Rudy Pankow

Rudy Pankow is ready for the next adventure. He earned a passionate fanbase thanks to his memorable role in OUTER BANKS and now he's got his biggest film role to date in the Colleen Hoover adaptation, REMINDERS OF HIM. He joins Josh in his first podcast interview(!) to talk about his beginnings and ambitions as he embarks on this next stage of his career. SUPPORT THE SHOW BY SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! Rula -- Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠https://www.rula.com/happy⁠ #rulapod #sponsored NordVPN -- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/hsc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Saily -- 🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code HSC at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://saily.com/hsc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Limited Time Offer–Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code happy15 at ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://huel.com/happy15.⁠⁠⁠⁠ New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show! Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes, video versions of the podcast, and more! 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.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  Low energy, unfocused, foggy, you might be dehydrated. Whether it's hot yoga, over 100 degree weather, or too much sun. Gator Light, with a specialized blend of five electrolytes, was scientifically designed to help move fluids into the body faster for rapid rehydration. Shop now at retailers nationwide. Gator Light, hydrates faster than water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist.

• 0:29Josh Horowitz?

  So what are you proudest of in terms of that characterization? Forty episodes, four seasons, obviously made an impact with that audience.

• 0:36Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm. No, it's a sense of pride. It really is a sense of pride that people connected to all the characters, not just JJ. It's a sense of pride that we got it done and I am really proud of it.

• 0:49Speaker 03

  Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, Sad, Confused begins.

• 0:57Josh Horowitz?

  Hey guys, it's Josh. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Today on the show, Rudy Ponco. This is his podcast debut, not only on Happy, Sad, Confused, but on any podcast. I'm honored to say that. He, of course, hit it big in Outer Banks and now he is starring, rather, in Reminders of Him. We just had Micah Mongrow on. We are supporting this movie big time. You're welcome, Reminders of Him. Oh my gosh. Thank you, guys, for checking out the podcast as always. Whether you're enjoying this on YouTube, on Spotify, however you're doing it, I appreciate you, guys. Keep supporting the show by watching and spreading the good word. And maybe even try our Patreon out because that's where we give early access and discount codes and we announce our live events, all sorts of cool stuff at patreon.com/happysadconfused.

• 1:42Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, so the main event today, as I said, it's Rudy Ponco, who just a few short years ago made it big playing JJ in Outer Banks, of course. He had four years on the show, had a very dramatic exit from that show. And this is kind of his first conversation about leaving the show and his experiences there, charting a new path after Outer Banks, his priorities in terms of how to steer a career, all sorts of cool stuff. This is a guy that has a good head on his shoulders and I'm thrilled he came on Happy, Sad, Confused to tell his story at last. So, without any further ado, here it is. Here's me and Rudy Ponco. Enjoy. Rudy.

• 2:20Speaker 02

  Josh.

• 2:21Josh Horowitz?

  We're doing the podcast thing. You ready?

• 2:23Speaker 02

  I, yeah, I think I get to say this. It's like my first one, Josh. So I'm like.

• 2:27Josh Horowitz?

  You're in safe hands.

• 2:28Speaker 02

  You're.

• 2:29Josh Horowitz?

  I haven't ruined the careers of the likes of Al Pacino or Warren Beatty.

• 2:34Speaker 02

  Al Pacino, yeah.

• 2:35Josh Horowitz?

  I'm name dropping that. But I'm just, I'm, I'm saying that is to say, you're in safe hands.

• 2:40Speaker 02

  Thank you, Josh. I feel safe. Feel very safe here.

• 2:43Josh Horowitz?

  Congratulations on everything. I mean, this, I'm, I'm, I am very excited because I was excited to talk to you. Uh, regardless, and then I started to do the research and I'm like, oh, wait, uncharted territory. First deep dive.

• 2:54Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 2:54Josh Horowitz?

  What's that about? Have you, are you, are you a private person generally speaking? Are you?

• 3:00Speaker 02

  You know, I, I, growing up in Alaska, I think you're naturally attracted to the, the quieter life.

• 3:06Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 3:07Speaker 02

  Uh, cause you've known that your entire life. Um, I, I, you know? Yeah, I would say that I'm a person that like, just saying this today, uh, likes the tranquility and finding like, a nice stretch of place where I don't see someone for a good 10 minutes and then it's like, oh, yeah.

• 3:25Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 3:26Speaker 02

  I'm out there. But at the same time, I do love coming to New York or even Los Angeles and it just feels like a, there's an energy, there's a buzz, there's a, there's a creativity that's just like thriving here.

• 3:39Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, I can't imagine. We, we probably are the opposite ends of the spectrum of the way we were raised. You in Alaska, I'm a New York City kid.

• 3:45Speaker 02

  Hell, yeah.

• 3:45Josh Horowitz?

  I mean.

• 3:46Speaker 02

  What part?

• 3:46Josh Horowitz?

  Like the mean streets of the Upper West Side.

• 3:48Speaker 02

  Upper West, okay. Sweet.

• 3:50Josh Horowitz?

  I don't have a driver's license, Rudy. I'm not a functional adult.

• 3:56Speaker 02

  Don't, don't sell yourself short. I feel, I feel safe.

• 3:59Josh Horowitz?

  Meanwhile, yeah, you did until that moment. Meanwhile, your, your racing cars, literally.

• 4:04Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 4:05Josh Horowitz?

  How's that going for you?

• 4:06Speaker 02

  The, I'll give you like a cool quote and then I'll tell you I'm learning, uh, right after. But the cool quote is, uh, I feel like there's so much speed going on with our brains right now. Like there's just no time to catch up. There's so many things to watch. There's so many things to pay attention. There's so many things to be aware about. Um, and I find going at a crazy speed, literally makes me focus and actually dial into being like, okay, I'm alive.

• 4:31Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 4:32Speaker 02

  Like, and I, I find.

• 4:33Josh Horowitz?

  If you're not focused, it's not gonna work out.

• 4:35Speaker 02

  You're not gonna be, but like, it's, it's really a place, uh, and it, like, I ride motorcycle. Okay, that sounds so.

• 4:42Josh Horowitz?

  No.

• 4:43Speaker 02

  When I say that.

• 4:44Josh Horowitz?

  But it's real. It's not like you're like fronting something.

• 4:45Speaker 02

  I'm not trying to front that. I'm not trying to sound cooler than I actually am.

• 4:49Josh Horowitz?

  You're just effortlessly cool. Embrace it, Woody. It's okay.

• 4:52Speaker 02

  Josh, you're gassing me up, man. This, this thing really worked. Um, no, and I just think going at a crazy speed, you really just dial into like this specific moment.

• 5:02Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah. So have you, when did this, this hobby or this learning curve start? Cause you literally, you were just in Florida. What were you doing? Like, what was that?

• 5:11Speaker 02

  Yeah, that was the Indy car race. Um, and, and, uh, yeah, they were like, hey, you wanna get in the seat? I was like, what do you mean by that? And they're like, you wanna get in the seat and like, do a lap? I was like, yeah, yeah, I'll do a lap. Do you like, trust me back there? And they're like, yeah, that we actually do. And I was like, that's surprising. And then we, then we did a lap and it was so fun. And yeah, no, they, we, uh, I think the max speed, not on that course, but the max speed is in the like two hundreds, uh, low two hundreds. And I think we got up to about like one eighty that day, but not two hundred.

• 5:45Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, you're, you're, you're basically training wheels right now.

• 5:47Speaker 02

  I'm starting, you know?

• 5:49Josh Horowitz?

  This is your backdoor audition for, you know, the, the Brad Pitt F1 sequel, basically, right?

• 5:55Speaker 02

  Oh, man. Uh, so I don't know if I, maybe I can't say this. Actually, I probably shouldn't say this. I'm not in a Brad Pitt movie. I'm not in a, uh.

• 6:04Josh Horowitz?

  Exclusive. Thanks for happy second views.

• 6:06Speaker 02

  No, but there's a hope. There's a hope. They're doing a TT. Do you know a tourist trophy motorcycle movie?

• 6:12Josh Horowitz?

  No, tell me.

• 6:12Speaker 02

  They're doing a TT movie and I'm pretty sure I can see this, but I'm not, I haven't been casted.

• 6:18Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 6:18Speaker 02

  Knock on wood. I hope that, that.

• 6:20Josh Horowitz?

  But you'd like to manifest that.

• 6:21Speaker 02

  Oh, so much. They're doing so, the TT is this lap around this island called the Isle of Man.

• 6:27Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 6:28Speaker 02

  And I think his plan B is, uh, producing it and Channing Tatum starring in it and they do a lap. Around this island on like going so fast. We're talking. Yeah.

• 6:37Josh Horowitz?

  That sounds amazing. It's like a life experience and a great movie.

• 6:41Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 6:41Josh Horowitz?

  All in one, right?

• 6:42Speaker 02

  And the island's culture around it is just thrilling. It's it's so awesome.

• 6:45Josh Horowitz?

  Love it. Okay, so let's let's start. We're gonna circle around. My brain goes in a lot of places.

• 6:49Speaker 02

  Mine, mine too.

• 6:50Josh Horowitz?

  Um, good. We're a good match. Okay, so let's let's uh, let's get the the fun promotional stuff out of the way. You're in this great new movie. Mm hmm. Micah was just on the podcast.

• 6:57Speaker 02

  Cool.

• 6:57Josh Horowitz?

  Um, this is like a big like classic kind of, you know, i- i- it feels like that gap, right? That like Nicholas Sparks that I grew up with.

• 7:06Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 7:06Josh Horowitz?

  Uh, you know, Colleen Hoover's is the real deal.

• 7:08Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 7:09Josh Horowitz?

  Kind of a franchise all her own.

• 7:10Speaker 02

  She's making her own franchises going on and it's awesome. I think it's actually really cool.

• 7:14Josh Horowitz?

  So talk to me like when this one comes around, reminders of him. You are him. You're in the title. You're him.

• 7:19Speaker 02

  Actually, Tyreek and I are both kind of him, you know what I'm saying?

• 7:21Josh Horowitz?

  Um, you're here right now. Tyreek's not here, so you're in.

• 7:25Speaker 02

  Spreading out the love, spreading out the love.

• 7:27Josh Horowitz?

  So, um, is this just like another audition, self tape, uh, offer? Like, how does this one come around?

• 7:33Speaker 02

  That came around, got the first the tape and then I heard back from Ness and the director and producer that they would want to do a chemistry with Micah. And it was the the dollar store scene and we had so much fun, brought the plates and everything. And once we had done that, I just really the the character of Scotty on the page really is just one of just joy and trying to be again, present.

• 7:59Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 8:00Speaker 02

  Like he's like loving life as it's coming at him.

• 8:02Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 8:02Speaker 02

  And I really understood that. Uh, and um, that's what I tried to bring to the audition and.

• 8:10Josh Horowitz?

  Is that in the room? Is that over Zoom? Is this one of these?

• 8:12Speaker 02

  Yeah, it was over Zoom. So saying I brought the plates, it really wasn't that impressive.

• 8:16Josh Horowitz?

  They were somewhere in your apartment.

• 8:17Speaker 02

  Yeah, they're over in the kitchen. That's like 10 feet away.

• 8:20Josh Horowitz?

  Trust me.

• 8:21Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 8:21Josh Horowitz?

  How, I mean, challenging is that as an actor coming of in this age where like I would imagine 90% of of your auditions are over Zoom? That's hard to establish like

• 8:29Speaker 02

  Mm hmm.

• 8:30Josh Horowitz?

  A a physical connection with somebody, isn't it?

• 8:33Speaker 02

  It is. And you know, there's some great audition stories I had when I first got to LA and uh, fun fact, actually. I just did one today and it felt great and it was here in New York and it was my first in person New York City audition.

• 8:45Josh Horowitz?

  Love it. And it felt good.

• 8:46Speaker 02

  Felt great. Felt great. But it was nice to like, kind of to your point, though. It's like.

• 8:52Speaker 02

  It's different looking at someone through the eyes of a screen.

• 8:55Josh Horowitz?

  Of course.

• 8:55Speaker 02

  Uh, there's almost like a feeling of like, that's not really their eyes. There's like this like thought process of like, yeah, like I'm hoping they look like, or like on their end, does it look like I'm looking at them? Or does it look like I'm looking like, hey, Josh, like,

• 9:08Josh Horowitz?

  Yes.

• 9:09Speaker 02

  You know, like, like, does it look like that? And that's in the back of your head when doing a Zoom audition, but, um, and I would prefer it to be in person, but I get times of the essence. There's all this stuff where like there might not be able to be in town for it.

• 9:24Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 9:25Speaker 02

  And it is a useful tool. I can see the pros to it too.

• 9:28Josh Horowitz?

  But also the nature of it, even the in-person audition thing is its own thing. It's, it's, it's giving you a sense of a person, obviously, but it's, I've talked to so many actors over the years about how, I don't know, bizarre that whole process is. I mean, some people are great at auditions. And when they get to set, they don't have the goods and vice versa. It's kind of like a different skill set in a way.

• 9:47Speaker 02

  It is. It is a different skill set. There's, um, I would actually argue, this might be a hot take. You have to use your imagination twice as hard in an audition.

• 9:57Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 9:57Speaker 02

  And so like,

• 10:01Speaker 02

  that's not to like get lost in the performance of things, but you need to put certain things, certain places and in person, you still do that. And I think that that's like, um, uh, to me, that's harder than on the day. Like on the day, I think like, it's like the back of your hand and you can just like, flow right into it and everyone, you dance with the cameras. And honestly, I think that's also uh, one of the things your brain's doing on the day is you're dancing with the cameras if you're doing a movie and that's maybe half the focus as well. But the goal is to be a hundred percent dialed in on your partner.

• 10:36Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, that's interesting. You say dance with the camera. So you're like, at a certain point, you forget about the cameras. Is that, is that the goal?

• 10:41Speaker 02

  That's the goal. I would say the goal is to forget about them, but then there's like technical stuff. There's like, say you're like, trashing a building or trashing something like you, you need to one, make sure they're safe. You can't just toss a glass or at a cameraman like that's gonna get you canceled immediately. Like I said, like, I think like you, there's this awareness and dancing that has to be done and um, there's a chemistry with the cameraman as much as your partner.

• 11:07Josh Horowitz?

  Totally.

• 11:16Speaker 04

  Low energy, unfocused, foggy? You might be dehydrated. Gatorade Zero powders have been scientifically designed to help improve hydration balance in the body. With a clinically proven electrolyte blend and no artificial colors or flavors. Great tasting hydration, no matter where you're going. Shop now online or at retailers nationwide. Gatorade: Hydrates Better Than Water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist.

• 11:46Speaker 05

  From the parents behind Law & Order comes a mystery the whole family can enjoy. Patrick Picklebottom: Everyday Mysteries. Step into the whimsical world of Patrick Picklebottom, a precocious 11-year-old with a love for reading and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Inspired by the beloved children's book of the same name, this podcast vividly brings Patrick's tales of deduction and everyday adventures to life as he unravels baffling enigmas and solves clever cases. Patrick Picklebottom: Everyday Mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grownups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

• 12:34Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, so for this one in particular, it's obviously a very key part of this film. I mean, and yet, like, you have to kind of make an impact in an abbreviated period of time. I mean, you're in throughout the film, but like, you have to be very impactful in the moments you're there. Is that, I mean, that's a special challenge. Again, I've talked to like many, like, day players, character actors, and it's like, that's almost the hardest job, is to come into a production and seamlessly kind of fit in. For this one, I don't know, talk to me a little bit about the challenge of Scotty in terms of, I don't know, just... Making an impact.

• 13:09Speaker 02

  Right.

• 13:09Josh Horowitz?

  In a few key scenes.

• 13:10Speaker 02

  No, and I talked to Ness about that exact thing. There's the scenes I do have. I was like, okay. Can we do one that's on the page? I'll give you everything that's on there. And then can you just let me go? Because I I want to bring things that might not be on there. And surprise, not only Micah, but surprise myself.

• 13:33Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 13:33Speaker 02

  And whether it's like short dialogue or or like, uh, it's not in the movie, but like I jumped over the car and slid across the hood. Just because he's so excited to talk to Kenna.

• 13:44Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 13:45Speaker 02

  And um, so it's like moments like that, that I just. Like the whole point when I got the audition for Scotty is he's joy. That's his love style and I got that. And so every scene I had, I was just like, how can I bring joy to this moment? Because that's my role in that movie. Like my role in that movie is to bring the joy. Everyone else is having a very awful time trying to very to remember in that joy. And so that's what I understood is just connecting to that.

• 14:16Josh Horowitz?

  When you're on a set of something like this, is it like, do you key into kind of like similar films in this vein that you connected with as a as a kid, as a teenager?

• 14:24Speaker 02

  It's a good question. I want to say yes. And like, I can't name something like. But you're absolutely right. Like, I definitely.

• 14:32Josh Horowitz?

  Like, is there that moment like, oh, I'm in, I'm in that like notebook scene. Like, look, look around. Like, it's your John is happening around me. Like, you know?

• 14:39Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 14:42Speaker 02

  I'm sure subconsciously my brain's doing that because I do definitely, and I think most artists do this. They they steal.

• 14:49Josh Horowitz?

  Which is fair. I mean.

• 14:50Speaker 02

  Which is fair game.

• 14:51Josh Horowitz?

  There are only so many ways to do it. And you're you're kind of like an amalgamation of all the things you've consumed.

• 14:57Speaker 02

  Yeah. And like, looking at artists that I look up to and like, kind of like, I like that color they were using. Like, and like, take that color and put it on your painting and like, uh, I I definitely do try to take from what I can.

• 15:10Josh Horowitz?

  All right. So let's, since this is a long form conversation, let's do a little deep dive. Okay. Tell me a little bit about Rudy growing up. Who were you? Were you athlete, artist, outcast? Who were you as a kid?

• 15:22Speaker 02

  Yeah, uh, loner. No, uh.

• 15:25Josh Horowitz?

  Riding motorcycles by myself.

• 15:28Speaker 02

  Moody in the rain.

• 15:32Speaker 02

  I was homeschooled for a little bit, um, and then um, my mom homeschooled me and I was just a little slow, a little dyslexic. And then, once I got into middle school, that's when, it was actually like sixth grade, I should say that, I got into it and um. That's when I started getting and practicing these social skills of acting and I didn't even know it.

• 15:55Speaker 02

  I think this might sound crazy, but at that age, we're trying to figure out who we are and still am kind of, but.

• 16:04Speaker 02

  There's trying on different attributes of who you are and I was doing that. In school, I was doing that out in the woods, like a crazy person. I would pretend so many things in the woods and I think that's what I loved about growing up in Alaska is that. You had a space in your backyard, that's like the whole woods and you can just like pretend whatever's going on. Back there and make a whole story and narrative and me and my brothers would do that and I, I think that's in, was important for me.

• 16:34Josh Horowitz?

  Where are you in the, how many brothers, how many siblings?

• 16:36Speaker 02

  I'm middle, so younger brother, older brother.

• 16:39Josh Horowitz?

  And any arts in the family?

• 16:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, so my dad is a musician and he was like, you're not gonna be in this family if you don't play an instrument. I was like, okay, so I picked the easiest thing, I picked percussion.

• 16:53Speaker 02

  Uh, I mean, we did learn the piano, all of us learned the piano. Uh, and then I picked up the guitar, uh, once I left, uh, high school. But yeah, musician, did the nutcracker growing up, did a little dancing, swing dance and then. Acting really wasn't a focus and actually my older brother was more of the actor as a kid. And I always thought it was like so cheesy, it's like, that's not real. I see you practicing at home, that's not real. And then, um. Yeah, then I actually did a play my senior year and I was like, okay, how can I make this real? And that was like the first question as a senior in high school that is like, wait a minute.

• 17:38Speaker 02

  Hold on, I think I'm acting all the time.

• 17:40Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 17:41Speaker 02

  And there's like nuance to that. Like you can look at it as acting and then there's always like, well, acting is just life and Larry Moss would be like, the intent to live, Rudy, the intent to live, man. I was like, oh, okay. I'm a big fan of Larry. Do you know who Larry Moss?

• 17:56Josh Horowitz?

  I watched your hour long conversation with Larry Moss. Very impressed. You earned a lot of cred with me from that conversation. I mean, that's, that he's the real deal.

• 18:03Speaker 02

  He's the real deal.

• 18:04Josh Horowitz?

  How did you, how did you and Larry Moss, for those who don't know, Larry Moss is like a very famous instructor.

• 18:10Speaker 02

  World renowned, uh, acting coach. Yeah. Yeah, Larry was introduced to me by another fellow actor of mine and he was like, you need to go see this coach now, but don't take the class. You're not ready. And I was like, okay. I took his auditing class, probably five times.

• 18:25Josh Horowitz?

  What's the, how old were you like?

• 18:27Speaker 02

  I was, uh,

• 18:28Josh Horowitz?

  This is before Outer Banks?

• 18:30Speaker 02

  Yeah, this is before Outer Banks. I was probably like, uh, eighteen or nineteen. I think I was nineteen. Yeah. Nineteen started and then he had came twice in one year and then I, the next year. And then it was that fall, right before I actually booked Outer Banks, I took the class. And, uh, Golden Boy by Clifford Odette, Joe Bonaparte, um, did him in his class and, uh, whoo, man, it was a really fun scene to do in that class. And again, I was talking about this earlier today. There's a buzz when I think the audience is fifty or less people.

• 19:06Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 19:06Speaker 02

  When the audience is fifty or less people and I'm not sure how I feel about the circle audience, but it's cool.

• 19:12Josh Horowitz?

  Yep.

• 19:13Speaker 02

  But there's this buzz when there's a stage and enough people that it doesn't feel like, oh, there's a huge auditorium I'm like lost in. You and you are sat, sat next to someone, you complete stranger too. And you're on the same page without communicating because the performers are just sucking you into this scene or this play. And that's when I, that's truly when I fell in love with this craft is taking that class.

• 19:42Josh Horowitz?

  Are you sneaking some theater in while you're in New York? It sounds like Europe, a theater kid. You're a-

• 19:46Speaker 02

  I'm trying. I mean, I did, I did Romeo and Juliet at the ART, um, and hopefully, fingers crossed, audition today. Um,

• 19:55Speaker 02

  Uh, but no, hopefully that can, I would love to, but the, the, the truth is, and this is maybe.

• 20:05Speaker 02

  I wanna, I wanna work on it. I wanna get to that point. I think. A TV actor is what I think most people view me as. Like, and I get it, that's, that's true. Yeah, I started there. That's how I got to be here and. That sometime is enough to get you onto something. Yeah, on stage and I think I really would want to earn that. Um, that privilege, cause it's, it's not as simple as like, hey. People know who I am, let me put me on stage and like, I don't, I really don't.

• 20:38Josh Horowitz?

  And you know, I mean, you're smart enough to know. Cause I've seen that arc a lot and like, you know, i- in terms of, and it happens to. The biggest stars on the planet. I mean, like I'm talking to Daniel Radcliffe soon and to see what he's done.

• 20:49Speaker 02

  Oh my god.

• 20:49Josh Horowitz?

  Off of like being.

• 20:51Speaker 02

  Oh, I have a story for you for that.

• 20:53Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, let's talk.

• 20:53Speaker 02

  No, no, no, but keep going.

• 20:55Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, no, but I mean, he, he's like the ultimate example to me of somebody who like could have. Gone the easy route and traded on like Harry Potter in any way possible, but he's like, put in the work.

• 21:05Speaker 02

  He really has.

• 21:05Josh Horowitz?

  So much to the point where he's like, Tony winner, he can sing, he can dance, and it wasn't like God given, like he really put in.

• 21:13Speaker 02

  He put in the work, the grease.

• 21:14Josh Horowitz?

  And he's back on, he's doing a one man play right now and it's, it's just, it's like inspiring to see.

• 21:19Speaker 02

  I wanna go see, you wanna go see it together?

• 21:21Josh Horowitz?

  Let's go.

• 21:21Speaker 02

  That'd be awesome.

• 21:22Josh Horowitz?

  Um, so what, what's your Radcliffe?

• 21:24Speaker 02

  Now that you say that, uh, I think, I gotta remember the grade I was in. He's done with Harry Potter and he's doing, he had one play on Broadway before this and then he's doing how to succeed with business without ever trying. Uh, um, and. We were able, uh, we had a friend that was in the orchestra. They got us really good seats. And I remember him coming out of the floor and my mind being blown, sure it's Daniel, but then also as a kid being like. But that's not Harry Potter.

• 21:53Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 21:54Speaker 02

  And I, that's when I, another, maybe, maybe one of the cogs for acting just ticked right then of where I was like. Oh, and when he performed and then we got backstage tour. And I wish I could tell you, Daniel was like, become an actor. Didn't see him back there.

• 22:10Josh Horowitz?

  No, let's change the story.

• 22:11Speaker 02

  Let's see, he said, he looked at me in the eyes and said, Rudy.

• 22:14Josh Horowitz?

  One day.

• 22:14Speaker 02

  One day, you're gonna become an actor. I'd be like, Daniel, I will do something with you one day. No, that did not happen, but then we walked outside. And there, there he was, security guard and all. And I looked at him and looked at the security guard and security guard was like. And then I was like, okay, all right, all right, cool, cool, cool, cool. And then we left, but I was buzzing, I was buzzing when I left the theater. I was like, that's the power of theater.

• 22:38Josh Horowitz?

  So backtracking a little bit, like before you got, like, it sounds like you caught that bug through a series of, of moments like that of Larry Moss, et cetera. But like, what were you into as a kid? Like, were you a, were you a comic book kid? Were you into fantasy, sci fi, drama? Like, what, like, if I was talking to a fifteen year old Rudy, what were you into?

• 22:57Speaker 02

  Fifteen? Ooh, um, no good. Uh, Harry Potter would be on that list. Harry Potter, Star Wars. Uh, honestly, I would be, I was a, I was a soccer. I played a lot of soccer growing up and that's what I really wanted to go to college for. That didn't happen. Um, and I, I guess that's the, that's kind of what I meant by I was trying on personalities is I would watch films. Um, I'm thinking of the film that my dad, for some reason, like made me watch.

• 23:31Josh Horowitz?

  It's your.

• 23:33Speaker 02

  Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He was like, son, you just need to watch this film. Uh, and it's.

• 23:40Josh Horowitz?

  There are worse ones.

• 23:41Speaker 02

  There's worse ones, there really are. And there's just like, what makes that so funny? What makes it so great and so fun to watch? And it was like taking, stealing these personalities and wearing them.

• 23:52Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 23:53Speaker 02

  And, uh, I come to find out that's what I was into. I was just like into storytelling.

• 23:59Josh Horowitz?

  Do you remember the first actor or film you became obsessed with?

• 24:03Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 24:06Josh Horowitz?

  Even before, even though you're just a fan, before you kind of got serious about it, what was like the movie that you knew by heart? The actor that would get you out of the house to go see them?

• 24:15Speaker 02

  Yeah, um.

• 24:18Speaker 02

  I like, I have one that comes to mind, but it's like, it, it'd just be something I would pop in every time, every now and then and just like, just to shake it up and like, um. And actually, I still kind of do it here and there. I haven't watched it probably for about a few years now, but, uh, for some reason Sherlock Holmes, when Robert Downey Jr. Played Sherlock Holmes, I was like, why is this so fun? And, uh, yeah, I put that on, but I can't really think of like really small, like, I'm thinking like movies going through my head right now. We're all animation.

• 24:50Josh Horowitz?

  That's okay, too.

• 24:51Speaker 02

  And that was fun, uh.

• 24:53Josh Horowitz?

  But Downey is one of those like electric performers too, who's like he's.

• 24:56Speaker 02

  Yeah. He's bringing something that's just so present and, uh, what do you, when he played Sherlock, I was just like, oh, he's so kinetic and I can't stop watching him.

• 25:06Josh Horowitz?

  Okay, so pre Outer Banks, what is, like, are you making a living? When do you start to make a living? When are you, I, do you have to work odd jobs before Outer Banks?

• 25:14Speaker 02

  Yeah, uh, I was, uh, working at the Cheesecake Factory at the Grove.

• 25:19Josh Horowitz?

  Oh, nice. How were you? How were you? Would you have been a good server? What were you?

• 25:23Speaker 02

  Didn't make it that. I was, uh, signed myself up for the dish room and I was back there for about six or seven months. Then they promoted me to buster. I'm pretty sure they asked me. They were like, what do you want to be? And I was like.

• 25:38Josh Horowitz?

  Where do you see yourself in the Cheesecake Factory organization?

• 25:40Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I was like, buster. And they're like, oh, okay. This kid's weird. Um, and that's where I stayed until I just liked the, the position. I didn't want to become a server too much or else I feel like I was going to have too much responsibility and I couldn't ask for a time to get out of like a, a shift or something. And, uh, that's, uh, where I stayed until Outer Banks happened.

• 26:03Josh Horowitz?

  Were you like a J? Did you feel like when you're working like in LA at the Grove, like, are you adjacent to like the celebrity world? Are you like, you know, are you going to, you must have had, I assume you had friends that were kind of like succeeding or not succeeding? You're going to parties, you're waiting on somebody that you recognize. I mean, did it, did it feel like you were close to like, breaking through before Outer Banks or no?

• 26:24Speaker 02

  No, it didn't. It didn't. It didn't. Um, uh, I had some great fun projects and short films and one feature, actually, but it didn't feel like I was like necessarily breaking through. I did feel like I was learning. And that's what I will say is during that time, I really did feel like I was like, I was a sponge taking in uh things to do, things not to do. Uh, and I actually am happy I did the growth because I feel like that taught me a certain characteristic. I was like, yeah, that's a, that's someone that knows what they're doing. And then this is someone that's like, I'm just willy nilly doing this right now. Um, and I kind of could see those personalities working there.

• 27:06Josh Horowitz?

  So was there anything, anything you came close to before Outer Banks that you thought was gonna change your life? Or was truly Outer Banks the first one that like was a real thing?

• 27:15Speaker 02

  There was a Netflix show. I didn't really, I don't think it lasted very long. It's called Trinkets. Yeah. And I, I think it had one season and then it got canceled. I was like, my mind was blown when I got like the second callback and I was like,

• 27:32Speaker 02

  but no, that was, that was about it. Again, yeah, that's.

• 27:35Josh Horowitz?

  Okay. So let's do the Outer Banks origin story. Is that, is that in the room? Is that um, Zoom? Like, what's the audition process for that? As I understand it, you were up for a few different roles. It wasn't just JJ, right?

• 27:45Speaker 02

  Right. No, it was a tape. It was a tape initially. I think the tape initially was for JJ. And then they brought me in in person for Rafe. Then they brought me in person for John B. And then flew out to Charleston. And this is after, I think probably six or seven auditions as different characters.

• 28:07Speaker 02

  They flew me out and then did the chem read as John B. And they're like, never mind.

• 28:13Josh Horowitz?

  I think we're good. Let's go back to JJ.

• 28:15Speaker 02

  And so then they had another um, audition or chem read and they put me as JJ and boom.

• 28:21Josh Horowitz?

  So were you reading with some of the actors that ended up being on the show?

• 28:24Speaker 02

  Yeah. Yeah. No, that was uh, that is how that happened is that actually.

• 28:31Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, mixing and matching. They were mixing and matching. Yeah, they're doing like a round robin kind of thing.

• 28:36Josh Horowitz?

  And do you still remember like the the moment you got the offer that you officially got it? Is that a?

• 28:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, no, uh, Chase and I had lived with each other the first year. And so we were in the car and I don't know. I don't know why, but we were in the car that also was another John B auditioning and Chase gets the call. I got a text and they're like, yeah, you got it. And I was like, sweet. And it felt amazing. And I was just looking out the window and here and like Chase answers like, all right, right next to him. It's like, you got it. And then he's like, I can only just remember him being like, oh, heck, yeah, man. All right, cool.

• 29:18Josh Horowitz?

  You guys are too cool for school.

• 29:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, he's like, that's great. That's great. That's great.

• 29:21Josh Horowitz?

  Let's go to Cheesecake Factory.

• 29:22Speaker 02

  I'll talk to you. I'll talk to you later. And then like I could see him in the mirror because he was like right behind me. I see him in the mirror and he's like looking at the mirror. He's like,

• 29:31Speaker 02

  and I was like, oh, cool. Yeah.

• 29:32Josh Horowitz?

  Thank God you both got it. That would have been an uncomfortable car ride. That would have been.

• 29:35Speaker 02

  I mean, for him, I think it was an uncomfortable car ride. So, yeah.

• 29:39Josh Horowitz?

  What do you remember about the early days? Because I mean, you'll never have that experience again, that kind of like first big experience. And one of the cool things about Outer Banks and I've had Madeline on the show and I've talked to a bunch of the actors is like you kind of all came up together. Like you were all experiencing fame, first experiences together.

• 29:56Speaker 02

  It was COVID. So like, I mean, like we, I feel like the energy on set was like, we did something great, cool. But we didn't know, I didn't know. And I still think to this day, like two years, it didn't take two years until after the show came out, probably even after season two, where it was like, oh, like people like it. Because like it was COVID and we were indoors. You didn't see anyone. You didn't walk around. So you didn't really have a reference of like, besides maybe social media that was like, okay, like, this is cool. Uh, but like the recognition and the opportunity, I think also during that time wasn't like.

• 30:39Speaker 02

  Let's go right, all right back into work. Um, so it took some time to understand like, hey, like people enjoy this.

• 30:46Josh Horowitz?

  Maybe, I mean, it's hard to talk about that time that was horrible for all of us as like a healthy version of that, but like you kind of got to dip your toe into celebrity a little bit.

• 30:56Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 30:56Josh Horowitz?

  Which is disorienting. Celebrity of that kind, of that kind of fan base is overwhelming for any human being, let alone somebody where it's like your first real big gig.

• 31:05Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 31:05Josh Horowitz?

  So at least you kind of had the, I don't know. First of all, you're like with folks that are all experiencing the same kind of thing.

• 31:12Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 31:12Josh Horowitz?

  And second of all, it's, it's a, I don't know, it's a little bit of a slow pace as opposed to like walking out your door one day and everybody's screaming.

• 31:19Speaker 02

  Oh dude, I can't imagine what it would have been for, I mean, if it happened now, I don't know. Like I really don't know. You're right. It is like a nice little like wade into it.

• 31:29Josh Horowitz?

  So what about the actual experience though, the first like weeks on set? Was that what do you remember just about like?

• 31:35Speaker 02

  Like we're talking season one?

• 31:36Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, season one. Did you love the character from the start? Did you have a beat on him?

• 31:41Speaker 02

  No, like we, we were just excited. I was excited. I went into it. Guns a blazing and I, I'm going back to Larry real quick. Like I felt really prepped.

• 31:51Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 31:52Speaker 02

  I felt really prepped. I felt really ready. Like, I'm in my apartment doing background character work, like who is like, I was even thinking about his parents and all that stuff back then. Like I was, uh, as much as I can focusing on just like what Larry had taught me.

• 32:09Josh Horowitz?

  Well, that's what separates also. It's like, you know, I did a bunch of things with like Jacob Elordi this like past like Oscar season.

• 32:14Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 32:15Josh Horowitz?

  And even when he was doing like the kissing booth, he was like taking it super serious. Like you have to.

• 32:20Speaker 02

  I know, I know.

• 32:21Josh Horowitz?

  You know, I mean, what's the point otherwise? And it's.

• 32:23Speaker 02

  And it's good. It's a good practice. And I think, um, that's something I think, uh, LA taught me and, and I do truly mean this, like you can make a text really mean something no matter what the text is. I'm not trying to say there's bad writing out, there's bad writing out there, but even with that writing, you can make it in. deepen it to something and that's what Larry would always say is like take the writer's hand but make it more than just that make it something that's inside of you and I truly believe that and that's what I was practicing on that show.

• 33:01Josh Horowitz?

  So what are you proudest of in terms of that characterization forty episodes four seasons obviously made an impact with that audience.

• 33:08Speaker 02

  No it's a sense of pride like it really is a sense of pride that like people connected to all the characters not just JJ um it's a sense of pride that you know we got it done and I I am really proud of it.

• 33:21Josh Horowitz?

  Do you have a favorite episode favorite scene favorites anything?

• 33:25Speaker 02

  No I mean like there's there's scenes there's moments where it's just like you know that you you do know this feeling you just know this feeling of when you've finished the day and you're like you think about it and you're like that worked.

• 33:41Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 33:41Speaker 02

  That worked.

• 33:42Josh Horowitz?

  You gave everything to it.

• 33:43Speaker 02

  It did everything to it and there's that feeling now there's the other side of that feeling of where you're like kicking yourself like I should have done that I kicked that like I how could I have forgotten that uh but then there are those scenes where you just know in the editing room that it's like that's gonna work.

• 33:58Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 33:59Speaker 02

  You know so.

• 34:00Josh Horowitz?

  So where are you at now because you haven't really like had this kind of conversation since you left the show this is your first kind of big press tour.

• 34:06Speaker 02

  Right.

• 34:07Josh Horowitz?

  Was it tough to say goodbye I mean like there was I mean the audience was very emotional your castmates like recorded this beautiful kind of like remembrance of your contributions to the show.

• 34:16Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 34:16Josh Horowitz?

  Was it I mean that's that's an end of a chapter.

• 34:19Speaker 02

  Yeah playing for like you said forty episodes as as a character and that is hard to like like just like enjoyed I enjoyed playing JJ and like the the moments of just like creating that person.

• 34:33Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 34:33Speaker 02

  Um yeah that is a little hard to leave uh but it's a celebration and I think the character stands for something and the writers did that to deepen that that role and that and that chapter.

• 34:45Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 34:46Speaker 02

  And that's what I truly believe.

• 34:47Josh Horowitz?

  So no flashback in season five I'm not seeing you.

• 34:50Speaker 02

  No that would be news to me.

• 34:51Josh Horowitz?

  Unless they've been like shooting you surreptitiously you don't know it.

• 34:55Speaker 02

  AI is getting crazy these days yeah.

• 34:57Josh Horowitz?

  Will you watch it or is it gonna be weird for you to watch?

• 34:59Speaker 02

  No I'm totally gonna watch it I want to see how they do it I really want to do and they're gonna crush it no doubt.

• 35:04Josh Horowitz?

  Totally.

• 35:12Speaker 04

  Low energy, unfocused, foggy, you might be dehydrated. Gatorade Zero powders have been scientifically designed to help improve hydration balance in the body. With a clinically proven electrolyte blend and no artificial colors or flavors. Great tasting hydration, no matter where you're going. Shop now online or at retailers nationwide. Gatorade, hydrates better than water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist.

• 35:41Speaker 06

  You've got your favorite blanket, a freshly poured drink, and a cold case burning a hole in your streaming queue. You're not just watching true crime, you're running the investigation from the comfort of your couch. Welcome to Murder She Watched, the podcast where we recap, dissect, and slightly overanalyze some of the best and craziest true crime documentaries on our favorite streamers. Did the spouse do it? Why is the shady neighbor wearing leather gloves in July? Why did this guy agree to be interviewed in this documentary? We ask the tough questions that you're often just screaming at your TV. So every week, we break down the twists, red herrings, and absurd documentaries that have kept you up all night.

• 36:26Speaker 06

  It's high drama, cozy vibes, and absolute couch detective energy. Grab your throw blanket and hit subscribe. Search Murder She Watched wherever you listen to podcasts, and let's solve this thing together.

• 36:43Josh Horowitz?

  All right, so talk to me a little bit about this next chapter. This is the beginning of the new chapter with this film and beyond. You've got some other cool stuff. You shot Cowboy, I think, with Ben Foster, who he's the real deal.

• 36:53Speaker 02

  Yeah, he's awesome. Yeah, he's awesome.

• 36:56Josh Horowitz?

  So, I mean, talk to me in terms of like, I don't know, do you feel like you have specific goals in mind in terms of like this next chapter of your career, of the kind of roles you want to do, the kind of people you want to work with, the kind of genres you want to dance in?

• 37:09Speaker 02

  Okay, I can give you two answers. Like, there's like the, there's like the, okay, that's clickbait, and then that's like...

• 37:16Josh Horowitz?

  I'll take both.

• 37:16Speaker 02

  We'll take both. The truthful answer right out of the gates is like, anything that's soulful. If a script is soulful and also the team behind it, it's like, okay, let's, let's commit to this. And I actually think Reminders of him had a very soulful message and everyone on it just had that same goal. And stories like that. And there's a lot of them out there, but I think to get on the same page is a lot easier said than done. And then I can give you like the, yeah, this character I would love to play.

• 37:46Josh Horowitz?

  Let's do it. We can manifest this.

• 37:48Speaker 02

  Probably can't do it anymore and I, maybe there's a way to do it. Peter Pan would be so fun. Peter Pan would be so fun. I'm too old for it, but.

• 37:59Josh Horowitz?

  You can do it. You're like 14 going on 28.

• 38:02Speaker 02

  Going on 30.

• 38:06Josh Horowitz?

  He'll never grow up. Was that, was that always a character that like intrigued you, Peter Pan?

• 38:09Speaker 02

  Definitely as a kid, I loved to just like, like the woods, like one of the woods. Imagining, I remember as a kid just running through the woods and being like, ah, yeah, I'm Peter Pan. That makes sense. And like, I think there's a way to do it, like Hook, like Robin made a Hook that's like older, but maybe there's like a middle aged.

• 38:27Josh Horowitz?

  You're not quite middle aged.

• 38:27Speaker 02

  No, no, Robin is middle aged in that. Sorry, sorry.

• 38:30Josh Horowitz?

  Pre-middle aged.

• 38:31Speaker 02

  Pre-middle aged, yeah. Uh, young, I guess, young adult, young adult, Peter Pan.

• 38:37Josh Horowitz?

  Is the superhero thing of at all interest in like, in your age group, I've, I've kind of gone through this the last 10 years where like five or 10 years ago, it was like, everybody was dying to be a superhero. And now it's like, it seems like a little less so or not. I mean, they're going to be casting the X-Men. Everybody in your age group is going to be going up for that kind of stuff. Is that on your radar? Is that something that intrigues you at all?

• 38:56Speaker 02

  Sure. I mean, I'll always take a look at it. I'll always like be curious to see what they see me as. And there's been a few talks here and there, a few meetings, but in terms of like, if that came across my table with, um, like the TT thing.

• 39:15Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 39:17Speaker 02

  I'm taking the TT thing.

• 39:18Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, the experience. Who in your, in your peer group, whether you know them personally or not, is like doing it right?

• 39:24Speaker 02

  Whoa.

• 39:25Josh Horowitz?

  In terms of like how they've navigated, because again, I think of something like Drew, who like, you know, I mean,

• 39:30Speaker 02

  Yeah, he's crushing it.

• 39:31Josh Horowitz?

  You know, Luca and Queer, I mean, amazing. And like, and now he's all these great opportunities.

• 39:37Josh Horowitz?

  Whether you know him or not, like what's the, what's like kind of the model for you right now of how to steer a career?

• 39:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, you know, that's a great question. Um.

• 39:47Speaker 02

  I really enjoy seeing the growth in Adam Driver and how he was, you know, before.

• 39:55Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, he was girls, girls guy.

• 39:56Speaker 02

  Girl, yeah, yeah, he's good. Yeah. And then he was so good in that. And then he was. Star Wars king. And it was just like, wait, this trajectory of things. And then like seeing his, the stuff that followed, I, I really look up to him. Um, and just love the variation of what he does. Cause yeah, I just love this, how he shaped his career.

• 40:15Josh Horowitz?

  Do you get starstruck at all? Like if you work with, have you worked with actors that?

• 40:19Speaker 02

  I would like to say no, like I would love to be like, no, no one's like.

• 40:26Speaker 02

  I don't want to name drop right now. I don't want to do that, but it is, it is something that I'm like, no, I don't want to do that. Uh.

• 40:33Josh Horowitz?

  You're in a safe space. You can.

• 40:34Speaker 02

  You're in a safe space, uh, recorded.

• 40:36Josh Horowitz?

  On camera.

• 40:37Speaker 02

  Yeah, on camera. It was a really fun night. I was able to speak to Al Pacino and.

• 40:42Josh Horowitz?

  There you go. See, I brought him up first.

• 40:44Speaker 02

  Yeah, no, and it was he, he's, you know, king of Shakespeare. So it's like, um, asking him Shakespeare questions was so fun. And I, I felt like I held it together. I was just like.

• 40:55Speaker 02

  Thanks for the advice, Al. Love you, Al. Dab him up.

• 41:00Josh Horowitz?

  Good luck with the rest of your career. I haven't seen your work, but I'm sure you're great.

• 41:04Speaker 02

  One of the same, one of the same. No, it was awesome.

• 41:07Josh Horowitz?

  That's amazing.

• 41:07Speaker 02

  It's really cool.

• 41:08Josh Horowitz?

  Filmmaker, what about the shortlist of filmmakers? Is there a filmmaker you're?

• 41:12Speaker 02

  Oh, there's so many. I mean, Chloe Zhao right now is crushing it and like.

• 41:18Speaker 02

  There's a bunch of young filmmakers coming up that I really would love to work with. Um, and obviously there's the greats, you know? I mean, Nolan.

• 41:27Josh Horowitz?

  The PTAs, the Anders, the Wes Andersons, the PT Andersons.

• 41:31Speaker 02

  And you can be like, love to work with them. And it's like, doesn't everyone?

• 41:36Josh Horowitz?

  That's okay. That's okay.

• 41:38Speaker 02

  But yeah.

• 41:39Josh Horowitz?

  So in terms of, you said you had a good audition today?

• 41:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 41:43Josh Horowitz?

  So that's a good, that's.

• 41:45Speaker 02

  Yeah, no, auditioning in New York is not the same as the auditioning in LA. Maybe some, I don't know. It feels. It feels like New York's like knows the the circuit. I'm touching this for good luck. Where it's just like.

• 41:58Josh Horowitz?

  Your phone's gonna buzz. I got the part. Thanks for the crystal.

• 42:01Speaker 02

  You jinxed it. Um, no, it just feels like it's like a hey, like.

• 42:07Josh Horowitz?

  A little less of like song and dance a little.

• 42:08Speaker 02

  Yeah, do the job. Let's do the job and it it I like that actually. I like the pressure um to get it done once.

• 42:16Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 42:16Speaker 02

  I actually love that. Uh, and like some people will disagree with me on that. We're just like, okay, but it's like, no, if you're up on stage, you got one shot. So like, make it count.

• 42:27Josh Horowitz?

  So you like that pressure?

• 42:28Speaker 02

  I love it. I love that pressure.

• 42:30Josh Horowitz?

  You're built for the theater. You're you gotta do it.

• 42:33Speaker 02

  Yeah, I mean, it was a nice, again, toe dipping into the water.

• 42:39Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 42:39Speaker 02

  At the A R T uh doing Romeo and Juliet and I had so much fun. The cast was so fun and we just had a blast. Again, freeing like as much as Shakespeare can be, which is not very freeing, but like it's we they we changed motions. We didn't that's really what you can do and then let's just like connect and live it. And um something I do want to say is that like, sure Romeo and Juliet are like the king and queen of the chess story.

• 43:06Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 43:07Speaker 02

  But like, what I love about that story is that like the pawn sacrifices itself. Or let's take Macchusio as like the knight kills himself or kills him. Tibal, it's just like it changes everything and um that's I think to answer your story and like, what kind of stories I want to tell. It's like a chess game of stories. If like I can be just even just the pawn.

• 43:31Josh Horowitz?

  Part of the group.

• 43:32Speaker 02

  In a in a chess game of a movie.

• 43:34Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 43:34Speaker 02

  Uh, that would be, that's where I want to be. Um, and just even if a pawn.

• 43:41Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 43:41Speaker 02

  Sacrifices himself, the whole movie could change.

• 43:44Josh Horowitz?

  That that that is the smartest strategy I've found in talking to actors over the years is just like surround yourself with the best, whether it's the great filmmaker, great cast, great story.

• 43:53Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:53Josh Horowitz?

  The part is important. Don't get me wrong.

• 43:55Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:55Josh Horowitz?

  But the whole is bigger than the.

• 43:58Speaker 02

  The whole, the whole story is what the the goal is.

• 44:00Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 44:01Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 44:02Josh Horowitz?

  Um, all right, we're gonna end with this. You've survived your first podcast. You're almost there. How you feel?

• 44:07Speaker 02

  I feel safe.

• 44:09Josh Horowitz?

  Earned the crystal. Uh, we end with the profoundly random questions for you, Rudy. Ready?

• 44:13Speaker 02

  Yeah, hit me.

• 44:14Josh Horowitz?

  Dog or dogs or cats?

• 44:17Speaker 02

  I'm a dog person, I have to say it.

• 44:19Josh Horowitz?

  I'm a dog person too.

• 44:20Speaker 02

  My partner's a cat person, so rough life.

• 44:22Josh Horowitz?

  How's that going?

• 44:23Speaker 02

  You know what, she's actually said, she's actually said, "I want both at, at, at the same time, if possible."

• 44:29Josh Horowitz?

  You grew up with dogs?

• 44:30Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 44:31Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 44:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 44:32Josh Horowitz?

  Uh, what do you collect?

• 44:34Speaker 02

  Pokemon cards.

• 44:37Josh Horowitz?

  Peter Pan, you're a kid.

• 44:39Speaker 02

  No, I, I collect all kinds of things, even got a coin collection, I really do. No, yeah, collect, uh, good times. Good times.

• 44:46Josh Horowitz?

  Do you collect things from roles? Like, do you have any Outer Banks stuff you kept, or?

• 44:50Speaker 02

  Sure, yeah, I mean, I, I try to get, like, from Uncharted, I kept, actually, this is gonna sound gross. I kept the bubble gum, not used.

• 44:58Josh Horowitz?

  Mark Wahlberg's?

• 45:01Speaker 02

  He, like, pops in a bubble gum and not, I didn't keep that one, it's like the stick of it. And I thought that that's what the brothers bonded over, was this bubble gum. And that's the, I kept that, uh, JJ's boots I kept, uh, for, I'm trying to think of the other role that I kept something from. Yeah, no, uh, Scotty kept this, like, little necklace.

• 45:23Josh Horowitz?

  Nice.

• 45:23Speaker 02

  Um, yeah, it's, I try to keep one thing from each character.

• 45:26Josh Horowitz?

  Was there ever, by the way, Uncharted, was there ever hope of coming back?

• 45:30Speaker 02

  I still hope so. I actually was able to ask Tom that recently.

• 45:33Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah?

• 45:33Speaker 02

  And Tom was like, "We'll see." I'm like, "You're right, you're too busy, man."

• 45:38Josh Horowitz?

  Spider-Man thing. Uncharted was a huge hit. People forget, like, how big that movie was.

• 45:43Speaker 02

  Yeah, and I was, I was hoping, I was hoping, and still am.

• 45:45Josh Horowitz?

  But that was part of the idea, I would imagine, when you signed on. I mean, obviously, you're, again, kind of like reminders of him, your character was like, even when you weren't on screen, it was like about your character.

• 45:53Speaker 02

  You're right, you're right. Didn't even put that together. Thank you, Josh. Yeah, I'm always in the background.

• 45:59Josh Horowitz?

  Uh, this is the Dakota Johnson memorial question. She asked me this. I ask everybody, would you rather have a mouthful of these or one be in your butt?

• 46:06Speaker 02

  Tough one.

• 46:07Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, I know.

• 46:10Speaker 02

  Bee in my mouth.

• 46:11Josh Horowitz?

  It's it's gonna be a mouthful of bees, lots of bees.

• 46:15Speaker 02

  Like, like, like, not to, like, we're talking like twenty?

• 46:17Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, it's gonna fill it up.

• 46:18Speaker 02

  Okay, well then, never mind.

• 46:21Josh Horowitz?

  There's no wrong answer. There's really no right answer.

• 46:23Speaker 02

  How long is it in? How, how, how long is it in there?

• 46:26Josh Horowitz?

  Let's say a minute.

• 46:27Speaker 02

  Minute?

• 46:28Josh Horowitz?

  Solid sixty seconds.

• 46:29Speaker 02

  All right. No, I'm still sticking with bees in my mouth. I think I've seen that before, so I'm sticking with that.

• 46:35Josh Horowitz?

  Fair enough. Do you have a favorite video game of all time?

• 46:39Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, I have a favorite. I will say Mario Kart, the first Mario Kart. Uh, I see, I think Silver, Pokemon Silver is on there, though, too. It's pretty neck and neck.

• 46:48Josh Horowitz?

  Okay. Uh, what's the wallpaper on your phone?

• 46:51Speaker 02

  Oh. It is.

• 46:53Josh Horowitz?

  Exclusive.

• 46:54Speaker 02

  No, no, no, don't worry. Um, my butt. No, uh, this is the skiff my family had growing up, and that's off our cabin that's in the middle of nowhere.

• 47:03Josh Horowitz?

  I love it.

• 47:04Speaker 02

  In Alaska.

• 47:04Josh Horowitz?

  Gorgeous.

• 47:05Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 47:06Josh Horowitz?

  Um, who's the last actor you were mistaken for?

• 47:11Speaker 02

  I don't know.

• 47:12Josh Horowitz?

  Ever happen?

• 47:13Speaker 02

  I, I mean. Uh, yeah, I actually, I, I don't know. I don't get out much. No, uh, no, I, I, I don't, I don't have an answer for that. I don't know. I mean, it's definitely out there.

• 47:25Josh Horowitz?

  What happens with, tell me this, a fan that does recognize you, and presumably it is probably an Outer Banks, like.

• 47:31Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 47:32Josh Horowitz?

  Aficionado.

• 47:33Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 47:33Josh Horowitz?

  Is it an intense kind of interaction generally? Like, what happens when they, when they clock you?

• 47:38Speaker 02

  No, for the most part, it's usually just, and actually, I really love it. I really appreciate when someone just says, hey, I love, I loved you on that, or hey, I appreciate your work. And it's usually, for the most times, that that's what it is. Like, I mean, you're gonna get variation here and there, for sure. If you go to, uh.

• 47:55Josh Horowitz?

  Concentration of a certain kind of person.

• 47:56Speaker 02

  Yeah, a young person's birthday party, it might be a little different, but, yeah.

• 48:00Josh Horowitz?

  Are you crashing young people's birthday parties?

• 48:02Speaker 02

  No, that's not on my agenda.

• 48:05Josh Horowitz?

  Hey, guys.

• 48:05Speaker 02

  Hey, hey.

• 48:07Josh Horowitz?

  You might remember me from.

• 48:08Speaker 02

  Thanks for booking me, yeah.

• 48:09Josh Horowitz?

  It's a side hustle.

• 48:10Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 48:11Josh Horowitz?

  Um, and then, oh, actually, no, here's one before this. Uh, what's the worst noted director has ever given you?

• 48:19Speaker 02

  Okay, I have a hot take. It's not.

• 48:24Speaker 02

  This might be a hot, this is a hot take.

• 48:26Josh Horowitz?

  The hottest take of the pod.

• 48:27Speaker 02

  Probably, and it's a great last question.

• 48:29Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 48:29Speaker 02

  When they say throw it away.

• 48:33Speaker 02

  Have you heard that one?

• 48:33Josh Horowitz?

  Of course.

• 48:34Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, throw it away.

• 48:35Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 48:36Speaker 02

  I go. Yeah, but throw away how?

• 48:39Josh Horowitz?

  Right. Like.

• 48:41Speaker 02

  And I don't wanna be one of those actors. And I know exactly what they mean. I know exactly, like, don't put anything on it.

• 48:47Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 48:47Speaker 02

  Like, I could literally just be like. If I was just to say the line, throw it up. Like, this is with it with like crazy, too over the top, throw it away. Then, and then like, this is it without, it's like, throw it away. And it, like, I know what he means. But. There's still an intention with throwing it away.

• 49:04Josh Horowitz?

  Right, the intention is not to do anything.

• 49:05Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's like, don't think about it. It's like, it's like. Uh. Vaguely, or like, like, give it an adverb, and that's how I would, that's what I mean by how. And so. I, a lot of directors are gonna be like, oh. That's what I usually say, but, uh, but no, I don't, I don't like the note, throw it away. I think there's a different way.

• 49:25Josh Horowitz?

  Even nothing is a choice.

• 49:26Speaker 02

  Yeah. Don't do anything. Don't do anything is even better than that, but like. Um. Feel nothing. Uh. Uh. Yeah. Uh, be numb.

• 49:38Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 49:38Speaker 02

  You know, like, there's all those things of words, like, if you said that. Oh, numb. Throw it away. You know? You know?

• 49:47Josh Horowitz?

  What's your favorite kind of direction?

• 49:49Speaker 02

  Ah.

• 49:50Josh Horowitz?

  What do you like to hear from a director? Is it, is it just?

• 49:52Speaker 02

  That can vary, and I, I truly mean this, it can be from like, studying, like, something, uh, like, uh, before I do a scene or do a, a specific, uh, take.

• 50:02Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 50:02Speaker 02

  They like. Here's a song, uh, or I have a song, uh, and, uh, or, and then if it's just verbal, like, letting me know, it's like, um.

• 50:14Speaker 02

  It could just be one word of like, and when I can adverb of like aggressively.

• 50:20Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 50:20Speaker 02

  Or like excitedly.

• 50:22Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 50:22Speaker 02

  Uh.

• 50:24Josh Horowitz?

  Angry.

• 50:24Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. You are doing this this way.

• 50:28Josh Horowitz?

  Right.

• 50:28Speaker 02

  And uh, give it that and give it a new color. I also, I love it when a director says a color. I love that. And that actually happened on reminders of him.

• 50:39Josh Horowitz?

  So what does that mean? Like, give me an example.

• 50:40Speaker 02

  Ness would say like, if Scotty's yellow.

• 50:43Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 50:44Speaker 02

  This is a scene. Give him a little blue in this one.

• 50:48Josh Horowitz?

  So what does that mean?

• 50:49Speaker 02

  Blue, you know, you're, I would say, and maybe that's just me, I'm weird, but it's like, I understand like, blue, there's this, you know, I'm feeling blue, but then like, there's this anxiety and I think that's blue.

• 51:02Josh Horowitz?

  Okay.

• 51:02Speaker 02

  Give it a little anxiety and like, that's how I see, hear that. And when I hear blue, I'm like, okay. Give it a little anxiety here, but what about? And that's for me to figure out.

• 51:11Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah. Well, I guess the point is it's whatever just like fires something in your brain.

• 51:14Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:15Josh Horowitz?

  It can be anything, whether it's a color.

• 51:16Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:17Josh Horowitz?

  An adverb, as you say.

• 51:17Speaker 02

  Orange is explosive and energy and like, you, you give it that color and then you're like, whoa, cool.

• 51:23Josh Horowitz?

  Now I can mix up my brain and see what comes out.

• 51:24Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:25Josh Horowitz?

  I like it. Okay. And in the spirit of happy, second fuse, an actor who always makes you happy. You see them on screen, you're in a better mood.

• 51:32Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 51:32Josh Horowitz?

  What do you got?

• 51:34Speaker 02

  Um, Robin Williams.

• 51:36Josh Horowitz?

  He comes up a lot.

• 51:37Speaker 02

  Yeah, he should.

• 51:38Josh Horowitz?

  He should. Movie that makes you sad.

• 51:41Speaker 02

  Wrong. Not just wrong, uh. Sad?

• 51:46Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 51:49Speaker 02

  The pursuit of happiness isn't sad. Uh, ooh, there's a movie called collateral damage.

• 51:55Josh Horowitz?

  Oh yeah, I remember that one.

• 51:56Speaker 02

  That's a sad movie.

• 51:57Josh Horowitz?

  Another Will Smith one, right?

• 51:58Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:58Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, yeah. And a food that makes you confused. You don't get it.

• 52:02Speaker 02

  A food?

• 52:03Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah.

• 52:05Speaker 02

  Oh. I thought I had this the other day. I was thinking about this. I was eating, I was eating, this, this food doesn't make any sense to me. Um, a food does that confuses me.

• 52:17Speaker 02

  Uh, man, this is the hardest question so far.

• 52:21Josh Horowitz?

  Yeah, I saved literally the hardest one. Something like that you just don't get. You know, for me, it's like, get that sour cream away from anything I, you know, I'm not just not into it. Beets.

• 52:32Speaker 02

  Yeah, uh.

• 52:34Josh Horowitz?

  You'll eat anything, Rudy.

• 52:35Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'll eat absolutely anything. Um, octopus pancakes. Go for it.

• 52:41Josh Horowitz?

  Oh, that's.

• 52:41Speaker 02

  That's, that doesn't, that confuses me.

• 52:43Josh Horowitz?

  Does that come up often in your life? People trying to give you octopus?

• 52:45Speaker 02

  It happened once.

• 52:47Josh Horowitz?

  But it made an impact, didn't it?

• 52:48Speaker 02

  It made an impact. And it confused the shit out of me.

• 52:51Josh Horowitz?

  See, you arrived at the perfect answer. It was worth the wait.

• 52:54Speaker 02

  Yes, sir. Yes, Josh.

• 52:56Josh Horowitz?

  Um, Rudy, thanks so much for stopping by, my man. Congratulations on the film.

• 53:00Speaker 02

  Thank you, Josh.

• 53:00Josh Horowitz?

  The career's just getting started. I'm excited to see you at this juncture.

• 53:03Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 53:04Josh Horowitz?

  And now we'll be able to compare and contrast.

• 53:05Speaker 02

  Yeah, and let Daniel know I'm here. So like, you know, we'll be, we'll, we'll go see him.

• 53:09Josh Horowitz?

  There it is.

• 53:09Speaker 02

  We'll go see him together.

• 53:10Josh Horowitz?

  There it is. Thanks, buddy. Thanks for the time.

• 53:12Speaker 02

  Thanks, man.

• 53:14Speaker 03

  And so ends another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't pressured to do this by Josh.

• 53:32Speaker 04

  For eight years, we've been asking the same question over and over again. How did this happen? My name's Mandy. And I'm Melissa, and we're the hosts of Moms and Mysteries, the true crime podcast with over 55 million downloads. We're two Florida moms who are obsessed with mysteries. Each week, we do deep dives into fascinating true crime stories. We cover everything from infamous cases like Casey Anthony to the bizarre and complex crimes right here in our home state, like the shocking murder of FSU professor Dan Markel. We bring you the facts, but with warmth and width you'd only get from two friends who have been hooked on mysteries since childhood. Join us for new episodes of Moms and Mysteries every Tuesday and Thursday. Listen to Moms and Mysteries on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.