"The Mayor" (w/ Laura Dern)

Um, is this thing on? Because a pink corduroy-clad Laura Dern bursts like the sun into the Las Cultch studio to speak with Matt & Bowen at length and... that's OUR world! That's the world that WE're livin' in. Dern whips out a Reese impression, discusses channeling anger better than anyone in the biz, talks creating Amy Jellicoe alongside Mike White in Enlightened, and gets into both the comedic and dramatic brutality of Big Little Lies. Also, defining wonder whilst looking up at CGI Brachiosaurii, starring as Ellen's gay love interest in The Puppy Episode of her sitcom, and even more on Jeff Goldblum's chest, if you can believe it. All this, growing up in Hollywood in a different era, reflections on the current status of the entertainment industry, going punk rock at 12 years old, David Lynch as niche yet mainstream culture, and Laura's real life interaction with a Real Housewife. See one of Laura's thousands of current projects (Is This Thing On?, Jay Kelly, Palm Royale on Apple TV+), as well as her millions of indelible ones you probably already love. I SAID THANK YOU!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Look mare, oh, I see you my own look over there?
Is that the culture? Yes, goodness, we lost Culture ding
Dong last culture Easta's calling. So basically, a burst of
sunlight has come in in pink corduroy, which is a
fabric that must be hard to deal with as on

(00:23):
a construction level. Yeah, well they said that on project runway.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
They did because I'm looking at what's before me, impeccable.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
This would walk the runway and she could walk the
wrong way in it, and they would say, whoever is
on the judging it, I know exactly where she's going.
It has pockets. I love when they say it has
pockets as a way to be like, well, and finally,
this is a ten out of ten practical functional? Are
they not right? Though? Absolutely you had pockets, you did something,

(00:51):
and that's actually really culture number nine.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
You had pockets, you did something, hot cloth, any pocket.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Not only does our guests have pockets, our guest has
Let's talk about the hardware. An Oscar, an Emmy, a
SAG Award, multiple Golden Globe Awards, I mean.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
A couple of glass ones too, because not all awards
are gold or brass or metal.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Some of them are glass that's for the coach are
number ten. No wars are gold metal, some of them
are glass. And it must be a nightmare to sort
of wade through our guests foyer because because there's so
many awards to knock over and shoes and pink corduroy garments.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Pink quarteray garments, the mud room must be full of
the stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
The fact is this is a genuine pop culture icon,
lasting over the years. I was shank to bowen. It
feels like Hollywood is a neighborhood and our guests would
be able to greet anyone on the street and warmly
and like the mayor, but not the mayor because it's
not a political thing. It's just kind of like I'm
here and you can come to me. Yes, anyone ask questions,

(02:00):
like come to me. Everybody good. She's she's the ra
of the dorm at Hollywood, but a cool ra that
gets fired like I did famously. She's a She's a
fucking legend. I am so beyond she's in.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
We were just talking to earlier before, just kind of
a little little moose boosh of a conversation, right, it's
like the best boosh's She's like at least twenty things
to promote right now. So it's like, oh, when you're
you like you don't any time on the calendar is
the right time to just talk talk about the stuff.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah, exactly. There's always going to be a thing.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Palmer Elsie's in two just finished executive producer on that.
J Kelly is this thing on Coops Bradley Cooper loves
a shaky camera that just kind of winds around you
and finds you and finds you.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
I still so. I just watched The Stars Born again because,
by the way, I famously saw it five times opening weekend.
That's like sort of where I am on McKinsey scale.
That's what is that? Like an eleven if you meet
Stars Born five times a weekend. The man has talents,
The man has many gifts. Man has many gifts. He
eats ship in this movie. I can't deal exactly with that,

(03:10):
but you can. You can in the cinema, in the cinema,
and I'm sure on streaming at some point, like everything,
like everything, We're thrilled to have her. Everyone in the
room at home, hold on to your butts, as it were,
hold onto your butt, everyone.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
You got, thank you for the shout out of my
pink corduroy.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
It's really working.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
I mean, I'll thank Gabriella Hurst. I'm designed this, but
I will say I think Reese should have worn this
on the show.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
You know, she came in in just like a basic black.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
How was she not in full pink cordal Do.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
You think maybe she felt it would be on the nose.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
It would have been too on the nose. Which is
why I can do it and then pay homage to.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Her exactly, because really we're here to talk about Well.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
You guys talked about me. She told me, She's like, durn't.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Oh my god.

Speaker 3 (04:01):
I went on their show and we talked about you.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
It's funny. So you have a Reese Nicole? Does Nicole
have a You?

Speaker 3 (04:10):
I think no?

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Wait, how does that go? So, Nicole, what's what's the
circle here?

Speaker 1 (04:19):
What do you think is a you impression?

Speaker 3 (04:24):
I think it involves like using my arms and hands
way too much when I'm talking and now I'm just
gonna stop.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
Don't I feel.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
Like it's very you know, it's her doing, but I
think it's very animate.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Because the gesticulation is people keep it at the wrists,
at the fingers. They just they just articulate this way,
but you're going full elbow shinder.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
I think if if mimicked, it would be Yeah, you'd
have to really.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
To give it your It's like I always refer to
myself as one of when I get excited, as one
of those balloons outside of a car wash. So it's
not quite that I relate to that, right, But we
actually were talking and I was like, I remember watching
White Lotus and when you this was I think the
second season when you had a voice performance as Imperially's

(05:17):
a Strange Wife, and I remember listening to it and
the way that, like the anger built. I was like,
you know, what's so funny, Like for someone that's such
a sunny person and clearly such a friendly person and
such a kind person, you do anger the best of anyone.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
Oh do you?

Speaker 1 (05:37):
I wanted to ask you about that.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Do you mean by that?

Speaker 1 (05:40):
And I'm a little scared, but I wanted to ask
you about that, like, like, do you when you get
a script that calls for anger, like you really lock
you lock in? Like is that an emotion you enjoy portraying? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (05:55):
Maybe, I mean I'm sure there are people in my
life like my own children that would say, I'm not
always sunny, but I do like to look at life
with glass half full, which, as we know, like the
glass is just like it gets Yeah no, but I

(06:16):
think then, you know, we become very blessed if we
get to like work it all out character. So I
think I'm just I've been bottling it my guests for years,
and so my characters have given me room to explore
all the things I obviously have been feeling.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
But you know, I think what broke the seal was
probably enlightened where it was. It was like an unleashing
of something that was meant to be like contained or
something right. It's like Amy's whole thing is like, oh no,
I'm good now, and then like clearly she will always
be at the mercy of like a corporate structure or
a wellness idea like and those things to spare down

(06:57):
on you and then you have no choice but to
like laugh, shout.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
I know we love her so much, Amy Jellica, Amy Jellico,
I love her. I mean, you know, sadly, it's probably
the character I could be forever if I chose like
I I and I think Mike White feels the same way.
I think we both feel like we are Amy, but
we meet Amy every day, of course, and we're all

(07:20):
Amy now. And what's incredible about his writing, And I
think our idea was based on It was actually after
the two thousand election and we were noticing, like pre
the iPhone revolution, there was this moment where there's unrest
and no one's in the streets, and we thought, you

(07:43):
know a lot about who what kind of person would
it take? And I was talking to the head of
HBO because we'd made the film Recount for.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
HBO, which I loved.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
I love that crazy to play that character and person
and uh, and we were working on it and I
had said to Richard Plepler, who was at HBO at
the time, you know what, what kind of individual does
it take? I've got to play that person? And when

(08:12):
I was talking to Mike about it, my summary of
not even knowing who Amy was yet or in the
writing of it, I said, what if I love Lucy?
What if Lucy became normal? Array?

Speaker 1 (08:25):
Wow?

Speaker 3 (08:25):
Like that, I think is who it would take. And
that was sort of the birth of then this person
who I think you know is Amy. She's just a
mess and and and thinks she's doing the right thing
but in all the wrong ways. And then you know,
oh yeah, and the platform give her a soapbox and honey.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
What if I love Lucy became normal array. Yeah, that's it.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
That's and I mean, then the world would be a
better place. I love that world, but a lot of.

Speaker 1 (08:57):
People, so I think, would be way more like it.
I think the reason why she was popping so much
when Enlightened first came out is because we were like,
we don't we've never seen.

Speaker 3 (09:07):
This exactly, and now we're all amy. Yeah right, I
mean I think the world is so overwhelming to everyone,
right that everyone has a little bit of amy.

Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yeah, yeah, and we're the better for it.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
Yes, exactly exactly.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
I think.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
But I think I think that's my theory and this
is just me totally projecting that onto you. But I
feel like that is that kind of not that you
ever asked for it, but it gave this permission for
you in this in this new zone of your career
to like just dial it up, dial it down. It
goes into reranata, it goes into into all of these

(09:43):
different people, it goes into marriage story. Like that model
is so beautifully sad, and I think I think you
kind of just hollowed that out for everybody.

Speaker 3 (09:52):
Well, that's beautiful to hear, I have to say. I
think it's because suddenly women for the first time were
in leadership positions. So suddenly the characters changed because the
world had changed. Like I wasn't gonna play the leading
divorce attorney or the head of some tech company in

(10:16):
the early nineties when I started, because there were no
women in those positions.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
So we couldn't examine the way that they were scrutinized
or the way they behaved in those positions because they
didn't exist. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (10:27):
Yeah, I think about the movie I did, Citizen Ruth,
and I love that character, Ruth stoops in this Alexander
Payne comedy about the abortion issue. And someone was like, oh,
you know, there's this scene that's very anthemic where she
gets to talk about her rights, and I was like,
what's funny about it, because it's that movie's hilarious to

(10:47):
me is it's not that she says what her rights are,
it's that she doesn't even realize she has rights, and
so it's so janky and she's not sure. And at
the end of this speech, I turned the people next
to me after I say, you know, I'm a woman
and I have my right to choose. And then I

(11:10):
looked at kurtwood Smith and all these protesters next to me,
and I go, right, you know, she like, did I
get that?

Speaker 1 (11:18):
Right?

Speaker 3 (11:18):
Am I allowed to say that? So, you know, growing up,
the characters that I got to play who were exploring
sexuality for the first time but didn't know if they
were entitled to it or it was all new. And
then suddenly I grew up as a woman into a
world where the characters changed, and suddenly I was looking at,

(11:40):
you know, the leaders in their industries, which gave me
the ability to have rage or say what I needed
or you know, be not only disarming but even cruel
to a man in the room or whatever, depending on
the character. And that was so fun because it was all.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah, I feel like it's like with Renata, it's she's
so outsized, but she is so righteous. She believes all
of it because she's right. It's and it's truly like
I will never forget. I said, thank you. That was
the moment where I was like, because I was I

(12:20):
remember we were on this podcast, and because it was
kind of a slow burn in the beginning Big Little Lies,
you remember, like, I guess, so, yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
I mean now it's hard to look back on it
without it without seeing it's like a phenomenon right off
the back.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yeah. It took a few episodes and I remember we
were watching it and I was like, you guys might
want to check out Big Little Lies because there's something
really cool happening. And when you screamed, I said, thank you.
That was for me when I realized, like, this tone
is really something new, because it was a comedy when
you and Reese were on screen, and a drama when

(12:53):
Nicole was on screen, but then there were moments that
were like really almost brutal and when they those tones collided,
and I felt like that was a perfect example, and
I was like, we're seeing something super fresh here. Yeah,
and like.

Speaker 3 (13:08):
And that speaks to Jean Mark Vallet, the director, who
was such an incredible filmmaker, amazing and recent I made
the film Wild with him, and then kind of Big
Little Lives was right after that, and so it was
just beautiful to have that kind of trust, you know,
found family and our work and life is the greatest
thing that ever happened to any of us, and so

(13:31):
I just would go wherever he said. And we'd done
something so pure and the character I had played only
came from kindness Cheryl Strait's mother in that film, And
and so he was just like, you know, we're going
everywhere now, like this woman takes no prisoners. She just goes.
And everything was improvisational, and he.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
Always I just wondered about that.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yeah, we were just trying stuff, and he was so inventive.
But it created again room for I think the comedy
of it, but also the rage and the and the violence, Yeah,
and horror of what was happening at times to these women,
particularly Nicole's character.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
It held so much.

Speaker 2 (14:14):
And your tribute today to Reese's character, to to Cheryl
and Wiley is that you you brought a huge backpack
and it's it's yeah.

Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, we're all going on.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
We're all going to.

Speaker 2 (14:26):
Set us eighteen hundred. What that's like ninety marathons.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
Yeah, you put your hands in the dino poop. You
would do it, whatever it is, you would do it.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
Guys like I'm a professional paleontologist.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
I mean, are there things? Are there things about your
career that you like remember, not misremember, but that when
you remember. When the memory of it comes up, it
is totally surprising to you even though it like happen
and to you you've registered it, but it's like there's
such an expansive breadth there that you're like, oh my god,
when I did cit is in earth? Like this is

(15:08):
a totally different reality in the world, in my life,
in my ease r a dern Like, I mean, like,
what is that? How does that square with you? Like
you looking back and I know you don't. I know
actors don't really do this, so they don't look back
on their career and go, wow, I can't believe this.
But as we're having a conversation with you about your career, like,
do you think that memory gets a little refracted in

(15:30):
a way.

Speaker 3 (15:31):
I think it has to. And I think as long
as we are willing to be present, truly present, in invention,
in bravery and honesty, then we never have to catch
up because we get to just be there. And I'm

(15:52):
gonna say something about you, because humility as a deep
part of someone's nature. You have it or you don't.
And I had the pleasure of being in the room
when you received an award at the Academy museum.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
Oh you were that.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
And you were incredible because you weren't in the experience
of what was happening to you. You weren't in the
experience of your success or this new moment. You were
in the experience of being grateful for the opportunities you've
been given, for your friends, being in celebration of you

(16:34):
having had the opportunity to do what you love, not
in your achievements. And it was so beautiful to just
hear your gratitude. You were tender and emotional as you
shared it, like you were just deeply grateful. You can't
fake it, you can't know. Nobody can write a speech
for you to sound, but you were purely in the moment.

(16:56):
So even in twenty years when someone says, wow, is
that a big moment in your career, when people were
I'm I know from your generosity in that moment, You'll
be like, God, Yeah, if I had realized what a
big moment it was, maybe I would have been more
nervous or more but it wouldn't change you because your
nature is in great and being so grateful, And that

(17:19):
was so beautiful to see in a room filled with
you know, artists and film industry and all that stuff.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
Well, I'm shuddering at this because it's just like, oh
my gosh, like you were there and it was just
if I think about that that list of people, I'm like, oh,
that's that's incredibly overwhelming.

Speaker 1 (17:37):
But I'm so thank you for saying that.

Speaker 3 (17:39):
Well, it's really beautiful. It really moved me and I
I you know, I think if I in my career
had someone saying, oh, by the way, the movie you're
doing right now is going to be iconic, you can't.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
You can't do it.

Speaker 3 (17:56):
You can't.

Speaker 1 (17:56):
And you've been like and it's been true for you
in like niche iconic and also the most mainstream iconic.
And I just remember, like it's like everyone talks about like,
you know, the word wonder is defined by Laura dern
discovering the brachiosaurus. I get that dinosaur right down, but

(18:22):
like it is true. It's like if Steven Spielberg says
to you, like, now, remember this is gonna be what
people remember about the movie.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
You're going to define the word.

Speaker 1 (18:33):
You better make sure that you really define the word
wonder right now with your performance, Laura Derham, because this
is history forever for millennia for millennia. But it's just
it is fascinating to think about that. It's like it's
being committed to celluloid there in what three four takes
five six? But and then and then it's like forever
do you quickly on a movie that's that big.

Speaker 3 (18:56):
Yeah, you do, until until a dinosaur breaks down?

Speaker 1 (19:01):
Like my brain did not compute that so many of
those dinosaurs were actually practically.

Speaker 3 (19:06):
Isn't that incredible? I mean insane, especially a massive part
of the t rex, which was the only ordinary actor
we worked with, like he would break. You're in there exactly,
these guys and their egos. But it was amazing. I
mean sadly, the brachyosaurus was an X on a piece

(19:27):
of paper. She was she was not there with us,
But the raptors were there and scary. Yeah, and people
are like, oh my god, to act with something that's
not there. First of all, an incredible animatronic thanks to
the genius of Stan Winston, was right there and I'm
alone and the lights go on and this thing comes

(19:49):
out at me and there are puppeteers who are making it. Scared.
I was so scared of difference, yes.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Right, but there was brachystaur i. They were humble by nature.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
No no, no, no no no no no no no no no no,
because you know it's not brachyosauruses. You just sound like
a crazy person.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
But it's pregnant sources incredible.

Speaker 1 (20:13):
I'm going down on a say that.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
I don't think I would have been that smart.

Speaker 1 (20:18):
You're a woman of letters, you areologist, you are.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
But yes, sorry we interrupted me.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
I even meant to say that those raptors, they are,
they are humble by nature. You think humility is by nature?
You don't think there's a You either are humble or
you're not. Like you don't think there's like some spectrum there.

Speaker 3 (20:37):
I think life can teach you humility, Yes, for sure,
it can bring us to our knees without question. But
as we know, and I mean I think we can
see faces in our heads right now, there are some
people that, no matter what happens, they will never know humility. No,
of course, and that's just unfortunate. And usually it's the

(20:59):
people who continue to be placed in positions of power
or accolades or deep success.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yes we're talking about Jeff Goldbloom. We're talking about don't
start it.

Speaker 3 (21:13):
Don't get me started I We Love Him received a
cultural award, but Jeff Goldbloom's chess, well just.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
You wait, can I say the cultural award was the
fact that he was so sorry. First of all, we're
so sorry.

Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yes, yes, I'm out an apology.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
Don't worry.

Speaker 3 (21:34):
I've never had so much fun in my entire life
watching the entire award show with my daughter. Oh my god,
we had so much fun. It's a masterpiece. It may
be so happy. And yes, Jeff's chest should.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
Have warned listen. The fact that he came out and
was the first award. I was like, now, people know,
they don't know what to expect, you know. The fact
that he showed up and was down to do that
just shows that he's the coolest but would and he
was even the coolest back then, Like that's a cool
group of people, and he's humble.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
Although I just wonder for any man in ego if
he was like, oh come, they only designated it in
Jurassic Park, like the encouragement there you go, there you go.
Designated from one film in.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
The Wicked, well, in the Wicked prequel. I want it
to be all about We saw in the movie Wicked
that he was sorry, he was a big slut back
in the day. He was sleeping.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
At least two buttons. What I'm the is they I
want to snap off in the song. I want to
see it, right, just go into a song and.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
Sexy Wizard pre the Wizard, pre the.

Speaker 3 (22:44):
Wizard, Sexy Wizard just you had me there.

Speaker 1 (22:47):
Sexy Wizard was what we got. But now we're going
to get the origin story as it were the first
two buttons popping.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
Oh, yeah, there you go.

Speaker 1 (22:56):
So what do you do you do roller coasters? Are
you at the in park person, because there's because draft park.
You must be treated like a senator when you go there.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
I went once.

Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah, huh.

Speaker 3 (23:05):
First of all, it was terrifying, well yes, terrified the
Lost coaster or the no, I went to just the
Jurassic Park boat the boat the boat ride. But the
drop is terrifying.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
It's one of the largest drops.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
Yeah, thank you. And I was so scared. And I
was like when my kids were little and we were
going to go and they had friends. I think it
was a birthday party for one of the kids, and
I didn't want to say I couldn't go, which is like,
so let me like, guys, I can't go ride literally my.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
Ride your children. This is great. Yeah, so what happened?
You stopped the ride? Found so this was a great day.

Speaker 3 (23:44):
But I you know, it was like just hanging out.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
With a baseball cap.

Speaker 3 (23:49):
We did the ride, all was good, and walked through
the gift shop which you have to go through to
get out, and it's like me with the Tricera toop
scene is playing and all these dolls that I didn't
know exist of you that look like me, and it
was a little akward, but you.

Speaker 1 (24:07):
Most have dolls. You're a doll. You're a lego. I
have a mini fag, so you're you're a doll in
a pH And Laura Bowen is talking about the Velocity.
So if you ever do get down to Orlando, Florida,
the Velosa Coaster is the Jurassic is the Jurassic park
ride they have in Islands of Adventure And B. D.

(24:28):
Wong does the pre show excellent. It's great pre show work.

Speaker 3 (24:33):
I can't im it's a.

Speaker 1 (24:35):
Full immersive experience and it's a full on roller coaster
that launches through a raptor enclosure. Pretty cool stuff down
in Orlando, Florida.

Speaker 3 (24:45):
Stuff I can't wait.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
I'm going if you have any interest in pre show
stuff for the is this thing on ride?

Speaker 1 (24:52):
I think you would do great work in that.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
Thank you, thank you. I mean I'll sit and watch yeah.

Speaker 1 (24:59):
Next to Yeah, you would have the on screen romance
with Peyton Manning.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
I mean, I think now that you think about it,
like in hindsight, it's obvious, right.

Speaker 1 (25:19):
So I guess the question for you, like, is there
one person you haven't worked with that you're dying to
work with?

Speaker 3 (25:24):
Can you imagine if I said someone I have worked
of course, I mean, oh my god.

Speaker 1 (25:30):
But this is a podcast for manifestation. By the way,
many things happen as a result of things being said. No, okay,
it just it would be harder to manifest that. But
choose your own adventure.

Speaker 3 (25:42):
Here, listen, you always have I'd like to be with
the Beatles.

Speaker 1 (25:49):
You'd be great. There's four movies, guys.

Speaker 3 (25:53):
I mean that's hard. I've I did work with de
Niro a scene, but I haven't.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
Gotten into it.

Speaker 3 (26:03):
We really gotten into it. That would be a great pleasure.
I honestly, I think about filmmakers first because when I
was six, my mom, Diane lad was in the film
Alice doesn't live her anymore for Martin Scorsese, and I
was on set. I was that summer with her on
the movie, and it was an extra on the movie,

(26:23):
and he was the person who turned to my mother,
which believed me, I heard, because they had to do
nineteen takes and I had to eat nineteen ice cream
cones in the background of amazing scene and it's tough,
and it gets tough, actually actually fourteen ice cream and
he was like, whoa, your daughter just ate nineteen ice

(26:44):
creams and didn't throw up. He goes, she's going to
be an actor, you know. And I was six, So
all I knew was this man. I'd been around all
summer and they were doing this thing that I fell
in love with, and I didn't I actually didn't understand
and acting. What I fell in love with was this

(27:05):
man is figuring out how to film it, and these
actresses are creating their characters and together they're like feeding
off of each other and like, tell that story about
that one time you said your friend and they start
building it, improvising, weaving lines from the scene into other
stories and getting to the truth of a moment. And

(27:28):
they were in there and he let me be I
was looking through a doorway. They're in a in a
toilet stall in the back of Mel's diner, and I
was watching them just play together, and I thought, I
want to do that where you're with your friends telling
stories together, and so I fell so in love with that.
So I would say the person I probably would want

(27:52):
to the most would be Scorsesing just to do.

Speaker 1 (27:55):
A closer that does feel like a perfect one to wat.

Speaker 3 (27:59):
Absolutely, yeah, because amazing.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
I mean, your memory on this is so clear and
obviously formative, but it just so then I guess to
like this answers the question that I had earlier, which
is like how how like how firmly grounded are are
you in those memories? And it seems like you are
ten toes down all the way through? And is that
the year that you went to the Oscars with with

(28:23):
your mother? Yeah, like seven years old? Yeah, because she
was nominated because yeah, And and then I think the
other stories that like then you would go back with
her and your grandmother for rambling Rose. Yeah, like this
this kind of like I love I love this thing
about like you sort of as it were, like growing

(28:44):
up in this industry, as your neighborhood because you get
to see the process, you get to see the celebration
of it, and then you also get to transcend that
and just know that, like this is a nice part
of it.

Speaker 1 (28:58):
It is more about the.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Work than anything else. Yeah, not even about like the
going to the thing, although that's nice.

Speaker 3 (29:03):
And fun, Yes, I have to say. I mean, I
just feel so lucky that I had that childhood experience
at the time I did, because the neighborhood would be
the true description of it. First of all, actors weren't
making money. Movie stars were making right, not that much money.

(29:25):
You know, it was a craft and everyone made a
little to go work in independent films, certainly in the
seventies into the eighties, and then became the blockbuster and
the industry changed. But watching my parents' work, you know,
you would make a movie. And I grew up in
what felt like a small town, and I would go

(29:48):
to my parents' friends' homes that were incredibly well regarded
and famous, and they would be in their duplex or
they're small house or you know. But it wasn't like
fancy luxury, the glamor the word no and poparazzi like

(30:08):
there was you went to one event, which was the
premiere of your movie where there were photographers. You did
the Tonight Show and maybe you were on the cover
of American Film magazine. And then you know, in independent film,
suddenly there was interview and you do interview. But that
was kind of it.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
It wasn't industry with at all. Industry at all.

Speaker 3 (30:32):
And then there was the Oscars and eventually the Golden Gloves,
but there were only a couple of award shows. So
and there was no social media. There was no and
I think for actors, the whole idea of the craft
of method acting and at that time this group of actors,
many of whom came up together at the Actor Studio,

(30:52):
was about invisibility. It was about kind of going deep
into this character and being unrecognizable. And now it's it's complicated.

Speaker 1 (31:05):
Now you got to come on here and on.

Speaker 3 (31:08):
This show, you know, to say to you, because that's
how I was raised, Like, I didn't see you when
I was on the set of But it wasn't you,
you know, it wasn't your energy. You were even when
we were saying hi between takes and stuff. You were
in the character and it was so beautiful and he's
a gorgeous and amazing and so funny and such a

(31:33):
great friend to her. You know, like it's this full
being things, but it wasn't Matt Like that's great acting,
you know, and you're you just were in that moment
which is so beautiful to watch and so fun you
want to lose yourself and you know it.

Speaker 1 (31:47):
Actually, the reason I say it's the most fun job
I've ever had is because I was. We were telling
Chris then it's rare, I think to go into hair
and makeup and come out and don't see yourself and
then you go out on the set and it's on
the lot. It's this idea. I know. We just talked
about how back in the day there was the glamour

(32:09):
wasn't the word, but to me, there was like this
really fun element of glamour in terms of like you
really are are someone else. You walk out on the lot,
the tram goes by, and you're like, wow, this can
still happen. And I think a lot of us that
are starting our careers, like are feeling a little pessimistic
about whether or not that can happen again. And I

(32:32):
would say, like, you being such a leader in the industry,
Like what are your reflections right now, and like what
are your thoughts about you know, where we're at.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
I think that if the people with the money either
have integrity, which would be awesome, and and there are
always a few who do that's true, and who are
kind people who care about art and culture and understand that,
like if a country loses its culture, it loses the country,

(33:07):
so like you know, exactly so so I am a
believer in that. But I think that if even if
they don't know art, that they want to give the
money to people to tell their stories and understand that
stories are important, then we're in really good shape and
we have to keep telling the stories. But I remember

(33:30):
Billy Wilder won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writer's
Guild and Guys Sunset Boulevard, the Apartment some like it hot,
like a master has given us like the great gifts
of our life and film. And everybody was waiting for this,
you know. And I'm paraphrasing because I don't know the

(33:51):
exact words, but this was the idea. Everybody's waiting for
his grand you know, five minute speech to teach us
about cinema and how to keep bit a lot, and
he got up and he said, you own a pool,
they own.

Speaker 1 (34:07):
You Wow, And he got off. Whoa this?

Speaker 3 (34:13):
And that is the answer that should be the answer
to the question, which is like when you need a
lot of stuff or to pay for the stuff you
got that's just going to cause you a lot of stress.
You then gotta do the thing, you gotta pay the piper.
And so that's the challenge is how do we hold

(34:37):
space to do what we love, to tell the stories
that matter? And I think the way we're going to
get to do those as fewer people are able to
go to the movies at thirty eight dollars a ticket
or you know, take their whole family to see something
they love. You know, for smaller independent films, certainly it's like,

(34:58):
you know, you're gonna have to make those movies for
a much smaller budget than I think in the last
five years people have had the privilege of having this.

Speaker 2 (35:07):
This is completely edifying and the singer talking about with
Billy Wilder, you've talked about how like people in your parents'
generation are just desperate to find work, book a couple
of jobs a year so they can still qualify for
their fucking health insurance. It's it's about like material stuff

(35:28):
that can like keep like a home, about like a
roof above people's heads, get them like the health care thing.
It's just these these basic necessities that are being like
slowly taken away from all of us at various levels
of the business. And like this is this is exactly right,
like what you're saying, Like if the people with the
money can redistribute that in a way that helps it

(35:49):
in the most basic way, then that changes everything.

Speaker 3 (35:53):
George Clooney is an amazing person, and I've spoken a
lot about this, you know, the question of sort of
when you're number one on the call sheet, right, how
does that money get redistributed? Because anyone on that set
should be paid and have their health care insurance paid,

(36:13):
and have you money to do a line in a movie,
money to be there for the day, and please God,
may we keep background players and extras, because truly, so
many actors get their health care insurance for people who
don't know they get coverage by booking even to be
a background extra, even though they're a incredible actor or

(36:38):
actress who've worked their career, that one day or two
days on that movie gives them healthcare coverage for a year.
And guys, the crazy thing is, we're talking about the
actors who we all know and have loved in films
for or our favorite star of a TV show for
twenty years who's now eighty, whose health is decclining, and

(37:02):
there's no retirement plan. Unlike a lot of unions, including
a fire's secretary at Omaha Steaks and retired and would
have healthcare coverage for the rest of my life, actors
don't have that luxury, which is nuts, and our union
should be changing that.

Speaker 1 (37:18):
This is crazy.

Speaker 3 (37:20):
So even with my parents and all of their friends,
the people who raised us on movies and television, they
have to worry about not being able to go to
the dentist or if they go to the hospital. There's
no not going to be coverage for those bills.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
It's terrifying. Yeah, mess, it's a mess.

Speaker 3 (37:36):
So yes, redistributing, figuring out a way to keep the
work going, figuring out a way to keep theaters vibrant
and streaming alive, which gives you know, a lot of
work to a lot of people. There's a way to
do all of it.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
All for the popcorn buckets, Like I'll do the theme popcorn.

Speaker 1 (37:57):
I liked that Dune popcorn bucket love it. It's multip anyways,
but like, yeah, no, I was Actually it was funny.
I was just having a conversation outside and we were
talking about a movie theater that we had in common
growing up, and my instinct was to ask, what's it
look like? Because these movie theaters from when we were younger.

(38:20):
I recently went back. We went to go I think
I saw Wicked for Good four times, but we went
to go see it at my like at my like
local movie theater with my parents, and I was like, oh, no,
it's so it's in such bad shape because it's like
it and I do think that is something to think
about too. It's like people don't want People barely want

(38:42):
to leave their houses. They're not going to leave their
houses to go somewhere that's like uncomfortable and quite frankly unsanitary.
So that's a part of the ecosystem of this too.
It's like it's one systems and.

Speaker 3 (38:54):
We can get really clever conversation for a time soon
and if you guys are up for it, which is like,
how can we do that? How can we get the
energy back in supporting local movie theaters. You know, every
town should get to have one art house cinema.

Speaker 1 (39:14):
Agree. I mean, my god, some of my best memories
are going by myself down to like Angelica, you know
what I mean. And I'll just go three in a row.
I pay for each one. I don't hop hop, but
like you know what I mean. Like I saw Like
Red Rocket a couple of years ago in the theater
by myself, and I was like, thank god, we have
someplace to watch this movie. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (39:34):
Well, and that's the thing I mean, you guys are
this extraordinary space for all of us, but also youth
culture to kind of find their voice and their art
and what they want to do in their lives. Like
it's it's massive. And if you're in Chicago, New York,
La San Francisco, you have an Angelica, you have a metrograph.

(39:57):
But what if you're in those cities growing up and
you're not introduced to so much culture that Yes, one
positive and social media you can find like minded people,
but also places and spaces that maybe aren't aren't your
brilliant weird brain, yes, and how do we find the

(40:19):
brilliant weird brains?

Speaker 1 (40:21):
Yours? Speaking of brilliant weird brains. We'd love to find
out more about how yours developed. We'll find out more
by asking this question, the central question of our podcast,
and we've been floating around it. I think in terms

(40:42):
of where it might have happened for you. But Laura Dern,
what was the culture that made you say culture was
for you?

Speaker 3 (40:50):
It's a long answer, you know what could okay? So,
in the moment of what the world was telling me,
my culture was right to be twelve and disco is
on fire, and everybody's got the same posters in their room,
and so it's telling me what I'm supposed to be.

(41:15):
I had the luxury of being cast in a movie
maybe no one here has heard of it called Ladies
and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains. And at twelve years old,
I went to make a punk rock movie and my
co stars were two members of the Sex Pistols, a
member of the Clash, fee Way Bill and Vince Weelnick

(41:37):
from The Tubes. And I went and did this music
movie where I had my thirteenth birthday on that movie,
and I was dressed. My hair was like long blonde
hair down to here it was like shaved. I had
a mohawk. It was jet black with a white stripe
and were lived down and I was in it, and
I suddenly was this like punk kid for this care

(42:01):
and I was like, oh my god. They have holes
in their shirts and they're taking safety pins to just
like keep it together, and like giant motorcycle boots and
ni'se cairs and there's tears and they're fish nets and
what's happening? And I started listening to punk music and
learning also just like female lead singers and bands, which
was a whole new thing. And I think for me

(42:27):
the culture became a wait, you can spend your life
defining culture based on being like exposed to ten years
ahead of where everybody else's whoa And it kept happening
Like that was me at thirteen, and I went back
to eighth grade with that hair embarrassed.

Speaker 1 (42:50):
They were what happened to me?

Speaker 3 (42:51):
And they were like, you know, talking about the new
Police record, and I was like, oh, oh my god,
I love that record. And I remember this one girl
was like we were just saying we hate that record.
I was like, oh no, no, I liked the last record,
but that one sucked. So about you know, just like
you're trying to keep up with everybody else. And it
was this defining moment of oh, no, I get to
have my own culture and it's this other stuff I

(43:11):
was exposed to. Nobody even knows about it, but it's
my culture, and yeah, I'm gonna have like you know,
my poster is gonna be Barbara Stanwick and John Savage
cool from Hair. And people don't know who those people
on my wall are and that's okay because they're my people.
And then at seventeen, I was cast in blue velvet

(43:32):
and I went, oh my god, David Lynch is my culture.

Speaker 1 (43:36):
And it would it would take decades where people decades.

Speaker 3 (43:41):
So I the good news is my culture was defined
by not needing to be part of the culture that
was happening right now.

Speaker 1 (43:51):
It chills.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
I mean, that's that's an amazing answer. Must have been
very difficult to have the noise and not that it's noise,
but just to have the weather of the culture run
up when to you or just you're you're you're kind
of against that for a while and you have to
That requires the stability for you and your identity and
the culture that you loved.

Speaker 3 (44:12):
One I think being an actor starting acting at eleven,
So I was always put sort of into cultures through
this group of people, this circus, right that was making
the movie. Yeah, you're in the culture of Wicked, and
it's your world and we're not going to catch up
for a couple of years when you started, right, so
and now it's ours. We own it, right, and you're like, okay,
we were that's all we lived in breathe for this

(44:33):
period of time, and now it is pop culture. It's
really defined culture. So you have to surrender to that.
You're always in another world than other people. But I
love that. The bad news segue is you don't know
what's happening in pop culture, right, which, as long as

(44:54):
you're not embarrassed, yeah you're good. But then you have
kids and you embarrass then.

Speaker 1 (45:04):
Job, you have no reason to ever be embarrassed. I'm sure.

Speaker 2 (45:07):
I'm sure there are things that we have no idea about,
don't even but.

Speaker 3 (45:11):
You know, like you're in public spaces trying to like
be in a moment that excites you, and you know,
you just you don't know who people are or you
don't know what's happening. Usually, I when it comes to film,
I'm pretty current I'm such a music fan, so I
kind of know what's going on in music. But I

(45:34):
have a story for you, which is I went into
a hotel lobby to meet my friend Sam for a
tea come on, and he was talking to this lady
and they were deep in conversation, and I walked up
and I wanted to make sure like he wasn't finishing
a meeting or another thing, so it would go sit
somewhere else. And we're at the Bowery and.

Speaker 1 (45:59):
This uh where it all happy, where it all happened,
and they.

Speaker 3 (46:03):
Sort of invite me into their conversation, and I'm introduced,
and I said, oh god, if you guys need to finish, no, no, no, no,
She says, no worry, I know you guys are meeting.
Like I'm just I just arrived. I'm going to check in.
And I said, oh, oh, you're staying here and he said, yeah,
we just ran into each other, but we're friends. And
I said, oh, where'd you come in from? And she

(46:24):
had her suitcase and she said, oh, Salt Lake. And
I said, oh cool, and and I said how did
you guys meet? And she said, oh my god. Sam
was so nice to me. I wrote a book and
he just was so supportive. And I said, that's amazing.
He's such an amazing writer. He's such a champion of
his friends. He's so great and so I said, that's

(46:48):
so good, so sweet, and she said, yeah, he was
really sweet, like your first book. You don't know what
you're doing. And I said, oh, yeah, I'm you're amazing.
She was anyway, great to meet. You start to take
and I said, so, but you don't live in New
York and she said no, no, no, I live in
Salt Lake. And I said, oh, what do you do there?

(47:09):
And she said, oh, I'm this I have housewife.

Speaker 1 (47:13):
In Salt Lake. I'm a multi high friend.

Speaker 3 (47:14):
I said, girl, don't put yourself down. You just told
me you wrote a book. You're so much more than
a housewife. And she said, no, no, I'm a real
housewife in Salt Lake. I said, you just said that,
but you also said you wrote a book, your housewife,
you're a novelist, you're a like, you do many things.

(47:36):
And Sam had to go, Laura, she's a real housewife
of Saltace City.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
It was that woman, Heather Gay, Yes, it was.

Speaker 3 (47:47):
And guess what, I don't know anything.

Speaker 1 (47:50):
About that Okay, I had to call you.

Speaker 3 (47:53):
I was like, this woman, but I guess she's because
I kept defending, like, don't you know it's great. I mean,
by the way, if you're just a housewife, being a
housewife is amazing.

Speaker 1 (48:03):
Yes, she met Laura Dern and she was like, oh,
I'm read from Salt Lake City. She was actually saying.

Speaker 2 (48:14):
She was she was drinking herself in a way, but
you were like trying to meet her at her level,
but it was but it was a who's on first
thing and like no, no, no, we're not.

Speaker 1 (48:22):
And by the way, it.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
Literally took her leaving for Sam to describe to me
yet again what it meant. And then I had to
call Jaya and say I was with Heather and I
didn't know anything. And she's like, oh my god, mom,
that's like the best one.

Speaker 1 (48:38):
She's the real Her title of this podcast her episode
was the protagonist because she is that. Also, I'm going
to tell you how gay gay is. Right now, we've
both dated, Sam, Oh you and I, Yeah, I went
on a couple of days.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
You think I haven't dated O my god, Now it's rich.

Speaker 1 (48:58):
Really, I couldn't start that in spirit song back up,
you dated Sam ten years before we did. Yes, Yes,
that's what. It's a lovely person. Lovely. He's the most wonderful.

Speaker 3 (49:09):
Actually person and such a true champion of people.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
I know, it's truly great.

Speaker 3 (49:15):
His wife, who became a novelist.

Speaker 1 (49:17):
I was just I've just hosted today's show a couple
weeks ago when Karen and Shipka was there. Yeah, that's
one of his closest that's right there. He's likely because.

Speaker 2 (49:26):
Because I really want to go back to this idea
of like embarrassment and shame around the culture that you
knew and that you're like you don't like, there's no embarrassment,
and not knowing who that person is. It's like the
girl being like we were just talking about the police
record and it's the moment we don't like it's like, yes,
there's always going to be like a misalignment or something,
you know, unless you are part of the the beautiful

(49:47):
collective that is like on the same track with something
like it's I kind of like that. I'm discovering a
lot of films myself very late.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Yes, well, by the way, it's the essence of this show.
It's why I was so excited to be here and
why Jaya was saying to me, you know, I I
know these are your people. I know this is your
world because it isn't defining culture. It's asking what is
your culture and obviously making fun and having fun and

(50:18):
being in the bliss of like it keeps being redefined,
like what's important to us, what's hilarious to us? It's
so that's so freeing.

Speaker 1 (50:25):
Yeah, but I will say this, you walking into the
Bowery and that interaction with Heather Gay, that's the cultural awards.
That's lost culture is that's cultural awards. That's the tone
that is exactly that is that the way that we mean?

Speaker 3 (50:40):
That could be the award? Can I be like tallest woman,
diniest impact.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
I'm like, impact is your impact would be described my award?
Check it out.

Speaker 3 (50:59):
That just got in a word. I was like, I'm hungry.
People are like, what you get an oscar? Do you
want another oscar? I'm like, I want a last.

Speaker 2 (51:06):
Cut, Laura darned, there's a bespoke category and award.

Speaker 3 (51:14):
Guys, I got the song like that, like to get
a song, I got a song? Come on? Yeah, that's
only because he just referenced I don't but that was
that was like a that was like a moment in
culture too, which was.

Speaker 1 (51:27):
Like, like there was this moment where every single person
that's in the queer community was like, wait, you know
what we all have in common. We fucking love Laura
Jarn And that had to be a thing to receive
for you. But it's also like you as the human
being experiencing it and not the topic is like a

(51:48):
different thing. So when they all of a sudden a
community turns to you and said, hey, like, what did
that kind of feel?

Speaker 3 (51:55):
Like? Okay, that was insane surreal, It was insane, and
I didn't understand what was happening, So I knew in
the moment I had to surrender and just start enjoying
it and dancing, even though I had no clue why
it was happening. But back to cultural shifts. You know,
obviously we're only going to affect change if we're the

(52:17):
first ones. We're only going to affect change if it's
your voices before other people have caught up to feeling
brave enough to say it. So we've all been taught
that culture catching up to storytelling for the LGBTQ community

(52:37):
had to be a thing when someone would go first,
so my experience and me calling people going, guess what
I'm doing. I'm not supposed to talk about it, but
I'm doing this thing. I'm doing an episode of TV.
And they're like, whoa, you know you just start in
Jurassic Park, Like why are you doing an episode? And
I said, no, my friend is doing something. I want

(52:59):
to be part of it, and I can't really say
what it is. And I had the honor and privilege, yes,
of being part of Ellen DeGeneres's coming out episode called
the Puppy Episode, and it was a massive moment. But
the moment now reflected on seems like, well, of course obvious, duh.

(53:20):
A million people must have done it before that, and
people must have been going crazy and celebrating, and it
must have been such an emotional moment, bomb threats, losing
sponsors and you know, advertisers, and like a crazy week
during the filming.

Speaker 1 (53:37):
Because that was what you were doing at the time
was out of step with what's out of step.

Speaker 3 (53:43):
And then when it happened. Same for Oprah Winfrey, who
plays her therapist on the episode. In a way, the
assumption is you're going to do this thing, and thank god,
people will wake up love, their relatives and their neighbors
see them. Everything will expand, culture will catch up and

(54:05):
it will be a beautiful celebration. Was like major security
for a couple of years for any of us involved,
the world went no, no, no, Yeah, she lost her
show like it was you know that were wrong, wrong,
And yet now a moment like that happens. And for

(54:29):
the people involved in this celebration. I had a couple
of people part of the game Inschoir of Los Angeles
come up and go like I was a kid who
didn't even know what was going on. I saw that
episode and that meant and you go, oh, right, that's
why you want culture to catch up later. That is culture.
Culture's doing it when nobody's caught up. Yeah, it's I mean,

(54:50):
it's just such a gift. So that actually was the
I think the AHA moment of honoring a community being
part of it. And also, let me just say, being
part of that moment with Ellen, it wasn't that I
was somebody like supporting an actor or a friend by

(55:11):
being part of the show makes me emotional. But I
was holding her hands as they were shaking, you know,
and she was looking in my eyes saying for the
first time, okay out loud with people watching, and and
the privilege, the luxury of feeling it for someone in

(55:33):
a moment.

Speaker 1 (55:34):
Was so beautiful, literal.

Speaker 3 (55:37):
It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

Speaker 1 (55:40):
And so.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
You know, watching someone do that for themselves and for
their community and for their lives, you know, it was
like amazing.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
That can't help it be the focal point for when
you do watch this, this chorus of men saying your name.
It's funny and it's frivolous, that it's beautiful, it's celebratory.
You're and people are saying how much they love you.
But you're like you immediately are flashing back to the
hands and the hands in your hands.

Speaker 1 (56:10):
Yeah, that's I mean, that's wow.

Speaker 3 (56:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (56:13):
Can I ask like, but like among the people involved,
like what was it like sitting with that energy for
the longest time between like you and Oprah? And now
it's like the aftermath of that must have been so disorienting,
crazy crazy, that's.

Speaker 3 (56:28):
And and you know crazy on so many levels, Tracy
that I know Oprah crazy.

Speaker 1 (56:36):
Crazy.

Speaker 3 (56:37):
Yeah, I have bonding experiences and and she did her
an anniversary show, her talk show and had us come on,
and we talked about it for the first time. I
deeply talked about it and hung out that night, and
I think we were all together till honestly to like
three in the morning, sharing the stories of the gratitude

(57:00):
we experienced, of the personal stories shared. But I've just
been so lucky to be someone that people will share
their personal stories, or their family stories, or their struggles
with me only by you know, by being adjacent to
this brave moment in someone's life.

Speaker 1 (57:18):
Well, they into it correctly that you were a safe
space for someone that needed it. And so now that's
part of your essence, and that is a beautiful thing
to have be part of your essence.

Speaker 3 (57:28):
It's incredible to even think that anyone would believe that
of me. So I will hopefully always rise to the
occasion to hold space for anybody. But you know, that's yeah,
that's the dream anyway, for sure.

Speaker 1 (57:45):
I love that was the hotel lobby story.

Speaker 3 (57:50):
By the way, I'm just And by the way, my
daughter was right, she was like, don't tell that on
a talk show. Don't tell Oh God, I am getting
you on unless culture. He says, I am calling your publicist.
You have a story for you know what.

Speaker 1 (58:03):
That means, Hia. That means that you are, in the
fandom a publicist, and is that how you identify reader
Katie publicists, finalists? You are a finalist but yeah, yees
yea in this.

Speaker 2 (58:15):
Realm, yeah, publicist with her and in public absolutely absolutely,
one hundred thank you for sharing that way.

Speaker 1 (58:26):
That is so I mean, just like, yeah, I mean,
I just I just feel like it's not surprising to
me at all to like you really do enter rooms
and it feels like everyone is just like because you
are Hollywood royalty. But basically, there's so much more. It
means so much more than that when you carry all
these things and you have all these insights and you

(58:47):
have all this experience and you're able to speak to
it in such a way and share it in such
a way.

Speaker 3 (58:51):
Why weren't you guys there when I went through a breakup?
Can you imagine during breakup your champions show up in
the room and she's Hollywood royalty. But especially when you're
like sixteen.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
When you guys met it was on your your death
scene in Wild. Sorry y'all spoiled Wild, But you guys
had just gone through divorces and that sort of like
rocketed you guys to.

Speaker 3 (59:18):
And immediately literally within two minutes of meeting on set. Wow,
shared everything with each other. So you guys, yeah, yeah, yeah,
it's incredible. Yeah, she's the best person, biggest. Let's speak
clear already planning.

Speaker 2 (59:38):
Your show way in a real way.

Speaker 1 (59:42):
Shall we move to? I don't think so, honey, It
is God already. I know it's not crazy.

Speaker 3 (59:47):
I just said, I said, are people nervous when they
I mean again, thank god that my publicist, my daughter
told me, hey, Mom, they're going to ask this question.
You got at least and I was like, I don't
like to prepare for things.

Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
Joy.

Speaker 3 (01:00:01):
She's like, Mom, you have to at least know the
theme or the thing that bothers you and then.

Speaker 1 (01:00:06):
But out you'll see soon.

Speaker 3 (01:00:08):
We've got to just go feeling right. All we ever
know is that people who actually write a.

Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
Minute, I'll say something, they tend to feel less impactful
when they are being read because you can tell the
spirit is not moving. The spirit has already moved, and
so therefore it's on the written page. But when the
spirit moves in real time.

Speaker 3 (01:00:31):
Yeah, no, it's church.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
You guys there in the dark, feel it.

Speaker 3 (01:00:35):
You really have this is church.

Speaker 1 (01:00:37):
This is now a religious podcast.

Speaker 3 (01:00:40):
It is it is please listen to us for nothing.

Speaker 1 (01:00:44):
I beg you to listen to us for nothing. This
is I don't think so, honey. This is a sixty
second segment where we take turns sort of bellowing. It's
a cultural bellow and I have something this is. This

(01:01:05):
is gonna come out of left field, but I think
we're all experiencing it and it needs to be spoken out. Okay, okay,
uh Matt.

Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
With a collectivist perspective, this is I don't think so, honey.

Speaker 1 (01:01:18):
As time starts now, I don't think so honey. Doors
that are both push and pulls, oh my god, this
is a danger to society. You're getting you are getting smacked.
God forbid. Someone pushes and pulls at the same time.
Then we're just slapping on glass. Your wrists are compromised.
There has to be decisions. Also, I'm sorry. If you

(01:01:41):
are walking into a store, the door should go into
the store, pulling the door out. I'm just giving an
idea about what direction to go. It has to go
a direction. That direction has to be clearly labeled. My
opinion is, if we're going in, the door should go
in People expect something when they are in a space
to have something enter that space. When you were on
the street, you do not think, hey, you know what

(01:02:03):
could fly out in front of your second a goddamn door.
I hate this. We already and I'm sorry to make
people nervous on the streets. We already have the fact
that in the summer air conditioning unit second could plummet.
Oh I don't need to be thinking about birds pooping
on us air conditionings plumbing, and you know also doors
flying out into the streets. It's push or pull. It

(01:02:25):
is not push n pull. That's not physics. And that's
one minute.

Speaker 3 (01:02:30):
Public safety announcement. Yes, that's like, let's change up what
a PSA stands for.

Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
A public safety announces You have just.

Speaker 3 (01:02:38):
Saved lives with that.

Speaker 1 (01:02:39):
I'm just saying we have to we have really should
just decide. And I think in always you know what,
you know what great leadership is. You know what great
direction is making decisions. It is not always about making
the right decision. It is about making a decisions. Yeah,
and then you deal with those consequences and those the
fallout from that decision. But we have to make decisions.

(01:03:00):
Making a door push and pull. Sure, it's a choice,
it's not a decision, it's not definitive. It is putting
too much in the eyes and the hands and the
wrists of the public, and we can't be trusted. We
need guidance, we need leadership on this.

Speaker 3 (01:03:15):
Amen, Amen, masterpiece.

Speaker 1 (01:03:19):
Doors. Let's revolving doors. I'm actually, I'm actually I don't
like revolving doors.

Speaker 3 (01:03:26):
I want to take them. I said door, I push
it and it doesn't let me. Usually do I say revolving? Yeah,
I worry. I'm not gonna be.

Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
To say nothing of claustrophobia, one of the most famous phobias.
And yet, and yet, can I ask why I'm having
my daughter that this is my daughter? Listen? Can you
comfortable with your new name? Klaustra Astra? But do you

(01:04:01):
know I don't know why I'm turning to you to
answer this question. Why do we have revolving doors?

Speaker 2 (01:04:05):
I think it's to regulate the influx and would know,
but I'm just making this up or sort of the
what's the words with.

Speaker 3 (01:04:13):
An e burn?

Speaker 1 (01:04:16):
Anyway, anyway, I'm not sure why. I I think you
might be in the ballpark something egress is what I mean?
Regulation that the words no, no, no. I believe English
is third language. Did you know that when you listen
to the speech of the Governor's Awards speaking his third language,
everybody calm I refuse to calm down. You need to

(01:04:37):
calm down before we go into bones. I don't think so, honey.
What was the experience of starring and Bejeweled the music
video with Taylor Swift?

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
Amazing?

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
Amazing.

Speaker 3 (01:04:46):
You wouldn't ask I.

Speaker 1 (01:04:48):
Actually it was in. It was. It was in like
the the secretaries went through the file cabinets of my
mind and found that file and second and I just
needed to.

Speaker 3 (01:04:57):
Know an egress and it just because that's a very
swift word.

Speaker 1 (01:05:04):
Egress.

Speaker 3 (01:05:04):
She probably has it has to be in a song.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
It's probably on folklore.

Speaker 3 (01:05:09):
She used the word fad.

Speaker 1 (01:05:11):
It's so good, so good.

Speaker 3 (01:05:12):
It is my favorite record of hers.

Speaker 1 (01:05:13):
It's absolutely brilliant. And the thing that I always say
about folklore is it's there for you when you need it.

Speaker 3 (01:05:18):
It is in every circumstance.

Speaker 1 (01:05:20):
YEA, truly, truly?

Speaker 3 (01:05:23):
How about that the world worships her and I had
to just hate on her. I like there was even
a kick, Like there were certain things. I'm sure there
weren't used because we were. And she's an amazing director
by the way, and amazing because she makes decisions, makes decisions.
Would to fix that for us indoor outdoor? That's absolutely

(01:05:45):
Oh no, I know she could say it today and
it would change.

Speaker 1 (01:05:48):
It would it would be like it would be like
when she like spoke up for like for Spotify. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
against whatever. Yeah, she did the right thing.

Speaker 3 (01:05:58):
She did the right thing in when you're supposed to
go in.

Speaker 1 (01:06:02):
You push in a door. I know that about Taylor,
but yeah, no, I also like you were the star
of a lot of b roll during the Eras tour.
The influx of people coming in.

Speaker 3 (01:06:13):
That was an amazing experience. We actually went to the
first showyar in Phoenix. It was incredible and.

Speaker 1 (01:06:22):
It just it was wild. First audience. Yeah, you know, wow, Yes,
you watched the aerostur begin.

Speaker 3 (01:06:29):
Begin, begin, and like breaking it down after and hearing
the ins and outs of notes and just like and
her genius brain and.

Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
Which you can now see in the documentary. Oh my god,
Oh my god, it's a really it's it was a
good watch.

Speaker 3 (01:06:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:06:46):
Yeah, But for now we're focusing on one minute specifically,
Bowen Yang's one minute, because this is Bowen Yang's. I
don't think, Sonny, now, do you have a topic ready
in mind? I do.

Speaker 2 (01:06:56):
It's it's it'll, it'll get there. But ever, everybody walk
with me on this. Let's all walk with Bowen Okay,
this is Bowen Yang's. I don't think so many as
time starts now, I don't think so honey, what happened
to underwater basket weaving? It's like a punchline of like,
uh oh, it's a it's a college class that no
one in the right mind would take.

Speaker 1 (01:07:15):
Make it a real thing.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
I know it's a real thing, and use kelp to
make a little wicker, a little, a little lattice some.
I know it's a real thing, but let's actually popularize
it instead of making it a punchline. Like I the
first time I heard the words underwater basket weaving, I
was like fourteen years old talking to college counselors. But
I was like, the wait, do you guys offer that?

(01:07:36):
Because I would gladly take. I regret, being an NYU alum,
that they did not offer that, even though we had
a great swimming team.

Speaker 1 (01:07:45):
I think they were we had a swimming we had
the facilities to have an overwater basket leaving course, and
it was never offered to us in earnest.

Speaker 2 (01:07:53):
I think let's just really bring the whimsy back to
our campuses across this country.

Speaker 1 (01:08:00):
Let's just make it fun. College just sounds so stressful. Now. Look,
and they're not even writing papers anymore. Let let let
them do it. Let them weave, and that's one.

Speaker 3 (01:08:09):
Let them weave.

Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
Sometimes the dichotomy between us just shakes me because I
just said doors should push in and Bowen used the
word lattice in reference to underwater baskets latus.

Speaker 3 (01:08:21):
Work with kelp with help, by the way, But first
of all, you're so right. It's too stressful. Yeah, so right,
And I say swim teams across the country should be
required to have underwater basket weaving for like their their
break time.

Speaker 1 (01:08:40):
Yes, you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:08:41):
It's it's too stressful.

Speaker 2 (01:08:43):
It's too stressful. It is a meditative experience. Thank you
for agreeing with us emphatically on them.

Speaker 3 (01:08:48):
Man, I'm signing giy up Oh doesn't even know they
offer that they.

Speaker 1 (01:08:52):
Doist Okay, she's making your decisions, your dean, mom.

Speaker 3 (01:08:58):
You called the school and told them that we had.

Speaker 1 (01:09:00):
To offer, and now I'm the captain of the basket
weaving club for Underwater.

Speaker 3 (01:09:07):
They were like your mother said, we had to have it.

Speaker 1 (01:09:12):
I think we both made Sillian points. And now we
turn to our guest. Oh, it's gonna tear this up.
Oh my god, guys, you're going to do amazing. Are
you ready?

Speaker 3 (01:09:21):
I am okay, And you'll say thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:09:24):
Seconds were this is Laura Durns. I don't think so, honey,
and her time starts now.

Speaker 3 (01:09:31):
I don't think so, honey. Shared public spaces are not
just for you. Acrosswalk means we're waiting. We're being generous.
If our cars are stopped, take your time, but get
across the street. You've already got your Starbucks. This isn't

(01:09:51):
your Abbey Road, Jessica.

Speaker 1 (01:09:56):
Move. Move.

Speaker 3 (01:09:57):
People who are like, you know, and they go thirty seconds,
thank you, and they kind of move quickly. And then
there are people who are like they drop something, they
go sort of back a little, and then this is disgusting.
I can't stand it. How about, by the way, in
the airport, happened clipping nails. The nail is like flying

(01:10:20):
into your face. Someone clipping clipping their toenails.

Speaker 1 (01:10:25):
David Lynch the air.

Speaker 3 (01:10:27):
How about inside a movie theater watching Wills of Wall Street.
Margot Robbie comes on the screen. The guy goes, she
looks just like Sarah, my best friend Sarah. Margot Robbie
looks like Sarah. You know what, fuck you?

Speaker 1 (01:10:39):
I'm like, We're in a movie theater, and that's one minute.
We don't want to hear about Sarah. Who want to
watch mar d This is the beginning of the career. Exactly,
you're watching a movie star.

Speaker 2 (01:10:53):
Public goods are meant to be shared in Yes, exactly,
green means dreamings go.

Speaker 1 (01:11:01):
One said, welcome to New York. It's been waiting for you.
But I'm not waiting for you to cross the street.

Speaker 3 (01:11:07):
It's waiting for you to move at our pace.

Speaker 1 (01:11:10):
This isn't your happy road.

Speaker 3 (01:11:11):
We're not in Kansas anymore. Call back a week.

Speaker 1 (01:11:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:11:15):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:11:16):
It was famously once said, we're not in Kansas anymore.
So you actually do have to lift those knees you
gotta Yeah, it's it's for me. It's kind of like
when people are allowed on the phone in a space
where there's like four other people.

Speaker 3 (01:11:31):
Oh my god, I was gonna talk about that and
see like a romantic night and it's right next to
you and they're mad on the phone being fired. I
get it. Yeah, step out to be fire, Step out
to be stopped.

Speaker 1 (01:11:46):
It's actually coature number one hundred. Step out to be fired,
get some fresh air.

Speaker 3 (01:11:50):
But guess what if you're gonna have to do that,
the door should go out. You want to be fired,
have to leave so upset, and then the door keeps
like I'm trying to get out to be fired, guys,
and I can't get.

Speaker 2 (01:12:07):
Out public that's a that's a courtesy for the rest
of you.

Speaker 3 (01:12:11):
And you're crying and you're like, have lost your gig?

Speaker 1 (01:12:14):
I want to say also, the fact that we got
a little dose of your characteristic anger right there range
was the rage came that a treat and a half.
Can I just tell you you nailed it? Do people
get nervous? To people get nervous? The elbow started going.
I was like, you're gonna kill this, and you did.

Speaker 3 (01:12:37):
But because it genuinely pisses me.

Speaker 1 (01:12:39):
Off, and there you go point and now you're on
the other side of it. You found the truth be
in your droop.

Speaker 3 (01:12:47):
You guys gift me that you.

Speaker 1 (01:12:49):
Give us so much and including your time today and
this has been the coolest. Getting to know you is awesome.
And I remember I showed up on Palm Royal and yes,
was in all the makeup and everything, and then you
came and you weren't acting that day, you were just
there as a producer. And you came and you were
I could hear you giving like feedback off camera, and

(01:13:10):
I just thought it was so cool. You're so multifaceted.
You're so good at so many different things that you
do that people don't even think about that you're doing
because the it's your reputation proceeds and it is dead ass.

Speaker 3 (01:13:24):
Thank you. Guess what you know what I'm gonna do
next time I'm here? What I'm going to bring you
a woven basket.

Speaker 1 (01:13:32):
That you made underwater?

Speaker 3 (01:13:33):
Oh you know it. Yes, it's going to beautiful. I
mean Ji, I will have made it in her class.
I'll take credit, take credit for of course, that's what
mothers do. Good mother, this is good.

Speaker 1 (01:13:49):
We'll see you at the Culture Awards with with the
woven basket.

Speaker 2 (01:13:54):
Guys, Yeah, you're gonna have another huge trophy to put
in your bedroom.

Speaker 1 (01:13:59):
That's the truth. That is the truth, and this one
will be too heavy to break.

Speaker 3 (01:14:05):
Was your Museum Award glass?

Speaker 1 (01:14:07):
I think it was gold.

Speaker 2 (01:14:09):
You know what they would give the people the years
before us, a tiny silver Oscar statue, and then what
they gave to us in our class.

Speaker 1 (01:14:19):
I'm not I'm not noting it. I'm just pointing this out.

Speaker 2 (01:14:21):
Like a solid gold like ice cream cone, which which
is sitting I love beautifully on my bookshelf. But I
did look at the chrome Oscar, this chrome silver Oscar
that you know Paul mescal Get has, and I'm like,
that's cool.

Speaker 1 (01:14:34):
But that's cool, but the gold is better, the gold
is batter well, the gold is better. That's a real Oscar.
We refer to his as a vibe vibes Oscar, and
we love your career. We're going to give you this thing.
It's not an Oscar, but we are the Academy.

Speaker 3 (01:14:48):
Did the Oscars change it to the Olympic formula where
you get a bronze of silver and a gold.

Speaker 1 (01:14:53):
Honestly, though not bad, I don't think it's well because
then it's.

Speaker 3 (01:14:57):
Like everyone's a winner, but you got the I do you
think about that?

Speaker 1 (01:15:00):
So we were we were at the Oscars last year
and best actress happened at mike.

Speaker 3 (01:15:06):
We're going to say, and we won Best Actress, Like,
I don't remember that, and that's the greatest moment in
cultural history. Which, by the way, we're not stopping till
the two of you win Best Actress the same performance.
Let's go, guys, are going to do this.

Speaker 1 (01:15:22):
We're going to do it. We were there and Mikey
Madison won and we were all like, oh my god,
she won, but that means to me lost. Oh no.
I was like once you're when you're in the room
and you're kind of like filing that happened. You're like,
everyone should win. Why are we doing this?

Speaker 3 (01:15:39):
No? And what a face should I make? Because I
am in grief and joy and never.

Speaker 1 (01:15:44):
Had to do faces for all all different variations of it.

Speaker 3 (01:15:47):
I've loved seeing people who like go with the the joke. Yeah,
like yeah, David Lynch did that one year.

Speaker 1 (01:16:00):
Iconic things he did.

Speaker 3 (01:16:02):
I thought it was so good. Well, thank you so much,
a jam, Thanks you guys. Oh my god, I've had
the time of my life.

Speaker 2 (01:16:09):
We've had a blast and a half. This this this
spanned all conversational tones in the best way.

Speaker 1 (01:16:15):
Thank you, Thank you. We end every episode with the
song these Tones Best believe it still jewel the one
in the room, I can still make the whole shimmer.
To see our guest shimmer, see one of her thousands
of films out right Now, including Is This Thing On?
And watch our kick Taylor Swift in the Jeweled video
Outtakes Yeah. Last Cultureats is the production by Will Ferrell's

(01:16:41):
Big Money Players and iHeart Radio podcasts, created and hosted
by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, Executive produced by Anna Hasby,
and produced by Becker Romo, edited mixed by Doug Jane
and our music by Henry Komirski.