October 9, 2025 • 35 mins
Michael Rapaport joins Ryan and Christian Toto to discuss his upcoming shows at Comedy Works South (Landmark at Greenwood Village), the two-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel, contemporaries like Bill Burr and Dave Chappelle taking criticism from other comedians for performing at the inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival, and the rise of anti-Semitism on college campuses and throughout the United States on both the political Left and Right.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Whatever you want to call me Zionist baby this anything
you want to I'm begging you right now, all of us,
all of you, all of us, the entire world, for harmasta.
Please take this deal, for everybody to encourage that, because
if it's not taken now, if you think it's been bad,
(00:21):
it is going to get bad for the people that
you say you care so much about. I'm saying that
from the bottom of my heart.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
President Trump, you have the best crowd in the world.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Do you guys have to say to President Trump?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Thank you did? Thank you?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
It is amazing, Bster President that we believe in you.
We know you've done so much for us over the past,
since you became a president and even before that. Can
we trust your fulfilled the mission until every hostage, every
forty eight of the home, thank you so much. Bless
it be the peacemaker, God bless him. It's the president.
(01:05):
God bless America very much. You just say here of yourselves,
the hostages will come back, coming home, coming back on Monday.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh, a historic day.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
And we say that with some reticence, with some reluctance,
only because you can't trust the other side, and the
other side in this case is Hamas and it leads
us into a very special edition of Ryan Schuling Live
convergence of events as it happens on the timeline. Just
so worked out that Michael Rappaport, who was a very
pro Israel comedian. You've recognized him certainly from various movies
(01:40):
and stand up comedy over the years.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
He'll be joining us in mere moments.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
We'll be taking our first break a little bit early
so we can spend a little extra time with him
and joining me live in studio for that conversation. You
hear em each and every Friday right here on the
right side of Hollywood Hollywoodantoto dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Christian Tooto, Christian, welcome to it.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I'm so glad to be here, glad to talk to
Michael Rappaport, a terrific actor, but what he's had to
say in the last two years has been sensational. I mean,
tell you about Hollywood courage. This is Hollywood courage, and
I can't wait to talk to him about it.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I'm sure why these keep auto firing. That's the beauty
of live radio. And somebody then messed around with the
audition interface program that we have. But what you just
heard that interruption of mister Toto and I Apologize is the.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Official trailer for October eight.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
So this was a documentary Deborah Messing, you might remember
she was one of the co producers of this. And
we're going to start with Michael Rappaport's part in this
documentary about the attacks of October seventh, twenty twenty three,
just over two years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Standing up for being Jewish gotten me more hate than
all the things that I have said on social media
and all my podcasts combined.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And I've said, ah for every one video it is
pro Israeli. There's fifty four pro Hamas and pro power
sign video.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Sir, Foreign state and non state actors are seating the.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Online space with false narratives in order to impact the
stability of Western democracy.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Thirty years ago, leaders of from US in America met
and discussed strategy.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
To hijack students' minds.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Adapting the concept of antifada.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Violence will follow. This is not about Jews. This is
about democracy. This is about human decency.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
What does it mean that the future leaders of the
most important democracy in the world are chanting for intofada?
What is the country going to look like a decade
from now.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
What is at stake is the soul of a mark.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
That from October eighth and walking into the studio, Michael
Rappaport will join us next here on Ryan Schuling.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Live Problem in the ninety sixth Academy Awards. Good evening
to the millions of.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Viewers at home and the one hundred and thirty four
Israeli hostages who are watching us from the Hamas tunnels
in Gaza. You guys have a lot in common with
the beautiful audience we have here tonight. Neither of you
of eaten almost four months. Next year, I'm sure the
hostage diet will be bigger than ozempic.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
I can't believe it's already been four months, four months, which.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Is actually the length of.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
The first cut of Killers of the Flower Moon.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I love you, Marty, You're the best. I love you anyway.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
I know you beautiful people are thinking about the hostages
and Gaza all the time.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You just won't speak up about them. If Hamas would have.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Attacked the Israel and kidnapped all the dolphins, you'd be
wearing dolphin helmets and throwing tuna fish at the podium.
And God forbid Hamas would have raped the gender pay gap.
Oh man, Julia Roberts would have ran in the gaza
herself with an eight seven.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:02):
But I'm sure the hostages understand your silence and they
forgive you, Hollywood. They know that speaking up for them
could result in you losing some key fans in the
demographic of eighteen to twenty five year old Oh yeah,
I know.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
You don't want to mess around with those notorious scary
gen z ers. Huh. They're far more dangerous than Hamas.
They can kill you.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
On TikTok, they kill themselves because they don't get enough likes.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I know, it's frightening.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
No one wants to be canceled on TikTok.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
It's a scary, scary place. Michael Rapaport with that parody
as Oscar's host, which was funnier I think than the
actual show that.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Went down that little bit and Michael Rappaport joining us
live in studio along with Christian Toto.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I'm Ryan Schuling.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
He's at Comedy Work South at the Landmark this week
and then includes tonight Thursday night, October ninth through the eleventh.
And if it were fiction than it is, it would
be more believable because in this instant you had the
Grammys and I remember this too, any.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Fun piece.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
In the world artists for Ceasefire piece in the world
that was after She's saying nothing compares to you in
tribute to Shinead O'Connor at the twenty twenty four Grammys.
She just did a concert to benefit Palestine with a
T shirt Michael that read, let Gaza Live. When you
see something like that, what is your reaction?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Man?
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I have so many different feelings thoughts. I appreciate you
guys having me. You know, when I see stuff like that,
it's very very very very very one sided from the
majority of artists, musicians and actors. And you know, I
think that parody that I did for this show in
(06:49):
Israel really was so well written and unarticulated it correctly.
It's such a upside down surreal time.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Uh, in the world.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
It's such an upside downs real time to be Jewish.
And you know, we are waiting patiently, hopefully, praying, begging,
pleading that Monday comes and there's nothing gets screwed up
between now and then because it's so it's so gentle
and that right now, like anything could happen and I
know people are celebrating and we have a right to celebrate.
(07:21):
And because there's some hope, I'm I'm just praying and
that it happens, because it's been two years too long.
Two years of this been two years crazy to me.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
You know, you can stay away from the political aspects
and just say bring the hostages home. It seems like
a very humanistic angle, something you can say without getting
into the muck. Yeah, and Hollywood just won't do it.
Why why can't they take that very basic step.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I would accept bring the hostages home and free palaside.
I would accept. I would accept free pal sign and
bring the hostages home. You know, we've had two Oscars,
two Grammys, two Emmys in the two years, and not
one of the not one person said it.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
And I don't understand it.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I've stopped trying to understand it or figure it out.
I don't try to debate, articulate, or convince specifically the
people in the show business community.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
These are my peers.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It's been very frustrating, very disappointing, because this is a
group that will scream and yell about everything.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And if there had been one, just one, just one.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
If one of the forty eight remaining hostages was an
African American from let's say Miami, the entire perspective on.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
This whole thing would be changed.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
If it wasn't just Jews in Israel, He's the entire
perspective on this whole thing had been changed. Let alone,
if five college students from you know, let's say Spellman
or Clark or traditionally black you know, university in this
country had been in Israel as tourists on October seven,
twenty twenty three, and happened to be in the way
(09:02):
and had been kidnapped their worst, the entire perspective on.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
This would be changed. But here we are, and it's
a crazy time.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's a crazy world, and I am just trying to,
you know, stand up as I have for so many
different other causes. But when it comes to my people,
I'm Jewish, I'm a proud Jewish man, and and of
course I'm gonna stand up and fight vigorously. And what
I've done and what I've dealt with and the sort
of quote unquote sacrifices that I've made are nothing compared
to so many people whose lives have been lost, so
(09:31):
many people have lost family members, so many people who
have you know, had arms and legs, you know, blown off,
fighting and and just the agony and the trauma and
the terror of being you know, bombarded literally by seven fronts,
seven fronts for the last two years, and we have
(09:51):
two years of forty eight housages, two of whom are American,
two of whom are from New York. They're American Israeli citizens.
They happen to be from the New York's City area.
So it resonates with me. It's just not the New
York thing to do, it's not the American thing to
do to explain, rationalize people being held hostage, without.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Any without any care they have it. Not one of
those hostages has been touched, seen treated by.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
The Red Cross, the Blue Cross, the Green Cross, the
World Kitchen, the Food Kitchen, any of these, you win.
Not one of them has gotten a band aid, a
toenail clipper, an a spanage, and now one of them
has been treated, given a.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Drop of water.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
So when you talk about aid, not one of them
has gotten any of that aid.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Michael Rappaport our guests, He's a comedy works South this weekend, including.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
That's a lot of that's a lot of good stuff
for comedy. That's that's like, yeah, well let's get a
great comedy show.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, is there.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Greenwood Village seven thirty pm Tonight, shows Friday and Saturday,
six thirty eight forty five on Friday and six o'clock
eight thirty pm on Saturday. Stay tuned for a chance
to win tickets to one of those latest shows, either
Friday or Saturday.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Now, it's just the time that it worked out and
that you're here, Michael.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
I want to talk to you about this because it
is near and dear to your heart, and it's something
that Christian and I feel very passionate about as well.
And you touched on it that the sacrifices you've made
pale in comparison to those of the hostages and their families.
Yet you have made a sacrifice over these last two years.
You touched on a little bit during the break we're
talking about you getting shows canceled in Royal, Michigan and Alabama.
But what has been the extent to the to the
(11:24):
pressure that you felt or the cancelation type of activity
that you felt.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You know, I don't like to bring attention to it
because I truly am built and ready for every single
little bit of ramifications in regards Touso's being canceled and
you know, jobs as an actor being taken away. I
(11:52):
don't wouldn't, can't, don't change it. I wouldn't change a thing.
I have nothing to apologize for. I have no regret.
I have been blessed with being able to have the
means and the forum and the platform to have gone
to Israel seven times in the last two years. And
(12:15):
you know, see so much with my own eyes and
speak to so many people, and and and hear so
many stories and be around the country and travel and
talk and see and all that stuff. So I've gained
me personally, I've gained far more than I've I've lost
with work stuff and a show.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
And honestly, like it's.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Been frustrating, it's really it's really just the temperament, you know,
like to be totally as I was talking to my
wife about it, like you know, there's just been a
lot of stress.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You know, we're so wunmed.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Up, Like that's what always say, like you know, like
you know, we can't wait till Monday, and and and
the last twenty four hours stay it's been like a
breathing and a day of cho way and hope, because
it's been it's like you're hanging on the edge of
your seat from all the bad news and the bad
new it was in this deal and that deal, and
you know, the anti Semitism, and we've had it in
this in this state. That that incident that happened is
(13:08):
historically disgusting incident that happened.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
It was Boulder, right, yep, fire bombing.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
That's crazy in broad daylight on a Sunday, you know.
So like what I've dealt with is nothing compared to
what those people dealt with their families, the people that
witnessed that. And I'm just, you know, truly fortunate to
be ready for it. I feel, you know, like ready
(13:34):
for it. And and and I can't complain about anything.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
You've been canceled a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Great way to plug it.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I'm just teasing, we.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Don't have to.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
I'm plugging this. I'm just like, I'm like, we're like,
come see me do comedy. And you know, the world socks,
there's nothing funny about it.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
We just went through here with a lot of Hollywood actors, artists,
rallied behind j My Camill. It's a complicated story. Yes
we know the basics. Yes, but I've been covering this
for a while. What you've been dealing with with matdis Yah,
who has been dealing with, what Brett Gellman has been
dealing with, other Jewish artists have been dealing with.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Why aren't they talking about that?
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Why aren't Why aren't the euro Peers sticking up.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
For you when you have to deal with these issues.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Because they agree, Because they agree, not all of them,
but for thirty nine hundred of them, Javier bar Dam.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Joaquin Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Stone and so for in the Zone, they signed a
letter saying that they won't work with any companies that
do business with Israel.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
And I'm like, well, what about me? I'm an individual,
Like what are you going to do when my name
comes up?
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Because I've clearly I stand by the sovereignty of Israel
and be clear, the government of Israel's flawed. The government
of the United States is what My city of New
York is flawed.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
This city, I don't know it very well. There's flaws.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
I'm a flawed husband, I'm a flawed father, I was
a flawed son.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
My parents everything and everybody is flawed. Uh.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
So I'm not like one of these people who's you know,
you can't criticize and question uh you know, uh the decisions.
But to say that and you talk about the Jimmy
Kimmel thing like it was no question, like you know,
rally around.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I love Jimmy Kimmel as a person.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
He's been couldn't be couldn't be a nicer person in
real life, couldn't be more generous, couldn't be sweeter, and
all that stuff. I personally that whole situation, the way
that went down, I don't think there's anything funny four
days after somebody getting killed and cold.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
But I don't care if he's pro.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
This pro that says this says nothing to me is funny.
Uh less than a week later about somebody getting shot
in front of the entire world in four K for
all of us have to watch it, watch it, watch it,
watch it, watch it. So I thought the joke was
not good. I thought it was inappropriate that being said.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I I'm a I'm a I'm.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
A trash talker. I fully believe in in free speech
and all that stuff. It's a tender.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
We're in historic times. Man, we're in his innistoric times.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
But as far as the hypocrisy from the artist, it's
because it's you know, it's Jews in Israel. That's just
what it is. It's Jews in Israel. That's just the
reality of it. Michael Rappaport joining us comedy Work South.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
It'll be this week and starting tonight at seven thirty pm,
and that's at the Landmark at Greenwood Village. Two shows Friday,
two shows Saturday. Your Chance to Win still coming up.
He is the host of the im Rapaport Stereo podcast.
You can catch those online as well. Michael, I'm thinking back.
You and I were both born in the seventies and
this is just it's blowing my mind. Like you said,
the world has changed, but it's changed in such.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
A dark way.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
In the nineties, Bill Clinton was trying to work out
a piece of greement in Yaser Era Fat and hit
Zach Rabine, and I thought he had a deal, and
he's talked about this openly publicly.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
But I don't remember that time.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
And I grew up in Michigan, and I grew up
not that far from Deerborn, and I don't remember there
being a strong anti Israel faction, maybe pro Palestine sovereignty,
maybe Gaza, et cetera. But I'm trying to figure out
over these last thirty years where that all has come
from of his college campuses, If it's in doctrination by professors,
what you would attribute that to, both in our academia
(17:06):
and in pop culture.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I think, I know, we know that it has been
a long term plan.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
In implementing this propaganda, this anti Zionist stuff in schools.
And I will say one thing about the radical Jihannis
as they are patient and they've been playing the long game,
and the pr war has been a blowout. It's been
a blowout. They have dominated the PR war and the
(17:37):
hostages are going to get home and you know people
are going to be able to start to heal. But unfortunately,
there has been a revitalization of anti Jewishness. I don't
call it anti Semitism, I don't call it anti Zionism.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
You know a lot of people know what that means.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
But it's all in the stew in the cake of
anti Jewishness, and those ramifications.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Need to be dealt with. I don't have a plan.
I don't have an idea how to do it. Uh.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
But but the soil is in the ground right now. Hopefully, uh,
the ceasefire sticks. Hopefully, you know, these people come home
Monday and and and so forth and so on.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
But there is a lot.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Of anti Jewishness that has been planted in the ground,
uh for the last uh, you know, a few decades,
but more importantly in the last two years.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
It's crazy. The revitalization, the reimagination of.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It is so fertile right now.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It sucks. It sucks. It's crazy. It wouldn't be acceptable
for any I don't care if it was black people,
white people, lgbt Q, dog lovers, cat lovers, all people,
short people, red haired people. There's no other group of
people would this be accepted.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
And and and you can't just say, oh, it's Israel
and the government of it is that's bull crap. There's
like I said, every government were government people. They're more
upset about it's you. I've said it already. It's all
anti Jewish nas again. Come see me a comedy.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Works, Michael.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
Let me do an awkward paperty here. I've been following
your career since the nineties. I didn't realize that you
started out as a stand up Pinia. Now you've obviously
embraced it again. Yeah, what was the rationale? There was
a sort of scratching an old itch. What what made
you change because you're constantly working as a film.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Actor or the actor. You know, it was just it's
just a freedom.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You know, being being on stage performing live is is
total freedom. You know, you you you live by the laugh,
you die by the laugh.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
The show. Uh, you're the you're the writer, you're the actor.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Uh, you're the director, you're the you know, the stage manager,
You're you're the editor, you're everything, and and there's something
that's overwhelming about that, but there's also something that's exciting
and fulfilling and super creative about it.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yeah. And I started right.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Before the pandemic and then we shut down and you
know I started, uh, you know, back up again. And
you know, I performed at Denver once before. I think
it was once before. It might have been twice before.
And you know, the reputation of the Denver crowds is
I don't know if you guys know that, but like
when people mentioned Denver comedy, people are like, yo, that's
like a hotspot for comedy.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
I don't know, you know why it is, but the
crowds are just they're they're they're high laughters. It's a
lot of marijuana.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I've heard that from comedian after community they say things
about that.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah, So that's cool.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Nice people and digging into your act a little bit,
Michael and Michael Rappaport our guest again Comedy Works south
Landmark this weekend, starting tonight and then Friday and Saturday
night as well.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
You've evolved a lot over these last few.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Years in many ways. Yeah, and I imagine your act
as as well. And there's a lot of texture to
what you're able to present to an audience. And one
of those things that I've watched you develop on is
kind of this evolution of your view of the president,
Donald Trump. He's a caricature in and of himself. How
you approach that, what your view of him is, how
you incorporate any of that into your act.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
That's a good question, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
I'm trying to figure that out because my views have changed,
you know. That being said, I think all presidents are funny. Trump,
whether you'd like him or not, is funny, and his
takes on things are funny. His his uh, he's just
(21:20):
he's just entertaining. But I've I've definitely. It's it's changed
a lot. It changed a lot, and you know, to
be totally honest, after meeting Eton Alexander, the hostage I
was freed from New Jersey who he had went to
Qatar to get uh, you know that deal done, and
(21:40):
meeting yard in Bibis Yard in biebas Is the family,
the father of the the two red headed babies and
his beautiful red headed wife that were murdered, and and
seeing them and meeting them in real life, and and
and knowing in my guts, in my heart, in my
in my soul that the reason why I was able
to meet them while the while they're free, why they
(22:02):
are free, is because of Trump. I can't really make
fun of him anymore, be disrespectful. I can make fun
in a fun loving way, but I can't be disrespectful
knowing what I know.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
And that's a change, and I'm good with that.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
He's he deserves you know, my respect, and he deserves
Jews respect. And I was very very tough on him
before and it changed, and you know, so you change.
I go, Yes, I have changed, and I'm proud that
I've changed, and I encourage everybody to change. You know,
some people like you changed in the last two years,
you changed in the last twenty years. I'm like, if you
haven't changed in the last two years or the last
(22:39):
twenty years, you know you need to work on yourself
because I don't want to be the same person I
was twenty years ago. I was thirty five, I'm fifty
five now. If I'm the same person we got if
I'm a thirty five year old personality and a fifty
five year old body.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
God helped my.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Wife, Christian made me this movie clip for you to
comment on. It's a monologue and it's it's quite touch
in a movie that is a comedy. But this is
how you delivered it. From nineteen ninety six. This is
Michael Rappaport in Beautiful Girls.
Speaker 7 (23:07):
All I'm saying is you got to take all this
down because it's really it's creepy and it looks and
it's the supermodels.
Speaker 8 (23:13):
A beautiful girls will A beautiful girl can make you
dizzy like you've been drinking jack and coke all morning.
She can make you feel high, full of single greatest
commodity known to man, promise the promise of a better
day promise of a greater hope, promise of a new tomorrow.
This particular ore can be found in the gait of
(23:34):
a beautiful girl in a smile, and in her soul
and the way she makes every rotten little thing about
life seem like it's going to be okay. Supermodels, Willie,
that's only our bottle promise. Scenes from a brand new
day Hope dancing in stiletto heels.
Speaker 7 (23:54):
I am now going to check your freezer for human heads.
Speaker 8 (24:01):
A beautiful girls, all powerful and that is as good
as love.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
It's one of the best movies.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
And you know what's so wonderful about the movie is
it it knows how men think, Yeah, how they act,
and how they behave.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
And it's a cliche.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
You can't make movies like that anymore, but it just
gets the essence of men. All you mentioned flaws before
all the flaws, any quick thoughts on that movie.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I had a great time making that film.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
You know, I had such a fun you know, Matt Dillon,
Timothy Hutton, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and the late great
Ted Demi and we were filming it in Minnesota and
the snow in the winter, and it was just a fun,
exciting time to be making movies. It was a great script.
(24:45):
Everybody was excited about doing it, and you know, I
wouldn't be. We should run it back, you know, I
was thinking. I was like, you know, I think that
was a twenty year anniversary. They should do a forty
year anniversary because I mean, just like on the set,
we just had a good.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Time making the MOVI. It was just fun. I was.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I was such a fan of so many of the
people in the movie, like Timothy Hutton and Matt Dillon
and Uma Thurman.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Was just coming off of pulp fiction, like I was.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I'm a fan first, so like working with those people,
I was tripping out.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Now you mentioned the time gap, and you've changed in
two years, You've changed in twenty years.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Can you believe that film's almost thirty years? Crazy? Wild?
That's crazy, that's nuts.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Thirty years that's nuts. But we have fun doing that.
I remember it so many good times and laughs and
just you know, everything was easy. Everything was easy on
the set. It was an easy film to make, even
though it was cold professionally.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Personally, you take yourself back in times that year in
nineteen ninety six, how are you different in terms of
what you're looking to get out of your career in
calendar your twenty twenty five to back where you were then.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Man, that's a good question. You know. I've always been.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Sort of you know, treat what I do with the
athletes mentality, like I always want to you know, be great,
be with other great people people. You know, I know
that it's it's it's not just one person that can
make a film or a TV show, you know, work,
you know, push myself to to try to do new
things and and and and to just be a part
(26:12):
and work with really good people like the people that
I mentioned in Beautiful Girls. I've had the good fortune
of working with a lot of people that I really
truly respect, like sincerely, and that I'm fans of and
that I admire and have you know a certain amount
of reverence for and and that's all, you know, Like
I really try to, you know, associate myself with you know,
and sometimes you do, sometimes you don't, but but you know,
(26:35):
like that's you know, what it is for me. Like
I feel like I haven't really had a real hard
day's work, you know, as an adult. I'm lucky because
I feel like, you know, I'm still just like I
can't believe that I'm still doing this.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
You're a veteran of the industry, working all the time.
If you met a twenty something actor, he or she
just wanted to kind of pick your brain, what how
do I survive in this field that's brutal, really competitive,
it would be the best thing hit of them.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I tell any young performers, young actors, any directors, any
of that, any anybody that asked me. You know, talent
is obviously important, but the tenacity is almost more important,
you know, because there's highs and lows, there's the thrills
of victory and the agonies of of not getting the
(27:20):
part and not getting what you want. And you know,
you need that tenacity and that belief. And and I've
always been fortunate that I've looked at myself as.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I'm my biggest fan and my biggest critic.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
And I think you have to balance yourself that you
don't want to be too big of a fan for
yourself or too big of a critic. You want to have,
you know, try to keep it equal so you you
know you're you treat yourself respectful, respectfully, But I think
it's important to be honest with yourself. You know how
you can improve and you know and how you can
you know, continue adding on to something that you're good at.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Michael Rappaport our guest comedy works south Landmark at Greenwood
Village tonight, starting a night seven thirty pm.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
We're very happy to have him in studio with us
here on Ryan Shirley Live.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
Two shows on Friday, six thirty and eight forty five pm,
two shows on Saturday six pm and eight thirty pm.
Stay tuned your chance to win passes to one of
those late shows Friday or Saturday night. Now, Michael, you've
stated how and I understand it. Disappointed. You've been in
so many people in your business in Hollywood that have
either turned their backs on you or let you down
in a way maybe you were counting on them. But
(28:21):
is there a name or two that comes to mind,
people that are kind of your ride or dies through
this business over the years, that have stuck by your
side that you count on.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I mean there's a bunch of them. I mean there's
a bunch of people, you know.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I don't want to say their names either, because it's
like like those people are.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Like friends, you know, and I don't need to you
know whatever.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
But you know, I mean it's been challenging in my business.
But you know, there are you know, people like I
said that, you know that the friendships that I've gained,
the respect that I've gained, and you know, text messages
of phone calls that I've gotten that mean a lot
when you feel isolated, because I do feel you know,
(29:00):
I feel a lot of uh you know, uh Jewish
people and a lot of uh, you know, people that
believe in the sovereignty of Israel.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Uh, you know, do feel isolated.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
And that was the plan from the beginning from uh
the terrorists and uh you know, their proxies.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
They want us and.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
And and and you know, from from the from the
bottom to the top to feel isolated. But I always
remind myself and I remind any any any Jewish people
that we're going nowhere and Israel is going absolutely nowhere.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Who would be the comedian that you've looked up to
over the years that has served most as your mentor
if there is one.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Man, that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Yeah, I wouldn't say there's anybody that's been like a mentor.
I mean there's people that am fans of, you know,
obviously Jerry Seinfeld. I love Jerry Seinfeld, uh you know,
and then you know the older dudes and the Richard
Pryors and the the George Carlin.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
And and you know the way he was speaking on
things politically. Eddie Murphy.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I love Nicky Glazer a lot because she just makes
me laugh, you know, just like you know what you're
gonna get, and it just it just keep keeps fun
keeps being funny. So you know, it's just the people that, uh,
Louis c k still makes me laugh a lot, you know,
So uh, you know, it's just whoever makes me laugh,
you know, like I'm inspired by by that and by them.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
A lot of your younger fans probably know your favor
podcast work. How similar is the show to your podcast?
Is it the same vibe? Is it wildly different? And
help you to kind of compare and contrast.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
That's a good question.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
You know. The thing about podcasts My podcast is it's
it's not guest base, so it's a lot of you know,
sort of long form trash shocking about whatever. You know.
On stage, it's it's it's a little bit more like sprints.
Sometimes I'm doing like a full lap, maybe two laps
on a podcast, where on stage it's like little short spurts,
and it's.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You know, because you want to you want to be.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Able to breathe physically literally and also have the audience
be able to breathe. So it's it's the the the
vibe is a little bit different, but you know, it's
all me and obviously it's, you know, a comedy show,
and you know, I respect that it's a comedy show,
and you know, people come out to laugh.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
And that's why I was making jokes when I was
being so serious.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Because it's it is, you know, and I respect people's times,
and you know, there's so many things that people could
be doing in twenty twenty five. You know, you could
just be on your phone, let alone, streaming this dreaming that.
So I respect when people come out to see me
and spend money for drinks and parking in the show
and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
You want to give them the show every single night.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Finally, Michael, with the show's coming up this weekend Landmark
at Greenwood Village Comedy Works South. I'm familiar with that crowd, Christian,
I go all the time and looking forward to seeing
you this weekend as well. But with the crowd. How
do you interact with the crowd and talk some trash?
I love the crowd. I love I love talking to
the crowd, you know. I love interacting with them. I love,
(31:52):
you know, playing with them. I make fun of myself.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I don't. I'm not. I think sometimes people are surprised.
I I'm not.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
I'm not as scary as I think. Sometimes people think
I would be on stage, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I don't like to embarrass people. I don't like to
make people uncomfortable. I like to, you know, have fun,
But I certainly don't like to make people feel regretful
or shameful and embarrassing. You know, there's a and there's
a difference. I think people know the difference. So I
like to bust bus chops. But but I keep it
and I keep it light, like I you know, I
don't want to make anybody feel bad.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
You did great filtering the profanity today, and.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Its of all different words, right, I'm like, you don't.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Want to bus shops, you know, And I get.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Freaking you know, God, No, well done, Michael Rappaport Our
guests looking forward to having him at Comedy Works South
right here at the Landmark in Greenwood Village, starting tonight
at seven thirty pm, and then throughout the weekend two
shows Friday, two show Saturday. Get your tickets online at
comedyworks dot com. That's where the authentic, genuine article is.
You don't want to get fooled by scammers out there,
(32:58):
so comedyworks dot com. Michael, We're so glad to have you,
see you guys having me. Thanks for being in Denver,
Thank you, thank you. I'm looking forward to this weekend
a timeout. We're back with more after this on Ryan
Schuling Live. For joining us for that big segment there
in the middle of our Number one. Your chance to
win free passes to either of the late shows Friday
(33:20):
eight forty five pm or Saturday eight thirty pm. All
you gotta do is text me your phone number, your
full name, first and last, and which show you want
to attend Friday or Saturday. The times I just gave
you with the following information. Now, when I asked him
who his mentors influenced's favorite comedians were, he said one
name at the very beginning, a male comedian, and then
(33:43):
there was a female comedian who he said he really
admired because she made him laugh. If you name either
one of those, don't got to get him both, but
either one get that correct answer in five, seven, seven,
three nine. You'll be heading to see Michael Rappaport this
weekend at Comedy Work South Landmark at Greenwood Village again
Friday eight forty five Saturday eight thirty.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Those are your choices.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
Send in your answers, Christian Total your thoughts on our
conversation with Michael Rappaport.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You know, just wow.
Speaker 5 (34:08):
First of all, to be a successful character actor in
Hollywood for thirty plus years is just an achievement unto itself.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
And also just he's really.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Smart and thoughtful and engaged, and he takes in new
information and adjusts his opinions accordingly. He's got no filter
to mean it in the best of ways, and he's
the best.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
I'm a New Yorker.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
He's the best of New York. He's a New York guy,
and we need more New Yorkers in New York like
him right now.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
He's authentic, he's sincere, he's the genuine article, and I
always respected it, even when he was very severely anti Trump,
and that all changed.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
And to your point, he allowed himself to evolve.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
That shows I'm a truer person, but also a complex person.
Not a complicated person, but a complex person who I
think is fascinating. That was a wonderful conversation. We're so
thankful that we were able to have it. Christian, thank
you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
For a pleasure. This is looking forward to
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Mores Aaron Lee coming up next our two Orian schuuling
Life
Whatever you want to call me Zionist baby this anything
you want to I'm begging you right now, all of us,
all of you, all of us, the entire world, for harmasta.
Please take this deal, for everybody to encourage that, because
if it's not taken now, if you think it's been bad,
(00:21):
it is going to get bad for the people that
you say you care so much about. I'm saying that
from the bottom of my heart.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
President Trump, you have the best crowd in the world.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Do you guys have to say to President Trump?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Thank you did? Thank you?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
It is amazing, Bster President that we believe in you.
We know you've done so much for us over the past,
since you became a president and even before that. Can
we trust your fulfilled the mission until every hostage, every
forty eight of the home, thank you so much. Bless
it be the peacemaker, God bless him. It's the president.
(01:05):
God bless America very much. You just say here of yourselves,
the hostages will come back, coming home, coming back on Monday.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh, a historic day.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
And we say that with some reticence, with some reluctance,
only because you can't trust the other side, and the
other side in this case is Hamas and it leads
us into a very special edition of Ryan Schuling Live
convergence of events as it happens on the timeline. Just
so worked out that Michael Rappaport, who was a very
pro Israel comedian. You've recognized him certainly from various movies
(01:40):
and stand up comedy over the years.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
He'll be joining us in mere moments.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
We'll be taking our first break a little bit early
so we can spend a little extra time with him
and joining me live in studio for that conversation. You
hear em each and every Friday right here on the
right side of Hollywood Hollywoodantoto dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Christian Tooto, Christian, welcome to it.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I'm so glad to be here, glad to talk to
Michael Rappaport, a terrific actor, but what he's had to
say in the last two years has been sensational. I mean,
tell you about Hollywood courage. This is Hollywood courage, and
I can't wait to talk to him about it.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I'm sure why these keep auto firing. That's the beauty
of live radio. And somebody then messed around with the
audition interface program that we have. But what you just
heard that interruption of mister Toto and I Apologize is the.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Official trailer for October eight.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
So this was a documentary Deborah Messing, you might remember
she was one of the co producers of this. And
we're going to start with Michael Rappaport's part in this
documentary about the attacks of October seventh, twenty twenty three,
just over two years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Standing up for being Jewish gotten me more hate than
all the things that I have said on social media
and all my podcasts combined.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And I've said, ah for every one video it is
pro Israeli. There's fifty four pro Hamas and pro power
sign video.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Sir, Foreign state and non state actors are seating the.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Online space with false narratives in order to impact the
stability of Western democracy.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Thirty years ago, leaders of from US in America met
and discussed strategy.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
To hijack students' minds.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Adapting the concept of antifada.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Violence will follow. This is not about Jews. This is
about democracy. This is about human decency.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
What does it mean that the future leaders of the
most important democracy in the world are chanting for intofada?
What is the country going to look like a decade
from now.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
What is at stake is the soul of a mark.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
That from October eighth and walking into the studio, Michael
Rappaport will join us next here on Ryan Schuling.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Live Problem in the ninety sixth Academy Awards. Good evening
to the millions of.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Viewers at home and the one hundred and thirty four
Israeli hostages who are watching us from the Hamas tunnels
in Gaza. You guys have a lot in common with
the beautiful audience we have here tonight. Neither of you
of eaten almost four months. Next year, I'm sure the
hostage diet will be bigger than ozempic.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
I can't believe it's already been four months, four months, which.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Is actually the length of.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
The first cut of Killers of the Flower Moon.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I love you, Marty, You're the best. I love you anyway.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
I know you beautiful people are thinking about the hostages
and Gaza all the time.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You just won't speak up about them. If Hamas would have.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Attacked the Israel and kidnapped all the dolphins, you'd be
wearing dolphin helmets and throwing tuna fish at the podium.
And God forbid Hamas would have raped the gender pay gap.
Oh man, Julia Roberts would have ran in the gaza
herself with an eight seven.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:02):
But I'm sure the hostages understand your silence and they
forgive you, Hollywood. They know that speaking up for them
could result in you losing some key fans in the
demographic of eighteen to twenty five year old Oh yeah,
I know.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
You don't want to mess around with those notorious scary
gen z ers. Huh. They're far more dangerous than Hamas.
They can kill you.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
On TikTok, they kill themselves because they don't get enough likes.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I know, it's frightening.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
No one wants to be canceled on TikTok.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
It's a scary, scary place. Michael Rapaport with that parody
as Oscar's host, which was funnier I think than the
actual show that.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Went down that little bit and Michael Rappaport joining us
live in studio along with Christian Toto.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I'm Ryan Schuling.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
He's at Comedy Work South at the Landmark this week
and then includes tonight Thursday night, October ninth through the eleventh.
And if it were fiction than it is, it would
be more believable because in this instant you had the
Grammys and I remember this too, any.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Fun piece.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
In the world artists for Ceasefire piece in the world
that was after She's saying nothing compares to you in
tribute to Shinead O'Connor at the twenty twenty four Grammys.
She just did a concert to benefit Palestine with a
T shirt Michael that read, let Gaza Live. When you
see something like that, what is your reaction?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Man?
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I have so many different feelings thoughts. I appreciate you
guys having me. You know, when I see stuff like that,
it's very very very very very one sided from the
majority of artists, musicians and actors. And you know, I
think that parody that I did for this show in
(06:49):
Israel really was so well written and unarticulated it correctly.
It's such a upside down surreal time.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Uh, in the world.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
It's such an upside downs real time to be Jewish.
And you know, we are waiting patiently, hopefully, praying, begging,
pleading that Monday comes and there's nothing gets screwed up
between now and then because it's so it's so gentle
and that right now, like anything could happen and I
know people are celebrating and we have a right to celebrate.
(07:21):
And because there's some hope, I'm I'm just praying and
that it happens, because it's been two years too long.
Two years of this been two years crazy to me.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
You know, you can stay away from the political aspects
and just say bring the hostages home. It seems like
a very humanistic angle, something you can say without getting
into the muck. Yeah, and Hollywood just won't do it.
Why why can't they take that very basic step.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I would accept bring the hostages home and free palaside.
I would accept. I would accept free pal sign and
bring the hostages home. You know, we've had two Oscars,
two Grammys, two Emmys in the two years, and not
one of the not one person said it.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
And I don't understand it.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I've stopped trying to understand it or figure it out.
I don't try to debate, articulate, or convince specifically the
people in the show business community.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
These are my peers.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It's been very frustrating, very disappointing, because this is a
group that will scream and yell about everything.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And if there had been one, just one, just one.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
If one of the forty eight remaining hostages was an
African American from let's say Miami, the entire perspective on.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
This whole thing would be changed.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
If it wasn't just Jews in Israel, He's the entire
perspective on this whole thing had been changed. Let alone,
if five college students from you know, let's say Spellman
or Clark or traditionally black you know, university in this
country had been in Israel as tourists on October seven,
twenty twenty three, and happened to be in the way
(09:02):
and had been kidnapped their worst, the entire perspective on.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
This would be changed. But here we are, and it's
a crazy time.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's a crazy world, and I am just trying to,
you know, stand up as I have for so many
different other causes. But when it comes to my people,
I'm Jewish, I'm a proud Jewish man, and and of
course I'm gonna stand up and fight vigorously. And what
I've done and what I've dealt with and the sort
of quote unquote sacrifices that I've made are nothing compared
to so many people whose lives have been lost, so
(09:31):
many people have lost family members, so many people who
have you know, had arms and legs, you know, blown off,
fighting and and just the agony and the trauma and
the terror of being you know, bombarded literally by seven fronts,
seven fronts for the last two years, and we have
(09:51):
two years of forty eight housages, two of whom are American,
two of whom are from New York. They're American Israeli citizens.
They happen to be from the New York's City area.
So it resonates with me. It's just not the New
York thing to do, it's not the American thing to
do to explain, rationalize people being held hostage, without.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Any without any care they have it. Not one of
those hostages has been touched, seen treated by.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
The Red Cross, the Blue Cross, the Green Cross, the
World Kitchen, the Food Kitchen, any of these, you win.
Not one of them has gotten a band aid, a
toenail clipper, an a spanage, and now one of them
has been treated, given a.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Drop of water.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
So when you talk about aid, not one of them
has gotten any of that aid.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Michael Rappaport our guests, He's a comedy works South this weekend, including.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
That's a lot of that's a lot of good stuff
for comedy. That's that's like, yeah, well let's get a
great comedy show.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, is there.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Greenwood Village seven thirty pm Tonight, shows Friday and Saturday,
six thirty eight forty five on Friday and six o'clock
eight thirty pm on Saturday. Stay tuned for a chance
to win tickets to one of those latest shows, either
Friday or Saturday.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Now, it's just the time that it worked out and
that you're here, Michael.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
I want to talk to you about this because it
is near and dear to your heart, and it's something
that Christian and I feel very passionate about as well.
And you touched on it that the sacrifices you've made
pale in comparison to those of the hostages and their families.
Yet you have made a sacrifice over these last two years.
You touched on a little bit during the break we're
talking about you getting shows canceled in Royal, Michigan and Alabama.
But what has been the extent to the to the
(11:24):
pressure that you felt or the cancelation type of activity
that you felt.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You know, I don't like to bring attention to it
because I truly am built and ready for every single
little bit of ramifications in regards Touso's being canceled and
you know, jobs as an actor being taken away. I
(11:52):
don't wouldn't, can't, don't change it. I wouldn't change a thing.
I have nothing to apologize for. I have no regret.
I have been blessed with being able to have the
means and the forum and the platform to have gone
to Israel seven times in the last two years. And
(12:15):
you know, see so much with my own eyes and
speak to so many people, and and and hear so
many stories and be around the country and travel and
talk and see and all that stuff. So I've gained
me personally, I've gained far more than I've I've lost
with work stuff and a show.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
And honestly, like it's.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Been frustrating, it's really it's really just the temperament, you know,
like to be totally as I was talking to my
wife about it, like you know, there's just been a
lot of stress.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You know, we're so wunmed.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Up, Like that's what always say, like you know, like
you know, we can't wait till Monday, and and and
the last twenty four hours stay it's been like a
breathing and a day of cho way and hope, because
it's been it's like you're hanging on the edge of
your seat from all the bad news and the bad
new it was in this deal and that deal, and
you know, the anti Semitism, and we've had it in
this in this state. That that incident that happened is
(13:08):
historically disgusting incident that happened.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
It was Boulder, right, yep, fire bombing.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
That's crazy in broad daylight on a Sunday, you know.
So like what I've dealt with is nothing compared to
what those people dealt with their families, the people that
witnessed that. And I'm just, you know, truly fortunate to
be ready for it. I feel, you know, like ready
(13:34):
for it. And and and I can't complain about anything.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
You've been canceled a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Great way to plug it.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I'm just teasing, we.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Don't have to.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
I'm plugging this. I'm just like, I'm like, we're like,
come see me do comedy. And you know, the world socks,
there's nothing funny about it.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
We just went through here with a lot of Hollywood actors, artists,
rallied behind j My Camill. It's a complicated story. Yes
we know the basics. Yes, but I've been covering this
for a while. What you've been dealing with with matdis Yah,
who has been dealing with, what Brett Gellman has been
dealing with, other Jewish artists have been dealing with.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Why aren't they talking about that?
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Why aren't Why aren't the euro Peers sticking up.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
For you when you have to deal with these issues.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Because they agree, Because they agree, not all of them,
but for thirty nine hundred of them, Javier bar Dam.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Joaquin Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Stone and so for in the Zone, they signed a
letter saying that they won't work with any companies that
do business with Israel.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
And I'm like, well, what about me? I'm an individual,
Like what are you going to do when my name
comes up?
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Because I've clearly I stand by the sovereignty of Israel
and be clear, the government of Israel's flawed. The government
of the United States is what My city of New
York is flawed.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
This city, I don't know it very well. There's flaws.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
I'm a flawed husband, I'm a flawed father, I was
a flawed son.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
My parents everything and everybody is flawed. Uh.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
So I'm not like one of these people who's you know,
you can't criticize and question uh you know, uh the decisions.
But to say that and you talk about the Jimmy
Kimmel thing like it was no question, like you know,
rally around.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I love Jimmy Kimmel as a person.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
He's been couldn't be couldn't be a nicer person in
real life, couldn't be more generous, couldn't be sweeter, and
all that stuff. I personally that whole situation, the way
that went down, I don't think there's anything funny four
days after somebody getting killed and cold.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
But I don't care if he's pro.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
This pro that says this says nothing to me is funny.
Uh less than a week later about somebody getting shot
in front of the entire world in four K for
all of us have to watch it, watch it, watch it,
watch it, watch it. So I thought the joke was
not good. I thought it was inappropriate that being said.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I I'm a I'm a I'm.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
A trash talker. I fully believe in in free speech
and all that stuff. It's a tender.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
We're in historic times. Man, we're in his innistoric times.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
But as far as the hypocrisy from the artist, it's
because it's you know, it's Jews in Israel. That's just
what it is. It's Jews in Israel. That's just the
reality of it. Michael Rappaport joining us comedy Work South.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
It'll be this week and starting tonight at seven thirty pm,
and that's at the Landmark at Greenwood Village. Two shows Friday,
two shows Saturday. Your Chance to Win still coming up.
He is the host of the im Rapaport Stereo podcast.
You can catch those online as well. Michael, I'm thinking back.
You and I were both born in the seventies and
this is just it's blowing my mind. Like you said,
the world has changed, but it's changed in such.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
A dark way.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
In the nineties, Bill Clinton was trying to work out
a piece of greement in Yaser Era Fat and hit
Zach Rabine, and I thought he had a deal, and
he's talked about this openly publicly.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
But I don't remember that time.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
And I grew up in Michigan, and I grew up
not that far from Deerborn, and I don't remember there
being a strong anti Israel faction, maybe pro Palestine sovereignty,
maybe Gaza, et cetera. But I'm trying to figure out
over these last thirty years where that all has come
from of his college campuses, If it's in doctrination by professors,
what you would attribute that to, both in our academia
(17:06):
and in pop culture.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I think, I know, we know that it has been
a long term plan.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
In implementing this propaganda, this anti Zionist stuff in schools.
And I will say one thing about the radical Jihannis
as they are patient and they've been playing the long game,
and the pr war has been a blowout. It's been
a blowout. They have dominated the PR war and the
(17:37):
hostages are going to get home and you know people
are going to be able to start to heal. But unfortunately,
there has been a revitalization of anti Jewishness. I don't
call it anti Semitism, I don't call it anti Zionism.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
You know a lot of people know what that means.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
But it's all in the stew in the cake of
anti Jewishness, and those ramifications.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Need to be dealt with. I don't have a plan.
I don't have an idea how to do it. Uh.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
But but the soil is in the ground right now. Hopefully, uh,
the ceasefire sticks. Hopefully, you know, these people come home
Monday and and and so forth and so on.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
But there is a lot.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Of anti Jewishness that has been planted in the ground,
uh for the last uh, you know, a few decades,
but more importantly in the last two years.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
It's crazy. The revitalization, the reimagination of.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It is so fertile right now.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It sucks. It sucks. It's crazy. It wouldn't be acceptable
for any I don't care if it was black people,
white people, lgbt Q, dog lovers, cat lovers, all people,
short people, red haired people. There's no other group of
people would this be accepted.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
And and and you can't just say, oh, it's Israel
and the government of it is that's bull crap. There's
like I said, every government were government people. They're more
upset about it's you. I've said it already. It's all
anti Jewish nas again. Come see me a comedy.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Works, Michael.
Speaker 5 (19:08):
Let me do an awkward paperty here. I've been following
your career since the nineties. I didn't realize that you
started out as a stand up Pinia. Now you've obviously
embraced it again. Yeah, what was the rationale? There was
a sort of scratching an old itch. What what made
you change because you're constantly working as a film.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Actor or the actor. You know, it was just it's
just a freedom.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You know, being being on stage performing live is is
total freedom. You know, you you you live by the laugh,
you die by the laugh.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
The show. Uh, you're the you're the writer, you're the actor.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Uh, you're the director, you're the you know, the stage manager,
You're you're the editor, you're everything, and and there's something
that's overwhelming about that, but there's also something that's exciting
and fulfilling and super creative about it.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Yeah. And I started right.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Before the pandemic and then we shut down and you
know I started, uh, you know, back up again. And
you know, I performed at Denver once before. I think
it was once before. It might have been twice before.
And you know, the reputation of the Denver crowds is
I don't know if you guys know that, but like
when people mentioned Denver comedy, people are like, yo, that's
like a hotspot for comedy.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
I don't know, you know why it is, but the
crowds are just they're they're they're high laughters. It's a
lot of marijuana.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I've heard that from comedian after community they say things
about that.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah, So that's cool.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Nice people and digging into your act a little bit,
Michael and Michael Rappaport our guest again Comedy Works south
Landmark this weekend, starting tonight and then Friday and Saturday
night as well.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
You've evolved a lot over these last few.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Years in many ways. Yeah, and I imagine your act
as as well. And there's a lot of texture to
what you're able to present to an audience. And one
of those things that I've watched you develop on is
kind of this evolution of your view of the president,
Donald Trump. He's a caricature in and of himself. How
you approach that, what your view of him is, how
you incorporate any of that into your act.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
That's a good question, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
I'm trying to figure that out because my views have changed,
you know. That being said, I think all presidents are funny. Trump,
whether you'd like him or not, is funny, and his
takes on things are funny. His his uh, he's just
(21:20):
he's just entertaining. But I've I've definitely. It's it's changed
a lot. It changed a lot, and you know, to
be totally honest, after meeting Eton Alexander, the hostage I
was freed from New Jersey who he had went to
Qatar to get uh, you know that deal done, and
(21:40):
meeting yard in Bibis Yard in biebas Is the family,
the father of the the two red headed babies and
his beautiful red headed wife that were murdered, and and
seeing them and meeting them in real life, and and
and knowing in my guts, in my heart, in my
in my soul that the reason why I was able
to meet them while the while they're free, why they
(22:02):
are free, is because of Trump. I can't really make
fun of him anymore, be disrespectful. I can make fun
in a fun loving way, but I can't be disrespectful
knowing what I know.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
And that's a change, and I'm good with that.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
He's he deserves you know, my respect, and he deserves
Jews respect. And I was very very tough on him
before and it changed, and you know, so you change.
I go, Yes, I have changed, and I'm proud that
I've changed, and I encourage everybody to change. You know,
some people like you changed in the last two years,
you changed in the last twenty years. I'm like, if you
haven't changed in the last two years or the last
(22:39):
twenty years, you know you need to work on yourself
because I don't want to be the same person I
was twenty years ago. I was thirty five, I'm fifty
five now. If I'm the same person we got if
I'm a thirty five year old personality and a fifty
five year old body.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
God helped my.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Wife, Christian made me this movie clip for you to
comment on. It's a monologue and it's it's quite touch
in a movie that is a comedy. But this is
how you delivered it. From nineteen ninety six. This is
Michael Rappaport in Beautiful Girls.
Speaker 7 (23:07):
All I'm saying is you got to take all this
down because it's really it's creepy and it looks and
it's the supermodels.
Speaker 8 (23:13):
A beautiful girls will A beautiful girl can make you
dizzy like you've been drinking jack and coke all morning.
She can make you feel high, full of single greatest
commodity known to man, promise the promise of a better
day promise of a greater hope, promise of a new tomorrow.
This particular ore can be found in the gait of
(23:34):
a beautiful girl in a smile, and in her soul
and the way she makes every rotten little thing about
life seem like it's going to be okay. Supermodels, Willie,
that's only our bottle promise. Scenes from a brand new
day Hope dancing in stiletto heels.
Speaker 7 (23:54):
I am now going to check your freezer for human heads.
Speaker 8 (24:01):
A beautiful girls, all powerful and that is as good
as love.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
It's one of the best movies.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
And you know what's so wonderful about the movie is
it it knows how men think, Yeah, how they act,
and how they behave.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
And it's a cliche.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
You can't make movies like that anymore, but it just
gets the essence of men. All you mentioned flaws before
all the flaws, any quick thoughts on that movie.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I had a great time making that film.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
You know, I had such a fun you know, Matt Dillon,
Timothy Hutton, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and the late great
Ted Demi and we were filming it in Minnesota and
the snow in the winter, and it was just a fun,
exciting time to be making movies. It was a great script.
(24:45):
Everybody was excited about doing it, and you know, I
wouldn't be. We should run it back, you know, I
was thinking. I was like, you know, I think that
was a twenty year anniversary. They should do a forty
year anniversary because I mean, just like on the set,
we just had a good.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Time making the MOVI. It was just fun. I was.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I was such a fan of so many of the
people in the movie, like Timothy Hutton and Matt Dillon
and Uma Thurman.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Was just coming off of pulp fiction, like I was.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
I'm a fan first, so like working with those people,
I was tripping out.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Now you mentioned the time gap, and you've changed in
two years, You've changed in twenty years.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Can you believe that film's almost thirty years? Crazy? Wild?
That's crazy, that's nuts.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Thirty years that's nuts. But we have fun doing that.
I remember it so many good times and laughs and
just you know, everything was easy. Everything was easy on
the set. It was an easy film to make, even
though it was cold professionally.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Personally, you take yourself back in times that year in
nineteen ninety six, how are you different in terms of
what you're looking to get out of your career in
calendar your twenty twenty five to back where you were then.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Man, that's a good question. You know. I've always been.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Sort of you know, treat what I do with the
athletes mentality, like I always want to you know, be great,
be with other great people people. You know, I know
that it's it's it's not just one person that can
make a film or a TV show, you know, work,
you know, push myself to to try to do new
things and and and and to just be a part
(26:12):
and work with really good people like the people that
I mentioned in Beautiful Girls. I've had the good fortune
of working with a lot of people that I really
truly respect, like sincerely, and that I'm fans of and
that I admire and have you know a certain amount
of reverence for and and that's all, you know, Like
I really try to, you know, associate myself with you know,
and sometimes you do, sometimes you don't, but but you know,
(26:35):
like that's you know, what it is for me. Like
I feel like I haven't really had a real hard
day's work, you know, as an adult. I'm lucky because
I feel like, you know, I'm still just like I
can't believe that I'm still doing this.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
You're a veteran of the industry, working all the time.
If you met a twenty something actor, he or she
just wanted to kind of pick your brain, what how
do I survive in this field that's brutal, really competitive,
it would be the best thing hit of them.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I tell any young performers, young actors, any directors, any
of that, any anybody that asked me. You know, talent
is obviously important, but the tenacity is almost more important,
you know, because there's highs and lows, there's the thrills
of victory and the agonies of of not getting the
(27:20):
part and not getting what you want. And you know,
you need that tenacity and that belief. And and I've
always been fortunate that I've looked at myself as.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I'm my biggest fan and my biggest critic.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
And I think you have to balance yourself that you
don't want to be too big of a fan for
yourself or too big of a critic. You want to have,
you know, try to keep it equal so you you
know you're you treat yourself respectful, respectfully, But I think
it's important to be honest with yourself. You know how
you can improve and you know and how you can
you know, continue adding on to something that you're good at.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Michael Rappaport our guest comedy works south Landmark at Greenwood
Village tonight, starting a night seven thirty pm.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
We're very happy to have him in studio with us
here on Ryan Shirley Live.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
Two shows on Friday, six thirty and eight forty five pm,
two shows on Saturday six pm and eight thirty pm.
Stay tuned your chance to win passes to one of
those late shows Friday or Saturday night. Now, Michael, you've
stated how and I understand it. Disappointed. You've been in
so many people in your business in Hollywood that have
either turned their backs on you or let you down
in a way maybe you were counting on them. But
(28:21):
is there a name or two that comes to mind,
people that are kind of your ride or dies through
this business over the years, that have stuck by your
side that you count on.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I mean there's a bunch of them. I mean there's
a bunch of people, you know.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I don't want to say their names either, because it's
like like those people are.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Like friends, you know, and I don't need to you
know whatever.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
But you know, I mean it's been challenging in my business.
But you know, there are you know, people like I
said that, you know that the friendships that I've gained,
the respect that I've gained, and you know, text messages
of phone calls that I've gotten that mean a lot
when you feel isolated, because I do feel you know,
(29:00):
I feel a lot of uh you know, uh Jewish
people and a lot of uh, you know, people that
believe in the sovereignty of Israel.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Uh, you know, do feel isolated.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
And that was the plan from the beginning from uh
the terrorists and uh you know, their proxies.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
They want us and.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
And and and you know, from from the from the
bottom to the top to feel isolated. But I always
remind myself and I remind any any any Jewish people
that we're going nowhere and Israel is going absolutely nowhere.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Who would be the comedian that you've looked up to
over the years that has served most as your mentor
if there is one.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Man, that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Yeah, I wouldn't say there's anybody that's been like a mentor.
I mean there's people that am fans of, you know,
obviously Jerry Seinfeld. I love Jerry Seinfeld, uh you know,
and then you know the older dudes and the Richard
Pryors and the the George Carlin.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
And and you know the way he was speaking on
things politically. Eddie Murphy.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I love Nicky Glazer a lot because she just makes
me laugh, you know, just like you know what you're
gonna get, and it just it just keep keeps fun
keeps being funny. So you know, it's just the people that, uh,
Louis c k still makes me laugh a lot, you know,
So uh, you know, it's just whoever makes me laugh,
you know, like I'm inspired by by that and by them.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
A lot of your younger fans probably know your favor
podcast work. How similar is the show to your podcast?
Is it the same vibe? Is it wildly different? And
help you to kind of compare and contrast.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
That's a good question.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
You know. The thing about podcasts My podcast is it's
it's not guest base, so it's a lot of you know,
sort of long form trash shocking about whatever. You know.
On stage, it's it's it's a little bit more like sprints.
Sometimes I'm doing like a full lap, maybe two laps
on a podcast, where on stage it's like little short spurts,
and it's.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You know, because you want to you want to be.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Able to breathe physically literally and also have the audience
be able to breathe. So it's it's the the the
vibe is a little bit different, but you know, it's
all me and obviously it's, you know, a comedy show,
and you know, I respect that it's a comedy show,
and you know, people come out to laugh.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
And that's why I was making jokes when I was
being so serious.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Because it's it is, you know, and I respect people's times,
and you know, there's so many things that people could
be doing in twenty twenty five. You know, you could
just be on your phone, let alone, streaming this dreaming that.
So I respect when people come out to see me
and spend money for drinks and parking in the show
and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
You want to give them the show every single night.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Finally, Michael, with the show's coming up this weekend Landmark
at Greenwood Village Comedy Works South. I'm familiar with that crowd, Christian,
I go all the time and looking forward to seeing
you this weekend as well. But with the crowd. How
do you interact with the crowd and talk some trash?
I love the crowd. I love I love talking to
the crowd, you know. I love interacting with them. I love,
(31:52):
you know, playing with them. I make fun of myself.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I don't. I'm not. I think sometimes people are surprised.
I I'm not.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
I'm not as scary as I think. Sometimes people think
I would be on stage, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I don't like to embarrass people. I don't like to
make people uncomfortable. I like to, you know, have fun,
But I certainly don't like to make people feel regretful
or shameful and embarrassing. You know, there's a and there's
a difference. I think people know the difference. So I
like to bust bus chops. But but I keep it
and I keep it light, like I you know, I
don't want to make anybody feel bad.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
You did great filtering the profanity today, and.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Its of all different words, right, I'm like, you don't.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Want to bus shops, you know, And I get.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Freaking you know, God, No, well done, Michael Rappaport Our
guests looking forward to having him at Comedy Works South
right here at the Landmark in Greenwood Village, starting tonight
at seven thirty pm, and then throughout the weekend two
shows Friday, two show Saturday. Get your tickets online at
comedyworks dot com. That's where the authentic, genuine article is.
You don't want to get fooled by scammers out there,
(32:58):
so comedyworks dot com. Michael, We're so glad to have you,
see you guys having me. Thanks for being in Denver,
Thank you, thank you. I'm looking forward to this weekend
a timeout. We're back with more after this on Ryan
Schuling Live. For joining us for that big segment there
in the middle of our Number one. Your chance to
win free passes to either of the late shows Friday
(33:20):
eight forty five pm or Saturday eight thirty pm. All
you gotta do is text me your phone number, your
full name, first and last, and which show you want
to attend Friday or Saturday. The times I just gave
you with the following information. Now, when I asked him
who his mentors influenced's favorite comedians were, he said one
name at the very beginning, a male comedian, and then
(33:43):
there was a female comedian who he said he really
admired because she made him laugh. If you name either
one of those, don't got to get him both, but
either one get that correct answer in five, seven, seven,
three nine. You'll be heading to see Michael Rappaport this
weekend at Comedy Work South Landmark at Greenwood Village again
Friday eight forty five Saturday eight thirty.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Those are your choices.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
Send in your answers, Christian Total your thoughts on our
conversation with Michael Rappaport.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You know, just wow.
Speaker 5 (34:08):
First of all, to be a successful character actor in
Hollywood for thirty plus years is just an achievement unto itself.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
And also just he's really.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Smart and thoughtful and engaged, and he takes in new
information and adjusts his opinions accordingly. He's got no filter
to mean it in the best of ways, and he's
the best.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
I'm a New Yorker.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
He's the best of New York. He's a New York guy,
and we need more New Yorkers in New York like
him right now.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
He's authentic, he's sincere, he's the genuine article, and I
always respected it, even when he was very severely anti Trump,
and that all changed.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
And to your point, he allowed himself to evolve.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
That shows I'm a truer person, but also a complex person.
Not a complicated person, but a complex person who I
think is fascinating. That was a wonderful conversation. We're so
thankful that we were able to have it. Christian, thank
you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
For a pleasure. This is looking forward to
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Mores Aaron Lee coming up next our two Orian schuuling
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