Like, I really appreciate your perspective with media. Like, it's. You know, there's. There's pros and cons to everything, even with what we do. You know, it's just like, I come from, like I mentioned, a reality TV show. I have great memories from it. I got a lot of bad memories from it. But, like, I also recognize that a lot of what I'm doing here today is because of. It is because of that. So I have a ton of respect for that time of my life, regardless of the good and specifically of the bad, you know, so it is that. It's a. It's a. It's trying to have that balance. Yeah. And it's. It's hard to do, but the more I talk to you, the more it really sounds like your. Your upbringing, your childhood and the. The shit. The real shit that you went through at. As such a young man, like, really seems to influenced you and your character along the way.
- [50:44]
Sam Asghari
I think. I think it's that. I think it's the upbringing and the experience and. And it. Everything's a beautiful experience. Even if you are going through something tough and difficult, it's always. It makes you a better person.
- [50:56]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [50:57]
Sam Asghari
It teaches you so much stuff. So grateful for the. All the experiences that I had growing up, I had as a. As an adult and, you know, I had in Hollywood and I had with her. I always say, even though it's over now, I never. I'm never sad that it's over. I'm grateful even. Even happened.
- [51:14]
Host 1
Yeah. Did your sisters know about her? When you got together, what was their reaction? And were they excited or did they not care?
- [51:22]
Sam Asghari
I don't remember if they were too excited, but they've always been on my team. No matter what. They were always. The excitement was always the same amount as I was doing something that had nothing to do with, you know, something that was going to be public. And because people freak out when things go on tmz, they think it's this. Or when things go on, people, they think it's like this big deal. It's not really. But people think you, you're alien or. My family didn't have that. And that's how I knew that, you know, that's that I have a solid base, which is very uncommon. And then it's not fair because if those people hurt you, they're the most closest to you.
- [52:03]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [52:04]
Sam Asghari
And you're going to let them because, you know, you're vulnerable to them.
- [52:06]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [52:07]
Sam Asghari
But no, they weren't too excited. I mean, they, you know, of course they knew who she was and they were fan of hers. I think any, anybody at that age is coming up. They, at some point they dressed up in the same outfits and they had posters and things like that.
- [52:20]
Host 2
Yeah, yeah.
- [52:21]
Sam Asghari
So, you know, it's normal. And that's why I felt weird not talking about it, you know, and being so restricted to talk about it because it was a sensitive subject or whatever the case may be. But it's my life for seven years, so, you know, it'll be super weird if I didn't talk about it.
- [52:36]
Host 1
What was your favorite thing to do together as a couple? Like how did you guys have the most fun together?
- [52:41]
Sam Asghari
We had a lot of fun, man. I mean, it's a seven year long relationship. We watched TV shows, we had a lot of pets.
- [52:49]
Host 1
What were some of your favorite shows you guys watch? Because honestly, like a big part of what Natalie and I do, it's like we, we love a lot of the same shows and it's, it's honestly, we connect in a lot of ways through the shit we talk about and debate or whatever. Like. Yeah. What did you guys watch?
- [53:03]
Sam Asghari
Friends. Friends was, was something that we watched all the time and a lot of cartoons because I genuinely like cartoons. I think they, they teach us a lot of things. And just there was a movie we watched one time that was really sad and I remember it to this day. It was Purpose of a Dog. Have you not seen that? Dog's purpose or something? Can you Dog's purpose Dogs.
- [53:27]
Host 1
Google it.
- [53:28]
Host 2
Anything that has to do with a dog. Sad. Oh my God.
- [53:31]
Sam Asghari
It's the saddest movie in the world. Yeah.
- [53:35]
Host 1
Purpose. A dog's purpose.
- [53:37]
Sam Asghari
Dog's purpose or something like that.
- [53:39]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [53:41]
Sam Asghari
It's so sad.
- [53:42]
Host 2
God. With a golden retriever.
- [53:43]
Host 1
Beautiful. Yeah. What a. What a headshot.
- [53:45]
Sam Asghari
You watch it, you will not last. Oh my God.
- [53:48]
Host 2
So you remember watching that and just.
- [53:50]
Sam Asghari
I remember watching that and, and it was a sad movie. But a lot of that. A lot of cooking, a lot of exercising, a lot of hiking. Who's more of the cook I think me.
- [53:59]
Host 1
Yeah. What do you like?
- [54:01]
Host 2
He's more of the cook, too.
- [54:01]
Sam Asghari
I like to cook. You know, I grew up, I had a job as a chef, and they taught me a lot of New Orleans cuisines and. And Italian cozy. It was a catering job. So I learned. I got to learn how to roll sushi. So I like to, you know, I like to cook.
- [54:16]
Host 1
You still do a lot of cooking?
- [54:17]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, yeah.
- [54:18]
Host 1
What's your favorite thing to cook?
- [54:20]
Sam Asghari
My favorite thing is basically what I like to do is take a food that's already made and make it gourmet. I think that's really interesting.
- [54:29]
Host 2
How would you make a pizza gourmet?
- [54:31]
Sam Asghari
I don't make it. Not like that. Not like that. But I'm talking about, like, let's say if something's already pre made and you add a few things in it and you make it gourmet. But I think my favorite food to make, not to eat is Italian food. Persian food is. Is very, very good for me to eat, not to make, because it takes a lot of patience.
- [54:53]
Host 1
What's your favorite thing that you made that? She loved to eat?
- [54:57]
Sam Asghari
A lot of steaks. I did steaks. Really good.
- [55:00]
Host 1
How do you cook your steak?
- [55:01]
Sam Asghari
Anywhere between medium to medium rare.
- [55:03]
Host 1
Not the temperature, but. How do you prep? How do you prep.
- [55:05]
Sam Asghari
How do I. How do I prep it? I like to just season it with Montreal seasoning.
- [55:10]
Host 1
Okay.
- [55:11]
Sam Asghari
And make sure the seasoning is basically inside and grill it on the green egg.
- [55:16]
Host 1
On the green egg.
- [55:17]
Sam Asghari
And then once the blood comes to the top, you flip it. And on the other side.
- [55:23]
Host 2
This is.
- [55:24]
Sam Asghari
This is well done. This is. I don't know. No, no, I'm sorry. This is medium or this is rare? This is medium rare. That's well. And then this is well done.
- [55:34]
Host 2
Is it by pushing it.
- [55:36]
Host 1
That's like the tender. Like it's like. I feel.
- [55:38]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, yeah. It'll feel like this. I don't know.
- [55:41]
Host 2
How'd you learn that?
- [55:43]
Sam Asghari
Yeah. Okay. Tick tock.
- [55:47]
Host 1
Right?
- [55:48]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [55:48]
Host 2
I feel like you've had just an insane life in general. What is one of the hardest things you've been through and how did you overcome it? What did you learn from it other.
- [55:56]
Host 1
Than obviously moving to the next moving.
- [56:00]
Sam Asghari
The hardest thing. I don't know. You asking someone that. If I get in a knock on wood, if I get into an accident.
- [56:08]
Host 2
You find the light and everything.
- [56:09]
Sam Asghari
I don't know. It's just so weird for me. I'm not gonna. I'm not really. I never really see any bad moments, and I Just think it's a waste of time to stress and to. It's a waste of time because if. When there's nothing you can do about it, there's nothing you can do about it, what am I gonna do? I'm not gonna dwell on the fact that. That this happened or that happened. I just know we live a short life and nothing matters at the end. And we're just all gonna sort of. Hopefully not soon, but sort of pass on and it's somebody else's turn.
- [56:42]
Host 1
Yeah. I mean, I don't know. Hopefully it's not too sensitive of a subject, but ultimately, what was the cause of the end of your guys relationship?
- [56:49]
Sam Asghari
You know, when it comes to breakups, splits, divorce, it sucks. Everybody, no matter what. The point is, it sucks. But when it comes to, like I said, back to the gag order, and you can't take a poop in Hollywood without having an NDA. So that's. That's the true. That's the true part of it. Yes. But also put that away. Put that to aside. I have three sisters. I have a family. And I always hated the fact that somebody goes and talks about this and cries and tries to get attention or use. Use that as leverage. It's my life. I lived it. I experienced it. But I think certain things you talk about in public and certain things you don't. And I think it doesn't matter what the cause was. I think what matters the most is the time that we spent together, the things that we've learned. And that was a big part of my life and her life as well.
- [57:47]
Host 1
It seems like you have still a ton of respect for her. That seems pretty evident.
- [57:52]
Sam Asghari
I'm always gonna have, like. And I'm always gonna have respect for her because of what she's been through and that was never her fault. And why she is who she is and why she was the princess of pop is because it was a genuine person that wasn't trying to get famous. It wasn't. They weren't forcing. They weren't going through all these media strategies and doing this to get famous and force it down your throat. Or agency. What do they call agency? It wasn't any of your plants. Yeah, it wasn't any of that. It was just true talent and true hard work and. And just one of a kind that came out and did that and still didn't want to be famous. Still didn't care about any of that.
- [58:35]
Host 1
Do you guys still. Are you guys able to maintain a friendship? You guys still keep in touch?
- [58:39]
Sam Asghari
I wish her the best. And I would like to. At some point. I would. I wouldn't mind right now.
- [58:45]
Host 1
I just kind of giving it time.
- [58:47]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [58:47]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [58:48]
Sam Asghari
Do you.
- [58:48]
Host 1
Have you started dating at all? Like, are you getting out there?
- [58:52]
Sam Asghari
Yes, absolutely. You know, I didn't think I was going to be ready because I was just focused on. You know, I was just focused on work, and I was traveling. I did a show that I couldn't be on the phone, so I couldn't really. And it was just me and my dog for a little bit. Me and my dog were going on a lot of dates. And yes, I've been dating. I. I have a new girl now that she's super supportive. And it's just.
- [59:16]
Host 1
Are we keeping her name private still or.
- [59:19]
Sam Asghari
No. I mean, if you go online, you'll see it. TMZ is all over the place.
- [59:24]
Host 2
How did y'all meet?
- [59:26]
Sam Asghari
What's that?
- [59:26]
Host 2
How'd y'all meet?
- [59:27]
Sam Asghari
We met just coincidentally, and we met just out in the apartment I used to live at, and we never saw each other, and we saw each other again a couple. Couple months down the road. I end up making a phone call for another place I was moving into, and. And we reconnected, and it was sort of sweet. And she's super supportive. Is very different to. For people that are not in the industry to understand some of the things that happens. So, you know, I don't think she cares about the industry. And what did she do? She does real estate.
- [60:06]
Host 1
Okay. Yeah.
- [60:07]
Sam Asghari
So it was really interesting. It's always. It. It's always interesting because people in the industry, they care about a certain thing, and they. They have a certain perception, and. And it's. It's nice to have someone that's not. And it's time for me to really focus on what I have going on.
- [60:24]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [60:25]
Sam Asghari
And it's. It's a good way to do that.
- [60:27]
Host 1
Was she pretty chill about. Obviously. I mean, she must have known about your acts and things like that.
- [60:32]
Sam Asghari
She didn't bring it up one time?
- [60:33]
Host 1
Never one time.
- [60:34]
Sam Asghari
Never one time. That's. That's what it was really cool, because then.
- [60:37]
Host 1
Yeah. You must have really appreciated that. Yeah.
- [60:40]
Sam Asghari
There's nothing wrong with it. I think it's weird to not talk about, you know, something.
- [60:44]
Host 2
Have it be an elephant in the room or something. Yeah.
- [60:47]
Sam Asghari
I said, you know what?
- [60:48]
Host 1
It felt like. It felt sincere that she just. I'm assuming it more like she just paid more attention to you and gotten to know you and.
- [60:55]
Sam Asghari
Exactly.
- [60:55]
Host 1
If that came up, it came up. But, like, when I Met Natalie how, whatever she did, it would just. I felt like we were connecting just like I would any other person. And yeah, I had dates in the past where, like, I didn't fault anyone, but, like, sometimes it would. Came up. It was hard not to feel a little weird. Not that they tried to make it weird, but, you know, I don't know, whatever Natalie did, it. It. It felt organic. It felt like we were connecting as two people and not for any other reason.
- [61:24]
Sam Asghari
I think that's. That's really cool because if you, like, again, you said if you had perception of him, it's gonna. Might not even happen. And it's different because, you know, I try to give the benefit of the doubt to some people. Some people that perception is perception, and that's who they actually are. And some people are not completely opposite. I mean, but I think the best way to be is to be yourself, especially if yourself is. As long as you're not hurting other people with you just being yourself. But I think people could read through the bullshit and they're like, that person is not genuine. And there's been many times I met someone that I was like, okay, you haven't said a word to me, but I love your energy. Or you've been talking a lot and I hate your energy, you know, so people feed off of perception. And I think the toughest thing for me to overcome was, like, some of the stuff I post on social media and. And who, like, I present this. Like, people think, oh, it's a model actor. Like, he must. He must be stupid, or he must be, oh, it's the ex husband of the Princess of Pop. He must be, you know, using people and doing all this. I was like, no, let me tell you what. I had to use a lot of my personality to win over people because as a former president of the Chubby Boys Club, I had to do that when. When you're, you know, an immigrant or you're a minority or you don't exactly look, you know, in schools and stuff like that, you have to use your personality, so it's different. So. And having this perception and really internally being different is. Is interesting that only people around me, my friends and people, and if I get to speak on a platform that's longer than something which I was hoping to do on that show. But it was really scary to be part of a show with a bunch of reality stars. Not going to lie. Reality stars are tough.
- [63:25]
Host 1
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- [65:23]
Sam Asghari
Into that show, usually as an actor you don't want to go into a competition show. But Alan Cummings is is the host of it and it looks amazing and it looks like a scripted show.
- [65:33]
Host 1
How did the opportunity to go on Traders even happen?
- [65:36]
Sam Asghari
So it's been a while that I've been Getting a lot of offers for Dancing with the Stars and. And Traders came around a couple times, but it wasn't the right time to do it because I was focused on acting. Talking to Dylan yesterday. Oh, yeah, he called me.
- [65:56]
Host 1
You know, both of you are unique on the show because, like, you're both not really from.
- [66:00]
Sam Asghari
You don't belong there.
- [66:01]
Host 1
Yeah. The reality TV world. Do you think that worked to your guys advantage?
- [66:06]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, of course, man. I mean, going into the show, there was a lot of people that, you know, I brainstorm with and I was like, what is this? Because I don't know. Like, I don't. What is a housewife? What is like Survivor? What is big? What is the show? What am I gonna do? Because the only thing I know about a project is scripted stuff and it's fake. You know, it's play. It's not real. He's like, no, this is real. Like you're gonna see. I didn't know anything. So I walk in there and I don't know. And I don't know anybody in the reality space because I just don't watch it besides the Kardashian. But that's not even because of reality show. But anyway, I walk in there. The first. First day, they don't let you see anybody. Everything's a surprise. And you. The first day is when you get to see people and in the car right away. And of course, I anticipated like, people are going to only know me for. For my past relationship and they're gonna ask me. I didn't know it was gonna be. The second. The second I was in is like, oh, you're Sam. You're so and so's ex. I was like, yeah. And then to myself, I was like, okay, I need to just shut up because they're gonna. If I want to strategize, I need to just be as quiet as possible and do good in the missions, the physical missions that they have and, and really go into it with. Just, Just let it settle. Let the. The beasts and the people that are really good at this game to kill each other and just play ignorant. Ignorance is a blessing.
- [67:38]
Host 1
Did you kind of play into the. I'm a model. Like, almost as if you.
- [67:42]
Sam Asghari
Why not? I mean, I, I didn't want to be a traitor because of perceptions and, And. And I was like, okay, this is against the person. I'm gonna feed more into this. No, there's the. There's for sure you know something about that. So I didn't want to do that. I wanted to be. And I didn't want to have that pressure anyway. Even though, as an actor, if you. Danielle on the show, she's a great. Well, she's not that good. Because when you cry and.
- [68:08]
Host 2
Yeah, when you cry, she's really putting.
- [68:10]
Host 1
On a performance right now. We're like, come on, everyone knows.
- [68:13]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, she's. She's putting on a performance, but in the show, you have to be. I mean, I'm going in there, and there's like. Like, take this guy's mask off. And he's like. Everybody's like, whoa. Who? Like, we love him. I was like, I have no idea who that is.
- [68:26]
Host 2
Oh. And they did Rob in the beginning.
- [68:29]
Sam Asghari
I have no idea who that is. I don't know anybody besides Nikki. And Nikki thought I was the guy from this other show, Love Island, Davide. And she's. I saw the show. She's like, I thought you were. That. I was like, ah, come on.
- [68:43]
Host 1
Don't you hate it when people say you look like so and so and they show you a picture? You're like. Like him.
- [68:48]
Sam Asghari
Yeah. I. I. For. This is a trick that I do when somebody says. Somebody said to my girl, now, she's like, you look like my cousin. I was like, okay, let me see a picture. Like, pull it up now.
- [69:01]
Host 2
Nothing.
- [69:02]
Sam Asghari
Like, yeah, if you do that, it never. No, you have to ask for a picture instantly.
- [69:06]
Host 1
It never works. You were talking about you didn't want to be a traitor. Do you. You know, and you mentioned earlier, you know, people, like, maybe had accused you of, like, using, you know, your relationship. Is that criticism, the one that was maybe the most hurtful?
- [69:21]
Sam Asghari
No, it. Nothing hurts me.
- [69:25]
Host 1
Nothing's the Hulk. Come on.
- [69:27]
Sam Asghari
Honestly, nothing hurts me because you can't listen to the.
- [69:32]
Host 2
I know, but how is that. How did you get to this headspace of, like, y'all can't get to me, because I feel like that's a hard place.
- [69:39]
Host 1
Listen to this.
- [69:40]
Sam Asghari
I was one thing I left out. I was. I played sports. I played football for almost six years, and I was in the police academy. I was doing the cadet program as well.
- [69:51]
Host 1
Oh, really? Yeah.
- [69:51]
Sam Asghari
I was doing the cadet program. I was trying to be a sheriff. My uncles were sheriff. But this discipline thing that I've made in my head, you know, being away from my family in the upgrowing thing, this discipline that you sit in the noise, like, in the loudest room, you sit in the noise and you just watch it all disappear. Like, all of a sudden, all the noise goes away. The second you sit in all the noise and it just goes away. Then you focus and nothing else is gonna hurt you. Of course, if somebody says to me something that's gonna actually. If you say something about my sisters or the people that I love the most, then I'm gonna be offended. But if you say anything to me about me, unless it's the truth, unless it's like you're my friend or you're my mentor and you say, sam, you're not working hard enough, and I say, absolutely, absolutely. I love you for that. And I'm. Unless it's that.
- [70:43]
Host 1
Well, I did one of. One of my favorite books ever read. Taught me that being offended is a product of your self importance.
- [70:51]
Sam Asghari
Absolutely. What do you. What, what is someone. That's something they're going to tell me something that's absolutely the. And I don't blame people when they have a certain perception. I don't get mad because you. There's a reason. Of course you're going to blame somebody that's in a relationship that's, you know, we have an age gap difference. It's Hollywood. Everybody uses people. And then better yet, that that person was used by every single person, including the person. The people that are close to her, of course. But I'm gonna make sure I don't do that. I'm gonna make sure I'm not the example to my family or they don't look at me as the embarrassment. It's not even about me. I want to make everybody that loves me proud. So why would I do something for them to be like, wait a minute, my brother is a piece of shit. I would never want that.
- [71:36]
Host 1
Yeah. What's your relationship nowadays with her fan base? Because they, like you said, are very protective.
- [71:43]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [71:44]
Host 1
You know, obviously you seem pretty, like, grounded. Obviously you don't read, but like, do you feel like they have a. A pretty, you know, positive. Yeah. Towards you?
- [71:54]
Sam Asghari
I hope so. I hope so. But that's. That's never been. My focus is. Is.
- [71:58]
Host 1
I know.
- [71:59]
Sam Asghari
I love the fans. I think fans are amazing.
- [72:02]
Host 1
But it's nice if they're like. Like chill with you, you know, I.
- [72:05]
Sam Asghari
Mean, it's nice, but if you've never done anything wrong and you never done anything to. If you've always been honorable and been a good person, why would that matter?
- [72:15]
Host 1
What made you not want to end up being a sheriff?
- [72:17]
Sam Asghari
I think it was just. I was sidetracked by the acting stuff and I was just. I was like, it's time to put a focus on it and it's time to go play a Cop, maybe. If you really want to be a cop, go play. So I did a movie with Mel Gibson and I was a SWAT team. I was like, okay, I made it.
- [72:33]
Host 1
You did it? Ye. What movie was that?
- [72:36]
Sam Asghari
It was called Hot Seat.
- [72:37]
Host 1
Okay.
- [72:37]
Sam Asghari
It was really cool. Good experience. Good guy, interesting guy. Obviously there's a lot of perception there too, because what his past has been, but he taught me so much things about acting. He was so nice to people, and he was the hardest working person in there. And that's why I say, like, it's going to take some sort of a. Like, it's not by accident. You know, people get to the top by. By working and being, you know, being themselves and being nice. So. So it was really interesting to learn from him. And everybody, really. I work. Even traders. When we went into it, I mean, yeah, there's people that are over the top and they have. They've been practicing their lines in the bathroom of their hotel rooms every night, you know, because they know what's going to be on TV and what's going to be good on tv. But they were also good people. I met a lot of people and I tried not to judge them by. By who they. And I didn't know. The second the sweaty guy walked out, there's a guy that was. Yeah, the second that guy walked out, I was like, wait a minute, I have no idea who these are. I was like, okay, maybe I'm thankful because there's the antagonist right there. So maybe, you know, I'm not gonna be the antagonist. They're gonna be him. And he kept doing things that, that. That fit into it. I was like, wait a minute. Like, drink some water, relax.
- [73:56]
Host 2
Sit in front of a fan.
- [73:57]
Host 1
Yes. Like Tom. Tom's Tom. Tom can't help but be himself. You know, it was really strange, man.
- [74:03]
Sam Asghari
But it was so strange. And it was just. He was the most strangest one, but everybody else was. Was. Was great. But, you know, I. I feel bad for him that they edited him the way they did, but do you think.
- [74:16]
Host 1
He got a bad edit or do you think.
- [74:18]
Sam Asghari
I mean, if they see you sweating like that and then they leave you in it, they trying to do that on purpose for sure. And wait, moment of sweat.
- [74:24]
Host 1
There's not much.
- [74:25]
Sam Asghari
And I think by the time this episode is out, there's going to be other things that's going to be even worse. But I'm just saying, if, you know, your perception, you man up to. I think. I don't know what he did. I don't follow reality. But people were talking like, this guy did this and he's the most hated person in America. I was like, bin or Tom, because, like, he's the most.
- [74:47]
Host 1
Why?
- [74:48]
Sam Asghari
He's like, oh, he. He did this to his girl, to his thing and drama and all that. I was like, wait, so that's real? He did that on real. And I was like, okay, then go, man. Even Alan said, go, man up to it and don't feed into it and just move on. Learn from your mistakes and move on and. And try to be there. Try to be a good person.
- [75:09]
Host 1
I don't know. The learning from the mistakes part is. I don't.
- [75:12]
Sam Asghari
He's.
- [75:12]
Host 1
He seems to have struggled with that.
- [75:14]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [75:14]
Host 1
I don't know.
- [75:15]
Host 2
Yeah, the Ewan Ion's social media is, I think, so funny.
- [75:22]
Sam Asghari
Ion, I love Ayan.
- [75:24]
Host 2
She is a hoot. Her thinking everyone on Survivor, they were surviving from diseases. She didn't know that was an actual show.
- [75:30]
Sam Asghari
Let me tell you something about Ion. She does things that come out to be genius, but it's so. What you see in those episodes. I think she's in, what, two episodes, or I think she dies one and a half. But there's a lot of things that happen. There's a lot more talking. The edits are, you know, basically made into like an hour, but you got a whole day worth of talking. And I spend a lot of time with her, and she was so great, and she was just saying, like, that that man is gonna catch me, that that man is coming after me tonight. It was just such a fun time. And like I said, I know she has a perception in reality, whatever the case is, but I liked her as a person. She spoke about her husband and her son and. And, you know, I think she's a businesswoman and she's. She's doing amazing, but she was so funny, and she made that experience so good for me. Yeah, she did. She was nosy at the beginning. But listen, I don't blame you. I said. She said, I'm sorry I asked that on camera. But I was like, no, what are you talking about? You know, she was the first one. Right off the bat, she was like, oh, you did this? I was like, give me a second. Give me a minute. Now my strategy change. I'm not going to speak. You know, I did speak a lot. There's just. In that edit and things like that. And it's a good thing, I think, because, you know, I wasn't about to go after these people and get killed from, you know, that that man was going to give me the traitors, were going to get me, you know, the. The first night or so. That was a good strategy. And Dylan does speak up a lot, and he's right and wrong about a lot of things. But. But, you know, I didn't want what happened to Dylan to happen to me, which was, you know, Bob the Drag Queen was. Had everything ready. He was prepared. He was ready for, you know, the round tables every night. And Dylan said, one time, you know, I grew up with an actor, and you're. The way you're acting, and then the guy's like, oh, your brother's not even a great actor. And that's like, you know, it's just. It's a cheap shot.
- [77:35]
Host 2
Playing dirty.
- [77:35]
Host 1
Yeah, that's dirty.
- [77:36]
Host 2
No, it's dirty.
- [77:37]
Sam Asghari
There's no point. And right after the Traders, I spend a lot of time with Zach. We spent time in Venice together, and I told him about Dylan. We both had a truck stolen in five months ago, like a TRX truck. Zach had his stolen and I had mine stolen. So we were talking about that. And he was so genuine and he was so cool. And his performance in 17 again is actually amazing as an actor.
- [78:00]
Host 1
It's a great movie.
- [78:01]
Sam Asghari
And the wrestling movie he did, he's. He's an amazing actor. So much better actor than Bob the Drag Queen. And Bob the Drag Queen is a great. Everybody's good at their own things, and he made tv. Bob the Drag Queen.
- [78:12]
Host 1
What was the. What was the movie where Zach played Ted Bundy? Yeah, he was an excellent.
- [78:17]
Sam Asghari
No, he's. Those brothers, they're genuine. They. Dylan, especially super genuine. And. And even on the show, and even now when I speak to him after the show, he's super genuine. And same with Zach. So I didn't like that, and I didn't like some of the personal stuff that happened. And. But it wasn't the right show for me to shine. It was. Let these people go after themselves.
- [78:39]
Host 1
You mentioned Dancing with the Stars earlier. Is that something you're just not remotely interested in? Or do you think maybe in the future that could be something we could see you on?
- [78:47]
Sam Asghari
You know what? The reason why I wasn't interested is because I wasn't limber and I wasn't flexible, but I think I'm.
- [78:54]
Host 1
You've been stretching.
- [78:55]
Sam Asghari
No, I've been taking a lot of Zumba classes in LA Fitness.
- [78:59]
Host 1
Okay.
- [79:00]
Sam Asghari
No, no, I. You know, it's a fun experience.
- [79:02]
Host 1
I did it once a while back.
- [79:03]
Sam Asghari
And I think, you know, there's a possibility when there's time in between acting thing. Like just like the traders to do it. But if I'm going to do it, I'm going to. I'm going to. I'm going to be dancing. So don't get me wrong. Yeah.
- [79:16]
Host 1
Have you seen the show Special Forces?
- [79:18]
Sam Asghari
I've been offered special forces many times.
- [79:20]
Host 1
You should do that.
- [79:21]
Sam Asghari
I. It's really badass. It's really, really cool. It's really cool. It's badass.
- [79:26]
Host 2
Have you ever wanted to play someone in the military? Because this could be.
- [79:32]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [79:32]
Host 2
Your way of doing that.
- [79:33]
Sam Asghari
So everything has. If there is time for it. You know, my manager and agents, they. They're amazing. They work really hard and sometimes they have good ideas. So if it makes sense, it's to do it. But I'm. Right now, I'm not planning on becoming a reality. W H O R E hor oh, yeah.
- [79:51]
Host 2
He's not going to be a reality.
- [79:53]
Host 1
That makes sense.
- [79:55]
Sam Asghari
What's his name? I'm not. I'm not Davide. Yeah.
- [80:00]
Host 1
What is next for you, like, career wise? Like, what's your dream future look like from your. From a professional standpoint?
- [80:06]
Sam Asghari
So from a professional standpoint, I love what Tyler Perry's doing, Taylor Sheridan's doing, Mark Wahlberg and all these people, they're creating jobs and they're creating productions and producing. I want to get into that. But before you be the coach, you have to play the game. So we have a little bit of time into establishing the acting career. A little bit. And, you know, perception had to do a lot with that because. Because my background is in acting as literally theater and arts, and that's what I've been loving. And my relationship that people know me the most happened because of acting. It was an acting job that we met on. So, you know, it's a period of time where I'm going to be focusing on acting and I'm going to be making some projects as well. I do have my own production that's creating some great short films right now. We have a TV series in development and we have a movie in development as well. It's called PB&J Productions. And that's because that's what I ate to fit in America. PB&J& drank Gatorade. That's what it was literally doing. I thought that was an American thing to do.
- [81:14]
Host 1
And it was definitely kind of.
- [81:16]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is.
- [81:18]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [81:18]
Sam Asghari
I mean, you guys. And I love that. But that's, you know, and in the meetings I have with some of the studios, I Do bring in peanut butter and jelly sandwich, because everybody likes peanut butter and jelly sandwich, except they're allergic to it.
- [81:30]
Host 2
I was about to say that's a high allergy.
- [81:34]
Host 1
It used to be, but I think.
- [81:36]
Host 2
They cut it out of, like, kids schools. They're like, you can't even.
- [81:39]
Host 1
This is crazy.
- [81:39]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, Glitch.
- [81:41]
Host 1
What's glitch? Tell me about Glitch.
- [81:42]
Sam Asghari
Okay, so Glitch is a amazing idea. You know, me and my mentor have been working on this for a while and is some sort of a very relevant TV series that we developed. We wrote the script, and we're in talks with some studios. But it's a series about what the next generation of social media is going to be about. Slash, AI. Of course it's about AI. No, AI is being used to make it. But basically it's people that have perceptions online. You know, everybody uses Facetune and avatars and all that. But now we're so advanced that you can actually project that filter into you. So it's people using filters to advance their careers and, you know, to advance their relationships or whatever the case may be. So they are wearing some sort of an avatar. So you can go from white to black, you can go from female to male, but it's all connected to the satellite. And if that satellite glitches, then you reveal yourself. So the whole show is sort of like black mirror. What would you really do?
- [82:46]
Host 1
It was very black mirror.
- [82:48]
Sam Asghari
So what would you really do to protect your identity when all you have is based on that? Some people kill. There's characters in it that don't really care. They're like, well, we don't really want to. Let's plan around the glitch. When the next crash is to reveal ourselves because we love each other, and then they reveal themselves and they don't really love each other.
- [83:07]
Host 1
Yeah, you seem very career focused now. But. But on the personal side, are you open to getting married again or kids possibly in your future? What does that look like on the personal side for you?
- [83:18]
Sam Asghari
So I think personal side, anything that has happened to me on the personal level has always been a blessing. It's always been the right timing. And so I just kind of let the universe do that work for me. And as long as I can be a good father and be a good future husband and I can just keep improving is number one. And I do want to stay grounded, you know, because I know that fame, success, and all that stuff doesn't mean anything. I just, you know, all that stuff that the exterior things that you put on a show doesn't mean anything at the end. You want to be a good person and you want to make this world a better place. So I kind of want both of them to develop at the same time. Not really. Just let the universe do the work.
- [84:05]
Host 1
Saying no to nothing, open to anything.
- [84:07]
Sam Asghari
I think, I think when it comes say no to a lot of things.
- [84:09]
Host 2
Things, you know, saying no to Special Forces.
- [84:13]
Host 1
No, no, I never mean like, you.
- [84:16]
Sam Asghari
Know, no, no to those. I never said no to those.
- [84:19]
Host 1
It's not right now.
- [84:20]
Sam Asghari
There's no, no, there's a possibility in those things. Depends on, you know, the timing and all that. But I think, you know, you just have to be careful around celebrity. I've been offered a lot. There was a. Another show and stars on Mars and something.
- [84:37]
Host 1
Yeah, you could have met Tom's best friend. Tom.
- [84:40]
Host 2
You would sweaty gu Friend.
- [84:42]
Sam Asghari
No, no, no. Good thing I said no.
- [84:43]
Host 1
He's, he's, no, he's very, it's, I.
- [84:46]
Host 2
Think he's less sweaty.
- [84:47]
Host 1
He's less, he's definitely less sweaty. Yeah, less of a.
- [84:49]
Sam Asghari
Okay. I hope he wears deodorant.
- [84:52]
Host 2
Did Tom Sandoval not wear deodorant?
- [84:53]
Host 1
I did Special Forces with Tom Sandoval.
- [84:55]
Sam Asghari
Oh, you did? Oh, I'm sorry. It's okay.
- [84:58]
Host 1
I, it was great.
- [84:59]
Sam Asghari
I, it was great. I, I, I mean he was talking about that a lot. Oh, he won. He was talking a lot about that show and it's just hard to listen to somebody that was talking about everything. So he talks a lot. Yeah, it was just. And I can't, I told you from the beginning, I can't take, pay attention to something I'm not interested in. So, and you can tell some it was, you know, but, but it's that, that, that may be the reason why I don't want to be a reality W H O R e. You can say horror Sam. No, no, he's a gentleman.
- [85:34]
Host 2
No.
- [85:34]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [85:34]
Host 1
God, no.
- [85:35]
Host 2
He would never.
- [85:35]
Sam Asghari
But you know, I think when it comes to your personal life and I, I love energies and I love just letting universe do the work because it's been so good to me.
- [85:45]
Host 1
Do you have any pet peeves? What really pisses you off, if anything?
- [85:49]
Host 2
Nothing.
- [85:49]
Sam Asghari
No, I, there's, there's things that pisses me off a lot every day, like on a daily basis, watching people, you know, it, it's really, I have a lot. I'm gonna sum it up when people are being cheap, not as like money wise cheap, but if they, they're being cheap and Selling themselves cheap and not really understanding their worth. Like by throwing trash down or not picking up some. That's being cheap to me. Because if you're throwing trash down and waiting for a janitor that doesn't make as much as money as you to come pick it up, then that, that means you're being.
- [86:21]
Host 1
Do you put your grocery cart back?
- [86:24]
Sam Asghari
I do. Because I don't want to be caught in those ticks.
- [86:26]
Host 1
That'd be cheap.
- [86:27]
Sam Asghari
I think so. That'll be cheap. So that's a pit peeve. Like anything in that. And also someone that doesn't really truly believe in themselves. You look at them and you're like, you're worth a lot more than you think you're worth.
- [86:39]
Host 2
Do you have road rage? Have you ever like, I don't somebody while you're driving.
- [86:45]
Sam Asghari
That's cheap.
- [86:47]
Host 1
We would say you don't pay attention while you're driving.
- [86:49]
Sam Asghari
I don't pay attention while I was driving. No, I haven't. You know, I have a car that has a lot of sensors. It's an EV car.
- [86:55]
Host 1
Just lets it do the work.
- [86:57]
Sam Asghari
I just, you know, as long as I touch it once, just go with the energy. I'm not a good driver. I'm gonna tell you. I'm gonna tell you you that I'm not a good driver.
- [87:04]
Host 1
Now he doesn't think I'm a good driver either.
- [87:06]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, it's a. It's a good.
- [87:07]
Host 2
Do you think. I mean, I love this. The self con. Do you think that you are a good.
- [87:13]
Host 1
Never been in an accident?
- [87:14]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, no, I. I think I'm a good driver. My. My driving record says otherwise. I think I'm a good driver when I do pay attention. But you got a lead foot.
- [87:26]
Host 1
You speed?
- [87:27]
Sam Asghari
No, I don't speed. I never cared about speeding. I never cared about fast cars either. Like, I, I do truly. I had nice. And I. And I have a nice car now, but I truly feel embarrassed if I were to drive a super nice car. Yeah, it's so embarrassing for me.
- [87:45]
Host 2
I never.
- [87:46]
Sam Asghari
And like valet.
- [87:47]
Host 2
The cyber truck is the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen in my life.
- [87:51]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, it looks like a trash can a little bit. But it's not about that. It's about cybertruck could be cool. But I'm saying if there's a. Like a.
- [87:58]
Host 1
Some of the cars are like a Lamborghini. Yeah. It's just like ridiculous.
- [88:02]
Sam Asghari
Yeah. I just feel like I already look like a douchebag and, you know, I don't want to confirm it by Driving a.
- [88:10]
Host 2
That's true. Have something with big loud pipes on.
- [88:13]
Host 1
The end of it.
- [88:14]
Sam Asghari
You don't need that. I truly.
- [88:15]
Host 1
Yeah. You can't walk out of a Lamborghini. Everyone be like, ah, yeah, no, I.
- [88:20]
Sam Asghari
Wouldn'T mind driving a Honda Civic like I did in high school. I wouldn't mind that at all. I'm not going to take care of it anyway. It's going to be dirty. It's going to be.
- [88:28]
Host 2
Are you a clean person? Like, is your house clean?
- [88:31]
Sam Asghari
It's organized, but it's not so clean. My room, the living room is clean. You know, I like you to clean it. It has to be clean every single time for other people's respect. For my dog, she likes it clean. And my drawers and you know, anything I put stores in. Absolutely not.
- [88:50]
Host 2
It's crazy.
- [88:51]
Sam Asghari
It's organized. I know where everything is. Yeah, but it's not, it's not nasty there.
- [88:56]
Host 1
I'm with you, Sam.
- [88:57]
Sam Asghari
It's sort of like, like, you know.
- [88:58]
Host 1
It'S kind of like as long as it's in the drawer, I'll find it.
- [89:01]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [89:01]
Host 2
Eventually.
- [89:02]
Host 1
I know what drawer at some point.
- [89:03]
Host 2
If I have enough time.
- [89:04]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, it's. That's how life is.
- [89:06]
Host 2
What is your favorite? Self care.
- [89:08]
Sam Asghari
You. The self care stuff is very important. Very important. I do, you know, exercising I think is number one. Not for big muscles and, and ripped six pack.
- [89:19]
Host 2
Those just came.
- [89:21]
Host 1
He does have big muscles, everybody.
- [89:22]
Sam Asghari
No, right now they're small because I do have to pump them sometimes to, you know, I, I have this air pump in the car.
- [89:29]
Host 2
Oh, deflating currently.
- [89:31]
Host 1
No, but he's also a comedian.
- [89:33]
Sam Asghari
No, I, I like, you know, self tape. Self tapes. Self tapes. Self cares. No, not that type of acting self.
- [89:45]
Host 2
Oh, sorry.
- [89:45]
Sam Asghari
Yes, of course not the ones.
- [89:47]
Host 1
It's very common post Covid that way.
- [89:48]
Sam Asghari
The only. No I say is to only fans. That's the, that's the one we say no to. But I think self care stuff is, you know, exercising. There's a lot of, of amazing benefits from it. If I don't do like, it's sort of an addiction to me. It truly is. Because that's all I knew. That's how I got into the entertainment industry. I got into sports. I got. That's. That's what my foundation was. And mentally it's, it's very important to me to exercise. When I exercise in the morning and the first thing I do then I'm calm about everything else. Then, you know, I'm able to be a better person for everybody else. And I have a job to do so I do have to stay in, in a good shape. But if you want to talk beyond that, you know I, I do have a self care routine that I do.
- [90:35]
Host 2
Sometimes like a nighttime skincare routine.
- [90:37]
Sam Asghari
My, my sister has a medical spa and, and you know she gives me a lot of her products and she says I want to tell people that I did your lips. No one, no one has done my lips. But she wants to post it before that. You know, she's like, I wanted to, you know, I wanted to.
- [90:53]
Host 2
Like she wants to use you.
- [90:55]
Sam Asghari
Yeah. So she, but no, but with her you products and great vitamins that we do there and, and brands that send me free stuff all the time. So I just try to do it but sometimes I don't do it the right way I put it. What is it called? Reticle something.
- [91:10]
Host 2
Retinol.
- [91:11]
Sam Asghari
Retinol thing. And then they're like, oh, you know, the first time you do it you're gonna turn red. I was like, oh, I didn't know that. But I think drinking water is really good for your skin and great for your mental health. But I think anything that contributes to your mental health, whether if it's physical exercise, whether if it's eating certain type of food and whatever is catering towards grounding you is really good for you. As long as you're following those, you're just a better person for the people around you. The ice bat stuff, forget about it. Those stuff like I playing football, we used to be in a trash can with ice and I didn't see the difference. I, I still was bruised up. I mean it helps and all that, but definitely not going to help me now because I'm stressed about, you know, some self tape I did is not or something. It's not going to help you. It's, it's, it's not beneficial. It's not scientifically proven to be beneficial. The sauna is. I love the sauna. You know, you, especially after a night of chips, a lot of salt in your body, you, you're gonna need the sauna. Hair care. Hair care. I'm trying to grow my hair and you know you have to put this scalp serum on and I like that. It's a good one. Wow.
- [92:22]
Host 1
You want to recommend some scalp serum to me?
- [92:24]
Sam Asghari
You know, lately I've been doing this one that's been really good. I like the one that doesn't oil your hair. Hair. But there's one that I don't know the name of but text it to me. I'LL text it to you. It's really good. There's a lot.
- [92:36]
Host 1
There's a lot of great hair, Sam.
- [92:38]
Sam Asghari
I try to. I try to.
- [92:39]
Host 1
And then is the. The thing you've been sporting on Traders, the kind of the curl in the front, is that your. Is that like your go to trademark?
- [92:46]
Sam Asghari
No, it's not. It's not really a trademark. Well, I, you know, you know, what about the sweaty guy? I was doing it for like three or four episodes and then he walks in with it.
- [92:56]
Host 1
He copied you. It's so. Tom.
- [92:58]
Sam Asghari
Yeah. Like I said, wait a minute.
- [93:02]
Host 1
Are we gonna see that?
- [93:04]
Sam Asghari
Whatever the edits are. But yeah, I mean, it was just. It was just so interesting. It was. It was really funny. But it wasn't the same, obviously. But obviously, no, it's not a trademark. It's always. It falls down like some sort of a thing. My hair grows. But right now my hair is a lot longer than that. So, you know, I'm getting ready for a project, trying to grow it. As much as it's a biblical piece piece. So it's like a time period piece. And I think it's going to be.
- [93:33]
Host 2
You're Jesus.
- [93:34]
Host 1
I.
- [93:34]
Sam Asghari
No. Maybe. Maybe. I don't know, man.
- [93:37]
Host 1
I heard Mel Gibson's like making a new movie.
- [93:40]
Sam Asghari
He's made. He's made good movies. I think he made Passion of Christ, which I think spoke to him about.
- [93:45]
Host 1
He said he wants to do like a one about the. Anyway, yeah. Resurrection.
- [93:48]
Sam Asghari
This is a TV series and everything. Not only this project, but a lot of things that are in out there is a lot of timepieces. And I think my clean cut makes me too clean. And I think long hair always gives you this edgy and not care. And that's why I tried not to be as clean as possible.
- [94:09]
Host 1
What was the craziest thing Tom did while you were there with him?
- [94:12]
Sam Asghari
Oh, he missed. He mispronounced traitor for cheater. And Alan Freudian slipped. We all know you're a cheater, but we're talking about traitor. But they're gonna edit that and they.
- [94:25]
Host 1
That'll make the cut for sure.
- [94:27]
Sam Asghari
Listen, it. I think he's troubled in a way of. He doesn't know how to make fun of yourself. If you are something that, you know, you don't like to be that someone or, you know, people are saying all these things. If you make fun of it, then they're like, oh, why would we make fun of him? He already, you know, he doesn't. It doesn't get to. He's not good at that. And he's not good at just. I think sometimes you got to man up. You got to man up, and you got to just. You got to be like, I know I done this, and I. And. And I'm sorry. I apologize, but it's never gonna happen again. And I think we're. In this generation, we're missing that because there's a lot of ego. I don't know if he. I'm not talking about him, but there's no egos involved. You got to just improve and be a man. And it's not this toxic that you hear online. Of course, you have fanboys and all that, but it's. That's not what a man is. A man. Man is someone that your daughter could look up to and be like, that's the person that's an example of a man. That's who I should be with.
- [95:26]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [95:26]
Sam Asghari
And your sisters and your mom and, you know, that type of stuff. So you have to own up to the things you've done if they're wrong. You know, he's not good at that.
- [95:35]
Host 2
True.
- [95:36]
Host 1
Anything else you want to ask Sam before we let him go?
- [95:39]
Host 2
I don't think so. You've really opened up a lot. You have these. Just an incredible look on life and head on your shoulders. I feel like it's very rare, especially meeting people in Hollywood, that you had to just have the head that you have. I would attribute it to, I don't know, your family, the way you grew up. Is that right?
- [95:59]
Sam Asghari
I think so. I think his family, if they like this, they like to take the.
- [96:04]
Host 2
The credit.
- [96:05]
Sam Asghari
The credit for it. No, it's just, I think, personality, family, and.
- [96:09]
Host 1
Well, also, I mean, like you said. I mean, our conversation started with some. Some real.
- [96:13]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [96:14]
Host 1
That you and your family had to go through. It's like, you know, we love talking about pop culture and Hollywood, and it's fun, but, like.
- [96:21]
Sam Asghari
Yeah.
- [96:22]
Host 1
You know, like, you. The things you described, that. That gives you character, that stays with you, that. I think so that defines you as you are, and that does that. That keeps you grounded. And compared to what you went through coming here, all this other stuff, it does. It must seem.
- [96:35]
Sam Asghari
I think. I think the most dangerous, dangerous time, and the most dangerous person is the person that. That doesn't have anything to lose. And they're here. They're like, I don't. You know, I already made it. And to me, I made it. I'm already in this country legit. There is a lottery system where you enter and you win a lottery for an American visa from where I'm from. That's what it is. It's a lottery system. So it's like if you already came here, you made it, you won the lottery. Buttery and everything else is sort of like the cream.
- [97:07]
Host 1
Yeah, whatever they say, Sam, it's gravy. Yeah, I think they say it's gravy. Cherry on top.
- [97:14]
Sam Asghari
You know, cherry on top.
- [97:15]
Host 1
Bonus. Yeah, we can throw them all together.
- [97:17]
Sam Asghari
Yeah, whatever.
- [97:19]
Host 1
Sam has been a ton of fun, man. Really appreciate your time. It really has been fun getting to know you. It's been a great opportunity for us and a lot of fun on this end.
- [97:27]
Sam Asghari
Amazing pleasure.
- [97:28]
Host 2
We hope to see you on our screens going forward.
- [97:31]
Host 1
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