James L. Brooks

Summary

Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)

Guest: James L. Brooks

Episode Date: December 10, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson reunite with legendary writer, director, and producer James L. Brooks (“Mary Tyler Moore,” “The Simpsons,” “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News”) for an intimate conversation about careers, creativity, mentorship, and the stories behind Brooks’ new film “Ella McKay.” The trio blends deep reflection with old-friend ribbing—sharing industry wisdom, personal anecdotes, and the enduring value of collaboration.

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Main Topics & Key Insights

1. James L. Brooks and the Making of "Ella McKay"

• Woody Harrelson stars in Brooks’ upcoming film “Ella McKay,” set for release December 12th.
• Brooks discusses the years-long journey writing the script (over 15 years) and the collaborative process with Woody.
• Woody shares that he lobbied to participate in table reads as Brooks revised the script, emphasizing its continual improvement.
  • Woody Harrelson: “I just watched every iteration of the film as you were writing it, and I just felt it just kept getting better and better, better.” (07:19)
• Brooks reveals the personal inspiration behind Woody’s role—his own complicated relationship with his father.

2. Personal Histories, Family, and Creative Drive

• Brooks opens up about his troubled relationship with his father, who struggled with alcoholism and was largely absent.
  • Brooks: “He was errant in every way. There were times that my mother worked all the time…he was carousing alcoholic.” (09:39)
• Brooks recounts a pivotal and final encounter with his father, offering to pay him to leave his sister alone—a formative story of family responsibility and emotional scars.
  • Brooks: “If I had my life to live over, I’d live it the same way again.” (11:01)
  • Ted: “Kind of a fuck you. Fuck you. I’m who I am and I’m not going to change.” (11:24)

3. Creative Process & Collaboration

• Brooks and Woody discuss rehearsal, the value of a supportive set, and building an environment of warmth and trust for actors.
• Ted probes Brooks on his directing style; Brooks highlights the importance of starting each day positively and the need to nurture actors through creative “dips.”
  • Brooks: “Starting the day with a warm greeting…I think it helps him a little bit. You sort of build him up.” (07:02)

4. Mentorship, Writer’s Rooms & Industry Reflections

• Discussion of the TV writer’s room as a source of learning and camaraderie.
  • Brooks: “To me, the best job in the business is to be on a series that’s working.” (28:20)
• Warm recollections of the “Cheers” and “Taxi” days, including how Ted earned a pivotal guest spot on “Taxi” with Brooks’ backing.
  • Ted: “Because you hired me for Taxi…I do believe that I owe you a great deal because obviously that led to Cheers.” (16:36)

5. Career Challenges, Luck, and Artistic Risk

• Brooks returns often to the theme of luck, timing, and catching breaks.
  • Brooks: “Luck is as big a part of it…” (22:43)
• Even for legends, insecurity remains: Brooks shares that even after iconic successes, the industry expects ongoing proof—"Maybe two" more films, as one veteran told him.
  • Brooks: “How many more will they let me make because of this? …Maybe two.” (35:33)

6. Influential Figures and Mentors

• Brooks reveres heroes like Paddy Chayefsky and John Cassavetes. He shares stories of observing Cassavetes work, describing the communal, intense artistic space he created—calling it “church.”
  • Brooks: “I got to hang around with Cassavetes…so supportive, it was just—I’m like a kid and I’m taking this in and I’m seeing heaven.” (53:40)

7. Creative Integrity & “One for Them, One for You”

• The group debates the idea of doing projects “for the studios” versus personal passion; Brooks reflects on his good fortune in rarely needing to compromise.
  • Brooks: “There used to be this notion, you know, do one for them…and one for yourself…Yeah, I’ve been spoiled in a really good way.” (50:29, 50:47)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Career Origins & Breaks:

• [03:21] Woody Harrelson: “I realized, like…you sometimes go for years and years and you don’t ask like fundamental questions… you don’t find out these really important details.”
• [23:24] Jim Brooks: “If he had come back to the job, I can imagine…how desolate my life could have been.”

On Working with Actors:

• [07:02] Jim Brooks: “Starting the day with a warm greeting… you sort of build him up.”
• [17:01] Jim Brooks: “Do you remember this? …I just said one word to you…‘fly.’ And you just nodded and you exploded.”

On Family & Inspiration:

• [11:01] Jim Brooks: “If I had my life to live over, I’d live it the same way again. And left.”
• [13:01] Jim Brooks: “My mother and her sister…were, I think, the significant loves in each other’s lives.”

On Mentorship & Collaboration:

• [28:20] Jim Brooks: “The best job in the business is to be on a series that’s working.”
• [53:40] Jim Brooks: “I got to hang around with Cassavetes… it was all—church to, you know. That’s what made it church.”

On Talent & Casting:

• [37:29] Jim Brooks (on Holly Hunter’s “Broadcast News” audition): “She auditioned. She auditioned. She auditioned. Yeah, she auditioned… Thank God. It was all-to-your-knees… the other thing would have changed my life.”
• [43:00] Jim Brooks (on working with Hans Zimmer): “The conversation is different than with any other composer because the conversation is like…you have with a co-writer… the goals are unique. You know what he sees?”

On Self-Consciousness and Creation:

• [49:49] Jim Brooks: “You guys agree it’s the enemy. I mean, self-consciousness is the enemy.”
• [50:29] Jim Brooks: “Do one for them…and one for yourself… Yeah, I’ve been spoiled in a really good way.”

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Episode Timeline & Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |----------|-------------| | 00:32 | Jim’s first job in journalism, coffee for Murrow | | 04:38 | How Woody was cast in “Ella McKay” | | 09:39 | Brooks’ family background—father’s absence, mother’s work ethic | | 11:01 | The emotional last encounter with Brooks' father | | 13:29 | The real-life inspirations behind the characters in “Ella McKay” | | 16:06 | Ted’s “Taxi” audition and its ripple effect for “Cheers” | | 17:01 | Brooks’ memorable “fly” direction to Ted | | 22:38 | Brooks on the role of luck and early breaks in his CBS days | | 24:03 | Reflections on Edward R. Murrow and the state of journalism | | 27:03 | The real-life Lou Grant and writers’ rooms as communities | | 35:33 | How many more films does success buy you? | | 37:29 | Holly Hunter’s breakthrough audition for “Broadcast News” | | 42:11 | Collaboration with Hans Zimmer on film scores | | 47:09 | Working relationships with editors and casting crises | | 49:49 | Self-consciousness as the creative enemy; “one for them, one for you” philosophy | | 53:24 | Mentors & heroes: Cassavetes and the spirit of independent film | | 58:25 | Jack Nicholson’s advice for actors: “Whatever the other person is doing is perfect.” | | 62:13 | The code word: “fly” – Brooks’ classic note to actors | | 62:44 | Fond farewells and ongoing admiration among friends |

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Final Thoughts & Takeaways

The episode is an engaging, at times poignant, conversation about art, risk, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Brooks, candid and self-effacing, extols the value of mentorship, community, and luck, while Danson and Harrelson bounce between reverence, teasing, and deep reflection. For creative professionals—and fans of iconic television and film—this is a masterclass in storytelling, resilience, and heart.

James L. Brooks: "Self-consciousness is the enemy."

Ted Danson: "All creativity has to—the risk is you want to repeat the success but that you need to start at zero each time."

Woody Harrelson (to Brooks): "And the humor that you…is so original. I just—anyway, I love you and I miss you and I hope you get to see it soon, buddy." (62:44)

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For anyone in search of inspiration, insider stories, and the essential ingredient of great work—connection—this episode is a must-listen.

Transcript

[Ted Danson]

Where everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson sometimes is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law, not available in all states.

[Jim Brooks]

You're looking at somebody who brought coffee to Edward R. Murrow. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Did you really, though?

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, I did, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Welcome back to Everybody knows your name. I'm very excited about today. On the one hand, we have writer, director and producer James L. Brooks. Think Mary Tyler Moore, the Simpsons, as Good as it gets, Terms of Endearment. And on the other hand, we have Woody, My sometimes brother Woody Harrelson is here today. He's in Paris, I believe, at the moment, making a film. So he's going to zoom in. Woody and Jim work together on a new movie called Ellen McKay, which comes out December 12th, and we'll get into that much, much more. So here they are, Jim Brooks and my sweet friend, Woody Harrelson.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, my God. What the fuck? This is crazy. I don't believe this is happening. Woody, are you guys together in la?

[Jim Brooks]

Yes, we are. Yes, we are. Physically together.

[Woody Harrelson]

So physically jealous, man. I'm so jealous. How's it going?

[Ted Danson]

Well, we're just starting. If you mean how's this going? But, yeah, life. Life's good. Life's good. It's. It's strange to be having you, Jim, right in front of me and looking over your shoulder at you, Woody. But I'm so happy to see you, my friend. It's been a while and I adore you and love you.

[Woody Harrelson]

I love you too, brother. I miss you.

[Ted Danson]

Are you in Austin?

[Jim Brooks]

Hey, I feel I'm getting in the way. You know what I'm saying?

[Woody Harrelson]

Give us a second, Jim. No, I'm in Paris.

[Jim Brooks]

I mean, I'm hearing this stuff.

[Woody Harrelson]

And Jim was right.

[Jim Brooks]

Whatever happened to High Ted?

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, man. So, Jim, the other day I was hanging with these two actors who I've worked with many times, and, like, you know, I hadn't really. I realized, like, you know, you sometimes go for years and years and you don't ask, like, fundamental questions, like about someone's parents, you know, or like, deeper questions. You're in the moment when you're hanging out with them and experiencing, like, when you're doing a show or whatever, but you don't find out these really important details. And so I was thinking to myself, because they give us research. And I'm thinking, what do I need research with Jim Brooks? You know, I've known this guy forever. So many things I fucking didn't do.

[Jim Brooks]

I got excuses for all of them.

[Woody Harrelson]

Anyway, I was. Because, you know. I know, I know. I mean, I think I knew this, but, like, you were born in Brooklyn, but you grew up in New Jersey, right?

[Jim Brooks]

Yes, sir.

[Woody Harrelson]

Am I jumping into this?

[Ted Danson]

No, you're doing fine. But did you think that was the lead question?

[Jim Brooks]

What a great question. No kidding, man. Because it's basic. It's a basic question. Gives you a foundation. Yeah. Born in Brooklyn, brought up in New Jersey.

[Ted Danson]

I'm going to interrupt.

[Jim Brooks]

We should.

[Ted Danson]

Just a second. I just want you to tell me how you and Woody got together to work on this movie that you're working on right now, Ella McKay. Because that's. That's how you're together.

[Woody Harrelson]

Let's not go into that. Can we do that?

[Jim Brooks]

What about Brooklyn and New Jersey?

[Ted Danson]

We're gonna go back to that. I swear to God. By the way, this is.

[Jim Brooks]

I was just gonna have to spill.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, this is me and Teddy's first.

[Ted Danson]

Fight, but this is the reason why Woody and Jim get to be together in the same room, and I'm not in the same room, but on the same podcast. Because you guys just finished working together, right, and you're still just finishing this movie. Right? So just tell me how you cast him instead of me. No, I don't mean that, but how did you guys get together and tell me just a little bit about it.

[Jim Brooks]

I called you. Woody, didn't I call you early? Really early in the game? Yeah, it was.

[Woody Harrelson]

That was cool. I didn't expect that. You know, we've known each other, Teddy, for as long as I've known you, and anyway, it was a great surprise to get a chance to do this part because, you know, I'd been reading the script for years, you know, hoping Jim eventually would finish it.

Which took, you know, like 15 years. And.

I love it. I love it. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm so excited to see it. Jim.

[Ted Danson]

He can't really talk about it because, as you were just saying to me, you're still in the ed. Not so much in the editing room, but you're still in the room.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, Just finishing up.

[Ted Danson]

Finishing it up. And you're still in that.

[Jim Brooks]

There's still stuff. Yeah, there's still a lot of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Where did you.

[Woody Harrelson]

And how are you feeling?

[Jim Brooks]

Good. You know, I. I think I Think I respect it. Oh, wait, I should sell a little harder than that.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

I'm pretty sure I. I respect the movie.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, man, you really gear up for your interviews and just, like, you know, talk about a salesman.

[Ted Danson]

What was it like?

[Woody Harrelson]

I'm in the audience. I'm dying to see this movie now. I respect it.

[Ted Danson]

I've seen the trailer, and I more than respect it. I can't wait to see it. It made me both laugh and want to be around all the actors and characters I just watched on it.

[Woody Harrelson]

Great.

[Jim Brooks]

The man on the screen is insanely good in it.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, good.

[Jim Brooks]

I mean.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah, you can go now, Woody. You got your compliment.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So what was it like being directed by. Are you a.

I just keep doing it again and again, or do you give notes or do you. How do you direct Woody Harrelson?

[Jim Brooks]

I don't know. I mean, we talk. I mean, it seems like just a very natural.

I mean, it's.

No, you know what?

[Ted Danson]

You're intensely real. So we're waiting for this.

[Jim Brooks]

Please don't change. Wait, let me make a comeback here.

[Ted Danson]

No, seriously, I want to know. Keep going.

[Jim Brooks]

So it was, I think, starting the day with a warm greeting. You know, I think it helps him a little bit. You know, he can be down. He can take little dips. So you sort of build him up a little. Build. You know, try. And.

[Ted Danson]

Do you rehearse your films? Always. Did you get to rehearse this?

[Woody Harrelson]

We did.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

You know, I just watched every iteration of the film as you were writing it, and I just felt it just kept getting better and better and better, better. And then, you know, I, like, insisted you got to do a read. Read through. You're going to learn.

[Jim Brooks]

Oh, and then you want to talk about the read through. You want to talk about the grudge. You want to. You want to get into that?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, I do.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. I know it wasn't the happiest, but this is a.

[Jim Brooks]

You know, more years than Oliver admit to working on the script and. And. And put together, you know, with my. With my buddy Woody, and he didn't read it beforehand. Now you're. I'm sorry, you're a professional actor. I am, yeah. And. And you're.

[Woody Harrelson]

I read it beforehand. I just didn't do a good job with it.

[Jim Brooks]

Did you read it beforehand?

[Woody Harrelson]

Yes, of course.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

Okay.

[Woody Harrelson]

So, yeah, I was. I was playing the security guy, but I. I did think I was particularly bad at reading, and I did feel the malice in your eyes as I came up.

[Jim Brooks]

It's like, what's the kid with the fixed World Series going up to? What's that story, you know, Say it ain't so, Joe.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

When Joe threw the game. When the best ball players say it ain't so, Joe Woody is importantly good in the movie and a totally convincing part and a weird one for me because in some ways, based on my own errant father and. Oh, this always sounds so weird when you talk in this form for how somebody just, you know, knocked it out of the park and created a character and it was just palpable. And for me, when it's personal, it was. Yeah. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Thank you, Jim.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, thank you. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

So is this a good opportunity to ask you about your father?

[Ted Danson]

Yes. I'll give you both permission to go back backwards now.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. I want to know about your father because it was a very key, important thing in your development as a human. Even though. Anyway, I want. Tell me about your relationship with that.

[Jim Brooks]

He was errant in every way. There were times that my mother worked all the time. My mother worked three nights a week, six days a week, and he was carousing alcoholic.

The drinking is not in the film, but the serial cheating is part of it. And my older sister, who helped raise me.

Was vulnerable to him. And then I got my first decent job and.

And I. And I had a. I asked my father to come to lunch because he was really messing my sister up.

[Ted Danson]

How old were you at this point?

[Jim Brooks]

Shit, I don't.

[Ted Danson]

Roughly. Teenager or older?

[Jim Brooks]

20S, 20s, 20s. 4, 5, 6, 7.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, this. Diane.

[Jim Brooks]

I said, I'll pay you money to leave my sister alone. And, you know, because she would. He would mess with her.

And we went to lunch to seal the deal.

And it was the last time I saw him. And he got drunk at the lunch.

And he walked, and there was a little stairs that he walked up.

And I had gotten a car for him to pick him up in New Jersey, take him to New York. We had lunch, and the car was there, and he turned around drunk and looked at me. And after this lifetime of everything and sang. If I had my life to live over, I'd live it the same way again. And left. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Kind of a fuck you. Fuck you. I'm who I am, and I'm not going to change.

Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was like a defiance and a defense against what you considered like to be an errant father.

Right. Like, I mean, that it was in that meal that you kind of let him know how you felt.

[Jim Brooks]

It's. It's the absolute opposite of remorse.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

It's yeah, yeah. It's the finger. Yeah. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Did he take your money or did that never happen?

[Jim Brooks]

No, no, that was. He was. Kept his part of the bargain.

[Ted Danson]

Amazing.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Wow.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And had. Was your mother still alive or. I know she passed away when you were like 22 or something.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah. No, she was not. Yeah. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So you really were the only thing between.

[Jim Brooks]

No, it was. It was, yeah. Yeah, it was, it was. It was, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Do you think Diane ever, you know, I mean, did she appreciate the fact that you did that or did she know?

[Jim Brooks]

I don't remember. But our lives were better. I know. All our lives were better. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Other characters in the film, if I. Sorry. Are they as intensely personal as the character your dad that Woody played?

[Jim Brooks]

You know, it's funny how life will deal you who the significant love of your life is and, you know, and hopefully we all, you know, pick a mate and, you know. But it doesn't always work like that. And in this case.

My mother and her sister, they were, I think, the significant loves in each other's lives. I mean, they were sisters who just adored each other. And that's sort of. There's two women in the picture where I think it's true of each of them that. Yeah. The young star and Jamie Lee Curtis.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

The young star. What is her name?

[Jim Brooks]

Emma Mackey.

[Ted Danson]

Emma Mackey, who was in sex education.

[Jim Brooks]

Yes. Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Astounding.

[Jim Brooks]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

So good. Such a good actor.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yep.

[Jim Brooks]

Yep. She's. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Easy on the eye.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Had you worked with Albert?

[Jim Brooks]

Oh, Albert. I've known.

[Ted Danson]

No, I know.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

It was. It.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. Broadcast news. Yeah. He was nominated.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

But I mean, after that, it's just been a long stretch of not working with him or have you seen him?

[Jim Brooks]

And he's. He's does some terms on the Simpsons, so.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Jim Brooks]

So. Yeah. So, yeah. And we're friends. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You know, my only claim to you, which I do make use of, because that's how I am.

[Jim Brooks]

You owe everything to me.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Jim Brooks]

Are we finally getting to that?

[Ted Danson]

Yes, we are. Because you were. I think you were embarrassing.

[Jim Brooks]

I had to bring it up.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, it's Woody.

[Ted Danson]

Woody will go to sleep when we start talking about me, so I wanted to, you know.

[Jim Brooks]

No, I remember it vividly.

[Woody Harrelson]

I won't go to sleep. I'll just go into a very meditative state.

[Jim Brooks]

You just got to get them ready. There's going to be a little few minutes here. It's not going to be about you.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's painful.

[Jim Brooks]

It is.

[Ted Danson]

It leads to you, my friend, who I adore. You know, Cheers brought us together.

[Jim Brooks]

Look how he's reassuring you. He's afraid.

[Ted Danson]

So anyway, you're doing Taxi. It's the, maybe the fourth year or third or fourth year of Taxi, and I think somebody maybe either dropped out or couldn't or something because I got a last minute call to come down and audition, slash, go to the next room and read for the table. Read. Throw for Taxi. And where were you in your career?

[Jim Brooks]

Where were you in your career right then?

[Ted Danson]

In the toilet, Jim. In the toilet.

I'd done two or three movies and then I'd guest starred all over the place.

[Jim Brooks]

Great. And great. You kill her, too.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. No.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Larry Kazan.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

No, I'm a serious actor.

[Jim Brooks]

No. No.

Attention must be paid.

[Ted Danson]

I'm very competitive with my friend Woody. So just a little side note, when I hear about this movie you just made, what I do, when I realize Woody's about to be into something really good and he'll be really good in it, I refuse to watch it on anything except my cell phone, because I can then go, fuck you, Woody Harrelson.

I've made you the right size.

Okay. Anyway, down I come.

[Woody Harrelson]

That was uncomfortable, but go ahead.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, down I come to and I read and it was, I remember you laughing when I was reading around the table and I was like, music to my ears because I had heard your laugh throughout all the episodes of Taxi, because you have that distinctive laugh. And it was like, oh, that was wonderful. But I think Jimmy Burrows was either directing that episode of Taxi, but he was also around the corner with Les and Glenn Charles putting together and starting to cast Cheers. And because you hired me for Taxi and I got to be in proximity of Les and Glenn, I do believe that I owe you a great deal because obviously that led to Cheers.

[Jim Brooks]

I really appreciate it, but you're not quite going far enough with Craig.

[Ted Danson]

You fought for me when no one else wanted me. Something like that.

[Jim Brooks]

This is my memory. Good that you played a gay guy.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

In that, that issue.

[Ted Danson]

Flamboyant. But yes, go ahead. Yes.

[Jim Brooks]

Well, and we had, and we had the, the, we had the dress rehearsal and the dress did not go particularly well. And this is the way I remember it. And, and it was. And this is so. I, I, I just caught myself telling a ridiculously self serving story.

[Ted Danson]

Please do.

[Jim Brooks]

I'm blushing, I swear to God.

And do you remember this? And I just said one word to you when you came over and it was cast to the rail and stuff. Like that. And it was fly.

And you just nodded and you exploded.

[Ted Danson]

I kind of do.

[Jim Brooks]

I kind of do remember it brought the house down and. Yes, yes. But just extraordinary. I mean. I mean, I remember it vividly.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Notes actors to the rail after dress rehearsal.

[Jim Brooks]

And you can tell whether the series is a solid series when the actors want to go to the rail, you know.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Oh, my God. That was the rail.

[Jim Brooks]

Being the producers and everybody and the writers are in the raised audience that accommodates the audience for a lot of shows.

[Ted Danson]

Last chance to get nuts before the audience.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I do believe that to be so. And I do remember it wasn't good and then became good. So. Thank you.

[Jim Brooks]

Well, no, it was good and became, I think, great. Yeah. There you go. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Suck on that, Woody Harrelson.

[Woody Harrelson]

Is this shit over with? I mean, how long is this going on? Oh, my God. Felt like an hour.

[Ted Danson]

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Well, we went back in time, so let's go even further. So you, you, what made you think early on that you could write funny stuff and then turn it into people? I mean, how did you go from the kid alone in the apartment to somebody actually submitting funny material, hoping it would work?

[Jim Brooks]

It's so weird that you have to catch breaks, you know.

That luck is as big a part of it like, you know, that I, the first decent job I got, I was an usher for cbs.

And when you were an usher, you were vacation replacement. If ever, if higher level, slightly higher level jobs that are still junior jobs opened up. And one was as a desk assistant copy boy for CBS News when CBS News was Jesus Christ, the temple of everything.

And I filled in as a vacation replacement. And the guy didn't come back to the job. And I swear, if he had come back to the job.

I, I can't imagine, I can imagine, I actively imagine how desolate my life could have, could, could have been, you know, and you.

[Ted Danson]

Would have wiped out me and Woody at the same time.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, yeah. So he didn't, so he didn't come back. And you, you had to step up and write something.

[Jim Brooks]

And I had, yes. And I, and I had my stepping stone. Yeah. Which only went to guys who, with college graduates, usually good colleges. And I, I, I had screwed up college and you know, after a year.

[Ted Danson]

Just, you Know the, and how does that connect to writing that job?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, you were writing copy. I mean.

[Jim Brooks]

Well, no, I was a cop. I was bringing coffee to. You're looking at somebody who brought coffee to Edward R. Murrow. Yeah. Did you really though? Yeah, I did, yeah. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

That is very.

[Woody Harrelson]

What was he like?

[Jim Brooks]

This is the guy who was the pillar of journalism and pillar of broadcast journalism when it was a temple that you cannot imagine today. When it was church, when it was. You trusted it, it took care of you, it served you in a way that you know, we'll never see again. But there was that moment and he was the man of that moment. And there's a woman who wrote a 1200 word book, 1200 page book about, about Edward R. Murrow. And, and.

They asked her what was the biggest surprise that you had in the 10 years of research you did and is that he deserved the legend. I mean he really was that guy, that God of a man who broadcast.

[Ted Danson]

From London while dropping.

[Jim Brooks]

And they called him Murrows boys. All the people who reported and who brought down McCarthy single handedly when we were having, you know, political troubles. Not wildly different from today.

[Woody Harrelson]

You don't, you don't really see any of those guys step out of the party line, so to speak, anymore. Broadcasters aren't thinking for themselves. They're not saying, oh, I should do this and I should say that they're like, oh, here's your, here's what you're supposed to say.

[Jim Brooks]

And nobody trusts them anymore. I mean they're not talking to people who trust. You know, there's no, come on, it's all like, it's all, it's siloed. Yeah. I mean these are tough times. Except in my movie, which.

[Ted Danson]

So clearly that informed. Well, maybe not clearly broadcast news, when you came to writing that.

[Jim Brooks]

It was soulful. Yeah. Because that broadcast news is written after the first steel ball fell against the temple of journalism. You know, and there were these sudden massive layoffs and I was, and I, I, I still had friends there. I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm a news junkie. I remain a news junkie. And I was, you know, and I, and I was around, you know, wonderful people who were losing their jobs.

[Ted Danson]

What was the steel ball?

[Jim Brooks]

What when they started, when they started cutbacks and, you know.

[Ted Danson]

Okay.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah. And when the, when the, when the Murrow era was clearly over. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

But even like before when, when you were doing the Mary Tyler Moore show, that was also inspired by, you know, the newsroom was kind of a. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, still very much in your.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And based on an editor who. John Merriman. And. And. And. And he was like. He was the model for Lou Grant, and.

He was irascible, but he'd be friends with the copy boys like me, but irascible, hard driving, great, edited Murrow's copy. I mean, he was a real guy.

And he was a great guy, and we were friends, too, and we were several levels, lots of levels below him. And there was one night in a snowstorm we were getting, you know, and I had to go cross all across from where CBS was and walk, you know, across town to get to the bus terminal and take me back to Jersey. And.

It was snowstorm. And he said. And he was getting to the cab and he said, you want to lift? And I said, isn't that of your way? And he said, yeah, he go door closed.

So he was. He was. He was the best.

[Ted Danson]

And. And.

[Jim Brooks]

And Lou Graham came out of it. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, that's great.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Some of this research you're talking about, like, the best schooling you ever had was having a show that's really going and people are watching it, and then you just. And you have that autonomy.

[Jim Brooks]

And the writers, to me, the best job in the business is to be on a series that's working.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. Yeah, without doubt. And for the writer, it must be the best, because you don't get notes anymore.

[Jim Brooks]

Well, you get community. You get. You know, and by the way, Woody makes community wherever he goes, which is Woody.

[Ted Danson]

That's true. And I swear to God, part of the reason why I'm doing. Part of the reason why I'm doing a podcast is because I don't do what Woody does. I'm shy and I go home. But this. I. I've, you know, I. However many people I've gotten to talk to like this, like I am with you, is what Woody does every day of his life. You're absolutely right. You do. You do. I hate you.

It is the best thing. I mean, cheers for us, you know, for me, it was like basketball. I loved basketball. I wanted to play basketball. And I. And that whole team effort, that it's the team, it's not you individually is something that went. I learned. And I recognized that when I got to be part of an ensemble like Cheers, it was like, oh, this feels like home.

[Jim Brooks]

And on that lot, as other things are going, and, you know, I always talk about those days as we had everything, because there was a television ghetto that those of us on series were on one side of the lot. Then there was the movie side of the lot. Whoa. And at that time, you couldn't cross over. I'm trying to remember who. I think Ron Howard was the first crossover, the first guy over the fence from television to movies.

So we had great jobs working with people we enjoyed, and we got to be the underdogs. We were all making good money because the movie guys were looking down on us. So we even had Underdog gone for it.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. And you had. I remember that sometimes people would finish a show, they would have shot their show one. You know, I don't know what it was, but they were friends with writers on our show, and they were having a problem, so they'd go over and work on the problem together. It was a real sense of writer community.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. And Glenn. Unless, of course, we're on Taxi and, you know. And they were, you know. Yeah. And Taxi had a good party every Friday night, which everybody came to. You know, we would shoot before an audience on Friday night, and it would be.

[Woody Harrelson]

I don't heard those mers. Some.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those were. In those days. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

We had good parties. They were little. There was. There were smoke filled rooms.

[Woody Harrelson]

But.

That doesn't hurt.

Doesn't hurt.

[Jim Brooks]

Weren't you impressed that made you the tame group at the time?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was interesting because, you know, because you had on. On the Mary Dial and More show, you had the Charles brothers, right?

[Jim Brooks]

Yep.

[Woody Harrelson]

And Jimmy came in, too.

[Jim Brooks]

Yep, yep.

[Woody Harrelson]

And out of that was born Taxi. And, you know.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. Jimmy broke in on the simple way to put it. Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Huh?

[Jim Brooks]

Jimmy. Jimmy was observed on the Maritime World show and then directed on the Maritime. Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And I think, was it then or was it during Taxi that Les and Glenn and Jimmy decided to team up and be a threesome?

[Jim Brooks]

I think during Taxi. I think so. I think so.

[Ted Danson]

So you're doing television, you're doing writers rooms. And what. What was your first. Forgive me, it wasn't Terms of Endearment. There was a film before Terms where you wrote it and directed it. What was that? Do you remember?

[Jim Brooks]

I think that was my first writing and directing. I produced and wrote a movie that was on television.

[Woody Harrelson]

Starting Over.

[Jim Brooks]

Oh, starting over. Wait a minute.

[Ted Danson]

Yes, With Karen.

[Woody Harrelson]

You wrote that?

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah. Alan Pakula directed it.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah. So Terms was your first writing, directing?

[Jim Brooks]

Yes. Yes.

[Ted Danson]

All right, here's one of my questions coming from writers rooms. Do you ever miss a writer's room when you're writing a film or do. Are you okay. To be all by yourself, locked in.

[Jim Brooks]

A room, writing, it's a totally different experience. You know, I'm, I'm still active on the Simpsons, so I, I mean, I, I love, you know, so, I mean, it's, it's a, it's a blessing to still have, you know, that community going all the time. And, and they're just, they're just different, different experiences. Well, one's lonelier and more personal and.

You know, and I always think there's this, there's this. Was it Sunday, Sunday in the park with George? That, that musical about, about the artist. And, and there's a wonderful song in there where, you know, the famous art was. Seurat, I think, was, you know, famous French artist. And they have a song where he goes through everything and he says, look, I made a hat. Because he painted a hat on that after all the shrying and everything. Look, I made a hat. And I think of that as what we all do, you know, look, look, you know.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

What I just said might have been a little heavier than you guys took.

[Ted Danson]

No, no, no, no, no. What made me think is Woody has a connection to you in that he does write plays, he does write. He does write music, you know, he does produce, he has directed. I'm probably your dream actor. All I want to do is act only. And that's all I'm equipped to whatever degree I'm equipped to do. So I am kind of, when there's a pause, I'm trying to go, what would that be like? To create, to write from an empty blank page?

Where does one start? I guess one starts in some cases thinking about your father these days, especially.

[Jim Brooks]

These movie days, because I think, you know, I think television is so rich. Everything. And, you know, just, just this. I, I, you know, I hate the word content. I think there's some, some danger in, in calling what we do, you know, content providers. It's so, so bizarre.

[Ted Danson]

Produce.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. No, it's. To be able to have an idea and end up doing a movie these days with, from that idea that you wanted and that you saw all the way through is, is, is getting tougher. And, and, and so you just are such an asshole if you don't really appreciate the opportunity big time these days. I mean, I think, and I think that's, you know, I just think, Jesus, I really glad I got this, you know, that's, that's, that's, that's new.

[Ted Danson]

Do you still. I, I mean, because you made so many beloved, brilliant, award winning, you know, lots of Box office still get to ride on that, or do you have to prove yourself each time and struggle to get money or whatever?

[Jim Brooks]

There was a. There was a very wonderful, grizzled producer I knew. And I remember when, you know, when I did Terms of Endearment. And my question to him was, because we got down with each other and I said, how many more? How many more will they let me make because of this? And he said, maybe two. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Wow.

[Jim Brooks]

Which is. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

What was your next one? Broadcast News or. No, I think.

[Jim Brooks]

I don't know. I had a flop in there someplace. But I think. Brad, Broadcast News might have been. I think, semi. Second one.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, that was next.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Love that movie. Remember you showed it to us in Rhode island before we started shooting?

[Jim Brooks]

Is that right?

[Woody Harrelson]

God, it was great. I, like. I hadn't seen it in a while, and to see it on the big screen like that instead of, you know, like your television. Yeah, it was. God, it was great, man.

[Jim Brooks]

That.

[Woody Harrelson]

That movie is phenomenal. But, well, what was that like to work on what made the Holly Hunter?

[Jim Brooks]

I mean, she was barely known. She had done a Coen Brothers pictures. I don't even think it was out yet.

[Ted Danson]

Racing Arizona.

[Jim Brooks]

And I was about to pick someone where we wouldn't be talking about that movie today, because that was what I was down to. And then Julia Taylor, who. Legendary casting director in New York and who. And who I never stopped thanking because this is me having spent six months looking for the girl, maybe more than six months, and seeing everybody. And seeing everybody and being such a pain in the ass. And she still. And there was still a moment where instead of saying, oh, shit, he's on the phone again. I mean. Which is a miracle that she had that kind of spirit. Instead of saying that, she said, tell me again what you're looking for. And she said, there's a girl here who's about to leave town. I think you can still see her. And it was Holly Hunter. And it was. You know, and it was. And as I say, the other thing would have changed my life. I mean, that's it. I mean, isn't that the thing that you can't get used to? Because the one I was about to cast, we wouldn't be talking today.

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

So did she audition for you or you just met her?

[Jim Brooks]

She auditioned. She auditioned. She auditioned. Yeah, she auditioned.

[Woody Harrelson]

And you were like, damn, boom. Yeah, this girl's pretty good.

[Jim Brooks]

No, there was. It was. It was. Thank God. It was. It was all to your knees. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Did you always have Bill hurt in Mind.

[Jim Brooks]

Yes. I actually. I postponed the movie six months in order to get him and. Oh, yeah. And. And.

[Woody Harrelson]

Good choice.

[Jim Brooks]

And. And it was. Because I thought the one thing you can't act is charisma. You know, that. And the whole thing was about a guy who had that thing, you know, had that thing since he was a little boy, had that thing, and you can't act that. I mean, I wish we were drinking tonight because I think I could. I think it could be a good night if I just started talking to you guys about Bill Hurd. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

I'm ready to get it going. It's nighttime over here, guys.

[Jim Brooks]

Let's go to the woods.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, there you go. Let's go to the woods.

But you had that with. For Enema's part. Like, you. You really worked a long time to find that character.

[Jim Brooks]

It was just.

[Woody Harrelson]

Long time.

[Jim Brooks]

I mean, this is. This is. The heroine of this movie goes from 16 to 34. I mean, she has real scenes at 16, real scenes with this guy. And.

It'S sort of like. And it's.

[Ted Danson]

It's.

[Jim Brooks]

You know, everybody's sort of does this. This kind of comedy that, you know, that wants to try and tell the truth and stuff like that, if you possibly can. And. And, you know, those 50s movies, you know, the Hepburn, you know. You know, you know, these, these. This is the. You know, this is. This is the museum. This is the great museum. Both Hepburns. Audrey Hepburn. Katharine Hepburn. And it was. And screwball is something. And so this whole, you know, maybe it was the wrong notion or something, but what I was chasing was, can you try and be a little screwball comedy, you know, comedy, it has to be. But the little screwball and still try and tell the truth about something. So that was the thought.

[Ted Danson]

But you do that. You do that so well. Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, you do that well. But there's a lot of truth in this movie. And I think everybody can just relate to having to deal with their parents, you know, with. In this case, the father and everything she's dealing with. With that. And then trying to deal with her husband, who's a bit of a ne' er do. Well, Jack Loudon.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

I think he's a great actor.

[Ted Danson]

Who does Albert Brooks play in this?

[Jim Brooks]

Albert Brooks plays the ex governor of the state. Yeah. About to become a cabinet officer.

[Ted Danson]

I cannot wait to say this.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's great. But also, Albert Brooks, that. That is one of the funniest things I've ever seen in broadcast news where he starts sweating. And I. And I always wondered I never did ask you about this, but it seems like you almost said to yourself, there's no mount. That's too much. Just go ahead, blood the set like it was. And it just made it so funny. Like, it's incredible.

[Jim Brooks]

It was really great because Albert Alba called me one night, turn on CNN immediately, you know, and it was a guy sweating. After the film? No, before the film. That's how we got the idea. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I mean, it's a catchphrase. I mean, you know, I was sweating. I mean, broadcast news sweating. Yeah.

It must be fun to work with him again.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. Where'd you shoot?

[Ted Danson]

Rhode Island.

[Jim Brooks]

Is that what you said?

[Ted Danson]

Providence. I mean, why.

[Jim Brooks]

Because of the. The tax break.

[Ted Danson]

Aha.

[Jim Brooks]

And, you know, and we. And this movie is Anywhere, usa, basically. So. So that fit that.

[Ted Danson]

I can't wait to see it. Tell me about the music, because you said you're still working on the music. Is that a big part? Do you take great joy in having that part of your process in the room?

[Jim Brooks]

I take great joy in being friends with Hans Zimmer. Hans, Yeah.

I mean, yeah. I mean, he's. I mean, there's a phrase in a class by himself. I mean, this is just so literally true about Hans because the conversation is different than you have with anybody else. The way he gets into the movie is different. The way he establishes goals for the music is different than an anybody else. And I think it adds up to a class by himself.

[Ted Danson]

Forgive my ignorance. Do you work with him a lot? So it's just assumed when you start the movie that you guys are talking before you even start shooting.

[Jim Brooks]

We've been friends a long time. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Do you say, we need music here, or. He says, this would be a good place to have music. And I was thinking something like this, or how does it develop with them?

[Jim Brooks]

The conversation is different than. Than with any other composer because the conversation is like. Is more like you have with a co writer. I mean, you know, what and where he thinks he has to be, what he thinks he has to accomplish. How, you know, it's. It's a different. I'm telling you, it's a different. It's a different world. The conversation is different. The goals are. The girl goals are unique. You know what he sees?

[Woody Harrelson]

He's.

[Jim Brooks]

He's. He's. He's hunts. Yes.

Every once in a while he does something brilliant. And there's a room full of people, I think. Hans Zimmer, ladies and gentlemen.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. He's incredible.

[Ted Danson]

Are you setting. Not guardrails, but are you saying, you know, it needs to have a 50s, a 40s, whatever, contemporary. Are you setting tone, or is he looking at the tone of what you've shot? Oh, he's come up with it himself.

[Jim Brooks]

Genius at work. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And I'm sure he has the. Obviously, he's Hans Zimmer, but that some movies get overscored and it's, like, kind of pushes you away. I mean, it is such a delicate.

[Jim Brooks]

Thing with Broadcast News. There was a series of things where I was left holding the bag with the picture needing to be finished. And I went around begging music from three different composers and putting it together feverishly at the last minute. And that was such a scary time that, you know, that it's made it forever. I don't want to go through that again. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Jim, do you think that this movie will be ready for the December 12th date that it's supposed to come out in the theaters?

[Jim Brooks]

Yes, sir.

[Woody Harrelson]

Will it be ready?

[Jim Brooks]

Yes, it'll be ready. I think. I think I'm like. I think I'm a week away from being a free man.

[Ted Danson]

Really?

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay. Yeah, I know you're a tinkerer. You like to get in there and tinker.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

I have, like, two days of looping to go through. Yeah, you're right. I'm a little. Yes.

[Ted Danson]

So I'm 78. I don't know how old you. I'm 78. In a few months. I don't know how old numbers. But you're saying that there's still a chance that I could be in one of your movies? Don't make this about me.

[Jim Brooks]

That's the way you sold yourself right now, man. Just got me.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

Just that. Just that. Just that, that. Just that.

[Ted Danson]

That confidence.

[Jim Brooks]

But a little pitiable, you know, it.

[Woody Harrelson]

Petered out at the end.

[Ted Danson]

You can write a wimp. You've written wimps before.

[Woody Harrelson]

You're a great man.

[Jim Brooks]

I'd love to work with you.

[Ted Danson]

There it is. That's our quote for the show in front of Woody.

[Woody Harrelson]

Something about that felt strange. Anyway.

[Ted Danson]

There'S that laugh that just made me love Taxi even more. Jimmy Burrows has a laugh. Jimmy used to. He would laugh during rehearsal, but at first it was like, oh, we're making Jimmy laugh. Then we kind of all realized, no, he's marking the moment to let us know that an audience could be laughing here. So be aware that you may need to vamp for a second. It was.

[Woody Harrelson]

I think it was genuine laughter.

[Ted Danson]

Well, sometimes. Sometimes. But it was also because it was. I thought it was a little bit More than necessary at times, but it was like he was educating the cast in that moment. He was such an important part of Cheers for me that if. When he didn't direct, it was like, literally, I had no idea how to play Sam Malone. None. It was like I was always performing to some degree for Jimmy. Wow. Yeah. Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

I'll let Andy Ackerman know that right away.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, yeah. He hasn't hired me recently, so who cares? Did you ever work with Andy as a editor or. No, no, he didn't do Taxi.

[Jim Brooks]

No. Yeah. No.

[Ted Danson]

How about editor? Do you still work with the same editor on your films, or does that change?

[Jim Brooks]

I did for a long time and then. And then we lost him. But I've done the last couple with the same editor. Yeah, yeah. You spend six months in a room with somebody, it's like a cellmate.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Have you ever miscast the part? Don't name names unless it's Woody.

[Woody Harrelson]

That would make you get a lot.

[Jim Brooks]

Of satisfaction out of that, huh? There was. I think it was Terms of Endearment. I think it was Terms of German. And. And I was. And I had cast somebody as. It was as. As the part that John Lithgow ultimately played, that where he. He might have won the Academy Award. He was nominated. I know. And.

And I was in my trailer and. And the actor who I had hired for the part was passing my window, and he was saying. And we had filmed and he had not been so hot. And he said, once they got you on film, you got him by the balls.

And I heard that.

Oh, literally, I heard that in the trailer as he passed my window. He didn't know I was hearing it. And you know what?

The term blood goes cold literally happened to me. It was like the. My. And.

Then we placed them. And he had been weak, but I might have struggled with him and stuff like that. And then I heard that.

And then I was able to get John Lethkow.

But I'm telling you, man, I mean, the theme is catch a break or don't.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

You said something to the effect about how. Because you've had this unreal success in television as well as movies, like, it's. You can't even. It's hard to even calibrate how. And it's not obviously just luck, but how lucky you've been, how fortunate you've been, you know, and you said something about, like, this thing of having an awareness about your career and being told, you know, how your career is going. You know, like, there's something about that awareness Is very dangerous and destructive.

[Jim Brooks]

Self consciousness. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Did you ever feel like you got into a self conscious place that it made it hard to write or wouldn't.

[Jim Brooks]

You guys agree it's the enemy. I mean, self consciousness is the enemy.

[Ted Danson]

It is.

[Jim Brooks]

You know, that thing. Get over yourself is the best advice that ever became a popular phrase. I mean, you know, you can't. You just. Yeah. Especially since what we do is a team sport, you know, so it gets ridiculous. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And I think every. All creativity has to.

The risk is you want to repeat the success but that you need to start at zero each time. You need to start at not knowing as opposed to, you know. Yeah.

[Jim Brooks]

There used to be this notion, you know, do one for them. Meeting what the studio wants and what's working that day and what's readily accepted and what's the log line is good and one for yourself.

[Woody Harrelson]

I don't see where in your career you were doing the one for them.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, I've been spoiled in a really good way. I think I, you know, I think there's a. You know, I think I got lucky. But maybe it started to sound like a good job to me. One for them. Hey, you know, it's a little easier. It's a little easier. Hey, boss. Hey, boss. Glad you liked it. Glad you liked it. Just let me know. Just let me know. It's sounding so good to me. I want to do. I want to do them all for them.

What a revelation. Thank God I came today, man.

[Ted Danson]

It's a good time.

[Jim Brooks]

It's a good title for your next movie. I'm a little emotional.

[Ted Danson]

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[Jim Brooks]

Who do you.

[Ted Danson]

Do you still have heroes? People you look up to? People you kind of. Or did you starting out? Did anyone mentor you when it came to movies?

[Jim Brooks]

But I sure had people I worshiped like Paddy Chayefsky.

And Cassavetes. I got to hang around with Cassavetes, who, I mean, you guys.

You would have gone nuts to work with John Cassavetes. And Carol King got me with Cassavetes so that I got to hang around while.

He had already done his movies. But he and Elaine May were working with actors together on a stage at Columbia to improvise a script for a movie they do. And I got to just sit there. Wow. And I'm telling you, this guy, the only guy in history who voluntarily gave up. Male movie star. He chose not to do that job, which he could have had, you know, and the passion and the love and the group thing. And, you know, he's sort of, sort of the father of independent film in there. And it was. And the relationship of actors to each other, so supporting each other, it was just. And I'm, I'm like a kid and I'm taking this in and I'm seeing heaven, you know.

[Ted Danson]

Wow.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Was Jenna Rowlands part of that or.

[Jim Brooks]

She, she, she was not. I mean, she, he was married to her and, you know, and she was. And he had these dinners. He was very inclusive. There was always dinners and stuff like that. And it was all. I'll tell you, I'll tell you. I'll tell you my favorite story. See what you guys think. And so here, Elaine May and John Cassavetes. Okay, okay, okay. And working on this movie. And Elaine had to go east, and it's getting to be Christmas and I was auditing, and Cassavetes was so generous. He invited me to the Christmas lunch they did at the Beverly Hills Hotel, you know, on the jerk guy auditing. And.

And, and, and here's the cast and him. And, and one of the guys says they've been rehearsing for a while now. And he said, and he said, john, I have to, I have to go to New York. I got a job. You know, they weren't being paid at all. And, and he said, I got a job. And Cassavetes didn't only say, you can't take that job, you know, because, because this is the temple of truth. He said, you better not let Elaine hear you say that. He didn't even say no. That was it. You can't.

[Ted Danson]

Wow.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And what happened? Did the guy stay?

[Jim Brooks]

He stayed. He stayed and it was weird. John, I gotta make a living. You better not.

But that was church to, you know. That's what made it church.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I had an acting teacher like that that you had to commit to two years. It was the Meisner technique and you had to commit and, and it seemed unreasonable. But there's.

Method to that madness. It's like. No, commit.

[Woody Harrelson]

I get it. Method to the madness.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, thanks.

It took Jim a minute to catch on, but God bless you.

[Jim Brooks]

It actually did.

[Ted Danson]

So John Cassavetes is a mentor. That's amazing.

[Jim Brooks]

I mean, you guys would have gone nuts. I mean, it was. I mean, he was, you know, just so the attitude towards the work, it's just. Was. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Wasn't Ben Gazara part and.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah. Tony and Tony Francieski. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Then they. They all met in a movie and they all became like friends for like husbands.

[Ted Danson]

Was it husbands?

[Jim Brooks]

It was.

[Ted Danson]

No.

[Jim Brooks]

Well, they did do Husbands.

[Ted Danson]

That was Cassavete's film.

[Jim Brooks]

Yes. And. And just. I'd just like to point out Time magazine called it in its review, the greatest film ever made. I mean, it was some. Some. And, and. And it's just. It's. And I was around. I was around, you know, it's just all, you know.

[Ted Danson]

And, and, and is this pre taxi? Pre.

[Jim Brooks]

I don't think it was pre birth. I don't know.

[Woody Harrelson]

I don't recall.

[Jim Brooks]

I just. As seminal lightning bolt. And suddenly I was in a different world. So it was like.

But it was just so beautiful because I think it was.

Maybe it was Francioska having a hard time.

Or Peter Falk was Peter Falk. Peter Falk was at the bottom of a staircase and it was, I think Fransiosa maybe coming down the stairs. And he was a hard time with that moment. And.

This is basic. This is the pearl. And one after having a hard time. And he was having a hard time and Peter Falk was down there, he said, hey, look at me, man. I'll give you something.

I asked Jack Nicholson, what do you do if you're in a scene with somebody who's a bad actor? And he said, whatever the other person is doing is perfect.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Really?

[Jim Brooks]

I know. Woody, you haven't them replaced.

Yeah, well, isn't it. But it is, isn't that. Come on. I mean, it's really an attitude, isn't it?

[Woody Harrelson]

It's a great attitude. I'm not sure that's a hundred percent true. But. But there's. Sometimes someone's just so bad.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm out of here. Check, please. Yeah, yeah. In terms of. If you're a working actor, in terms of. You have to. You're there and you have to do it.

[Ted Danson]

You know, you have no choice.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah. Or else your life. The choice. The choice is your life is rushing in front of your eyes.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, well, that kind of flies in the face of that thing Brando said. Just because they say action doesn't mean I have to do anything.

[Ted Danson]

I had a friend that produced one of the last things he did, and he was just supposed to say two words. He's lying in bed and he's supposed to say, I'm not sure, or something like that. And he kept waiting, and they kept waiting and finally said.

Do this tomorrow. And he said, but you only have to say two words. Please, we need to wrap the picture. I'm not feeling it. And left. So there's that. There's that. Marlon, you know. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. Well, that's a little problem.

[Ted Danson]

A little too whimsical.

[Woody Harrelson]

A little too whimsical.

[Ted Danson]

Thank you so, so, so much for coming in and talking. Really appreciate it. It's really nice to see you again. I'm dismissing you. We have three more guests coming up. No, I'm kidding. Sorry. It felt. Are you.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah. Hey.

[Ted Danson]

Shit. I just cut off. Jim Brooks, Woody Harrelson.

[Jim Brooks]

No, no, no. There's something to be said for coitus interrupters.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

You had a spoil. I want to get home. I've been all the way in East LA this whole time, and I gotta get back.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Jim, don't even think you're gonna go get a coffee with Ted. He goes straight up. He doesn't pass go. He doesn't collect 200. Go straight up.

[Ted Danson]

Usually I say, don't wait for me.

[Jim Brooks]

I saw him secretly putting on his shoes. I didn't.

[Woody Harrelson]

No, you usually say. I said, teddy, I'll meet you over at Gratitude. Right? I mean, it's what, five minutes from there? He's like, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, go ahead. I'll be right there.

[Jim Brooks]

Well, bravo, man.

[Ted Danson]

I don't know about bravo, but.

[Jim Brooks]

Well, that means you got a happy home. Yeah, I do.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. I love you, Jim. I really. I miss you, buddy.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We almost had Paris. Yeah, you too, Woody.

[Ted Danson]

You are missed and adored and thank you for doing this. This is great.

[Jim Brooks]

Between your show.

[Ted Danson]

Can you do me a favor, Jim, and just tell me. Just look at me and tell me to fly.

Isn't that the note you gave me?

[Jim Brooks]

Fly Go.

I think. I think the way I said it at the time I think was fly.

[Ted Danson]

Please be better. Do anything.

[Woody Harrelson]

You should have gave me that when we did the reading a long time ago, Jim. I should have heard the fly note.

[Jim Brooks]

This will be our code word now. Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Woodrow.

[Jim Brooks]

Travel safe.

[Woody Harrelson]

I've had. I've had some of the greatest conversations, greatest dinners, greatest bottles of wine with you. Just extraordinary.

[Jim Brooks]

Thank heavens you stop there.

[Woody Harrelson]

And the humor that you. That is so original. I just. Anyway, I love you and I miss you and I hope you get to see it.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Soon, buddy.

[Jim Brooks]

Yeah. Yeah, same here.

[Ted Danson]

Special thank you to Jim Brooks for being here and for my friend Woody for zooming in. Let's do it again soon. That's all for our show this week. Special thanks to our friends at Team Coco. If you enjoyed this episode, send it to someone you love, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and maybe give us a great rating and a review on Apple Podcasts if you're in the mood. If you like watching your podcasts, all our full length episodes are on YouTube. Visit YouTube.comteamcoco See you next time. Where everybody knows your name.

You've been listening to where everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson. Sometimes. The show is produced by me, Nick Leow. Our executive producers are Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and myself. Sarah Fedorovich is our supervising producer. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Perez. Research by Alyssa Grohl. Talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Bautista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Antony Genn, Mary Steenbergen and John Osborne.

Welcome back to Listen to youo Heart. I'm Jerry.

[Jim Brooks]

And I'm Jerry's Heart.

[Ted Danson]

Today's topic, Repatha Evolocumab heart. Why'd you pick this one?

[Jim Brooks]

Well, Jerry, for people who have had.

[Ted Danson]

A heart attack like us, diet and.

[Jim Brooks]

Exercise might not be enough to lower.

[Ted Danson]

The risk of another one. Okay. To help know if we're at risk.

[Jim Brooks]

We should be getting our ldlc, our.

[Ted Danson]

Bad cholesterol checked and talking to our doctor. I'm listening.

[Jim Brooks]

And if it's still too high, Repatha.

[Ted Danson]

Can be added to a statin to lower our LDL C and our heart attack risk. Hmm. Guess it's time to ask about Repatha.

[Jim Brooks]

Do not take Repatha if you are allergic to it. Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing or swallowing swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms. Common side effects include runny nose, sore throat common cold symptoms flu or flu like symptoms back pain, high blood sugar.

[Ted Danson]

And redness pain or bruising at the injection site Listen to your heart. Ask your doctor about Repatha.

[Jim Brooks]

Learn more at repatha.com or call 1-844-repatha.

[Ted Danson]

Before the trophy and bragging rights are rightfully yours. Before your sleeper turns In a season no one saw coming before, stats and projects projections turn into points on the board and your lineup falls perfectly into place. You flip the lid on a can of on nicotine pouches and as you make your first pick, you know this is the season where fantasy's going to surpass reality. It's on products for tobacco consumers 21 years of age or older. Warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.