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People are always saying to

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me, "do I know you?"

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I say, "yeah, it was that bar

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in Waco, remember?"

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They go, "oh."

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And they sort of walk away.

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No, no one knows my name.

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"Yeah, Jay, it's him, it's him."

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They know they know me, but

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they don't know from.

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"We go to college?

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Did you live... do you live in

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Seattle?"

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I remember I was in Hawaii,

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and somebody said, "do you

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live in Seattle?"

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I said, "well, I've spent time

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in Seattle."

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I'm that guy.

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As my fans apparently tell me.

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"Oh, mom, that guy's on again.

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That's... it's that guy."

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"You know that guy.

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You know, that guy.

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You know that guy who was in

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the other movie.

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He was in that TV show.

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That guy."

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If I never have a career like

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George Clooney, the big movie

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star that he is, I can live

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with that.

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But if I can have a career like

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Tom Wilkinson who does great,

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great supporting roles like

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every time out, I could...

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I could die a happy man.

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I remember being about seven

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years old and I ran downstairs,

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and I went into my dad's office

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where he was working away.

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And I said, "dad, I know what

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I want to do."

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And he said, "what?"

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I said, "I want to be a movie

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actor."

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And he laughed and just said,

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"well, son, you know, that's

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a... that's a pretty tough life."

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I have an uncle who was an

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actor, Henry Gibson, who I grew

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up watching on television on

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"laugh-in."

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So it didn't seem like that

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impossible to me.

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I remember at 15 wanting to

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be an actor because I watched

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a lot of films with my dad,

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watched a lot of the, you know,

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the early "bond" films,

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"Spartacus,"

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all of John Wayne's.

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I'm a little kid.

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Every time I go to the movies,

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I get my popcorn, and I get

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my M&M's and I dump the M&M's

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in the popcorn and shake 'em up.

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And I’m, you know, sitting

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there alone in the dark,

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you know, or I'm hanging out

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with somebody, and it's like

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magic is about to happen.

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And I still get excited

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about it.

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There's all these pictures

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of me playing Robin hood when

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I was, like, three.

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I think I pretty much never

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wanted toys.

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I just wanted costumes.

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When I was a-a youngster,

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I had a little 45 record

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of Claude rains doing

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"David and Goliath."

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And if I ever was in a

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position where I had to go to

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bed and there was company,

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I would do Claude rains

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doing "David and Goliath."

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And I'd stay up for hours.

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"This is the story of

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'David and Goliath, ' the young

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Shepherd boy and the giant."

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And, you know, the adults would

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all fall down because it's

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coming out of a kid.

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It's... you know, it's just

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something I could do and then

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I didn't have to go to bed.

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In the third grade, there...

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My friend Elaine rosen was in

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a play.

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She was in the fourth grade,

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and she got to play the king.

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And the king got to eat cream

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puffs.

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And I'm not being facetious.

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It made such an indelible

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imprint on me, that this would

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be really cool.

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Everybody looks at you, and they

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give you cream puffs.

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And then it should be this

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great thing when you arrive.

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You know, it's like this idea

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of, you know, Hollywood heaven

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that you'd go into.

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It's just fucking not there.

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I just knew there was

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nothing else that made any sense

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to me.

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I don't feel I made a choice.

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It was... it was... i mean, I made

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a choice of what school to go

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to based on that, and I made a

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choice of how to go about it,

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but I didn't... i didn't make a

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choice because there were other

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options.

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There were no other options.

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I don't know too much else

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but acting, and a little bit of,

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you know, I can read statues

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in Latin.

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The idea that you could learn

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lines and become another

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character by saying those lines

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just thrilled me.

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When I was a kid and I wanted

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to be an actor, I wanted

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recognition.

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And I wanted to walk down the

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street and people go,

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"there's that guy."

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And when it actually happens,

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it is a... it's... it's a weird

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experience.

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I always thought I was a

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character actor.

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And, you know, I-I think

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it's one of the coolest things

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that... that anyone can be called.

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I didn't used to.

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I was like, "a character actor?

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Am I that ugly?"

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I guess character actor means

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you're not the one that everyone

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wants to go to bed with.

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I don't know what character

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actor means anymore.

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It used to be character actor

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was like, you know, the fat guy

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or the skinny guy or, you know,

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the guy with the nose...

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You know, like this which is not

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that far from my nose.

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He's... he could be the bad

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guy.

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He can be the good guy.

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He can... normally, he's... he

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motivates the story, you know.

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He's the one who robs the bank

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or is the, you know, the father

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of the leading guy.

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I move plot is my... as I

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jokingly tell my wife.

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You know, I'm often in a

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trailer.

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You're watching the trailer and

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you're, like, "oh, what's this?

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What's this about?"

182
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And right then I go...

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"You're bankrupt, sir."

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Like, "oh, that's what the

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movie's about.

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Oh, I see.

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It's a romantic comedy."

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I like to say I'm a working

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stiff actor.

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People do have this

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misconception that unless you

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are Steven Spielberg or

193
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Jack Nicholson or whoever,

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00:06:38,165 --> 00:06:39,832
fill-in-the-blank, that you're

195
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nothing.

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If you're lucky enough,

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you're going to get to make your

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living somewhere in the middle

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without getting too much

200
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attention, but working enough

201
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that you can actually make a

202
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living at it, you know.

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00:06:48,008 --> 00:06:51,512
And it's kind of ideal in a way.

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And the bottom line is,

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did you get the job?

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They can call you whatever they

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want.

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00:06:56,751 --> 00:06:59,219
I get recognized just enough.

209
00:06:59,252 --> 00:07:01,654
It... it's like I have this really

210
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nice low level of

211
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recognizability where people

212
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are only kind of gonna do it

213
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if they have something nice

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to say.

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I mean, I-I can just point

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at character actors I've seen

217
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over the years who I don't know

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the name of.

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I'm Gregory Itzin, by the way.

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They may not know my name,

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they sure know my face.

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"You were, you know, at the

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teacher conference I just had,

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right?"

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Oftentimes, I'll come into

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a restaurant and I sit.

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Somebody will say to me, "oh."

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I've never been there before.

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"Oh, we haven't seen you for

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a long time."

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This is the one I do hate.

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"So, tell me what you've been

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in."

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No.

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No.

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You tell me.

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I said, "I'm not gonna recite

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what I've done, so you can

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figure it out."

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I always say that if my wife

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would let me, I would wear a

242
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t-shirt that says, "hey, I'm on

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TV."

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Once I see the twinkle of

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recognition in someone's eye

246
00:08:04,618 --> 00:08:06,519
and they start making the

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00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,254
beeline, it's... it... depending on

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00:08:08,255 --> 00:08:10,056
their age, if it's somebody

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00:08:10,057 --> 00:08:11,791
under 30, it's gonna be

250
00:08:11,792 --> 00:08:12,726
"psych" now.

251
00:08:12,727 --> 00:08:14,627
If it's a female over 30,

252
00:08:14,628 --> 00:08:15,895
it's gonna be "judging Amy."

253
00:08:15,896 --> 00:08:17,630
And if they're really hip,

254
00:08:17,631 --> 00:08:18,599
it'll be "deadwood."

255
00:08:18,599 --> 00:08:19,266
With "mommie dearest,"

256
00:08:19,267 --> 00:08:21,067
the gay crowd knew me for years.

257
00:08:21,068 --> 00:08:24,070
Any kind of metalhead youngster

258
00:08:24,071 --> 00:08:24,938
would know me from

259
00:08:24,939 --> 00:08:26,039
"Terminator 2."

260
00:08:26,073 --> 00:08:29,275
Any punk of whatever age would

261
00:08:29,276 --> 00:08:30,978
know me from "sid and Nancy."

262
00:08:31,011 --> 00:08:32,244
People my age, it was

263
00:08:32,245 --> 00:08:33,312
"Willard."

264
00:08:33,313 --> 00:08:35,281
You know, "X-Men" now.

265
00:08:35,282 --> 00:08:36,282
I don't like it when people

266
00:08:36,283 --> 00:08:38,117
walk up to me and... like, they

267
00:08:38,118 --> 00:08:38,986
know me.

268
00:08:38,987 --> 00:08:40,252
I know you just saw me on TV,

269
00:08:40,253 --> 00:08:41,621
but that doesn't mean we're,

270
00:08:41,622 --> 00:08:42,756
like, buddies or pals.

271
00:08:42,790 --> 00:08:43,624
I'm going to be nice and

272
00:08:43,625 --> 00:08:45,124
cordial, but don't go punching

273
00:08:45,125 --> 00:08:47,193
me in the arm or don't, you

274
00:08:47,194 --> 00:08:48,260
know, ask me for my cell phone

275
00:08:48,261 --> 00:08:49,261
number or anything.

276
00:08:49,262 --> 00:08:50,262
Oh, the funniest one was

277
00:08:50,263 --> 00:08:53,265
I was with my youngest daughter.

278
00:08:53,266 --> 00:08:54,134
She was just a baby.

279
00:08:54,167 --> 00:08:56,202
And I'm taking her to cedars,

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00:08:56,203 --> 00:08:57,269
to the hospital to get her

281
00:08:57,270 --> 00:08:58,138
checkup.

282
00:08:58,138 --> 00:08:59,006
This woman comes in the

283
00:08:59,006 --> 00:08:59,940
elevator, and then she looks at

284
00:08:59,940 --> 00:09:00,808
me and she goes...

285
00:09:01,909 --> 00:09:03,009
"Oh, my god!

286
00:09:03,010 --> 00:09:05,344
You're that man.

287
00:09:05,345 --> 00:09:07,213
You're that dirty man, and you

288
00:09:07,214 --> 00:09:08,748
have a child?"

289
00:09:08,749 --> 00:09:10,584
And my daughter's waking up.

290
00:09:10,618 --> 00:09:11,951
And I'm like, "lady, for god's

291
00:09:11,952 --> 00:09:13,620
sake, I'm an actor."

292
00:09:13,621 --> 00:09:14,687
But the best is when you go

293
00:09:14,688 --> 00:09:16,055
to a checkout counter or you go

294
00:09:16,056 --> 00:09:18,024
and, you know, and they're

295
00:09:18,025 --> 00:09:19,325
dealing with you and everything

296
00:09:19,326 --> 00:09:20,359
is going, and as you're walking

297
00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:21,328
away, I've had people say,

298
00:09:21,329 --> 00:09:22,361
"thank you, Mr. President,"

299
00:09:22,362 --> 00:09:23,230
or something like that.

300
00:09:23,231 --> 00:09:24,363
So they let you know that they

301
00:09:24,364 --> 00:09:25,265
know who you are but they

302
00:09:25,266 --> 00:09:27,901
don't... they don't bother you.

303
00:09:31,939 --> 00:09:32,840
So, to have people come up

304
00:09:32,841 --> 00:09:35,107
and... and say they like what you

305
00:09:35,108 --> 00:09:36,676
do, they like your work, you

306
00:09:36,677 --> 00:09:38,010
got through them on some level...

307
00:09:38,011 --> 00:09:39,011
It's the most gratifying thing

308
00:09:39,012 --> 00:09:39,880
in the world.

309
00:09:39,913 --> 00:09:41,047
I think you're lucky if you

310
00:09:41,048 --> 00:09:42,214
are able to make a living in

311
00:09:42,215 --> 00:09:43,916
Hollywood any way as an actor,

312
00:09:43,917 --> 00:09:45,885
but it... i think you're very

313
00:09:45,886 --> 00:09:47,086
lucky if you get a chance to

314
00:09:47,087 --> 00:09:48,721
make a living doing different

315
00:09:48,722 --> 00:09:49,657
characters every time.

316
00:09:49,690 --> 00:09:50,390
If you look at the range of

317
00:09:50,391 --> 00:09:51,391
roles I've played from,

318
00:09:51,392 --> 00:09:54,360
"Elvira: Mistress of the dark,"

319
00:09:54,361 --> 00:09:56,328
you know, to "Babylon 5.

320
00:09:56,329 --> 00:09:57,797
That's where we're luckier than

321
00:09:57,798 --> 00:09:58,832
the stars.

322
00:10:04,071 --> 00:10:05,404
I've gone from weirdo,

323
00:10:05,405 --> 00:10:09,108
freako psychotics to sensitive

324
00:10:09,109 --> 00:10:09,977
dads.

325
00:10:10,010 --> 00:10:13,345
After "longtime companion," I

326
00:10:13,346 --> 00:10:15,114
had sensitive parts with dying

327
00:10:15,115 --> 00:10:16,215
everybody for a while.

328
00:10:16,216 --> 00:10:18,951
Now, it's evil wasps.

329
00:10:18,952 --> 00:10:20,219
I'm constantly being cast as

330
00:10:20,220 --> 00:10:22,889
very confident, you know,

331
00:10:22,890 --> 00:10:24,323
businessman types.

332
00:10:24,324 --> 00:10:25,334
I do get a little tired of it.

333
00:10:25,358 --> 00:10:26,425
I'm excited to play somebody

334
00:10:26,426 --> 00:10:29,061
like... well, more like me.

335
00:10:29,062 --> 00:10:31,798
You know, jeans and, you know,

336
00:10:31,799 --> 00:10:33,733
a porkpie hat, maybe an

337
00:10:33,734 --> 00:10:35,134
attitude, earrings all three of

338
00:10:35,135 --> 00:10:36,003
the holes.

339
00:10:36,004 --> 00:10:37,904
I've lost work because of this.

340
00:10:37,905 --> 00:10:40,072
"We need the attorney

341
00:10:40,073 --> 00:10:41,241
who's gonna lose the case."

342
00:10:41,274 --> 00:10:42,942
"Yeah, well, Bob joy,

343
00:10:42,943 --> 00:10:44,443
he'll be a good choice."

344
00:10:44,444 --> 00:10:46,679
Or "we need the axe murderer

345
00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:48,915
who's gonna, you know... you know,

346
00:10:48,916 --> 00:10:49,817
kill the little girl."

347
00:10:49,850 --> 00:10:50,684
"Oh, that would be Bob joy,

348
00:10:50,684 --> 00:10:51,351
right?"

349
00:10:51,352 --> 00:10:53,319
You get typecast from the

350
00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:54,821
next five years, which is great.

351
00:10:54,822 --> 00:10:56,155
You know, it's nice to have an

352
00:10:56,156 --> 00:10:57,824
identity as long as you can

353
00:10:57,825 --> 00:10:58,826
keep changing it.

354
00:10:58,859 --> 00:11:00,059
I had to quit playing bad

355
00:11:00,060 --> 00:11:02,161
guys for a while because I had

356
00:11:02,162 --> 00:11:03,863
a casting director say to me

357
00:11:03,864 --> 00:11:06,199
once, "well, let's face it.

358
00:11:06,233 --> 00:11:07,233
You'll never play the nice guy

359
00:11:07,234 --> 00:11:09,335
next door."

360
00:11:09,336 --> 00:11:11,804
And I go, "what do you mean?

361
00:11:11,805 --> 00:11:13,339
I am the nice guy next door.

362
00:11:13,340 --> 00:11:15,007
Go talk to all the old ladies

363
00:11:15,008 --> 00:11:16,709
down the block and ask them who

364
00:11:16,710 --> 00:11:18,010
the nice guy next door is, and

365
00:11:18,011 --> 00:11:19,245
I guarantee they'll all say

366
00:11:19,246 --> 00:11:20,213
it's me."

367
00:11:20,247 --> 00:11:21,148
I was afraid to come to

368
00:11:21,149 --> 00:11:23,349
Hollywood initially because

369
00:11:23,350 --> 00:11:24,350
I said, "well, I'm going to get

370
00:11:24,351 --> 00:11:25,718
typecast.

371
00:11:25,719 --> 00:11:26,919
I'm gonna be, you know,

372
00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,288
the bad guy or..."

373
00:11:30,758 --> 00:11:32,325
"You know, the... the athlete."

374
00:11:32,359 --> 00:11:33,860
I'm happy to say that I haven't

375
00:11:33,861 --> 00:11:34,728
been typecast.

376
00:11:34,762 --> 00:11:36,128
There's one thing worse than

377
00:11:36,129 --> 00:11:37,129
being typecast, and that's not

378
00:11:37,130 --> 00:11:37,998
cast.

379
00:11:37,999 --> 00:11:39,131
I've lived my life for that,

380
00:11:39,132 --> 00:11:40,967
I can't wait to be a type,

381
00:11:40,968 --> 00:11:43,002
where people pick the phone up

382
00:11:43,003 --> 00:11:44,470
and go, "that's who I want.

383
00:11:44,471 --> 00:11:46,874
That's the guy we want."

384
00:11:46,907 --> 00:11:47,875
I don't quite understand

385
00:11:47,875 --> 00:11:48,776
people who want to play nice

386
00:11:48,776 --> 00:11:49,442
guys all the time.

387
00:11:49,443 --> 00:11:51,010
I think, "isn't that just

388
00:11:51,011 --> 00:11:51,879
skating on the surface?"

389
00:11:51,879 --> 00:11:52,846
That's so cliche.

390
00:11:52,847 --> 00:11:53,946
Yeah, I play a lot of nasty

391
00:11:53,947 --> 00:11:55,983
characters.

392
00:11:59,519 --> 00:12:00,887
It's what I get cast to do.

393
00:12:00,888 --> 00:12:02,421
I kind... i kind of look like

394
00:12:02,422 --> 00:12:03,956
an asshole, so I get cast

395
00:12:03,957 --> 00:12:05,092
as asshole characters.

396
00:12:05,125 --> 00:12:06,525
But sometimes I would find

397
00:12:06,526 --> 00:12:07,860
myself saying stuff like

398
00:12:07,861 --> 00:12:09,128
Bellick would say, having the

399
00:12:09,129 --> 00:12:11,263
same kind of negative attitude,

400
00:12:11,264 --> 00:12:12,264
getting pissed off at people

401
00:12:12,265 --> 00:12:13,133
and stuff.

402
00:12:13,166 --> 00:12:14,134
Yeah, I call it character

403
00:12:14,134 --> 00:12:15,002
hangover.

404
00:12:15,003 --> 00:12:16,969
I don't like having to go into

405
00:12:16,970 --> 00:12:18,104
the... this horrible kind of

406
00:12:18,105 --> 00:12:19,538
psyche of a guy like that.

407
00:12:19,539 --> 00:12:20,940
He's a horrible person.

408
00:12:20,941 --> 00:12:21,842
You know, if I got to play

409
00:12:21,843 --> 00:12:22,843
one more nice guy, I'm gonna

410
00:12:22,843 --> 00:12:23,543
cut my head off.

411
00:12:23,576 --> 00:12:25,544
I got an inner demon, a

412
00:12:25,545 --> 00:12:28,180
pathological nut inside me just

413
00:12:28,181 --> 00:12:29,315
aching to get out.

414
00:12:29,316 --> 00:12:30,549
As an actor, as a character

415
00:12:30,550 --> 00:12:31,951
actor, especially you get to

416
00:12:31,952 --> 00:12:33,085
play a lot of demented

417
00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:34,186
characters.

418
00:12:34,187 --> 00:12:36,022
You get to go places and sort

419
00:12:36,023 --> 00:12:38,524
of pretend like a kid.

420
00:12:38,525 --> 00:12:40,426
When we were kids, my mom

421
00:12:40,427 --> 00:12:43,030
put us in talent shows.

422
00:12:43,063 --> 00:12:45,064
And we were... we were so poor.

423
00:12:45,065 --> 00:12:46,498
I remember we were... when we were

424
00:12:46,499 --> 00:12:49,401
really young, you know, we lived

425
00:12:49,402 --> 00:12:50,270
pretty much in the ghetto in

426
00:12:50,270 --> 00:12:51,138
Detroit.

427
00:12:51,138 --> 00:12:52,005
She was in the living room

428
00:12:52,006 --> 00:12:53,049
one day pulling off the drapes.

429
00:12:53,073 --> 00:12:54,173
And she began cutting them up.

430
00:12:54,174 --> 00:12:55,908
She... she made our costumes out

431
00:12:55,909 --> 00:12:57,044
of those.

432
00:12:57,077 --> 00:12:58,845
I credit all my creative

433
00:12:58,846 --> 00:13:00,012
instincts from her.

434
00:13:00,013 --> 00:13:01,047
Well, a lot of people in the

435
00:13:01,048 --> 00:13:02,248
industry come from transient

436
00:13:02,249 --> 00:13:03,116
situations.

437
00:13:03,117 --> 00:13:04,350
My mother and I sat down one

438
00:13:04,351 --> 00:13:06,819
day, and we counted out that we

439
00:13:06,820 --> 00:13:07,887
have lived in 18 different

440
00:13:07,888 --> 00:13:09,256
houses by the time I was 18.

441
00:13:09,289 --> 00:13:10,489
My father was a pharmacist.

442
00:13:10,490 --> 00:13:11,824
My mother was a nurse.

443
00:13:11,825 --> 00:13:12,592
Nobody has ever been involved

444
00:13:12,592 --> 00:13:13,460
in acting.

445
00:13:13,493 --> 00:13:14,361
My father was a marine for

446
00:13:14,362 --> 00:13:15,828
24 years, and then he had

447
00:13:15,829 --> 00:13:17,864
a whole another career as an

448
00:13:17,865 --> 00:13:18,898
officer of the bank of

449
00:13:18,899 --> 00:13:19,599
Burlington.

450
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:20,600
Burlington, Wisconsin.

451
00:13:20,601 --> 00:13:21,869
He did that for 20 years.

452
00:13:21,902 --> 00:13:24,236
He was the mayor of Burlington

453
00:13:24,237 --> 00:13:26,105
and later a county councilman.

454
00:13:26,106 --> 00:13:27,473
So he was very involved in

455
00:13:27,474 --> 00:13:28,841
local politics and was not an

456
00:13:28,842 --> 00:13:29,509
actor.

457
00:13:29,542 --> 00:13:31,177
And as a matter of fact,

458
00:13:31,178 --> 00:13:32,411
confessed to me how difficult

459
00:13:32,412 --> 00:13:33,512
it was for him to do public

460
00:13:33,513 --> 00:13:34,381
speaking.

461
00:13:34,414 --> 00:13:35,848
My father was a monk.

462
00:13:35,849 --> 00:13:37,316
He left my mom and the family

463
00:13:37,317 --> 00:13:38,185
and became a monk.

464
00:13:38,218 --> 00:13:39,318
And we didn't hear from him for

465
00:13:39,319 --> 00:13:40,619
about five years.

466
00:13:40,620 --> 00:13:42,121
Well, we keep in touch, but he's

467
00:13:42,122 --> 00:13:43,322
a monk, so we can't really talk

468
00:13:43,323 --> 00:13:44,323
to him very much.

469
00:13:46,293 --> 00:13:48,327
My father's an electronics

470
00:13:48,328 --> 00:13:50,362
engineer who works in... god, help

471
00:13:50,363 --> 00:13:51,363
me, I have a book of his

472
00:13:51,364 --> 00:13:52,265
somewhere here.

473
00:13:52,266 --> 00:13:54,366
Uh, it's, like, microwave

474
00:13:54,367 --> 00:13:56,635
communications and... and solid

475
00:13:56,636 --> 00:13:58,037
state circuitry.

476
00:13:58,038 --> 00:13:59,471
And I get completely lost.

477
00:13:59,472 --> 00:14:01,607
So I had blond, wispy hair

478
00:14:01,608 --> 00:14:02,875
as a kid.

479
00:14:02,876 --> 00:14:05,311
Always did till the day I was...

480
00:14:05,312 --> 00:14:07,379
Entered college and almost

481
00:14:07,380 --> 00:14:08,580
promptly, it went into full

482
00:14:08,581 --> 00:14:09,449
retreat.

483
00:14:09,450 --> 00:14:10,582
My parents who've always been

484
00:14:10,583 --> 00:14:11,583
very honest and candid with me

485
00:14:11,584 --> 00:14:13,285
about my pursuit of acting,

486
00:14:13,286 --> 00:14:14,187
were like, "well, Matt, you

487
00:14:14,188 --> 00:14:17,223
know, you have a situation.

488
00:14:17,224 --> 00:14:19,058
And your face and your body are,

489
00:14:19,059 --> 00:14:19,960
you know, of a 19-year-old,

490
00:14:19,961 --> 00:14:22,094
and your hair looks 35.

491
00:14:22,095 --> 00:14:24,063
For a graduation gift, we would

492
00:14:24,064 --> 00:14:25,264
like you to consider

493
00:14:25,265 --> 00:14:27,466
a-a toupee."

494
00:14:27,467 --> 00:14:28,500
So I'm like, "okay.

495
00:14:28,501 --> 00:14:30,436
I guess... go over along route 20

496
00:14:30,437 --> 00:14:32,371
in upstate New York," which is

497
00:14:32,372 --> 00:14:33,439
really not the place to go

498
00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:34,307
shopping for hair.

499
00:14:34,308 --> 00:14:36,008
In hindsight, you see now,

500
00:14:36,009 --> 00:14:36,977
but I get in there, and he's

501
00:14:36,977 --> 00:14:37,945
telling me this thing, "it's

502
00:14:37,946 --> 00:14:39,411
a weave, and it'll be nice,

503
00:14:39,412 --> 00:14:40,947
and you'll, you know... it's

504
00:14:40,948 --> 00:14:42,448
made... handmade in Haiti, and

505
00:14:42,449 --> 00:14:45,417
you'll really like this."

506
00:14:45,418 --> 00:14:47,619
"Okay."

507
00:14:47,620 --> 00:14:50,289
Anyway, it turns out obviously

508
00:14:50,290 --> 00:14:52,524
that baby doc Duvalier is down

509
00:14:52,525 --> 00:14:53,493
there making a mess of things,

510
00:14:53,494 --> 00:14:54,526
and everyone's throwing him out

511
00:14:54,527 --> 00:14:55,594
on his ass and burning

512
00:14:55,595 --> 00:14:56,463
everything down.

513
00:14:56,464 --> 00:14:57,696
My roommates were watching it

514
00:14:57,697 --> 00:14:59,131
on the news, and they'll see

515
00:14:59,132 --> 00:15:00,466
like, you know, mayhem.

516
00:15:00,467 --> 00:15:02,501
And, like, one guy's like, "hey,

517
00:15:02,502 --> 00:15:03,970
I think that woman who's running

518
00:15:03,971 --> 00:15:05,137
from that burning hut has your

519
00:15:05,138 --> 00:15:06,006
toupee in her hand.

520
00:15:06,006 --> 00:15:06,673
Look, yeah."

521
00:15:06,674 --> 00:15:09,141
Finally, they call, it's ready.

522
00:15:09,142 --> 00:15:10,476
And I go back to school, and I’m

523
00:15:10,477 --> 00:15:11,510
asking people, and they're all

524
00:15:11,511 --> 00:15:13,412
kind of like, "ah, yeah.

525
00:15:13,413 --> 00:15:15,481
Ah, yeah, okay."

526
00:15:15,482 --> 00:15:16,983
It's funny what you can talk

527
00:15:16,984 --> 00:15:18,684
yourself into when you... when

528
00:15:18,685 --> 00:15:20,252
you get into it, or you think,

529
00:15:20,253 --> 00:15:22,588
"maybe no one will notice."

530
00:15:22,589 --> 00:15:24,123
Then years later I've... I've

531
00:15:24,124 --> 00:15:26,225
gotten these high-end ones that

532
00:15:26,226 --> 00:15:31,597
are very... that are subtle.

533
00:15:31,598 --> 00:15:33,332
It is fun.

534
00:15:33,333 --> 00:15:34,566
This part of it, you know,

535
00:15:34,567 --> 00:15:37,103
it does get back to what you

536
00:15:37,104 --> 00:15:38,737
jumped into theater for in the

537
00:15:38,738 --> 00:15:40,139
beginning was to try to become

538
00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:41,540
something different, to look

539
00:15:41,541 --> 00:15:42,409
in the mirror and take

540
00:15:42,410 --> 00:15:43,642
a vacation from yourself.

541
00:15:43,643 --> 00:15:44,511
Get a load of this, right?

542
00:15:44,512 --> 00:15:48,247
It's supposed to be your

543
00:15:48,248 --> 00:15:49,648
maternal grandfather is where

544
00:15:49,649 --> 00:15:51,450
your hairline, your hair gene

545
00:15:51,451 --> 00:15:52,319
comes from.

546
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:53,719
I won the lottery on that one.

547
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:54,753
Well, before I was an actor,

548
00:15:54,754 --> 00:15:55,988
I was... i was a dancer.

549
00:15:55,989 --> 00:15:58,557
I used to, uh, spin on my head,

550
00:15:58,558 --> 00:15:59,426
believe it or not.

551
00:16:00,727 --> 00:16:02,028
My brother and I were... were

552
00:16:02,029 --> 00:16:02,729
break-dancers.

553
00:16:02,730 --> 00:16:04,396
This is talking, like, mid-'80s

554
00:16:04,397 --> 00:16:05,332
when the break-dancing scene

555
00:16:05,332 --> 00:16:06,199
came out to Hollywood when

556
00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:07,399
I was 19.

557
00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:08,368
It was to compete on this

558
00:16:08,369 --> 00:16:09,568
TV show called "dance fever."

559
00:16:09,569 --> 00:16:10,702
Now everybody knows.

560
00:16:13,306 --> 00:16:14,473
When I was 19 years old,

561
00:16:14,474 --> 00:16:16,575
I thought that the best thing

562
00:16:16,576 --> 00:16:20,712
would... to do to be an actor

563
00:16:20,713 --> 00:16:22,281
until I became a great actor,

564
00:16:22,282 --> 00:16:23,749
which was going to be

565
00:16:23,750 --> 00:16:25,152
when I was 35.

566
00:16:25,185 --> 00:16:26,618
I would go then into medical

567
00:16:26,619 --> 00:16:28,454
school, become a brain surgeon.

568
00:16:28,455 --> 00:16:31,257
And by 42, I needed to be doing

569
00:16:31,258 --> 00:16:32,192
brain surgery.

570
00:16:32,193 --> 00:16:34,393
And then by 60, I was going to

571
00:16:34,394 --> 00:16:36,195
become... i was going to run for

572
00:16:36,196 --> 00:16:37,563
public office.

573
00:16:37,564 --> 00:16:39,098
And that was the plan when

574
00:16:39,099 --> 00:16:39,766
I was 19.

575
00:16:39,767 --> 00:16:41,533
I'm a little late, especially

576
00:16:41,534 --> 00:16:42,469
on becoming a great actor.

577
00:16:42,502 --> 00:16:44,336
You know, it's, you know,

578
00:16:44,337 --> 00:16:45,504
I'm still waiting for that,

579
00:16:45,505 --> 00:16:47,073
to convince myself that

580
00:16:47,074 --> 00:16:47,740
I'm that.

581
00:16:47,741 --> 00:16:50,242
My dad who basically dealt

582
00:16:50,243 --> 00:16:51,643
with numbers all his life...

583
00:16:51,644 --> 00:16:54,246
His aunt died, and he got this

584
00:16:54,247 --> 00:16:58,051
trunk that was his mother's.

585
00:16:58,085 --> 00:17:00,552
And we open it, and it was full

586
00:17:00,553 --> 00:17:04,456
of mementos of his, like, youth

587
00:17:04,457 --> 00:17:05,325
and 20s.

588
00:17:05,358 --> 00:17:06,658
And there was a picture of him

589
00:17:06,659 --> 00:17:10,696
at about 27 singing in

590
00:17:10,697 --> 00:17:11,764
a night club.

591
00:17:11,798 --> 00:17:16,302
And I was like, "what the fuck

592
00:17:16,303 --> 00:17:18,137
is this?"

593
00:17:18,138 --> 00:17:19,205
And he's like, "oh, that's...

594
00:17:19,206 --> 00:17:20,806
That's me singing in the elks

595
00:17:20,807 --> 00:17:21,708
club at Hinema...

596
00:17:21,709 --> 00:17:22,808
In Helena, Montana.

597
00:17:22,809 --> 00:17:24,543
Pull up some sheet music.

598
00:17:24,544 --> 00:17:25,478
"Why is your name on the sheet

599
00:17:25,478 --> 00:17:26,346
music?"

600
00:17:26,346 --> 00:17:27,314
"Oh, it's a song I wrote."

601
00:17:27,315 --> 00:17:28,614
"What?"

602
00:17:28,615 --> 00:17:30,182
My mother was English.

603
00:17:30,183 --> 00:17:31,483
And I was brought up in Ireland.

604
00:17:31,484 --> 00:17:32,584
It was 1939.

605
00:17:32,585 --> 00:17:33,520
The war, they started bombing

606
00:17:33,521 --> 00:17:34,820
England, and they shipped me

607
00:17:34,821 --> 00:17:35,688
out.

608
00:17:35,688 --> 00:17:36,589
They shipped all the kids out

609
00:17:36,589 --> 00:17:37,457
of London.

610
00:17:37,457 --> 00:17:38,325
And they shipped me to

611
00:17:38,326 --> 00:17:39,858
relatives, to my granny and to

612
00:17:39,859 --> 00:17:40,859
my auntie Rita, who brought me

613
00:17:40,860 --> 00:17:41,728
up in Dublin.

614
00:17:41,761 --> 00:17:43,729
I went from in Yugoslavia

615
00:17:43,730 --> 00:17:45,797
being, like, a very smart kid,

616
00:17:45,798 --> 00:17:49,268
a very popular kid to coming

617
00:17:49,269 --> 00:17:51,770
to the states and being sort of

618
00:17:51,771 --> 00:17:53,239
the slightly odd kid who had,

619
00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:55,207
like, long hair and bell-bottoms

620
00:17:55,208 --> 00:17:56,842
and didn't fit into

621
00:17:56,843 --> 00:17:58,478
a group particularly.

622
00:17:58,511 --> 00:17:59,446
And the name... the name didn't

623
00:17:59,446 --> 00:18:00,313
help.

624
00:18:00,313 --> 00:18:01,248
Although I changed my name.

625
00:18:01,248 --> 00:18:02,182
It was the only time I went by

626
00:18:02,183 --> 00:18:03,749
another name for... i think it

627
00:18:03,750 --> 00:18:05,684
came from when we were first

628
00:18:05,685 --> 00:18:06,586
in the states, and I was just,

629
00:18:06,586 --> 00:18:07,487
like, three or four years old.

630
00:18:07,488 --> 00:18:08,654
And it was just, you know,

631
00:18:08,655 --> 00:18:09,655
I was too young to try to

632
00:18:09,656 --> 00:18:10,756
explain my name to people.

633
00:18:10,757 --> 00:18:11,891
I went by Jacob.

634
00:18:11,924 --> 00:18:14,426
In Slovenian, in Serbian,

635
00:18:14,427 --> 00:18:15,427
in Croatian, in all those

636
00:18:15,428 --> 00:18:17,429
languages, there's actually

637
00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:18,464
a letter, a separate letter,

638
00:18:18,465 --> 00:18:19,831
a "z" with a little "v" on top

639
00:18:19,832 --> 00:18:20,900
which is a "zhuh."

640
00:18:20,933 --> 00:18:22,201
There is a little writer...

641
00:18:22,202 --> 00:18:23,302
I can't remember if something...

642
00:18:23,303 --> 00:18:24,370
If it actually happened

643
00:18:24,371 --> 00:18:25,238
a couple times, things were

644
00:18:25,239 --> 00:18:27,706
misspelled, and I wanted to try

645
00:18:27,707 --> 00:18:29,341
to prevent that, so there's a

646
00:18:29,342 --> 00:18:30,576
little, very officious-sounding

647
00:18:30,577 --> 00:18:32,478
paragraph about the fact that

648
00:18:32,479 --> 00:18:33,346
they have to spell my name

649
00:18:33,347 --> 00:18:34,413
right, including the little

650
00:18:34,414 --> 00:18:35,714
"v" accent over the "z."

651
00:18:35,715 --> 00:18:37,283
My father was a businessman.

652
00:18:37,284 --> 00:18:38,817
And like a lot of people of

653
00:18:38,818 --> 00:18:41,787
that generation, they weren't

654
00:18:41,788 --> 00:18:43,655
allowed to really go after

655
00:18:43,656 --> 00:18:44,723
dreams.

656
00:18:44,724 --> 00:18:46,558
There was, you know, they were

657
00:18:46,559 --> 00:18:47,693
children of the depression.

658
00:18:47,694 --> 00:18:50,562
It was about making

659
00:18:50,563 --> 00:18:51,830
a comfortable living for your

660
00:18:51,831 --> 00:18:53,199
family, which he did.

661
00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,434
But he... he was the best dancer

662
00:18:55,435 --> 00:18:56,868
in the crowd, he had a way with

663
00:18:56,869 --> 00:18:58,870
eye, with color and design, and

664
00:18:58,871 --> 00:19:00,706
he had all these other talents

665
00:19:00,707 --> 00:19:02,941
that men were not allowed to

666
00:19:02,942 --> 00:19:05,211
pursue in those days unless you,

667
00:19:05,212 --> 00:19:06,912
you know, coming from a bohemian

668
00:19:06,913 --> 00:19:08,680
family or something.

669
00:19:08,681 --> 00:19:09,715
Yeah, I think he played the

670
00:19:09,716 --> 00:19:10,583
piano.

671
00:19:10,584 --> 00:19:12,351
I mean, he was into music.

672
00:19:12,352 --> 00:19:13,819
And there wasn't one Broadway

673
00:19:13,820 --> 00:19:15,354
show they didn't see, and we had

674
00:19:15,355 --> 00:19:16,688
the albums, and they were always

675
00:19:16,689 --> 00:19:17,557
playing in the house.

676
00:19:17,558 --> 00:19:18,724
And, you know, in our house,

677
00:19:18,725 --> 00:19:20,226
Gershwin was a god.

678
00:19:20,227 --> 00:19:21,727
And, you know, the house was

679
00:19:21,728 --> 00:19:24,396
filled with those outlets.

680
00:19:24,397 --> 00:19:26,498
And I think, yeah, I think under

681
00:19:26,499 --> 00:19:27,833
different circumstances

682
00:19:27,834 --> 00:19:29,468
he would have done something

683
00:19:29,469 --> 00:19:30,969
differently, but they weren't

684
00:19:30,970 --> 00:19:31,838
allowed to.

685
00:19:31,839 --> 00:19:33,705
He insisted I go to college.

686
00:19:33,706 --> 00:19:35,574
And when I went to Boston

687
00:19:35,575 --> 00:19:37,976
university, which he paid for,

688
00:19:37,977 --> 00:19:42,914
for me to be an acting major...

689
00:19:42,915 --> 00:19:44,516
This is, like, not normal

690
00:19:44,517 --> 00:19:46,352
behavior for Jewish families.

691
00:19:46,353 --> 00:19:48,554
I think I knew when I had his

692
00:19:48,555 --> 00:19:50,856
support, his encouragement,

693
00:19:50,857 --> 00:19:53,359
that somebody else, who could

694
00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,695
be a very harsh critic...

695
00:19:56,696 --> 00:19:58,797
All our fathers can do that

696
00:19:58,798 --> 00:20:01,267
to us... was saying, "I’m

697
00:20:01,268 --> 00:20:05,671
supporting you in this."

698
00:20:05,672 --> 00:20:07,939
And it was never... it was, like,

699
00:20:07,940 --> 00:20:08,841
you know the expression, "and

700
00:20:08,841 --> 00:20:09,809
I never looked back"?

701
00:20:09,810 --> 00:20:11,277
That was it.

702
00:20:11,278 --> 00:20:11,944
My dad had been a cop.

703
00:20:11,945 --> 00:20:13,245
And every day he'd say, "so why

704
00:20:13,246 --> 00:20:14,647
don't you get a regular job?"

705
00:20:14,681 --> 00:20:15,781
And he saw me in the west end.

706
00:20:15,782 --> 00:20:16,848
He actually saw me on the

707
00:20:16,849 --> 00:20:17,717
equivalent of Broadway.

708
00:20:17,718 --> 00:20:18,750
And he's sitting there, watching

709
00:20:18,751 --> 00:20:19,619
me, on the equivalent of

710
00:20:19,619 --> 00:20:20,553
Broadway, going, "well, why

711
00:20:20,553 --> 00:20:21,521
don't you get a regular job?"

712
00:20:21,554 --> 00:20:22,654
I was earning three times what

713
00:20:22,655 --> 00:20:24,256
he was earning, but bless him,

714
00:20:24,257 --> 00:20:25,257
you know, it's that old gener...

715
00:20:25,258 --> 00:20:26,458
That generation.

716
00:20:26,459 --> 00:20:27,459
My mom said, "you've got to

717
00:20:27,460 --> 00:20:28,328
take other classes.

718
00:20:28,328 --> 00:20:28,995
You got to have something to

719
00:20:28,995 --> 00:20:29,862
fall back on."

720
00:20:29,862 --> 00:20:30,763
I said, "if I fall back... if

721
00:20:30,763 --> 00:20:31,664
I have something to fall back

722
00:20:31,664 --> 00:20:32,565
on, I'll fall back on it."

723
00:20:32,566 --> 00:20:33,566
I deluded myself into

724
00:20:33,567 --> 00:20:34,600
thinking I could... i could do

725
00:20:34,601 --> 00:20:35,568
some kind of double major with

726
00:20:35,569 --> 00:20:37,403
something more rational and

727
00:20:37,404 --> 00:20:38,305
practical and serious like

728
00:20:38,306 --> 00:20:39,705
geology.

729
00:20:39,706 --> 00:20:42,708
I'm color-blind, which explains

730
00:20:42,709 --> 00:20:45,377
my only "c" in college 'cause

731
00:20:45,378 --> 00:20:46,678
they bring you a tray of rocks,

732
00:20:46,679 --> 00:20:47,647
and you're supposed to figure

733
00:20:47,648 --> 00:20:48,680
out what they are because

734
00:20:48,681 --> 00:20:49,881
they're green or brown or

735
00:20:49,882 --> 00:20:50,750
whatever the hell color they

736
00:20:50,750 --> 00:20:51,718
are, and I'm looking at them

737
00:20:51,719 --> 00:20:53,520
like, "beats me."

738
00:20:53,553 --> 00:20:54,686
We're gonna do something

739
00:20:54,687 --> 00:20:55,555
different this semester.

740
00:20:55,555 --> 00:20:56,523
We're gonna do a Shakespeare

741
00:20:56,523 --> 00:20:57,390
play.

742
00:20:57,391 --> 00:20:58,490
If you're in the play, you don't

743
00:20:58,491 --> 00:20:59,359
have to write a paper."

744
00:20:59,392 --> 00:21:00,026
Done.

745
00:21:00,026 --> 00:21:00,893
When I told my dad and my

746
00:21:00,893 --> 00:21:01,761
mom that I wanted to be an

747
00:21:01,761 --> 00:21:02,629
actor, they flipped out.

748
00:21:02,630 --> 00:21:04,062
They just co... i remember my dad,

749
00:21:04,063 --> 00:21:05,063
I can still hear him, you know,

750
00:21:05,064 --> 00:21:06,565
he's screaming at me, you know.

751
00:21:06,566 --> 00:21:07,933
"We sent, you know, we sent you

752
00:21:07,934 --> 00:21:09,368
through university of Michigan.

753
00:21:09,369 --> 00:21:10,069
And we paid thousands of

754
00:21:10,070 --> 00:21:11,303
dollars and god damn it,

755
00:21:11,304 --> 00:21:12,304
you want to be an actor?"

756
00:21:12,973 --> 00:21:14,013
You know, he just flipped.

757
00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:15,474
I applied for the Rhodes

758
00:21:15,475 --> 00:21:16,608
scholarship, and I got it

759
00:21:16,609 --> 00:21:19,745
and went to Oxford in England.

760
00:21:19,746 --> 00:21:21,380
And I did two terms there, which

761
00:21:21,381 --> 00:21:22,581
I really loved.

762
00:21:22,582 --> 00:21:23,715
Between the second and third

763
00:21:23,716 --> 00:21:25,384
semester, I got invited by some

764
00:21:25,385 --> 00:21:26,353
of the people I'd done

765
00:21:26,354 --> 00:21:27,619
Newfoundland traveling

766
00:21:27,620 --> 00:21:30,589
theatre company with to be

767
00:21:30,590 --> 00:21:32,424
a part of this new sketch

768
00:21:32,425 --> 00:21:33,759
comedy group they formed called

769
00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:34,661
Codco.

770
00:21:34,694 --> 00:21:35,528
We made our rent.

771
00:21:35,529 --> 00:21:36,595
We had a great time.

772
00:21:36,596 --> 00:21:37,564
We were making films on the

773
00:21:37,564 --> 00:21:38,431
side.

774
00:21:38,432 --> 00:21:40,866
It was a very creative time.

775
00:21:40,867 --> 00:21:42,468
And I thought, "I can do this."

776
00:21:42,469 --> 00:21:43,869
And so I resigned the

777
00:21:43,870 --> 00:21:45,337
scholarship and sort of ran off

778
00:21:45,338 --> 00:21:46,572
to join the circus.

779
00:21:46,573 --> 00:21:47,973
And so from my parents, it was

780
00:21:47,974 --> 00:21:49,040
that kind of thing that,

781
00:21:49,041 --> 00:21:50,075
you know, "that's the worst

782
00:21:50,076 --> 00:21:51,643
possible decision you could've

783
00:21:51,644 --> 00:21:52,512
made.

784
00:21:52,513 --> 00:21:53,513
You, you know, resigned the

785
00:21:53,514 --> 00:21:55,614
Rhodes scholarship, and you are

786
00:21:55,615 --> 00:21:57,383
on a track to sort of become

787
00:21:57,384 --> 00:21:58,950
something fabulous, and now

788
00:21:58,951 --> 00:22:00,486
you're going to be an actor."

789
00:22:00,487 --> 00:22:01,853
I started off studying to

790
00:22:01,854 --> 00:22:02,954
be a doctor.

791
00:22:02,955 --> 00:22:05,791
And I worked at a hospital from

792
00:22:05,792 --> 00:22:07,092
the time I was about 18 until

793
00:22:07,093 --> 00:22:08,027
I was 26.

794
00:22:08,028 --> 00:22:09,761
I used to sing in a choir.

795
00:22:09,762 --> 00:22:10,962
So I took some voice lessons

796
00:22:10,963 --> 00:22:11,864
at school.

797
00:22:11,865 --> 00:22:13,865
The last two years of college,

798
00:22:13,866 --> 00:22:15,367
I took acting classes,

799
00:22:15,368 --> 00:22:16,868
and I got a degree in acting.

800
00:22:16,869 --> 00:22:18,036
I thought, "well, I'll go to

801
00:22:18,037 --> 00:22:18,905
graduate school."

802
00:22:18,906 --> 00:22:20,506
That way if I can't get a job

803
00:22:20,507 --> 00:22:21,973
acting, I can teach.

804
00:22:21,974 --> 00:22:24,543
So I went to Rutgers university

805
00:22:24,544 --> 00:22:25,644
to graduate school for three

806
00:22:25,645 --> 00:22:27,613
years, and within nine months

807
00:22:27,614 --> 00:22:28,515
after I got out of graduate

808
00:22:28,516 --> 00:22:29,915
school, I was on Broadway in

809
00:22:29,916 --> 00:22:30,817
"les miserables."

810
00:22:30,818 --> 00:22:31,883
I was a swing.

811
00:22:31,884 --> 00:22:33,585
And swings understudy, like,

812
00:22:33,586 --> 00:22:34,620
14 different parts.

813
00:22:34,621 --> 00:22:35,687
Every time somebody went on

814
00:22:35,688 --> 00:22:37,756
vacation in "les mis," or there

815
00:22:37,757 --> 00:22:39,425
was, like, an epidemic of

816
00:22:39,426 --> 00:22:41,393
the flu or some stomach virus

817
00:22:41,394 --> 00:22:42,994
on the show, they would call me

818
00:22:42,995 --> 00:22:44,897
in because I knew all the parts.

819
00:22:44,931 --> 00:22:46,698
When I first started working

820
00:22:46,699 --> 00:22:48,567
and there were lot of episodic

821
00:22:48,568 --> 00:22:51,403
TV shows where they needed the

822
00:22:51,404 --> 00:22:52,904
bad kid, the mixed up kid,

823
00:22:52,905 --> 00:22:54,573
the junkie kid, the, you know,

824
00:22:54,574 --> 00:22:56,875
the, you know, wild-eyed kid,

825
00:22:56,876 --> 00:22:57,744
and... and I worked a lot of

826
00:22:57,744 --> 00:22:58,611
those.

827
00:22:58,645 --> 00:23:00,979
I got my first series offer...

828
00:23:00,980 --> 00:23:03,949
Was... was ten years after I left

829
00:23:03,950 --> 00:23:04,817
school.

830
00:23:04,818 --> 00:23:05,951
The phone rings one day,

831
00:23:05,952 --> 00:23:07,553
and it's my uncle, Henry Gibson.

832
00:23:07,554 --> 00:23:08,421
He had called Robert Altman,

833
00:23:08,421 --> 00:23:09,088
who was going to be shooting

834
00:23:09,089 --> 00:23:10,489
a movie in the Seattle area

835
00:23:10,490 --> 00:23:14,460
and told them that I, you know,

836
00:23:14,461 --> 00:23:15,161
that I should call over there

837
00:23:15,162 --> 00:23:16,628
and try to be a stenographer,

838
00:23:16,629 --> 00:23:17,597
a non-speaking role.

839
00:23:17,598 --> 00:23:18,664
Turns out that they do have

840
00:23:18,665 --> 00:23:19,566
a small thing for me.

841
00:23:19,567 --> 00:23:20,766
And I sit there for a month

842
00:23:20,767 --> 00:23:22,768
and the last couple days,

843
00:23:22,769 --> 00:23:23,703
they give me a line.

844
00:23:23,704 --> 00:23:24,936
And so I get my S.A.G. Card.

845
00:23:24,937 --> 00:23:26,472
It was a big deal for me.

846
00:23:26,473 --> 00:23:27,440
In college, I did this thing

847
00:23:27,441 --> 00:23:29,140
where I could take a fly

848
00:23:29,141 --> 00:23:31,443
and then capture it.

849
00:23:31,444 --> 00:23:32,144
And you throw it in a Ziploc

850
00:23:32,145 --> 00:23:33,579
bag and freeze it for 40

851
00:23:33,580 --> 00:23:34,580
seconds, and while it's stunned,

852
00:23:34,581 --> 00:23:36,682
you can tie a note onto its leg.

853
00:23:36,683 --> 00:23:37,683
You can tie a little thread

854
00:23:37,684 --> 00:23:38,817
onto its back leg with a note

855
00:23:38,818 --> 00:23:40,819
like... not unlike those planes

856
00:23:40,820 --> 00:23:41,688
at the beach that say,

857
00:23:41,688 --> 00:23:42,555
you know, "eat at Joe's"

858
00:23:42,555 --> 00:23:43,222
or whatever.

859
00:23:43,223 --> 00:23:44,856
Well, one of the guys, the last

860
00:23:44,857 --> 00:23:45,725
day of the shoot says,

861
00:23:45,726 --> 00:23:46,825
"that's... that's bullshit.

862
00:23:46,826 --> 00:23:47,694
You can't."

863
00:23:47,695 --> 00:23:49,728
And so we go down to craft

864
00:23:49,729 --> 00:23:51,997
service and pop it in.

865
00:23:51,998 --> 00:23:54,199
I have it, and Robert Altman

866
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,568
walks in with this camera

867
00:23:56,569 --> 00:23:57,769
operator, John.

868
00:23:57,770 --> 00:24:00,005
It takes off and flies up

869
00:24:00,006 --> 00:24:01,106
and around the group of us.

870
00:24:01,107 --> 00:24:02,107
And everyone's laughing, like,

871
00:24:02,108 --> 00:24:03,009
"what the hell is this?"

872
00:24:03,009 --> 00:24:03,976
And it lands right on the

873
00:24:03,977 --> 00:24:06,144
French dp's zipper.

874
00:24:06,145 --> 00:24:08,680
And they all fall over laughing.

875
00:24:08,681 --> 00:24:10,015
And the show ends, and I go back

876
00:24:10,016 --> 00:24:10,883
to driving a cab.

877
00:24:10,884 --> 00:24:11,950
And I'm wondering what's going

878
00:24:11,951 --> 00:24:12,819
to happen.

879
00:24:12,819 --> 00:24:13,686
And a month later, the phone

880
00:24:13,687 --> 00:24:15,020
rings, and it's Robert Altman

881
00:24:15,021 --> 00:24:16,221
saying, you know, "I'm doing

882
00:24:16,222 --> 00:24:17,489
this thing, and you should come

883
00:24:17,490 --> 00:24:18,157
to New York.

884
00:24:18,158 --> 00:24:19,525
And... listen, I don't know if

885
00:24:19,526 --> 00:24:20,192
you can act.

886
00:24:20,193 --> 00:24:21,860
But that thing you did with the

887
00:24:21,861 --> 00:24:22,961
fly was so fucking funny.

888
00:24:22,962 --> 00:24:24,496
I just had to have you around."

889
00:24:24,497 --> 00:24:25,597
About a year after moving to

890
00:24:25,598 --> 00:24:26,598
Chicago, I booked a McDonald's

891
00:24:26,599 --> 00:24:27,833
commercial.

892
00:24:27,834 --> 00:24:29,234
I'm down for variety.

893
00:24:29,235 --> 00:24:30,136
And I didn't tell my pop

894
00:24:30,136 --> 00:24:31,003
about it at all.

895
00:24:31,003 --> 00:24:31,971
Well, I didn't tell anybody.

896
00:24:31,971 --> 00:24:32,939
I just said, "well, I'll let

897
00:24:32,940 --> 00:24:33,940
people catch it as they're

898
00:24:33,940 --> 00:24:34,807
watching TV."

899
00:24:34,808 --> 00:24:36,007
Now, that's happening.

900
00:24:36,008 --> 00:24:37,943
Mmm, mmm.

901
00:24:37,944 --> 00:24:39,244
And my dad calls me, like,

902
00:24:39,245 --> 00:24:40,146
that night and says, "hey,

903
00:24:40,146 --> 00:24:41,113
when did you do a McDonald's

904
00:24:41,113 --> 00:24:41,981
commercial?

905
00:24:41,981 --> 00:24:42,849
I just saw you."

906
00:24:42,850 --> 00:24:44,750
And I said... i said, "well,

907
00:24:44,751 --> 00:24:45,817
I started it about a month ago.

908
00:24:45,818 --> 00:24:46,686
I wanted to surprise you,

909
00:24:46,686 --> 00:24:47,554
you know."

910
00:24:47,554 --> 00:24:48,287
He said, "hey, that's great,

911
00:24:48,287 --> 00:24:49,155
man.

912
00:24:49,155 --> 00:24:50,122
You know, I'm really proud of

913
00:24:50,123 --> 00:24:52,223
you, and, you know,

914
00:24:52,224 --> 00:24:53,092
did they pay you yet?"

915
00:24:53,092 --> 00:24:53,960
And I said, "yeah, they paid

916
00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:54,827
me."

917
00:24:54,828 --> 00:24:56,127
He said, "okay, good."

918
00:24:56,128 --> 00:24:56,996
It's a great showcase.

919
00:24:56,997 --> 00:24:58,597
I was the only guy in the spot.

920
00:24:58,598 --> 00:24:59,965
In fact, that was my demo tape,

921
00:24:59,966 --> 00:25:01,166
was my commercial for, like,

922
00:25:01,167 --> 00:25:02,034
about three years.

923
00:25:02,034 --> 00:25:02,969
Now, that's happening.

924
00:25:02,970 --> 00:25:04,135
I'm the victim of medical

925
00:25:04,136 --> 00:25:06,905
malpractice at birth.

926
00:25:06,906 --> 00:25:10,141
And the nurse used too strong

927
00:25:10,142 --> 00:25:11,643
a solution of silver nitrate

928
00:25:11,644 --> 00:25:13,278
and blinded one kid and

929
00:25:13,279 --> 00:25:15,113
semi-blinded me apparently.

930
00:25:15,114 --> 00:25:19,551
I had 11 operations, which

931
00:25:19,552 --> 00:25:21,753
didn't really fix it properly.

932
00:25:21,754 --> 00:25:22,722
And so I had what was left...

933
00:25:22,723 --> 00:25:25,123
I was left with a milky eye.

934
00:25:25,124 --> 00:25:28,694
So when Korea came, 1950,

935
00:25:28,695 --> 00:25:30,261
I was... we were all called up

936
00:25:30,262 --> 00:25:31,329
for the military.

937
00:25:31,330 --> 00:25:33,231
I failed the medical because

938
00:25:33,232 --> 00:25:34,100
of the eye.

939
00:25:34,100 --> 00:25:34,967
So I went in the military

940
00:25:34,968 --> 00:25:39,270
marine and came ashore and went

941
00:25:39,271 --> 00:25:40,338
into the hospital to have a

942
00:25:40,339 --> 00:25:41,607
checkup, and they said, "you

943
00:25:41,608 --> 00:25:42,575
know, we can do something with

944
00:25:42,576 --> 00:25:43,975
that eye now because we've

945
00:25:43,976 --> 00:25:45,276
discovered this... we got this new

946
00:25:45,277 --> 00:25:47,345
drug called cortisone."

947
00:25:47,346 --> 00:25:48,714
So anyway, to cut a long story

948
00:25:48,715 --> 00:25:49,815
short, they operated.

949
00:25:49,816 --> 00:25:51,349
Um, it worked.

950
00:25:51,350 --> 00:25:53,051
I saw with this eye for the

951
00:25:53,052 --> 00:25:53,920
first time.

952
00:25:53,921 --> 00:25:56,287
I'm seeing with both eyes and

953
00:25:56,288 --> 00:25:58,724
then two weeks later, boom,

954
00:25:58,725 --> 00:25:59,891
blackout.

955
00:25:59,892 --> 00:26:01,359
They fought for four months,

956
00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:03,294
and in the end they said,

957
00:26:03,295 --> 00:26:04,230
"we can't save it.

958
00:26:04,231 --> 00:26:05,797
The whole thing's gone."

959
00:26:05,798 --> 00:26:07,165
And it's wrecking this one.

960
00:26:07,166 --> 00:26:08,034
So they took it out.

961
00:26:08,067 --> 00:26:09,968
And I go into community theater.

962
00:26:09,969 --> 00:26:12,337
And I get bet five pounds

963
00:26:12,338 --> 00:26:14,005
I could not get into the royal

964
00:26:14,006 --> 00:26:15,141
academy of dramatic art.

965
00:26:15,174 --> 00:26:16,042
Got in.

966
00:26:16,043 --> 00:26:18,209
But sailed in apparently.

967
00:26:18,210 --> 00:26:19,645
18 months in, I was offered

968
00:26:19,646 --> 00:26:21,012
a job, my first play.

969
00:26:21,013 --> 00:26:24,282
I got a role in a big movie,

970
00:26:24,283 --> 00:26:26,284
"mommie dearest."

971
00:26:26,285 --> 00:26:27,953
I had auditioned with a nervous

972
00:26:27,954 --> 00:26:28,921
breakdown scene.

973
00:26:28,922 --> 00:26:30,622
Big buildup in the funeral home

974
00:26:30,623 --> 00:26:32,057
waiting to go in to see...

975
00:26:32,058 --> 00:26:34,192
I played the son, Christopher,

976
00:26:34,193 --> 00:26:35,260
going to see the mother in her

977
00:26:35,261 --> 00:26:36,128
coffin.

978
00:26:36,129 --> 00:26:37,129
And they'd never said good-bye,

979
00:26:37,129 --> 00:26:37,997
never said I love you,

980
00:26:37,997 --> 00:26:38,865
I hate you.

981
00:26:38,866 --> 00:26:41,967
And I spent five months waiting

982
00:26:41,968 --> 00:26:45,170
for that... that day of shooting

983
00:26:45,171 --> 00:26:46,105
to come around.

984
00:26:46,105 --> 00:26:47,073
Finally, they're shooting the

985
00:26:47,073 --> 00:26:48,007
scene, they call me in,

986
00:26:48,008 --> 00:26:49,374
and the director says, "okay.

987
00:26:49,375 --> 00:26:52,010
So Christina's going to come

988
00:26:52,011 --> 00:26:53,645
out from behind the curtain,

989
00:26:53,646 --> 00:26:54,346
and you two are just going to

990
00:26:54,346 --> 00:26:55,214
greet each other.

991
00:26:55,214 --> 00:26:56,148
You haven't seen her since...

992
00:26:56,148 --> 00:26:57,116
But you're just gonna go out."

993
00:26:57,117 --> 00:27:00,285
And I said, "well, when do I go

994
00:27:00,286 --> 00:27:02,220
behind and..."

995
00:27:02,221 --> 00:27:03,354
"oh, no, that's a scrub.

996
00:27:03,355 --> 00:27:04,690
No, we cut that months ago."

997
00:27:04,691 --> 00:27:05,924
"What's a scrub?"

998
00:27:05,925 --> 00:27:06,925
Oh, my god.

999
00:27:06,926 --> 00:27:09,360
And I-I was so traumatized

1000
00:27:09,361 --> 00:27:10,361
by that in a way.

1001
00:27:10,362 --> 00:27:11,263
Well, I ended up moving to

1002
00:27:11,264 --> 00:27:12,363
L.A. by greyhound bus.

1003
00:27:12,364 --> 00:27:13,232
But I did it, man.

1004
00:27:13,233 --> 00:27:15,366
I-I got around without a car

1005
00:27:15,367 --> 00:27:16,268
for a year and a half.

1006
00:27:16,269 --> 00:27:17,368
Yes, it can be done.

1007
00:27:17,369 --> 00:27:18,436
I'm standing out on the bus,

1008
00:27:18,437 --> 00:27:19,838
coming home from an audition

1009
00:27:19,839 --> 00:27:21,006
probably.

1010
00:27:21,007 --> 00:27:22,674
And this young kid walks up to

1011
00:27:22,675 --> 00:27:26,344
me, and he says, "hey, man.

1012
00:27:26,345 --> 00:27:27,445
How come you didn't buy a car

1013
00:27:27,446 --> 00:27:31,216
with your McDonald's money?"

1014
00:27:31,217 --> 00:27:32,718
The problem about the pay...

1015
00:27:32,719 --> 00:27:33,752
The pay works like this:

1016
00:27:33,753 --> 00:27:34,786
It doesn't start off great.

1017
00:27:34,787 --> 00:27:35,921
You know, you kind of earn

1018
00:27:35,922 --> 00:27:36,789
your way up the ladder.

1019
00:27:36,789 --> 00:27:37,724
I got my first job,

1020
00:27:37,724 --> 00:27:38,691
and I was like, "oh, that's

1021
00:27:38,691 --> 00:27:39,358
it.

1022
00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:40,692
I can... i can work.

1023
00:27:40,693 --> 00:27:41,460
I'm gonna work."

1024
00:27:41,461 --> 00:27:43,194
Like, don't quit your day job

1025
00:27:43,195 --> 00:27:44,764
because months between.

1026
00:27:44,797 --> 00:27:47,032
I think it's risky to be

1027
00:27:47,033 --> 00:27:49,467
an actor because your

1028
00:27:49,468 --> 00:27:54,006
livelihood is so unpredictable.

1029
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:55,406
Everyone discouraged me.

1030
00:27:55,407 --> 00:27:56,441
I mean, everyone.

1031
00:27:56,442 --> 00:27:57,776
I would meet actors, and they'd

1032
00:27:57,777 --> 00:27:59,210
be like, "man, you shouldn't

1033
00:27:59,211 --> 00:28:00,079
do this.

1034
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:01,146
Don't... you're never gonna make

1035
00:28:01,147 --> 00:28:02,048
a living.

1036
00:28:02,049 --> 00:28:03,448
I mean, I'm just being polite.

1037
00:28:03,449 --> 00:28:04,816
You're just... i wouldn't do it,

1038
00:28:04,817 --> 00:28:05,484
you know."

1039
00:28:05,485 --> 00:28:06,718
So I say to them again

1040
00:28:06,719 --> 00:28:07,986
and again, "is there anything

1041
00:28:07,987 --> 00:28:08,955
you can do that you think

1042
00:28:08,955 --> 00:28:09,822
would... you would find

1043
00:28:09,823 --> 00:28:13,124
interesting and be satisfying

1044
00:28:13,125 --> 00:28:14,125
to you?

1045
00:28:14,126 --> 00:28:15,226
And if there's anything else,

1046
00:28:15,227 --> 00:28:16,362
do that."

1047
00:28:16,395 --> 00:28:18,296
Some people can do it,

1048
00:28:18,297 --> 00:28:20,131
and some people can't.

1049
00:28:20,132 --> 00:28:22,133
And I don't know if you can

1050
00:28:22,134 --> 00:28:23,002
teach it or not.

1051
00:28:23,003 --> 00:28:24,370
I don't think you can.

1052
00:28:24,403 --> 00:28:25,470
I went to graduate school,

1053
00:28:25,471 --> 00:28:26,504
and they couldn't teach some of

1054
00:28:26,505 --> 00:28:27,473
those people how to act.

1055
00:28:27,473 --> 00:28:28,407
To this day, there are very

1056
00:28:28,407 --> 00:28:29,308
few people that are actually

1057
00:28:29,309 --> 00:28:31,076
positive and encouraging.

1058
00:28:31,077 --> 00:28:31,944
When I see a young actor,

1059
00:28:31,944 --> 00:28:32,812
all I do...

1060
00:28:32,812 --> 00:28:33,512
"go for it, man.

1061
00:28:33,512 --> 00:28:34,413
Go for it, do it."

1062
00:28:34,413 --> 00:28:35,281
Great.

1063
00:28:35,282 --> 00:28:36,481
You may suck, but it doesn't

1064
00:28:36,482 --> 00:28:37,349
matter.

1065
00:28:37,349 --> 00:28:38,217
Do it.

1066
00:28:38,217 --> 00:28:39,151
I mean, you got nothing else to

1067
00:28:39,151 --> 00:28:40,052
lose, you know, so...

1068
00:28:40,053 --> 00:28:41,753
what's difficult is, uh,

1069
00:28:41,754 --> 00:28:42,421
is getting work.

1070
00:28:42,422 --> 00:28:45,290
Fucking hate it.

1071
00:28:45,291 --> 00:28:46,491
Hate it, auditions.

1072
00:28:46,492 --> 00:28:48,093
Sometimes when I get a call

1073
00:28:48,094 --> 00:28:51,162
from my agent and they say,

1074
00:28:51,163 --> 00:28:52,131
"we have an appointment for

1075
00:28:52,132 --> 00:28:53,231
you," I go, "fuck."

1076
00:28:53,232 --> 00:28:54,332
Literally from the time

1077
00:28:54,333 --> 00:28:55,234
that phone rings, like, you

1078
00:28:55,235 --> 00:28:56,334
have an appointment, you're

1079
00:28:56,335 --> 00:28:59,037
like, "oh, god."

1080
00:28:59,038 --> 00:29:00,806
Until it's over, it's just

1081
00:29:00,807 --> 00:29:01,473
agony.

1082
00:29:01,474 --> 00:29:03,341
Another address, another

1083
00:29:03,342 --> 00:29:04,375
load of lines, another

1084
00:29:04,376 --> 00:29:05,877
character, another room full

1085
00:29:05,878 --> 00:29:07,545
of sweating actors.

1086
00:29:07,546 --> 00:29:09,147
Auditioning is ridiculous.

1087
00:29:09,148 --> 00:29:10,049
It helps knowing.

1088
00:29:10,049 --> 00:29:10,917
If you want to see what an

1089
00:29:10,918 --> 00:29:12,517
actor does, watch their tape.

1090
00:29:12,518 --> 00:29:13,985
If they don't have a tape,

1091
00:29:13,986 --> 00:29:16,221
meet them and talk to them

1092
00:29:16,222 --> 00:29:20,025
because the audition process has

1093
00:29:20,026 --> 00:29:21,159
nothing to do... it does not

1094
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:22,961
resemble at all what happens on

1095
00:29:22,962 --> 00:29:23,830
the day.

1096
00:29:23,831 --> 00:29:25,196
Well, you know what I look

1097
00:29:25,197 --> 00:29:26,065
like more or less.

1098
00:29:26,066 --> 00:29:27,332
And you know what I'm capable

1099
00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:28,200
of more or less.

1100
00:29:28,201 --> 00:29:29,868
Why don't you save me a lot of

1101
00:29:29,869 --> 00:29:32,037
trouble and just offer it to me

1102
00:29:32,038 --> 00:29:32,905
or not?

1103
00:29:32,906 --> 00:29:34,539
No disrespect to the casting

1104
00:29:34,540 --> 00:29:35,807
director, but they're not often

1105
00:29:35,808 --> 00:29:36,508
good actors.

1106
00:29:36,509 --> 00:29:37,575
So you've got nothing you're

1107
00:29:37,576 --> 00:29:38,444
working with.

1108
00:29:38,445 --> 00:29:39,577
So you're working in a vacuum.

1109
00:29:39,578 --> 00:29:42,447
Get me in a room like this

1110
00:29:42,448 --> 00:29:44,115
with two people who are

1111
00:29:44,116 --> 00:29:47,585
exhausted and are pissed off

1112
00:29:47,586 --> 00:29:48,454
they have to read people

1113
00:29:48,455 --> 00:29:50,188
when they should be scouting

1114
00:29:50,189 --> 00:29:51,389
a location.

1115
00:29:51,390 --> 00:29:52,523
It's just... it's partly my...

1116
00:29:52,524 --> 00:29:54,525
My difficulty of suspending

1117
00:29:54,526 --> 00:29:55,593
disbelief, that you're going to

1118
00:29:55,594 --> 00:29:58,830
walk into an office and, sitting

1119
00:29:58,831 --> 00:30:01,599
in a chair, pretend that you're

1120
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,936
in the '30s at a train station

1121
00:30:04,937 --> 00:30:05,937
or wherever the hell it is and

1122
00:30:05,938 --> 00:30:07,438
reading for a revolution.

1123
00:30:07,439 --> 00:30:08,874
And suddenly, I'm having to be

1124
00:30:08,875 --> 00:30:10,341
reacting to a massacre that had

1125
00:30:10,342 --> 00:30:11,843
just happened in front of me.

1126
00:30:11,844 --> 00:30:12,544
And the line was like,

1127
00:30:12,544 --> 00:30:13,445
"oh, my god."

1128
00:30:13,445 --> 00:30:14,380
That was, like, the entire line

1129
00:30:14,380 --> 00:30:15,247
in the scene or something

1130
00:30:15,247 --> 00:30:16,115
like that.

1131
00:30:16,115 --> 00:30:17,049
Like, "are you buying this?"

1132
00:30:17,049 --> 00:30:17,917
'Cause I'm not.

1133
00:30:17,917 --> 00:30:18,885
"I guess they're saying it

1134
00:30:18,885 --> 00:30:19,852
this way.

1135
00:30:19,853 --> 00:30:21,452
Are they angry at me?"

1136
00:30:21,453 --> 00:30:22,453
You know, it's like acting is

1137
00:30:22,454 --> 00:30:23,322
reacting.

1138
00:30:23,322 --> 00:30:24,190
What are they doing?

1139
00:30:24,191 --> 00:30:25,290
What are you reacting to?

1140
00:30:25,291 --> 00:30:28,293
Some idea of what you think

1141
00:30:28,294 --> 00:30:30,161
they may be doing in the scene.

1142
00:30:30,162 --> 00:30:31,097
The auditioning process is

1143
00:30:31,098 --> 00:30:34,565
really dehumanizing sometimes.

1144
00:30:34,566 --> 00:30:36,367
When you audition for a

1145
00:30:36,368 --> 00:30:37,336
pilot, you're probably one of

1146
00:30:37,337 --> 00:30:38,536
hundreds of people who

1147
00:30:38,537 --> 00:30:40,171
auditioned for this part.

1148
00:30:40,172 --> 00:30:41,639
Then maybe you have a callback,

1149
00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,174
and you're one of maybe 50.

1150
00:30:43,175 --> 00:30:44,642
Maybe you have a second callback

1151
00:30:44,643 --> 00:30:47,345
when you're 1 out of maybe 20.

1152
00:30:47,346 --> 00:30:49,247
And then, maybe they decide

1153
00:30:49,248 --> 00:30:50,882
to test you, so maybe you're

1154
00:30:50,883 --> 00:30:52,083
one out of five or six.

1155
00:30:52,084 --> 00:30:53,584
They'll call us, we'll do

1156
00:30:53,585 --> 00:30:54,652
a deal for you, so that they

1157
00:30:54,653 --> 00:30:55,653
know how much you'll... you'll

1158
00:30:55,654 --> 00:30:56,988
cost them.

1159
00:30:56,989 --> 00:30:59,024
And then, you will have to

1160
00:30:59,025 --> 00:31:00,959
test in front of the studio

1161
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:01,627
executives.

1162
00:31:01,627 --> 00:31:02,528
And then, if you make it past

1163
00:31:02,529 --> 00:31:04,062
that, maybe you're one out

1164
00:31:04,063 --> 00:31:05,163
of three.

1165
00:31:05,164 --> 00:31:07,098
It's a real mental discipline

1166
00:31:07,099 --> 00:31:08,199
to be able to continue to have

1167
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:09,101
the same kind of fun you had

1168
00:31:09,102 --> 00:31:11,202
at the first audition when you

1169
00:31:11,203 --> 00:31:12,603
finally do that thing called

1170
00:31:12,604 --> 00:31:14,105
the network test.

1171
00:31:14,106 --> 00:31:15,273
I think I first tested in

1172
00:31:15,274 --> 00:31:18,176
'87, and I had a friend who

1173
00:31:18,177 --> 00:31:19,344
told me that "it's gonna be

1174
00:31:19,345 --> 00:31:20,212
a hellish experience.

1175
00:31:20,213 --> 00:31:21,213
I just want to warn you what's

1176
00:31:21,213 --> 00:31:22,081
gonna happen.

1177
00:31:22,082 --> 00:31:23,949
There'll be people throwing up

1178
00:31:23,950 --> 00:31:24,917
in the halls.

1179
00:31:24,918 --> 00:31:27,218
It's... it's a horrible thing.

1180
00:31:27,219 --> 00:31:29,220
You sit in a room.

1181
00:31:29,221 --> 00:31:30,089
It's two minutes.

1182
00:31:30,089 --> 00:31:30,957
You gotta nail it.

1183
00:31:30,958 --> 00:31:32,057
You sign a contract for

1184
00:31:32,058 --> 00:31:33,025
thousands of dollars.

1185
00:31:33,026 --> 00:31:34,325
You see your competition."

1186
00:31:34,326 --> 00:31:35,593
I was, like, you know, I was,

1187
00:31:35,594 --> 00:31:37,462
like, a... i was, like, a mess.

1188
00:31:37,463 --> 00:31:39,230
You go on to the network

1189
00:31:39,231 --> 00:31:41,466
and hopefully, out of the three

1190
00:31:41,467 --> 00:31:42,334
people, you get it.

1191
00:31:42,335 --> 00:31:43,935
Okay, so you do the pilot.

1192
00:31:43,936 --> 00:31:44,603
Great.

1193
00:31:44,604 --> 00:31:46,304
All right, so then, the next

1194
00:31:46,305 --> 00:31:48,106
period comes where you hope

1195
00:31:48,107 --> 00:31:49,240
that they pick you up.

1196
00:31:49,241 --> 00:31:52,410
And then, hopefully, they'll

1197
00:31:52,411 --> 00:31:53,711
become a series because they've

1198
00:31:53,712 --> 00:31:56,314
done maybe 25 or 30 pilots, and

1199
00:31:56,315 --> 00:31:57,415
maybe they only have two or

1200
00:31:57,416 --> 00:31:59,117
three hours available to them.

1201
00:31:59,118 --> 00:32:02,087
And so you're lucky.

1202
00:32:02,088 --> 00:32:03,022
Okay, you hit the jackpot,

1203
00:32:03,022 --> 00:32:03,722
you get on the air.

1204
00:32:03,723 --> 00:32:06,224
Then you have to hope that your

1205
00:32:06,225 --> 00:32:08,093
show is successful, that people

1206
00:32:08,094 --> 00:32:09,660
actually watch your show because

1207
00:32:09,661 --> 00:32:10,596
other than that, the network

1208
00:32:10,596 --> 00:32:11,530
will cancel you.

1209
00:32:11,531 --> 00:32:13,698
So it's many steps, and you have

1210
00:32:13,699 --> 00:32:15,233
to be talented and lucky at

1211
00:32:15,234 --> 00:32:16,102
the same time.

1212
00:32:16,102 --> 00:32:17,036
You're going in there to

1213
00:32:17,036 --> 00:32:17,703
be judged.

1214
00:32:17,704 --> 00:32:19,570
You get one shot at it.

1215
00:32:19,571 --> 00:32:23,608
I've also failed miserably at...

1216
00:32:23,609 --> 00:32:25,110
At, like, network auditions,

1217
00:32:25,111 --> 00:32:26,045
all that pressure.

1218
00:32:26,046 --> 00:32:27,078
Incredible amount of... of

1219
00:32:27,079 --> 00:32:30,448
rejection that you go through.

1220
00:32:30,449 --> 00:32:32,283
There's ten other guys that are

1221
00:32:32,284 --> 00:32:34,419
sitting out in the hallway,

1222
00:32:34,420 --> 00:32:35,387
trying to do same thing you're

1223
00:32:35,387 --> 00:32:36,255
doing.

1224
00:32:36,256 --> 00:32:37,288
And they're all just as good

1225
00:32:37,289 --> 00:32:38,157
as you are.

1226
00:32:38,158 --> 00:32:39,390
Some of the happiest moments

1227
00:32:39,391 --> 00:32:43,161
of my life were when I was

1228
00:32:43,162 --> 00:32:44,130
leaving auditions.

1229
00:32:44,131 --> 00:32:45,363
And I didn't even care if I got

1230
00:32:45,364 --> 00:32:46,232
it or not.

1231
00:32:46,233 --> 00:32:47,233
I mean, occasionally I'd care.

1232
00:32:47,234 --> 00:32:49,500
I care.

1233
00:32:49,501 --> 00:32:50,768
If you have an ounce of... of

1234
00:32:50,769 --> 00:32:52,570
feeling in your body, you're

1235
00:32:52,571 --> 00:32:54,772
going feel like, "damn it.

1236
00:32:54,773 --> 00:32:58,409
I feel horrible, I feel... i...

1237
00:32:58,410 --> 00:33:00,011
What did I do wrong?"

1238
00:33:00,012 --> 00:33:01,146
I think it's hard for anybody

1239
00:33:01,147 --> 00:33:02,713
who wants to be an actor, but

1240
00:33:02,714 --> 00:33:03,714
I think it would be foolish to

1241
00:33:03,715 --> 00:33:05,516
think that race doesn't matter.

1242
00:33:05,517 --> 00:33:06,385
Most of the roles that are

1243
00:33:06,386 --> 00:33:08,753
written are for white actors

1244
00:33:08,754 --> 00:33:09,621
and actresses.

1245
00:33:09,622 --> 00:33:11,056
You never know why you get

1246
00:33:11,057 --> 00:33:12,290
a job, and you never know why

1247
00:33:12,291 --> 00:33:13,159
you don't.

1248
00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,260
It could be you get hired

1249
00:33:15,261 --> 00:33:17,462
because you remind the director

1250
00:33:17,463 --> 00:33:20,431
of his wife's brother.

1251
00:33:20,432 --> 00:33:23,034
It could be you don't get hired

1252
00:33:23,035 --> 00:33:24,802
because you remind the director

1253
00:33:24,803 --> 00:33:26,371
of his wife's brother.

1254
00:33:26,372 --> 00:33:27,572
Sometimes you can go into

1255
00:33:27,573 --> 00:33:28,739
a room, and you're having a

1256
00:33:28,740 --> 00:33:30,675
wonderful time with people.

1257
00:33:30,676 --> 00:33:32,810
And you really got a hold of it.

1258
00:33:32,811 --> 00:33:34,245
And other times, some guy's

1259
00:33:34,246 --> 00:33:35,214
looking down here saying,

1260
00:33:35,214 --> 00:33:36,082
"what time's lunch?

1261
00:33:36,082 --> 00:33:36,748
We got this..."

1262
00:33:36,748 --> 00:33:37,716
you're thinking, "we got this

1263
00:33:37,716 --> 00:33:38,584
cast already."

1264
00:33:38,585 --> 00:33:40,051
I remember a director, who will

1265
00:33:40,052 --> 00:33:42,387
remain nameless, and I went in

1266
00:33:42,388 --> 00:33:44,589
to audition for this movie.

1267
00:33:44,590 --> 00:33:47,525
And he turned to the... he turned

1268
00:33:47,526 --> 00:33:50,228
to the casting guy.

1269
00:33:50,229 --> 00:33:51,762
And he went...

1270
00:33:55,667 --> 00:33:57,335
So I waited for five years to

1271
00:33:57,336 --> 00:33:58,536
get my next audition with this

1272
00:33:58,537 --> 00:33:59,670
guy because I was gonna wrap

1273
00:33:59,671 --> 00:34:01,172
a chair around his head.

1274
00:34:01,173 --> 00:34:02,373
This was great.

1275
00:34:02,374 --> 00:34:04,175
I came in for the next job, and

1276
00:34:04,176 --> 00:34:06,277
it was about five years later.

1277
00:34:06,278 --> 00:34:07,845
And...

1278
00:34:09,081 --> 00:34:10,281
I came in for the job, and

1279
00:34:10,282 --> 00:34:11,150
I just pulled up the chair,

1280
00:34:11,151 --> 00:34:12,183
and I sat, and I looked at him,

1281
00:34:12,184 --> 00:34:13,851
like, "okay, open your mouth.

1282
00:34:13,852 --> 00:34:15,153
Open your mouth, okay?

1283
00:34:15,154 --> 00:34:16,487
Say anything."

1284
00:34:16,488 --> 00:34:20,591
And he looked at me, and he

1285
00:34:20,592 --> 00:34:22,427
said, "you know, you have the

1286
00:34:22,428 --> 00:34:24,595
best face for a western I've

1287
00:34:24,596 --> 00:34:25,464
ever seen.

1288
00:34:25,464 --> 00:34:26,365
You got the blue eyes and that

1289
00:34:26,365 --> 00:34:27,233
anger in you.

1290
00:34:27,234 --> 00:34:30,435
I want you for this movie."

1291
00:34:30,436 --> 00:34:32,170
I went, "oh, okay."

1292
00:34:32,171 --> 00:34:33,771
And he got in a fistfight

1293
00:34:33,772 --> 00:34:35,240
with the star the next day and

1294
00:34:35,241 --> 00:34:36,507
was fired off the movie.

1295
00:34:36,508 --> 00:34:38,643
I don't think he's worked since.

1296
00:34:38,644 --> 00:34:41,779
And then a great director that

1297
00:34:41,780 --> 00:34:43,214
I had worked with before came

1298
00:34:43,215 --> 00:34:44,615
in and said, "no, kid... you're...

1299
00:34:44,616 --> 00:34:45,584
You're... I'm sorry.

1300
00:34:45,584 --> 00:34:46,452
You're a good actor.

1301
00:34:46,453 --> 00:34:48,353
You're wrong for the part."

1302
00:34:48,354 --> 00:34:49,288
I never got the job.

1303
00:34:49,289 --> 00:34:50,555
But it's funny, so you never

1304
00:34:50,556 --> 00:34:51,789
know how an audition is going

1305
00:34:51,790 --> 00:34:52,790
to turn out.

1306
00:34:52,791 --> 00:34:53,659
To learn the craft of

1307
00:34:53,659 --> 00:34:54,593
audition, first of all, you have

1308
00:34:54,593 --> 00:34:55,527
to be a reader in an audition,

1309
00:34:55,528 --> 00:34:57,395
you have to watch 50 guys walk

1310
00:34:57,396 --> 00:35:00,231
in and watch how 42 of 'em were

1311
00:35:00,232 --> 00:35:01,466
dead before they hit the chair.

1312
00:35:01,467 --> 00:35:03,168
They, you know, they've lost the

1313
00:35:03,169 --> 00:35:03,902
job before they opened

1314
00:35:03,902 --> 00:35:04,770
their mouth.

1315
00:35:04,770 --> 00:35:05,737
In this business, you just

1316
00:35:05,737 --> 00:35:06,638
keep going forward.

1317
00:35:06,639 --> 00:35:08,173
If you... if you start to worry

1318
00:35:08,174 --> 00:35:09,307
about it too much, you lose

1319
00:35:09,308 --> 00:35:10,176
your nut.

1320
00:35:10,177 --> 00:35:12,310
You lose your... you lose your

1321
00:35:12,311 --> 00:35:13,344
presence when you walk into

1322
00:35:13,345 --> 00:35:14,213
a room.

1323
00:35:14,214 --> 00:35:15,346
If you're there jonesing for

1324
00:35:15,347 --> 00:35:16,647
a job, and you need this job

1325
00:35:16,648 --> 00:35:18,616
bad, no way you'll get hired.

1326
00:35:18,617 --> 00:35:19,617
There's a point to which the

1327
00:35:19,618 --> 00:35:20,885
butterflies can really trip you

1328
00:35:20,886 --> 00:35:21,753
up.

1329
00:35:21,753 --> 00:35:22,654
I mean, they can really chew...

1330
00:35:22,655 --> 00:35:24,155
Chew you up too much.

1331
00:35:24,156 --> 00:35:25,590
If the audition... here's how...

1332
00:35:25,591 --> 00:35:26,558
Is when it really hurts you.

1333
00:35:26,559 --> 00:35:29,260
The audition is really

1334
00:35:29,261 --> 00:35:30,895
important, and it's the only

1335
00:35:30,896 --> 00:35:32,530
audition you've had in six

1336
00:35:32,531 --> 00:35:33,432
months, you know what I mean?

1337
00:35:33,432 --> 00:35:34,300
You know what I mean?

1338
00:35:34,301 --> 00:35:36,167
When you go into an audition,

1339
00:35:36,168 --> 00:35:38,536
and you must book the job to

1340
00:35:38,537 --> 00:35:40,838
save your S.A.G. Insurance or

1341
00:35:40,839 --> 00:35:42,173
to... to pay your rent,

1342
00:35:42,174 --> 00:35:43,808
unfortunately, that tends to

1343
00:35:43,809 --> 00:35:45,210
work against you when it comes

1344
00:35:45,211 --> 00:35:46,344
to actually booking the part

1345
00:35:46,345 --> 00:35:47,945
because people feel that you're

1346
00:35:47,946 --> 00:35:51,349
desperate for a job, and... and

1347
00:35:51,350 --> 00:35:52,218
that can be off-putting.

1348
00:35:52,219 --> 00:35:53,584
The times that it works best

1349
00:35:53,585 --> 00:35:54,785
for me is when I don't care,

1350
00:35:54,786 --> 00:35:56,354
when I really don't care.

1351
00:35:56,355 --> 00:35:58,189
I mean, the last pilot I got

1352
00:35:58,190 --> 00:36:00,391
a few years back, I had a 103

1353
00:36:00,392 --> 00:36:01,726
fever, and I didn't want to be

1354
00:36:01,727 --> 00:36:02,860
there, and I didn't want to go.

1355
00:36:02,861 --> 00:36:04,229
And somebody was calling me,

1356
00:36:04,230 --> 00:36:05,197
"just get out of bed

1357
00:36:05,197 --> 00:36:05,964
and go there."

1358
00:36:05,965 --> 00:36:07,898
"Okay, I'm going, I'm going."

1359
00:36:07,899 --> 00:36:08,867
"Well, you gotta go back to

1360
00:36:08,867 --> 00:36:09,801
the network."

1361
00:36:09,802 --> 00:36:10,835
"No, I'm not."

1362
00:36:11,803 --> 00:36:12,771
And they'd... okay.

1363
00:36:12,771 --> 00:36:13,639
They hired you.

1364
00:36:13,639 --> 00:36:14,540
A part of me still loves to

1365
00:36:14,541 --> 00:36:16,841
audition because it's... it's

1366
00:36:16,842 --> 00:36:18,609
getting to do a performance

1367
00:36:18,610 --> 00:36:21,879
one time, in a... in a room.

1368
00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:23,981
Sometimes that's the only

1369
00:36:23,982 --> 00:36:25,783
chance you're gonna get to act.

1370
00:36:25,784 --> 00:36:27,818
This day, this week, this month,

1371
00:36:27,819 --> 00:36:29,654
that audition.

1372
00:36:29,655 --> 00:36:32,323
Usually, I don't bring

1373
00:36:32,324 --> 00:36:33,958
glasses to an audition because

1374
00:36:33,959 --> 00:36:34,860
they get in the way.

1375
00:36:34,861 --> 00:36:36,694
But for the part of sid,

1376
00:36:36,695 --> 00:36:39,430
the scene was him examining

1377
00:36:39,431 --> 00:36:40,332
a cadaver.

1378
00:36:40,333 --> 00:36:41,999
So I brought my glasses, and at

1379
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:43,268
a certain point, I put them up

1380
00:36:43,269 --> 00:36:45,903
and then, it just... and it helped

1381
00:36:45,904 --> 00:36:47,272
me get the part.

1382
00:36:47,273 --> 00:36:48,706
Far more often than any

1383
00:36:48,707 --> 00:36:50,441
compliment about my acting

1384
00:36:50,442 --> 00:36:52,343
in that role is compliments

1385
00:36:52,344 --> 00:36:53,011
about my glasses.

1386
00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:55,546
I think people like my glasses

1387
00:36:55,547 --> 00:36:56,647
more than my character.

1388
00:36:56,648 --> 00:36:58,583
I'm jealous of my glasses,

1389
00:36:58,584 --> 00:36:59,751
that's how petty I can be.

1390
00:36:59,785 --> 00:37:01,252
Donna calls and says,

1391
00:37:01,253 --> 00:37:02,320
"hey, how tall are you?"

1392
00:37:02,321 --> 00:37:03,588
I said, "I'm about... i don't

1393
00:37:03,589 --> 00:37:05,523
know, 6'2", you know.

1394
00:37:05,524 --> 00:37:06,858
Maybe 210 pounds."

1395
00:37:06,892 --> 00:37:08,893
She says, "no, you're 6'4."

1396
00:37:10,696 --> 00:37:11,597
And I said, "why?"

1397
00:37:11,598 --> 00:37:13,798
She says, "because Steven

1398
00:37:13,799 --> 00:37:15,300
Bochco's... you know this show

1399
00:37:15,301 --> 00:37:16,001
called 'murder one'?"

1400
00:37:16,002 --> 00:37:17,034
I said, "yeah, yeah, yeah.

1401
00:37:17,035 --> 00:37:18,669
I love 'murder one.'

1402
00:37:18,670 --> 00:37:19,904
you know, it's a great show."

1403
00:37:19,905 --> 00:37:22,039
She says, "yeah, they're doing

1404
00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:23,441
year two, and they want... they're

1405
00:37:23,442 --> 00:37:25,643
looking for an actor who is

1406
00:37:25,644 --> 00:37:28,379
about 6'4", 6'3", 6'4"

1407
00:37:28,380 --> 00:37:30,915
and can convincingly look like

1408
00:37:30,916 --> 00:37:32,283
he plays pro basketball."

1409
00:37:32,284 --> 00:37:33,351
And I said, "well, I don't...

1410
00:37:33,352 --> 00:37:34,019
I don't play a lick of

1411
00:37:34,020 --> 00:37:35,786
basketball, but I can... i can

1412
00:37:35,787 --> 00:37:37,288
lie my ass off and say that

1413
00:37:37,289 --> 00:37:38,456
I can."

1414
00:37:38,457 --> 00:37:39,657
I wore some skecher boots that

1415
00:37:39,658 --> 00:37:40,526
gave me about an inch and

1416
00:37:40,527 --> 00:37:42,327
a half height.

1417
00:37:42,328 --> 00:37:44,061
And I kind of dressed up

1418
00:37:44,062 --> 00:37:45,496
a little flashy, you know, for

1419
00:37:45,497 --> 00:37:46,432
the character because he's,

1420
00:37:46,433 --> 00:37:48,933
you know, $50 million NBA star.

1421
00:37:48,934 --> 00:37:49,901
I'm coming home on the bus on

1422
00:37:49,902 --> 00:37:51,035
Melrose Avenue.

1423
00:37:51,036 --> 00:37:52,069
I didn't have a cell phone

1424
00:37:52,070 --> 00:37:52,938
at the time.

1425
00:37:52,938 --> 00:37:53,805
I had a beeper.

1426
00:37:53,806 --> 00:37:55,440
Donna calls, and I was like,

1427
00:37:55,441 --> 00:37:56,674
"oh, my god.

1428
00:37:56,675 --> 00:37:57,543
This could be it."

1429
00:37:57,544 --> 00:37:59,810
I pull the bell on the bus and

1430
00:37:59,811 --> 00:38:01,412
get off at the next stop and

1431
00:38:01,413 --> 00:38:02,713
run to the nearest pay phone to

1432
00:38:02,714 --> 00:38:03,582
call Donna.

1433
00:38:03,583 --> 00:38:04,949
She says, "are you... are you

1434
00:38:04,950 --> 00:38:06,083
anywhere sitting down right

1435
00:38:06,084 --> 00:38:07,752
now?"

1436
00:38:07,753 --> 00:38:08,953
And that's all she had to say.

1437
00:38:08,954 --> 00:38:09,987
Dude, I'm going to start crying

1438
00:38:09,988 --> 00:38:11,088
right now.

1439
00:38:11,089 --> 00:38:13,057
And she said... she said,

1440
00:38:13,058 --> 00:38:14,392
"you got the job."

1441
00:38:14,393 --> 00:38:15,693
She said, "they loved you, and

1442
00:38:15,694 --> 00:38:16,961
you're going to be working

1443
00:38:16,962 --> 00:38:17,829
for a while."

1444
00:38:17,830 --> 00:38:18,963
They guaranteed him,

1445
00:38:18,964 --> 00:38:20,698
I believe, nine episodes, and

1446
00:38:20,699 --> 00:38:22,867
with that money, he got himself

1447
00:38:22,868 --> 00:38:25,436
a real junk of a car, but at

1448
00:38:25,437 --> 00:38:26,904
least it could get him around.

1449
00:38:26,905 --> 00:38:28,473
It got me off the bus.

1450
00:38:28,474 --> 00:38:29,441
To this day, out of all the

1451
00:38:29,441 --> 00:38:30,376
things that I've done in the

1452
00:38:30,377 --> 00:38:32,009
last 12 years, "murder one"

1453
00:38:32,010 --> 00:38:33,478
has to be the top, like,

1454
00:38:33,479 --> 00:38:34,545
probably the top two jobs

1455
00:38:34,546 --> 00:38:35,414
I've ever had.

1456
00:38:35,415 --> 00:38:36,514
When it was over, I was just

1457
00:38:36,515 --> 00:38:37,682
like, "wow, man.

1458
00:38:37,683 --> 00:38:39,116
I would love to stay on this

1459
00:38:39,117 --> 00:38:40,051
level," you know.

1460
00:38:40,052 --> 00:38:41,486
But, you know, being an actor

1461
00:38:41,487 --> 00:38:42,421
means your career is going

1462
00:38:42,422 --> 00:38:43,988
to go like this.

1463
00:38:43,989 --> 00:38:45,523
I auditioned for about a

1464
00:38:45,524 --> 00:38:47,492
year to... i unlearned everything

1465
00:38:47,493 --> 00:38:48,526
I learned in theater school

1466
00:38:48,527 --> 00:38:49,794
to get a job on TV.

1467
00:38:49,795 --> 00:38:53,698
And I-I got a job.

1468
00:38:53,699 --> 00:38:56,066
I would say that getting

1469
00:38:56,067 --> 00:38:58,803
a job is a 50/50 deal.

1470
00:38:58,804 --> 00:38:59,937
It's luck and skill.

1471
00:38:59,938 --> 00:39:01,406
Certainly, if I hadn't had

1472
00:39:01,407 --> 00:39:03,841
luck in certain opportunities,

1473
00:39:03,842 --> 00:39:06,944
I might not have survived this

1474
00:39:06,945 --> 00:39:07,813
business.

1475
00:39:07,813 --> 00:39:08,680
I would say the fir...

1476
00:39:08,681 --> 00:39:09,780
The first job's luck,

1477
00:39:09,781 --> 00:39:12,049
the second job...

1478
00:39:12,050 --> 00:39:13,884
Is luck.

1479
00:39:13,885 --> 00:39:16,153
Third job, you gotta know what

1480
00:39:16,154 --> 00:39:17,122
you're doing because if you

1481
00:39:17,122 --> 00:39:17,989
suck, you suck.

1482
00:39:17,989 --> 00:39:18,890
And by the third job,

1483
00:39:18,890 --> 00:39:19,758
they figure that out.

1484
00:39:26,732 --> 00:39:29,066
We are working actors because

1485
00:39:29,067 --> 00:39:30,001
we work.

1486
00:39:30,002 --> 00:39:31,636
The job comes, and we pretty

1487
00:39:31,637 --> 00:39:32,504
much take it.

1488
00:39:32,505 --> 00:39:33,971
Okay, so a project will come

1489
00:39:33,972 --> 00:39:37,042
up, like "the hills have eyes."

1490
00:39:37,075 --> 00:39:41,646
And I read this script,

1491
00:39:41,647 --> 00:39:43,148
and I thought, "no."

1492
00:39:43,181 --> 00:39:44,749
So you say, "I'm not gonna do it

1493
00:39:44,750 --> 00:39:47,585
unless what I get out of it

1494
00:39:47,586 --> 00:39:48,953
makes a big difference, maybe

1495
00:39:48,954 --> 00:39:50,421
to my private life."

1496
00:39:50,422 --> 00:39:52,757
So it'll be tuition for

1497
00:39:52,758 --> 00:39:54,992
my daughter to go to nyu.

1498
00:39:54,993 --> 00:39:56,894
It will, you know, pay bills.

1499
00:39:56,895 --> 00:39:57,996
I mean, let's be practical.

1500
00:39:58,029 --> 00:40:00,030
One of the big sequences is

1501
00:40:00,031 --> 00:40:02,533
this clan member whose name

1502
00:40:02,534 --> 00:40:04,168
is Ruby, the same name as

1503
00:40:04,169 --> 00:40:05,736
my daughter, is trying to save

1504
00:40:05,737 --> 00:40:06,838
this baby's life.

1505
00:40:06,872 --> 00:40:07,872
And I'm saying I'm trying to

1506
00:40:07,873 --> 00:40:09,006
kill the baby to serve it up for

1507
00:40:09,007 --> 00:40:09,875
dinner.

1508
00:40:09,875 --> 00:40:10,809
Just reminded me of

1509
00:40:10,810 --> 00:40:13,578
actually chasing my little girl

1510
00:40:13,579 --> 00:40:14,446
when she was a little girl

1511
00:40:14,446 --> 00:40:15,213
around the dining room table

1512
00:40:15,214 --> 00:40:16,223
saying, "I'm gonna get you."

1513
00:40:16,247 --> 00:40:17,115
My daughter Ruby has not seen

1514
00:40:17,116 --> 00:40:18,649
that movie.

1515
00:40:18,650 --> 00:40:20,585
I hope she never sees the movie.

1516
00:40:20,586 --> 00:40:21,553
I've had people saying,

1517
00:40:21,554 --> 00:40:23,087
"you got to be careful,

1518
00:40:23,088 --> 00:40:24,455
and you can't just do crap."

1519
00:40:24,456 --> 00:40:25,190
Then there are other people like

1520
00:40:25,191 --> 00:40:26,457
Anthony Quinn that says,

1521
00:40:26,458 --> 00:40:27,458
"son, do everything.

1522
00:40:27,459 --> 00:40:28,526
Do everything that's thrown

1523
00:40:28,527 --> 00:40:29,495
at you because you never know

1524
00:40:29,496 --> 00:40:30,795
what's gonna be successful

1525
00:40:30,796 --> 00:40:31,896
a year from now.

1526
00:40:31,897 --> 00:40:33,498
You'll never know what won't."

1527
00:40:33,499 --> 00:40:34,799
I'm a hack, I'm a prostitute.

1528
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:36,100
I can't choose what my

1529
00:40:36,101 --> 00:40:38,202
customers are.

1530
00:40:38,203 --> 00:40:39,470
There's some cheesy stuff

1531
00:40:39,471 --> 00:40:40,805
that I would die if it was still

1532
00:40:40,806 --> 00:40:41,673
playing.

1533
00:40:41,674 --> 00:40:42,807
There are a couple of movies

1534
00:40:42,808 --> 00:40:44,241
I've done that really are kind

1535
00:40:44,242 --> 00:40:45,910
of dumb, and I-I didn't mean to

1536
00:40:45,911 --> 00:40:46,988
kind of send people down the

1537
00:40:47,012 --> 00:40:47,846
wrong Avenue.

1538
00:40:47,879 --> 00:40:49,046
I turned down a tinto brass

1539
00:40:49,047 --> 00:40:52,016
movie because it opens with

1540
00:40:52,017 --> 00:40:53,183
the... my... one of the great

1541
00:40:53,184 --> 00:40:55,486
quotes, which is, "the old man

1542
00:40:55,487 --> 00:40:58,255
stood there behind the maid,

1543
00:40:58,256 --> 00:41:00,024
showing us his gnarled and

1544
00:41:00,025 --> 00:41:01,593
wrinkled genitalia."

1545
00:41:01,627 --> 00:41:03,794
And I thought, "I don't think

1546
00:41:03,795 --> 00:41:04,829
I'm going to be doing this one."

1547
00:41:04,830 --> 00:41:06,196
Yeah, there's lots about

1548
00:41:06,197 --> 00:41:07,264
acting I don't like.

1549
00:41:07,265 --> 00:41:08,633
When it's not going well, when

1550
00:41:08,634 --> 00:41:09,601
you're working with uncreative

1551
00:41:09,601 --> 00:41:10,268
people.

1552
00:41:10,269 --> 00:41:11,502
There's a couple of TV jobs

1553
00:41:11,503 --> 00:41:12,537
that I didn't like the

1554
00:41:12,538 --> 00:41:14,605
experience of or looked at and

1555
00:41:14,606 --> 00:41:15,840
said, "what am I doing here?

1556
00:41:15,841 --> 00:41:17,141
Oh, do I really want to do this

1557
00:41:17,142 --> 00:41:18,009
for a living?"

1558
00:41:18,010 --> 00:41:19,610
I guess I have a motto, which

1559
00:41:19,611 --> 00:41:21,178
is, "I'll stick around to be

1560
00:41:21,179 --> 00:41:22,613
insulted one more time."

1561
00:41:22,614 --> 00:41:23,748
Very few people achieve the

1562
00:41:23,749 --> 00:41:25,115
success that I think everybody

1563
00:41:25,116 --> 00:41:26,250
dreams of.

1564
00:41:26,251 --> 00:41:29,854
And so in Hollywood, there's

1565
00:41:29,855 --> 00:41:31,856
a lot of angry people who feel

1566
00:41:31,857 --> 00:41:32,890
like they'd been dealt...

1567
00:41:32,891 --> 00:41:34,024
If only they could have... if

1568
00:41:34,025 --> 00:41:34,993
they'd have been, blah, blah,

1569
00:41:34,993 --> 00:41:35,861
blah.

1570
00:41:35,862 --> 00:41:37,294
I worked with an idiot on

1571
00:41:37,295 --> 00:41:39,630
a film three years ago.

1572
00:41:39,631 --> 00:41:41,932
And she is the biggest... the

1573
00:41:41,933 --> 00:41:43,801
biggest diva I've ever worked

1574
00:41:43,802 --> 00:41:45,570
with, like a completely pampered

1575
00:41:45,571 --> 00:41:47,037
former television star who's

1576
00:41:47,038 --> 00:41:50,941
doing film, who I-I just...

1577
00:41:50,942 --> 00:41:52,943
Thank god a more senior actor

1578
00:41:52,944 --> 00:41:56,280
on set took her aside and said,

1579
00:41:56,281 --> 00:41:57,982
"who the fuck do you think

1580
00:41:57,983 --> 00:41:58,917
you are, talking to people

1581
00:41:58,917 --> 00:41:59,818
like this?"

1582
00:41:59,819 --> 00:42:01,085
Because she was impossible.

1583
00:42:01,086 --> 00:42:02,152
Now, I'm older and if it's...

1584
00:42:02,153 --> 00:42:03,788
Somebody starts messing with me,

1585
00:42:03,789 --> 00:42:04,723
I just tell them right off the

1586
00:42:04,724 --> 00:42:06,190
bat, "stop fucking with me."

1587
00:42:06,191 --> 00:42:07,925
I'm lucky I'm at my age, and

1588
00:42:07,926 --> 00:42:10,294
I get... i tend to get respect,

1589
00:42:10,295 --> 00:42:11,196
which is okay.

1590
00:42:11,197 --> 00:42:12,229
And if I don't, I'll get it.

1591
00:42:12,230 --> 00:42:13,598
You know, I'll punch your head

1592
00:42:13,599 --> 00:42:14,299
in.

1593
00:42:14,300 --> 00:42:15,566
I was very reluctant to turn

1594
00:42:15,567 --> 00:42:16,634
a job down, and I remember

1595
00:42:16,635 --> 00:42:18,736
I had this great agent, and she

1596
00:42:18,737 --> 00:42:20,705
was like, "boy, you got to grow

1597
00:42:20,706 --> 00:42:21,573
some balls.

1598
00:42:21,573 --> 00:42:22,240
You know what?

1599
00:42:22,241 --> 00:42:24,675
You got to learn how to say no.

1600
00:42:24,676 --> 00:42:26,811
'No' is the password to the next

1601
00:42:26,812 --> 00:42:27,713
level."

1602
00:42:27,714 --> 00:42:29,113
True or false:

1603
00:42:29,114 --> 00:42:30,347
All actors are crazy.

1604
00:42:30,348 --> 00:42:33,751
True.

1605
00:42:33,752 --> 00:42:35,119
Prior to... just prior to

1606
00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:36,654
getting into the drama

1607
00:42:36,655 --> 00:42:38,155
department, I thought everyone

1608
00:42:38,156 --> 00:42:41,792
was gay or out of their minds.

1609
00:42:41,793 --> 00:42:42,694
And they are.

1610
00:42:42,695 --> 00:42:44,595
I'm in the latter category,

1611
00:42:44,596 --> 00:42:45,863
out of my mind.

1612
00:42:45,864 --> 00:42:46,765
I'm with your mommy,

1613
00:42:46,765 --> 00:42:47,699
you know that, right?

1614
00:42:47,700 --> 00:42:49,366
I don't think I am.

1615
00:42:49,367 --> 00:42:51,168
I mean, I'm a little batty.

1616
00:42:51,169 --> 00:42:52,037
You got to be crazy to do

1617
00:42:52,038 --> 00:42:53,137
this.

1618
00:42:53,138 --> 00:42:54,005
You got... you got to have

1619
00:42:54,005 --> 00:42:54,873
a screw loose.

1620
00:42:54,874 --> 00:42:57,174
Why not live just an easygoing,

1621
00:42:57,175 --> 00:42:59,744
calm life like the average bear,

1622
00:42:59,745 --> 00:43:01,378
you know, and just take what

1623
00:43:01,379 --> 00:43:03,313
life is... throws at you and deal

1624
00:43:03,314 --> 00:43:04,182
with that?

1625
00:43:04,183 --> 00:43:06,050
No, we've got to read a play

1626
00:43:06,051 --> 00:43:07,918
about, you know, our parents

1627
00:43:07,919 --> 00:43:08,919
dying in a car accident when

1628
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:09,821
they're young.

1629
00:43:09,822 --> 00:43:11,656
And then they grow up, and they

1630
00:43:11,657 --> 00:43:13,257
lose everything in a great

1631
00:43:13,258 --> 00:43:15,660
depression and then are reborn

1632
00:43:15,661 --> 00:43:17,828
by some miracle of

1633
00:43:17,829 --> 00:43:20,197
Deus ex machina that, you know,

1634
00:43:20,198 --> 00:43:21,766
saves them from the fiery pit

1635
00:43:21,767 --> 00:43:23,200
in the end, and then, you know,

1636
00:43:23,201 --> 00:43:24,402
you go out to your applause.

1637
00:43:29,841 --> 00:43:33,044
Everybody does "Star Trek."

1638
00:43:42,654 --> 00:43:44,955
Some of us more than once.

1639
00:43:44,956 --> 00:43:46,423
I've done four "star treks."

1640
00:43:46,424 --> 00:43:47,925
"Next generation..."

1641
00:43:47,926 --> 00:43:50,294
"Voyager," two movies.

1642
00:43:50,295 --> 00:43:51,729
I've been a ferengi.

1643
00:43:51,730 --> 00:43:56,100
I've had foam cheeks of ass

1644
00:43:56,101 --> 00:43:57,334
glued to my forehead.

1645
00:43:57,335 --> 00:43:58,236
I've done a number of

1646
00:43:58,236 --> 00:43:59,104
"star treks."

1647
00:43:59,105 --> 00:44:00,304
"Star Trek" was always

1648
00:44:00,305 --> 00:44:01,906
about... to me, it's almost

1649
00:44:01,907 --> 00:44:02,808
Shakespearean.

1650
00:44:02,809 --> 00:44:03,809
You have to be able to

1651
00:44:03,810 --> 00:44:05,710
handle the language, which is,

1652
00:44:05,711 --> 00:44:06,944
you know, a little stilted,

1653
00:44:06,945 --> 00:44:08,012
a little theatrical, a little

1654
00:44:08,013 --> 00:44:09,313
larger than life.

1655
00:44:09,314 --> 00:44:10,681
I think my first job in

1656
00:44:10,682 --> 00:44:12,683
L.A. was "Star Trek: Voyager,"

1657
00:44:12,684 --> 00:44:14,885
and I played a robot.

1658
00:44:17,322 --> 00:44:18,989
Oh, I did "Star Trek: Voyager."

1659
00:44:18,990 --> 00:44:20,891
This time I was human.

1660
00:44:20,892 --> 00:44:22,126
The last "Star Trek" series,

1661
00:44:22,127 --> 00:44:23,293
"Star Trek: Enterprise,"

1662
00:44:23,294 --> 00:44:24,795
my guy is a sloth...

1663
00:44:24,796 --> 00:44:25,863
So he'd look a lot like

1664
00:44:25,864 --> 00:44:26,964
Chewbacca.

1665
00:44:26,965 --> 00:44:27,933
To this day, I say it's one of

1666
00:44:27,934 --> 00:44:29,366
the best jobs any actor could

1667
00:44:29,367 --> 00:44:30,235
have.

1668
00:44:30,268 --> 00:44:31,435
For me to take a bunch of

1669
00:44:31,436 --> 00:44:32,870
words that on the paper looked

1670
00:44:32,871 --> 00:44:34,304
like something out of an

1671
00:44:34,305 --> 00:44:36,073
encyclopedia and convincing the

1672
00:44:36,074 --> 00:44:38,342
viewership that this is a real

1673
00:44:38,343 --> 00:44:39,844
person saying some really

1674
00:44:39,845 --> 00:44:41,078
interesting stuff...

1675
00:44:41,079 --> 00:44:42,279
I know how to do that.

1676
00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:43,714
I often play lawyers and

1677
00:44:43,715 --> 00:44:46,083
doctors, and I have a great deal

1678
00:44:46,084 --> 00:44:47,351
of difficulty with legalese

1679
00:44:47,352 --> 00:44:49,253
or medical technology because

1680
00:44:49,254 --> 00:44:50,221
I don't... it doesn't mean

1681
00:44:50,221 --> 00:44:51,089
anything.

1682
00:44:51,089 --> 00:44:52,023
I don't even know what it...

1683
00:44:52,023 --> 00:44:52,891
What I'm talking about.

1684
00:44:52,891 --> 00:44:53,859
You know, you read these things.

1685
00:44:53,859 --> 00:44:54,760
You go, "what are you talking

1686
00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:55,493
about?"

1687
00:44:55,494 --> 00:44:56,827
No one sounds like a human

1688
00:44:56,828 --> 00:44:57,495
being.

1689
00:44:57,495 --> 00:44:58,363
You know when you have a

1690
00:44:58,364 --> 00:45:00,097
mouth full of horseshit to say,

1691
00:45:00,098 --> 00:45:01,331
you just got to get all out of

1692
00:45:01,332 --> 00:45:02,399
your mouth.

1693
00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:03,934
Save it there, and you can be

1694
00:45:03,935 --> 00:45:04,870
anywhere you want until the

1695
00:45:04,871 --> 00:45:05,871
last word.

1696
00:45:05,872 --> 00:45:06,937
In TV, you got to know it

1697
00:45:06,938 --> 00:45:08,338
fast and you got it... because

1698
00:45:08,339 --> 00:45:09,907
you can get offered a job today

1699
00:45:09,908 --> 00:45:11,508
and start shooting tomorrow.

1700
00:45:11,509 --> 00:45:14,111
They booked me at 11:30

1701
00:45:14,112 --> 00:45:16,480
at night.

1702
00:45:16,481 --> 00:45:18,448
The script never arrived there

1703
00:45:18,449 --> 00:45:21,819
till 1:30.

1704
00:45:21,820 --> 00:45:24,421
And I had to be there at 6:30.

1705
00:45:24,422 --> 00:45:26,256
I was actually going to

1706
00:45:26,257 --> 00:45:28,458
literally walk into costume

1707
00:45:28,459 --> 00:45:29,394
because I had to get all my

1708
00:45:29,395 --> 00:45:31,195
suits coming in, learning the

1709
00:45:31,196 --> 00:45:32,063
stuff, trying to learn it,

1710
00:45:32,063 --> 00:45:32,964
trying to learn it, trying to

1711
00:45:32,964 --> 00:45:33,832
learn it.

1712
00:45:33,833 --> 00:45:36,000
There isn't one part of what

1713
00:45:36,001 --> 00:45:39,003
I do that I don't like.

1714
00:45:39,004 --> 00:45:41,338
From the minute they say,

1715
00:45:41,339 --> 00:45:43,240
"we're ready for you in hair

1716
00:45:43,241 --> 00:45:44,142
and makeup.

1717
00:45:44,142 --> 00:45:45,010
What would you like for

1718
00:45:45,010 --> 00:45:45,877
breakfast?

1719
00:45:45,877 --> 00:45:46,778
Can we get a rehearsal?

1720
00:45:46,779 --> 00:45:48,345
Your wardrobe is ready."

1721
00:45:48,346 --> 00:45:50,314
I like every part of it.

1722
00:45:50,315 --> 00:45:51,315
You know what, I've never

1723
00:45:51,316 --> 00:45:52,250
had a bad experience.

1724
00:45:52,251 --> 00:45:53,251
I've got to be honest with you.

1725
00:45:53,252 --> 00:45:55,319
I've never not wanted to go

1726
00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:56,420
to work.

1727
00:45:56,421 --> 00:45:57,355
I've always loved the

1728
00:45:57,355 --> 00:45:58,256
environment of the film

1729
00:45:58,257 --> 00:45:59,289
business, you know what I mean?

1730
00:45:59,290 --> 00:46:01,158
But my best ever job overall

1731
00:46:01,159 --> 00:46:04,228
for the whole experience was,

1732
00:46:04,229 --> 00:46:05,496
I think, "cliffhanger."

1733
00:46:05,530 --> 00:46:08,032
To get off that plane and all of

1734
00:46:08,033 --> 00:46:10,801
a sudden, find myself within

1735
00:46:10,802 --> 00:46:13,304
my own dream, but it was real.

1736
00:46:13,338 --> 00:46:14,172
I used to pinch myself every

1737
00:46:14,172 --> 00:46:15,040
day.

1738
00:46:15,041 --> 00:46:16,273
"I'm in a Hollywood action movie

1739
00:46:16,274 --> 00:46:17,341
with Sylvester Stallone."

1740
00:46:17,342 --> 00:46:18,209
It was constant.

1741
00:46:18,209 --> 00:46:19,077
And you know what?

1742
00:46:19,077 --> 00:46:19,978
At the end of the day, it was

1743
00:46:19,978 --> 00:46:20,846
a tiny part.

1744
00:46:20,847 --> 00:46:23,480
And still now when it's on,

1745
00:46:23,481 --> 00:46:24,514
because it's on every other day,

1746
00:46:24,515 --> 00:46:25,816
just seeing your name on

1747
00:46:25,817 --> 00:46:26,951
the screen with that music, and

1748
00:46:26,952 --> 00:46:29,519
it's a huge buzz.

1749
00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:31,021
I do have an action figure.

1750
00:46:31,022 --> 00:46:33,057
For "24," I'm very proud of it.

1751
00:46:33,058 --> 00:46:33,992
That's one of my greatest

1752
00:46:33,992 --> 00:46:34,860
achievements.

1753
00:46:34,860 --> 00:46:35,526
All right, can you get

1754
00:46:35,526 --> 00:46:36,427
a close-up?

1755
00:46:36,428 --> 00:46:37,527
Hang on.

1756
00:46:37,528 --> 00:46:38,996
Remarkably accurate.

1757
00:46:38,997 --> 00:46:40,330
Can you see the hairline there?

1758
00:46:40,331 --> 00:46:41,266
This actually has more hair

1759
00:46:41,266 --> 00:46:42,133
that I do now.

1760
00:46:42,134 --> 00:46:43,433
I don't want to open it just

1761
00:46:43,434 --> 00:46:45,169
because, you know, 20 years from

1762
00:46:45,170 --> 00:46:46,937
now, I have to sell it on eBay.

1763
00:46:46,938 --> 00:46:49,007
That's so cool.

1764
00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:50,507
Sometimes I think, you know,

1765
00:46:50,508 --> 00:46:52,076
"jeez, I did pretty well,

1766
00:46:52,077 --> 00:46:52,944
you know."

1767
00:46:52,945 --> 00:46:54,544
They'll say, "jeez, I just...

1768
00:46:54,545 --> 00:46:55,612
I just really hope you can

1769
00:46:55,613 --> 00:46:57,248
make it someday, you know."

1770
00:46:57,282 --> 00:46:58,282
So...

1771
00:46:58,283 --> 00:46:59,917
but it's not enough.

1772
00:46:59,918 --> 00:47:01,318
I want to be star.

1773
00:47:01,319 --> 00:47:02,486
We'd all love to be up there.

1774
00:47:02,487 --> 00:47:03,421
I mean, any actor who says he

1775
00:47:03,422 --> 00:47:04,422
don't is lying.

1776
00:47:04,423 --> 00:47:06,256
It's like, you know, we'd all

1777
00:47:06,257 --> 00:47:07,457
like to be more successful than

1778
00:47:07,458 --> 00:47:08,625
where we actually are.

1779
00:47:08,626 --> 00:47:11,029
You know, I definitely do.

1780
00:47:11,062 --> 00:47:12,229
One of my favorite scenes

1781
00:47:12,230 --> 00:47:15,165
ever on film is from "damages,"

1782
00:47:15,166 --> 00:47:17,034
and it partly comes from...

1783
00:47:17,035 --> 00:47:17,936
I was a series regular for

1784
00:47:17,937 --> 00:47:19,003
the first time in my life.

1785
00:47:19,004 --> 00:47:20,237
And the difference between

1786
00:47:20,238 --> 00:47:21,939
being even recurring and

1787
00:47:21,940 --> 00:47:23,307
certainly between being...

1788
00:47:23,308 --> 00:47:24,508
Doing a guest job and being

1789
00:47:24,509 --> 00:47:25,410
a series regular, there's

1790
00:47:25,411 --> 00:47:28,046
a huge psychological difference.

1791
00:47:28,079 --> 00:47:31,115
Guest starring is... it is

1792
00:47:31,116 --> 00:47:33,550
one of the toughest ways to make

1793
00:47:33,551 --> 00:47:34,919
a living in this business.

1794
00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:36,020
You don't know these other

1795
00:47:36,021 --> 00:47:37,254
actors, you don't know the crew,

1796
00:47:37,255 --> 00:47:38,288
you don't know the dynamic.

1797
00:47:39,157 --> 00:47:40,091
And you got to hit there,

1798
00:47:40,092 --> 00:47:43,460
and it's got to feel like the

1799
00:47:43,461 --> 00:47:44,594
reg... like, it's got to be

1800
00:47:44,595 --> 00:47:46,230
absolutely cohesive and it's...

1801
00:47:46,231 --> 00:47:47,165
It can be really hard.

1802
00:47:47,165 --> 00:47:48,133
And you're walking in, and

1803
00:47:48,133 --> 00:47:49,067
you're waiting for the first

1804
00:47:49,067 --> 00:47:50,035
person to say hello in

1805
00:47:50,036 --> 00:47:51,969
a friendly way, you know.

1806
00:47:51,970 --> 00:47:52,670
And the difference between

1807
00:47:52,671 --> 00:47:54,271
people saying, "hi, I'm so glad

1808
00:47:54,272 --> 00:47:55,140
you're here," and people

1809
00:47:55,141 --> 00:47:57,207
saying, "hey."

1810
00:47:57,208 --> 00:47:58,508
I mean, I've sat in trailers

1811
00:47:58,509 --> 00:47:59,676
so many times in makeup chairs,

1812
00:47:59,677 --> 00:48:03,047
and the regulars just pass by.

1813
00:48:03,048 --> 00:48:04,114
Don't even acknowledge that

1814
00:48:04,115 --> 00:48:04,983
you're there.

1815
00:48:04,984 --> 00:48:06,050
If you want to be part of

1816
00:48:06,051 --> 00:48:08,685
the party, you're in trouble.

1817
00:48:08,686 --> 00:48:10,554
So what you do is you learn

1818
00:48:10,555 --> 00:48:11,956
your lines, you hit your marks,

1819
00:48:11,957 --> 00:48:13,123
and you stay out of everybody's

1820
00:48:13,124 --> 00:48:13,992
way.

1821
00:48:13,993 --> 00:48:15,425
You don't get paid, you know,

1822
00:48:15,426 --> 00:48:17,394
anything like you get paid

1823
00:48:17,395 --> 00:48:18,395
as a series regular.

1824
00:48:18,396 --> 00:48:20,197
You do get... something they

1825
00:48:20,198 --> 00:48:22,699
don't teach... career curves,

1826
00:48:22,700 --> 00:48:24,101
ups and down.

1827
00:48:24,102 --> 00:48:25,435
You... you're gonna get them

1828
00:48:25,436 --> 00:48:26,437
when you get used up.

1829
00:48:26,471 --> 00:48:28,338
I did 10 televisions in one

1830
00:48:28,339 --> 00:48:30,307
year, and in the next, I didn't

1831
00:48:30,308 --> 00:48:31,176
work for 18 months.

1832
00:48:31,209 --> 00:48:32,110
I think I've been fired

1833
00:48:32,111 --> 00:48:34,444
twice, which I love actually.

1834
00:48:34,445 --> 00:48:35,579
I love getting fired.

1835
00:48:35,580 --> 00:48:36,713
And the way they did it... they

1836
00:48:36,714 --> 00:48:38,115
were all so mean and weird.

1837
00:48:38,116 --> 00:48:39,449
But they didn't like what I was

1838
00:48:39,450 --> 00:48:40,318
doing, so that's cool.

1839
00:48:40,318 --> 00:48:41,286
You're nobody in this town

1840
00:48:41,286 --> 00:48:42,153
until you've been fired.

1841
00:48:42,154 --> 00:48:43,453
And when it happens, I don't

1842
00:48:43,454 --> 00:48:44,521
care how long I've been working,

1843
00:48:44,522 --> 00:48:46,156
I will be shattered.

1844
00:48:46,157 --> 00:48:47,624
I will cry like a little girl.

1845
00:48:47,625 --> 00:48:48,993
Well, there are times when,

1846
00:48:48,994 --> 00:48:50,327
you know, I didn't get that job,

1847
00:48:50,328 --> 00:48:51,561
and they hired that asshole,

1848
00:48:51,562 --> 00:48:52,430
and it sucks.

1849
00:48:52,431 --> 00:48:54,131
And I'm glad.

1850
00:48:54,132 --> 00:48:55,165
And sink.

1851
00:48:55,166 --> 00:48:56,233
But then lots of times, that's

1852
00:48:56,234 --> 00:48:57,102
a big hit.

1853
00:48:58,336 --> 00:48:59,503
So the joke's on me.

1854
00:48:59,504 --> 00:49:01,172
Maybe they were right.

1855
00:49:11,482 --> 00:49:14,618
Do I have to answer that?

1856
00:49:14,619 --> 00:49:17,487
Yeah, and that's the really bad

1857
00:49:17,488 --> 00:49:21,091
part of me, you know.

1858
00:49:21,092 --> 00:49:23,193
That's the part that I keep

1859
00:49:23,194 --> 00:49:24,062
in the corner with the dunce

1860
00:49:24,062 --> 00:49:24,762
hat on.

1861
00:49:24,763 --> 00:49:26,363
Yeah, I know exactly what

1862
00:49:26,364 --> 00:49:27,232
you mean, yeah.

1863
00:49:27,233 --> 00:49:28,265
He's incredibly honest,

1864
00:49:28,266 --> 00:49:29,134
yeah.

1865
00:49:29,135 --> 00:49:30,667
I mean, I am... I'm not

1866
00:49:30,668 --> 00:49:31,536
competitive.

1867
00:49:31,537 --> 00:49:34,604
I mean, that's not true.

1868
00:49:34,605 --> 00:49:36,673
"How did you get that?

1869
00:49:36,674 --> 00:49:38,075
What did you do to get that?"

1870
00:49:38,076 --> 00:49:40,777
"I auditioned, I spoke some

1871
00:49:40,778 --> 00:49:42,012
words, they liked me, and I got

1872
00:49:42,013 --> 00:49:43,080
it."

1873
00:49:43,081 --> 00:49:44,081
"Really?"

1874
00:49:44,082 --> 00:49:44,749
You know, when you go to

1875
00:49:44,749 --> 00:49:45,683
the movies and see your friends

1876
00:49:45,684 --> 00:49:47,717
in leading roles and...

1877
00:49:47,718 --> 00:49:48,653
Or you turn on the TV and,

1878
00:49:48,654 --> 00:49:50,254
you know, you see your pals,

1879
00:49:50,255 --> 00:49:51,455
you know, doing some great work,

1880
00:49:51,456 --> 00:49:52,689
you know, week in and week out,

1881
00:49:52,690 --> 00:49:54,358
and, you know, you're still

1882
00:49:54,359 --> 00:49:55,260
waiting for the cell phone

1883
00:49:55,261 --> 00:49:57,294
to ring, it does kind of hurt.

1884
00:49:57,295 --> 00:49:58,263
I never felt like someone

1885
00:49:58,264 --> 00:49:59,596
else's getting something would

1886
00:49:59,597 --> 00:50:01,365
take away from anything you

1887
00:50:01,366 --> 00:50:02,233
would ever get.

1888
00:50:02,234 --> 00:50:03,234
No, I don't agree with Vidal

1889
00:50:03,235 --> 00:50:06,170
because that's bitchy.

1890
00:50:06,171 --> 00:50:07,204
He's a good writer, but it's

1891
00:50:07,205 --> 00:50:08,106
bitchy.

1892
00:50:08,107 --> 00:50:09,373
Now, if I'm in a series,

1893
00:50:09,374 --> 00:50:11,408
I wish everybody success.

1894
00:50:11,409 --> 00:50:12,343
But you know, what happened

1895
00:50:12,343 --> 00:50:13,278
to the actors too, which is

1896
00:50:13,279 --> 00:50:14,644
a great thing, this kind of

1897
00:50:14,645 --> 00:50:15,779
a club, and we see each other

1898
00:50:15,780 --> 00:50:17,147
in an airport or in a plane

1899
00:50:17,148 --> 00:50:18,515
or in somewhere.

1900
00:50:18,516 --> 00:50:20,084
And then... and you fall in, like

1901
00:50:20,085 --> 00:50:22,119
you had just... like you are all

1902
00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:23,054
campers, you know.

1903
00:50:23,055 --> 00:50:24,754
The time... or you were like

1904
00:50:24,755 --> 00:50:25,799
alcoholics, I think is better.

1905
00:50:25,823 --> 00:50:26,757
But for instance, I mean

1906
00:50:26,757 --> 00:50:27,625
just to give you an example,

1907
00:50:27,626 --> 00:50:29,559
I'm friends with John Slattery,

1908
00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:31,228
who was in my category in the...

1909
00:50:31,229 --> 00:50:32,462
Up for the Emmys.

1910
00:50:32,463 --> 00:50:34,198
Slattery came up to me during

1911
00:50:34,199 --> 00:50:35,166
the show at one point and,

1912
00:50:35,167 --> 00:50:37,067
you know, and congratulated me,

1913
00:50:37,068 --> 00:50:37,802
and he was very sweet about it.

1914
00:50:37,835 --> 00:50:39,469
And I was kind of tongue-tied

1915
00:50:39,470 --> 00:50:41,271
because... because I knew how

1916
00:50:41,272 --> 00:50:42,207
I would feel.

1917
00:50:42,208 --> 00:50:43,240
In that moment I'd feel like,

1918
00:50:43,241 --> 00:50:44,175
"well, that's very nice for

1919
00:50:44,175 --> 00:50:45,110
my friend," but on the other

1920
00:50:45,111 --> 00:50:46,243
hand, I'd rather be him right

1921
00:50:46,244 --> 00:50:47,112
now.

1922
00:50:47,113 --> 00:50:48,578
I-I was more consumed with

1923
00:50:48,579 --> 00:50:49,647
that when I was young.

1924
00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:51,615
I... everybody was my competition.

1925
00:50:51,616 --> 00:50:54,819
It didn't matter.

1926
00:50:54,852 --> 00:50:56,486
It's a lot of wasted energy.

1927
00:50:56,487 --> 00:50:57,388
I mean, there are some who

1928
00:50:57,388 --> 00:50:58,323
are... you know, who are dicks,

1929
00:50:58,323 --> 00:50:59,290
who are egomaniacs, who are so

1930
00:50:59,291 --> 00:51:00,824
wrapped up in themselves.

1931
00:51:00,825 --> 00:51:01,825
I know I'm fairly wrapped up in

1932
00:51:01,826 --> 00:51:02,693
myself.

1933
00:51:02,694 --> 00:51:03,694
I had a friend I remember

1934
00:51:03,695 --> 00:51:05,095
when I was young, and I used to

1935
00:51:05,096 --> 00:51:05,763
go on and on and on and tell

1936
00:51:05,763 --> 00:51:06,631
her everything.

1937
00:51:06,631 --> 00:51:07,498
And then she would say,

1938
00:51:07,499 --> 00:51:08,665
"I'm good too."

1939
00:51:08,666 --> 00:51:11,235
And I’d... i had no idea what

1940
00:51:11,236 --> 00:51:12,469
she meant.

1941
00:51:21,679 --> 00:51:23,113
The business is so difficult.

1942
00:51:23,114 --> 00:51:24,114
You'll get that from all of your

1943
00:51:24,115 --> 00:51:24,782
enemies.

1944
00:51:24,783 --> 00:51:26,183
Don't take it from your friends,

1945
00:51:26,184 --> 00:51:26,851
for god's sake.

1946
00:51:26,852 --> 00:51:28,752
Just be supportive as you can.

1947
00:51:28,753 --> 00:51:29,886
I sound like I’m, like, really

1948
00:51:29,887 --> 00:51:30,755
magnanimous.

1949
00:51:30,755 --> 00:51:31,689
I'm, like, as creepy and as

1950
00:51:31,690 --> 00:51:32,722
awful as the rest of them.

1951
00:51:32,723 --> 00:51:33,591
I never thought it was a

1952
00:51:33,592 --> 00:51:36,126
viable way to make a living.

1953
00:51:36,127 --> 00:51:37,227
I-I gotta tell you, I still

1954
00:51:37,228 --> 00:51:38,228
don't think I can make a living

1955
00:51:38,229 --> 00:51:38,896
doing it.

1956
00:51:38,896 --> 00:51:39,764
Well, as an actor in the

1957
00:51:39,764 --> 00:51:40,731
screen actors guild... what is

1958
00:51:40,731 --> 00:51:41,632
it?

1959
00:51:41,633 --> 00:51:43,600
99.4% of the screen actors guild

1960
00:51:43,601 --> 00:51:45,502
is unemployed on any given day.

1961
00:51:45,503 --> 00:51:46,471
I mean, the screen actors

1962
00:51:46,472 --> 00:51:47,637
guild is filled with people

1963
00:51:47,638 --> 00:51:49,406
who've worked one job and keep

1964
00:51:49,407 --> 00:51:50,308
paying their dues.

1965
00:51:50,309 --> 00:51:51,641
The biggest challenge to

1966
00:51:51,642 --> 00:51:53,543
being an actor is how to get

1967
00:51:53,544 --> 00:51:56,846
through the, you know,

1968
00:51:56,847 --> 00:51:57,782
unemployment.

1969
00:51:57,782 --> 00:51:58,716
The best thing about being

1970
00:51:58,716 --> 00:51:59,684
an actor is you have a lot of

1971
00:51:59,684 --> 00:52:00,551
time off.

1972
00:52:00,552 --> 00:52:01,818
And the worst thing about being

1973
00:52:01,819 --> 00:52:02,753
an actor is you have a lot of

1974
00:52:02,753 --> 00:52:03,654
time off.

1975
00:52:03,655 --> 00:52:07,457
The dry spells are a part

1976
00:52:07,458 --> 00:52:08,326
of the business.

1977
00:52:08,326 --> 00:52:09,194
I remember sitting with

1978
00:52:09,194 --> 00:52:09,927
Henry Fonda.

1979
00:52:09,928 --> 00:52:10,928
And he said, "well, there's

1980
00:52:10,929 --> 00:52:12,729
only one job this year, and

1981
00:52:12,730 --> 00:52:14,298
it's gonna go probably

1982
00:52:14,299 --> 00:52:15,233
to Stewart."

1983
00:52:15,233 --> 00:52:15,900
They all... they say in

1984
00:52:15,901 --> 00:52:16,933
New York that you know you're

1985
00:52:16,934 --> 00:52:19,669
a successful actor when you can

1986
00:52:19,670 --> 00:52:21,371
claim your unemployment

1987
00:52:21,372 --> 00:52:22,240
benefits.

1988
00:52:22,240 --> 00:52:22,907
That means you have to work,

1989
00:52:22,907 --> 00:52:23,808
like, 14 weeks.

1990
00:52:23,808 --> 00:52:24,709
Right.

1991
00:52:24,709 --> 00:52:25,610
If you can work 14 weeks

1992
00:52:25,611 --> 00:52:26,943
as an actor, then you get, like,

1993
00:52:26,944 --> 00:52:28,745
26 weeks of unemployment.

1994
00:52:28,746 --> 00:52:30,747
And for a long time, I would

1995
00:52:30,748 --> 00:52:34,451
design my lifestyle so that

1996
00:52:34,452 --> 00:52:35,752
I could live on unemployment.

1997
00:52:35,753 --> 00:52:36,953
Everybody hits their peaks

1998
00:52:36,954 --> 00:52:38,355
and valleys.

1999
00:52:38,356 --> 00:52:41,425
And, um, we've had people who

2000
00:52:41,426 --> 00:52:42,492
were hot, hot, hot.

2001
00:52:42,493 --> 00:52:43,793
Everybody wanted them at the

2002
00:52:43,794 --> 00:52:45,929
same time and then perhaps

2003
00:52:45,930 --> 00:52:47,297
they get on a television show

2004
00:52:47,298 --> 00:52:48,698
that's not successful.

2005
00:52:48,699 --> 00:52:50,800
And so what happens is that

2006
00:52:50,801 --> 00:52:53,637
suddenly they're cold.

2007
00:52:53,638 --> 00:52:56,773
I'd worked as an actor for

2008
00:52:56,774 --> 00:52:58,875
several years, and then it just

2009
00:52:58,876 --> 00:52:59,744
went dry.

2010
00:52:59,744 --> 00:53:00,611
It's always like...

2011
00:53:01,513 --> 00:53:02,612
"Okay, next."

2012
00:53:03,914 --> 00:53:04,782
Aah!

2013
00:53:04,783 --> 00:53:06,450
There... there's nothing

2014
00:53:06,451 --> 00:53:09,319
better than... than to be

2015
00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:09,987
a working actor.

2016
00:53:09,988 --> 00:53:13,257
There is nothing worse to be

2017
00:53:13,258 --> 00:53:14,225
a not working actor.

2018
00:53:14,226 --> 00:53:15,725
I used to write bad checks

2019
00:53:15,726 --> 00:53:18,228
for pizza.

2020
00:53:18,229 --> 00:53:20,330
And I would buy, like, two or

2021
00:53:20,331 --> 00:53:20,998
three pizzas and put them

2022
00:53:20,998 --> 00:53:21,932
in the refrigerator because

2023
00:53:21,932 --> 00:53:22,833
I didn't have any cash.

2024
00:53:22,833 --> 00:53:23,801
I couldn't go to the grocery

2025
00:53:23,801 --> 00:53:24,669
store.

2026
00:53:24,670 --> 00:53:26,303
So then I would end up spending

2027
00:53:26,304 --> 00:53:27,771
half of my next check paying

2028
00:53:27,772 --> 00:53:30,774
off the... you know, the 20 bucks

2029
00:53:30,775 --> 00:53:31,941
check for the pizza plus the

2030
00:53:31,942 --> 00:53:34,344
20-buck return check fee

2031
00:53:34,345 --> 00:53:35,246
because it bounced.

2032
00:53:35,247 --> 00:53:37,514
So I was in bad shape then.

2033
00:53:37,515 --> 00:53:38,615
The guy said, "I have to

2034
00:53:38,616 --> 00:53:39,484
read the meter.

2035
00:53:39,485 --> 00:53:41,385
You owe, like, $9,000 on this

2036
00:53:41,386 --> 00:53:42,519
apartment."

2037
00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:43,587
I said, "oh, really?"

2038
00:53:43,588 --> 00:53:44,621
I said, "where is the meter?"

2039
00:53:44,622 --> 00:53:45,590
Because the meter was, like, on

2040
00:53:45,591 --> 00:53:48,258
that tree, and I would go over

2041
00:53:48,259 --> 00:53:49,759
underneath this thing, down

2042
00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:50,661
underneath over by there,

2043
00:53:50,662 --> 00:53:51,961
and there'd be a little trap,

2044
00:53:51,962 --> 00:53:53,563
which really went to nowhere,

2045
00:53:53,564 --> 00:53:54,898
and I'd lift it, and I'd say,

2046
00:53:54,899 --> 00:53:56,032
"it's down in there.

2047
00:53:56,033 --> 00:53:57,734
But I gotta tell you, there's

2048
00:53:57,735 --> 00:53:59,669
a lot of vermin down in there."

2049
00:53:59,670 --> 00:54:00,770
I used the word "vermin."

2050
00:54:00,771 --> 00:54:01,639
That sounded like someone a

2051
00:54:01,640 --> 00:54:03,573
little surer, "a lot of vermin

2052
00:54:03,574 --> 00:54:04,641
down in there."

2053
00:54:04,642 --> 00:54:05,543
And I lift it up.

2054
00:54:05,543 --> 00:54:06,411
He said, "oh, fuck it."

2055
00:54:06,411 --> 00:54:07,312
Then he left.

2056
00:54:07,313 --> 00:54:09,012
I'm sorry, i-I'll make sure to

2057
00:54:09,013 --> 00:54:10,580
pay those electrical bills if

2058
00:54:10,581 --> 00:54:11,549
they're still due."

2059
00:54:11,550 --> 00:54:12,849
You know, I did the jobs you

2060
00:54:12,850 --> 00:54:14,384
did, you know, as a waiter or

2061
00:54:14,385 --> 00:54:16,953
telephone surveys or, you know,

2062
00:54:16,954 --> 00:54:17,954
all those jobs that you could

2063
00:54:17,955 --> 00:54:19,289
have off hours.

2064
00:54:19,290 --> 00:54:20,857
I worked at the door at

2065
00:54:20,858 --> 00:54:21,858
nightclubs.

2066
00:54:21,859 --> 00:54:23,527
For four or five years,

2067
00:54:23,528 --> 00:54:25,429
I was... you know, I worked

2068
00:54:25,430 --> 00:54:26,297
asphalting, tarring roofs,

2069
00:54:26,298 --> 00:54:27,331
scaffolding.

2070
00:54:27,332 --> 00:54:29,999
I had a job for three months

2071
00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:33,570
in a law firm stapling.

2072
00:54:33,571 --> 00:54:34,472
I drove a cab.

2073
00:54:34,473 --> 00:54:36,640
I dealt Blackjack.

2074
00:54:36,641 --> 00:54:38,842
I got a massage license.

2075
00:54:38,843 --> 00:54:40,644
I've done contracting.

2076
00:54:40,645 --> 00:54:41,978
I've been a wine salesman.

2077
00:54:41,979 --> 00:54:44,681
I've done training.

2078
00:54:44,682 --> 00:54:46,816
I do all... a wide variety of

2079
00:54:46,817 --> 00:54:48,485
things to keep food on the

2080
00:54:48,486 --> 00:54:49,686
table, keep the mortgage paid,

2081
00:54:49,687 --> 00:54:50,854
keep the kids in the school.

2082
00:54:50,855 --> 00:54:53,690
I have driven limos, which

2083
00:54:53,691 --> 00:54:56,593
contained certain people that

2084
00:54:56,594 --> 00:54:57,894
you would not normally meet

2085
00:54:57,895 --> 00:54:58,763
during the day.

2086
00:55:01,766 --> 00:55:02,700
And they would ask for me

2087
00:55:02,701 --> 00:55:04,534
because I was very well spoken.

2088
00:55:04,535 --> 00:55:07,437
I never hit on them, and I could

2089
00:55:07,438 --> 00:55:08,772
make an awful lot of money on

2090
00:55:08,773 --> 00:55:09,640
a Saturday night.

2091
00:55:09,641 --> 00:55:10,940
Found this job watering

2092
00:55:10,941 --> 00:55:12,041
plants in Chicago.

2093
00:55:12,042 --> 00:55:13,677
You know, I had, like, 2,300

2094
00:55:13,678 --> 00:55:14,545
plants on my route.

2095
00:55:14,546 --> 00:55:16,045
Downtown loop area of Chicago.

2096
00:55:16,046 --> 00:55:18,014
It gave me the freedom to put

2097
00:55:18,015 --> 00:55:20,950
my buckets down in the utility

2098
00:55:20,951 --> 00:55:22,652
closet, which I had the key for

2099
00:55:22,653 --> 00:55:24,488
in various buildings, and go

2100
00:55:24,489 --> 00:55:26,423
audition.

2101
00:55:26,424 --> 00:55:27,991
I met someone.

2102
00:55:27,992 --> 00:55:29,659
This incredible woman when

2103
00:55:29,660 --> 00:55:31,828
I was in college, and we got

2104
00:55:31,829 --> 00:55:34,063
married, you know, five years

2105
00:55:34,064 --> 00:55:34,999
after I was in acting school.

2106
00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:37,867
And we just... she made it

2107
00:55:37,868 --> 00:55:39,369
possible, really, for me.

2108
00:55:39,370 --> 00:55:40,370
It was really her.

2109
00:55:40,371 --> 00:55:41,671
She supported me for the first

2110
00:55:41,672 --> 00:55:44,608
five years of our... of really

2111
00:55:44,609 --> 00:55:45,842
being in New York and trying

2112
00:55:45,843 --> 00:55:48,044
to... she was slaving it away.

2113
00:55:48,045 --> 00:55:49,013
She wanted to be an actress too.

2114
00:55:49,014 --> 00:55:50,647
She dropped out, and she was

2115
00:55:50,648 --> 00:55:52,449
working in some corporate

2116
00:55:52,450 --> 00:55:54,884
offices while I was goofing

2117
00:55:54,885 --> 00:55:56,453
around onstage.

2118
00:55:56,454 --> 00:55:57,654
I always like the idea of

2119
00:55:57,655 --> 00:56:00,390
this vagabond loner guy who

2120
00:56:00,391 --> 00:56:01,391
kind of didn't want to be

2121
00:56:01,392 --> 00:56:03,493
committed into one place.

2122
00:56:03,494 --> 00:56:05,862
I-It's partly selfish, you

2123
00:56:05,863 --> 00:56:08,698
know, to... selfishness of youth.

2124
00:56:08,699 --> 00:56:09,667
That kind of lifestyle

2125
00:56:09,668 --> 00:56:11,935
doesn't lend itself to having

2126
00:56:11,936 --> 00:56:14,738
a girlfriend, much less

2127
00:56:14,739 --> 00:56:15,772
a family.

2128
00:56:15,773 --> 00:56:17,073
I had a dog though with me for

2129
00:56:17,074 --> 00:56:18,509
the... all of those years.

2130
00:56:18,543 --> 00:56:19,743
I had a big, white Samoyed

2131
00:56:19,744 --> 00:56:20,611
named Sam.

2132
00:56:20,612 --> 00:56:21,911
He was, like, 100 pounds, and

2133
00:56:21,912 --> 00:56:23,448
he went everywhere with me.

2134
00:56:23,481 --> 00:56:24,114
You know, as long as

2135
00:56:24,115 --> 00:56:25,715
I'm in show business, you got

2136
00:56:25,716 --> 00:56:26,850
someone to scratch your ass.

2137
00:56:26,851 --> 00:56:27,851
You hear me?

2138
00:56:27,852 --> 00:56:29,986
But when I met Lisa, my wife,

2139
00:56:29,987 --> 00:56:31,120
Lisa Giobbi, who was a

2140
00:56:31,121 --> 00:56:31,989
choreographer...

2141
00:56:31,990 --> 00:56:33,056
Everything sort of fell into

2142
00:56:33,057 --> 00:56:34,791
place, and I was... you're right.

2143
00:56:34,792 --> 00:56:36,092
I was just turning 40.

2144
00:56:36,093 --> 00:56:37,461
I was 39 years old, and I

2145
00:56:37,462 --> 00:56:39,896
thought "this... i think it's time

2146
00:56:39,897 --> 00:56:42,499
for me to be with this person."

2147
00:56:42,500 --> 00:56:43,667
Well, I was here in L.A.

2148
00:56:43,668 --> 00:56:44,968
Trying to, you know, do film

2149
00:56:44,969 --> 00:56:48,104
and television, and I'd already

2150
00:56:48,105 --> 00:56:50,740
bought a house by then.

2151
00:56:50,741 --> 00:56:54,478
And I met my wife.

2152
00:56:54,479 --> 00:56:57,781
She came to rent a room at my

2153
00:56:57,782 --> 00:56:59,583
house, but it was too expensive

2154
00:56:59,584 --> 00:57:01,150
for her, so she turned it down.

2155
00:57:01,151 --> 00:57:03,186
But we ended up going to a party

2156
00:57:03,187 --> 00:57:04,220
and hooking up anyway.

2157
00:57:04,221 --> 00:57:08,792
Now, she stays for free.

2158
00:57:08,793 --> 00:57:11,561
I married a woman who had

2159
00:57:11,562 --> 00:57:14,631
studied acting, had given it

2160
00:57:14,632 --> 00:57:15,699
a bit of a go in New York,

2161
00:57:15,700 --> 00:57:16,567
came out here, went on one

2162
00:57:16,568 --> 00:57:18,735
too many "Baywatch" auditions

2163
00:57:18,736 --> 00:57:20,605
and just said, "fuck this shit."

2164
00:57:20,638 --> 00:57:21,738
I think because you

2165
00:57:21,739 --> 00:57:22,939
understand each other, you

2166
00:57:22,940 --> 00:57:24,674
understand the lifestyle

2167
00:57:24,675 --> 00:57:25,775
you understand what is...

2168
00:57:25,776 --> 00:57:27,011
You have to go on location...

2169
00:57:27,044 --> 00:57:28,978
I do get obsessed the minute

2170
00:57:28,979 --> 00:57:30,079
I get a job.

2171
00:57:30,080 --> 00:57:32,982
And my wife is wonderful

2172
00:57:32,983 --> 00:57:34,083
because she says, "okay, he's

2173
00:57:34,084 --> 00:57:34,952
gone.

2174
00:57:34,953 --> 00:57:37,220
He's at the Ramada inn even

2175
00:57:37,221 --> 00:57:38,188
if he's upstairs.

2176
00:57:38,189 --> 00:57:39,222
He's... he's gone."

2177
00:57:39,223 --> 00:57:41,958
Because I need that 24-hour

2178
00:57:41,959 --> 00:57:44,127
focus on that character in that

2179
00:57:44,128 --> 00:57:44,995
work.

2180
00:57:44,996 --> 00:57:46,029
I'm very lucky that my wife

2181
00:57:46,030 --> 00:57:47,230
is 100% behind me.

2182
00:57:47,231 --> 00:57:49,165
I've spent a lot of time away

2183
00:57:49,166 --> 00:57:50,034
from home.

2184
00:57:50,034 --> 00:57:50,901
Yeah, no.

2185
00:57:50,902 --> 00:57:52,101
My... my wife is a model.

2186
00:57:52,102 --> 00:57:53,136
And my... my brothers were

2187
00:57:53,137 --> 00:57:54,071
always very supportive.

2188
00:57:54,072 --> 00:57:56,039
You know, when I'd be broke and

2189
00:57:56,040 --> 00:57:57,206
I wouldn't, you know,

2190
00:57:57,207 --> 00:57:58,542
necessarily even ask them

2191
00:57:58,543 --> 00:57:59,543
to borrow money but they'd...

2192
00:57:59,544 --> 00:58:00,677
There would be check in the

2193
00:58:00,678 --> 00:58:01,945
mail for a few hundred bucks.

2194
00:58:01,946 --> 00:58:03,580
I'd be like, "oh, thank god.

2195
00:58:03,581 --> 00:58:05,549
Hey, I made my rent."

2196
00:58:05,550 --> 00:58:06,283
It helps to have a brother

2197
00:58:06,284 --> 00:58:07,817
who's a dentist, and you can

2198
00:58:07,818 --> 00:58:09,085
call up and say, "can you float

2199
00:58:09,086 --> 00:58:10,854
me a loan?" Which I always

2200
00:58:10,855 --> 00:58:12,221
paid back, but, I mean, I had

2201
00:58:12,222 --> 00:58:13,757
a safety net.

2202
00:58:13,758 --> 00:58:14,791
I did.

2203
00:58:14,792 --> 00:58:15,726
I'd worked with this one

2204
00:58:15,727 --> 00:58:17,794
producer, and he used to tell

2205
00:58:17,795 --> 00:58:19,062
young actors, when they would

2206
00:58:19,063 --> 00:58:20,697
ask him, he would say... and they

2207
00:58:20,698 --> 00:58:21,632
would say, "what's the most

2208
00:58:21,633 --> 00:58:23,867
important thing for a young

2209
00:58:23,868 --> 00:58:24,835
actor to have?"

2210
00:58:24,835 --> 00:58:25,703
And he would say,

2211
00:58:25,704 --> 00:58:27,036
"rich parents."

2212
00:58:27,037 --> 00:58:29,939
In my mind, it's always about

2213
00:58:29,940 --> 00:58:30,908
keeping your nut low.

2214
00:58:30,909 --> 00:58:31,909
I mean, I drive... i drive

2215
00:58:31,910 --> 00:58:34,277
a 14-year-old Honda accord.

2216
00:58:34,278 --> 00:58:35,212
You know, my wife and I

2217
00:58:35,212 --> 00:58:36,146
live like hippies.

2218
00:58:36,147 --> 00:58:37,681
We have no television.

2219
00:58:37,682 --> 00:58:40,750
We have no dining room set.

2220
00:58:40,751 --> 00:58:41,652
We don't eat at a table.

2221
00:58:41,653 --> 00:58:42,752
People can usually figure

2222
00:58:42,753 --> 00:58:44,654
out the economics, you know,

2223
00:58:44,655 --> 00:58:45,755
with way... you know,

2224
00:58:45,756 --> 00:58:48,091
jobs... temporary jobs or

2225
00:58:48,092 --> 00:58:49,626
something or borrowing money

2226
00:58:49,627 --> 00:58:50,794
or, you know, running up their

2227
00:58:50,795 --> 00:58:51,729
credit cards or something.

2228
00:58:51,730 --> 00:58:53,797
But it's the mental thing that

2229
00:58:53,798 --> 00:58:54,699
trips you up.

2230
00:58:54,700 --> 00:58:55,832
Sometimes I don't deal with

2231
00:58:55,833 --> 00:58:56,767
it very well, to be honest with

2232
00:58:56,767 --> 00:58:57,635
you.

2233
00:58:57,635 --> 00:58:58,603
You know, that's when drugs

2234
00:58:58,603 --> 00:58:59,570
and alcohol will get involved

2235
00:58:59,571 --> 00:59:01,004
too, you know, people

2236
00:59:01,005 --> 00:59:02,839
self-medicate just to survive

2237
00:59:02,840 --> 00:59:05,041
the day-to-day rejection.

2238
00:59:05,042 --> 00:59:09,045
I used to, every night... the

2239
00:59:09,046 --> 00:59:10,313
night would be spent sitting

2240
00:59:10,314 --> 00:59:12,215
in front of a TV and smoking

2241
00:59:12,216 --> 00:59:13,316
and having a drink or two

2242
00:59:13,317 --> 00:59:14,751
until I sought the bed.

2243
00:59:14,752 --> 00:59:16,586
"Perhaps I'm abusing," is what

2244
00:59:16,587 --> 00:59:17,287
I thought.

2245
00:59:17,288 --> 00:59:18,288
I didn't really know, but I

2246
00:59:18,289 --> 00:59:19,656
thought, "if you're sitting and

2247
00:59:19,657 --> 00:59:20,357
getting, you know, fucked up

2248
00:59:20,358 --> 00:59:22,859
every night after... late into

2249
00:59:22,860 --> 00:59:25,094
the night, is that healthy?"

2250
00:59:25,095 --> 00:59:27,631
I think it's always a mistake

2251
00:59:27,632 --> 00:59:30,366
to try to find happiness in

2252
00:59:30,367 --> 00:59:31,701
your work or to define your

2253
00:59:31,702 --> 00:59:32,802
happiness through your work.

2254
00:59:32,803 --> 00:59:34,738
Plant a garden, fall in love,

2255
00:59:34,739 --> 00:59:37,273
have a pet, have a hobby.

2256
00:59:37,274 --> 00:59:38,608
I took up martial arts when

2257
00:59:38,609 --> 00:59:39,276
I was 40.

2258
00:59:39,277 --> 00:59:40,777
You gotta do something

2259
00:59:40,778 --> 00:59:44,180
where... where you're interested

2260
00:59:44,181 --> 00:59:45,815
in it and you're having a good

2261
00:59:45,816 --> 00:59:47,383
time even if you're not happy.

2262
00:59:49,855 --> 00:59:51,821
Basketball's been a real

2263
00:59:51,822 --> 00:59:53,156
good thing for me.

2264
00:59:53,157 --> 00:59:55,024
You know, it's therapy.

2265
00:59:55,025 --> 00:59:55,893
Four, two, right?

2266
00:59:55,893 --> 00:59:56,761
And it made me think that

2267
00:59:56,762 --> 00:59:57,762
everything we do on the

2268
00:59:57,763 --> 00:59:59,028
basketball court is kind of

2269
00:59:59,029 --> 01:00:01,230
related to acting, you know.

2270
01:00:01,231 --> 01:00:03,366
Like, you learn to commit

2271
01:00:03,367 --> 01:00:05,969
to whatever move you're making.

2272
01:00:07,672 --> 01:00:09,172
I think that one of the nice

2273
01:00:09,173 --> 01:00:10,406
things about acting even though

2274
01:00:10,407 --> 01:00:12,141
it's a grind, and it's highly

2275
01:00:12,142 --> 01:00:14,778
competitive, that you have time

2276
01:00:14,779 --> 01:00:16,012
to be with your family, and you

2277
01:00:16,013 --> 01:00:19,717
have time to be in your life.

2278
01:00:24,154 --> 01:00:27,090
We generally skate once... once

2279
01:00:27,091 --> 01:00:28,058
every month, I guess.

2280
01:00:28,092 --> 01:00:30,960
At least once a month.

2281
01:00:30,961 --> 01:00:32,261
I mean, I'd like to get him

2282
01:00:32,262 --> 01:00:34,130
involved in hockey, which is...

2283
01:00:34,131 --> 01:00:35,865
I don't want to do hockey.

2284
01:00:35,866 --> 01:00:36,900
You don't want to do that?

2285
01:00:53,250 --> 01:00:54,951
I wasn't the yoga guy.

2286
01:00:54,952 --> 01:00:56,452
Long ago, I was a gym rat,

2287
01:00:56,453 --> 01:00:57,687
boxing.

2288
01:00:57,688 --> 01:01:01,390
My wife got into yoga and for

2289
01:01:01,391 --> 01:01:03,059
years tried to lure me in.

2290
01:01:03,060 --> 01:01:04,260
She'd say, "oh, you really

2291
01:01:04,261 --> 01:01:05,129
should come try it.

2292
01:01:05,129 --> 01:01:05,996
It's really great."

2293
01:01:05,997 --> 01:01:08,164
And, "no, listen, you do your

2294
01:01:08,165 --> 01:01:09,165
thing, I'll do mine."

2295
01:01:09,166 --> 01:01:10,333
I was totally rude about it.

2296
01:01:10,334 --> 01:01:12,902
And she finally got me when she

2297
01:01:12,903 --> 01:01:14,738
said, "oh, don't worry, it

2298
01:01:14,739 --> 01:01:15,472
would just kick your ass

2299
01:01:15,472 --> 01:01:16,340
anyway."

2300
01:01:16,341 --> 01:01:18,207
And I never went in the gym

2301
01:01:18,208 --> 01:01:19,076
again.

2302
01:01:19,076 --> 01:01:19,977
It's really... it literally

2303
01:01:19,978 --> 01:01:21,110
changed my life, I mean, from

2304
01:01:21,111 --> 01:01:22,079
having, like, multiple knee

2305
01:01:22,080 --> 01:01:23,847
operations, foot operations,

2306
01:01:23,848 --> 01:01:25,448
things that really hampered my

2307
01:01:25,449 --> 01:01:26,950
ability to move.

2308
01:01:26,951 --> 01:01:28,752
I've been, like, pain-free with

2309
01:01:28,753 --> 01:01:30,887
my knees for years now.

2310
01:01:30,888 --> 01:01:31,988
The focus it's giving me in

2311
01:01:31,989 --> 01:01:33,489
terms of acting is amazing.

2312
01:01:33,490 --> 01:01:35,124
It's made me a calmer person.

2313
01:01:35,125 --> 01:01:36,926
My wife won't agree, but it's

2314
01:01:36,927 --> 01:01:39,428
made me a better dad, better

2315
01:01:39,429 --> 01:01:41,030
husband.

2316
01:01:41,031 --> 01:01:44,167
I-I do yoga every day.

2317
01:01:45,335 --> 01:01:46,203
Someone told me once that

2318
01:01:46,204 --> 01:01:48,271
yoga is natural Viagra.

2319
01:01:48,272 --> 01:01:50,473
Guys.

2320
01:02:05,089 --> 01:02:07,190
So, Ian, like I was telling

2321
01:02:07,191 --> 01:02:11,060
you, in this line of work,

2322
01:02:11,061 --> 01:02:15,832
you need hobbies because if

2323
01:02:15,833 --> 01:02:17,867
you're sitting around, waiting

2324
01:02:17,868 --> 01:02:21,170
for a job, you'll go insane.

2325
01:02:21,171 --> 01:02:24,774
I'm lucky enough that I work on

2326
01:02:24,775 --> 01:02:27,310
a show that brings me to the

2327
01:02:27,311 --> 01:02:29,212
beautiful northwest, except I’m

2328
01:02:29,213 --> 01:02:33,216
in Canada, b.C., so that's the...

2329
01:02:33,217 --> 01:02:34,084
What is that?

2330
01:02:34,085 --> 01:02:35,085
That'd be the southwest.

2331
01:02:35,086 --> 01:02:37,153
To take advantage of being

2332
01:02:37,154 --> 01:02:38,855
on a beautiful location and do

2333
01:02:38,856 --> 01:02:41,057
something really cool like

2334
01:02:41,058 --> 01:02:42,926
fly-fishing even though I'm not

2335
01:02:42,927 --> 01:02:43,794
very good at it.

2336
01:02:43,795 --> 01:02:45,829
Props, props.

2337
01:02:45,830 --> 01:02:46,530
Props, can we get a fish

2338
01:02:46,530 --> 01:02:47,397
please?

2339
01:02:47,397 --> 01:02:48,265
I like to read.

2340
01:02:48,265 --> 01:02:49,233
I play a lot of musical

2341
01:02:49,233 --> 01:02:50,100
instruments.

2342
01:02:50,101 --> 01:02:51,267
From blue to gray

2343
01:02:51,268 --> 01:02:52,902
to green.

2344
01:02:52,903 --> 01:02:59,909
The prettiest eyes I've seen.

2345
01:02:59,910 --> 01:03:01,210
Anytime you're out of work,

2346
01:03:01,211 --> 01:03:03,579
you're not sure how long that

2347
01:03:03,580 --> 01:03:05,048
period will be.

2348
01:03:05,049 --> 01:03:05,983
Well, I know actors who

2349
01:03:05,984 --> 01:03:07,116
don't work for three years

2350
01:03:07,117 --> 01:03:09,485
a stint, or two years.

2351
01:03:09,486 --> 01:03:11,187
I didn't get any auditions

2352
01:03:11,188 --> 01:03:13,222
for about six months,

2353
01:03:13,223 --> 01:03:16,225
and I was on unemployment.

2354
01:03:16,226 --> 01:03:18,127
I had a house, a brand-new

2355
01:03:18,128 --> 01:03:19,295
baby girl.

2356
01:03:19,296 --> 01:03:20,563
She was only, like, six or nine

2357
01:03:20,564 --> 01:03:21,498
months old, and I totally

2358
01:03:21,499 --> 01:03:22,832
flipped out at that point.

2359
01:03:22,833 --> 01:03:25,835
How many people in the country

2360
01:03:25,836 --> 01:03:26,970
have a budget where they don't

2361
01:03:26,971 --> 01:03:28,471
have to work for six months?

2362
01:03:28,472 --> 01:03:29,572
I'm pretty good with the

2363
01:03:29,573 --> 01:03:31,040
dough because when I get it,

2364
01:03:31,041 --> 01:03:32,541
I keep it, and I know it could

2365
01:03:32,542 --> 01:03:33,843
be a dry spell for a long

2366
01:03:33,844 --> 01:03:34,511
period of time.

2367
01:03:34,512 --> 01:03:35,845
I had friends who were on

2368
01:03:35,846 --> 01:03:39,315
shows, who were regulars on

2369
01:03:39,316 --> 01:03:41,084
shows making it, to me, a great

2370
01:03:41,085 --> 01:03:42,886
paycheck, and they just pissed

2371
01:03:42,887 --> 01:03:43,553
it all away.

2372
01:03:43,554 --> 01:03:46,422
I was always cheap, so

2373
01:03:46,423 --> 01:03:47,291
I saved my money.

2374
01:03:47,292 --> 01:03:48,424
Because you know, it is a

2375
01:03:48,425 --> 01:03:49,592
roller coaster ride, and it

2376
01:03:49,593 --> 01:03:51,527
plummets as high as it climbs

2377
01:03:51,528 --> 01:03:52,396
sometimes.

2378
01:03:52,397 --> 01:03:55,965
And especially, as a character

2379
01:03:55,966 --> 01:03:59,535
actor, you really, you know,

2380
01:03:59,536 --> 01:04:01,537
the ship doesn't always come in

2381
01:04:01,538 --> 01:04:02,906
to hold you above water for...

2382
01:04:02,907 --> 01:04:05,074
For more than a few weeks.

2383
01:04:05,075 --> 01:04:06,275
I did have a rough patch

2384
01:04:06,276 --> 01:04:10,046
about, I'll be guessing now,

2385
01:04:10,047 --> 01:04:11,447
but probably about four or five

2386
01:04:11,448 --> 01:04:14,550
years in, I didn't work for

2387
01:04:14,551 --> 01:04:15,584
a year.

2388
01:04:15,585 --> 01:04:20,656
That was sobering but not... it

2389
01:04:20,657 --> 01:04:21,591
didn't derail me.

2390
01:04:21,592 --> 01:04:23,092
It didn't... it didn't make me

2391
01:04:23,093 --> 01:04:25,461
have to wonder, "oh, my god,

2392
01:04:25,462 --> 01:04:27,196
what happens when everything

2393
01:04:27,197 --> 01:04:28,898
comes to a grinding halt?"

2394
01:04:28,899 --> 01:04:32,068
Right after 9/11, that was

2395
01:04:32,069 --> 01:04:34,237
one of the hardest times for me.

2396
01:04:34,238 --> 01:04:37,941
And, uh, I just wasn't getting

2397
01:04:37,942 --> 01:04:39,008
offered any work.

2398
01:04:39,009 --> 01:04:40,243
Not only that, I wasn't

2399
01:04:40,244 --> 01:04:41,377
auditioning a lot.

2400
01:04:41,378 --> 01:04:43,947
The pain of that started really

2401
01:04:43,948 --> 01:04:45,014
taking its toll on me.

2402
01:04:45,015 --> 01:04:47,216
And I fell into just the...

2403
01:04:47,217 --> 01:04:48,317
I don't know how else to say it,

2404
01:04:48,318 --> 01:04:49,618
I fell into the abyss.

2405
01:04:49,619 --> 01:04:51,020
I couldn't sleep.

2406
01:04:51,021 --> 01:04:53,356
I was smoking like a chimney.

2407
01:04:53,357 --> 01:04:54,924
I was just drinking a lot.

2408
01:04:54,925 --> 01:04:56,359
I was depressed.

2409
01:04:56,360 --> 01:04:58,294
I noticed the bills stacking up.

2410
01:04:58,295 --> 01:05:01,697
I wasn't able to... to take care

2411
01:05:01,698 --> 01:05:02,599
of them for the first time

2412
01:05:02,599 --> 01:05:03,467
really.

2413
01:05:03,468 --> 01:05:05,434
And I started getting scared,

2414
01:05:05,435 --> 01:05:07,703
you know, and I had a car note,

2415
01:05:07,704 --> 01:05:08,638
you know, I had an apartment,

2416
01:05:08,639 --> 01:05:09,973
I had this, I had that.

2417
01:05:09,974 --> 01:05:12,708
I said, "well, what am I going

2418
01:05:12,709 --> 01:05:13,577
to do?"

2419
01:05:13,578 --> 01:05:15,078
So I said, "well, first thing

2420
01:05:15,079 --> 01:05:16,112
I'll do is maybe sell

2421
01:05:16,113 --> 01:05:17,213
everything that I have."

2422
01:05:17,214 --> 01:05:18,948
And or, you know, just... i need

2423
01:05:18,949 --> 01:05:19,983
to get all this out of here...

2424
01:05:19,984 --> 01:05:24,687
Furniture that I have, and so

2425
01:05:24,688 --> 01:05:25,655
I did that.

2426
01:05:25,655 --> 01:05:26,556
I sold what I could sell or

2427
01:05:26,557 --> 01:05:28,224
what people... and I didn't really

2428
01:05:28,225 --> 01:05:29,292
get anything for it, not as... not

2429
01:05:29,293 --> 01:05:30,493
as much as I wanted.

2430
01:05:30,494 --> 01:05:33,129
I had this big, huge TV that was

2431
01:05:33,130 --> 01:05:34,563
sitting in... in fact, in my

2432
01:05:34,564 --> 01:05:35,598
living room.

2433
01:05:35,599 --> 01:05:38,001
And I said... i said, "well,

2434
01:05:38,002 --> 01:05:39,368
I think I'm going to sell it,

2435
01:05:39,369 --> 01:05:40,270
but you know what?

2436
01:05:40,271 --> 01:05:41,370
Instead of selling it, I think

2437
01:05:41,371 --> 01:05:45,141
I'm going to... I'm going to... I’m

2438
01:05:45,142 --> 01:05:46,010
going to destroy it."

2439
01:05:46,011 --> 01:05:47,643
Believe it or not.

2440
01:05:47,644 --> 01:05:50,313
I went, got out my toolbox and

2441
01:05:50,314 --> 01:05:51,380
a hammer and a couple of other

2442
01:05:51,381 --> 01:05:56,619
things, and I began, like,

2443
01:05:56,620 --> 01:05:57,487
destroying it.

2444
01:05:57,487 --> 01:05:58,388
I just went up to it and just

2445
01:05:58,388 --> 01:05:59,323
started beating the shit out of

2446
01:05:59,323 --> 01:06:00,190
it.

2447
01:06:00,191 --> 01:06:01,557
And I destroyed... glass

2448
01:06:01,558 --> 01:06:02,758
everywhere and everything and

2449
01:06:02,759 --> 01:06:03,759
all across the living room

2450
01:06:03,760 --> 01:06:04,728
floor, and, like, I killed my

2451
01:06:04,728 --> 01:06:05,595
TV.

2452
01:06:05,596 --> 01:06:07,763
I think I was really killing...

2453
01:06:07,764 --> 01:06:09,032
And this sounds kind of maybe

2454
01:06:09,033 --> 01:06:10,199
bizarre, I was... it was just

2455
01:06:10,200 --> 01:06:12,201
symbolic to me of everything

2456
01:06:12,202 --> 01:06:13,402
I had achieved.

2457
01:06:13,403 --> 01:06:15,071
But it was... it was betraying me

2458
01:06:15,072 --> 01:06:15,739
at the time.

2459
01:06:15,740 --> 01:06:18,474
I wrapped it up in this blanket,

2460
01:06:18,475 --> 01:06:19,376
and I dragged it.

2461
01:06:19,376 --> 01:06:20,310
It was heavy, so I dragged it

2462
01:06:20,311 --> 01:06:21,477
down to the garbage bin

2463
01:06:21,478 --> 01:06:23,179
downstairs, and I dumped it.

2464
01:06:23,180 --> 01:06:24,081
So I said, "all right,

2465
01:06:24,082 --> 01:06:25,748
got rid of that."

2466
01:06:25,749 --> 01:06:28,351
And the last thing that was

2467
01:06:28,352 --> 01:06:29,319
really left was my car,

2468
01:06:29,320 --> 01:06:30,386
you know.

2469
01:06:30,387 --> 01:06:32,788
And I kept getting phone calls

2470
01:06:32,789 --> 01:06:36,759
from the auto finance company

2471
01:06:36,760 --> 01:06:38,227
because I was late on my car.

2472
01:06:38,228 --> 01:06:40,063
I ended up turning my car in.

2473
01:06:40,064 --> 01:06:44,300
And there I was again, right

2474
01:06:44,301 --> 01:06:46,669
where I was from the beginning,

2475
01:06:46,670 --> 01:06:48,771
back on the bus.

2476
01:06:48,772 --> 01:06:50,773
I didn't decide to... to, you

2477
01:06:50,774 --> 01:06:52,575
know, kill myself or anything.

2478
01:06:52,576 --> 01:06:54,077
I didn't decide to kind of do

2479
01:06:54,078 --> 01:06:56,079
away with it all, but I said,

2480
01:06:56,080 --> 01:06:58,747
"well"... i think I thought about

2481
01:06:58,748 --> 01:06:59,616
it though.

2482
01:06:59,616 --> 01:07:00,550
You know, I thought about kind

2483
01:07:00,551 --> 01:07:01,584
of just, "well, maybe it's

2484
01:07:01,585 --> 01:07:02,552
time for me check out."

2485
01:07:02,553 --> 01:07:04,153
I remember I was on the Melrose

2486
01:07:04,154 --> 01:07:05,421
bus, and I got off... i remember

2487
01:07:05,422 --> 01:07:08,091
I got off and called Donna,

2488
01:07:08,092 --> 01:07:10,559
and I just broke down.

2489
01:07:10,560 --> 01:07:13,462
I was... i lost it, you know.

2490
01:07:13,463 --> 01:07:14,597
And I wasn't mad at her,

2491
01:07:14,598 --> 01:07:17,800
I was just mad, and you know,

2492
01:07:17,801 --> 01:07:20,536
I just said to her, you know,

2493
01:07:20,537 --> 01:07:21,537
"I'm back on the bus again,

2494
01:07:21,538 --> 01:07:22,506
you know, this wasn't supposed

2495
01:07:22,507 --> 01:07:25,108
to be like this," you know.

2496
01:07:25,109 --> 01:07:27,476
And she said, "look, let me call

2497
01:07:27,477 --> 01:07:28,577
somebody, you know.

2498
01:07:28,578 --> 01:07:29,845
I know someone at

2499
01:07:29,846 --> 01:07:31,714
'general hospital.'"

2500
01:07:31,715 --> 01:07:33,549
just came at the right time.

2501
01:07:33,550 --> 01:07:37,686
It came at the right time.

2502
01:07:37,687 --> 01:07:38,787
So I rode my bike over to the...

2503
01:07:38,788 --> 01:07:40,223
To "general hospital" set.

2504
01:07:40,224 --> 01:07:41,324
When you ride a bike to a

2505
01:07:41,325 --> 01:07:42,725
studio, the security guards

2506
01:07:42,726 --> 01:07:44,327
look at you like... like you're

2507
01:07:44,328 --> 01:07:45,195
crazy.

2508
01:07:45,196 --> 01:07:46,429
"Are you delivering something,

2509
01:07:46,430 --> 01:07:47,596
or are you on a wrong... do you

2510
01:07:47,597 --> 01:07:48,797
need... are you lost?"

2511
01:07:48,798 --> 01:07:50,299
"No, I'm here to go to work."

2512
01:07:50,300 --> 01:07:51,800
"You're... for what show?"

2513
01:07:51,801 --> 01:07:53,436
"'General hospital.'"

2514
01:07:53,437 --> 01:07:54,470
"you're... you're on the show?"

2515
01:07:54,471 --> 01:07:55,504
"Yeah, I'm on the show."

2516
01:07:55,505 --> 01:07:58,341
"Okay, you can lock your bike

2517
01:07:58,342 --> 01:07:59,375
over there by the coke machine,"

2518
01:07:59,376 --> 01:08:00,244
you know.

2519
01:08:00,245 --> 01:08:01,544
I hope... i hope it doesn't happen

2520
01:08:01,545 --> 01:08:04,547
again, but if it does, I think

2521
01:08:04,548 --> 01:08:07,816
I'm better prepared to deal

2522
01:08:07,817 --> 01:08:09,852
with it, you know, than before.

2523
01:08:09,853 --> 01:08:10,820
There are more and more

2524
01:08:10,821 --> 01:08:11,821
actors out of work not be... not

2525
01:08:11,822 --> 01:08:14,290
necessarily because there are

2526
01:08:14,291 --> 01:08:15,858
more actors, although I suspect

2527
01:08:15,859 --> 01:08:16,726
there are.

2528
01:08:16,727 --> 01:08:18,394
But it's the consolidation

2529
01:08:18,395 --> 01:08:19,263
of a business.

2530
01:08:19,264 --> 01:08:20,696
There are just fewer films

2531
01:08:20,697 --> 01:08:22,198
being made.

2532
01:08:22,199 --> 01:08:23,666
There's much more reality

2533
01:08:23,667 --> 01:08:24,700
television.

2534
01:08:24,701 --> 01:08:26,802
And the pay goes down because

2535
01:08:26,803 --> 01:08:28,204
they keep paying less, and they

2536
01:08:28,205 --> 01:08:31,340
say, "hey, they still show up.

2537
01:08:31,341 --> 01:08:33,142
We pay them less, and they still

2538
01:08:33,143 --> 01:08:33,810
show up."

2539
01:08:33,811 --> 01:08:35,244
It is very, very difficult

2540
01:08:35,245 --> 01:08:36,445
for a character actor to make

2541
01:08:36,446 --> 01:08:37,713
a living doing film now when

2542
01:08:37,714 --> 01:08:38,914
you're paid scale ten.

2543
01:08:38,915 --> 01:08:39,783
So you got to... you got to

2544
01:08:39,784 --> 01:08:42,551
support a kid and maybe a wife,

2545
01:08:42,552 --> 01:08:43,619
and you're being paid, I don't

2546
01:08:43,620 --> 01:08:44,554
know, whatever.

2547
01:08:44,555 --> 01:08:45,588
2,750.

2548
01:08:45,589 --> 01:08:47,790
You know, 2,750 bucks a week,

2549
01:08:47,791 --> 01:08:48,658
come on.

2550
01:08:48,659 --> 01:08:49,858
When you were paid 20 years

2551
01:08:49,859 --> 01:08:50,859
ago, it was, like, 10,000 bucks

2552
01:08:50,860 --> 01:08:51,728
a week.

2553
01:08:51,728 --> 01:08:52,596
What's going on?

2554
01:08:52,597 --> 01:08:53,762
When I first came here, I

2555
01:08:53,763 --> 01:08:55,231
went off to do a TV movie,

2556
01:08:55,232 --> 01:08:56,299
I was making 40 grand a week.

2557
01:08:56,300 --> 01:08:57,234
Now you're lucky to get

2558
01:08:57,235 --> 01:08:58,567
$6,000, $7,000.

2559
01:08:58,568 --> 01:08:59,602
And they don't give a fuck

2560
01:08:59,603 --> 01:09:00,537
who you are or what you've

2561
01:09:00,538 --> 01:09:01,837
done because they're like,

2562
01:09:01,838 --> 01:09:02,871
"there's somebody else."

2563
01:09:02,872 --> 01:09:04,173
You know, it's that whole thing,

2564
01:09:04,174 --> 01:09:05,741
there's 10,000 guys behind you

2565
01:09:05,742 --> 01:09:06,676
that will take the job.

2566
01:09:06,677 --> 01:09:08,444
And sometimes you have to just

2567
01:09:08,445 --> 01:09:10,379
go, "all right, go fuck

2568
01:09:10,380 --> 01:09:11,248
yourself then.

2569
01:09:11,249 --> 01:09:12,381
No, thank you."

2570
01:09:12,382 --> 01:09:13,616
One of my clients was... was

2571
01:09:13,617 --> 01:09:18,354
offered a job for an episodic

2572
01:09:18,355 --> 01:09:19,722
television show, major network.

2573
01:09:19,723 --> 01:09:22,225
He found out after he booked

2574
01:09:22,226 --> 01:09:23,359
the job that they only wanted

2575
01:09:23,360 --> 01:09:24,760
him for a day, that they would

2576
01:09:24,761 --> 01:09:25,961
need him two days early for

2577
01:09:25,962 --> 01:09:28,331
prosthetic work because he's

2578
01:09:28,332 --> 01:09:29,233
shot and killed.

2579
01:09:29,234 --> 01:09:33,502
Um, and it included a weekend.

2580
01:09:33,503 --> 01:09:34,404
So he would be getting paid

2581
01:09:34,405 --> 01:09:36,639
$3,000 before commissions,

2582
01:09:36,640 --> 01:09:39,408
before taxes to work for five

2583
01:09:39,409 --> 01:09:42,911
days, and when they said that

2584
01:09:42,912 --> 01:09:43,912
he also wouldn't get a single

2585
01:09:43,913 --> 01:09:45,248
card billing, which is something

2586
01:09:45,249 --> 01:09:45,949
that's pretty important,

2587
01:09:45,949 --> 01:09:46,916
especially when you're not

2588
01:09:46,917 --> 01:09:48,751
getting paid well, he held out,

2589
01:09:48,752 --> 01:09:50,553
and they recast the role.

2590
01:09:50,554 --> 01:09:52,255
But there's just something

2591
01:09:52,256 --> 01:09:57,593
sobering about seeing how much

2592
01:09:57,594 --> 01:09:58,495
this present business

2593
01:09:58,496 --> 01:10:00,463
does not actually need you.

2594
01:10:00,464 --> 01:10:03,932
It just needs to fill the slot.

2595
01:10:03,933 --> 01:10:07,570
And the slot is eminently

2596
01:10:07,571 --> 01:10:09,305
fill-able with 4 million people

2597
01:10:09,306 --> 01:10:10,707
in line right behind you.

2598
01:10:10,740 --> 01:10:11,940
The one-day guest star,

2599
01:10:11,941 --> 01:10:14,343
they take all your scenes,

2600
01:10:14,344 --> 01:10:15,811
shoot them in one location,

2601
01:10:15,812 --> 01:10:17,246
so they only have to work you

2602
01:10:17,247 --> 01:10:19,548
for a day, a 15-hour day,

2603
01:10:19,549 --> 01:10:21,016
but it's a day, and they'll go,

2604
01:10:21,017 --> 01:10:22,552
"well, here's $1,500."

2605
01:10:22,586 --> 01:10:23,952
I mean, a lot people think

2606
01:10:23,953 --> 01:10:25,588
that we all make a ton of money,

2607
01:10:25,589 --> 01:10:27,256
that we all make a load of

2608
01:10:27,257 --> 01:10:27,924
money.

2609
01:10:27,925 --> 01:10:28,957
"Oh, you're rich."

2610
01:10:28,958 --> 01:10:30,393
And, you know, if you're...

2611
01:10:30,394 --> 01:10:31,660
If you're a guest-starring

2612
01:10:31,661 --> 01:10:36,699
actor, you... i felt that I was,

2613
01:10:36,700 --> 01:10:37,800
you know, I think you're more

2614
01:10:37,801 --> 01:10:39,802
than fortunate if you get one

2615
01:10:39,803 --> 01:10:42,004
job a month because it takes

2616
01:10:42,005 --> 01:10:43,439
two weeks to shoot an episode,

2617
01:10:43,440 --> 01:10:44,640
more or less, so it's like, to

2618
01:10:44,641 --> 01:10:47,710
get one job a month is...

2619
01:10:47,711 --> 01:10:49,545
It's great.

2620
01:10:49,546 --> 01:10:50,447
You can't live on one job

2621
01:10:50,447 --> 01:10:51,348
a month.

2622
01:10:51,349 --> 01:10:52,415
When the money comes, it

2623
01:10:52,416 --> 01:10:53,516
comes, but it doesn't... you

2624
01:10:53,517 --> 01:10:56,919
know, I suppose to your average

2625
01:10:56,920 --> 01:10:58,921
American, it looks like a lot

2626
01:10:58,922 --> 01:11:00,423
because on paper it is.

2627
01:11:00,424 --> 01:11:01,690
But if you get a big chunk here

2628
01:11:01,691 --> 01:11:02,559
and then you go two months

2629
01:11:02,559 --> 01:11:03,493
without, and then you get a big

2630
01:11:03,493 --> 01:11:04,361
chunk here...

2631
01:11:04,362 --> 01:11:07,996
many actors have many people

2632
01:11:07,997 --> 01:11:09,799
involved in their careers.

2633
01:11:09,833 --> 01:11:11,500
So when someone gets a

2634
01:11:11,501 --> 01:11:13,402
paycheck, we are allowed to

2635
01:11:13,403 --> 01:11:14,470
collect 10%.

2636
01:11:14,471 --> 01:11:16,071
Often, they have a manager who

2637
01:11:16,072 --> 01:11:18,006
can collect 10% to 15%.

2638
01:11:18,007 --> 01:11:20,409
They might have an attorney

2639
01:11:20,410 --> 01:11:21,744
involved as well.

2640
01:11:21,745 --> 01:11:23,612
Normally they take 5%.

2641
01:11:23,613 --> 01:11:25,748
So we're talking maybe 25%

2642
01:11:25,749 --> 01:11:28,050
taken off the top minus whatever

2643
01:11:28,051 --> 01:11:29,885
taxes you're paying to the

2644
01:11:29,886 --> 01:11:31,520
government and perhaps

2645
01:11:31,521 --> 01:11:33,889
a publicist, who also takes

2646
01:11:33,890 --> 01:11:35,090
a set fee per month.

2647
01:11:35,091 --> 01:11:36,725
I used to see some checks

2648
01:11:36,726 --> 01:11:38,827
coming in for clients that

2649
01:11:38,828 --> 01:11:40,996
they maybe saw 1/4 of what that

2650
01:11:40,997 --> 01:11:41,865
check was.

2651
01:11:41,898 --> 01:11:43,031
You don't go into acting

2652
01:11:43,032 --> 01:11:44,433
for financial security.

2653
01:11:44,434 --> 01:11:46,101
You go into it because you

2654
01:11:46,102 --> 01:11:47,870
enjoy it.

2655
01:11:47,871 --> 01:11:50,706
For me, really deeply

2656
01:11:50,707 --> 01:11:51,807
fulfilling to get to do what

2657
01:11:51,808 --> 01:11:53,542
you love to do and get paid

2658
01:11:53,543 --> 01:11:54,544
for it.

2659
01:11:54,578 --> 01:11:55,578
But when you're making money,

2660
01:11:55,579 --> 01:11:58,046
and the gods of Thespis and

2661
01:11:58,047 --> 01:11:59,582
the world and economy are

2662
01:11:59,583 --> 01:12:01,684
smiling on you, you think,

2663
01:12:01,685 --> 01:12:03,019
"I've arrived."

2664
01:12:03,052 --> 01:12:04,587
You get a TV series,

2665
01:12:04,588 --> 01:12:05,489
and it's like, you know,

2666
01:12:05,490 --> 01:12:07,756
you know, it's like backing up

2667
01:12:07,757 --> 01:12:08,625
into an ATM.

2668
01:12:08,625 --> 01:12:09,493
It's terrific.

2669
01:12:09,494 --> 01:12:11,560
Most of us have never made

2670
01:12:11,561 --> 01:12:12,561
that kind of money before.

2671
01:12:12,562 --> 01:12:13,530
I never made that kind of money

2672
01:12:13,531 --> 01:12:14,797
before I got on "prison break."

2673
01:12:14,798 --> 01:12:16,064
And I didn't even make a lot

2674
01:12:16,065 --> 01:12:16,933
of money on "prison break"

2675
01:12:16,933 --> 01:12:17,801
comparatively.

2676
01:12:17,834 --> 01:12:18,668
I'd been out here.

2677
01:12:18,669 --> 01:12:20,769
I was 15 grand into a credit

2678
01:12:20,770 --> 01:12:21,804
card in debt, just paying

2679
01:12:21,805 --> 01:12:24,673
groceries and rent and stuff.

2680
01:12:24,674 --> 01:12:25,774
I did a movie, "in the company

2681
01:12:25,775 --> 01:12:26,743
of men," where I went to

2682
01:12:26,744 --> 01:12:29,878
Indiana and shot it in 11 days

2683
01:12:29,879 --> 01:12:31,715
for $24,000.

2684
01:12:31,748 --> 01:12:32,682
We literally ran out of film.

2685
01:12:32,683 --> 01:12:33,982
I borrowed money from my

2686
01:12:33,983 --> 01:12:34,918
brother, so I'm an executive

2687
01:12:34,919 --> 01:12:35,919
producer on that.

2688
01:12:35,920 --> 01:12:37,386
And I went from really not

2689
01:12:37,387 --> 01:12:38,954
being able to get in on pilots,

2690
01:12:38,955 --> 01:12:41,524
you know, or auditions to,

2691
01:12:41,525 --> 01:12:42,725
"oh, the guy from that."

2692
01:12:42,726 --> 01:12:43,859
A friend of mine has a

2693
01:12:43,860 --> 01:12:44,960
furniture moving company,

2694
01:12:44,961 --> 01:12:46,929
he's like, "fuck, I'll give you

2695
01:12:46,930 --> 01:12:47,831
70 bucks a day or something

2696
01:12:47,831 --> 01:12:48,698
like that."

2697
01:12:48,699 --> 01:12:50,032
I was like, "all right."

2698
01:12:50,033 --> 01:12:52,535
I would schlep furniture into

2699
01:12:52,536 --> 01:12:53,437
rich people's houses.

2700
01:12:53,470 --> 01:12:55,504
And the next day, literally,

2701
01:12:55,505 --> 01:12:56,705
I got "Xena."

2702
01:12:56,706 --> 01:12:57,674
Two days later, I'm in new

2703
01:12:57,675 --> 01:12:59,074
Zealand, and that was sort of

2704
01:12:59,075 --> 01:13:00,115
the beginning of the role.

2705
01:13:00,143 --> 01:13:01,644
It came the day after I went,

2706
01:13:01,645 --> 01:13:03,011
"all right.

2707
01:13:03,012 --> 01:13:03,980
Manual labor.

2708
01:13:03,981 --> 01:13:06,449
Here's my pride, take it.

2709
01:13:06,450 --> 01:13:07,451
I need a paycheck."

2710
01:13:07,484 --> 01:13:08,917
What I have achieved is an

2711
01:13:08,918 --> 01:13:12,621
enormous success that, if

2712
01:13:12,622 --> 01:13:16,425
I were a lawyer, I may not be

2713
01:13:16,426 --> 01:13:18,727
f. Lee Bailey, but I could be

2714
01:13:18,728 --> 01:13:21,096
a really successful lawyer,

2715
01:13:21,097 --> 01:13:22,698
and everyone doesn't have to

2716
01:13:22,699 --> 01:13:24,133
necessarily know my name.

2717
01:13:24,167 --> 01:13:26,435
If we were in any other field,

2718
01:13:26,436 --> 01:13:27,203
there would be no doubt about

2719
01:13:27,203 --> 01:13:28,071
it.

2720
01:13:28,072 --> 01:13:29,872
It's just that because Hollywood

2721
01:13:29,873 --> 01:13:32,941
has this self-adoration thing

2722
01:13:32,942 --> 01:13:35,844
that we only revere that top

2723
01:13:35,845 --> 01:13:40,649
0.10% that we forget there's

2724
01:13:40,650 --> 01:13:42,184
a whole community of solid

2725
01:13:42,185 --> 01:13:44,753
working professionals who also

2726
01:13:44,754 --> 01:13:45,722
help to keep this industry

2727
01:13:45,722 --> 01:13:46,590
together.

2728
01:13:46,591 --> 01:13:47,890
And I think I'm one of them.

2729
01:13:47,891 --> 01:13:48,825
It's like when you go to

2730
01:13:48,826 --> 01:13:49,826
acting school, they're only... the

2731
01:13:49,826 --> 01:13:50,760
only roles they ever give you to

2732
01:13:50,761 --> 01:13:52,160
work on are the starring roles

2733
01:13:52,161 --> 01:13:53,796
in the most dramatic emotional

2734
01:13:53,797 --> 01:13:56,164
scenes among those in that play.

2735
01:13:56,165 --> 01:13:58,834
Nobody ever gives... nobody

2736
01:13:58,835 --> 01:14:01,637
ever seems to go to work on, how

2737
01:14:01,638 --> 01:14:02,871
do you help tell the story?

2738
01:14:02,872 --> 01:14:03,872
What's this character do to

2739
01:14:03,873 --> 01:14:05,007
help tell the story?

2740
01:14:05,008 --> 01:14:07,209
You know, I didn't think

2741
01:14:07,210 --> 01:14:10,012
I was leading man material.

2742
01:14:10,013 --> 01:14:11,514
I didn't think I was romantic

2743
01:14:11,515 --> 01:14:13,115
lead material, but I thought

2744
01:14:13,116 --> 01:14:14,216
there were plenty of parts

2745
01:14:14,217 --> 01:14:15,951
that were interesting out there

2746
01:14:15,952 --> 01:14:17,019
for me.

2747
01:14:17,020 --> 01:14:18,521
I don't... I'm not a, you

2748
01:14:18,522 --> 01:14:20,222
know, handsome guy, and I'm not

2749
01:14:20,223 --> 01:14:22,791
a, you know, I don't have... I’m

2750
01:14:22,792 --> 01:14:23,992
a journeyman actor.

2751
01:14:23,993 --> 01:14:24,894
I'm a character guy.

2752
01:14:24,895 --> 01:14:27,730
And, you know, probably I’m

2753
01:14:27,731 --> 01:14:28,598
never going to, you know,

2754
01:14:28,599 --> 01:14:30,533
have a big movie career or

2755
01:14:30,534 --> 01:14:32,200
you know, get the lead on some

2756
01:14:32,201 --> 01:14:33,201
big TV show.

2757
01:14:33,202 --> 01:14:34,503
It's just not who I am.

2758
01:14:34,504 --> 01:14:35,204
You do this kind of work

2759
01:14:35,205 --> 01:14:36,639
because you love it.

2760
01:14:36,640 --> 01:14:39,908
But to be honest, it's what

2761
01:14:39,909 --> 01:14:40,777
I do.

2762
01:14:40,778 --> 01:14:42,010
It's what I said I was going

2763
01:14:42,011 --> 01:14:43,512
to do since I was a kid.

2764
01:14:43,513 --> 01:14:45,614
Nothing ever happened that

2765
01:14:45,615 --> 01:14:47,816
was so devastating that made me

2766
01:14:47,817 --> 01:14:48,884
say, "screw this."

2767
01:14:48,885 --> 01:14:51,787
If you give up, then I've

2768
01:14:51,788 --> 01:14:52,722
given up not only for me but

2769
01:14:52,723 --> 01:14:53,856
for all those other, you know,

2770
01:14:53,857 --> 01:14:55,591
poor kids who look like me and

2771
01:14:55,592 --> 01:14:57,860
haven't... haven't come here yet.

2772
01:14:57,861 --> 01:14:59,227
You know, people I've... some

2773
01:14:59,228 --> 01:15:00,228
of the best letters I've

2774
01:15:00,229 --> 01:15:02,030
received fan mail-wise are

2775
01:15:02,031 --> 01:15:04,266
from kids in... all over the

2776
01:15:04,267 --> 01:15:05,734
country who say, "you know, Mr.

2777
01:15:05,735 --> 01:15:07,836
Worthy, I'm 8 years old.

2778
01:15:07,837 --> 01:15:08,738
I'm 9 years old.

2779
01:15:08,738 --> 01:15:09,606
I'm 12 years old.

2780
01:15:09,606 --> 01:15:10,574
I just saw you on so and so's

2781
01:15:10,574 --> 01:15:11,240
show.

2782
01:15:11,240 --> 01:15:12,141
One day I would love to be an

2783
01:15:12,142 --> 01:15:13,876
actor like you," you know.

2784
01:15:13,877 --> 01:15:14,811
And to me, that means more than

2785
01:15:14,812 --> 01:15:16,545
what any critic could write

2786
01:15:16,546 --> 01:15:17,780
about anything I've ever done

2787
01:15:17,781 --> 01:15:19,047
because it means I've affected...

2788
01:15:19,048 --> 01:15:21,917
Reached... connected with some

2789
01:15:21,918 --> 01:15:23,819
kid who has dreams.

2790
01:15:23,820 --> 01:15:25,320
I have a line that I often

2791
01:15:25,321 --> 01:15:26,622
thought would be perfect

2792
01:15:26,623 --> 01:15:29,925
when I get some award someday,

2793
01:15:29,926 --> 01:15:30,993
which would be, "I'd like to

2794
01:15:30,994 --> 01:15:32,060
thank all the people who said

2795
01:15:32,061 --> 01:15:32,929
no.

2796
01:15:32,962 --> 01:15:38,034
You made me try so much harder."

2797
01:15:44,974 --> 01:15:46,274
If I got out of business

2798
01:15:46,275 --> 01:15:49,945
tomorrow, everything I've... I've

2799
01:15:49,946 --> 01:15:51,346
tried to accomplish, I've done.

2800
01:15:51,347 --> 01:15:52,615
I'm a little kid.

2801
01:15:52,616 --> 01:15:53,349
Every time I go to the movies,

2802
01:15:53,350 --> 01:15:55,250
I get my popcorn, and I get my

2803
01:15:55,251 --> 01:15:56,885
m&ms, and I dump the m&ms on

2804
01:15:56,886 --> 01:15:58,721
the popcorn, and then shake 'em

2805
01:15:58,722 --> 01:15:59,755
up.

2806
01:15:59,756 --> 01:16:00,923
Well, I wish I had a little

2807
01:16:00,924 --> 01:16:02,658
bungalow out in L.A.,

2808
01:16:02,659 --> 01:16:03,892
and I could make a living doing,

2809
01:16:03,893 --> 01:16:05,994
you know, pop-ups on TV shows

2810
01:16:05,995 --> 01:16:06,896
and occasionally be in a great

2811
01:16:06,896 --> 01:16:07,764
movie.

2812
01:16:07,765 --> 01:16:10,799
Oh, that's what I have.

2813
01:16:10,800 --> 01:16:12,367
It's fantastic, and I laugh

2814
01:16:12,368 --> 01:16:15,237
my ass off all day long,

2815
01:16:15,238 --> 01:16:18,140
so much so that I'm afraid I’m

2816
01:16:18,141 --> 01:16:19,075
gonna get fired.

2817
01:16:19,075 --> 01:16:20,009
If I had to pick a category,

2818
01:16:20,010 --> 01:16:21,677
that's what I would've picked

2819
01:16:21,678 --> 01:16:22,778
in the first place 'cause

2820
01:16:22,779 --> 01:16:24,880
that was going to have

2821
01:16:24,881 --> 01:16:26,148
the best shot of seeing you

2822
01:16:26,149 --> 01:16:27,016
through a life.

2823
01:16:27,017 --> 01:16:29,818
I have a great family life

2824
01:16:29,819 --> 01:16:32,220
and a lot of time to myself

2825
01:16:32,221 --> 01:16:34,957
to do whatever I want and be

2826
01:16:34,958 --> 01:16:37,826
with my family, and then I get

2827
01:16:37,827 --> 01:16:38,994
to work every once in a while.

2828
01:16:38,995 --> 01:16:39,863
I'm lucky.

2829
01:16:39,864 --> 01:16:41,764
I'm 75 sitting here, and I’m

2830
01:16:41,765 --> 01:16:42,666
still alive.

2831
01:16:42,667 --> 01:16:43,732
And working.

2832
01:16:43,733 --> 01:16:45,300
I was working yesterday morning.

2833
01:16:45,301 --> 01:16:47,202
This is what I do pretty

2834
01:16:47,203 --> 01:16:50,172
well, and I only have so many...

2835
01:16:50,173 --> 01:16:52,274
So much time on the planet,

2836
01:16:52,275 --> 01:16:54,409
my job is to give it away.

2837
01:16:54,410 --> 01:16:55,944
I don't need a big ego.

2838
01:16:55,945 --> 01:16:57,345
And actually it doesn't help me.

2839
01:16:57,346 --> 01:16:59,414
I think maybe if it helped me,

2840
01:16:59,415 --> 01:17:01,416
if I needed it, I could... i

2841
01:17:01,417 --> 01:17:02,985
could find one.

2842
01:17:02,986 --> 01:17:03,986
In the morning, you're an

2843
01:17:03,987 --> 01:17:04,854
optimist.

2844
01:17:04,854 --> 01:17:05,755
In the afternoon, you're a

2845
01:17:05,755 --> 01:17:06,422
pessimist.

2846
01:17:06,423 --> 01:17:07,690
In the evening, you know, you

2847
01:17:07,691 --> 01:17:09,057
get some sundown syndrome,

2848
01:17:09,058 --> 01:17:11,259
and you're a really dark

2849
01:17:11,260 --> 01:17:12,294
character, but in the morning,

2850
01:17:12,295 --> 01:17:13,229
you wake up, and you're the

2851
01:17:13,230 --> 01:17:14,429
optimist again, you know.

2852
01:17:14,430 --> 01:17:15,964
When acting is going well,

2853
01:17:15,965 --> 01:17:17,399
it's certainly a buzz, man.

2854
01:17:17,400 --> 01:17:19,267
It's a... it's a rush, you know,

2855
01:17:19,268 --> 01:17:20,203
if it's going well.

2856
01:17:20,204 --> 01:17:22,137
Often it's not but... then, you

2857
01:17:22,138 --> 01:17:23,906
know, you're in hell.

2858
01:17:23,907 --> 01:17:25,708
You can play the villain.

2859
01:17:25,709 --> 01:17:26,975
You can play the victim.

2860
01:17:26,976 --> 01:17:27,877
You can play the doctor,

2861
01:17:27,878 --> 01:17:29,277
the lawyer, the Indian chief.

2862
01:17:29,278 --> 01:17:30,412
You don't have to carry a

2863
01:17:30,413 --> 01:17:31,814
picture, and you can raise a

2864
01:17:31,815 --> 01:17:33,749
family in this town.

2865
01:17:33,750 --> 01:17:35,417
I always wanted to emulate

2866
01:17:35,418 --> 01:17:39,321
Moliere because he died onstage.

2867
01:17:39,322 --> 01:17:40,455
That happened to me, it would be

2868
01:17:40,456 --> 01:17:41,424
perfect.

2869
01:17:41,424 --> 01:17:42,358
I hope I tell a really

2870
01:17:42,359 --> 01:17:43,726
good joke and then die.

2871
01:17:44,794 --> 01:17:45,894
It's just now coming to me

2872
01:17:45,895 --> 01:17:47,262
that, "yeah, this is something

2873
01:17:47,263 --> 01:17:48,731
that I've done my whole life,

2874
01:17:48,732 --> 01:17:50,265
40 years almost now, coming up

2875
01:17:50,266 --> 01:17:51,134
on."

2876
01:17:51,135 --> 01:17:52,467
Just... i don't even want to

2877
01:17:52,468 --> 01:17:53,336
think about anything.

2878
01:17:53,337 --> 01:17:56,672
I just go and be that guy.

2879
01:18:11,487 --> 01:18:12,421
Hey, man.

2880
01:18:12,422 --> 01:18:14,457
Good to see you.