This week, we’re taking a summer rewind as Tommy revisits a fan-favorite episode with Noah LaLonde from My Life with the Walter Boys. This is a deep, introspective side of Noah like you’ve never heard before. Today, he opens up about why the show resonates with multiple generations, the personal ways in which he felt an immediate connection to Cole when he auditioned for the role, and the unforgettable way he found out he got the part.Noah also shares why the journey is just as important as the destination, why he put in his two weeks instead of quitting when he booked his dream role, how he dug into the many layers of Cole, and the pressure he felt to get the character just right. Noah also gets candid about adjusting to a new level of attention on his career and personal life, that infamous blonde Cole hair, what he hopes for Cole in future seasons, why every single person in this world matters, and so much more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario. Season three of My Life with
the Walter Boys is out right now, and the show
is like comfort soup for the soul. It is so
good and I know so many people were so excited
for this to drop. One of my favorite interviews I've
ever done on the show is with Noah Lalande, who
(00:22):
of course plays Cole Walter. He's such a deep and
thoughtful guy who really leads his life with gratitude for
everything that he's achieving. So I wanted to re air
this conversation because if you haven't heard it, it's a
great way to get to know one of your favorite
actors a little better, a little more intimately. And if
you have heard it, I promise you're going to discover
something new when you listen again. There are so many good,
little golden nuggets of wisdom. I love this so much,
(00:45):
And a big shout out to Travelgar, my personal sponsor
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(01:06):
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the game when it comes to traveling peacefully. All right,
let's see if today we can get Noah to say
something that he has never said before.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Know hm on man, how you doing today?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I'm doing very well.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Congrats to do on all the success.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Of course, your show has I feel like taken over
the countries, taken over the world by storm, my life
with the Walter Boys. It is such a fun, feel good, dramatic,
juicy show that I feel like people have been craving,
especially on Netflix with the departure of some other shows
in that same genre. And it's really, really, really been
(01:55):
something that the fandom has gone crazy over. So for
everybody listening right now and for maybe those who haven't
had a chance to check out the show yet, how
would you describe it? Being so close to the show,
how would one of these stars of the show say
what this is about.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Thank you first and foremost for saying those kind things.
I would describe it similarly to that. I think it's
a show that has a lot of elements to it,
a lot of elements that can appeal separately to a
lot of different sectors of people. You have, of course,
which I think if you go to the internet you
(02:30):
can see there's some love triangle dialogue that takes place.
There is this navigation of tragedy that is from the
very first scene when we pick up with Jackie, you
see that taking place, and then you see a lot
of real life things going on. You know, in anycoming
of age story, but this one, you feel the presence
(02:50):
of the parents, you feel the presence of the community
and the school, and you know, one of the cool
things about our show, and one of the things that
I'll use to answer your question is I saw this quote.
I think it was our show runner Melanie who said
she wanted to make a show that like a fifteen
year old daughter could watch with her forty five year
old father and both sides could be equally as entertained
(03:14):
and engaged. And I think it's kind of a nice
way to encapsulate like, there are parts that are warm
and that make you feel good, and that maybe cater
to a younger audience. And then I think there are
probably parts that are our real life, you know, tribulations,
real life things that you know, the older generation will
(03:35):
feel a certain amount of care because they had to
go through that as a kid, or they're now parenting
someone going through that. So that's my description of our show.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well said, Well said, there is something for everybody in
the show, that's for sure, and I think one of
the reasons why it's so successful and for you, how
badly did you want to be a part of this show.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
As soon as I read the character description of Cole,
I would it was very intrigued because there was some
mirroring aspects to his His character hit where he was
in his timeline to where my timeline was at that age.
Kind of navigating the loss of athletic career was the
(04:18):
biggest thing. I was a hockey player, and I that
was kind of my full on identity for a long time.
And when you stop playing, it defines your life for
an extended period of time. And that's exactly what he's
going through, except it's not his choice and it's injury related,
and you know, I wasn't the best quarterback in all
(04:38):
of my hometown Macomb County. But just kind of felt
like you get a lot of characters who are one
side of what Cole was, you know, the the kind
of jerk like jock who gets the girls and stuff.
You get a lot of like that side. But Cole
was this guy you had this step to him because
(04:59):
he he'sdn't navigating a loss of his own and he's
feeling real feelings for Jackie and for himself. He's having
a hard time feeling for So I was very excited
to play Cole Walter and in turn be a part
of the show.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah. You just touched on a bunch of different things.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
So for one, as an actor, you get a lot
of auditions, You get a lot of material to memorize,
put on tape, you know, wait to hear if you
got it.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Most of the time, you don't.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
As artists, right, there's so many auditions you get and
you just kind of put it out there and you
don't hear back. And this was one I gather that
felt a little more personal to you. You really seem
to have wanted this one.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Right, Yeah, absolutely, and it makes every step of that
process mean even more. So many things about being an
actor is waiting and theorizing and hoping, and you send
off your audition tape or you walk out of that
audition room and it's just you don't know. You know,
(06:00):
you get feedback here and there, but you know, I
remember I did my tape for Cole and the first
callback for me was Okay, now we're in this realm
of something else has happened. We've done in the first
part one hundred times, but not something else has happened.
(06:22):
And then you get to a chemistry read and I remember,
you know, tying in my dad and my mom and
my closest circle, like, yeah, I got a chemistry read
coming up. And it's so exciting on so many levels
because you're trying to balance out how amazing that is.
And I remember, after everything the chemistry read, every call
(06:45):
with my manager, and I just liked to call my
dad and he'd be like, well, now what I'd be like, Dad,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
And I love that you found out about this role.
I believe when you were working in your restaurant, right
were you doing the love shift and you got to
call tell me that story, because that's so that you
had weeks and weeks and weeks of waiting and working
and auditioning, and then in a second your life changed.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
The story of how I got the uh I got
the part? I like I said, to put ourselves right
back in the seat of getting these calls and being
really excited and select group of people know about what's
going on. And at this point we're in the stage
of having a test deal, which I'm sure you know
(07:34):
what it is, but for the listeners or viewers, that's
basically when they showed you your contract what it is.
If you get it and a few people have that,
and then they take you to the final stage and
you either audition or they review your tapes at the
highest level and they decide. So basically I found out
(07:55):
that I had this deal, and for a week, you're
just waiting, like you know, what could happen in your
life where you're going to be living for how long?
Like everything about this, but you don't know if you've
got it, and you're just waiting for someone else to
decide at the end of the day. So for me,
like you just you have to do something else, So
(08:16):
I just try to keep my schedule the same. I
go to the gym every single day I go to work.
I just try to stay sane. Mind. My my parents
are My Dad's called me. He's like anything or anything, Dad,
I would tell you.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
If I heard anything.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
So all this is happening. And I'm working at BJ's
Restaurant brew House in Woodland Hills, California. And it's a
quiet lunch shift, but I know that I can. I'm
waiting news at all time, so my pocket like I'm
getting those ghost vibrations in my pocket at all times.
And my manager calls me and she says quickly, She's like,
(08:56):
did you see your email? And I was like, no,
what did I get? Like, I mean, I flew to
the back room. Oh my god. She's like, yeah, they
something about your The last Zoom audition, just like what
we're doing now, the connection cut out and it wasn't
high enough resolution or quality to like send all the
(09:16):
way through. So they need you to read like that
scene again. They said you don't have to be fully prepared.
They just they just like want like they need you.
They need you doing it side by side or whatever.
So I'm like, what do you mean, I'm I'm at work.
I'm wearing my black button down shirt with a couple
(09:36):
like stains on it. I'm sweaty. It's hot. It's super
hot in La in March, and so I ran out
to my car and I set out my phone like
on the dash, and I'm trying to like, okay, can
I make this salvageable? In my head thinking oh my gosh,
this means I must be they must need this because
I'm either close or I'm about to ruin everything. So
(10:00):
I get on zoom with the with the casting department.
One forecasting apartment changed my life forever, and they're like, oh, no,
thanks so much for coming on at such short notice.
We appreciate it. Yeah, she's gonna be do you have
the sides? I'm like, usually I could set my phone
up on my laptop and look at the sides, but
I don't have my laptop. I'm at work, so I'm like, nah,
(10:22):
I don't have the size. I can pull them up.
Can you really send it to me? Like everything is
going wrong? And she said, well, you know you might
be okay, because we just wanted to call and tell
you that you actually got the part.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
It was like, oh my God.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
You're reliving it. I see you reliving.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
It, and I feel that. And and it was the
defining moment of my maybe life, but if not my
life the last eight years. And and you know, it
took it doesn't feel like took that long, but it
was such a long road to there, and so many
(11:04):
people were a part of it. I cannot stress this enough.
So many people were a part of it. So I was,
you know, so thrilled to get this news. And so
I called my parents. I think they were both home,
and I got them on the phone and I told
him and it was just.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Oh my god, that moment, that moment must have been incredible.
And so did you then go in and just continue
working with your tables?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Well I did. I put all these I put all
these amazing conversations my manager. I put them on rush
and I was like, hey, I gotta get back mind you,
right before I got the call, I might have skipped
as part of at a crucial time, but right before
I got the call, I had one take, you know,
one to rush. At some of these places are is
nothing uh not not BJ's. There's always a crowded room.
But this particular day, there was one older gentleman in
(11:53):
the bar in the bar area, and he ordered it.
He ordered a burger and Uh. I placed the order,
I went out to my car, I came back, put
him to the counter it was there, came down, dropped
it off at his table and he was like, thank
you very much, and I was just like, you're welcome.
(12:13):
But nothing was different to anybody except for me in
the six people who had been contacted at that point.
There's something special about that that I haven't quite articulated about,
that moment of everything changing but nothing changing, and remembering
that we're all like we're all walking around on the
(12:33):
same earth.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
And there was.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
These synchronicities leading up to I mean, I remember I
think it was the day of or the day before.
I was talking to my best friend who knew about
all of this. A shout out to my best friend Alex.
He we had FaceTime all the time, Like and I
would go to the gym, I wouldn't quite have the
energy yet, so I just put him on FaceTime and
we'd talk for like fifteen minutes. It'd be like a
(12:59):
like a pre workout. We just laughed for a while
and chat and I remember telling him I would it
be interested to see how close this was. I was like,
I got the part. He's like, what, you got it?
And I was like, well, not technically, but I did
get it. And he was like, what are you talking about.
I'm driving to work one day or back from the gym,
(13:20):
and I look over and there's this new sweet food.
I love baked goods, cookies. I love these. My friend
Alex and I also share this love. So I'm driving
by and all of a sudden, this new cookie shop
is going up one mile from my house and the
sign gets put up and it says Walter's Cookie Cafe. No,
(13:43):
And I was just like, and maybe that's nothing, right.
I like to look into these things.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
No, that's something I called him.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I was like, hey, dude, I got the part. This
is a sign. I got it, and I did. Within
twenty four to forty eight hours of that one to
two business days after that, I got it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
So I one hundred percent believe in synchronicities. And if
you're open and not necessarily looking, but just a very
open person, then you will get signs exactly like you did.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
And I think that's so cool. And what I love
about all of this is I.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Think it's such an interesting story how you found out
at work and you went back to work and you
kept kind of the secret to close family and friends
for a while. Is you are very much someone who
lives in the present moment and you don't want to
You don't want to uproot your life, you know, in
this completely three hundred and sixty degree way, and become
(14:36):
something suddenly that is bigger than you. And you want
to feel things, experience things. And I think that's really cool.
You don't always hear that, and I think you'll carry
that attitude with you for a really long time. And man,
thank god you got that phone call, because I know
(14:58):
a lot of the fans cannot imagine anybody else playing
Cole the way you played, and you touched on it earlier. Yes,
he's the jock. He's What I love about how you
played him is he's very easily could be the stereotype.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
He could be just the one.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Sided, popular, cool guy that all the bros want to
hang out with and all the girls have a crush
on and he's kind of a dick, and but no,
like there's so many layers to him. And as you say,
it's because you identify with a huge loss in his
life that you also had. So I think that's pretty
cool that you brought that feeling and that emotion and
that side to a character that maybe not other artists
(15:33):
would have.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Yeah, well thank you for starters, because it's an honor
to who you say that and to have people resonate
with Cole And I do think you're right. I was
very worried about. You know, this is definitely the first
sizable job that I've ever had as an actor. So
I mean I've had jobs, but never to where you're
(15:57):
held to that level of accountability, to where you're you know,
you're living there for five months at a time. You're
bringing a full life to a person and that comes
with a lot of work. But the worry came from
some of those stereotypes. It's like there's a thing in
this show called the coal effect. If you want to
(16:17):
approach that delicately, I could like hear my friends back
home being like, oh yeah, you think you're cute homepal
like like you know, So, I don't know, I think
there's there are a lot of ways to get kind
of trapped in that side of it. But I don't think,
you know, I've explained this to to a certain extent,
(16:40):
But the character is is he's a shell of himself
and he's clinging to what he was when he was
the man, when he was the star, and he's he's
drifting through this life where people like view him as
that still kind of out of pity, and you know,
he's like clinging on to what he can and not
(17:03):
remembering who he is. And we all know that feeling
is when things are changing and you wake up one
day and it's like what am I doing? Like where
am I? In? High school is a scary time, and
falling in love is a scary thing. And in the
first time, I mean first time. I don't know how
(17:24):
many times people have fallen on these days, but every
time you fall in love, it's terrifying because it opens
the door for something that can destroy you, like especially
when you can't define it. So you're feeling so broken
and you're feeling so hurt by your circumstances. What could
(17:45):
make that more complicated and difficult? How about somebody who
is dealing with the greatest loss of all, but who,
in spite of all of that, is providing this light
at the end of the tunnel for you, and you're
just naturally drawn to this person. You're naturally onto the
energy that they give off, this energy, this healing energy.
And for for Cole, I think that's the first thing
(18:08):
Jackie does. You know, he's gonna he's gonna river her
and he's gonna kind of give her a hard time,
but it's undeniable to feel her her perseverance, her like
approach to life that is like, I'm not gonna let
anything get me. I'm going to continue to stay on
my path when Cole all but you know, throws the
(18:29):
path out the window. And it was really awesome to
bring him to life. And I'm over the moon to
be continuing to bring I mean, to go back for
another season and continue to tell this story is amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Which, by the way, I mean, I believe that news
broke only two weeks after the show premiered on Netflix,
which is kind of unheard of. I mean, that's a
really really fast turnaround for everybody listening.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
That just is not the norm.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yes, the show, you know, hit number one, and it
was super popular and multi multi millions of people watched it.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
But to get that.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
News two weeks or so after, I mean, how did
that feel? Because that is so not the normal.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Like, okay, so all these things I mean, you keep saying,
like the how big the show was, how many people
have watched it, how quickly this is? And I can
I know, I hear what you're saying, and I've heard
this from other sources and I've read this, and the
proof is in. We got a season two quickly. But
(19:32):
it's hard to wrap your head around. It's a I think,
well because of a few things. One because it's very
much you feel things electronically like in internet internet wise,
you feel it on the Internet, like you can go
on Instagram or TikTok and and you can feel like, oh,
(19:54):
so there are people talking about our show. There are
people watching the show. And I cannot stress this enough.
And I remind myself this every day. I am not
my accomplishments or my career or the amount of people
that have watched the show. I find that, you know,
I don't know if I thought I would change, or
(20:15):
like you hear stories about people who you know they
get a little bit of a grain of success or
fame is an interesting word, but for the sake of
talking about other people, I'll use it they get a
little bit of this and people say, oh, he changed,
or she got a big head and she decided to
not you know, stick to who she is. I don't
(20:35):
feel changed as a person by this, but you can
tell there are like I feel a change from the outside.
I feel a change one degree of separation, Like when
a friend tells me, hey, like my boss said, they
loved your show and everybody at work was talking about
(20:56):
it today a friend that works in a hospital, We're
in a surgery and like all the nurses were talking
about Walter Boys and I was like, at the team
at a team Cole, and I'm like, that's that is.
That part is where it's hard to fathom. But as
far as like me on a day to day basis,
(21:17):
I feel an incredible amount of gratitude for the experience
and for what it is brought to the world's one
person has seen it in a time when they needed
to see it, or just one person enjoyed it, or
like it's it doesn't have to be some profound experience
with art. Like I've talked about this, but I use
(21:38):
so many different works of art to connect to times
in my life, whether it be a new album, a
music or a movie a TV showed that month that
you watch four seasons of a TV show, even if
it's Succession, and even if the subject matter is heavy
and dark. I'll never forget the time that I watched Succession,
but like so many other shows, so it guess to me,
(21:59):
it's hard to write head around that numbers wise, because
I get to interact with a bunch of really great
people who now know who I am via the show.
But even though that's an increased number, it's not millions
or billions like I don't. I get a sliver of
a sliver of sliver of that, and it's amazing to
see people react to that and react to me. Although
(22:21):
my my blonde locks are gone, I'm not quite the
high school every day shaved in that. I may have
a people, but.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I don't think people realize that. So you dyed your
hair for it? Yeah yeah, And I don't think everyone truly.
I think people assume you're really that blonde, but you're not.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Yeah, I mean, I think I think in the summertime,
I used to say I got highlights when I was
a little kid. There's some brutal pictures of me out there.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
The frosted tips.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
You know, they weren't intended to be.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
But after my hair dropped a little.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Bit and I didn't maintain it, it didn't look great.
But you know, I get some sunlight hair, it can
become like a dirty blonde. And I rocked with you know,
they do it on set. So when I got back home,
I had like what was left of it. I actually
I came home when I liked it so much, I
went and I read. I kept the collar, I like
(23:15):
redid it because it was kind of, you know, faltering,
and I never got it done again. I just kind
of let it, let it grow through, and that lasted
me a pretty long time. Give me some gave me
a little bit of a whacky and nobody knew who
I was, so it was fine. I could have messed
up colored hair that hadn't been touched. And that was
one of the descriptions I think from the book that
(23:35):
really came through. And the show is close blonde hair
and those moments where it's like hanging just like ever
so slightly over his eyes and you're having to look
through the hair. That was a little ols here, which oh,
for the for the audio listeners, oh this is a
podcast too for the audio listeners. I pulled the strain
(23:57):
on my hair and let it sit ever so slightly
in my eye.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
It was very cinematic, very cinematic.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
So yeah, that and it was fun. I love to
explore different you know, different attributes of your character or
you know, physicality, things that when you when you step
into those their shoes, or you put on those parage
jeans that are a little bit tighter than the actor
maywear in person. I love a nice, a nice baggye.
Jean Cole Walter does not. He keeps them pretty tight.
(24:29):
So yeah, just certain things when you step into it,
you just you take a look in the mirror.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Well, what's so cool, man, is this role was already known,
you know, by the people who read the book, the
best selling novel, of course, and it was your job
as Noah to bring him to life, to respect the
character that was created in the book, but also to
make him your own. And that's no easy feat. And
I think it's really cool that you rose to the
(24:56):
occasion and you did create a character based on and
a character that was already known that made the fandom
so happy. And then maybe people who never read the
book so happy. So that's a very delicate line to straddle.
And you, my friend, you did it, so that must
have felt pretty good too.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Well, oh, thank you very much. When you say it
like that, it sounds really cool, sounds like I'm an
accomplished actor. But I will.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Say, you're just there, loads of fear and like a
desperation and just preparing as much as you can and
just realizing, you know, these opportunities they they can be
so infrequent, and you never know when it's going to
be your last chance.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
And this has been one of my first big chances,
but you never know if it's going to be your
last one. It's like my hometown Detroit Lions. Shout out
to the Detroit Lions, Mortier City, Dan Campbell. I love
this team and it was a great ride this season.
But Dan Campbell said after the season at the Prescott
(26:00):
and he believes in the team, so he doesn't believe this.
He said this, but as good as it feels, as
close as you feel right now, as close as you
feel like you could recreate it, it gets twice as
hard next year. You're never guaranteed to be back in
the same spot. And even if you do, now you're
on people's radar and now people know you could get there.
(26:21):
So what do they do? They prepare harder for you,
they get more ready for you. Everybody's aware of you now,
so now you have to do it. You can't do
it in silence. You got to do it for real.
And all that's to say, it's a privilege to be
an actor and to be able to have a camera
on you and to be able to bring these stories
to life, truly, because so many people spend a lot
(26:43):
of time trying to do it and the chances are
feeling far between. And you know, as a as an actor,
I have so much respect for so many people I
know who have Like I said, I said something earlier
in the interview, and I don't like to discredit like
the amount of hard work that I've had, but there
is no debate. I know people that have worked far
(27:05):
longer and far differently, and I had to make so
many more changes. That's why I don't I don't take
I can't take all the credit for for my my
career because too many people have contributed for me. I'm
the face of you know, you pull up IMDb, I'm
it's me. It is my face, but so many people,
(27:28):
hundreds of people, thousands of experiences, they have created the
person that you're talking to today that has the ability
to be here and to do these things. And so
for that, it's just it's doing your your service to
the craft well.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
And it's obvious you take it very seriously too. And
I don't want you to discredit yourself too, because I
know you said, you know, six or seven years, and
you may not think that sounds like a lot, but
it is a lot of time. And I believe, yes,
are there some lucky situation that happened throughout people's lives
and careers, of course, but you can't have luck if
you're not prepared, because if that luck comes your way
(28:07):
and you're not prepared, guess what, it's not going to
work out for you. So keeping your head down and
doing the work and staying focused and staying motivated are
all the reasons why you are where you are. And
I'm not saying other people who have maybe been at
it for ten or twenty or thirty years haven't done
the work either, But you know, the extreme athletic mentality
of preparation and doing the job is also why you
(28:30):
are where you are, so don't discredit that side either.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
That's I'm careful to talk about it like that because
I think that, especially in this world where there's no blueprint,
if you gave me the script of Leonardo DiCaprio's life
when he was you know, from fifteen on, I could
have done everything the same and had none of the success.
Everybody you have to you have to do this thing
(28:55):
where you allow your own your own authenticity, your own
weakness to guide you. And so I don't discredit myself fully,
I just I have to acknowledge all things and all
the people from you know, my great aunt, sister's third cousin,
(29:16):
Like that's my first connection to living here. So many
people don't have that. I mean, I talk to people
all the time that ask me like, what do you do?
How do you start? You just got to jump? And
I had, like I feel like I had a parachute.
I do. I mean, I have been so supported and
so loved, you know, and my blanket of love and
(29:36):
support has always been so warm that I could nothing
could ever be that bad. And I just I know
there are so many people in such harder spots and
such harder spots around the world. Doing things that are far,
far more difficult on a daily basis, and I try
to keep them in my mind because the minute you
(29:56):
start to elevate yourself above other people, I don't want
to say I almost said your garbage. I'm not gonna.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Say you are full on trash.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Yeah, and I don't. I don't believe that. I almost no.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
But I know what you're saying, man. I think that's
a really valid point. And and all of that is
why you're gonna continue to go on and have a
really deep and meaningful and important career doing the jobs
that mean something to you. And I have no doubt
this show will go on for many, many, many seasons,
and then beyond that you're gonna you're gonna keep doing
cool things. And if you maintain that sense of gratitude
(30:32):
and appreciation and also your work ethic, you're golden.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Man.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
That's what's so cool about this show and these conversations
for me is I get to bring people on, and
in interviews you get asked a lot of the same stuff.
I almost said shit, but same stuff. Well I did
say shit, so there you go. But you get asked
a lot of the same stuff. What's your favorite scene,
what's your favorite line? You know, what do you want
to see in season two? And that's all valid and important,
(31:03):
and I know the fans love it, but they've already
heard that. So I like to bring artists on and
get into more of the nitty gritty, more of your
life story, and honor the work, but also learn more
about you. And I think today you've given us such
a tremendous insight into the person that you are, which
is I so appreciate and I so value. And I
think a lot of people are going to hear this
and be like WHOA, Like that guy is so damn cool.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
You know, thank you. I appreciate that and everything you've
said leading out. I mean, this has been fantastic. I felt. Again,
I sometimes lose sight of the platform, but I do
feel like we've just been chatting. Like every once in
a while I do peer up and I see my
face in the little self view and I pull out
and I'm like, oh wait, yeah, other people are going
(31:47):
to hear this. But I could talk all day, so
I have no concept of time or when to shut up.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
No, I'm the same way, Listen, That's why I do
what I do. I can talk and talk and talk.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
But there's a final question of the interview that I
ask every guests, And before I get to that question,
let me throw one more in for the fandom who's like,
oh man, we're desperate for season two. So if there's
one main thing you can see for your character for
season two, what would it be?
Speaker 3 (32:15):
You know? Tell me? I These questions are tricky for
me because.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I have so you know what's happening in season two?
Speaker 3 (32:22):
No, I don't, I don't, I don't. I have so
little control that I don't like to put much out there.
And everybody, like my parents, my family, they all ask
me this and I do not know. But I'll say this.
I looked at Cole as a version of a younger Noah,
(32:43):
a younger Noah that needed to learn certain things about
life and about what is important in life, whether it
be the people around you, the love that's around you,
the about the gratitude, Like there are some things that
Cole has said that I've never said. For the record,
when I make that comparison, it is to lose comparison
to this younger Noah. I know that I had to
(33:05):
learn certain things to grow as a human being and
to grow as a son and as a brother and
as a friend. And all I ask for Season two
is that Cool stays on his own path. Things can
seem hard in a moment of time, or you know,
when you lose football, or you don't get the girl,
(33:27):
or you argue with your family, and these things can
seem hard in a moment, but they can teach you
a lot. What is more important the result of the
argument you have with your your father or your brother,
or how you feel when you get back to your
room and the door shuts and you're alone with what
just happened. So continuing to engage in what you're doing
(33:51):
and to learn. I mean, I'm the type of person
that I'm very lucky for so many reasons, but I'm
a human. So I have said things I would regret.
I've done things I regret. And you know, it's not
as much about what it is you said or what
it is you do. It's that you're present enough in
your own life to be like, oh man, that's on me,
(34:13):
and like why did I do that? What you know?
What was what was bubbling up inside of me that
made that happen? And what you know? So you know,
being reflective and being engaged in your own life to
learn from the things that are happening to you and
the way you're reacting to things. And I hope and
the viewers may not even see it, but I hope
(34:34):
Cole continues to reflect and continue to stand his journey
of like growing into the person that he's supposed to be.
And so that's my That's a little bit of a
cop out because I would say that I hope that
for every person ever.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Well, yeah, fair enough, but it's very relevant to Cole's journey.
So I do appreciate that, and I do like that.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
I think that's right on and it gives a little
a little hope for his future. And Noah, lastly, the
name of the show is I've never said this before.
So I'm wondering, although I feel like you've been so
open and have said many things in this interview already,
maybe you haven't said before, but is there something that
comes to mind, whether it's silly or deep, that you
haven't necessarily put out there or said.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Before with all of the things that have happened. And
this is not going to be like ao a two
word like I've never said banana potato, because that technically,
I've never said that, I think, unless there's a grocery
list that I was reading off. But anyway, and I
thought to myself, inevitably, the reason I'm here is because
(35:31):
something has changed outside of me. You know, this show
has happened. It's been an incredible blessing, and people are
exposed to it. So I've been recognized a couple of
times in the street, you know, or at the store
or the baff and body works, and you know, you know,
(35:52):
you can tell that they see somebody that they know.
The thing that I'm saying for maybe the first time
is I am no different than anyone because of what
I've done, the fact that we're we are all human beings.
(36:12):
There is nothing we're supposed to do. We're supposed to find,
We're supposed to find the meaning what is for us.
But no one person is better than the other. I
really do believe that. And people may act better than
others for different reasons of understanding the thing that I'm saying.
And I also, I also don't know what I'm talking about,
(36:35):
So this is like I'm not trying to sound but
you know, I've also been to a couple I've been
to a couple events where I've seen these people that
I look up to, people who have done tremendous work,
and people who have gotten the chance to talk to
who you know, five years ago, I would have been like,
oh my gosh, what would I even say to this person?
(36:55):
But being confronted with that moment where it's like, how
am I going to approach this hero of the mine?
And then thinking back to those times and people have
approached me and I don't. I wouldn't say anyone's hero.
But when someone approaches me and just says, I love
Cole Walter and I love how you you portrayed him
in the show, it's just amazing. My whole family watched
(37:17):
it and we just like we had the best time
over Christmas. We watched it and it was it was amazing.
My grandparents they came over and then we had them
watch it. If I ever get to the point of
hearing something like that and like not wanting it, then
I might be doing the wrong thing because I can't
imagine for having an impact in someone's life and not
wanting to hear it. So flash forward to being in
(37:39):
these rooms with people that I that I look up to,
and I still look up to them in a way,
but more so I'm looking at them and I just
want to give them their flowers. And you know, I
just like I'm gonna I'm gonna go to tell you that, Hey,
my family watched your show and we enjoyed that together.
That was special for us. And it is kind of
(38:01):
prombing to this perspective, like to some people everything that
I've done this show will mean everything. To some people,
it will mean nothing to other people. They'll be jealous.
To other people, they'll be like very impressed at an
appropriate level all these things. But at the end of
the day, if everybody has this different view of you,
(38:22):
you are just the three sixty shade. You know, you
are you, and everyone's going to see you in a
different light. But at the end of day, we're all
on our own individual paths, but they all have to crossover.
So with that in mind, we're all together in this
and I've just I've gotten a chance to talk to
people you normally don't get to talk to and that's
very special because I love human connection. I love interacting
(38:46):
with people. And for anybody who is curious, we're the
same and at our core, you know, our hearts are
the same. And then like the love around us, I'm
trying to give it out as much as i can
so I can get it back, because it's the most
beautiful thing in the world is to feel loved and
to feel like you're seeing and you know, I see you.
(39:08):
If you're listening to this, you know. And I don't
want to sound cheesy, but like not everybody gets the
chance to do the thing that they want to do
the very most in their lives. And I've gotten to
do that, and I'm I could never have imagined being
in a better place than I am today, like right now,
and being able to do that. And for that, all
of the people that have helped, Thank you. All of
(39:29):
the people that are existing and putting themselves through hard
times every day and doing something they want to do
and maybe losing the faith, Thank you for continuing. Because
everybody's important, and I look at life the same way.
Everybody's important.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Oh man, I love that.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
That was that was a really cool answer to that question,
and I think an answer. I've never heard that answer
before in any of my interviews, so A I love
that and be I think it's a really good reminder
for people and I don't know, man, I think this
whole interview, I felt like we were doing a masterclass
on how to feel good and how to how to
like live a life that is meaningful and important and
(40:10):
kind and all the good things. And that's what I'm
so excited about with this conversation. And I hope that
you got out of it what I got out of it,
and I hope everybody listening feels like they've gotten to
know you in a much more intimate and deeper level.
And I just I can't thank you enough for coming
on and being so vulnerable and open and really having
a real, true, non SoundBite, non rehearsed, non publicist approved conversation.
(40:36):
It's evident this was you, fully you, and for that, man,
I thank you, and I agree I could talk to
you for five more hours. So I just I had
so much fun today and I really thank you for it.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Well, likewise I had. I had an incredible time with you, man,
it was it was really great. And the other half
of mine, what if I never said before, is I
just did my first podcast because it's my first podcast.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
And podcast damn, I am your first podcast.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
First podcast, and no, seriously, just an incredible space to
talk openly, and like I said, I just kind of
felt like we were chatting so awesome. Man, Like really
really really really enjoyed talking to you, and I appreciate
you giving me the space to do that.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Really, it was my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Everybody go watch this show if you haven't already nowhere
where can they find it?
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Where can we watch?
Speaker 3 (41:27):
They can find My Life with the Walter Boys on
Netflix And if you like it, we're going to have
more for you sometime soon.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
There you have it, all right, my friend, until we
meet again, Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
I'll look forward to it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
I've Never Said this before. Is hosted by me Tommy Diderio.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Publisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
Never Said this before. It's part of the Elvis Da
Rampo podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review
and subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(42:07):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Didario
Hey guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario. Season three of My Life with
the Walter Boys is out right now, and the show
is like comfort soup for the soul. It is so
good and I know so many people were so excited
for this to drop. One of my favorite interviews I've
ever done on the show is with Noah Lalande, who
(00:22):
of course plays Cole Walter. He's such a deep and
thoughtful guy who really leads his life with gratitude for
everything that he's achieving. So I wanted to re air
this conversation because if you haven't heard it, it's a
great way to get to know one of your favorite
actors a little better, a little more intimately. And if
you have heard it, I promise you're going to discover
something new when you listen again. There are so many good,
little golden nuggets of wisdom. I love this so much,
(00:45):
And a big shout out to Travelgar, my personal sponsor
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(01:06):
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the game when it comes to traveling peacefully. All right,
let's see if today we can get Noah to say
something that he has never said before.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Know hm on man, how you doing today?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I'm doing very well.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Congrats to do on all the success.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Of course, your show has I feel like taken over
the countries, taken over the world by storm, my life
with the Walter Boys. It is such a fun, feel good, dramatic,
juicy show that I feel like people have been craving,
especially on Netflix with the departure of some other shows
in that same genre. And it's really, really, really been
(01:55):
something that the fandom has gone crazy over. So for
everybody listening right now and for maybe those who haven't
had a chance to check out the show yet, how
would you describe it? Being so close to the show,
how would one of these stars of the show say
what this is about.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Thank you first and foremost for saying those kind things.
I would describe it similarly to that. I think it's
a show that has a lot of elements to it,
a lot of elements that can appeal separately to a
lot of different sectors of people. You have, of course,
which I think if you go to the internet you
(02:30):
can see there's some love triangle dialogue that takes place.
There is this navigation of tragedy that is from the
very first scene when we pick up with Jackie, you
see that taking place, and then you see a lot
of real life things going on. You know, in anycoming
of age story, but this one, you feel the presence
(02:50):
of the parents, you feel the presence of the community
and the school, and you know, one of the cool
things about our show, and one of the things that
I'll use to answer your question is I saw this quote.
I think it was our show runner Melanie who said
she wanted to make a show that like a fifteen
year old daughter could watch with her forty five year
old father and both sides could be equally as entertained
(03:14):
and engaged. And I think it's kind of a nice
way to encapsulate like, there are parts that are warm
and that make you feel good, and that maybe cater
to a younger audience. And then I think there are
probably parts that are our real life, you know, tribulations,
real life things that you know, the older generation will
(03:35):
feel a certain amount of care because they had to
go through that as a kid, or they're now parenting
someone going through that. So that's my description of our show.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well said, Well said, there is something for everybody in
the show, that's for sure, and I think one of
the reasons why it's so successful and for you, how
badly did you want to be a part of this show.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
As soon as I read the character description of Cole,
I would it was very intrigued because there was some
mirroring aspects to his His character hit where he was
in his timeline to where my timeline was at that age.
Kind of navigating the loss of athletic career was the
(04:18):
biggest thing. I was a hockey player, and I that
was kind of my full on identity for a long time.
And when you stop playing, it defines your life for
an extended period of time. And that's exactly what he's
going through, except it's not his choice and it's injury related,
and you know, I wasn't the best quarterback in all
(04:38):
of my hometown Macomb County. But just kind of felt
like you get a lot of characters who are one
side of what Cole was, you know, the the kind
of jerk like jock who gets the girls and stuff.
You get a lot of like that side. But Cole
was this guy you had this step to him because
(04:59):
he he'sdn't navigating a loss of his own and he's
feeling real feelings for Jackie and for himself. He's having
a hard time feeling for So I was very excited
to play Cole Walter and in turn be a part
of the show.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah. You just touched on a bunch of different things.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
So for one, as an actor, you get a lot
of auditions, You get a lot of material to memorize,
put on tape, you know, wait to hear if you
got it.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Most of the time, you don't.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
As artists, right, there's so many auditions you get and
you just kind of put it out there and you
don't hear back. And this was one I gather that
felt a little more personal to you. You really seem
to have wanted this one.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Right, Yeah, absolutely, and it makes every step of that
process mean even more. So many things about being an
actor is waiting and theorizing and hoping, and you send
off your audition tape or you walk out of that
audition room and it's just you don't know. You know,
(06:00):
you get feedback here and there, but you know, I
remember I did my tape for Cole and the first
callback for me was Okay, now we're in this realm
of something else has happened. We've done in the first
part one hundred times, but not something else has happened.
(06:22):
And then you get to a chemistry read and I remember,
you know, tying in my dad and my mom and
my closest circle, like, yeah, I got a chemistry read
coming up. And it's so exciting on so many levels
because you're trying to balance out how amazing that is.
And I remember, after everything the chemistry read, every call
(06:45):
with my manager, and I just liked to call my
dad and he'd be like, well, now what I'd be like, Dad,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
And I love that you found out about this role.
I believe when you were working in your restaurant, right
were you doing the love shift and you got to
call tell me that story, because that's so that you
had weeks and weeks and weeks of waiting and working
and auditioning, and then in a second your life changed.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
The story of how I got the uh I got
the part? I like I said, to put ourselves right
back in the seat of getting these calls and being
really excited and select group of people know about what's
going on. And at this point we're in the stage
of having a test deal, which I'm sure you know
(07:34):
what it is, but for the listeners or viewers, that's
basically when they showed you your contract what it is.
If you get it and a few people have that,
and then they take you to the final stage and
you either audition or they review your tapes at the
highest level and they decide. So basically I found out
(07:55):
that I had this deal, and for a week, you're
just waiting, like you know, what could happen in your
life where you're going to be living for how long?
Like everything about this, but you don't know if you've
got it, and you're just waiting for someone else to
decide at the end of the day. So for me,
like you just you have to do something else, So
(08:16):
I just try to keep my schedule the same. I
go to the gym every single day I go to work.
I just try to stay sane. Mind. My my parents
are My Dad's called me. He's like anything or anything, Dad,
I would tell you.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
If I heard anything.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
So all this is happening. And I'm working at BJ's
Restaurant brew House in Woodland Hills, California. And it's a
quiet lunch shift, but I know that I can. I'm
waiting news at all time, so my pocket like I'm
getting those ghost vibrations in my pocket at all times.
And my manager calls me and she says quickly, She's like,
(08:56):
did you see your email? And I was like, no,
what did I get? Like, I mean, I flew to
the back room. Oh my god. She's like, yeah, they
something about your The last Zoom audition, just like what
we're doing now, the connection cut out and it wasn't
high enough resolution or quality to like send all the
(09:16):
way through. So they need you to read like that
scene again. They said you don't have to be fully prepared.
They just they just like want like they need you.
They need you doing it side by side or whatever.
So I'm like, what do you mean, I'm I'm at work.
I'm wearing my black button down shirt with a couple
(09:36):
like stains on it. I'm sweaty. It's hot. It's super
hot in La in March, and so I ran out
to my car and I set out my phone like
on the dash, and I'm trying to like, okay, can
I make this salvageable? In my head thinking oh my gosh,
this means I must be they must need this because
I'm either close or I'm about to ruin everything. So
(10:00):
I get on zoom with the with the casting department.
One forecasting apartment changed my life forever, and they're like, oh, no,
thanks so much for coming on at such short notice.
We appreciate it. Yeah, she's gonna be do you have
the sides? I'm like, usually I could set my phone
up on my laptop and look at the sides, but
I don't have my laptop. I'm at work, so I'm like, nah,
(10:22):
I don't have the size. I can pull them up.
Can you really send it to me? Like everything is
going wrong? And she said, well, you know you might
be okay, because we just wanted to call and tell
you that you actually got the part.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
It was like, oh my God.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
You're reliving it. I see you reliving.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
It, and I feel that. And and it was the
defining moment of my maybe life, but if not my
life the last eight years. And and you know, it
took it doesn't feel like took that long, but it
was such a long road to there, and so many
(11:04):
people were a part of it. I cannot stress this enough.
So many people were a part of it. So I was,
you know, so thrilled to get this news. And so
I called my parents. I think they were both home,
and I got them on the phone and I told
him and it was just.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Oh my god, that moment, that moment must have been incredible.
And so did you then go in and just continue
working with your tables?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Well I did. I put all these I put all
these amazing conversations my manager. I put them on rush
and I was like, hey, I gotta get back mind you,
right before I got the call, I might have skipped
as part of at a crucial time, but right before
I got the call, I had one take, you know,
one to rush. At some of these places are is
nothing uh not not BJ's. There's always a crowded room.
But this particular day, there was one older gentleman in
(11:53):
the bar in the bar area, and he ordered it.
He ordered a burger and Uh. I placed the order,
I went out to my car, I came back, put
him to the counter it was there, came down, dropped
it off at his table and he was like, thank
you very much, and I was just like, you're welcome.
(12:13):
But nothing was different to anybody except for me in
the six people who had been contacted at that point.
There's something special about that that I haven't quite articulated about,
that moment of everything changing but nothing changing, and remembering
that we're all like we're all walking around on the
(12:33):
same earth.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
And there was.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
These synchronicities leading up to I mean, I remember I
think it was the day of or the day before.
I was talking to my best friend who knew about
all of this. A shout out to my best friend Alex.
He we had FaceTime all the time, Like and I
would go to the gym, I wouldn't quite have the
energy yet, so I just put him on FaceTime and
we'd talk for like fifteen minutes. It'd be like a
(12:59):
like a pre workout. We just laughed for a while
and chat and I remember telling him I would it
be interested to see how close this was. I was like,
I got the part. He's like, what, you got it?
And I was like, well, not technically, but I did
get it. And he was like, what are you talking about.
I'm driving to work one day or back from the gym,
(13:20):
and I look over and there's this new sweet food.
I love baked goods, cookies. I love these. My friend
Alex and I also share this love. So I'm driving
by and all of a sudden, this new cookie shop
is going up one mile from my house and the
sign gets put up and it says Walter's Cookie Cafe. No,
(13:43):
And I was just like, and maybe that's nothing, right.
I like to look into these things.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
No, that's something I called him.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I was like, hey, dude, I got the part. This
is a sign. I got it, and I did. Within
twenty four to forty eight hours of that one to
two business days after that, I got it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
So I one hundred percent believe in synchronicities. And if
you're open and not necessarily looking, but just a very
open person, then you will get signs exactly like you did.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
And I think that's so cool. And what I love
about all of this is I.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Think it's such an interesting story how you found out
at work and you went back to work and you
kept kind of the secret to close family and friends
for a while. Is you are very much someone who
lives in the present moment and you don't want to
You don't want to uproot your life, you know, in
this completely three hundred and sixty degree way, and become
(14:36):
something suddenly that is bigger than you. And you want
to feel things, experience things. And I think that's really cool.
You don't always hear that, and I think you'll carry
that attitude with you for a really long time. And man,
thank god you got that phone call, because I know
(14:58):
a lot of the fans cannot imagine anybody else playing
Cole the way you played, and you touched on it earlier. Yes,
he's the jock. He's What I love about how you
played him is he's very easily could be the stereotype.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
He could be just the one.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Sided, popular, cool guy that all the bros want to
hang out with and all the girls have a crush
on and he's kind of a dick, and but no,
like there's so many layers to him. And as you say,
it's because you identify with a huge loss in his
life that you also had. So I think that's pretty
cool that you brought that feeling and that emotion and
that side to a character that maybe not other artists
(15:33):
would have.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Yeah, well thank you for starters, because it's an honor
to who you say that and to have people resonate
with Cole And I do think you're right. I was
very worried about. You know, this is definitely the first
sizable job that I've ever had as an actor. So
I mean I've had jobs, but never to where you're
(15:57):
held to that level of accountability, to where you're you know,
you're living there for five months at a time. You're
bringing a full life to a person and that comes
with a lot of work. But the worry came from
some of those stereotypes. It's like there's a thing in
this show called the coal effect. If you want to
(16:17):
approach that delicately, I could like hear my friends back
home being like, oh yeah, you think you're cute homepal
like like you know, So, I don't know, I think
there's there are a lot of ways to get kind
of trapped in that side of it. But I don't think,
you know, I've explained this to to a certain extent,
(16:40):
But the character is is he's a shell of himself
and he's clinging to what he was when he was
the man, when he was the star, and he's he's
drifting through this life where people like view him as
that still kind of out of pity, and you know,
he's like clinging on to what he can and not
(17:03):
remembering who he is. And we all know that feeling
is when things are changing and you wake up one
day and it's like what am I doing? Like where
am I? In? High school is a scary time, and
falling in love is a scary thing. And in the
first time, I mean first time. I don't know how
(17:24):
many times people have fallen on these days, but every
time you fall in love, it's terrifying because it opens
the door for something that can destroy you, like especially
when you can't define it. So you're feeling so broken
and you're feeling so hurt by your circumstances. What could
(17:45):
make that more complicated and difficult? How about somebody who
is dealing with the greatest loss of all, but who,
in spite of all of that, is providing this light
at the end of the tunnel for you, and you're
just naturally drawn to this person. You're naturally onto the
energy that they give off, this energy, this healing energy.
And for for Cole, I think that's the first thing
(18:08):
Jackie does. You know, he's gonna he's gonna river her
and he's gonna kind of give her a hard time,
but it's undeniable to feel her her perseverance, her like
approach to life that is like, I'm not gonna let
anything get me. I'm going to continue to stay on
my path when Cole all but you know, throws the
(18:29):
path out the window. And it was really awesome to
bring him to life. And I'm over the moon to
be continuing to bring I mean, to go back for
another season and continue to tell this story is amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Which, by the way, I mean, I believe that news
broke only two weeks after the show premiered on Netflix,
which is kind of unheard of. I mean, that's a
really really fast turnaround for everybody listening.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
That just is not the norm.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Yes, the show, you know, hit number one, and it
was super popular and multi multi millions of people watched it.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
But to get that.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
News two weeks or so after, I mean, how did
that feel? Because that is so not the normal.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Like, okay, so all these things I mean, you keep saying,
like the how big the show was, how many people
have watched it, how quickly this is? And I can
I know, I hear what you're saying, and I've heard
this from other sources and I've read this, and the
proof is in. We got a season two quickly. But
(19:32):
it's hard to wrap your head around. It's a I think,
well because of a few things. One because it's very
much you feel things electronically like in internet internet wise,
you feel it on the Internet, like you can go
on Instagram or TikTok and and you can feel like, oh,
(19:54):
so there are people talking about our show. There are
people watching the show. And I cannot stress this enough.
And I remind myself this every day. I am not
my accomplishments or my career or the amount of people
that have watched the show. I find that, you know,
I don't know if I thought I would change, or
(20:15):
like you hear stories about people who you know they
get a little bit of a grain of success or
fame is an interesting word, but for the sake of
talking about other people, I'll use it they get a
little bit of this and people say, oh, he changed,
or she got a big head and she decided to
not you know, stick to who she is. I don't
(20:35):
feel changed as a person by this, but you can
tell there are like I feel a change from the outside.
I feel a change one degree of separation, Like when
a friend tells me, hey, like my boss said, they
loved your show and everybody at work was talking about
(20:56):
it today a friend that works in a hospital, We're
in a surgery and like all the nurses were talking
about Walter Boys and I was like, at the team
at a team Cole, and I'm like, that's that is.
That part is where it's hard to fathom. But as
far as like me on a day to day basis,
(21:17):
I feel an incredible amount of gratitude for the experience
and for what it is brought to the world's one
person has seen it in a time when they needed
to see it, or just one person enjoyed it, or
like it's it doesn't have to be some profound experience
with art. Like I've talked about this, but I use
(21:38):
so many different works of art to connect to times
in my life, whether it be a new album, a
music or a movie a TV showed that month that
you watch four seasons of a TV show, even if
it's Succession, and even if the subject matter is heavy
and dark. I'll never forget the time that I watched Succession,
but like so many other shows, so it guess to me,
(21:59):
it's hard to write head around that numbers wise, because
I get to interact with a bunch of really great
people who now know who I am via the show.
But even though that's an increased number, it's not millions
or billions like I don't. I get a sliver of
a sliver of sliver of that, and it's amazing to
see people react to that and react to me. Although
(22:21):
my my blonde locks are gone, I'm not quite the
high school every day shaved in that. I may have
a people, but.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I don't think people realize that. So you dyed your
hair for it? Yeah yeah, And I don't think everyone truly.
I think people assume you're really that blonde, but you're not.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Yeah, I mean, I think I think in the summertime,
I used to say I got highlights when I was
a little kid. There's some brutal pictures of me out there.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
The frosted tips.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
You know, they weren't intended to be.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
But after my hair dropped a little.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Bit and I didn't maintain it, it didn't look great.
But you know, I get some sunlight hair, it can
become like a dirty blonde. And I rocked with you know,
they do it on set. So when I got back home,
I had like what was left of it. I actually
I came home when I liked it so much, I
went and I read. I kept the collar, I like
(23:15):
redid it because it was kind of, you know, faltering,
and I never got it done again. I just kind
of let it, let it grow through, and that lasted
me a pretty long time. Give me some gave me
a little bit of a whacky and nobody knew who
I was, so it was fine. I could have messed
up colored hair that hadn't been touched. And that was
one of the descriptions I think from the book that
(23:35):
really came through. And the show is close blonde hair
and those moments where it's like hanging just like ever
so slightly over his eyes and you're having to look
through the hair. That was a little ols here, which oh,
for the for the audio listeners, oh this is a
podcast too for the audio listeners. I pulled the strain
(23:57):
on my hair and let it sit ever so slightly
in my eye.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
It was very cinematic, very cinematic.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
So yeah, that and it was fun. I love to
explore different you know, different attributes of your character or
you know, physicality, things that when you when you step
into those their shoes, or you put on those parage
jeans that are a little bit tighter than the actor
maywear in person. I love a nice, a nice baggye.
Jean Cole Walter does not. He keeps them pretty tight.
(24:29):
So yeah, just certain things when you step into it,
you just you take a look in the mirror.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Well, what's so cool, man, is this role was already known,
you know, by the people who read the book, the
best selling novel, of course, and it was your job
as Noah to bring him to life, to respect the
character that was created in the book, but also to
make him your own. And that's no easy feat. And
I think it's really cool that you rose to the
(24:56):
occasion and you did create a character based on and
a character that was already known that made the fandom
so happy. And then maybe people who never read the
book so happy. So that's a very delicate line to straddle.
And you, my friend, you did it, so that must
have felt pretty good too.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Well, oh, thank you very much. When you say it
like that, it sounds really cool, sounds like I'm an
accomplished actor. But I will.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Say, you're just there, loads of fear and like a
desperation and just preparing as much as you can and
just realizing, you know, these opportunities they they can be
so infrequent, and you never know when it's going to
be your last chance.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
And this has been one of my first big chances,
but you never know if it's going to be your
last one. It's like my hometown Detroit Lions. Shout out
to the Detroit Lions, Mortier City, Dan Campbell. I love
this team and it was a great ride this season.
But Dan Campbell said after the season at the Prescott
(26:00):
and he believes in the team, so he doesn't believe this.
He said this, but as good as it feels, as
close as you feel right now, as close as you
feel like you could recreate it, it gets twice as
hard next year. You're never guaranteed to be back in
the same spot. And even if you do, now you're
on people's radar and now people know you could get there.
(26:21):
So what do they do? They prepare harder for you,
they get more ready for you. Everybody's aware of you now,
so now you have to do it. You can't do
it in silence. You got to do it for real.
And all that's to say, it's a privilege to be
an actor and to be able to have a camera
on you and to be able to bring these stories
to life, truly, because so many people spend a lot
(26:43):
of time trying to do it and the chances are
feeling far between. And you know, as a as an actor,
I have so much respect for so many people I
know who have Like I said, I said something earlier
in the interview, and I don't like to discredit like
the amount of hard work that I've had, but there
is no debate. I know people that have worked far
(27:05):
longer and far differently, and I had to make so
many more changes. That's why I don't I don't take
I can't take all the credit for for my my
career because too many people have contributed for me. I'm
the face of you know, you pull up IMDb, I'm
it's me. It is my face, but so many people,
(27:28):
hundreds of people, thousands of experiences, they have created the
person that you're talking to today that has the ability
to be here and to do these things. And so
for that, it's just it's doing your your service to
the craft well.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
And it's obvious you take it very seriously too. And
I don't want you to discredit yourself too, because I
know you said, you know, six or seven years, and
you may not think that sounds like a lot, but
it is a lot of time. And I believe, yes,
are there some lucky situation that happened throughout people's lives
and careers, of course, but you can't have luck if
you're not prepared, because if that luck comes your way
(28:07):
and you're not prepared, guess what, it's not going to
work out for you. So keeping your head down and
doing the work and staying focused and staying motivated are
all the reasons why you are where you are. And
I'm not saying other people who have maybe been at
it for ten or twenty or thirty years haven't done
the work either, But you know, the extreme athletic mentality
of preparation and doing the job is also why you
(28:30):
are where you are, so don't discredit that side either.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
That's I'm careful to talk about it like that because
I think that, especially in this world where there's no blueprint,
if you gave me the script of Leonardo DiCaprio's life
when he was you know, from fifteen on, I could
have done everything the same and had none of the success.
Everybody you have to you have to do this thing
(28:55):
where you allow your own your own authenticity, your own
weakness to guide you. And so I don't discredit myself fully,
I just I have to acknowledge all things and all
the people from you know, my great aunt, sister's third cousin,
(29:16):
Like that's my first connection to living here. So many
people don't have that. I mean, I talk to people
all the time that ask me like, what do you do?
How do you start? You just got to jump? And
I had, like I feel like I had a parachute.
I do. I mean, I have been so supported and
so loved, you know, and my blanket of love and
(29:36):
support has always been so warm that I could nothing
could ever be that bad. And I just I know
there are so many people in such harder spots and
such harder spots around the world. Doing things that are far,
far more difficult on a daily basis, and I try
to keep them in my mind because the minute you
(29:56):
start to elevate yourself above other people, I don't want
to say I almost said your garbage. I'm not gonna.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Say you are full on trash.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Yeah, and I don't. I don't believe that. I almost no.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
But I know what you're saying, man. I think that's
a really valid point. And and all of that is
why you're gonna continue to go on and have a
really deep and meaningful and important career doing the jobs
that mean something to you. And I have no doubt
this show will go on for many, many, many seasons,
and then beyond that you're gonna you're gonna keep doing
cool things. And if you maintain that sense of gratitude
(30:32):
and appreciation and also your work ethic, you're golden.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Man.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
That's what's so cool about this show and these conversations
for me is I get to bring people on, and
in interviews you get asked a lot of the same stuff.
I almost said shit, but same stuff. Well I did
say shit, so there you go. But you get asked
a lot of the same stuff. What's your favorite scene,
what's your favorite line? You know, what do you want
to see in season two? And that's all valid and important,
(31:03):
and I know the fans love it, but they've already
heard that. So I like to bring artists on and
get into more of the nitty gritty, more of your
life story, and honor the work, but also learn more
about you. And I think today you've given us such
a tremendous insight into the person that you are, which
is I so appreciate and I so value. And I
think a lot of people are going to hear this
and be like WHOA, Like that guy is so damn cool.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
You know, thank you. I appreciate that and everything you've
said leading out. I mean, this has been fantastic. I felt. Again,
I sometimes lose sight of the platform, but I do
feel like we've just been chatting. Like every once in
a while I do peer up and I see my
face in the little self view and I pull out
and I'm like, oh wait, yeah, other people are going
(31:47):
to hear this. But I could talk all day, so
I have no concept of time or when to shut up.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
No, I'm the same way, Listen, That's why I do
what I do. I can talk and talk and talk.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
But there's a final question of the interview that I
ask every guests, And before I get to that question,
let me throw one more in for the fandom who's like,
oh man, we're desperate for season two. So if there's
one main thing you can see for your character for
season two, what would it be?
Speaker 3 (32:15):
You know? Tell me? I These questions are tricky for
me because.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I have so you know what's happening in season two?
Speaker 3 (32:22):
No, I don't, I don't, I don't. I have so
little control that I don't like to put much out there.
And everybody, like my parents, my family, they all ask
me this and I do not know. But I'll say this.
I looked at Cole as a version of a younger Noah,
(32:43):
a younger Noah that needed to learn certain things about
life and about what is important in life, whether it
be the people around you, the love that's around you,
the about the gratitude, Like there are some things that
Cole has said that I've never said. For the record,
when I make that comparison, it is to lose comparison
to this younger Noah. I know that I had to
(33:05):
learn certain things to grow as a human being and
to grow as a son and as a brother and
as a friend. And all I ask for Season two
is that Cool stays on his own path. Things can
seem hard in a moment of time, or you know,
when you lose football, or you don't get the girl,
(33:27):
or you argue with your family, and these things can
seem hard in a moment, but they can teach you
a lot. What is more important the result of the
argument you have with your your father or your brother,
or how you feel when you get back to your
room and the door shuts and you're alone with what
just happened. So continuing to engage in what you're doing
(33:51):
and to learn. I mean, I'm the type of person
that I'm very lucky for so many reasons, but I'm
a human. So I have said things I would regret.
I've done things I regret. And you know, it's not
as much about what it is you said or what
it is you do. It's that you're present enough in
your own life to be like, oh man, that's on me,
(34:13):
and like why did I do that? What you know?
What was what was bubbling up inside of me that
made that happen? And what you know? So you know,
being reflective and being engaged in your own life to
learn from the things that are happening to you and
the way you're reacting to things. And I hope and
the viewers may not even see it, but I hope
(34:34):
Cole continues to reflect and continue to stand his journey
of like growing into the person that he's supposed to be.
And so that's my That's a little bit of a
cop out because I would say that I hope that
for every person ever.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Well, yeah, fair enough, but it's very relevant to Cole's journey.
So I do appreciate that, and I do like that.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
I think that's right on and it gives a little
a little hope for his future. And Noah, lastly, the
name of the show is I've never said this before.
So I'm wondering, although I feel like you've been so
open and have said many things in this interview already,
maybe you haven't said before, but is there something that
comes to mind, whether it's silly or deep, that you
haven't necessarily put out there or said.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Before with all of the things that have happened. And
this is not going to be like ao a two
word like I've never said banana potato, because that technically,
I've never said that, I think, unless there's a grocery
list that I was reading off. But anyway, and I
thought to myself, inevitably, the reason I'm here is because
(35:31):
something has changed outside of me. You know, this show
has happened. It's been an incredible blessing, and people are
exposed to it. So I've been recognized a couple of
times in the street, you know, or at the store
or the baff and body works, and you know, you know,
(35:52):
you can tell that they see somebody that they know.
The thing that I'm saying for maybe the first time
is I am no different than anyone because of what
I've done, the fact that we're we are all human beings.
(36:12):
There is nothing we're supposed to do. We're supposed to find,
We're supposed to find the meaning what is for us.
But no one person is better than the other. I
really do believe that. And people may act better than
others for different reasons of understanding the thing that I'm saying.
And I also, I also don't know what I'm talking about,
(36:35):
So this is like I'm not trying to sound but
you know, I've also been to a couple I've been
to a couple events where I've seen these people that
I look up to, people who have done tremendous work,
and people who have gotten the chance to talk to
who you know, five years ago, I would have been like,
oh my gosh, what would I even say to this person?
(36:55):
But being confronted with that moment where it's like, how
am I going to approach this hero of the mine?
And then thinking back to those times and people have
approached me and I don't. I wouldn't say anyone's hero.
But when someone approaches me and just says, I love
Cole Walter and I love how you you portrayed him
in the show, it's just amazing. My whole family watched
(37:17):
it and we just like we had the best time
over Christmas. We watched it and it was it was amazing.
My grandparents they came over and then we had them
watch it. If I ever get to the point of
hearing something like that and like not wanting it, then
I might be doing the wrong thing because I can't
imagine for having an impact in someone's life and not
wanting to hear it. So flash forward to being in
(37:39):
these rooms with people that I that I look up to,
and I still look up to them in a way,
but more so I'm looking at them and I just
want to give them their flowers. And you know, I
just like I'm gonna I'm gonna go to tell you that, Hey,
my family watched your show and we enjoyed that together.
That was special for us. And it is kind of
(38:01):
prombing to this perspective, like to some people everything that
I've done this show will mean everything. To some people,
it will mean nothing to other people. They'll be jealous.
To other people, they'll be like very impressed at an
appropriate level all these things. But at the end of
the day, if everybody has this different view of you,
(38:22):
you are just the three sixty shade. You know, you
are you, and everyone's going to see you in a
different light. But at the end of day, we're all
on our own individual paths, but they all have to crossover.
So with that in mind, we're all together in this
and I've just I've gotten a chance to talk to
people you normally don't get to talk to and that's
very special because I love human connection. I love interacting
(38:46):
with people. And for anybody who is curious, we're the
same and at our core, you know, our hearts are
the same. And then like the love around us, I'm
trying to give it out as much as i can
so I can get it back, because it's the most
beautiful thing in the world is to feel loved and
to feel like you're seeing and you know, I see you.
(39:08):
If you're listening to this, you know. And I don't
want to sound cheesy, but like not everybody gets the
chance to do the thing that they want to do
the very most in their lives. And I've gotten to
do that, and I'm I could never have imagined being
in a better place than I am today, like right now,
and being able to do that. And for that, all
of the people that have helped, Thank you. All of
(39:29):
the people that are existing and putting themselves through hard
times every day and doing something they want to do
and maybe losing the faith, Thank you for continuing. Because
everybody's important, and I look at life the same way.
Everybody's important.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Oh man, I love that.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
That was that was a really cool answer to that question,
and I think an answer. I've never heard that answer
before in any of my interviews, so A I love
that and be I think it's a really good reminder
for people and I don't know, man, I think this
whole interview, I felt like we were doing a masterclass
on how to feel good and how to how to
like live a life that is meaningful and important and
(40:10):
kind and all the good things. And that's what I'm
so excited about with this conversation. And I hope that
you got out of it what I got out of it,
and I hope everybody listening feels like they've gotten to
know you in a much more intimate and deeper level.
And I just I can't thank you enough for coming
on and being so vulnerable and open and really having
a real, true, non SoundBite, non rehearsed, non publicist approved conversation.
(40:36):
It's evident this was you, fully you, and for that, man,
I thank you, and I agree I could talk to
you for five more hours. So I just I had
so much fun today and I really thank you for it.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Well, likewise I had. I had an incredible time with you, man,
it was it was really great. And the other half
of mine, what if I never said before, is I
just did my first podcast because it's my first podcast.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
And podcast damn, I am your first podcast.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
First podcast, and no, seriously, just an incredible space to
talk openly, and like I said, I just kind of
felt like we were chatting so awesome. Man, Like really
really really really enjoyed talking to you, and I appreciate
you giving me the space to do that.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Really, it was my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Everybody go watch this show if you haven't already nowhere
where can they find it?
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Where can we watch?
Speaker 3 (41:27):
They can find My Life with the Walter Boys on
Netflix And if you like it, we're going to have
more for you sometime soon.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
There you have it, all right, my friend, until we
meet again, Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
I'll look forward to it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
I've Never Said this before. Is hosted by me Tommy Diderio.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Publisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
Never Said this before. It's part of the Elvis Da
Rampo podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review
and subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(42:07):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Didario
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show ON DEMAND News
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