#578 - Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck is an Oscar award-winning actor, director and writer. His new movie “The Accountant 2” is in theaters this Friday 4/25. Ben Affleck joins Theo to talk about making movies in the age of social media, his thoughts on all the unwanted paparazzi attention he gets, and what he values most about being a dad. Ben Affleck: https://x.com/BenAffleck ------------------------------------------------ Tour Dates! https://theovon.com/tour New Merch: https://www.theovonstore.com ------------------------------------------------- Sponsored By: Celsius: Go to the Celsius Amazon store to check out all of their flavors. #CELSIUSBrandPartner #CELSIUSLiveFit https://amzn.to/3HbAtPJ DraftKings: Download the DraftKings Pick Six app NOW and use code THEO for new customers to play $5, get $50 in Pick Six credits. Better payouts. Bigger wins. Only with Pick6 from DraftKings. The Crown is yours. https://draftkings.com Visible: Go to http://visible.com to make the switch to Visible. True Classic: Go to https://trueclassic.com/THEO to upgrade your wardrobe and save on True Classic. Nutrafol: Go to http://nutrafol.com/men and use code THEO to get $10 off your first month’s subscription and free shipping. ------------------------------------------------- Gambling Problem? Call one eight hundred gambler. Help is available for problem gambling. Call eight eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven seven, or visit c c p g dot org in Connecticut. Must be eighteen plus, age and eligibility restrictions vary by jurisdiction. Pick6 not available everywhere, including New York and Ontario. Void where prohibited. One per new customer. Bonus awarded as non-withdrawable Pick Six Credits that expire in fourteen days. Limited time offer. See terms at pick six dot draftkings dot com slash promos. ------------------------------------------------- Music: “Shine” by Bishop Gunn Bishop Gunn - Shine ------------------------------------------------ Submit your funny videos, TikToks, questions and topics you'd like to hear on the podcast to: [email protected] Hit the Hotline: 985-664-9503 Video Hotline for Theo Upload here: https://www.theovon.com/fan-upload Send mail to: This Past Weekend 1906 Glen Echo Rd PO Box #159359 Nashville, TN 37215 ------------------------------------------------ Find Theo: Website: https://theovon.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/theovon Facebook: https://facebook.com/theovon Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thispastweekend Twitter: https://twitter.com/theovon YouTube: https://youtube.com/theovon Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheoVonClips Shorts Channel: https://bit.ly/3ClUj8z ------------------------------------------------ Producer: Zach https://www.instagram.com/zachdpowers Producer: Trevyn https://www.instagram.com/trevyn.s/ Producer: Nick https://www.instagram.com/realnickdavis/ Producer: Colin https://instagram.com/colin_reiner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Visible puts the ultimate wireless hack in the palm of your hand. With unlimited 5G wireless data and hotspot designed to keep you connected. Powered by Verizon's 5G network. And no contract holding you back. Plans start at $25 a month. Or get the premium Visible Plus Pro Plan and save $10 on your first month when you use promo code HACK. Make the switch at visible.com. Terms apply. See visible.com for details.

• 0:30Theo Von?

  Today's guest is an actor, a writer, a director. He's won an Oscar award. You know his movies like Good Will Hunting, Gone Girl, Batman. The list goes on. He has a new film, The Accountant 2. It's in theaters this Friday with Jon Bernthal. You may have seen the first one. I had a great time getting to know him. Today's guest is Mr. Ben Affleck.

• 1:13Theo Von?

  Yeah, I lost my... I wonder if you lose vanity as you get a little bit older. Like, not you, but like, do you... What does that happen?

• 1:19Speaker 02

  I don't know. I see some people like, mm, I don't know. It's hard to tell because, you know, you see some people like doing crazy looking things and you think like, that looks crazy. Why are you trying to look 18 years old? You know what I mean?

• 1:31Theo Von?

  Yeah. Oh, like that guy who's on Celebrity Big Brother right now. Who's that guy? He kind of looks like Jack Sparrow.

• 1:36Speaker 02

  I don't know what you're talking about, but I can imagine. You know what I mean? You kind of can, like, I think you can go one of two ways. Like, if you see yourself all the time, and especially if, like, the way you make a living is by kind of in part the way you look or whatever, it feels like, you know, people can get, like, obsessed with it. You know what I mean?

• 1:57Theo Von?

  Yeah, that's kind of who I was thinking of Mickey Rourke, I think.

• 2:00Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 2:00Theo Von?

  No, no judgment against him, but he tries, you know, it's like you can, it's definitely an active. Yeah, some people, it's like an active thing and then you're in a real kind of like conundrum with yourself because you have to get old to then you you would constantly be feeling like afraid to get older, I guess, or you'd be in like in a.

• 2:18Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think it's a tricky thing, right? Like, you know, nobody wants to get older, right? Because what it means is like you're gonna die and nobody wants to really face that. And also you just find out like, you know, I, you know, you're fifty, man. You'll, when you get there, you'll see like just regular shit that used to be normal hurts like moving around. You're like, damn, what happened to me today? You're like, oh, why is my back hurt? Oh, because I got up and then I sat back down.

• 2:40Theo Von?

  Yeah, I petted a small dog.

• 2:43Speaker 02

  Creates like small injuries all the time, you know, and so you start to get a little bit. That that can kind of affect you and I think if you, um, I think part of it's you gotta just get comfortable with the fact that, you know, and I guess I'm lucky because I'm, I don't feel like, oh shit, I better look young and, you know, kind of am who I am and, and um, I'm all right with that. And also kind of what I, what I like, what I'm interested in more and more is stuff that doesn't necessarily involve like how I look like that pressure, I think, like for women, I from it for anybody who's sees himself all the time. It it's like, I think that can turn into like a vicious cycle of trying to look at shit and fix it or look younger or something. Uh, whereas like you don't have to look any kind of way to direct movies, you know what I mean?

• 3:28Speaker 02

  Or or have a business, you know, so I'm, I guess I'm lucky enough.

• 3:32Theo Von?

  Do you, it's hard to know if you, it would seem like you seem like a guy who likes being in Hollywood or doesn't like being in Hollywood, I guess.

• 3:39Speaker 02

  There's things I really like about it and things I really don't like, right? And I wish they didn't have to be together, but they are, right? Like this is kind of life. It's there's you gotta take the good with the bad. I don't really like to like do big social events or go out much. I'm kind of shy. I don't really want to be on care, certainly when I'm like in my regular life and I'm walking around in my, you know, whatever underwear and t-shirts, but I don't want people looking at me. I like, I'm my family and my kids and my life. I I wish that were.

• 4:07Speaker 02

  More private. I don't, I don't know how many people really want to be sort of scrutinized in that way, but I, I really like making movies and I like telling those stories. And so, look, the truth is, I always knew that was kind of a part of it. And so, you know, I deal with it. I don't, there's things I, I don't love about um this business, a lot of them, you know, it can make you kind of crazy, you know, it can record. And, and there's stuff that's just no fun for me, like, you know, events and shows and stuff like that. I don't, some people really know how to have a good time. I wish I, I did. I wish I was out there like, great, we're gonna hit it and I'm gonna, you know what I mean? Like, as if I had that attitude, I'd probably be happier about it.

• 4:43Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 4:43Speaker 02

  You know what I mean?

• 4:44Theo Von?

  Yeah, dude, I'm always trapped inside of myself. There's always like a lot of this, like, so we were like, you don't like being in a crowd. I'm like, I have a crowd inside of me right now.

• 4:52Speaker 02

  There's a crowd in my head that's busy enough.

• 4:54Theo Von?

  I've got thirty people in here and we're out of hors d'oeuvres. So I, I've got enough fucking problems on the interior right now. Um, so I can tell, dude, I can totally, oh, I can totally relate to that. And every time there is a, an uh, and then we'll get off this. I want to talk, I know you, I want to talk to you about directing and acting, but um, because yeah, I was just, I was like, this bit is so, cause they always get pictures of you where you seem like you're like the, the dwarf that like is kind of like the backup dwarf, you know, like you're on the side, you're smoking, you're like.

• 5:24Speaker 02

  What is that guy? I didn't, I don't know that character, man. It's like, is he pissed?

• 5:29Theo Von?

  I think he's a little pissed. Yeah, he's a understudy.

• 5:31Speaker 02

  He's the understudy dwarf. Okay.

• 5:33Theo Von?

  And not dwarf, like you're a regular headed guy, but it's like, but I, I shouldn't have said dwarf. I shouldn't say anything, but it was like, um, I don't know, they all, and it's like, they only put this chronology out of you that makes you seem like you're kind of bummed.

• 5:45Speaker 02

  Well, here's the thing. Um, if the only time, like, when somebody's taking a picture of me, I'm bummed because usually I'm with my kids. I'm trying to go somewhere and then there's four guys. We're like, ah, ah, and I'm like, hey, man, every time, can you give me some time? I'm trying to be with my kids. I'm, do you mind? Can you, you know what I mean? So the look on your face is kind of like, and then they go away, not taking the picture. You go inside and you're having a good time, but it's this selective experience of like, take a picture of somebody every time they're feeling irritated. They're gonna look irritated.

• 6:13Theo Von?

  Especially if you're the one irritating them.

• 6:15Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's like, I'll come piss you off. Often then take your picture and then put and then be like, look how pissed off he is.

• 6:21Theo Von?

  That's exactly what that's exactly what that whole system is really.

• 6:25Speaker 02

  Right. But and it's like useful because that's why like, you know, I'm sure you've seen on all the stuff like the, you know, it's kind of the idea is like follow somebody around antagonize them and then hopefully they'll have like a nervous breakdown and go crazy on you and then your video be worth more money, you know?

• 6:39Theo Von?

  Yeah, it's it's such a it's that whole thing gets really black mirrorish, man. You know, it really gets kind of like, um.

• 6:46Speaker 02

  Like I can remember I a long time ago, you know, years and years ago, like I really had a lot of empathy for Britney Spears because I remember that it seemed like that's not somebody that I I knew or hung out with, but I just like everybody else. You see all this shit that comes through. And I but having had my own experiences myself, I knew like th- these are people are following her around in a time where she may or may not have been having difficulty. I don't know because I don't know her. But I do know that the the cycle of having people harangue you and yell at you and hassle you and follow you, it kind of seemed like that itself was kind of whipping up the whole thing into a tizzy. So it's it's and I.

• 7:26Theo Von?

  Like they're not helping.

• 7:26Speaker 02

  Well, yeah, and they're kind of poking a stick at it and going, look, look, look at it. And it's it. That's where it felt kind of like, that's the first time I thought this is kind of a a weird kind of unintentional, I think culturally, but kind of collective cruelty where what's taken out of the image that you see are the people around, you know, waving the stick at the tiger or poking on it or whatever. Um, and all you see is the the growling animal or whatever it is. Um, but like the a part of that is because somebody come around and, you know, uh, hitting on it or whatever to make it get active. And that's where you think, okay, well, this isn't really news. It's not even real.

• 8:08Speaker 02

  It's not what would be happening if this effect wasn't taking place. And and that's where I thought, okay, you know, the the sort of wise thing to do is to just sort of like maintain one's perspective and try to remove yourself a little bit. It doesn't, which is what I would like to do. I think there's this sense that like that like if you see someone's picture all the time, they must. Want you to be seeing it, right?

• 8:28Theo Von?

  Right?

• 8:29Speaker 02

  Which is not the case at all for me. I'm self-conscious. I don't really want you to be seeing that. I don't see any reason for it.

• 8:35Theo Von?

  It's horrible.

• 8:35Speaker 02

  As an actor, it's no good for you because I don't really want people, if they watch a movie, to be like, that's not him. Cause I saw him yesterday eating lunch and I know he's who he really is. It it gets in the way of you being able to create like the illusion. It's really hard work to create the illusion that this person, like the character in The Counting Two, for example, is a real person in a real circumstance. In order to get the audience to care about it, to laugh, to find it exciting and empathize with the character, they have to suspend disbelief. That's harder.

• 9:05Theo Von?

  Wow.

• 9:05Speaker 02

  If you're constantly being shown something else. So I think it it gets in the way. It makes it harder to to be an actor. And it's also just, it's also not good for you. People start to resent you if they see you too much. No matter whether or not you're trying to be seen, going, no, I I don't want to do this. And nonetheless, like I remember 20 years ago, going through an experience where I was like, it feels to the world like I'm trying to shove myself in their face. And nobody likes that, right? Nobody wants to be the like, you the the camera hog, the guy who's trying to.

• 9:36Theo Von?

  Yeah, get these new Ben Affleck shoes or whatever.

• 9:38Speaker 02

  And I'm like, man, you just leave me alone. And I I'd be, I would be much happier. So in a way, it also can damage your career, although I think it's, I don't pretend to understand the nuances and the of of social media and how to manage that as a celebrity. So I don't do it. Some people do it really well, but a a and I think there is a difference now because like, it's like if you have 100 million followers, that's actually valuable and meaningful in a different way. I still, I'm kind of old school, I guess, in a way of.

• 10:08Theo Von?

  I'm medium school, I think.

• 10:09Speaker 02

  I'm middle school. Yes, exactly. I am a seventh grader.

• 10:14Theo Von?

  Oh dude, yeah, I don't even think, I don't know if I graduated that one. Some of them, they let you skip, I guess, if you're, you know, depending on what county you're in.

• 10:21Speaker 02

  Sometimes they hold you back.

• 10:22Theo Von?

  Um, sometimes they hold you back, dude. Bro, the scariest thing was when like the dumb bully kid got held back and you're like.

• 10:28Speaker 02

  You had to stick around in your grade and you're like, oh man.

• 10:31Theo Von?

  I remember we got word.

• 10:32Speaker 02

  Kid's six, 10 and in in like sixth grade.

• 10:35Theo Von?

  Dude, we got word. Heard that Damian had gotten held back and people were like, oh, hell no, dude. We cannot do Damian again.

• 10:45Speaker 02

  Hold me back too.

• 10:46Theo Von?

  We cannot do Damian again, like Damian has to go out to pasture, wherever they put these kids that leave sixth grade. And they're like, Damian's coming back.

• 10:54Speaker 02

  Finish their education at sixth grade.

• 10:57Theo Von?

  Shut him down, dude. Tase him or something, you know, put a tire spike when he's leaving out of his driveway in the morning. But Damian cannot come back. But yeah, it is interesting and it is kind of a sickness. I think a lot of people see that stuff as a sickness these days. Um, but I do think it's fascinating about the suspension of disbelief. And that that was something that used to be amazing about celebrities is like you never got to see them, right? And so you only got to see them and actors and you only got to see them on screen and in this way. And so you really envision them that way. I mean, you would almost be shocked if you saw a celebrity in person or an actor in person. Uh, who didn't like, like Indiana Jones, if he didn't have his hat and whip.

• 11:36Speaker 02

  Funny, I was just gonna say that is that when I was a kid, I kind of thought Harrison Ford was that guy. You know what I mean? Like, and that's Harrison Ford, I think he's probably the biggest, you know, movie star of my childhood and whether it was like, you know, Indian Jones or, or Star Wars, like he was the guy and I kind of thought he was that guy. And so it's a little weird to see that guy just like, you know, in his sneakers and his kind of raincoat, walking around Brentwood. It's sort of like, of course it's disappointing or, or it's disillusioning or something because you, you have this thing in your mind that's, people went to a, you know, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas went to a whole, you know, use all their talent, went to a bunch of work to make this dude look like Indiana Jones and Han Solo. And I, I think what I've seen now is like, I actually don't even want to see like the actors that I really like.

• 12:21Speaker 02

  I don't want to go on your social because I don't want to know what you had for lunch. Cause it just makes it harder for me to get into like, you know, what you're doing. Um.

• 12:30Theo Von?

  I love that. And that's, I think that is a real directorial way to think, I think. I mean, I can see that in your brain. I mean, I'm just a judge. I'm just a guy judging you. They just met in a room somewhere, but, um, but I never thought about that, that that's how it is, that yeah, you don't want, you want them kind of, you want to.

• 12:50Theo Von?

  Hollywood has almost bitten its own tail in that way because there's this underlying like valueless current really that's kind of like a very cheap currency.

• 12:59Speaker 02

  It's Hollywood, it's Hollywood sort of adjacent.

• 13:02Theo Von?

  Adjacent, right.

• 13:02Speaker 02

  This side of media.

• 13:04Theo Von?

  That's what it is.

• 13:05Speaker 02

  Culture that, that profits from and circles and there's a symbiotic relationship between Hollywood and obviously like here I am promoting my movie and running around and now I don't want to go on like a tabloid and do that or whatever it is, but that, that becomes part of that culture too. And, and then you have like any interview show or all these, and you're right, in a sense it is Hollywood because if you do a movie at Universal, you know, you'll see that person's doing all NBC Comcast owned, you know, talk shows and appearances, right? Like it's not a coincidence because when they do their presentation in the boardroom for Comcast to their shareholders, they go, look, we make these movies, we spend a lot of money and then we get the stars and we plug them into all of our other shows that we also own

• 13:46Speaker 02

  and there's a lot of synergy, so on and so forth. The idea though is like, okay, there's, that's a kind of a tax that you end up sort of paying on your sort of life and the one, and on this thing that you're trying to build, which is something that connects with people and moves them and that they want to go out to a fucking movie theater and pay good money to see. And it makes it a little bit harder than to have to kind of go around and do all that other stuff and be like, okay, well, that's not who I really am and that's, and to try to sort of be interesting and relevant in some other way that isn't really what you kind of even wanted to do. And so, so you're right, it's sort of part Hollywood and also kind of Hollywood adjacent.

• 14:28Theo Von?

  Hollywood adjacent.

• 14:29Speaker 02

  It is eating its, it does eat its tail.

• 14:30Theo Von?

  In a way, because it's, because the acting and the creation, it's like a, watch looking at the beauty of a lake, right? It's like, this is picturesque and this is like how they meant the waves to look and there's a current here and there's an inflow and outflow and something landed in the water over here and left a ripple and something else is, this is the B story and there's a ripple, but then it's this under, it's this, all this stuff under it and it's almost starting to like kind of drain its own lake in a way.

• 14:53Speaker 02

  It's a good metaphor, yeah, like the, the movie has the kind of lake and the underneath of what's both what goes into it Behind the scenes and also what's

• 15:00Theo Von?

  And it's all the same thing.

• 15:02Speaker 02

  And it does kind of like it's interesting like yeah is it if you over text it it lowers the lake and all of a sudden it doesn't look like a beautiful lake it starts to look like like the low country marsh and it pulls down you start to see all the black mud around the edges and the muck and and that's um yeah I don't know how to kind of balance that but as a as a director you know you're right like I would say that's the way the principal way I've always kind of looked at this stuff so it used to be that you you had an actor and you had people knew less about them and now a part of even casting for me is what do people think or of and expect this person to do and or be and how can I both I have to rely on that and use that but I also

• 15:47Speaker 02

  have the opportunity to kind of subvert that in a way and and so you have to be mindful not just of the story you're telling um but what does the audience bring into the theater with them or or uh when they turn on television you know and expect

• 16:01Theo Von?

  That dude that yeah I think that's advanced thinking to be honest with you I really do.

• 16:07Speaker 02

  It's just uh learned by lived experience mostly you know find out like I even often make mistakes you know like if I sometimes I found if I sort of uh I did a movie where I had like a very blonde wig that was like a medieval

• 16:23Theo Von?

  Were you Ric Flair or something?

• 16:24Speaker 02

  I wish I was Ric Flair that would be spectacular I'd love to play it was actually a good movie I really liked it was called The Last Duel the point and it's great director Ridley Scott and he had this idea for it

• 16:33Theo Von?

  Oh yeah Ridley Scott.

• 16:34Speaker 02

  And yeah there's the thing there you see and and I liked the if that if no one I think had ever seen me or whatever I thought that was really yeah interesting the problem is that people I think what it did

• 16:45Theo Von?

  I thought it was Aaron Carter.

• 16:45Speaker 02

  Created noise around you know look at this hair is this different and we know it's a wig and so now you look at it and you go but I know he doesn't look like that and so it causes you to kind of think it's false that's an example of kind of probably not being able to go that far away from myself and still have people go okay I can sit aside what I know and just watch this story and and like it and believe in it.

• 17:09Theo Von?

  That's fast. That's insider baseball, man. No, I could. It makes total sense. It makes total sense that that that would start to affect how we see things. You know, there's something that's happening where it's hard to get people to believe in some of these movies, you know? And people's attention spans have changed. It's gotten interesting.

• 17:26Speaker 02

  Yeah, there's a bunch of things. The but the fact that like even even the online world, for example, you see now that like shorter and shorter and shorter like clips are what even my son, who's constantly showing me clips of you, by the way, you know what I mean? So it's.

• 17:42Theo Von?

  Oh, is he a nice kid?

• 17:43Speaker 02

  He's a great kid. Yeah, he's a fabulous kid and he's a and he's he now when I watch him like scroll, it's like he doesn't even get through the six seconds.

• 17:53Theo Von?

  Right.

• 17:53Speaker 02

  You know what I mean? He's like that, that, that, that, you know, and he'll like a long period of time for him is four or five seconds. And it's and then I'm like, hey, man, you know, let's watch this show or watch this movie. And it's like, he gets bored fast. He got to really love something to sit through it. And then he, you know, binges like all the episodes like we just sat through like and watched, you know, Invincible, this animated show, you know? And then it's like, let's keep going. And so it's this weird dichotomy of on the one hand, it's like, na, na, na, na, na. Okay, then plug in and like mainline this one thing and eat it all up till it's gone. And yeah, so it's it has really changed. You didn't used to be able to to like pause and select or even have that much to choose from.

• 18:32Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 18:32Speaker 02

  Like though that many choices is overwhelming to the to the mind. Like we weren't made, I don't believe, evolutionarily and and and as human beings to like, you know, we're supposed to be living in like a village and see about a hundred people in our lifetimes.

• 18:47Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 18:47Speaker 02

  Right? That's the the vast majority of human history. That's how we did it. And I still feel like in a way that's how we're socialized. Um, it's why, for example, if you're feel left out of a group, it's very painful. Because like in, you know, thousands of years ago, if you got left out of the the the village, the group, whatever, and they didn't take you to hunt, you died. Right. You needed those people to live. And so.

• 19:11Theo Von?

  So it hits something really limpid inside of you.

• 19:13Speaker 02

  And even social media, for example, you're looking at stuff and you go, damn, why is everybody else's life so good? And I'm the seeing the life you're. Advertising looks so fucking cool and in my inside life feels like shit. That also is like a, like a basic primal thing and I think that's what, you know, this stuff kind of touches. But, but the amount of information now that comes in because really now, everybody's a celebrity. Right? Everybody is a celebrity. Everybody is followed. Everybody's out there and.

• 19:39Theo Von?

  There's newborns, there's four months old and 1100 followers.

• 19:43Speaker 02

  And it's really a, like 1100 followers is kind of, it's, it's just a, it's not any different from celebrities, just a matter of degree.

• 19:50Theo Von?

  But this is a four month, he can't even open both of his eyes at the same time.

• 19:53Speaker 02

  And it's like, yeah, exactly. And, and, and that's kind of become the, that as the currency of man, that looks great, you know? That like the currency of like fame in and of itself as a desirable thing. Like people go, man, I want to be rich and famous. Like, take rich.

• 20:09Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 20:09Speaker 02

  You know what I mean? You, you know, famous is not, not gonna make you happy.

• 20:13Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 20:14Speaker 02

  It seems like it will because it's like, oh, people will like me and know my name and kind of know who I am and I'll feel like I've done something. I think a lot of times what happens is if it doesn't come with a real sense of like achievement or accomplishment.

• 20:24Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 20:24Speaker 02

  It actually feels hollow and empty and like bullshit and like undeserved.

• 20:29Theo Von?

  Do you think you wanted to start directing because it gave you even more of a sense of accomplishment?

• 20:33Speaker 02

  Uh, yeah, I wanted to.

• 20:35Theo Von?

  Is that a weird question? But does that make any sense?

• 20:37Speaker 02

  No, it does make sense. I wanted to, I really, I didn't, I wanted to fail on my own terms. So I had gone through some movies that where I was like, I don't like this. I don't agree with this. But you, you know, you gotta do, it's like being a, playing a football team, whatever. You gotta run the plays that the coach sets up. You know what I mean? They're gonna, you know, run a draw play, you know, get the ball and, you know, turn around and run a sweep right. Because they're not blocking that way. You know what I mean? It's just, that's, that's not gonna work, right? So you, that's how the, that whole art form is sort of structured, uh, by and large. And what I found was, you know, I had a real strong sense of the way I wanted to do it. And when it, when it didn't work, when it worked, I, I didn't feel great because it wasn't me that had that feel.

• 21:19Speaker 02

  You know, I didn't feel like, I didn't feel proud of it. And when it didn't work, I just felt pissed off like fuck on, I didn't want to fucking do it.

• 21:24Theo Von?

  Right.

• 21:25Speaker 02

  God damn, I, I didn't want to, you know, I, I said it and that's a terrible feeling. So I'd rather fail on my own terms or succeed on my own terms. And I, and that's where I kinda got into, to directing and I always, I wanted to do it even when I was younger and I liked it. I just didn't have the confidence and at a certain point I had kinda had nothing to lose. And that was really what kind of gave me the courage to take that leap.

• 21:46Theo Von?

  And into directing, you mean?

• 21:48Speaker 02

  Yeah, because my, like as an actor, I sort of got real cold and like had a couple of movies that didn't work. And then, you know, all of a sudden it can be kinda over for you. That's why it's a tough.

• 21:59Theo Von?

  Really?

• 21:59Speaker 02

  Business. Fuck, yeah, man. Like, there's no like, uh, seniority, there's no tenure, there's no, you know, retirement, there's no gold watch. If, if your show doesn't work or movie doesn't work and nobody wants to hire you, like they're just gonna hire someone else. You know, it's, there's a hundred and thirty thousand people in SAG and there's only thirty thousand people that work every year, right? And then there's a even smaller amount of those roles where, you know, you have more than two lines. So it's a very, it's very tough, right? And so if you're not, people aren't watching, they're not coming or it's not interesting, see you later.

• 22:33Theo Von?

  And now it's different because I think the movie theater, you know, it's like, it's a new attack. I think it takes novel thinking these days. I think it takes, I think that movies themselves, long form.

• 22:46Theo Von?

  I think it's, they're gonna have to find some new, unless it is like, great or new or so novel. They're gonna have to find some new ways to either present it or edit it. I'm not sure what it is, but to me, just as a viewer, it feels like we're in this shift. Because so quickly have people gotten into these quick moments. And it's not even that their attention span is short, their commitment, it's like they don't want, it's like, I'm not committing to that.

• 23:12Speaker 02

  All the other options that you have.

• 23:14Theo Von?

  Totally. You're sitting there with a computer, you fucking.

• 23:16Speaker 02

  I was a kid and we went out, there wasn't shit else, there was three channels of nothing on TV and it wasn't, and if you didn't go see the movie in the theater, you had to wait, you know, a year. For it to come out on like VHS or DVD or whatever it was or cable. And so you, you were kinda.

• 23:28Theo Von?

  Rumor, you just had to wait for it to come out in a diorama. Like, it was bad.

• 23:32Speaker 02

  Exactly. The cave painting and shit. How long's it gonna take you to paint this on my cave?

• 23:36Theo Von?

  Or a tattoo, a guy came through with a tattoo and it told a story?

• 23:40Speaker 02

  The whole thing, yeah. And so you had to like.

• 23:42Theo Von?

  It looked like a domestic dispute a lot, but, but you're like, hey, you know, there's every, there's a story for everything. But dude, even like this light, Danny McBride gave me this like two, like a month ago or something. This light, it's like a flashlight or something. Well, this side is just like a flashlight, right? But the other side is like a wiener light. Like you can put like a wiener on something. It has like a, but I'm just saying like everything has like two, like seven things now.

• 24:05Speaker 02

  Right.

• 24:07Theo Von?

  Ready to win some real cash during the basketball playoffs? Check out Pick Six from DraftKings. When it comes to basketball payouts, DraftKings Pick Six posterizes the competition. Hit all your picks and score higher minimum payouts on Pick Six. Plus even more cash if you outscore the competition. Pick Six is available in most states, including Missouri, California, Texas, Georgia, and more. I've had a good experience with Pick Six from DraftKings. I like to get my picks in there. I like to get Jokic and more than 13 rebounds.

• 24:48Theo Von?

  And I like to get Anthony Edwards out there and more than 21 points. That's how it is. You pick players and you pick their stats. New players get 50 in Pick Six credits instantly on just a $5 entry. Download the DraftKings Pick Six app now and use code Theo. That's code T H E O for new customers. To play $5, get $50 in Pick Six credits. Better payouts, bigger wins, only with Pick Six from DraftKings. The crown is yours.

• 25:22Speaker 03

  Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org in Connecticut. Must be 18 and over. Age and eligibility restrictions vary by jurisdiction. Pick Six not available everywhere, including New York and Ontario. Void where prohibited. One per new customer. Bonus awarded as non-withdrawable Pick Six credits that expire in 14 days. Limited time offer. See terms at picksix.draftkings.com/promos.

• 25:49Theo Von?

  Everyone likes a good hack. You know, like a buy one get one at the mall or a combo meal. Or even just a nickname, you know? That's Bartholomew there, but we call him Bart.

• 26:02Theo Von?

  That's a hack. But what if I told you there was a wireless hack? Wireless that lets you live in the know? Well, there is, and it's called Visible. Visible is the ultimate wireless hack. It's unlimited wireless that puts you in control. You get unlimited data and hotspots. You can stay connected on the go. And it's powered by Verizon. Visible runs on Verizon's 5G network. So you get great coverage, fast speeds, seamless connection. Visible also gives you access to 4K streaming. Ready for wireless that lets you live in the know? Make the switch at visible.com.

• 26:45Theo Von?

  That's V I S I B L E dot com. Plans starting at $25 a month. For our best features, get the new Visible Plus Pro Plan for $45 a month. Terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. But I'm just saying, like, everything has like two, like, seven things now.

• 27:06Speaker 02

  Right. You know? Exactly. And I think you're right. Like, if you want to get people to go to the theaters, movies have to gotta be really good. Like, you can't just, you used to be like, okay, there's gonna be three movies in the theater every weekend. People are gonna go to one of them. Now, you gotta have a reason to want to go out and see it. And I'm lucky, because, you know, the reason why I'm really confident about this movie, the Count of Two, actually plays great. It's a really good movie. People love it. I've been, you know? But I was the one where I was like, let's make, let's test this movie. Let's take it out there. And I'm like, okay, this movie belongs out there theatrically. And there's still, it's still more difficult. In the old days, this movie would have been a home run, easy. Obviously, I'm like, the movie's great. It works great. It's a big smash hit. Now, you have to like, okay, work hard to get it out there, because, because ahead of time, you screen it for people. You see what they say.

• 27:50Speaker 02

  And the reaction's pretty consistent, interestingly. So, but now, it's like, you know, I think your point about what you have to do, like the Minecraft movie, or Barbie, or, you know, it almost has to become like a cultural event, like where people are going, acting the scenes out. Like, there's a whole reason to go do it.

• 28:04Theo Von?

  Kind of.

• 28:05Speaker 02

  You know? Or else it's really good. And that's really what I believe about it.

• 28:08Theo Von?

  And you really believe in this?

• 28:09Speaker 02

  This movie is, listen, I, you know, absolutely.

• 28:11Theo Von?

  Would you come out and say it was good if it wasn't?

• 28:14Speaker 02

  Not like that. I would have talked or talk around it or talk about, well, there's some things I like about it. But now I wouldn't even want a movie to go out theatrically. I didn't think it was gonna work theatrically because it's, you know, I think well, you know, there's people that will watch this on streaming because I do think the bar is lower and I think that different kinds of movies work on streaming and, you know, great movies work on streaming too, but I would say I would choose to do that. This was one that was supposed to be, I wasn't, you know, it wasn't like, we're gonna go out theatrically. It was when the movie came together and worked as well as it did, you know, we thought this is definitely a theatrical movie. And it's, it's, I think it's really good. I'm really proud of it. I love it. Jon Bernthal's great. It's funny.

• 28:52Theo Von?

  Jon Bernthal's in it?

• 28:53Speaker 02

  Yeah, Jon Bernthal is my brother. He's great.

• 28:55Theo Von?

  He's your brother?

• 28:56Speaker 02

  Yeah. That's to me and it's, we're like a two-hander.

• 28:59Theo Von?

  I didn't know that. Y'all are brothers?

• 29:01Speaker 02

  In the movie, he's not my real brother, but yeah.

• 29:03Theo Von?

  Oh shit.

• 29:04Speaker 02

  He's, and he's fucking amazing in the movie and.

• 29:07Theo Von?

  He plays your, so wait, so who is the accountant or you can't tell us?

• 29:10Speaker 02

  No, it's me, right? I'm this guy's accountant who's got, who's.

• 29:13Theo Von?

  Are you a CPA?

• 29:14Speaker 02

  I was CPA, but it's sort of one of these things where it's gonna sound a little bit, uh, far-fetched when I tell you, but it's actually very pl- which is, we grew up to, obviously to others, we're brothers and we had this father that was very tough on us, like heavy-duty military guy. This is in the first movie, right? And when we were kids, you see flashbacks and he kind of, um, was, you know, trained us. You've seen the first movie, right? This is the second. You saw the first one, me and John came out like eight years ago.

• 29:40Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah. So this is the second one?

• 29:42Speaker 02

  It's the sequel.

• 29:42Theo Von?

  Oh, oh, yeah. I didn't, sorry, man. I didn't put it together.

• 29:46Speaker 02

  And it, but I think this, this actually, you know, which is rare, and I definitely wouldn't say this, but we're true, is, is better than the first movie. It's funny. It's got more kind of heart. It's, it's more broadly accessible. The action's better and I really liked the first movie, so.

• 29:59Theo Von?

  And you directed this one too?

• 30:00Speaker 02

  No, I acted it, got him Gavin O'Connor directed this movie. He was a really good director who directed the first one.

• 30:05Theo Von?

  And how do you, um, decide who is a good director? Cause you're a good director yourself.

• 30:10Speaker 02

  Thank you. Um, but I guess the way you decide that honestly is by watching their movies. You look at it and you go kind of, you know, uh, and, and, and if it's something that you do, you sort of watch it and you can tell even movies where there's instances where it's like, might not be my kind of movie or it might, you know, my, my taste, but you can still say, okay, well, this is somebody who really understands. This is like a master. This is somebody who's very competent. Um, or it really is to, to my taste. And I'm like, this is amazing.

• 30:37Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 30:38Speaker 02

  But you know, it's hard to get good at. So, you know, there aren't very many great directors. And that's, that's one of the really tricky things about, about making movies. I'm really, this is the third time I've worked with this director Gavin, and I really like the guy. He did Miracle. Um, he did this movie Warrior.

• 30:54Theo Von?

  Warrior is with the boxer?

• 30:57Speaker 02

  And, uh, uh, no.

• 31:01Theo Von?

  Charlamagne.

• 31:02Speaker 02

  Dude from Venom, um, Tom Hardy.

• 31:04Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah.

• 31:06Speaker 02

  And Nick Nolte.

• 31:07Theo Von?

  People love him.

• 31:07Speaker 02

  Yeah. And, uh, there's, and he did Miracle, which is about the Olympic hockey team.

• 31:11Theo Von?

  Oh yeah. Against Canada, America versus Canada, I think, or something. Russia. Yeah. Russia, the original. Oh no, Russia's like dirty Canada.

• 31:19Speaker 02

  What's right.

• 31:20Theo Von?

  Yeah. It's kind of like, and that's, yeah. No offense to anybody who's Russian, but also you know it. So it's not like we're keeping secrets from him.

• 31:28Speaker 02

  They're advertising that.

• 31:29Theo Von?

  So is it, would you go work on it? So if you and John burnt all you guys are buddies, you get along well?

• 31:34Speaker 02

  I love the guy. Yeah. I, I knew him. I liked him.

• 31:36Theo Von?

  So that makes it fun.

• 31:37Speaker 02

  Came really close with him on this movie. Yeah. We just hit it off really well. And it's like, I, I'm sure you experienced this like in your line of work. Like some people you kind of just hit it off with. It works. It's a great, like, oh my God. You don't even know kind of how it happens. And sometimes the chemistry is just not there.

• 31:51Theo Von?

  This guy Tim Dillon. Have you ever met, seen Tim Dillon?

• 31:53Speaker 02

  No, what about?

• 31:54Theo Von?

  Oh, you just gotta watch him, dude. He's so funny. He's just one of the funniest guys they ever made. He just made me think like he's somebody that's really funny. Um, Shane Gillis.

• 32:03Speaker 02

  Shane Gillis is funny. But I mean, so what I'm saying like for you personally, right? Like you might find that like you sitting down talking to somebody who works, even if somebody's great, they might come in and you guys just don't hit it off. Or they, or you might be great together. In this case, I really felt like with John, like we got really lucky and we both kind of. It's like a two hander. It's like a kind of odd couple sort of brother because I'm very reserved, very straight. He's very tough and ballsy and so like it, you know what I mean? And so we're kind of opposites. But we love each other, but we're kind of brothers. We drive each other crazy and we're frustrated with each other. And there's kind of those things really, those kind of relationships, dynamics and stories really depend on the chemistry you have. And John's a just amazing actor, but also it was great to work with him. I love the guy. I respect him. He's a good man. He's a great father.

• 32:47Speaker 02

  He works hard. He's just everything I, I, you know.

• 32:50Theo Von?

  I've heard a lot of, I've heard a lot of neat things about him because he podcasts as well, you know? I think or he has, he might have to take breaks from it if he's acting a lot. Um, how long does like, so how long are you shooting something like that? And then are there phases during a movie shoot where it's like, it starts off, you know, it's like, and you just kind of get burnt out like, or is there a way to kind of?

• 33:09Speaker 02

  Yeah, because the way they set it up is like, you know, and I don't think there's like optimal necessarily, but because of how you got to get everybody together and, you know, build the sets and do all the shit and all at once. You know, it gets, you end up working like, you know, 14, 16 hour days.

• 33:23Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah.

• 33:23Speaker 02

  And, uh, you know, there is, you know, it's a function of just the, some inefficiencies in the way it works. And sometimes just what you have to do. So you, you're constantly working on sort of all you're thinking about morning, moon, night. And then you go home, go to sleep, wake up, go back to work. Uh, so you can get burnt out on it, but you can also like with the account too. It was like, it started to just work better and better than I thought. And so every day I was thrilled to go to work. You know what I mean? And I found as I get older, I'm like, I want to work with people that I really like.

• 33:50Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 33:50Speaker 02

  That make, cause like so much of your life is spent at work. That becomes kind of what like, obviously, you know, I have my family. That's the number one thing in my life. And I just make the time for that. I have my kids. I'm divorced. I have them, you know, half the time. So I got them half the week. Then I'm like with them, those part of my life I'm going to spend at work. And that's, so I've realized like, if you want my life to be, but want to be happy, I got to have fun. Then I want to be working with people that I really like and respect and enjoy being around.

• 34:17Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 34:17Speaker 02

  And it's not always easy to choose that. Not everybody can. You get lucky, you know? And so I was, with this was really lucky. I love John.

• 34:24Theo Von?

  Do, um, have you ever made, yeah, cause David Spade and I wrote a movie that we just shot a couple of months ago.

• 34:29Speaker 02

  Oh, really?

• 34:30Theo Von?

  Yeah, so it was fascinating. I've just kinda learned about how to do it. Like, we've been friends for about-

• 34:33Speaker 02

  How long, how long did you shoot for?

• 34:34Theo Von?

  Four years. We shot for twenty-three days and we got-

• 34:37Speaker 02

  That's pretty quick.

• 34:37Theo Von?

  It was. It was quick. We got pushed by the fires, so everything kinda got messed up and we kind of, not everything got messed up, but we got like, sandwiched in a moment where it was like, everybody's here, the winds are forty miles an hour today, we have to shoot, there's no, we paid for it ourselves. So it was like, we have to do this.

• 34:55Speaker 02

  Did you find out when people leave your own money on something, all of a sudden there's like, okay, we're gonna do this. Like, people have a whole different attitude. That's something I've found, you know?

• 35:01Theo Von?

  They're like, oh, we need a Dalmatian. I'm like, we don't have a Dalmatian. We'll fucking shave that sheep and fucking staple some-

• 35:07Speaker 02

  So like, tattoo some spots on this motherfucker and shoot.

• 35:11Theo Von?

  And with removable glue, glue some Oreos to it and get that bastard out there, you know? Teach it to bark. We have forty minutes, get on YouTube and teach that thing to bark. Um, have you ever made a movie that you, that you didn't put out or that wasn't put out?

• 35:25Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah. Uh, uh, early on, I made, you know, a bunch of movies that were like, independent movies that, you know, they didn't have like distribution. They had like a studio that said, okay, we're paying for this and when it's finished, we're gonna put a bunch of money in advertising, cause you gotta spend a bunch more money to advertise a movie after you make it.

• 35:43Theo Von?

  Right.

• 35:43Speaker 02

  And, or at least, you know, and that, that's one of the big things that's changing. Now, people are like, okay, how can we do this in a more intelligent way? Because all that money spent on television commercials is just A, wasted now, that's, that's why I'm here. Like, this is a much more effective way to do it, you know what I mean?

• 35:56Theo Von?

  Yeah, dude. It seems exciting. Uh, well, here's the thing. I think when you tell me that it's good, I honestly think that I believe you that it's gonna be good.

• 36:04Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'm telling the truth. Uh, the movie's really good. I wouldn't be, like, if you had a movie that wasn't good, you just, you kinda do a few of the basic things and, because look, this is gonna turn out like, you know, you're gonna, it's gonna be a bell curve one way or the other. The better you are, you're gonna move your bell curve a little bit further down and have a better chunk of movies, but I got about like twelve movies that I really love and I'm proud of, and about twenty-five that are like, I like this, I didn't like that, you know, and about ten or twelve, whatever, that are like, that's fucking terrible. I hate this. I can't- Watch it and it was awful. And when I did independent movies, they would sometimes they just didn't get distribution like no one wanted to put it out or went to a film festival. I haven't had movies that were so like just something so terrible happened when the studio already was making it that it wasn't put out.

• 36:48Speaker 02

  But you know, you have like they changed their plan. You can kind of see, oh, now we're gonna shift to this or that. Now you can put something on streaming and you don't. It used to be like you were gonna go out theatrical. So you kind of were like naked. You just had your, you know what I mean? And if it didn't work, everybody knew because they're saying, look, this movie made 10 cents this weekend and you know, you'd want them to take the fucking billboard down. You drive past the billboard like, the movie's a bomb, you know?

• 37:11Theo Von?

  You're up there at night in your Batman costume, just painting over it.

• 37:16Theo Von?

  Paint reachers. Um, dude, did you ever see Family Man? Did you see that movie?

• 37:20Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 37:21Theo Von?

  I love that movie. Oh yeah. Family Man I liked really a lot. Dunkirk I liked.

• 37:28Speaker 02

  Chris Nolan's a brilliant, brilliant guy. Tell me about your movie with Dave Spade. Who do you play? Like, what is, is it comedy?

• 37:35Theo Von?

  Yeah, it's just bus boys. It's like, he's like a, um, guy. He's just like, we're just two kind of dumb guys or whatever. We just got the first edit through. So it's like, I'm watching it right now.

• 37:44Speaker 02

  Let me tell you, like that first cut of the movie, like when I see the first cut of my own movie, I want to kill myself.

• 37:49Theo Von?

  Really?

• 37:49Speaker 02

  So like you should not go crazy seeing the first cut and not like it. I almost have never like now I have a, a company and we make a bunch of movies and you know, the first cut, it's, this is one of the only movies where the first cut came in, I was like, it's great.

• 38:02Theo Von?

  Really?

• 38:02Speaker 02

  90% of the time you're like, okay, we got a long way to go. It's a very iterative process. They get better and more work is done after you finish shooting to make it good.

• 38:11Theo Von?

  Yeah, that's what I'm doing. I'm meeting with an editor next week.

• 38:14Speaker 02

  Sit down and be like, this is what's supposed to be funny about this scene. Like, and explain it to them. What you think is funny and is good because they, it may seem obvious to you and it probably doesn't to that person. Like you can lose track of me go, look. The reason it's funny is because you think we're gonna do this. We, we know this about us from the first, you know, whatever scene. And we come in, it's that take where I like yelled at the guy. That should be a surprise. Like you'd be surprised how often it's hard to put a cut.

• 38:41Theo Von?

  Yeah, it's been tough because I've been spending my nights like. And now I'm

• 38:45Speaker 02

  It feels shitty too to put your all that work into it and look at it and go, what the fuck is this? Right? It's the worst feeling in the world.

• 38:49Theo Von?

  It feels fucking horrible because it's like I'm very particular about like what I create. Like you said in the beginning, it's like, I like to make things. I know what I want, you know? It's like, I know my intuition and if I fail on my intuition, then that's exactly where I want to fail. Cause that's pure to me, right? Like that's okay.

• 39:05Speaker 02

  Yeah. And like, that's what you want to do. Great.

• 39:06Theo Von?

  Right.

• 39:07Speaker 02

  But it's a very tricky thing for other people to like get you.

• 39:10Theo Von?

  Yes.

• 39:11Speaker 02

  And to know, you know what I mean? Your sense of humor, your worldview is all obvious to you, right? But it's just not to people. So a lot of times you have to spend like more time than you would have thought. Literally going, here's what should be funny.

• 39:23Theo Von?

  Right.

• 39:23Speaker 02

  If you can explain the joke, like you're a super funny guy, funny comedian, you understand comedy very well. So you can sit and break it down to him and go like, you gotta know this about it. What's funny is that, you know, we didn't expect me to do this.

• 39:35Theo Von?

  Right.

• 39:36Speaker 02

  That's a callback to this other moment. Or the, the whole thing that when I did it, what I thought was funny is this take where I did that. Like, because on the set, I'm sure, you know, if you're doing a comedy and you shot it, you had moments where you were like, that's funny. Right? That, I think that's funny. I think that's good.

• 39:51Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 39:51Speaker 02

  Sometimes it's literally about going back into the dailies and saying like, okay, go find the close up or find this two shot. The thing where I said to David and David looked at me like this and that was the one where I left and thought,

• 40:01Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 40:01Speaker 02

  Uh, that works. Like there's no mystery or magic to why they're doing it a different way. They oftentimes just need feedback. It's, it, it is, this is not like sculpting or writing a novel. It's not a single person, you know, it's collaborative. It has to be collaborative, right? If I'm directing a movie with you in it and it obviously is going to have your comic sensibility, like, I gotta know and get what's funny to you or I'm not the guy.

• 40:25Theo Von?

  Right.

• 40:25Speaker 02

  Um, and, and I'm, I'm going to need help along the way. Any director is going like, so how come, what, what do you imagine about this? Or what do you think? You know what I mean? Like, that's why you have to explain it and sort of talk about it. Cause that person's got to understand all those things that made you be funny in the first place and start going, oh, people are laughing. When I say, well, this is funny. You know what I mean?

• 40:43Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 40:44Speaker 02

  And you've put it together and professionalized it, but like, you gotta share that with them. Otherwise, really. And then this is also where people sometimes get into fights, of course, because people's ego gets in the way. But ego will kill. You have to be able to hear, I don't care what you do, you have to be able to hear like this doesn't work, this is dog shit. Because the audience will tell you, you know what I mean?

• 41:00Theo Von?

  That's the thing. And it's like, I'm so particular, I'm not particular, but I just know what kind of has worked, you know?

• 41:05Speaker 02

  That's valuable because not everybody does. So what you have, right? Is that awareness. You don't think about it, you don't have, you feel it, right? You're like, I, that feels funny, or when you see something, you're like, this feels wrong. Like makes you uncomfortable, right? You see, so that is a thing that's unique to you, right? So you need to like give them access to that and get it. And when you, you know, and if somebody is gonna like take it personally, it's, it's not personal, like, it's your, you know, and, and, and what David thought was funny, like, okay, like you have to be connected in that way and you have to understand that. It's not about like, okay, fuck you guys, now I'm gonna go make my vision of this thing. That's a disaster.

• 41:40Theo Von?

  No, no, no, I just think like, yeah, like this is why this was written this way and this is why it's funny. And so this is the first time that we're like more hands on with it.

• 41:48Speaker 02

  Well, then you should definitely be hands on, because by the way, no one's gonna do it for you.

• 41:51Theo Von?

  Right. Oh, I agree with that too.

• 41:52Speaker 02

  On its own, man. It is gonna get better if you get in and work on it. And by the way, you're gonna see it again. And you're gonna have to go, okay, closer. Now let's try this, let's try that. And then again, the way movies like get better, really is iterative. It's like, it's like, it's like coats of paint, you know what I mean? You gotta keep on going. It's like a good paint job on a car is like 12 coats of paint. That's why it looks good. You know what I mean?

• 42:12Theo Von?

  Do movies, do movies take a long time to edit sometimes?

• 42:15Speaker 02

  Yeah, 26 weeks is the post-production schedule for most movies, right? That includes uh, music and sound mixing. Yeah. And it, and it's, it's longer than the production schedule. You're trying to grab everything you can during production. It's more expensive. Every day to shoot. Editing is, you rent the editing room, the facilities.

• 42:30Theo Von?

  We needed an owl one day. We had an owl, right? This bitch, it was $1,100 an hour.

• 42:35Speaker 02

  For an owl?

• 42:36Theo Von?

  Yeah, it was like a semi endangered. I don't wanna say endangered or whatever, but it was like writ, at.

• 42:40Speaker 02

  Do they charge more if it's like, you know what I mean? Like if you can get a chicken, they're not in danger, you can kill that shit, just cut its head off. That's $10 for the owl.

• 42:47Theo Von?

  You can get a tall chicken.

• 42:50Speaker 02

  No one's gonna know the difference. You can take the chicken and break his neck and he's turned around.

• 42:54Theo Von?

  You can get a tall, curious chicken. We'll give you that.

• 42:58Speaker 02

  I think maybe that's just like one of those things where it's like, what's the rate for owls? You just get to make it up if you sell owls.

• 43:03Theo Von?

  It's just so, it's like, God, you get into there and there's just all this animal entrapment. I, um, what else was I thinking about? Would you let your children, well, I want to talk to you a little bit more about directing. So, um, cause Argo you directed, right? And did you care about the Middle East that much? Were you like a Middle East guy? I knew you.

• 43:22Speaker 02

  That movie's not really, I did, I did study the Middle East in school and so I understood, uh, uh, about it. I wouldn't make a movie that I didn't, it'd be like, make a movie with you and not getting your humor, right? Like, it would just be crazy. Like you, as the director, you gotta care more, be more interested in that movie than everybody else. Everyone else is gonna be bored of it, right? And you gotta love it the whole time through. So the big key is like, this is gonna be interesting to me. There was a lot of things that were interesting to me about that movie. One was the real story, the CIA agent who had done it. The, the guy, the people that I met and talked to at the CIA, the actual nature of like intelligence work versus, you know, what you have seen with the like, you know, you know, like super spy shit. That's not really realistic. And, and this story was really interesting to me.

• 44:05Speaker 02

  And also I thought it was like the fact that they had this like bizarre connection to Hollywood and this Hollywood makeup artist. And that we're trying to bridge those two worlds was, was really interesting to me. But it was a scary, challenging movie because the director's main job is tone, right? Like that's the main, that's what the director is gonna really create is like, what's the tone of this? Like, what's the vibe? What's, are, is this serious? What are we interested in? Like, what do we consider funny? What do we, you know, all those things that, that, you know, go into all the choices we make in life from the car you get to close your bow. That's what kind of, what is your taste? And not everyone's gonna like it, right? Some people, it's just not gonna be their taste. You gotta at least make it as good as you can to your own taste. Like you said, your own instincts.

• 44:47Theo Von?

  Yeah, you gotta find that tone that matches, because people wanna believe, they're, they're gonna expect a certain tone from you as well, I think, you know?

• 44:53Speaker 02

  Yeah, and when that tone doesn't work, you're like, this is kinda crazy. Jesus, fucking, you know, I mean, corny. It's like, it's, it seems silly or whatever. And it's like, because you're asking someone to take something seriously that they can't take seriously or, or think is funny that they don't think is funny. And, and that's where it's a, it's a tricky kind of nebulous job. But tha- that's the most interesting to me, important thing about it. And that's, uh, uh, yeah, you know?

• 45:19Theo Von?

  Um, do you, would you let your children act, do you think?

• 45:22Speaker 02

  Well, I wouldn't let them act professionally while they were children, no. But I would, would let, you know, I mean, if they want to do plays and shit and make their own kind of stuff with their friends. That's fine. Me, I, I, I don't, I don't think it would be, I don't know judgment against people that do it. I've done playing movies with, you know, child actors and stuff.

• 45:40Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah.

• 45:40Speaker 02

  And that's fine. From my experience, uh, acting as a kid and what I, and what I want for my children is not, uh, is, is not that. But also you had to understand that then they, you know, I got a 19 year old, I got one 16, I got one 13.

• 45:54Theo Von?

  Oh, wow.

• 45:54Speaker 02

  They make their own choices.

• 45:55Theo Von?

  Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's true. Right. As a dad, you're just like, that, is that, is that gotta be tough for, when you're a dad? Like you kind of have already lived some life. So you were like, ah, and not even about acting, it's about anything. And then your kid is kind of like making it, like, is that, and you don't want to like probably push them too much or like, because then you're pressuring them. Dude, that's gotta be a real like walking a police line or something.

• 46:18Speaker 02

  Uh, yeah. I mean, that's the whole job of life. It's like for me, before I had kids, you know, I didn't really realize what my life was about. And then this becomes the central challenge of your life. And, and if you have a, everybody has complications and tricky shit in their life. And that's part of being a parent is managing that with what kind of life am I bringing my kids into? Making a good life for my children. How do, you know, um, and that, that's part of that is my kids are growing up out here in LA. I didn't grow up in LA. I didn't, I never met a famous person or an actor or anything. That shit just seemed like a million miles away to me and totally fanciful.

• 46:49Theo Von?

  If you're in the rest of the world, it, and it feels so far away. And then you forget after you're here for a while, how far away it seems to other people. Like if you meet, and you know, like just anybody who was in, and it just like, that's like, it was a little.

• 47:03Speaker 02

  I remember I was 12 years old in Boston and I saw, um, Christopher Lloyd, who played the dude on Back to the Future, you know?

• 47:10Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah.

• 47:11Speaker 02

  And I saw him walking down the street. I think he was doing a play. Yeah, exactly. I followed the guy for like six blocks. Like now I'd be like, there's this fucking 12 year old kid following me, right? You know what I mean? Like I stalked him. Like I couldn't believe it that it was the guy from Back to the Future. I lost my mind.

• 47:25Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 47:26Speaker 02

  Um, and it was the only, you know, celebrity famous where. Whatever person I'd ever seen or not. And, and so my kids are now, they are seeing different stuff. Some of it's useful for them because it disabuses them of some illusions that I think are worth being disabused of. And also, but I'm also like, I, I don't, look, they're gonna, if you, if you, their kids are gonna kind of be and do what, who they are, what they want to do, which your job is to let them know that they're loved, that they're, keep them safe. You know, provide them opportunities and also not, you know, you gotta resist the temptation to, to try to get everything out of the way for them. Because you're gonna learn anything or develop any grit or, or resilience if shit's just easy.

• 48:04Theo Von?

  Yeah, that's crazy. I didn't even thought about that. It's like you're watching them walk and there's something kind of in their path. And if you take it away completely, then they're not gonna learn how to deal with an obstacle. But if you leave it there, then you're gonna have to watch them go through an obstacle. That's gotta be crazy.

• 48:18Speaker 02

  And it's hard watching your kids, like even trying to climb over something, your instinct is to pick them up, take them over. But you have to like, yes, you don't want them to put their finger in a socket, you know what I mean? Or travel a cliff. And, but that doesn't mean, life has to be hard.

• 48:31Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 48:31Speaker 02

  That has to be difficult in some ways. It doesn't have to be, shouldn't be traumatic, shouldn't be, you know, awful or painful. But things have to be hard for you to learn to do hard things.

• 48:42Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 48:42Speaker 02

  And this world, like it or not, is gonna demand that you do hard shit. If you want to have anything, you know, if you want to be able to provide for your own family, have your own dreams, have, you know, the things that you want to have, because if you don't do it, the guy next to you is gonna do it better. Or, you know, or the woman over here is gonna do it better and you're gonna lose out.

• 49:00Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 49:00Speaker 02

  And also, you know, I don't want my kids to have that first big, tough experience in life and like kind of fall apart. You know, you got it like, some of the best lessons I ever learned in life were from failure. In fact, for sure, I didn't learn much from success. I learned a lot from failure. You know what I mean? But the most important thing you learn is that you can survive it. You can be okay.

• 49:21Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 49:21Speaker 02

  They can knock you the fuck down. And you, you know, you, it's like getting like when I was a kid where I grew up that I mean, we used to get in fights all the time.

• 49:29Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah, dude. People used to beat the shit out of me.

• 49:33Speaker 02

  Punch in the face and get your ass kicked and that's not, and you'd be like, yeah, he kicked your ass. And you go like, and you get up and you come to school next day and you know what I mean? It's kind of like.

• 49:42Theo Von?

  Tough day, dude. That first day was so tough.

• 49:45Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 49:46Theo Von?

  They're like, damn, Randy kicked your ass.

• 49:48Speaker 02

  It's worse that you have to hear about it than like just getting hit five times. It's like, yeah, you kind of get your bell rung, you know what I mean? And but it's the like, that's kind of going back to that thing about like embarrassment. Like kids will suffer more from being humiliated than physically hurt. For example, like that's the shit that really is painful. But no, I don't, I don't wish to be clear that on my kid, like you don't need to be fighting and shit all the time. But it's, you know, it is valuable to know that you can fail or have something difficult happen, really painful, or get your heart broken, have some girl be like, you know, be like, I don't like, you know what I mean? Embarrass you, whatever.

• 50:25Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah.

• 50:25Speaker 02

  You're gonna be okay. These things are not gonna kill you. And in fact, they actually do make you stronger if you kind of go like, okay, that was, if I didn't have some of the resilience that I picked up by, you know, my early life trying to, you know, I would have just kind of given up or collapsed or had. Or you have no experience. People say bad shit, I'd be like, oh, you know, and I'd fall down and never get up again.

• 50:48Theo Von?

  Yeah, you'd have no experience and you also, it sharpens your intuition. You start to, it all learns, it's all, it is, if you can see yourself as a tool, sometimes it's definitely harder when you're younger because some of those feelings are new and it hurts so much, you know?

• 51:00Speaker 02

  Here's the thing, getting better at anything really never feels good. Like if you're building resilience, it's, it's not a time that you're liking. You know what I mean? It, it doesn't feel good. Like, so that's what, okay, I don't like this, this feels like shit. But because it's hard, because I can't lift these weights anymore, because I can't, these other, you know, I'm exhausted and the other kids are still, you know, running sprints or whatever, you know? But like tho- those are the moments, for what it's worth, where you're getting better.

• 51:26Theo Von?

  What is, um, what's something that you admire about each of your children? Just so one day they can look back and, and, um. And knows.

• 51:33Speaker 02

  I mean, the thing I really that I care most about, and it's it's true of all three of my kids, is that all of them have like an innate like goodness of character, like a kindness. They don't, they're not trying to go out and hurt other people. They they and they have empathy like they care about and respect other people. Doesn't mean, you know, um, that obviously they don't make mistakes or they're perfect or whatever. But that basic thing about them is it is really, really important. I think it's it's definitely also credit to their mom who's who's amazing and who's spectacular and is great. Like, I mean, we're divorced, but we we I think do pretty good together, uh, raising the kids, going back and forth and all that stuff. And they're, I mean, they're all looked at. I think, you know, like any parent, you're gonna be like, my kid's so cool.

• 52:17Speaker 02

  And my, uh, like, I love.

• 52:19Theo Von?

  Something you admire like individually about them that's maybe unique.

• 52:22Speaker 02

  I think my my oldest kid, no, not at all. Listen, I think truly, um, there's so much that I don't want. I just don't want to come off. And I know my kids will be like, Dad, don't fucking go on there and talk about me. You know what I mean? So I'm like, my son especially is like, dude, he's right now is watching. It's like, oh, no, no, no. Uh, but here's the truth. My my oldest one has got a beautiful like commitment and sense of like wanting to make the world truly a a better place. And she'll put her money where her mouth is. Like, she doesn't want to do something. She's not asking other people to do. She makes personal sacrifice. She has that kind of integrity, you know? My middle child is really, um, is this incredible, like

• 53:03Speaker 02

  feels things deeply like artist, you know, uh, uh, kind of is is brilliant and so funny. And my son has got like this incredible like joy of life and magnetism and sweetness and goodness to him. Um, and like, that's the stuff where it's like, whether you can like dunk a basketball or write a great paper, like, great. And I'm not, you know, but like that, that's the shit that to me is more important than like kind of internal character stuff.

• 53:27Theo Von?

  Yeah, that's cool, dude. That's nice, man. Yeah, it's nice to hear dads talk about their kids, you know? I think sometimes you just don't hear it enough sometimes, you know?

• 53:35Speaker 02

  I agree. And I think it's it's so important, like, it's the most important thing in the world.

• 53:41Theo Von?

  There's not as many. Male leaders, there's not as many male teachers as there were. There's not as many, like, there's, there's a space where we're missing a gap of mentorship from male to male. Cause a lot of people, well, some people were pedophiles, whatever, but outside of those people, it's like, there's not as many.

• 53:53Speaker 02

  Let's rule those fuckers out.

• 53:56Theo Von?

  Well, also, anybody pop right to you, driving around taking pictures of kids, anybody else would be arrested for taking a photo of a kid in public.

• 54:03Speaker 02

  But, but, and I think absolutely, boys need, um, important male leaders. And so do girls, like, you need to see that there's good men, you need to understand. That good men are accountable, they tell the truth, they can say they're sorry when they make a mistake, they're strong, you can rely on them, they're funny, like that, they can show you strength and love and, and, and all this stuff that is good and beautiful and what you, the people you want to be drawn to in your future life. It, it about masculinity, you want to know and see that modeled. And if you don't, first of all, you, in there, there are children who are expecting, cause we're as children expecting to have that. If you don't, it fucks you up. And if you don't see what that looks like, you don't know kind of what to look for.

• 54:43Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah, dude. Did you have a fun, like, do you have a memory of your dad that was like fun with, for you? I'm trying to think of one. My dad would, dude, my dad was like, I'm trying, my dad was really old when I was born. And so my dad was seventy when, when, when I was born, right? He was born in nineteen ten.

• 54:57Speaker 02

  Dad was a serious guy.

• 55:00Theo Von?

  Yeah, I wish he had some money, which was crazy, cause usually if a woman's hooking up with an older guy, he's got some money, dude.

• 55:06Speaker 02

  What did your dad have going for him?

• 55:08Theo Von?

  It was not money, dude.

• 55:10Speaker 02

  It must've been charming.

• 55:11Theo Von?

  He didn't have a bank, must've. He was very charming. My dad was very, very charming. But he would like take me to the, like, um, he would like go sometimes have a beer by like this bar at the Redwood Tracks, and he would like, let me walk on the bar, he'd like, and they had like these little bowl of chocolates, whatever. And if the bartender, I remember, if I danced good, she would like give me some, some of the, uh, chocolates or whatever. And he'd be like, go wiggle for chocolates or whatever. And I remember, so I just remember, I think.

• 55:35Speaker 02

  You're like when my dad pimped me out. That was a good time.

• 55:38Theo Von?

  Well, he was just a, he was just pimping me for confections, you know, or sugars, you know? It was kind of an outtake from that movie Chuck a Lot, if you've ever seen that. But, um, but yeah, he would be like, go wiggle for chocolates. And I just remember that was one thing that I remember. Anyway, sorry. I made that about me.

• 55:52Speaker 02

  It was nice to to take that walk down memory lane.

• 55:54Theo Von?

  Yeah, it's fun. Well, I there's things I remember about it, like the bowls of peanuts and just like being at a bar like at like 5pm. Cause my dad was older, he would go to rest. He would rest pretty early, but um.

• 56:04Speaker 02

  I remember that's funny, because I was gonna say, oh, I don't have that. That kind of memories of my dad, really, but the truth is like, you know, after he he got out of the house, you know, as a kid, he we he worked at bars. And so that's where I'd go see him up at the bars. And he was like a bookie and, you know, taking bets on the side.

• 56:20Theo Von?

  Oh, really?

• 56:21Speaker 02

  Right. Yeah, a little bit. And and he was um, but that that's what he did. He was bartender and then uh, for for for that for that period of life when I was kind of eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, whatever.

• 56:33Theo Von?

  In there or anything?

• 56:33Speaker 02

  They had jukebox and he'd be like, oh, go get the cigarette machine. And I went in the bar. It was cool to visit him in there.

• 56:38Theo Von?

  Remember the cigarette machine that had that pull out thing?

• 56:40Speaker 02

  Pull on them. But those days, and they'd be like, tell you the kid that go to store and get me some cigarettes. You walk in, eight years old, buy cigarettes. So yeah, exactly. But yeah, and also we were, I mean, my brother.

• 56:51Speaker 02

  And that that those are there was some, I do have some kind of fond memories of of of that. I I wish I had more of them, which is one of the reasons why I like it's important for me in my life to make sure I don't fuck, you know, that I create those for my own children.

• 57:06Theo Von?

  Yeah, I think that's something that we probably learn, I think, as we go along. Um.

• 57:11Speaker 00

  Visible puts the ultimate wireless hack in the palm of your hand. With unlimited 5G wireless data and hotspot designed to keep you connected powered by Verizon's 5G network. And no contract holding you back. Plans start at $25 a month. Or get the premium Visible Plus Pro Plan and save $10 on your first month when you use promo code hack. Make the switch at visible.com. Terms apply. See visible.com for details.

• 57:40Theo Von?

  I want to tell you about True Classic. God. You want to feel good? You want to feel something good on your body? And look good to people? True Classic. The official basics wear partner of the UFC has one mission. To make sure guys look good and feel even better. They've nailed fit, feel and price across your entire wardrobe. Not just tees, but hoodies, jeans, gym gear, everything you need to level up your everyday style. I've been wearing True Classics and I enjoy them. From the first piece I put on, I said, okay, daddy's home. I knew it was different snug where you want it, relaxed where you need it.

• 58:23Theo Von?

  No weird bunching, no awkward tight spots. Forget overpriced designer nonsense. Skip the cheap throwaways. True Classic delivers premium essentials built for real life. Grab yours at Target or Costco or head to trueclassic.com/THEO to get hooked up today. That's trueclassic.com/THEO. I am excited actually to get ahold of NutraFol. That's something I've got coming in the mail to me. Cause I've still got enough hair to need a cut and, and I want to keep it that way. I want to keep it healthy. NutraFol Men, that's who I ordered from.

• 59:06Theo Von?

  You may have heard of NutraFol's hair growth supplements and wondered, do they actually work? Well, it's a fair question. You know, many hair supplements over promise and under deliver. But NutraFol is different. As the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand. It's trusted by over 1.5 million people and is clinically tested to deliver real results in just three to six months. NutraFol Men is clinically proven to improve hair growth and quality. Plus, men also reported no impact to sexual performance. Start your hair growth journey with NutraFol. For a limited time, NutraFol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month subscription

• 59:49Theo Von?

  and free shipping when you go to nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code Theo. Find out why NutraFol is the leading hair growth supplement brand on the market at nutrafol.com/men, spelled N-U-T-R-A-F-O-L dot com slash men, promo code Theo. That's nutrafol.com/men promo code Theo. What else is something I want to ask you about? Did you, was it weird? Were you, um? Were you famous before your brother was famous? Is that a weird question?

• 1:00:26Speaker 02

  Uh, not at all. Um, you know, I guess, yeah, a little bit like in the sense that he was in Good Will Hunting with me and Matt and he was fucking brilliant in it. And then, um, but you know, like anybody like and Matt's like, who's like, you know, my best friend as a kid and stuff like Matt Damon, you know, you had like, and he got more famous of Good Will Hunting and then my brother, you know? So you kind of, and you know, people, if you really like, try to map it out, like those sort of how famous, which is kind of a weird and a hard thing to tell.

• 1:00:56Theo Von?

  I agree.

• 1:00:57Speaker 02

  It kind of moves around, but uh, my brother was always a working actor and then he became, you know, he, he, he really established, like of course, won the Oscar for acting and, and kind of established himself as a great actor and um, had a more steady kind of arc.

• 1:01:11Theo Von?

  In Pittsburgh, remember with Michelle, uh?

• 1:01:14Speaker 02

  Uh, oh yeah. Um, um, you're talking about uh,

• 1:01:17Theo Von?

  yeah.

• 1:01:17Speaker 02

  Manchester by the Sea. Yeah. Yeah. That's what he, what he won the Oscar for. He was amazing in that movie. Yeah.

• 1:01:22Theo Von?

  God, it was so good. Is it, um?

• 1:01:25Speaker 02

  He's a great actor, my brother.

• 1:01:26Theo Von?

  Is it, uh, yeah. Are you guys pretty close?

• 1:01:29Speaker 02

  We are, you know, we're, we're, we're close. We, um, he's got great kids. I love his kids and uh, he's a great guy and you know, you, you, you know, um,

• 1:01:37Theo Von?

  Because you get through phases in life too, where you're kind of like, people are, you, you're kind of doing the same thing or you're just in different spaces?

• 1:01:43Speaker 02

  Well, that's what happens when you kind of really like get a little older and then we were like, it was up to thirty or whatever. I was just like hanging out with guys all the time. You know what I mean? We were going out, we're doing this or whatever. And that was kind of life, most of it. And so you see all your friends all the time and my brother's one of the, you know, we'd all hang out and then you have kids, you have family and then it's kind of like, okay, I'm gonna have Friday at five, whatever, from seven or whatever. And, and then you kind of have to, you lose a little bit of that bigger network of like, who are, who are the, like, I know who ten of these guys are. Who are the other six? You know, that starts to kind of go away and, and you kind of have to be more selective, but um, you know, uh, my brother's i- is, is a brilliant, funny, amazing guy and, and his kids are, it's a joy to see his kids grow up and be, you know?

• 1:02:27Theo Von?

  Yeah, being an uncle's fun.

• 1:02:28Speaker 02

  Oh, it's the best. Cause then you don't really, you can kind of just like let him do shit. You know, you don't have to be really.

• 1:02:33Theo Von?

  Yeah, you know, I'll tell you this. So there was, um, I live in Nashville, so I moved there about four years ago and there was, so the other night there's like tornadoes or something and I didn't know like, and I live in like it's a nice area, but it's nothing crazy. It's not like rich enough where you're away from tornadoes, you know?

• 1:02:47Speaker 02

  I, you better be pretty, how rich you had to be to get away from tornadoes?

• 1:02:50Theo Von?

  I don't know. I'm still in the wind district, you know? So there's a fricking tornado warning. There's sirens going off over town. I didn't even know we had sirens. So I'm texting my nephew. Thank God. I called him twice and then finally I text him. I was like, dude, uh, I was like, bro, tornado warning. What do I do? And he's in middle school or whatever. And thank God he's like, get under your desk. That's what he fucking says at 4 a.m. And I was like, dude, I don't have a fucking desk. You know what I'm saying? And he goes, don't curse at me over text. And I'm like, this fucking kid does not know how to support a family member. It just like, uh,

• 1:03:28Speaker 02

  that's hilarious.

• 1:03:29Theo Von?

  Anyway, I don't even know what I told you that story about. Were we talking about weather?

• 1:03:32Speaker 02

  I don't know.

• 1:03:33Theo Von?

  Family members and what it's like to be an uncle. Yeah. I get to see my nieces and they're coming for Easter tomorrow. So I'm excited about that. But yeah, um, yeah, being an uncle is so much fun.

• 1:03:42Speaker 02

  Like nieces and nephews you got?

• 1:03:44Theo Von?

  I got five total. One of them just went to prom, so I got to be there. When she took pictures, I was in Baton Rouge for that.

• 1:03:49Speaker 02

  Oh, that's great.

• 1:03:50Theo Von?

  It's fun. Yeah. And you kind of get to be like a little bit of the confidant, like you're kind of like on the edge of dad.

• 1:03:55Speaker 02

  Cause they'll tell you stuff that's kind of like, you can't talk to your parents about like whatever, you know, something, but you can kind of let, you know, the uncle kind of know and you, so you can be kind of on the side a little bit, a little cooler, even if you're really not that much cooler. They're like, fuck it. Don't try to play it off like that. But you kind of get away with it a little bit and you know, you gotta like, you can't, you can't push it. You know what I mean? But it's like,

• 1:04:16Theo Von?

  and you gotta know when to snitch too on them too and tell the dad what's going on.

• 1:04:20Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 1:04:20Theo Von?

  Did you, um, let me think about a movie thing. Oh, did you get to keep your Batman outfit?

• 1:04:26Speaker 02

  I did. Yeah, I did. In fact, that's at our, uh, office and it's, um, it's one of those things people like, it's like, uh, it's one of those things that sort of like, I don't know, people like to see it. It kind of reminds me a little bit of like Planet Hollywood a little bit. I'm always like, I don't get this bat's rubber bat suit here. It's just, but it's like, I don't know. It's hard to tell. Like, look, I get it. That's a kind of a cool movie souvenir. Sometimes I feel like if you put a grapefruit on like, TV every week, you know what I mean? And then you just put it to the mall. People will go by and be like, oh, there's that grapefruit from TV. You know what I mean? So it's sometimes I'd tell whether something's interesting because it's interesting or because, but, but I can see how that is kind of interesting. The most interesting about it when people see it is like, damn, how do you wear this? And it's true. It is like of all the, those type of roles and stuff like,

• 1:05:11Speaker 02

  the superhero thing that the outfits make it a lot harder to do your job because you're kind of constrained and they're real hot. It's like, you know, when like wrestlers, like when I was a kid, used to run around with like trash bags to lose weight because you just dump all the water. You know what I mean? Like that's sort of what those outfits.

• 1:05:27Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah. You'd see like some guy that's with his, yeah, you see some guy in your neighborhood who's on the wrestling team, whatever.

• 1:05:32Speaker 02

  Wrestlers, yeah, exactly.

• 1:05:33Theo Von?

  Had a wrestling team and then he's running down the street like a California raisin.

• 1:05:37Speaker 02

  Yeah, exactly. Fifteen pounds in 10 minutes. You know what I mean?

• 1:05:42Theo Von?

  He's just spitting on his family members and he's just cursing because they say cursing helps you burn calories or whatever. Yeah, that's kind of interesting, but you would, but you never like put it back on for anything fun or a surprise.

• 1:05:53Speaker 02

  I did it for my kid's birthday when he was, yeah, my son's birthday. And he was like, he was a little young, but I was, it was fun. I got the pictures now. Now he's like, I guess that was cool. You did that. At the time I didn't know what the fuck you were doing. And I'm like, but it was cool though. Do I get credit for it now? He's like, I guess. He barely, but, but I, I had fun and that, that was the whole reason I did it. Like, let me be Batman. My son, like, how cool is it? Your dad's Batman? My son was like, you know, three and shit. And so he was like scared of the movie, but, but, but, uh, you know, since then it's like, he'd be, it's become kind of in retrospect, I think, kind of cool. It's hard to tell what your kids think is cool because most time they're kind of like, uh huh.

• 1:06:29Theo Von?

  Yeah, they don't really tell you kind of, because it's almost like you're like. Yeah, I don't know. I just watched my brother have nephews. Like, I want to get a wife and children. I don't have a wife yet, but um, yeah, you all.

• 1:06:38Speaker 02

  Look, your parents are never gonna be like, because like, part of the thing is like, you don't, you can't like, you need to separate from your parents, right? You need to like, move away, get out of the house, that whole thing, like, move on, become your own, your own man and all that stuff. And if you're too wrapped up in like, your folks and you know, you can, you know, it gets in the way of that.

• 1:06:58Theo Von?

  Right, yeah, you gotta start to slowly separate in those ways that kids do.

• 1:07:01Speaker 02

  So there's part of it where they're like, you know, and it comes off like, where I'm like, hey, you guys want to play some games? But like, close the door. Get out of my room. Close the door, I'm like, just, so just leave.

• 1:07:10Theo Von?

  And then there's that moment, it's the first time you kind of close the door and there's that moment where the dad's just by the door and he's kind of sad. But he's in the hall, but then he goes in his room, he takes three steps and he's like, oh, good, I got some free time. But there is that moment.

• 1:07:21Speaker 02

  It is, yeah, absolutely. And they come back around, you know what I mean?

• 1:07:25Theo Von?

  Do you think, um, I auditioned for a Project Greenlight movie that you guys had years ago.

• 1:07:28Speaker 02

  Really?

• 1:07:29Theo Von?

  Yeah, it was one where there was like a guy in a wheelchair and there were like, dangerous people were coming in, like you were trapped in a bar or something.

• 1:07:36Speaker 02

  Feast, maybe the horror movie, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 1:07:38Theo Von?

  I just remembered that, that's crazy.

• 1:07:40Speaker 02

  Your audition for it, really?

• 1:07:41Theo Von?

  Yeah, oh, I was not any good. I'm not a good, I would not, I think it's a bad idea to do that. I, I just, um, but anyway, I just remembered that, it popped in my head. Do you still love Project Greenlight?

• 1:07:50Speaker 02

  It's, um, no, it's not, I mean, it's not currently, we did it with the company, we have them, but we, we are not doing it now. And it, we took it, we, we had it on for a while back then and then brought it back. And it's interesting, I really liked it and I thought it was interesting that like, because it's, because that's what I do and I know, okay, that's tricky. Like, it's hard, you get all this drama that comes up on a movie. But, I mean, we had like a million dollars to make the movie and everybody like, a million dollars, like, that's like nothing. And now it's almost setting people up, it would kind of just be like, then you'd just be doing a show about people getting into arguments and smashing things and having a breakdown. Because you can't really even do it for a million dollars, like.

• 1:08:28Theo Von?

  Times have changed.

• 1:08:29Speaker 02

  Unions and wages and all that stuff, like, you're, you know, or, so, but I, I really liked that idea of that show and, and what we were able, because to me, it was about like, also creating opportunities for people that are outside Hollywood, or, you know, who could come in and be like, look, I know what I'm doing, I want to do something. And then you got to like, okay, well, let's see what you can do.

• 1:08:48Theo Von?

  What, um, do you think Tom Brady's good as an announcer?

• 1:08:52Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think Tom's good as an announcer. I think he's. Look.

• 1:08:56Theo Von?

  Me too dude.

• 1:08:57Speaker 02

  I think he's really smart, obviously, about football. I think that like, it's a, it's a, um, people kind of, you and you're the like, the greatest quarterback who ever lived. They think, well, okay, now he's gonna come in and change broadcasting for good. And, and like, just being a normal human being seems kind of like, I, I, I mean, who do you want to listen to analyze something? Like, if I wanna, like, somebody tell me about like a mu, you know, a concert, like, I want to hear from, you know, some great musician, you know, if I'm, if you're, you figure, well, nobody's gonna have better or wiser analysis, analysis than Tom.

• 1:09:31Theo Von?

  Thank god.

• 1:09:31Speaker 02

  It's maybe not about like telling jokes or whatever. That's something different.

• 1:09:34Theo Von?

  Yeah.

• 1:09:34Speaker 02

  But yeah, I think so. Um.

• 1:09:36Theo Von?

  But he's a surgeon. He seems like a surgeon when he's talking about it. And the way he breaks down certain moments, and how long it takes to do certain things. He's like, well, they got about this many yards. They're gonna have to move about this many, this many yards a second. Like, he's definitely, you start to see who he really is.

• 1:09:50Speaker 02

  Like, how much analysis went into that. I still think one of his, like, real, like, one of the things that really separate him, because, you know, everybody knows about how like, you know, he, you know, he was like, drafted late and all this stuff, like, and his, you know, his, his like, combine numbers weren't like, you know, so people weren't just like, this guy's gonna be amazing. I feel like one of the things that he has that people didn't really talk about is like, and this is so fucking important, is like, I feel like he, he has this thing where he doesn't get tight. He just doesn't get nervous. Like, I think that there is a huge advantage. Imagine, like, you're in the Super Bowl.

• 1:10:25Theo Von?

  Oh, yeah.

• 1:10:25Speaker 02

  And it's like, you know, fourth and eight, and you got, you know, seven seconds or whatever.

• 1:10:29Theo Von?

  You win.

• 1:10:29Speaker 02

  You're good. Everyone else's heart rate is banging their head. Adrenaline's with them.

• 1:10:34Theo Von?

  I think it's what makes actors good too. Good actors at certain moments.

• 1:10:36Speaker 02

  You're getting relaxed, the ability to relax in tense situations where other people get tense, because tension and stress, it locks you up, you know, you panic. It's like, everything, it's all bad.

• 1:10:46Theo Von?

  Oh, it's horrible. That's when, yeah, dude, it's definitely, there's moments, the first time I'd ever audition, I was like, open the windows, open the windows. And like, there's not a lot of windows in here. And they're like, they're already open. I remember I was like, kept blacking out. And then I had to like, do some scene that I didn't even care about. What are we doing here? Why are we doing that? I'm sorry. That was not a plan.

• 1:11:04Speaker 02

  I'm sorry, dude.

• 1:11:05Theo Von?

  Um, oh, yeah, dude, I want to tell you about the, you ever see that Dunkin' Donuts commercial? Because I know you did a commercial with them.

• 1:11:10Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:11:11Theo Von?

  You ever see the one where they shut down that one in, uh, uh, is it Boy Show, Showbreak?

• 1:11:17Speaker 02

  What is it? Play it.

• 1:11:18Theo Von?

  Shamokin'.

• 1:11:20Speaker 02

  Dunkin's closed by fire.

• 1:11:21Theo Von?

  My favorite dude.

• 1:11:23Speaker 04

  A coffee shop in Shamoken is closed following an arson over the weekend. Police say a teenager is responsible for all that damage. Please watch 16th Nikki cries joins us live from the central Pennsylvania newsroom with more tonight Nikki.

• 1:11:34Speaker 05

  Julie, a lot of people in Shamoken are upset that Dunkin' Donuts is closed because they didn't have anywhere else to go for coffee and donuts. Today, we also learned new information about the teenage girl police charged with setting the place on fire. Setting the fire is currently at a juvenile detention center. Many people who live in Shamoken are upset that Dunkin' Donuts is closed.

• 1:11:58Speaker 06

  Now I have to rely on myself to go to maybe a Turkey Hill or something where I don't like their donuts. I rather the donuts at Dunkin' Donuts and I'm kind of dealing with it, but I really miss Dunkin' Donuts.

• 1:12:10Speaker 07

  I go there every day. I get a chicken baker croissant or I get some coffee, powerade if I'm dehydrated. I sit there all the time. If I have any like legal work that I need to do, I go there, I meet with my attorneys there.

• 1:12:22Speaker 06

  I'm gonna miss that place when they don't open up. Yeah, a lot of my friends go in there, get the cold coffee, iced coffee, I guess it's called.

• 1:12:32Speaker 05

  People miss their local hangout and hope Dunkin' Donuts will open soon.

• 1:12:36Theo Von?

  That when that went closed down, man, it was just like a real, people kind of went bananas on the internet.

• 1:12:40Speaker 02

  Cause it turns out guys, the legal clinic got shut down too.

• 1:12:44Theo Von?

  I was like, sit there with my attorneys.

• 1:12:46Speaker 02

  My, you know, my probation officer meets me in there. I usually deal out of that place. Like, alright.

• 1:12:52Theo Von?

  Yeah, you just, you don't know, when a Dunkin' Donuts closes down, you don't realize how many lives intersect in that one place.

• 1:12:59Speaker 02

  The whole community is paralyzed.

• 1:13:01Theo Von?

  Um, what's something else that you want to direct, man? Where, is there something, what about you directing Timothy Chalamet? That'd be so dope.

• 1:13:08Speaker 02

  Oh, he's terrific actor, man. I, uh, he's great, you know, and I think, and that, that's really what you kind of like, no matter what you do, a big part of it is, you know, 90% of it is, is they say is like picking the, the right actors. Cause you, there's really nothing you can do, you're, you're kind of like, okay, now go ahead and you can, you know, get about 10% calibration, but the right people for the right role is, is, is so much a part of what goes into directing. It's why I was talking about like kind of understanding what people sort of think about or assumptions they have about actors that they are gonna watch. There's a lot of, um, actors that I would love to work with that I haven't worked with and I'm lucky to have worked some great ones so far. And I have, I have a movie that I've just finished shooting. Call animals that's

• 1:13:49Theo Von?

  It's your own movie?

• 1:13:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, on Netflix that I directed.

• 1:13:51Theo Von?

  Oh, congrats dude.

• 1:13:52Speaker 02

  Yeah, and I got and I I may even direct another movie. Next year, which is actually pretty quick, but it's not all set up yet, but it it's something that I really love doing and I'm I will do it like especially like. As I got one kid that's, you know, in college now and the other two, like by the time my son who's who's 13 goes college, then I plan on kind of just directing all the time, but like I said, it takes. So much focus and energy that one of the regrets I have even about movies that I I really like and I'm proud of is like. What periods of time that I miss with my kids because that that that just doesn't come back, you know?

• 1:14:27Theo Von?

  She almost have to plan ahead like, okay, maybe they're going to be on a semester abroad or this is going to be going on.

• 1:14:31Speaker 02

  I'm like, I do them in LA, you know what I mean? So not travel, some can be home for dinner and come, you know, and just make that a. Make that the priority, but it's it's it's a part of what why I slowed down a bunch from directing because it just. In order to do it in a way that I understood that it required, like it just requires almost total commitment and concentration.

• 1:14:49Theo Von?

  Yeah, man, because we yeah, we gotta keep telling good stories because it's important. That's how people learn things and that's how you remember things and they become part of like. You know, history, they really kind of tell history a lot of times. Yeah, it's definitely interesting about. Oh, you said something about, oh, yeah, that shooting in Hollywood has become so tough, huh? But it's supposed to it's supposed to be getting easier.

• 1:15:11Speaker 02

  Well, you know, it's tricky because what hap- one of the things that's happened is that like, first of all, movies just used to be made here, like, you know, country music was made in Nashville, right? Like, that's how it was. And then you had other states and countries that started kind of offering incentives. Because they felt like, you know, if we bring this business here and like it stimulates all our other businesses because there's this huge. Kind of trickle down effect of from the restaurants to the dry cleaners, the, you know, drivers to blah, blah, blah, blah, all this money into the economy. And, you know, LA or California didn't really, I think, whatever, I'm not sure what happened. Respond or try to compete. They have a a small incentive now and they they've actually broadened it some and I think they're aware of it, but but.

• 1:15:55Speaker 02

  It's it's tricky, whereas other states and they're kind of. Controversial, some states have have felt like they worked out for them and they're happy. Georgia's got a huge incentive program. They get all, I mean, you know, a lot of Marvel movies shoot down there. I got a place in Georgia and I, you know, that's, that's, I filmed in Georgia. It's, it's in fact, the accountant was, we filmed in Georgia. And that's why, right? They start offering incentives, obviously been successful for Georgia.

• 1:16:14Theo Von?

  California has ego about it in some weird way. It's hard to figure out.

• 1:16:17Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'm not, I don't really know enough about the politics of it to know. It seems to me like, and I think it's like, well, we've always had it here. We don't have to give the incentives. Like that's what's pulling people away.

• 1:16:26Theo Von?

  People that, but it's like at a certain point you have to.

• 1:16:28Speaker 02

  But now everybody's moved and, and moving away and moving around. And if you can't make a movie without, the, the, the crew is what's gonna make or break your movie.

• 1:16:34Theo Von?

  Now you have three thousand people flying to like Tibet or whatever to shoot for, you know?

• 1:16:39Speaker 02

  Like the UK, they give out, they do these big reviews. So it's like, you know, all that Harry Potter movies and all the like DZ movie, all these. This stuff goes and shoots like out of the country. You know, look, it's. I obviously selfishly like this is where my kids are. So this is where I want to be. But also. The best technicians I believe in the world by and large are here and they're really artists too.

• 1:17:02Theo Von?

  And they're ready to work too. A lot of them, they've been waiting.

• 1:17:04Speaker 02

  And look at these fires and all this stuff. It's like, but I, look, it's hard all over and I get it. I don't begrudge anybody anything. I, I would like to. Uh, preserve like, look, it's a big business for this country, right? Like show business. There's something that we make that everybody buys all over the world. We buy a lot of shit from other countries, right? Like this is something that people want to buy from us.

• 1:17:24Theo Von?

  Well, I'm amazed that, I was talking about this with somebody and it may have been. Um, damn, I can't remember. My brain's off on the weekend, but, um. But we're talking about how California hasn't really done a great job of like. Kind of museuming some of the. All, a lot of great parts about that were in movies and like, you know, Sidney Poitier, this is where he lived for 20 years or. You know, this is the Bad News Bears park where they play.

• 1:17:49Speaker 02

  The Brady Bunch house.

• 1:17:50Theo Von?

  Right. There's some of it, but, and it's like bits and pieces on the internet, but it doesn't seem as preserved. Like when you get here, you almost think.

• 1:17:56Speaker 02

  I know.

• 1:17:56Theo Von?

  It would seem like more of a museum in itself, the city.

• 1:17:59Speaker 02

  At the time, I think people just didn't think about it or somebody's house they went to, whatever it was. But yeah, they haven't really, I mean, you know, you can do some of these tours and stuff, but. It's kind of like. I think California, I'm not, I still feel like, even though I'm a resident now like that, I'm from somewhere else, you know, from Boston.

• 1:18:14Theo Von?

  Yeah, for sure, Massachusetts.

• 1:18:15Speaker 02

  California is like, um, is felt, I think in a way like, hey, people come here, you know what I mean? So we don't need to bring people here, but like, times are changing, movies, like you say, is changing, it's, it theatrical business changing, it's all, you know, the, the number, you're looking at the thing that people, one thing that people watch more than anything else, which is,

• 1:18:34Theo Von?

  Fires at Dunkin Donuts.

• 1:18:35Speaker 02

  YouTube.

• 1:18:36Theo Von?

  Yeah, oh, for sure. But Accountant Two is in, uh,

• 1:18:40Speaker 02

  Accountant Two's out in theaters on Friday and,

• 1:18:42Theo Von?

  This Friday?

• 1:18:43Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:18:43Theo Von?

  See, yeah.

• 1:18:45Speaker 02

  Go out and see it.

• 1:18:45Theo Von?

  And it's great.

• 1:18:46Speaker 02

  And he's really, really good.

• 1:18:47Theo Von?

  Do I take a date? Do I take my cousin? Who do I take?

• 1:18:49Speaker 02

  Your whole family, everybody you know. Actually, the truth is, it is a movie that anybody can see, like, well, my kids can see, real accountants better like, that's the core, if accountants don't like it, we're so fucked. I mean, you know what I'm saying?

• 1:19:01Theo Von?

  Your balance sheet is done.

• 1:19:02Speaker 02

  You're gonna call the movie The Waiter, and waiters don't go, you think anyone else is coming? But, uh, it's, yeah, man, it's, it's a movie that I think honestly, like, works for, you know, it's, it's smart and it's not like, oh, well, only young people like this, or only old people like this, it's got everything. It's, it's hard to make a movie that I think strikes this chord and kind of works for a broad audience, and it is better seeing it in the theater, so, and, uh, it's one that I'd be willing to leverage my kind of personal word and credibility, I'm like, go see it, you won't regret it, it's really good.

• 1:19:31Theo Von?

  You heard that, uh, Ben Affleck, thanks, man, thanks for coming in and just sharing and thinking with me and, uh, just having a good time.

• 1:19:37Speaker 02

  Thanks for having me, man, this is cool.

• 1:19:38Theo Von?

  We're excited, I promise that I'll go see it and, um,

• 1:19:40Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 1:19:41Theo Von?

  And I think a lot of people will.

• 1:19:42Speaker 02

  I hope so, listen, a lot of people listen to your show, so, uh, I appreciate it very, very much, thanks for having me.

• 1:19:47Theo Von?

  Tell your son I said hello.

• 1:19:48Speaker 02

  Oh, well, dude, that's, that's right there, that's the whole reason for coming, right there, I got it, that makes me cool right there.

• 1:20:20Speaker 00

  Coca-Cola. For the big, for the small, the short and the tall. Peacemakers, risk takers. For the optimists, pessimists. For long-distance love. For introverts and extroverts. The thinkers and the doers. For old friends and new. Coca-Cola. For everyone. Pick up some Coca-Cola at a store near you.