Transcript

John C. Reilly (0:00)

You made it weird. You made it weird.

Pete Holmes (0:03)

You made it weird.

John C. Reilly (0:04)

Oh yeah, you made it weird. Made it weird. Yes, you did. You made it weird with Pete Holmes.

Katie (0:15)

What's happening, weirdos?

Podcast Host (0:16)

This is a big one. This is John C. Reilly, who I've been a fan of for decades. What is it? Magnolia. Stepbrothers, a movie I watch every year. Boogie Nights, the Sisters Brothers. He's in. He's in everything. He's incredible. He's amazing. Gangs of New York. I can't believe he's here. And he pays out. He gives us so many wonderful stories. Changed my view of acting forever. Honestly, our conversation about acting just shifted how I even think about acting, which was awesome. So I'm so glad you guys are here. You can go see John C. Reilly. He is on tour with a show called Mr. Romantic where he plays a character on a mission to fall in love with someone, anyone, at every single show. He's backed by Grammy winning musicians and a Cracker Jack band. He's amazing. It's so fun. Go see Mr. Romantic. Mr. Romantic.com. spell it out.

Katie (1:11)

M I s t r. Romantic.com. definitely give it a go.

Podcast Host (1:16)

Definitely.

Katie (1:16)

Check it out. Everything he does is amazing.

Podcast Host (1:18)

I'm so glad you're here. You want to see me, go to peteholmes.com I'm doing the Denia improv in Florida coming up very soon.

Katie (1:26)

I'm also doing my show here in.

Podcast Host (1:27)

Los Angeles on May 4th on Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you.

Katie (1:32)

Tickets to that@pete holmes.com as well. Got my Largo show.

Podcast Host (1:36)

Beck was at the last one.

Katie (1:38)

They're always so awesome.

Podcast Host (1:39)

Go to largo-la.com I do that monthly.

Katie (1:42)

It's called Pete Holmes Living at Largo. So whenever you hear this, I will be at Largo this month which is one of the great joys of my life. So hope you can be there.

Summary

Podcast Summary: You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

Episode: John C. Reilly

Date: April 3, 2024

Overview

Pete Holmes sits down with celebrated actor John C. Reilly for a deeply personal, funny, and insightful conversation. They explore the weirdness of being human, the craft of acting, spirituality, creativity, and the navigation of a nontraditional path in show business. Reilly opens up about his upbringing, career milestones, philosophies on art, and personal stories—from losing his dad, to backstage rituals, to collaborating with cinematic giants. The discussion is playful yet profound, laced with laughter, vulnerability, and keen observations about art and life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Childhood, Imagination & Family Background

Imaginative Upbringing (03:31 – 04:33)
- Reilly reminisces about buying Steve Martin's comedy album as a child and sharing laughter with his mom, noting, “It was fantastic…we sat and listened to it and she loved it. She was just cracking up.” (John C. Reilly, 04:00)
- Speaks on how, as a kid, “the idea of crossing over into an imaginary place…it was just like, yeah, this is where I am most of the time.” (26:20–26:58)
Working-Class Roots & Early Challenges (28:45 – 34:47)
- On growing up in Chicago: “I come from a very working class, blue collar kind of life...I didn’t have any examples in show business.” (28:58)
- Addresses being told "Who the fuck do you think you are?" by his community regarding his ambitions.
- Mentions the impact of seeing neighborhood friend Kevin J. O’Connor land a Coppola film, realizing that “it is possible.”
Family Influence & Sibling Dynamics (34:46 – 36:31)
- Discusses being the fifth of six children and how sibling order influenced his need for recognition: “When you’re in a crowd like that, you learn ways to have some self esteem or whatever.”

2. On Acting: Vulnerability, Craft, and Collaboration

Embarrassment & Presence (25:23–26:58, 96:32–97:22)
- Reilly claims acting was never embarrassing for him: “It was just seemed to be a natural thing…this is what I'm supposed to be doing."
- Stresses the importance of "being in the moment" as “everything. Being in the moment, the eternal moment.” (96:35)
Improvisation & the Power of Partnership (37:23–39:42, 99:16–101:09)
- Reilly attributes his career to "continually believing in myself," challenging himself, and key relationships with directors like P.T. Anderson and Martin Scorsese.
- “If I really give you all of my focus and I find this moment with you…we may succeed together. A rising tide lifts all ships.” (97:22–98:38)
- Shares he’s done more duo projects than solo roles (“Sisters Brothers, Stepbrothers, Wreck-It Ralph…”).
Improvisation Behind Iconic Roles (52:12–56:29)
- Tells the origin story for his Magnolia and Boogie Nights characters, collaborating closely with Paul Thomas Anderson, improvising cop monologues, and "goofing around on videotapes before we even knew Magnolia was in the future…it all came from just goofing around.” (56:30)
Memorable Advice & Practical Wisdom (76:05–78:02)
- Shares acting advice: “Make sure you go to the bathroom before you act. If you have to pee…go pee…you want to be relaxed and in the moment.”
- On stage: “If you ever have to fart on stage, make sure you fart during your line, not during the other guy's line.”
- Recalls Michael Caine's “pick an eye” focus tip and Brian Dennehy’s warning (which Reilly disagrees with) to put career above family.
Philosophies of Performance (91:01–92:32)
- Explains the futility of being fixated on acting “methods”.
- "You have to find your own way towards honesty in your work."
Learning from Peers (93:18–95:48)
- Recounts competitive, respectful relationship with Philip Seymour Hoffman.
- Shares story about Hoffman getting laughs through subtle, real human behavior (feeling if the toaster’s working): “He wasn’t trying to be funny. He was trying to be exactly real.” (95:34)

3. Spirituality, Meditation, and Metaphysical Experiences

Transcendental Meditation (08:53–13:40)
- Reilly meditates daily, credits TM with bringing “a lot of peace.”
- “There is no dogma…all you have to do is just do this on a regular basis and it works whether you believe it or not.” (10:03–10:12).
- Shares story of needing peace due to “mental pollution,” stressing the non-habitual yet essential role meditation holds for him.
Unexplainable Experiences & Dreams (19:50–23:46)
- Shares a poignant story of dreaming of his father right as his dad passed away, matched by similar dreams from other family members:
  - “I have to memorize the details of his face because this is the last time I'm going to see him. And literally the phone rang…dad just passed.” (21:32–21:57)
- Reflects: "There's a lot that we don't understand…how much about space, or the brain, or our bodies we don’t understand.”
- Considers the possibility of metaphysical phenomena and the unexplored depths of the human mind.

4. Industry Realities, Representation & Changing Standards

Nontraditional Lead – Breaking the Mold (30:02–37:45)
- Talks about not fitting typical leading man standards, mentions Dustin Hoffman’s claim (“you guys have a career because of me”) about opening doors for unconventional leads.
- "You have to have more than just a pretty face if you're really gonna contribute something. And [DiCaprio] does." (36:13)
Outlasting the Brat Pack, Perseverance (37:23–38:29)
- On the Brat Pack era: “I thought, well, that's it. I'll never get a shot because I don't look like Emilio Estevez…”
- On his own path: “You believed in yourself and you outlasted a lot of that.” (37:45)

5. Notable Career Stories & Behind-the-Scenes Moments

Winning Time & Improv (17:22–18:06)
- Recalls improvising the iconic “I gotta wash this butter off” pool jump as Dr. Jerry Buss, emphasizing the importance of spontaneity and physicality.
Step Brothers & Autobiographical Touches (46:53–47:20)
- Says many Step Brothers stories, like being possessive of a drum kit, come from his or collaborators’ real childhoods.
Magnolia’s Cop Character: Born from Play (54:27–56:29)
- Details how his character’s monologue and the "lost gun" moment in Magnolia evolved from improv skits with P.T. Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Boogie Nights: The Burt Reynolds Irish Accent Saga (59:29–66:53)
- Tells the now-legendary set story: Burt Reynolds, at one point, wanted to perform his character with an Irish accent, prompting a behind-the-scenes scramble. (“He just told me he wants to do the character with an Irish accent…I was like, what?” 63:29)

6. Art vs. Life: Marriage, Family, and Fulfillment

On Family & Having Kids (79:00–83:07)
- Reilly counters Brian Dennehy: “Getting married and having a family actually made me become who I was meant to become…anything that we do for love only builds us up, only makes us bigger and more fully realized versions of ourselves.” (81:46–82:59)
- Reflects on generational gaps and how his own father missed out on much by not being present.

7. On Collaboration, Competition, & Ego in Showbiz

Relationship with Phil Hoffman & Differences in Approach (99:16–101:09)
- Describes a competitive but respectful relationship and learning curve regarding who to “partner” with—audience or scene partner.
- “Almost everything I’ve done has been in concert or partnership with someone else. That’s how I understand acting.” (100:36–101:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"It was just seemed to be a natural thing to me…this idea of pretending and this idea of crossing over into an imaginary place.” - John C. Reilly [25:45]
“People always undervaluing you…who the fuck do you think you are?” - John C. Reilly [32:03]
"If I'm an actor, I can do all of that stuff. I could play a lawyer one day, I could play a priest one day." - John C. Reilly [44:51]
“All you have to do is just do this on a regular basis and it works whether you believe it or not. Which I was like, oh, great. No dogma, no guru.” - John C. Reilly, on TM [10:10]
“Make sure you go to the bathroom before you act…you want to be relaxed and in the moment…” - John C. Reilly [76:05]
“Being in the moment, the eternal moment…that’s everything.” - John C. Reilly [96:35]
"Anything that we do for love only builds us up, only makes us bigger and more fully realized versions of ourselves." - John C. Reilly [81:46]

Timestamps for Important Segments

03:31 — Reilly’s comedy influences as a kid, family memories
06:16 — On sex, vulnerability, and comedy as adulthood
08:53 — Spiritual practice, transcendental meditation
19:50 — Dream about father’s passing and metaphysical connections
25:23 — Acting and embarrassment, naturalness in performance
37:23 — Outlasting Hollywood’s “pretty face” archetypes
52:12 — Origin of Magnolia and Boogie Nights roles, improv tapes
59:29 — The Burt Reynolds Irish accent incident on Boogie Nights
76:05 — Mundane but impactful acting advice
79:00 — Reflections on family, legacy, and fulfillment
96:32 — The importance of presence in acting
100:36 — Acting as partnership, not competition

Tone & Style

The episode is warm, earnest, humorous, and deeply reflective, blending Pete Holmes’ enthusiastic curiosity with Reilly’s humility and candidness. Listeners are treated to an honest peek behind the showbiz curtain, the philosophy that sustains great artists, and the importance of authenticity and connection—in art and in life.

For More:
See John C. Reilly live in Mr. Romantic (tour info at mrromantic.com).
Follow Pete Holmes and his live shows at peteholmes.com.