February 7, 2024 • 59 mins
For their debut episode, Paul and Skip welcome podcasting pro Jason Bateman of 'SmartLess' — who just happens to be Paul's son-in-law! It's a family affair as Jason reveals the nerve-wracking moment he asked the music legend to marry his daughter, why his kids struggle to watch his movies, and the time his sister Justine was cast on 'Arrested Development' as his love interest (ewww). He also opens up about sneaking his way into his very first audition, making the switch to drama and directing on 'Ozark,' the truth about his deepest fears, and the time he had Joe Biden call Paul — which almost ended in disaster!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Our Way with yours Truly Paul Anka and my buddy
Skip Bronson is a production of iHeartRadio. Hi, folks, my
name is Paul Anka.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
And my name is Skip Bronson. We've been friends for
decades and we've decided to let you in on our
late night phone calls by starting a new podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Welcome to Our Way, and we'd like you to meet
some really good friends books.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
They're leaders in entertainment and.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Sports, innovators in business and technology, and even a sitting
president or two.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Join us as we ask the questions they've not been
asked before, Tell it like it is, and even sing
a song or two.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
This is our podcast and we'll be doing it our Way. Hey, Skip,
I want to it just sound like with bubbles. It's
(01:08):
pouring here, flooding all over Westlake.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
You know, Hey, I'm doing you know what, Paul.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
They're talking about it like it's going to be an
epic storm, but so far it's just getting a little
bit of rain. But last time, you know, the animals
were lining up in pairs, so I'm hoping it's not
like that. So meanwhile, in other things, we've got Jason,
your son in law, coming on to do the.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Podcast and how excited a mine. Man, he's coming out
to the house and you're gonna love him. Well, you know, man,
he's all over you at the golf course. He always
calls me about the laughs you guys have you and
we're going to.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Get into that with him, you know what I'm saying. Yeah,
that'll be fun. You know.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I have to tell you the funny thing about him.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
The two things that resonated with me.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Number One, if you're wearing something that he likes, he'll say, Wow,
that sweater.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Where'd you get that sweater?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
He says it in a way that you can feel
obligated to go out and buy one for him.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Should do.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Then you've got a great response from Matthew. But my
other favorite thing with him is it doesn't matter like
what you've done in your career, matter how many shopping
centers you developed like I did back East, or the
tallest building between New York and Boston, or you know,
working in the casino industry and developing casino projects.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
Say hey, you know what, nobody knows what you do.
Speaker 6 (02:28):
I do.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
I'm like, really, really, no one?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
You know that's the younger set.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Skip, No, it's him, it's him.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
And his busting.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
He's one of the great busters of all time.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah, exactly, But you know we got to do he's
a golf addictation. Got to tell him the story of
you and Michael Jordan when you played and.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
Beat him out of all that money. Make a make
a note of that, make a note.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
You got to talk to about that, kick out of that.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
You know know the thing I want to do I
don't ask estation about you know, the way he you
it was okay to marry a man.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
I'd love to hear that story, So that'll be Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I got a note on that too.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
The other thing, you know, with of course getting your
smash ship, but we got to talk about arrested development.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
And you know how that came about. Yeah, and SmartLess
of course is.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Like the smash podcast of all time.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
He's having to blast with that.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
So how about a glass that they sold it for millions?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I saw?
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Yeah, I mean that that eases up for me. I
don't that's one or less of five girls that have
to take care of Not that I wouldn't, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I'm happy for them in their swing and then they
deserve it. You we'll have fun with him.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Skip we'll have no, it's gonna be great, all right,
And I'll catch up with you later.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Yeah, I'll catch you later.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And don't go out, don't get on your arc yet,
and I'll let you know if I can escape my
driveway with the gate.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
And everything, and I'll talk to you more.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You know. I love you, Yeah, love you to stay warm. Okay,
So tomorrow bye.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
It is a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Thanks you coming to know each other.
Speaker 6 (04:13):
Yeah, a little bit. We do go back? How long?
What is it? Twenty four years? I want to say twenty.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
I was living up on Mulholland, which was about twenty
four years ago, and Amandam, the wonderful Amanda, for the
first time came home with a serious, serious boyfriend.
Speaker 6 (04:33):
Now did you know that I was serious before I
showed up? Like? Did she prep you? Like, Dad? This
could be the one?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:38):
Really?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
What she say, Dad? This could be the one?
Speaker 6 (04:42):
Something like that?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
You must have told her us.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
I just told her just include the D part V.
Jason Bateman V one Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well no, to qualify for everyone out there, I got
the greatest son in right here. I'm not only even
blessed with some great children, but I got the greatest
while here. So this is kind of a different trip
for me being on this side of the mic, because
one of my great experiences this year was sitting with
you guys. Yeah, a great time. I mean, it was
(05:12):
a big month for me, Bill Burr, you guys coming
off of Howard Stern, I mean, what's next, right? But anyway,
Manna comes home and I know she's in love, and
I do the homework. I guess R. J. Wagner introduced
you guys.
Speaker 6 (05:26):
Yeah, you have something like that somebody in the Wagner family,
Katie or Natasha.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Yeah, So I was hipped as something was up and
everybody got it together and the next thing I know,
I went for the expensive wedding.
Speaker 6 (05:43):
Yeah, yeah you did. And you're saying you changed my
way into his way, Yeah, and saying that. Somebody was
talking to me the other day they're going to propose
to their girlfriend, and I talked to him about He said, well,
shouldn't I fly the mom and dad in for the
moment I proposed? I said, no, what are you talking?
But that's going to be your moment with you and
your and your your fiance. But you do it might
(06:06):
not be bad to do the traditional talk to dad
first and say I'd like to I'm going to ask
your daughter. We had that conversation, didn't we? We did
help my small brain.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, how did that go?
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Where was that?
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Remind me of it? I think it was it was
up at the house.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, like was I over there with a manager?
I pull you into a side room. Why am I?
I must have been so nervous, I blacked out.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yeah, you've been going through a few things at that time.
You were calibrating. May I say that? Yeah, yeah, a recalibration.
I think I'm still in it, Yeah, very successfully. May
I add, and which you know I was hip too.
But you know it goes back to I mean off point.
You know, I started at fourteen, and you know, God
knows what an amazing career you had ten and it's
(06:50):
you know, people just don't understand when you start at
that age. You know, none of us are from sophisticated backgrounds,
None of us, any singer I've met, anybody that I
was a fan of. We all come from these modest backgrounds.
And when that shit is thrown at you and you
have to deal with success in that abnormal premise of life,
(07:14):
it ain't easy.
Speaker 6 (07:15):
It's not easy, and you're looking to make it easy
in a situation that's challenging mentally, spiritually and complicating everything
is that you're in such a permissive environment as you're
becoming famous. People are allowing you to be not your
best self, and gravity is pulling you towards not your
(07:37):
best self to compensate for the challenges of all the
mental and spiritual stuff. So yeah, you need good people
around you to try to carve out a groove that
is functional, that will sustain you, know, such you don't
have to make a bunch of apologies as you really
do get your feet under you over a couple of years.
So yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You're crawling, Yeah, crawling through life. I found to you
get to some juncture of wisdom where you're able to
compute what's going on to say, wait a minute.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
Did that come quick enough for you or did you
have I certainly had some challenge, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Yeah, you've had challenges, You've overcome yours. Mine. It was
a little different because I came out of the fifties. Yeah,
so it was a different.
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Time, less challenging.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Do you think, well, it was.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Challenging in certain ways. But I was protected at a
great family, good father and mother, even though I lost
my mom at eighteen, great guy in Irving Feld who
is my manager. But you know I saw a ship
around this. I mean I had guys on the bus
when we're a tour shooting up heroin. I won't mention who,
but the drugs were around.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
I mean, well the weekends weakens. Skip, good that you're
still with us, you know, from the from that bus
with the needles all the way to the.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
He knows all about that. I'm you know, back back
in your turf off of that. What interested me? I've
seen Jason do all these amazing things and then all
of a sudden out of nowhere. You know, Amanda rarely
calls me with any big items. She's just she's a sweetheart.
Dad chasing the state of playing golf. Can you believe it?
(09:11):
He's gonna play golf? And you got to tell your
friend Skip, whatever he can do, we don't want him
playing golf. I'm going to Amantha.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
Skip ended up being a great lubricant to get me
into the club.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
He's the guy, Skip, and you know the rest of
the story. How did you maneuver that? I mean, how
how did that all fit into that flow? You guys
were into.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
What's that golf? Golf?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I mean, that's time consumer, it's.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
Very time consuming. But I don't do anything else unless
i'm working. You know, there's probably no coincidence that a
lot of actors play golf because you're either acting right
where you're working at least twelve hours a day or
you're doing zero. You know, you're literally trying to figure
out how to get some days behind you on your
(09:58):
way to your next job. You're constantly getting hired and fired.
So for me, and I hope this doesn't sound like spin,
it does to Amanda, but it's sincere. It's so challenging
to me golf that it actually keeps me mentally sharp
because it's so hard for me. So it's a very
challenging thing for me to do while I'm waiting to
(10:20):
get hired to go do something equally challenging, which is
for me directing. Acting is super comfortable, but directing is
fully immersive.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
We'll get to that after. It's amazing what you're doing
with that. But then you got baseball. I mean, you
love your but you're not in any short term copies.
These are.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
I watch every Dodger game, but I'll split it up
over you know, you know, twenty four hours. I'll watch
a few innings before I go to bed, and then
a little more in the morning. I'm also the commissioner
in my fantasy baseball league. So it's all, it's all
very attractive stuff. Women go crazy when they hear all
this stuff, like.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
It's not a sexy sport, you baseball is sexy?
Speaker 6 (10:59):
I don't it is. Well, first of all, it's a game,
I think, not a sport, you know.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
But of all the games, I mean, it's not the
sexiest game out there.
Speaker 6 (11:07):
No, it's it's not. It doesn't doesn't attract real supreme
elegance like like basketball. But anyway, I dig it. I
dig the history of it.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I have a story about that because golf has always
been an important part of my life, and I might
argue that i'd be in, you know, a psychiatrist's office
if not for golf. Some some people go to psychiatrists
because of the way they play golf. But you're talking
about golf first, you know, sport versus game. So when
I was involved with Steve Win developing you know, casino resorts,
(11:39):
Steve had an idea to build the greatest exclusive golf
course in America called Shadow Creek.
Speaker 6 (11:46):
Yeah, amazing, one of account and took me out there once.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah yeah, And at the time, no one had ever
spent twenty five million dollars on a golf course. This
was seventy five million dollars. Incredible, incredible place. And one
day Steve's brother in law, Mike Paskell, said to me
that Michael Jordan was coming out, was the height of
his career early nineties. He wanted to play the golf course.
(12:12):
Said would you like to play with him? I said,
are you kidding? He said, you know, he likes to
play for a lot of money. I figured, look, whatever
I lose to him would be less than what I
would be in a celebrity auction to play golf with
Michael Jordans, So who cares?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
So off we go, go to play golf.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And with golf being the great equalizer, as it turns out,
I wounded up beating him no hand of the round. Yeah,
the end of the round, We're standing behind the eighteenth
green and I said, you know, golf is just an
incredible sport. It's the only sport where just a businessman
like me could beat a world class athlete like you.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
And he looked at me and he went, yeah, fucking amazing.
And I wanted to say, no, no, no. What I meant
is what could I beat you at? Running? No, swim,
no throwing a ball?
Speaker 6 (13:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
But golf? You know?
Speaker 6 (13:03):
So? Well?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
What was that?
Speaker 6 (13:05):
What was the handicap breakdown? Do you remember at the.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Time we were both we were both I was a
sixth and he was a sixth.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Oh really?
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And at that time he I was amazed because he
would hit some shots like a tour player and then
it would take him two to get out of a bunker.
But later that night I walked into the casino and
there's a commotion going on. I said to one of
the casino hosts, what's going on? He said, oh, Michael
Jordan's over there playing in the casino. I said, oh wow.
So I walk over in his direction and I get
(13:36):
within about thirty feet of him, and his head, of course,
is above everybody else, and it's like a periscope and
he sees me and he calls me.
Speaker 6 (13:44):
Over and I think, whows some of that money? Again?
Speaker 2 (13:47):
No, this is cool. I'm being called out by Michael Jordan's,
so I walk over to him. He said, hey, Skip,
You know, I was thinking about what you said to
me at the end of the round. He said, Golf's
not a sport, it's a game. Because it was sport,
you couldn't fuck beat right, It's true. And I thought
to myself, who did I get in his This was
like six or seven hours later he was still there.
(14:08):
But of course that's his competitive nature, right.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Well, he was. It was all over Vegas every time.
You know, I was there. Everyone in town wanted to
play with him because everybody beat him. When I tell you,
it's one hundred thousand a game, two hundred thousand. I
don't think he ever won as much as he lost.
And everyone wanted to play with Michael Pitt, bosses, Bill
Hops because they all want all the time.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
You're talking about the tables or on the golf court,
on the golf course.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Really, oh yeah, but think about money to this day
when they do the lists.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I just saw Charles Barkley did a list of the
greatest basketball players, and when he gets to number one,
you already know who it is, right, you know, before
it's over, you know who the number one is. You
could argue, you know who's the greatest athlete and given
sport but basketball, it's Michael.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
He's the guy.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And what a life this guy has made fro him
self and golf is still a critically important part of
his life, you know, if he's still probably, But you know,
are you still a sex?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
No?
Speaker 6 (15:04):
What do you know?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I think I'm eight index.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
An eight index would put you at about age twelve or.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Thirteen, maybe both depends from what tea is either a
ten or twelve ring from what tease and Paul.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
You avoided the addiction, right? You never you never.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Lost a caddy, you know. I guess that that killed me.
With golf. I made like three bucks a week and
I worked at the shoddier golf club and I was
a caddy, but they didn't have the you know, the carts.
And I was carrying these goddamn bags every weekend and
make three bucks. But my cousin was a great golfer.
But I said, what is this? Gave me fucking crazy,
(15:40):
and I kept carrying these bags. I went home. I
think I slept like for two days. Thank god, I
took up piano and music instead of golf.
Speaker 6 (15:49):
I would it so much time in Vegas and these
incredible places around the world that probably mean you live
on a freaking golf course right now.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I know, I you know I played, but you know
I wasn't getting this satisfaction. You know, when I decided
when you're a writer, well, you know you can address this.
When you're a writer and you're doing music and you're
that young and you're traveling like I was, I didn't
have the time.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
Yeah, it is a time to go out and do it.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
So I said, I'll go do tennis. So I'd go
hit a tennis ball for about an hour and a half.
I started really young, and today I still play tennis.
I play with my son Ethan pickleball. But golf, you know,
I get it. It's just I don't have the time
to do and if I can't be a certain caliber
and something, and it's so frustrated.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
You know what I find.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
I find at this stage. It used to be that
I cared more about what I shot than who I
played with, And now I care more about who I
play with than what I'm going to shoot, because I mean,
I've had rounds in the sixties, I've done everything you
can do in golf.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I'm not going to be able to do that anymore.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I said to Jason A few weeks ago, I sent
him a text and I said, playing golf with two
of the guys that you were really liked. Play with
John McEnroe, right, and Doc Rivers if you want to play?
And he wrote back, sounds good. Let me check. Now
I know what that's code for talking to Amanda, right,
So he said, let me check. Then he wrote back,
(17:13):
I just found out in babysitting. So I'm wondering, is
he really babysitting or is he doesn't want to play?
But then I thought it's Jason. Of course he wants
to play. He always wants to play.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah, he's got the greatest kids. I tell you, Maple
and Franny. I mean to watch watch any of your
grandchildren go from ya all the way up into adulthood.
(17:44):
I love you, and they are. I spoke to Francesca
because we check in with each other. Now. I've got
a grandshaw.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
You call her.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
She's in Paris, south of France, right. So I was
asking her the other day. I said, so, what's going on?
I said, oh, it is Idy. I want to go
to colleges, I said, when you're going, she says, a
few weeks. So she gave me a couple I said,
I think I can help you. We'll put that aside.
So I said, have you ever watched any of Dad's shows?
(18:15):
Have you watched Ozark? She said, we just started watching.
I've seen the first series. Really, Jason, tell me about it,
Me tell you about me. Yeah, I'll watch you hear
your take on it on her watching. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
You know, what's interesting about both of them is that
they have zero desire to see anything I've done. Like
it's it's like pulling teeth. I mean, I sort of
grossed myself out by getting caught up in trying to
convince them to watch something that I'm in because it
sounds like, you know, I'm dying for them to sit
(18:52):
there and fawn over me and what I've done. But
it's just super curious. Like if I if they were
on something in something or Amanda or you or skin
anybody I know, I would be curious. They I think
it's weird for them to watch me pretend to be
(19:12):
somebody different than their.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Death than they know.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Yeah, like that, it's just it's it's it's odd. In fact,
they we have some some friends that are also on
television or movies or whatever that that they're very close with,
that they knew years before they like, for instance, Anniston,
Franny thought Jennifer Aniston just sold hair products, Yeah, because
(19:36):
she saw some hair products around her house that that
she was, you know, selling or whatever. She didn't know
she was an actor until. I mean, Franny was probably
twelve before she knew that gen was on TV. And
so now when you talk to her about it's all
she doesn't even really want to watch Friends or something
like all that they have and they and they do,
but it's, uh, it's an interesting thing anyway. So she
(19:58):
likes what she sees, uh, and she's actually interested in directing.
So we talk a bit about that. But then I
said to her the other day, I go, you know,
it's amazing to me that you're interested in directing and
you really want to find out what it's all about.
Yet you have no interest in seeing the things that
your father has directed, where I could tell you firsthand
(20:21):
information about how that shot was created, when I had
the idea for that, or what's the apparatus behind her
It's just she'd rather learn through other things.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yes, well, you're really into directing now, I mean, you
love your acting. Still, every time we've talked, directing has
got you sizzled. What's the buzz for you on that?
Is it working with the actors or is it the
technical or booth?
Speaker 6 (20:45):
It is both, but it's mostly as I'll bet you
know anybody can relate to in any occupation. You know,
the extent to which you can help shape and experience
for a customer, it is really really exciting. You do
it with with writing music. Skip. We're going to get
(21:06):
into what whatever the hell it is you do? No one,
no one can, no one can figure it out. I've
talked to a lot of people. My wife's included, Yeah,
I mean it, but they know I do it. Well,
oh you're you're the keg and so we'll go yeah,
but what what is it?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
But if you want something done in this world, you
go to Skip Bronson. But you know it's yeah, it's
creating fake life such that it is convincing right that
it feels real to someone who's watching it, and then
you kind of spike it a bit so that it's
not only just real, which takes ninety percent of the work,
(21:47):
but that it's also interesting and compelling. It's either funny
or it's dramatic, and that you know, takes a visual
component or musical component, or a performance component or editorial
strategy or whatever it is. You have all these in
front of you like a mixing board of music, and
you can raise up this or that to help move
the audience a little left, a little right and not.
(22:09):
You know, control is sort of a pejorative. I don't
mean it as one, but it is that that control,
that challenge of control where you are sort of dictating
what the audience is seeing through that little paper tube
that you know, I grew up looking through a little
paper towel, you know tube you know, or you kind
of like And that's kind of to me.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
What's still not easy? But who are the guys that
that you hate the word admire, But who are the
guys that really do that well for you?
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Family?
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Kubrick was one. I love David Fincher.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
You've always talked about Fincher.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
Yeah, I just find his is aesthetic and his taste,
the things that sort of get him excited with composition
or even color, temperature and all this other stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
So when you did Nike it must have been a
blast working with.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Ben Affleck, and yeah, he's been.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Did you learn from that?
Speaker 6 (23:06):
It was nice to see another actor directing. He seems
to enjoy the efficiency of that like I do when
I direct when I'm acting, in that I'm in the
scene with the other actors, so I can kind of
direct them while we're performing, or I can help make
a camera move work by adjusting where I'm standing because
(23:28):
I noticed the camera's a little out of position. And
so these things are fun challenges for me. And he
seems to understand the process and is so comfortable with
the process that he's able to take on, you know,
a lot of things while he in between action and cut.
When he's acting, he's also helping with the directing.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
So it's when you were around Ron Howard on development.
So that was But you did Did you direct at eighteen?
Speaker 6 (23:56):
Yeah? The first The first thing I did was an
episode of a show I was doing when I was
eighteen called The Hogan Family, which it started with Valerie Harper.
It was called Valerie then it was Valerie Family Valeri's
family than the Hogans and the Hogan Family. And yeah,
I directed an episode of that when I was eighteen,
and that was you know, that's in front of a
studio audience, so there's more of a proscenium, right, sort
(24:19):
of an edge like a like a theater, and the
cameras stay on the outside of that edge, actors on
the inside. So the directing of it is much like
directing a play more so than directing a film that's
shot with just one camera. So it was a little
bit different, not quite as complicated as directing single camera.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Where did you finish high school?
Speaker 6 (24:40):
On a second, never finished high school.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
For two years.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I do not sound like.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
I finished at MGM and the Black Lot. I was
doing a movie called Girls Down was made Van Doren. Wow,
and I was hot.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
Yeah, that sounds better than the film I was doing too.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
And I finished. I was a kid named Jay North
who was doing Dennis a Menace, Oh really, And he
and I were in class and I got my diploma.
So you never got a diploma for no.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
I was doing Team Wolf two during the final period
of my senior year, and so I had to do
my finals while we were shooting, and the shooting schedule
was such that I didn't have time to finish two
of my four finals, and so I was an incomplete
and you know, I remember going to the headmaster.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (25:31):
Months afterwards, I was driving by the school and I
pulled over and just kind of unannounced, went into his
office and I said, I said, mister makeoff, I don't
get my diploma. I mean I finished the classes. I
just didn't take two of the finals. Yeah no, sorry,
I said, well, he said you can take the ged
I said, well, no, can we think about it. Months later,
(25:55):
I got a solicitation from them to donate to the school.
So I called him back. I said, well, do you
want to check but yeah, yeah, well yeah, So talk
about luck for a second.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
I mean, as a real estate developer, I got a
lucky break.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Paul. He's an officially a real estate developer, that's the
official one, but everything from shopping centers to casinos and
everything in between.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Paul and I have talked about hit the lucky brakes
that he's gotten. So what was the lucky break for you?
Speaker 6 (26:22):
Well, I would probably say that the biggest break I've
ever had was the second break I had, which was
arrested development. The first one was Little House in the
Prairie when I was ten. That was kind of the
first big job I had, but you know, I kind
of rode. You know, that parlayed into you know, the
(26:43):
next job and the next job, and then doing comedy
and doing sitcoms and things like that, and then things
really kind of got quiet for me during my twenties,
and it was hard to get back into any sort
of level of success or access or relevance. And then
Arrested Development came around, and that was a show that well,
it wasn't really seen as a big hit across the country.
(27:06):
It was it was a big hit amongst those who
hand out jobs here in Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
And DVD sales, yeah, and DV details, Yeah, very big.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
But your dad was an actor. I didn't realize your
dad was an actor.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Actor, writer, producer, director. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
But did you grow up in Ryan, New York.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
No.
Speaker 6 (27:23):
I was born there till I was and lived there
till I was two, then Boston till four, then Salt
Lake City till seven, and then La. But once we
got to La, I was old enough to go to
see movies with my dad. I was finally old enough
to kind of appreciate some of the films that he
was seeing, or starting to get old enough, and so
He would take me to the local art house theaters
(27:45):
and show me these, you know movies that I'd have
to read subtitles, and they were kind of artsy FARTSI
but he would show me what great acting is or
great directing is and explain what it is and how
it happens. So that when I was ten, we had
a neighbor that was reading for a movie and he
was on his way to an audition. He was my
dad's age, my dad's friend, and he saw me out
(28:08):
front in the driveway helping my dad wash the car,
and he stopped and maybe assumed that I wasn't too
interested in washing the car with my dad, and he
asked me if I wanted to go along with him
to this audition, just to see how an audition goes.
And I said sure. My dad said yeah, go ahead,
so we went. I went with him this audition. They
were reading for the role of the Sun that same day,
(28:28):
and the Sun, the character was the same age as me.
He said, hey, why don't you go in and read
for the Sun? And I said, I'm not an actor,
and he said, here's they give you a little piece
of the script, like two or three pages to see
if you can act, called the sides right, and he said,
just just get head on in there and make it
look like you're supposed to be there, and when they
say you're not on the list, say that must have
(28:49):
been some mistake. So I did that, and I auditioned
for it. I got the part, and so I came home.
I told my dad and I said, hey, will you
take some pictures of me? Let's sendhim into an agency
and see if I can get an agent and maybe
start reading for some commercials. And so I did. I got,
you know, a handful of commercials and they start sending
out for bigger stuff.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
And I told you you were tending. He said, Dad,
let's let's go to get an agent.
Speaker 6 (29:11):
Yeah, and I don't. Yeah, I probably said, you know,
I like this, maybe I'm good at this. What should
we do? He says, well, we should get an agent.
I go, how do we do that? You know, well,
let's take some pictures, you know, and send them in there.
And you know, I had a stupid bowl haircut and
you know, a halfway decent smile with a dumb gap
between my teeth. I looked like I could sell cereal
or something, you know.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Speaking of pictures.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
You know, I saw a picture, I saw a picture
of your dad, and he said it's Greg Kenar.
Speaker 6 (29:37):
He was a lot like, yeah, that's that's right. If
that is another fellow golfer, absolutely, huh, yeah, that's right.
He does a little bit like Greg Canar. He got
Steve McQueen a bit when he was younger. Lucky guy. Yeah,
I know, he's he's a he's a great great man.
That taught me basically everything that I know and sparked
the interest in me. I mean, had he been throwing
(29:58):
the ball with me in the park and said, taken
me to these movie theaters when I was a kid,
maybe I would have gone into sports. It certainly would
have been better at golf than I am today.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
But you know what's amazing, you started as a child
actor if you will, probably don't like the term, but no. Yeah,
and then there are child actors like you know Beaver
from you know, Leave It to Beaver.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, and that's it. I mean that's the end of
their career.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I had a big career, but that's the end of
the career. Yeah, and you taking it all the way through,
Yeah it was, and your career has gotten bigger and bigger.
Speaker 6 (30:28):
And very very lucky about that, and and that that
was part of that big break with the rest of development,
because that was that was the first big job I
got as an adult. You know, I'd sort of gassed,
you know, my sort of my welcome as a as
a as a child or a young adult, you know,
young actor. There is that transition one needs to make
that bridge to adult parts and ask the audience to
(30:50):
accept you as somebody with you know, stubble instead of
you know, being a little a little tyke. And that
that job was really really important for that and I
was I was very aware of me too big. Yeah,
you could take care of my daughter from there, Oh yeah,
because the others I had five son and loss of balance.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I couldn't sign the checks quick enough. That was your
big change.
Speaker 6 (31:18):
It was nerve wracking. And I don't know if you remember,
but when Amanda and I first started thinking about getting married,
I was I was living with her, I don't I
I think I was broke. I was in debt and
were it not for the money that Amanda had made
as a voice voiceover artist. She was doing you know,
campaigns for you know, ads, doing commercials and doing voices
(31:41):
for cartoons and stuff like that. She had a bunch
of money that we needed to for the down payment
on a house.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
I didn't.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
Yeah, yeah, you were, so it was it was. It
was nerve wracking thinking that the rest of my life
might be anti climactic from that which was my youth
and arrested development.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
It's scary, you know for all of us. You know,
people out there just think it's all glamour and we
do what we do. But when you get that needle
up your arm, you know, of success and all of
this stuff that's really abnormal, there's a moment there where
you sit and go, God, I don't want this to
ever go away. Yeah, it's it's a tough way to
live because I kind of two things. When I started
(32:23):
as a kid and all of this started to happen,
he said, how do I not become an asshole?
Speaker 6 (32:27):
Right?
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Because people are just catering and doing and you're still
trying to find yourself.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
Yeah, you got to understand that you wake up alone,
you go to sleep alone, or rather you know the
things you think about or who you are right when
you are trying to go to bed or right when
you wake up. That's the person that you need to
be comfortable with, and if you've been an asshole all day,
you're going to feel bad about yourself when you're going
to bed and when you wake up. And so for me,
(32:53):
that was kind of the you know, behave in a
way that I not that I'm allowed it to be,
but that I am I am comfortable being right, because
there's a big difference there.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Speaking a difference Jason, the leap over to Ozark into
that other character. Yeah, you know from that great wit
that I mean lare you had. Was that difficult jumping
over into your money launderer? You know it a hole
muffia kind of thing. I mean, was there any interrepidation
as to anyone around you? Are you saying I can
(33:25):
pull this off?
Speaker 6 (33:26):
Yeah? Well, you know, what I do as a as
an actor in comedy versus as an actor in drama
are not terribly different. And I'm not trying to be modest.
It's just I like to play us, right. So the
comedic character I play is usually pretty close to the median,
and that the dramatic character I play is usually close
(33:50):
to the to the middle as well. In that I'm
I'm usually not the guy farting, I'm the guy reacting
to the fart, you know. Or in drama, I'm not
the guy with the knife. I'm the guy running from
the knife, you know. So I'm the The move that
I make from doing comedic acting to dramatic acting is
not a big, huge swing for me, and thus I
(34:12):
feel not a lot to ask the audience to buy
as long as I'm not trying to be wacky comedy
or super scary drama guy.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
And a lot of a lot of actors can't pull
it off.
Speaker 6 (34:24):
Yeah I don't. I don't mind doing those big swings,
but I enjoy more being us. I like being the
person that's sort of the proxy for the audience. And
it's probably why I'm attracted to directing, because again, I'm
I've got the audience in my hands, and I'm I'm
trying to identify or declare what this scene is about,
(34:47):
what you should be receiving as an audience in this scene.
And then when I'm acting in something i'm directing, I've
kind of got two hands on the wheel, so I
can I can therefore take on things that have a
little bit more of a specific creative tone or objective
and feel decent about the ability to hit that small target.
(35:08):
Since I'm on camera and behind the cameras.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
So questioned all that, you know, the music business is
going through a lot of change, and where are you
at with the coming it's here anyway artificial intelligence? What
are the intelligencia thinking as the oops, Yeah, there's some
changes coming and it could be this, and here's what's
going to happen, and here's in and here's out. What's
(35:33):
your feeling on.
Speaker 6 (35:34):
That, because it's real, it's to be honest, I'm not
as educated on it as I would need to be
to really take a firm position, you know, either worried
or confident. My sister is super educated on it. She's
got a very strong opinion about whether it's it's a
healthy thing or not a healthy thing. I don't. I
(35:56):
don't know nearly as much as she does about it.
But my general instinct is that it's going to be
challenging for sure, but that the net will be great
for everyone eventually. And the comparison I will make is
what you were saying, which is the music industry. It
(36:17):
was uncomfortable at the beginning. Artists like yourself had to
realize uncomfortably that you're not gonna be making any money
selling albums anymore in comparison to the two years past,
and that you'd have to pivot and adapt to maybe
more touring or more merchandise or whatever the other lanes
are of monetization. That we're not being automated or we're
(36:40):
not being affected as much through technology, because you know,
the automotive industry went through it. You know, all these
assembly line workers, they were, you know, kicking and screaming
as they should have been about losing their jobs to
automation and you know, robots and whatnot. But it just
took some time for them, i'm sure, or to retrain
(37:02):
and adapt to another area of the business that they
could make a living in, because you can't stop these
you know, bosses from saying, oh, this robot can do
the job of ten workers, so you're out of a job.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Well, it's going to be a whole new infra social
You mentioned your sister. You know, I follow you on
television and I'm listening to you all the time, right
with that great wit and you you always have an answer.
But one interview you did let me think Howard Stern.
You were on with Howard Stern and he you know Howard.
(37:34):
I mean, he's the best at what he does. And
he said he got on the subject of your sister
and you and acting and skipp. He said, oh yeah,
let me ask you this, if you would you cast
your sister as your lover? Can you stick your tongue
in her mouth? He did the full menu. Do you
remember that interview?
Speaker 6 (37:52):
I think so, but again I was probably too nervous
to remember all of it. But my answers was what.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
It was great. I mean, you got out of you
you jive to the left and then to the right.
He kept saying, you're changing the subject, and you said, yeah,
if we were acting and and she was doing the part,
absolutely I do. He said, you would you know, how
are you piled everything? Well, I'm surprised you were amazing
the way you answered it.
Speaker 6 (38:16):
I'm surprised my answer wasn't already did it because because
we did too late. I remember when we were doing
Arrested Development, the showrunner and I Mitch Hurwitz, we were
talking about how to get Justine on the show. I
think the fans were asking for it or something. We're
trying to figure out what would be a fun way
(38:36):
to bring her on, and him being you know, the
genius sort of crazy creative minding, he said, well, why
don't we bring her on as a whore and you
hire her as the whore prostitute. I was like, huh,
how would that work? So so she came on arrested
development as a high class call girl that I hired,
(39:00):
if I'm remembering correctly, And there may have even been
a moment where we didn't lean in towards each other
to kiss each other, but I think there was tension
in a scene about maybe that we might something like that.
It's a long time ago, but I remember that being like,
oh my god, we're gonna bring Justine on and she's
going to be a prostitute that I hire, and it
(39:23):
ended up working. It was pretty funny.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Yeah, but that Howard really stuck out in my mind.
He knows how to ask a question, yeah, and you
know how to answer them too. You're fast in your feet.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Speaking of interviews, let's talk about your podcasts for a minute.
Just one of the top podcasts in the in the whole.
Speaker 6 (39:49):
World, until you guys go past.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
Whose idea was it to furst due podcast?
Speaker 6 (39:54):
Will Arnett said to me one day he said, you know,
I'm gonna do a podcast. I go really, He said yeah.
I said why because our buddy Dax Shepherd is making
so much money at it. He goes, eh, you know,
but now what I want to do? I said, I said, well,
what's it about? He goes, I think he said it
was going to be something about sobriety or something. He's
going to call it the Journey. I said that sounds
(40:15):
fucking boring. It was going to sounds like a hiking show.
I said, tell you what, you do, whatever you want,
but let me be on it. I'm going to be
on it with Gil show. I said, I'm going to
be on it with you, and we're going to get
some of that Dak's money. He says, no, no, no,
you're not invited. It's just going to be mine. I
said no, no, I said, I'm doing it. He said, no,
you're not. I said I'm doing it. And I think
I like I left the room or something. Then I
(40:36):
ran into Sean Hayes the next night at some at
some party, and and I decided to tease him a
little bit, try to get him jealous. And I told
him that Will and I were going to go do
a podcast. So I want, I want, I'm in. I
said no, No, I said, I'm in. I'm a great
call Will. So I told Will, I said, you know,
heads up, Sean's Sean's coming in. He's going to be
on it too. He goes, no, God, damn it, it's mine.
So Sean ended up asking his folks at his production
(41:00):
company to just run the numbers about what the lift
would be, you know, financially and time wise, and what
the possible upside might be. And this was during COVID
and we were already you know, zooming a lot, just
to stay in contact. And so he said, you know,
my guys came up with some real interesting numbers. If
you guys want to come in and let them, just
tell us. And Will was like, no, Jesus, what do
(41:20):
I I'm I'm this is my pot, so just come here.
So we will. So we go into his office and
the three of us listen to his someone on his
staff kind of break down what it would be. And
basically it was what we were doing already, you know,
a zoom for an hour or whatever, and and so
we started doing it during COVID and people started listening
and it was just shocking the first time I realized
(41:43):
people really were listening was we had Paul McCartney on
the show and it was he was Sean's guest. And
after Paul McCartney left and we do sort of a
wrap up, I said to Sean, I said, how do
you know Paul McCartney. He says, I don't. He called us.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Wow, that's a key.
Speaker 6 (42:02):
But I mean that that was that it indicated that, okay,
if a Beatle is going to do a podcast, apparently
we are one. That his people were suggesting that. So
that was that was pretty scary to me.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Actually, so you don't use a booker per se, right,
you each you find you have must have a booker.
Speaker 1 (42:23):
We have.
Speaker 6 (42:23):
We have somebody, Michael Grant Terry is our producer. I
suppose that does many things, one of which is to
book the guests. And what we do is the guest
is a mystery to two of the other guys. So
we take turns inviting guests on, and we don't tell
the other two who we're bringing on, so that you
don't have to do any homework, no prep whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
They're wrecking.
Speaker 6 (42:45):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
No.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
In cases, it's not too bad because there's no obligation
for the other two to ask any questions.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
You know.
Speaker 6 (42:52):
It's like if I bring on, you know, Joe Blow,
I got to have a bunch of questions for Joe,
and the other guys can chime in when they think
of something to ask Joe, but they need not.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
So that's not uncomfortable at the time.
Speaker 6 (43:04):
No, it's it's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
So there wasn't one guess that was really challenging where
you went, you know.
Speaker 6 (43:10):
I mean we do it via zoom, so we have
our computers in front of us, and you know, you
can see Will and Sean, you know, typing away furiously
with you know, into the Google machine to try to
find out what it is about, you know, my guest
that they might be interested in.
Speaker 1 (43:25):
You scared the hell out of me. Excuse me for
you ruugh you yeah, yeah, I mean I almost got
very vile because you guys prank each other. You know,
you get on it, which is great, you like, get
this call right and I'm hip to the show and
I'm a huge fan and it's my guy, you know,
and uh, it's about five thirty in the afternoon a
few months ago, and Jason gets on. He so I'm
(43:45):
doing the podcast from a hotel over here, and somebody
wants to talk to you. I do it out of nowhere.
So really, I'm saying, okay, they're pranking me. Says okay,
I'll go with this guy gets on the phone. He says, Hi,
this is the President of the United States, Joe Biden.
Speaker 6 (44:08):
You knowing me.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I was going, get the fuck out here.
Speaker 6 (44:11):
I think I think your answer was he was silence
you okay, okay, like someone's pretty good at doing this depression.
And then and then he went on.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
To he said, I wasn't gonna do this interview with
these guys, so I got to talk to Jason's father
in law. Yeah, I'm a fetal right right then, and
I'm putting it together. I'm going, wow, wow, that was
what you guys? Yeah, that was That was another that
was actually another incoming call. It was stunning.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
It was a year after Sir Paul and uh we
got a call from the White House saying that, you know,
the President's going to be in town. He wants to
do a podcast. He wants to be here again. Could
not believe it, but anyway, we had to go to
a remote site in a hotel to do it in
his room, and he when he walked into there, and
we were already in the room set up Mike's were
(45:01):
ready to go. And then the President comes in and
he comes in holding his iPhone and he's got Paul's
one of your songs playing from the phone song and
I said, I.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Said, I said, is it having my baby? He said,
it was my Way, wasn't it. I don't remember which one.
Speaker 6 (45:18):
I mean, it's sobody to pick from it, but he
you're You're one of his favorites. And he had it
just on his phone as like a ring tone or
whatever it is. Yeah, And I said, I said, oh
my god, he'd be so thrilled to know that. He goes, well,
let's call him, let's tell him, And that's how that
phone call happened. And I just hit your number on
speaker and away he went, I'm so glad you were
(45:39):
around to get the call. So is I.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
Yeah, but that was a cool call. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (45:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:44):
But bucket list guest somebody that you haven't had.
Speaker 6 (45:47):
I'd love to have Howard on. He would be great.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
But I don't even want to get him the studio.
Speaker 6 (45:53):
Why. I didn't need to because it's zoom, and I
has to drive all the way out here to your
goddamn house.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
You know you look the same. What do you what do.
Speaker 6 (46:00):
You film here?
Speaker 1 (46:02):
Do problem?
Speaker 3 (46:04):
Well?
Speaker 6 (46:06):
Loser in a few months, and you know I'm playing
a loser, so I'm nailing it with this long hair. Well.
I don't start shooting for another five months, so there's
gonna be another five months of growth on this.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Wow to that To that point, I was going to ask,
is there anything that really worries you other than hair loss?
Speaker 6 (46:24):
Yes, not to not to be maudlin, but this, you know,
is we are all sort of on the backside of
our arc. We're closer to death and birth. I start
to worry about the arbitrary illnesses that you know, like
you know, you can't you don't catch cancer. You know,
it's just it's in us all and it just gets
(46:46):
turned on or not arbitrarily for the most part to everyone.
And and that's some mortality. It doesn't scare me as
much as it as well. It's just you know, it's
it's it's an annoying distraction. And when you're busy galloping
towards you know, the finish of life, you're enjoying you
(47:09):
just hope that it you know that it's a gentle
descent and you.
Speaker 1 (47:12):
Can deal Jason with most of that stuff. That cancer
is the tough one.
Speaker 6 (47:17):
Yeah, I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of things that
will take you out that are not fantastic.
Speaker 1 (47:23):
It's preventative.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
You have to do.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
You have to live a certain lifestyle, you run every day. Well, yeah,
we're on the verge of some stuff.
Speaker 6 (47:28):
Yeah, that would be nice.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
There's some medical discoveries that are coming up where you're
going to add on to your life.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
And by the way, AI is playing a big role
in that.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
I'm involved at you a medical center, Department of Neurosurgery
active over there, and they're talking about the fact that,
you know, the amount of intelligence that they were able
to garner sort of doubled every five years. Now it's
doubling every six months. And AI is playing such an
incredible role in figuring stuff out there because it's all
(48:02):
about you know, we talk about early detection. It's all
about it's.
Speaker 6 (48:05):
Actually pretty surprising if you think about it, that we
don't yet have a cure for all cancers. I mean,
we have very effective treatments, as we do for HIV,
and whatnot. But you would think that with all of
the money and time and brain power that's gone into this,
that that we still can't lick that one, and we
(48:26):
still we still don't know fully how the brain works
or what the what the equation is of a thought?
You know, like there's some stuff that we still can't
get our arms around.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
But isn't that great about life? The stuff you don't know.
Paul and I talked a lot about UFOs is. Paul's
even more convinced than most.
Speaker 6 (48:45):
That they're here.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
Yeah, yeah, that they're here ye among us? Yeah yeah, yeah,
But you know, that's the one philosophy I have with
it all. We were put here on earth to live,
I mean to live. So no matter what ship you
go through during the day and you got a little
of this, you know where we get, Oh this wises
is happening. It's not what it's about. You're here to
(49:06):
live no matter what's happening to you. Just participate, participate
and live. You know.
Speaker 6 (49:11):
Yeah, that's a good point. So tell me about this podcast.
This is just a chat a chat session with with
folks that you two know.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
With our friends.
Speaker 6 (49:30):
Yeah, you could probably have a thousand episodes before.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
You, and they're friends that we think are interesting and
we think much like what happened to you with SmartLess. Yeah,
you know we once this gets out, if you will,
we think certain friends of ours will also say, hey,
what about me?
Speaker 6 (49:46):
Yeah exactly, why am I get ready? Yeah? You're not
going to be able to move?
Speaker 3 (49:51):
And we're having fun with it.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
That's the best part is it's taking what we do,
as I said at night on the phone, and taking
it out into the airway.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
You're not having fun in life, forget about it. Yeah,
you gotta be having fun. We had Bill Burr, you know,
Chip shot ago. It's amazing, right, It was the funniest thing.
It just shows you actors want to be singers. Singers
want to be actors. So we had lunch, blah blah blah.
We have a lot of fun and he's brilliant, and
uh yeah, I want to do it. Yeah, I want
(50:22):
to do it absolutely, Yeah, I'll be there. Fuck yeah,
you know, do it.
Speaker 6 (50:26):
He says.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
One thing he says, Uh, I want to sing? Said
what he says, I want to sing?
Speaker 6 (50:33):
I'm not doing it.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
You gotta be fucking kidding. You're gonna come on and sing? Yeah?
I want to sing, yo, Yeah, make it happen. So
I made it happen. I got a music track. We
sent him the song blah blahlah blah. When he gets
in here and destroyed the Cold Porter classic. I've got
you under my skin. When I tell you destroy I'm
(50:56):
sure there's a guy in a box somewhere kicking the
fuck trying to get out.
Speaker 3 (51:01):
Made up his own lyrics as he went along, his
own lyrics.
Speaker 1 (51:05):
We're so thrilled that you said you'd sing today. I
got the band waiting. I just put you on, honey.
I would never ask you to do that. We're going
to eclectically wait for whoever was to sing right.
Speaker 6 (51:18):
I don't even sing in the shower. It's it's it's
not great. You were fantastic on our podcast, though, enjoy
I mean truly one of our better interviews.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Thank you, thank you. You know you talk about singing.
I appreciate that. I enjoyed it. You know, it's it's
such an irony guys that are afraid to sing and
can sing. Then you got a guy like Warren Buffett,
who's a buddy. I love him, and all he does
is he loves to sing. He just loves. I met
him because he hired me to do a gig and
(51:54):
I rewrote My Way for him, he says. He says,
I get saying that song. I love saying, I just
love my Way. That's my song. I said, really, were
he says, standing a playing at my funeral? He said really?
I says, well, how would you like to sing it?
So we're hearing. I said, well, you're going to studio
with me and we'll record you. He said really.
Speaker 3 (52:17):
I said yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
I said, we'll have a hamburger a cherry coke, because
that's what he eats every day, right, cherry coke. He said, okay,
come on, So he comes out here. We get in
the studio, capital huge orchestra, and weren't Boffa singing My
Way with no fear? And he's singing away and he's
loving it, and he was so good. And then we
start doing some gigs together. We'd go out and we'd
(52:39):
start singing at these different little rillits. Oh yeah, and
we and he stand up there. We do a rewrite
of My Way, like one we did down here in
a Laguna. The top female executives in the country, Big
tent I must have been five hundred women. Now then
we're here. You women cheer and he's just roaring away
(53:01):
and I'm stand here going I've seen it all. But
you know, he plays the record. Apparently every day he
goes to his office, which is the coolest office. It's
quiet in Omaha, it's modest in Omaha, and you go
in there, you don't hear a sound. He's got baseball
stuff all over the place. He loves it, and he
(53:21):
listens to his version of my Way. Really, so he
get into this business of holograms and he's out here.
I said, Warren, we can do a hologram of you
singing my Way, so you'll be seen. Really, I said,
just meet me at this studio and we'll do the hologram.
(53:41):
Not only hear yourself, you'll see yourself. We went to
the studio, he did it, and we now have a
wonderful hologram and an amazing version of Warren Buffett singing
My Way. And then where would you run that hologram
at his funeral?
Speaker 6 (53:54):
Ah? Got it? Yeah, hopefully not soon dancing on his coffee.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
Yeah, But it just goes back to you know, so
many people have a fear of speaking, and definitely singing, right,
I mean, we know that, But then the guys that
you're so amazed at that have so much and they
do in this things no fear whatsoever.
Speaker 6 (54:16):
I would probably sing before I would dance. How are
you at dancing? Yeah, you can dance, ken you.
Speaker 1 (54:23):
I'd rather sing before dancing. You know.
Speaker 6 (54:25):
I used to dancing. I mean, I you know, do
you remember I didn't even dance with Amanda at my wedding.
That's how much I don't like dancing. I didn't even
dance at my own wedding. First thing that you took,
you took your dance and my dance.
Speaker 1 (54:37):
That's correct, So you owe me one.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
You're going to stop for an in and out Burger
on your way home because it's pretty obvious Paul is
not serving anything.
Speaker 1 (54:49):
Well, you haven't gone into the kitchen yet.
Speaker 6 (54:51):
I came having had Yeah, I got a rush back
with your diet before you split. It's uh, it's.
Speaker 3 (54:59):
You know what I do.
Speaker 6 (55:00):
I I whenever I'm at a place that's serving you know,
something yummy, something something bad for me, I have it.
I have it a lot, uh when I'm there, But
for the most part, that's like once a week, once
a month. Twice a month for anybody. Yeah, so when
I'm home, I just make sure when I'm home, whereas
(55:22):
I do most of my eating, it's all just good stuff.
Mostly it's salad and chicken.
Speaker 3 (55:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (55:27):
Well, you know the way you've watched the way the
family eats. Yeah, from Alex to the way and oh
yeah yeah, oh my god. I mean Amanda is just
great for me in so many ways. She's way overqualified to,
you know, manage what I eat. But she's very helpful
and giving me discipline and many many are important. Yeah,
(55:48):
you get older, we all have to watch what we
put in our body.
Speaker 6 (55:50):
Oh sure, I think they say if you if you
keep eating exactly what you eat each year, you will
gain three pounds. Like your metabolic rate slows down such
that you need to eliminate three pounds worth of weight
gain each year if you want to stay level. So
(56:11):
you have to eat less and less the older you get,
if you want to keep your weight the same.
Speaker 3 (56:14):
Unless your doctor prescribes o zimpic.
Speaker 1 (56:17):
All right, Yeah, I just got up one day and said,
I've eaten enough. I've eaten enough.
Speaker 2 (56:24):
Yeah, well, you watch yourself and you're still performing in
your vain so that that helps all.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
Hey, you know when you go to a doctor five
years ago and then I went last month, he says,
you're three inches shorter. I'm not the kind of guy
that relishes that. I was never anywhere. He says he's
lost inches. I said, wait a minute. I started too.
Speaker 5 (56:46):
Short as it was.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
You know, I took my weakness, made it my strength.
He says, you're three inches shorter. I said, I don't
want to hear that.
Speaker 3 (56:52):
They don't have no zempic for that.
Speaker 1 (56:54):
They will. They've got operations. Now you can go in.
They cut open your legs, surih, they put a wedging
and really, oh yeah, oh they'll give you. They got
something for everything, don't they everything. That would be weird, Yeah,
very weird. When I get the five inches shorter, I'll sick.
Speaker 6 (57:15):
What a five inch wedge? And your kneecap wherever it works?
Speaker 7 (57:21):
Hey, it's been fun. It's we're so thrilled that you came.
And god, I'm just uh, I'm I'm honored to be related.
Speaker 6 (57:31):
To you, and and you should hear everything people say
about you when I'm out and about Yeah, well if
I told you all the hellos I get to pass
on to you you'd be exhausted.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
That's touchy, that's good. Well likewise, hey, likewise, And we
don't promote it, you know that we're so laid back
with it. But now it's people come up. They know
and but thanks for joining Skip and I. You know,
Skip and I are we're a little virgence here compared
to what you guys have achieved with yours. And when
we put this together and we started thinking who we
wanted on, you know, you're at the top of the
(58:05):
list there and we've really had a lot of fun today.
And Skips a brother and a friend and you're just
our way, yes, our way, love it or short people only,
we haven't made up our minds. But thanks Jase, my pleasure,
(58:26):
love you, Thank you. Our Away with Paul Anka and
Skip Bronson is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
The show's executive producer is Jordan Runtog, with supervising producer
and editor Marcy Depina.
Speaker 1 (58:44):
It was engineered by Todd Carlin and Graham Gibson and
mixed and mastered by Doug Bone.
Speaker 3 (58:50):
If you like what you heard, please subscribe and leave
us a review.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
For more podcasts on iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Our Way with yours Truly Paul Anka and my buddy
Skip Bronson is a production of iHeartRadio. Hi, folks, my
name is Paul Anka.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
And my name is Skip Bronson. We've been friends for
decades and we've decided to let you in on our
late night phone calls by starting a new podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Welcome to Our Way, and we'd like you to meet
some really good friends books.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
They're leaders in entertainment and.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Sports, innovators in business and technology, and even a sitting
president or two.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Join us as we ask the questions they've not been
asked before, Tell it like it is, and even sing
a song or two.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
This is our podcast and we'll be doing it our Way. Hey, Skip,
I want to it just sound like with bubbles. It's
(01:08):
pouring here, flooding all over Westlake.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
You know, Hey, I'm doing you know what, Paul.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
They're talking about it like it's going to be an
epic storm, but so far it's just getting a little
bit of rain. But last time, you know, the animals
were lining up in pairs, so I'm hoping it's not
like that. So meanwhile, in other things, we've got Jason,
your son in law, coming on to do the.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Podcast and how excited a mine. Man, he's coming out
to the house and you're gonna love him. Well, you know, man,
he's all over you at the golf course. He always
calls me about the laughs you guys have you and
we're going to.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Get into that with him, you know what I'm saying. Yeah,
that'll be fun. You know.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I have to tell you the funny thing about him.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
The two things that resonated with me.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Number One, if you're wearing something that he likes, he'll say, Wow,
that sweater.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Where'd you get that sweater?
Speaker 4 (01:56):
He says it in a way that you can feel
obligated to go out and buy one for him.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Should do.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Then you've got a great response from Matthew. But my
other favorite thing with him is it doesn't matter like
what you've done in your career, matter how many shopping
centers you developed like I did back East, or the
tallest building between New York and Boston, or you know,
working in the casino industry and developing casino projects.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
Say hey, you know what, nobody knows what you do.
Speaker 6 (02:28):
I do.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
I'm like, really, really, no one?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
You know that's the younger set.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Skip, No, it's him, it's him.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
And his busting.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
He's one of the great busters of all time.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah, exactly, But you know we got to do he's
a golf addictation. Got to tell him the story of
you and Michael Jordan when you played and.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
Beat him out of all that money. Make a make
a note of that, make a note.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
You got to talk to about that, kick out of that.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
You know know the thing I want to do I
don't ask estation about you know, the way he you
it was okay to marry a man.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
I'd love to hear that story, So that'll be Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I got a note on that too.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
The other thing, you know, with of course getting your
smash ship, but we got to talk about arrested development.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
And you know how that came about. Yeah, and SmartLess
of course is.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Like the smash podcast of all time.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
He's having to blast with that.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
So how about a glass that they sold it for millions?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I saw?
Speaker 5 (03:26):
Yeah, I mean that that eases up for me. I
don't that's one or less of five girls that have
to take care of Not that I wouldn't, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I'm happy for them in their swing and then they
deserve it. You we'll have fun with him.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Skip we'll have no, it's gonna be great, all right,
And I'll catch up with you later.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Yeah, I'll catch you later.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And don't go out, don't get on your arc yet,
and I'll let you know if I can escape my
driveway with the gate.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
And everything, and I'll talk to you more.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You know. I love you, Yeah, love you to stay warm. Okay,
So tomorrow bye.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
It is a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Thanks you coming to know each other.
Speaker 6 (04:13):
Yeah, a little bit. We do go back? How long?
What is it? Twenty four years? I want to say twenty.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
I was living up on Mulholland, which was about twenty
four years ago, and Amandam, the wonderful Amanda, for the
first time came home with a serious, serious boyfriend.
Speaker 6 (04:33):
Now did you know that I was serious before I
showed up? Like? Did she prep you? Like, Dad? This
could be the one?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:38):
Really?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
What she say, Dad? This could be the one?
Speaker 6 (04:42):
Something like that?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
You must have told her us.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
I just told her just include the D part V.
Jason Bateman V one Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well no, to qualify for everyone out there, I got
the greatest son in right here. I'm not only even
blessed with some great children, but I got the greatest
while here. So this is kind of a different trip
for me being on this side of the mic, because
one of my great experiences this year was sitting with
you guys. Yeah, a great time. I mean, it was
(05:12):
a big month for me, Bill Burr, you guys coming
off of Howard Stern, I mean, what's next, right? But anyway,
Manna comes home and I know she's in love, and
I do the homework. I guess R. J. Wagner introduced
you guys.
Speaker 6 (05:26):
Yeah, you have something like that somebody in the Wagner family,
Katie or Natasha.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Yeah, So I was hipped as something was up and
everybody got it together and the next thing I know,
I went for the expensive wedding.
Speaker 6 (05:43):
Yeah, yeah you did. And you're saying you changed my
way into his way, Yeah, and saying that. Somebody was
talking to me the other day they're going to propose
to their girlfriend, and I talked to him about He said, well,
shouldn't I fly the mom and dad in for the
moment I proposed? I said, no, what are you talking?
But that's going to be your moment with you and
your and your your fiance. But you do it might
(06:06):
not be bad to do the traditional talk to dad
first and say I'd like to I'm going to ask
your daughter. We had that conversation, didn't we? We did
help my small brain.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, how did that go?
Speaker 6 (06:16):
Where was that?
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Remind me of it? I think it was it was
up at the house.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, like was I over there with a manager?
I pull you into a side room. Why am I?
I must have been so nervous, I blacked out.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yeah, you've been going through a few things at that time.
You were calibrating. May I say that? Yeah, yeah, a recalibration.
I think I'm still in it, Yeah, very successfully. May
I add, and which you know I was hip too.
But you know it goes back to I mean off point.
You know, I started at fourteen, and you know, God
knows what an amazing career you had ten and it's
(06:50):
you know, people just don't understand when you start at
that age. You know, none of us are from sophisticated backgrounds,
None of us, any singer I've met, anybody that I
was a fan of. We all come from these modest backgrounds.
And when that shit is thrown at you and you
have to deal with success in that abnormal premise of life,
(07:14):
it ain't easy.
Speaker 6 (07:15):
It's not easy, and you're looking to make it easy
in a situation that's challenging mentally, spiritually and complicating everything
is that you're in such a permissive environment as you're
becoming famous. People are allowing you to be not your
best self, and gravity is pulling you towards not your
(07:37):
best self to compensate for the challenges of all the
mental and spiritual stuff. So yeah, you need good people
around you to try to carve out a groove that
is functional, that will sustain you, know, such you don't
have to make a bunch of apologies as you really
do get your feet under you over a couple of years.
So yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You're crawling, Yeah, crawling through life. I found to you
get to some juncture of wisdom where you're able to
compute what's going on to say, wait a minute.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
Did that come quick enough for you or did you
have I certainly had some challenge, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Yeah, you've had challenges, You've overcome yours. Mine. It was
a little different because I came out of the fifties. Yeah,
so it was a different.
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Time, less challenging.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Do you think, well, it was.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Challenging in certain ways. But I was protected at a
great family, good father and mother, even though I lost
my mom at eighteen, great guy in Irving Feld who
is my manager. But you know I saw a ship
around this. I mean I had guys on the bus
when we're a tour shooting up heroin. I won't mention who,
but the drugs were around.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
I mean, well the weekends weakens. Skip, good that you're
still with us, you know, from the from that bus
with the needles all the way to the.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
He knows all about that. I'm you know, back back
in your turf off of that. What interested me? I've
seen Jason do all these amazing things and then all
of a sudden out of nowhere. You know, Amanda rarely
calls me with any big items. She's just she's a sweetheart.
Dad chasing the state of playing golf. Can you believe it?
(09:11):
He's gonna play golf? And you got to tell your
friend Skip, whatever he can do, we don't want him
playing golf. I'm going to Amantha.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
Skip ended up being a great lubricant to get me
into the club.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
He's the guy, Skip, and you know the rest of
the story. How did you maneuver that? I mean, how
how did that all fit into that flow? You guys
were into.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
What's that golf? Golf?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I mean, that's time consumer, it's.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
Very time consuming. But I don't do anything else unless
i'm working. You know, there's probably no coincidence that a
lot of actors play golf because you're either acting right
where you're working at least twelve hours a day or
you're doing zero. You know, you're literally trying to figure
out how to get some days behind you on your
(09:58):
way to your next job. You're constantly getting hired and fired.
So for me, and I hope this doesn't sound like spin,
it does to Amanda, but it's sincere. It's so challenging
to me golf that it actually keeps me mentally sharp
because it's so hard for me. So it's a very
challenging thing for me to do while I'm waiting to
(10:20):
get hired to go do something equally challenging, which is
for me directing. Acting is super comfortable, but directing is
fully immersive.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
We'll get to that after. It's amazing what you're doing
with that. But then you got baseball. I mean, you
love your but you're not in any short term copies.
These are.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
I watch every Dodger game, but I'll split it up
over you know, you know, twenty four hours. I'll watch
a few innings before I go to bed, and then
a little more in the morning. I'm also the commissioner
in my fantasy baseball league. So it's all, it's all
very attractive stuff. Women go crazy when they hear all
this stuff, like.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
It's not a sexy sport, you baseball is sexy?
Speaker 6 (10:59):
I don't it is. Well, first of all, it's a game,
I think, not a sport, you know.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
But of all the games, I mean, it's not the
sexiest game out there.
Speaker 6 (11:07):
No, it's it's not. It doesn't doesn't attract real supreme
elegance like like basketball. But anyway, I dig it. I
dig the history of it.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I have a story about that because golf has always
been an important part of my life, and I might
argue that i'd be in, you know, a psychiatrist's office
if not for golf. Some some people go to psychiatrists
because of the way they play golf. But you're talking
about golf first, you know, sport versus game. So when
I was involved with Steve Win developing you know, casino resorts,
(11:39):
Steve had an idea to build the greatest exclusive golf
course in America called Shadow Creek.
Speaker 6 (11:46):
Yeah, amazing, one of account and took me out there once.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah yeah, And at the time, no one had ever
spent twenty five million dollars on a golf course. This
was seventy five million dollars. Incredible, incredible place. And one
day Steve's brother in law, Mike Paskell, said to me
that Michael Jordan was coming out, was the height of
his career early nineties. He wanted to play the golf course.
(12:12):
Said would you like to play with him? I said,
are you kidding? He said, you know, he likes to
play for a lot of money. I figured, look, whatever
I lose to him would be less than what I
would be in a celebrity auction to play golf with
Michael Jordans, So who cares?
Speaker 3 (12:25):
So off we go, go to play golf.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And with golf being the great equalizer, as it turns out,
I wounded up beating him no hand of the round. Yeah,
the end of the round, We're standing behind the eighteenth
green and I said, you know, golf is just an
incredible sport. It's the only sport where just a businessman
like me could beat a world class athlete like you.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
And he looked at me and he went, yeah, fucking amazing.
And I wanted to say, no, no, no. What I meant
is what could I beat you at? Running? No, swim,
no throwing a ball?
Speaker 6 (13:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
But golf? You know?
Speaker 6 (13:03):
So? Well?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
What was that?
Speaker 6 (13:05):
What was the handicap breakdown? Do you remember at the.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Time we were both we were both I was a
sixth and he was a sixth.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Oh really?
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And at that time he I was amazed because he
would hit some shots like a tour player and then
it would take him two to get out of a bunker.
But later that night I walked into the casino and
there's a commotion going on. I said to one of
the casino hosts, what's going on? He said, oh, Michael
Jordan's over there playing in the casino. I said, oh wow.
So I walk over in his direction and I get
(13:36):
within about thirty feet of him, and his head, of course,
is above everybody else, and it's like a periscope and
he sees me and he calls me.
Speaker 6 (13:44):
Over and I think, whows some of that money? Again?
Speaker 2 (13:47):
No, this is cool. I'm being called out by Michael Jordan's,
so I walk over to him. He said, hey, Skip,
You know, I was thinking about what you said to
me at the end of the round. He said, Golf's
not a sport, it's a game. Because it was sport,
you couldn't fuck beat right, It's true. And I thought
to myself, who did I get in his This was
like six or seven hours later he was still there.
(14:08):
But of course that's his competitive nature, right.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Well, he was. It was all over Vegas every time.
You know, I was there. Everyone in town wanted to
play with him because everybody beat him. When I tell you,
it's one hundred thousand a game, two hundred thousand. I
don't think he ever won as much as he lost.
And everyone wanted to play with Michael Pitt, bosses, Bill
Hops because they all want all the time.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
You're talking about the tables or on the golf court,
on the golf course.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Really, oh yeah, but think about money to this day
when they do the lists.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I just saw Charles Barkley did a list of the
greatest basketball players, and when he gets to number one,
you already know who it is, right, you know, before
it's over, you know who the number one is. You
could argue, you know who's the greatest athlete and given
sport but basketball, it's Michael.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
He's the guy.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And what a life this guy has made fro him
self and golf is still a critically important part of
his life, you know, if he's still probably, But you know,
are you still a sex?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
No?
Speaker 6 (15:04):
What do you know?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I think I'm eight index.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
An eight index would put you at about age twelve or.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Thirteen, maybe both depends from what tea is either a
ten or twelve ring from what tease and Paul.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
You avoided the addiction, right? You never you never.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Lost a caddy, you know. I guess that that killed me.
With golf. I made like three bucks a week and
I worked at the shoddier golf club and I was
a caddy, but they didn't have the you know, the carts.
And I was carrying these goddamn bags every weekend and
make three bucks. But my cousin was a great golfer.
But I said, what is this? Gave me fucking crazy,
(15:40):
and I kept carrying these bags. I went home. I
think I slept like for two days. Thank god, I
took up piano and music instead of golf.
Speaker 6 (15:49):
I would it so much time in Vegas and these
incredible places around the world that probably mean you live
on a freaking golf course right now.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I know, I you know I played, but you know
I wasn't getting this satisfaction. You know, when I decided
when you're a writer, well, you know you can address this.
When you're a writer and you're doing music and you're
that young and you're traveling like I was, I didn't
have the time.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
Yeah, it is a time to go out and do it.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
So I said, I'll go do tennis. So I'd go
hit a tennis ball for about an hour and a half.
I started really young, and today I still play tennis.
I play with my son Ethan pickleball. But golf, you know,
I get it. It's just I don't have the time
to do and if I can't be a certain caliber
and something, and it's so frustrated.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
You know what I find.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
I find at this stage. It used to be that
I cared more about what I shot than who I
played with, And now I care more about who I
play with than what I'm going to shoot, because I mean,
I've had rounds in the sixties, I've done everything you
can do in golf.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
I'm not going to be able to do that anymore.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I said to Jason A few weeks ago, I sent
him a text and I said, playing golf with two
of the guys that you were really liked. Play with
John McEnroe, right, and Doc Rivers if you want to play?
And he wrote back, sounds good. Let me check. Now
I know what that's code for talking to Amanda, right,
So he said, let me check. Then he wrote back,
(17:13):
I just found out in babysitting. So I'm wondering, is
he really babysitting or is he doesn't want to play?
But then I thought it's Jason. Of course he wants
to play. He always wants to play.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah, he's got the greatest kids. I tell you, Maple
and Franny. I mean to watch watch any of your
grandchildren go from ya all the way up into adulthood.
(17:44):
I love you, and they are. I spoke to Francesca
because we check in with each other. Now. I've got
a grandshaw.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
You call her.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
She's in Paris, south of France, right. So I was
asking her the other day. I said, so, what's going on?
I said, oh, it is Idy. I want to go
to colleges, I said, when you're going, she says, a
few weeks. So she gave me a couple I said,
I think I can help you. We'll put that aside.
So I said, have you ever watched any of Dad's shows?
(18:15):
Have you watched Ozark? She said, we just started watching.
I've seen the first series. Really, Jason, tell me about it,
Me tell you about me. Yeah, I'll watch you hear
your take on it on her watching. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
You know, what's interesting about both of them is that
they have zero desire to see anything I've done. Like
it's it's like pulling teeth. I mean, I sort of
grossed myself out by getting caught up in trying to
convince them to watch something that I'm in because it
sounds like, you know, I'm dying for them to sit
(18:52):
there and fawn over me and what I've done. But
it's just super curious. Like if I if they were
on something in something or Amanda or you or skin
anybody I know, I would be curious. They I think
it's weird for them to watch me pretend to be
(19:12):
somebody different than their.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Death than they know.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Yeah, like that, it's just it's it's it's odd. In fact,
they we have some some friends that are also on
television or movies or whatever that that they're very close with,
that they knew years before they like, for instance, Anniston,
Franny thought Jennifer Aniston just sold hair products, Yeah, because
(19:36):
she saw some hair products around her house that that
she was, you know, selling or whatever. She didn't know
she was an actor until. I mean, Franny was probably
twelve before she knew that gen was on TV. And
so now when you talk to her about it's all
she doesn't even really want to watch Friends or something
like all that they have and they and they do,
but it's, uh, it's an interesting thing anyway. So she
(19:58):
likes what she sees, uh, and she's actually interested in directing.
So we talk a bit about that. But then I
said to her the other day, I go, you know,
it's amazing to me that you're interested in directing and
you really want to find out what it's all about.
Yet you have no interest in seeing the things that
your father has directed, where I could tell you firsthand
(20:21):
information about how that shot was created, when I had
the idea for that, or what's the apparatus behind her
It's just she'd rather learn through other things.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yes, well, you're really into directing now, I mean, you
love your acting. Still, every time we've talked, directing has
got you sizzled. What's the buzz for you on that?
Is it working with the actors or is it the
technical or booth?
Speaker 6 (20:45):
It is both, but it's mostly as I'll bet you
know anybody can relate to in any occupation. You know,
the extent to which you can help shape and experience
for a customer, it is really really exciting. You do
it with with writing music. Skip. We're going to get
(21:06):
into what whatever the hell it is you do? No one,
no one can, no one can figure it out. I've
talked to a lot of people. My wife's included, Yeah,
I mean it, but they know I do it. Well,
oh you're you're the keg and so we'll go yeah,
but what what is it?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
But if you want something done in this world, you
go to Skip Bronson. But you know it's yeah, it's
creating fake life such that it is convincing right that
it feels real to someone who's watching it, and then
you kind of spike it a bit so that it's
not only just real, which takes ninety percent of the work,
(21:47):
but that it's also interesting and compelling. It's either funny
or it's dramatic, and that you know, takes a visual
component or musical component, or a performance component or editorial
strategy or whatever it is. You have all these in
front of you like a mixing board of music, and
you can raise up this or that to help move
the audience a little left, a little right and not.
(22:09):
You know, control is sort of a pejorative. I don't
mean it as one, but it is that that control,
that challenge of control where you are sort of dictating
what the audience is seeing through that little paper tube
that you know, I grew up looking through a little
paper towel, you know tube you know, or you kind
of like And that's kind of to me.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
What's still not easy? But who are the guys that
that you hate the word admire, But who are the
guys that really do that well for you?
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Family?
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Kubrick was one. I love David Fincher.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
You've always talked about Fincher.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
Yeah, I just find his is aesthetic and his taste,
the things that sort of get him excited with composition
or even color, temperature and all this other stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
So when you did Nike it must have been a
blast working with.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Ben Affleck, and yeah, he's been.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Did you learn from that?
Speaker 6 (23:06):
It was nice to see another actor directing. He seems
to enjoy the efficiency of that like I do when
I direct when I'm acting, in that I'm in the
scene with the other actors, so I can kind of
direct them while we're performing, or I can help make
a camera move work by adjusting where I'm standing because
(23:28):
I noticed the camera's a little out of position. And
so these things are fun challenges for me. And he
seems to understand the process and is so comfortable with
the process that he's able to take on, you know,
a lot of things while he in between action and cut.
When he's acting, he's also helping with the directing.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
So it's when you were around Ron Howard on development.
So that was But you did Did you direct at eighteen?
Speaker 6 (23:56):
Yeah? The first The first thing I did was an
episode of a show I was doing when I was
eighteen called The Hogan Family, which it started with Valerie Harper.
It was called Valerie then it was Valerie Family Valeri's
family than the Hogans and the Hogan Family. And yeah,
I directed an episode of that when I was eighteen,
and that was you know, that's in front of a
studio audience, so there's more of a proscenium, right, sort
(24:19):
of an edge like a like a theater, and the
cameras stay on the outside of that edge, actors on
the inside. So the directing of it is much like
directing a play more so than directing a film that's
shot with just one camera. So it was a little
bit different, not quite as complicated as directing single camera.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Where did you finish high school?
Speaker 6 (24:40):
On a second, never finished high school.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
For two years.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I do not sound like.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
I finished at MGM and the Black Lot. I was
doing a movie called Girls Down was made Van Doren. Wow,
and I was hot.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
Yeah, that sounds better than the film I was doing too.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
And I finished. I was a kid named Jay North
who was doing Dennis a Menace, Oh really, And he
and I were in class and I got my diploma.
So you never got a diploma for no.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
I was doing Team Wolf two during the final period
of my senior year, and so I had to do
my finals while we were shooting, and the shooting schedule
was such that I didn't have time to finish two
of my four finals, and so I was an incomplete
and you know, I remember going to the headmaster.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (25:31):
Months afterwards, I was driving by the school and I
pulled over and just kind of unannounced, went into his
office and I said, I said, mister makeoff, I don't
get my diploma. I mean I finished the classes. I
just didn't take two of the finals. Yeah no, sorry,
I said, well, he said you can take the ged
I said, well, no, can we think about it. Months later,
(25:55):
I got a solicitation from them to donate to the school.
So I called him back. I said, well, do you
want to check but yeah, yeah, well yeah, So talk
about luck for a second.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
I mean, as a real estate developer, I got a
lucky break.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Paul. He's an officially a real estate developer, that's the
official one, but everything from shopping centers to casinos and
everything in between.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Paul and I have talked about hit the lucky brakes
that he's gotten. So what was the lucky break for you?
Speaker 6 (26:22):
Well, I would probably say that the biggest break I've
ever had was the second break I had, which was
arrested development. The first one was Little House in the
Prairie when I was ten. That was kind of the
first big job I had, but you know, I kind
of rode. You know, that parlayed into you know, the
(26:43):
next job and the next job, and then doing comedy
and doing sitcoms and things like that, and then things
really kind of got quiet for me during my twenties,
and it was hard to get back into any sort
of level of success or access or relevance. And then
Arrested Development came around, and that was a show that well,
it wasn't really seen as a big hit across the country.
(27:06):
It was it was a big hit amongst those who
hand out jobs here in Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
And DVD sales, yeah, and DV details, Yeah, very big.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
But your dad was an actor. I didn't realize your
dad was an actor.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Actor, writer, producer, director. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
But did you grow up in Ryan, New York.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
No.
Speaker 6 (27:23):
I was born there till I was and lived there
till I was two, then Boston till four, then Salt
Lake City till seven, and then La. But once we
got to La, I was old enough to go to
see movies with my dad. I was finally old enough
to kind of appreciate some of the films that he
was seeing, or starting to get old enough, and so
He would take me to the local art house theaters
(27:45):
and show me these, you know movies that I'd have
to read subtitles, and they were kind of artsy FARTSI
but he would show me what great acting is or
great directing is and explain what it is and how
it happens. So that when I was ten, we had
a neighbor that was reading for a movie and he
was on his way to an audition. He was my
dad's age, my dad's friend, and he saw me out
(28:08):
front in the driveway helping my dad wash the car,
and he stopped and maybe assumed that I wasn't too
interested in washing the car with my dad, and he
asked me if I wanted to go along with him
to this audition, just to see how an audition goes.
And I said sure. My dad said yeah, go ahead,
so we went. I went with him this audition. They
were reading for the role of the Sun that same day,
(28:28):
and the Sun, the character was the same age as me.
He said, hey, why don't you go in and read
for the Sun? And I said, I'm not an actor,
and he said, here's they give you a little piece
of the script, like two or three pages to see
if you can act, called the sides right, and he said,
just just get head on in there and make it
look like you're supposed to be there, and when they
say you're not on the list, say that must have
(28:49):
been some mistake. So I did that, and I auditioned
for it. I got the part, and so I came home.
I told my dad and I said, hey, will you
take some pictures of me? Let's sendhim into an agency
and see if I can get an agent and maybe
start reading for some commercials. And so I did. I got,
you know, a handful of commercials and they start sending
out for bigger stuff.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
And I told you you were tending. He said, Dad,
let's let's go to get an agent.
Speaker 6 (29:11):
Yeah, and I don't. Yeah, I probably said, you know,
I like this, maybe I'm good at this. What should
we do? He says, well, we should get an agent.
I go, how do we do that? You know, well,
let's take some pictures, you know, and send them in there.
And you know, I had a stupid bowl haircut and
you know, a halfway decent smile with a dumb gap
between my teeth. I looked like I could sell cereal
or something, you know.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Speaking of pictures.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
You know, I saw a picture, I saw a picture
of your dad, and he said it's Greg Kenar.
Speaker 6 (29:37):
He was a lot like, yeah, that's that's right. If
that is another fellow golfer, absolutely, huh, yeah, that's right.
He does a little bit like Greg Canar. He got
Steve McQueen a bit when he was younger. Lucky guy. Yeah,
I know, he's he's a he's a great great man.
That taught me basically everything that I know and sparked
the interest in me. I mean, had he been throwing
(29:58):
the ball with me in the park and said, taken
me to these movie theaters when I was a kid,
maybe I would have gone into sports. It certainly would
have been better at golf than I am today.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
But you know what's amazing, you started as a child
actor if you will, probably don't like the term, but no. Yeah,
and then there are child actors like you know Beaver
from you know, Leave It to Beaver.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, and that's it. I mean that's the end of
their career.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I had a big career, but that's the end of
the career. Yeah, and you taking it all the way through,
Yeah it was, and your career has gotten bigger and bigger.
Speaker 6 (30:28):
And very very lucky about that, and and that that
was part of that big break with the rest of development,
because that was that was the first big job I
got as an adult. You know, I'd sort of gassed,
you know, my sort of my welcome as a as
a as a child or a young adult, you know,
young actor. There is that transition one needs to make
that bridge to adult parts and ask the audience to
(30:50):
accept you as somebody with you know, stubble instead of
you know, being a little a little tyke. And that
that job was really really important for that and I
was I was very aware of me too big. Yeah,
you could take care of my daughter from there, Oh yeah,
because the others I had five son and loss of balance.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I couldn't sign the checks quick enough. That was your
big change.
Speaker 6 (31:18):
It was nerve wracking. And I don't know if you remember,
but when Amanda and I first started thinking about getting married,
I was I was living with her, I don't I
I think I was broke. I was in debt and
were it not for the money that Amanda had made
as a voice voiceover artist. She was doing you know,
campaigns for you know, ads, doing commercials and doing voices
(31:41):
for cartoons and stuff like that. She had a bunch
of money that we needed to for the down payment
on a house.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
I didn't.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
Yeah, yeah, you were, so it was it was. It
was nerve wracking thinking that the rest of my life
might be anti climactic from that which was my youth
and arrested development.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
It's scary, you know for all of us. You know,
people out there just think it's all glamour and we
do what we do. But when you get that needle
up your arm, you know, of success and all of
this stuff that's really abnormal, there's a moment there where
you sit and go, God, I don't want this to
ever go away. Yeah, it's it's a tough way to
live because I kind of two things. When I started
(32:23):
as a kid and all of this started to happen,
he said, how do I not become an asshole?
Speaker 6 (32:27):
Right?
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Because people are just catering and doing and you're still
trying to find yourself.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
Yeah, you got to understand that you wake up alone,
you go to sleep alone, or rather you know the
things you think about or who you are right when
you are trying to go to bed or right when
you wake up. That's the person that you need to
be comfortable with, and if you've been an asshole all day,
you're going to feel bad about yourself when you're going
to bed and when you wake up. And so for me,
(32:53):
that was kind of the you know, behave in a
way that I not that I'm allowed it to be,
but that I am I am comfortable being right, because
there's a big difference there.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Speaking a difference Jason, the leap over to Ozark into
that other character. Yeah, you know from that great wit
that I mean lare you had. Was that difficult jumping
over into your money launderer? You know it a hole
muffia kind of thing. I mean, was there any interrepidation
as to anyone around you? Are you saying I can
(33:25):
pull this off?
Speaker 6 (33:26):
Yeah? Well, you know, what I do as a as
an actor in comedy versus as an actor in drama
are not terribly different. And I'm not trying to be modest.
It's just I like to play us, right. So the
comedic character I play is usually pretty close to the median,
and that the dramatic character I play is usually close
(33:50):
to the to the middle as well. In that I'm
I'm usually not the guy farting, I'm the guy reacting
to the fart, you know. Or in drama, I'm not
the guy with the knife. I'm the guy running from
the knife, you know. So I'm the The move that
I make from doing comedic acting to dramatic acting is
not a big, huge swing for me, and thus I
(34:12):
feel not a lot to ask the audience to buy
as long as I'm not trying to be wacky comedy
or super scary drama guy.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
And a lot of a lot of actors can't pull
it off.
Speaker 6 (34:24):
Yeah I don't. I don't mind doing those big swings,
but I enjoy more being us. I like being the
person that's sort of the proxy for the audience. And
it's probably why I'm attracted to directing, because again, I'm
I've got the audience in my hands, and I'm I'm
trying to identify or declare what this scene is about,
(34:47):
what you should be receiving as an audience in this scene.
And then when I'm acting in something i'm directing, I've
kind of got two hands on the wheel, so I
can I can therefore take on things that have a
little bit more of a specific creative tone or objective
and feel decent about the ability to hit that small target.
(35:08):
Since I'm on camera and behind the cameras.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
So questioned all that, you know, the music business is
going through a lot of change, and where are you
at with the coming it's here anyway artificial intelligence? What
are the intelligencia thinking as the oops, Yeah, there's some
changes coming and it could be this, and here's what's
going to happen, and here's in and here's out. What's
(35:33):
your feeling on.
Speaker 6 (35:34):
That, because it's real, it's to be honest, I'm not
as educated on it as I would need to be
to really take a firm position, you know, either worried
or confident. My sister is super educated on it. She's
got a very strong opinion about whether it's it's a
healthy thing or not a healthy thing. I don't. I
(35:56):
don't know nearly as much as she does about it.
But my general instinct is that it's going to be
challenging for sure, but that the net will be great
for everyone eventually. And the comparison I will make is
what you were saying, which is the music industry. It
(36:17):
was uncomfortable at the beginning. Artists like yourself had to
realize uncomfortably that you're not gonna be making any money
selling albums anymore in comparison to the two years past,
and that you'd have to pivot and adapt to maybe
more touring or more merchandise or whatever the other lanes
are of monetization. That we're not being automated or we're
(36:40):
not being affected as much through technology, because you know,
the automotive industry went through it. You know, all these
assembly line workers, they were, you know, kicking and screaming
as they should have been about losing their jobs to
automation and you know, robots and whatnot. But it just
took some time for them, i'm sure, or to retrain
(37:02):
and adapt to another area of the business that they
could make a living in, because you can't stop these
you know, bosses from saying, oh, this robot can do
the job of ten workers, so you're out of a job.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
Well, it's going to be a whole new infra social
You mentioned your sister. You know, I follow you on
television and I'm listening to you all the time, right
with that great wit and you you always have an answer.
But one interview you did let me think Howard Stern.
You were on with Howard Stern and he you know Howard.
(37:34):
I mean, he's the best at what he does. And
he said he got on the subject of your sister
and you and acting and skipp. He said, oh yeah,
let me ask you this, if you would you cast
your sister as your lover? Can you stick your tongue
in her mouth? He did the full menu. Do you
remember that interview?
Speaker 6 (37:52):
I think so, but again I was probably too nervous
to remember all of it. But my answers was what.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
It was great. I mean, you got out of you
you jive to the left and then to the right.
He kept saying, you're changing the subject, and you said, yeah,
if we were acting and and she was doing the part,
absolutely I do. He said, you would you know, how
are you piled everything? Well, I'm surprised you were amazing
the way you answered it.
Speaker 6 (38:16):
I'm surprised my answer wasn't already did it because because
we did too late. I remember when we were doing
Arrested Development, the showrunner and I Mitch Hurwitz, we were
talking about how to get Justine on the show. I
think the fans were asking for it or something. We're
trying to figure out what would be a fun way
(38:36):
to bring her on, and him being you know, the
genius sort of crazy creative minding, he said, well, why
don't we bring her on as a whore and you
hire her as the whore prostitute. I was like, huh,
how would that work? So so she came on arrested
development as a high class call girl that I hired,
(39:00):
if I'm remembering correctly, And there may have even been
a moment where we didn't lean in towards each other
to kiss each other, but I think there was tension
in a scene about maybe that we might something like that.
It's a long time ago, but I remember that being like,
oh my god, we're gonna bring Justine on and she's
going to be a prostitute that I hire, and it
(39:23):
ended up working. It was pretty funny.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Yeah, but that Howard really stuck out in my mind.
He knows how to ask a question, yeah, and you
know how to answer them too. You're fast in your feet.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Speaking of interviews, let's talk about your podcasts for a minute.
Just one of the top podcasts in the in the whole.
Speaker 6 (39:49):
World, until you guys go past.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
Whose idea was it to furst due podcast?
Speaker 6 (39:54):
Will Arnett said to me one day he said, you know,
I'm gonna do a podcast. I go really, He said yeah.
I said why because our buddy Dax Shepherd is making
so much money at it. He goes, eh, you know,
but now what I want to do? I said, I said, well,
what's it about? He goes, I think he said it
was going to be something about sobriety or something. He's
going to call it the Journey. I said that sounds
(40:15):
fucking boring. It was going to sounds like a hiking show.
I said, tell you what, you do, whatever you want,
but let me be on it. I'm going to be
on it with Gil show. I said, I'm going to
be on it with you, and we're going to get
some of that Dak's money. He says, no, no, no,
you're not invited. It's just going to be mine. I
said no, no, I said, I'm doing it. He said, no,
you're not. I said I'm doing it. And I think
I like I left the room or something. Then I
(40:36):
ran into Sean Hayes the next night at some at
some party, and and I decided to tease him a
little bit, try to get him jealous. And I told
him that Will and I were going to go do
a podcast. So I want, I want, I'm in. I
said no, No, I said, I'm in. I'm a great
call Will. So I told Will, I said, you know,
heads up, Sean's Sean's coming in. He's going to be
on it too. He goes, no, God, damn it, it's mine.
So Sean ended up asking his folks at his production
(41:00):
company to just run the numbers about what the lift
would be, you know, financially and time wise, and what
the possible upside might be. And this was during COVID
and we were already you know, zooming a lot, just
to stay in contact. And so he said, you know,
my guys came up with some real interesting numbers. If
you guys want to come in and let them, just
tell us. And Will was like, no, Jesus, what do
(41:20):
I I'm I'm this is my pot, so just come here.
So we will. So we go into his office and
the three of us listen to his someone on his
staff kind of break down what it would be. And
basically it was what we were doing already, you know,
a zoom for an hour or whatever, and and so
we started doing it during COVID and people started listening
and it was just shocking the first time I realized
(41:43):
people really were listening was we had Paul McCartney on
the show and it was he was Sean's guest. And
after Paul McCartney left and we do sort of a
wrap up, I said to Sean, I said, how do
you know Paul McCartney. He says, I don't. He called us.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Wow, that's a key.
Speaker 6 (42:02):
But I mean that that was that it indicated that, okay,
if a Beatle is going to do a podcast, apparently
we are one. That his people were suggesting that. So
that was that was pretty scary to me.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Actually, so you don't use a booker per se, right,
you each you find you have must have a booker.
Speaker 1 (42:23):
We have.
Speaker 6 (42:23):
We have somebody, Michael Grant Terry is our producer. I
suppose that does many things, one of which is to
book the guests. And what we do is the guest
is a mystery to two of the other guys. So
we take turns inviting guests on, and we don't tell
the other two who we're bringing on, so that you
don't have to do any homework, no prep whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
They're wrecking.
Speaker 6 (42:45):
Huh.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
No.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
In cases, it's not too bad because there's no obligation
for the other two to ask any questions.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
You know.
Speaker 6 (42:52):
It's like if I bring on, you know, Joe Blow,
I got to have a bunch of questions for Joe,
and the other guys can chime in when they think
of something to ask Joe, but they need not.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
So that's not uncomfortable at the time.
Speaker 6 (43:04):
No, it's it's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
So there wasn't one guess that was really challenging where
you went, you know.
Speaker 6 (43:10):
I mean we do it via zoom, so we have
our computers in front of us, and you know, you
can see Will and Sean, you know, typing away furiously
with you know, into the Google machine to try to
find out what it is about, you know, my guest
that they might be interested in.
Speaker 1 (43:25):
You scared the hell out of me. Excuse me for
you ruugh you yeah, yeah, I mean I almost got
very vile because you guys prank each other. You know,
you get on it, which is great, you like, get
this call right and I'm hip to the show and
I'm a huge fan and it's my guy, you know,
and uh, it's about five thirty in the afternoon a
few months ago, and Jason gets on. He so I'm
(43:45):
doing the podcast from a hotel over here, and somebody
wants to talk to you. I do it out of nowhere.
So really, I'm saying, okay, they're pranking me. Says okay,
I'll go with this guy gets on the phone. He says, Hi,
this is the President of the United States, Joe Biden.
Speaker 6 (44:08):
You knowing me.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I was going, get the fuck out here.
Speaker 6 (44:11):
I think I think your answer was he was silence
you okay, okay, like someone's pretty good at doing this depression.
And then and then he went on.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
To he said, I wasn't gonna do this interview with
these guys, so I got to talk to Jason's father
in law. Yeah, I'm a fetal right right then, and
I'm putting it together. I'm going, wow, wow, that was
what you guys? Yeah, that was That was another that
was actually another incoming call. It was stunning.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
It was a year after Sir Paul and uh we
got a call from the White House saying that, you know,
the President's going to be in town. He wants to
do a podcast. He wants to be here again. Could
not believe it, but anyway, we had to go to
a remote site in a hotel to do it in
his room, and he when he walked into there, and
we were already in the room set up Mike's were
(45:01):
ready to go. And then the President comes in and
he comes in holding his iPhone and he's got Paul's
one of your songs playing from the phone song and
I said, I.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Said, I said, is it having my baby? He said,
it was my Way, wasn't it. I don't remember which one.
Speaker 6 (45:18):
I mean, it's sobody to pick from it, but he
you're You're one of his favorites. And he had it
just on his phone as like a ring tone or
whatever it is. Yeah, And I said, I said, oh
my god, he'd be so thrilled to know that. He goes, well,
let's call him, let's tell him, And that's how that
phone call happened. And I just hit your number on
speaker and away he went, I'm so glad you were
(45:39):
around to get the call. So is I.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
Yeah, but that was a cool call. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (45:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:44):
But bucket list guest somebody that you haven't had.
Speaker 6 (45:47):
I'd love to have Howard on. He would be great.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
But I don't even want to get him the studio.
Speaker 6 (45:53):
Why. I didn't need to because it's zoom, and I
has to drive all the way out here to your
goddamn house.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
You know you look the same. What do you what do.
Speaker 6 (46:00):
You film here?
Speaker 1 (46:02):
Do problem?
Speaker 3 (46:04):
Well?
Speaker 6 (46:06):
Loser in a few months, and you know I'm playing
a loser, so I'm nailing it with this long hair. Well.
I don't start shooting for another five months, so there's
gonna be another five months of growth on this.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Wow to that To that point, I was going to ask,
is there anything that really worries you other than hair loss?
Speaker 6 (46:24):
Yes, not to not to be maudlin, but this, you know,
is we are all sort of on the backside of
our arc. We're closer to death and birth. I start
to worry about the arbitrary illnesses that you know, like
you know, you can't you don't catch cancer. You know,
it's just it's in us all and it just gets
(46:46):
turned on or not arbitrarily for the most part to everyone.
And and that's some mortality. It doesn't scare me as
much as it as well. It's just you know, it's
it's it's an annoying distraction. And when you're busy galloping
towards you know, the finish of life, you're enjoying you
(47:09):
just hope that it you know that it's a gentle
descent and you.
Speaker 1 (47:12):
Can deal Jason with most of that stuff. That cancer
is the tough one.
Speaker 6 (47:17):
Yeah, I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of things that
will take you out that are not fantastic.
Speaker 1 (47:23):
It's preventative.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
You have to do.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
You have to live a certain lifestyle, you run every day. Well, yeah,
we're on the verge of some stuff.
Speaker 6 (47:28):
Yeah, that would be nice.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
There's some medical discoveries that are coming up where you're
going to add on to your life.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
And by the way, AI is playing a big role
in that.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
I'm involved at you a medical center, Department of Neurosurgery
active over there, and they're talking about the fact that,
you know, the amount of intelligence that they were able
to garner sort of doubled every five years. Now it's
doubling every six months. And AI is playing such an
incredible role in figuring stuff out there because it's all
(48:02):
about you know, we talk about early detection. It's all
about it's.
Speaker 6 (48:05):
Actually pretty surprising if you think about it, that we
don't yet have a cure for all cancers. I mean,
we have very effective treatments, as we do for HIV,
and whatnot. But you would think that with all of
the money and time and brain power that's gone into this,
that that we still can't lick that one, and we
(48:26):
still we still don't know fully how the brain works
or what the what the equation is of a thought?
You know, like there's some stuff that we still can't
get our arms around.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
But isn't that great about life? The stuff you don't know.
Paul and I talked a lot about UFOs is. Paul's
even more convinced than most.
Speaker 6 (48:45):
That they're here.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
Yeah, yeah, that they're here ye among us? Yeah yeah, yeah,
But you know, that's the one philosophy I have with
it all. We were put here on earth to live,
I mean to live. So no matter what ship you
go through during the day and you got a little
of this, you know where we get, Oh this wises
is happening. It's not what it's about. You're here to
(49:06):
live no matter what's happening to you. Just participate, participate
and live. You know.
Speaker 6 (49:11):
Yeah, that's a good point. So tell me about this podcast.
This is just a chat a chat session with with
folks that you two know.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
With our friends.
Speaker 6 (49:30):
Yeah, you could probably have a thousand episodes before.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
You, and they're friends that we think are interesting and
we think much like what happened to you with SmartLess. Yeah,
you know we once this gets out, if you will,
we think certain friends of ours will also say, hey,
what about me?
Speaker 6 (49:46):
Yeah exactly, why am I get ready? Yeah? You're not
going to be able to move?
Speaker 3 (49:51):
And we're having fun with it.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
That's the best part is it's taking what we do,
as I said at night on the phone, and taking
it out into the airway.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
You're not having fun in life, forget about it. Yeah,
you gotta be having fun. We had Bill Burr, you know,
Chip shot ago. It's amazing, right, It was the funniest thing.
It just shows you actors want to be singers. Singers
want to be actors. So we had lunch, blah blah blah.
We have a lot of fun and he's brilliant, and
uh yeah, I want to do it. Yeah, I want
(50:22):
to do it absolutely, Yeah, I'll be there. Fuck yeah,
you know, do it.
Speaker 6 (50:26):
He says.
Speaker 1 (50:27):
One thing he says, Uh, I want to sing? Said
what he says, I want to sing?
Speaker 6 (50:33):
I'm not doing it.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
You gotta be fucking kidding. You're gonna come on and sing? Yeah?
I want to sing, yo, Yeah, make it happen. So
I made it happen. I got a music track. We
sent him the song blah blahlah blah. When he gets
in here and destroyed the Cold Porter classic. I've got
you under my skin. When I tell you destroy I'm
(50:56):
sure there's a guy in a box somewhere kicking the
fuck trying to get out.
Speaker 3 (51:01):
Made up his own lyrics as he went along, his
own lyrics.
Speaker 1 (51:05):
We're so thrilled that you said you'd sing today. I
got the band waiting. I just put you on, honey.
I would never ask you to do that. We're going
to eclectically wait for whoever was to sing right.
Speaker 6 (51:18):
I don't even sing in the shower. It's it's it's
not great. You were fantastic on our podcast, though, enjoy
I mean truly one of our better interviews.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Thank you, thank you. You know you talk about singing.
I appreciate that. I enjoyed it. You know, it's it's
such an irony guys that are afraid to sing and
can sing. Then you got a guy like Warren Buffett,
who's a buddy. I love him, and all he does
is he loves to sing. He just loves. I met
him because he hired me to do a gig and
(51:54):
I rewrote My Way for him, he says. He says,
I get saying that song. I love saying, I just
love my Way. That's my song. I said, really, were
he says, standing a playing at my funeral? He said really?
I says, well, how would you like to sing it?
So we're hearing. I said, well, you're going to studio
with me and we'll record you. He said really.
Speaker 3 (52:17):
I said yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
I said, we'll have a hamburger a cherry coke, because
that's what he eats every day, right, cherry coke. He said, okay,
come on, So he comes out here. We get in
the studio, capital huge orchestra, and weren't Boffa singing My
Way with no fear? And he's singing away and he's
loving it, and he was so good. And then we
start doing some gigs together. We'd go out and we'd
(52:39):
start singing at these different little rillits. Oh yeah, and
we and he stand up there. We do a rewrite
of My Way, like one we did down here in
a Laguna. The top female executives in the country, Big
tent I must have been five hundred women. Now then
we're here. You women cheer and he's just roaring away
(53:01):
and I'm stand here going I've seen it all. But
you know, he plays the record. Apparently every day he
goes to his office, which is the coolest office. It's
quiet in Omaha, it's modest in Omaha, and you go
in there, you don't hear a sound. He's got baseball
stuff all over the place. He loves it, and he
(53:21):
listens to his version of my Way. Really, so he
get into this business of holograms and he's out here.
I said, Warren, we can do a hologram of you
singing my Way, so you'll be seen. Really, I said,
just meet me at this studio and we'll do the hologram.
(53:41):
Not only hear yourself, you'll see yourself. We went to
the studio, he did it, and we now have a
wonderful hologram and an amazing version of Warren Buffett singing
My Way. And then where would you run that hologram
at his funeral?
Speaker 6 (53:54):
Ah? Got it? Yeah, hopefully not soon dancing on his coffee.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
Yeah, But it just goes back to you know, so
many people have a fear of speaking, and definitely singing, right,
I mean, we know that, But then the guys that
you're so amazed at that have so much and they
do in this things no fear whatsoever.
Speaker 6 (54:16):
I would probably sing before I would dance. How are
you at dancing? Yeah, you can dance, ken you.
Speaker 1 (54:23):
I'd rather sing before dancing. You know.
Speaker 6 (54:25):
I used to dancing. I mean, I you know, do
you remember I didn't even dance with Amanda at my wedding.
That's how much I don't like dancing. I didn't even
dance at my own wedding. First thing that you took,
you took your dance and my dance.
Speaker 1 (54:37):
That's correct, So you owe me one.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
You're going to stop for an in and out Burger
on your way home because it's pretty obvious Paul is
not serving anything.
Speaker 1 (54:49):
Well, you haven't gone into the kitchen yet.
Speaker 6 (54:51):
I came having had Yeah, I got a rush back
with your diet before you split. It's uh, it's.
Speaker 3 (54:59):
You know what I do.
Speaker 6 (55:00):
I I whenever I'm at a place that's serving you know,
something yummy, something something bad for me, I have it.
I have it a lot, uh when I'm there, But
for the most part, that's like once a week, once
a month. Twice a month for anybody. Yeah, so when
I'm home, I just make sure when I'm home, whereas
(55:22):
I do most of my eating, it's all just good stuff.
Mostly it's salad and chicken.
Speaker 3 (55:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (55:27):
Well, you know the way you've watched the way the
family eats. Yeah, from Alex to the way and oh
yeah yeah, oh my god. I mean Amanda is just
great for me in so many ways. She's way overqualified to,
you know, manage what I eat. But she's very helpful
and giving me discipline and many many are important. Yeah,
(55:48):
you get older, we all have to watch what we
put in our body.
Speaker 6 (55:50):
Oh sure, I think they say if you if you
keep eating exactly what you eat each year, you will
gain three pounds. Like your metabolic rate slows down such
that you need to eliminate three pounds worth of weight
gain each year if you want to stay level. So
(56:11):
you have to eat less and less the older you get,
if you want to keep your weight the same.
Speaker 3 (56:14):
Unless your doctor prescribes o zimpic.
Speaker 1 (56:17):
All right, Yeah, I just got up one day and said,
I've eaten enough. I've eaten enough.
Speaker 2 (56:24):
Yeah, well, you watch yourself and you're still performing in
your vain so that that helps all.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
Hey, you know when you go to a doctor five
years ago and then I went last month, he says,
you're three inches shorter. I'm not the kind of guy
that relishes that. I was never anywhere. He says he's
lost inches. I said, wait a minute. I started too.
Speaker 5 (56:46):
Short as it was.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
You know, I took my weakness, made it my strength.
He says, you're three inches shorter. I said, I don't
want to hear that.
Speaker 3 (56:52):
They don't have no zempic for that.
Speaker 1 (56:54):
They will. They've got operations. Now you can go in.
They cut open your legs, surih, they put a wedging
and really, oh yeah, oh they'll give you. They got
something for everything, don't they everything. That would be weird, Yeah,
very weird. When I get the five inches shorter, I'll sick.
Speaker 6 (57:15):
What a five inch wedge? And your kneecap wherever it works?
Speaker 7 (57:21):
Hey, it's been fun. It's we're so thrilled that you came.
And god, I'm just uh, I'm I'm honored to be related.
Speaker 6 (57:31):
To you, and and you should hear everything people say
about you when I'm out and about Yeah, well if
I told you all the hellos I get to pass
on to you you'd be exhausted.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
That's touchy, that's good. Well likewise, hey, likewise, And we
don't promote it, you know that we're so laid back
with it. But now it's people come up. They know
and but thanks for joining Skip and I. You know,
Skip and I are we're a little virgence here compared
to what you guys have achieved with yours. And when
we put this together and we started thinking who we
wanted on, you know, you're at the top of the
(58:05):
list there and we've really had a lot of fun today.
And Skips a brother and a friend and you're just
our way, yes, our way, love it or short people only,
we haven't made up our minds. But thanks Jase, my pleasure,
(58:26):
love you, Thank you. Our Away with Paul Anka and
Skip Bronson is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
The show's executive producer is Jordan Runtog, with supervising producer
and editor Marcy Depina.
Speaker 1 (58:44):
It was engineered by Todd Carlin and Graham Gibson and
mixed and mastered by Doug Bone.
Speaker 3 (58:50):
If you like what you heard, please subscribe and leave
us a review.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
For more podcasts on iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Host
Paul Anka
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