September 4, 2023 • 40 mins
Michael Broderick joined The Protectors® Podcast to talk about acting career, serving in the U.S. Marine Corp, and giving back. You have seen Michael in everything from True Detective to NCIS.
Don't miss our riveting conversation with renowned actor, Michael Broderick, as he unveils the discipline instilled in him during his Marine Corp days, and how it fueled his acting career. Not one to shy away from sharing his journey, Michael opens up about the fascinating trajectory from a Marine to an actor, and how art has the power to manipulate emotions. He fondly reminisces about the impact of movies, television shows, and music on his life, and his burning desire to be a part of that world.
Rolling the lens towards the craft of acting, Michael shares the essentials of intense concentration and deep empathy for the character. He recalls his experiences from the set of 'True Detective', shedding light on the dynamic between the feds and the cops on the show.
We discuss Michael's deep-seated appreciation for CreativeVets, an organization that uplifts veterans. His article in Semper Fi Magazine is a testament to his inspiring journey into acting, and the unique elements that make this craft so special. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who loves a good story, enjoys acting, or is simply curious about the world behind the screen. So, tune in for an engaging conversation packed with awe-inspiring insights and entertaining anecdotes.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome back to the Protectors Podcast.
Another incredible, excellent,just a good dude guest today
Michael Broderick.
What's going on, brother?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hey Jason, how are you man?
Great to be back on the show.
It's been a while.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, it has been a while.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I don't think I was even great at that point, man.
Now I'm like an old hermit inNashville.
I left LA and I'm like got mylong hair and my beard.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Oh my gosh, if you listen into this, you need to
take a look at the IG orsomething.
Take a look at what Michaellooks like now.
The last one, I think, wasfathers and sons.
We did the OIG, oh that's right.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, I had already let the hair go gray at that
point, yeah, but it was shorter,much shorter.
This is absolutely the longestI've had my hair in my adult
life, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Now with the tour.
How does that do like?
Are you willing?
I mean because the last time Isaw you on TV you were with what
NCIS Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
No, I did a guest star on New Amsterdam, the NBC
hospital show, and theypractically shaved my head for
that.
It was very short, but that wasthe last time I cut my hair.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, because I think NCIS Hawaii, you had a little
scruff going on with that.
I had a beard for that.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, I had a little beard and the hair was kind of
growing.
But I'd always let whatevershow I was on, I'd let them cut
my hair however they wanted, Ididn't care.
And since I was usually playinga military role of some sort,
or LEO or FBI, whatever it was,typically they'd keep it kind of
(01:47):
within regs.
And for New Amsterdam it wasanother military role.
So they wanted to chop it off.
I was like, yeah, whatever,just chopping off, and I'd been
growing it for a bit.
When I got a job on QuantumLeap which hasn't aired yet but
(02:10):
I'd do another cop role, but Iwas afraid they were going to
cut my hair and I kind of wantedto grow it to see where this
could take me for some differentroles.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Get the Sam Elliott wrap.
Yeah, I was going to say theSam Elliott wrap.
Man, the voice is good man, butthat voice man, that Sam
Elliott.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
He's way down here, man, you know what's funny.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
He probably had that full gray and long hair.
He's probably only 25 inRoadhouse, right, he was 14,
actually, yeah, he was 14.
And he had that long ass grayhair.
He's like 50 years unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I've always been a big fan of Sam Elliott man.
I love his work.
I just love his kind of youknow I have no idea what the
guy's beliefs are, but what heseems to represent, you know,
that kind of old timey, classic,rugged individualism.
You know what I mean.
He always plays these greatroles that are, you know, kind
(03:09):
of that's like you're like,that's a guy I'd like to be.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You know, I need to finish 1883 with him.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I haven't seen that yet and I got it, but I'm still
making my way through theoriginal Yellowstone.
So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
You know, brother, the reason I wanted to have you
on was Semper Fi Magazine, youknow.
I know we've had because we'vetalked a bunch of times about
your time in the Marines and howyou really needed that
discipline and you're a youngkid man.
But you've gone, you've done somuch since then and now you
like to be on the cover ofsomething like this.
This is huge man.
It was a it was a.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
It was a great honor to be asked.
There's a fellow by the name ofMike Searson.
Who Searson?
I only, I only I've only readhis name.
I, you know when I, when I methim, it was just Mike.
Mike Searson.
He's a former Marine, he's awriter.
You'll see his work in recoilmagazine, semper Fi and a bunch
of bunch of different magazines.
(04:06):
But when he asked, he said theywant to do this, this cover
stories, like could, could heinterview me?
I said yeah, man, I wasabsolutely on board.
You know it's the magazine.
For those who aren't familiar,semper Fi is the official
magazine of the Marine CorpsLeague and I'm a member of the
Jersey, jersey, short attachment, because that's where I'm from
originally.
So kind of, you know, if you'regoing to join it to attachment,
(04:29):
you want it to be like yourhometown, you know.
So I'm a member there and itwas just exciting to be asked.
And then I thought they did agreat job on the article.
You know, no-transcript.
It was kind of cool to lookback on some of the things I've
done since service, you know,and talk about those with Mike a
(04:49):
little bit.
And yeah, man, when it came outit was really, really nice.
I've never been on the cover ofa magazine before, so that's a
really cool experience, you know, and I can't wait to get my
hands on a hard copy.
It's online right now.
I don't know whether they'vemailed out the hard copies yet.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You know, one thing about it is I always think, like
when I think about you I thinkabout, like a lot of the actors,
like of past days.
You know, like your ErnestBorgnine's, your, like so many
Stuart, everybody that had thatmilitary background and you can
kind of see how it parlays intotheir career.
It's almost like you know, inthe movie business it only by
(05:29):
better off just to hire morepeople with the act that came
from the military background,because one it's not just a
discipline, it's time management, it's about getting someone
that's on set, someone's goingto know, like I see what you
mean.
But yeah, you know what I mean,man, it's discipline.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, yeah, I think that that falls under the
discipline thing.
But yeah for sure, man, respectfor for respect for the clock,
for Pete's sake, especially inthe entertainment industry.
Man, you know, time is money.
It's a cliche, because it'strue.
So you don't want to be late,you want to be.
You don't even want to be ontime, you want to be early, and
(06:05):
that's you know, as a Marine,that's, that's what we're all
about.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
That's been cool.
Did you guys do like an inperson or a telephonic interview
?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well, I'd actually met him years ago in and at shot
show and we'd kicked around theidea of an interview back then.
But then this time we and youknow, and we, you know, I did
kind of a little impromptuinterview in the media room at
at shot show, which was fun.
But then we, you know, wetotally basically pulled some
(06:36):
from that but totally redid itfor for this new, for this issue
, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
My life goal has been to be in a magazine.
Wow, look like, seriously, Imean, that is like I don't know
if it's like it's just somethingabout being in a magazine man
because, like growing up I'mobviously I love books man.
I read all the time, listen allthe time, do whatever I can to
get that.
Like books, nonfiction, fiction, everything but magazines man.
(07:02):
I used to have subscriptions toeverything and now, like, I
mean to see your face on thecover man.
That's pretty badass.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, you know, it definitely would have been cool.
I don't think, I don't thinkSemper Fi goes out like on
shelves, I think it's, it's sentto members.
You know like kind of likefirst freedom.
You know the NRA magazine, youknow it's only sent out to
members.
But man, I remember as a kidgoing down to the, down to the,
(07:30):
down to the Crousers or the orthe what was Cumberland Farms,
where those little conveniencestores, you know that were
walking distance when I was akid, you know we'd go down there
and pick up, like Surfermagazine or you know, mad
Magazine, skate was itskateboarding magazine?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Like dude, I got to get these tracker trucks.
I remember I ordered my bike atDino.
Remember Dino bikes man, Iordered a Dino from a magazine.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I don't remember the ones that were big when I was a
kid.
I got a few years on you.
The BMX bikes were big when Iwas a kid were Mongoose and red
line, although I never.
I never got it.
I never got heavy in a BMX.
But also, you know, we didn'thave a lot of money.
So basically, I took my bikethat it's like this purple bike
(08:21):
that I had gotten when I was six, because all of us in our
family, when you're six yearsold, you got a bike, you know,
and you learned to ride it andyou had a banana seat, you know
and like those handlebars andeverything.
And so I took the banana seatoff and I put like a BMX seat oh
, I could afford, basically wasa BMX seat to make it look like
a BMX bike and we used to jump,you know, down at Merritchie
(08:46):
Park in my hometown, you knowall these dirt jumps and stuff
back in what they called thedumps.
It wasn't a, it wasn't a trashdump, it was a.
You know where they bring allthe, the, the leaves every year
and like so yeah, I don't callit like a land, not a landfill
you know what I'm saying?
Yeah, no they're big piles ofdirt and lumber and you know uh
(09:06):
huh branches and all that Jerseyman.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
How much Jersey made it to brother.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
New Jersey.
There you go.
Yeah, we used to call it thedumps.
You know we go back there andwe jump, jump our makeshift BMX
bikes.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
When did the music start with you?
Was that after the Marines orbefore the Marines?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It was before the Marines man.
I got my first guitar in 1982when I graduated eighth grade.
I the summer of 81 was when MTVfirst came out, right, and I
remember.
I remember waking up one dayduring the summer it was like
August of 81 or something and Ijust flipped through channels
(09:49):
before I go down to the beachand and I see there's like music
on like the who was on.
You bet, you bet right, and I'mlike I'd never seen the who.
I was familiar with thembecause I used to like jump
around with like a tennis racket, you know, like air, air guitar
and to won't get fooled again,and stuff, and they'd be on the
radio.
So I already liked their music.
But I was like, oh, this is thewho you know.
(10:10):
You know, I see Pete Townsend,he's doing these like windmills
and stuff and I was like this isawesome, you know.
So I'm all amped up.
I watched that for a while.
I go down to the beach, comeback at the end of the day I'm
like, oh, I want to go to thatchannel.
There's more music and theyplay like you better, you bet
like three more times before Igo to bed Because like they had
like 10 videos at that point inrotation, you know.
(10:31):
And and that was it, man, Isaid, I said I want a guitar and
I got my first acoustic guitar.
Then, you know, when Igraduated the next year 1982.
And yeah, I started playing inbands, or actually I started
singing in bands and then, youknow, was learning to play
guitar and started playing,started playing some bands by
(10:54):
the time I was junior in highschool, you know.
And then even in the Marines Ihad bands we played.
I was, I was, I did a float onthe USS Nassau, which is LHA,
you know, for Helos and Harriers, and they had a band room next
to the gym and you know, withall this equipment and drums and
(11:14):
whatever, and I had brought myguitar.
So we had a little band on theboat and we played on the hangar
deck one time they had like a,like a I don't know hangar deck
picnic or whatever you know andwe played out in Haifa in Israel
and that was awesome, we justjust doing cover songs, you know
.
And then later, when I got backand I played with a bunch of
(11:37):
artillery guys then, but when Igot back to New River where I
was stationed, I started puttingtogether a band.
We used to play the officersclub and the enlisted club and
play out on the town inJacksonville and yeah, it was a
good time, man.
We you know all covers.
You know I was never much of asongwriter and then when I went
to New York to I got out of theMarines.
(11:59):
I went to New York to be anactor but really kind of didn't
know what the hell I was doing,you know.
So I ended up meeting this guywho was putting together a band
and you know this is 1992.
And we were going to bring punkback, you know, because it was
all grunge at that time.
So got in this punk band and wegave it a good run.
And but you know it was shortlyafter that Orange County and
(12:22):
all that stuff which we didn'teven know what was going on, but
that blew up with like GreenDay and all that stuff.
So we were kind of behind thecurve but you know it gave it a
good run.
I played, played guitar in NewYork for about 10, 12 years,
something like that Then movedto LA to become an actor.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Now, when you were in the Marines, was this acting
thing?
I know we've covered thisbefore, but I want this is like
kind of refreshing everybodyabout your career Because you've
had an incredible career so far.
To me, I think it's still it, Ithink it's just beginning, man,
it's like one of those thingslike it's a We'll get into in a
minute about this one.
Actors always Dennis Farina.
He didn't start to like stab youin the neck with a pencil,
(13:01):
whatever it's like it was like50 something years old before he
started like really acting.
But yeah, yeah, like when youwere in the Marines, though,
like were you doing anythingcreative?
I mean, obviously, probablyplaying a guitar and singing.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Yeah, yeah, I was, I was playing in bands, but
Creative like as far as actingor nah, no, there wasn't, there
wasn't an outlet for that.
I mean, I was, I was a goofball, you know.
So I did entertain the, yeah,my fellow Marines, but no, I
wasn't, you know, there justwasn't time for that man.
(13:35):
Our operational tempo waspretty, pretty high.
You know, I served duringpeacetime, but it was still, I
think, at the time, hmla 167,which was my, my squadron.
We I think we were the, the wehad the highest operational
tempo in the Marine Corps and Ibelieve that that also
contributed to the highestdivorce rate in the Marine Corps
(13:56):
.
Now, somebody could check thosenumbers because, you know, we
didn't have internet back then.
We just know what what word onthe street was.
So, yeah, that was a, we werehard chargers.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
You know when did this acting bug kick you?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
when I was a kid, you know, I did a Gosh, I don't, I
don't know.
I, when I was a kid, I lovedall.
I loved Dick Van Dyke, I lovedall those movies like Chitty,
chitty, bang bang and MaryPoppins and all that stuff and I
just, I just thought it wasgreat, I just wanted to.
It looked like the best thingin the world, you know, and it
(14:34):
is.
When you can get the work, it'sawesome.
But I just wanted to, I wantedto do that.
I think you know what startedout as as being starved for
attention.
You know, look at me, look atme, right.
But you know, once I actuallygot to the point where I'm
actually doing it and you startto really learn the craft of,
(14:55):
you know of acting and, and it's, it's an art man and it allows
you to share, share thingsinside that you wouldn't
necessarily do otherwise andallow.
And really, you know, I don'tknow if I've said this to you
before, but it there is, thereis a, there's access to power
and being able to influence, tobe able to change the way people
(15:21):
feel or or Manipulate people'semotions.
You know, and I don't mean thatin a in a bad way, I mean in
the best way possible.
You know, like when you, whenyou see an incredible Painting
or hear a song that just makesyou want to weep, you know
there's power in that and that'sthat's intoxicating to me.
So to to, that's certainly partof it, that part of the
(15:47):
attraction for me, just to kindof I remember what Movies, what
affect movies and televisionshows and music have had on me
in my life and it's always beenEven when it's awful, it's
always.
It always fills you up you knowwhat I mean and leaves you
better.
I think it on the other, on theother end of it, and I just
(16:08):
wanted to, I wanted to be a partof that.
So, yeah, ever since I now Icouldn't have said that when I
was a kid, but I think that wascertainly part of it.
You know, I just knew it mademe feel great and I wanted to
make other feel people feelgreat.
So that was the beginning of it.
And you know I did Plays inschool and high school and we
had a, we had a great communitytheater they still do in Spring
(16:30):
Lake, new Jersey and I did, youknow, plays during the summer
and all that stuff.
And then, you know I, then Iwent off to the Marine Corps at
17, so that kind of put thekibush on that for a while.
But I fully intended to comeout of the Marine Corps and go
be an actor in New York.
You know, just didn't work outthat way.
It's a later.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
The thing, like I started noticing this probably
in the past few years is because, like, I think a lot of us get
that that creative bug, that wewant to do something Creative,
whether that's behind the screen, in front of the screen or
writing or whatever.
But when you start watchingfilms and like when you look at
an actor who could just change ascene just by the look in their
(17:08):
eye and how it's realistic, youcan kind of see where they're
going with it.
It's not just always about thevoice, it's about the whole.
There is so much going onBehind the scenes and behind the
actors eyes than just the voiceman it's so it's so cool to
watch.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Well, that's really what it is about it.
It is all in the eyes, you knowit's.
I was coaching an actor, anactor, recently for the for the
first time.
You know I'm trying out my legsas a coach and and and he had
some experience, you know, insome like local theater and
(17:46):
things like that.
And you know I I took, I takefor granted all the things that
I've learned over the years.
You know what I mean.
And somebody who doesn't haveas much experience Like
realizing that it really is allin your eyes, especially on
camera and stage, is a littledifferent, because you know
(18:07):
You're far away often, but whenthat camera gets in there, it's
all about what's going in yourin, on in your head.
You got to be thinking thethoughts of the character, you
got to be fully invested,Otherwise it's, you know.
But when somebody is absolutelyinvested, you know thinking the
thoughts of the character andlike fully loaded emotionally,
the camera just eats that up andtherefore so does the audience.
(18:29):
You know what I mean.
So, and that's that's what wasit Meisner said I think the
thing that separates the greatactor from the actor is is
intense concentration, caringdeeply about what the character
cares about, and the ability togo for the jugular on stage or
the will, forgive me, thewillingness to go for the
(18:51):
jugular on stage, but that uh,yeah, I think that sums it up
intense concentration and caring, not just caring about what the
character cares about, caringdeeply about what the character
cares about, and you know, your,your, your eyeballs tell that
whole story.
You know when, when the camerahits them.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So that's important the favorite type of photos, a
favorite type of anything.
I like to look at our people.
You know, landscape is cool.
It's great, I love it.
But when you look at someoneand like you take a photo of
them or you see him behind thatlens and stuff and you're seeing
like the reality of their face,the lines in their face,
experience in their face when itcomes to acting, you could
(19:31):
definitely see who someone who'slike invested in this role or
invested in your career, ratherthan just like a tertiary thing.
We're like I think I've becomean actor.
No, it's someone like.
When you watch someone, it'slike like holy crap, man, it's
like a real art, it's likereally, because when you bring
up the emotion thing to me, yeah, I'm like an IMD database.
I love movies.
(19:52):
I'm always watching movies.
I love it because of theemotion and if it's a crap movie
, it's hard for me to watch itbecause I need to see something.
It's I need to see like realacting.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Right, well, yeah, it's funny, real acting.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Listen, I love high concept.
You know, you throw some likeMichael Bay blows some shit up,
I'm good.
Oh, no, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
But, but, but I think you nailed it, though.
There is nothing like feelinglike you're living through those
same things via this, thisPerson on the screen, you know,
and that's always.
That always comes down to theemotion of it, and I'm not even
saying it has to be Superemotional scene, it just has to
be invested.
You know what I mean?
Well, that brings it like that.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah, I was gonna say they bring it up to one of your
roles Was like the truedetective man that were true
detective was I.
Just there was something aboutthat show man.
It just a really like kind ofCripsia and if he put that, that
must have been like whoa.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Come on, man, you're talking about Nick Pizzolato,
who's one of the I think he'sone of the greatest writers out
there, you know, and he's justthe guy's a genius, I think, and
so talented and to be able tolike be a part of that, say his
words was really Gosh milestoneand certainly a high point for
(21:18):
me.
But I I Finding that characterJohn Bowen was was easy for me
and it wasn't a heavy lift.
You know, my character JohnBowen was just there to kind of
help facilitate things, helpmove the plot along, you know,
and Just add a little more scaleto it.
(21:41):
But you know, in support ofMarshal Lee and Stephen Dorff,
their characters, and Findingthat was fairly simple, I played
a Fed who was Thrust into this,you know, as part of it, as
part of a task force with theselocal cops who are really at the
heart of the case, and so youknow, the the classic Fed versus
(22:08):
cop Dynamic is always, you know, the cops resent the feds
because they got the.
You know the higher authorityapparently.
But I Tried to just take it aslook, my goal is here to support
In whatever way it is.
I want to get past all the BSright.
Of course it's gonna be alittle rivalry, things like that
, but I wanted to be a teamplayer.
(22:29):
I'd push back when I needed topush back, when I thought that
Wait a second.
You know maybe we're goingabout this the wrong way, but
but otherwise I was there in asupport role and I was gonna do
that.
So that was kind of easy tofind health.
You know, I was in the MarineCorps, I did logistics and
embarkation.
I was in support role.
Then I've been in support rolePractically my whole life you
(22:50):
know.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Well, the thing is, you was like being around, like,
so you're one of those to me,you're one of the someone it's
always learning.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Always hopefully, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah, I've.
You know, I've seen like let'sjust follow you for the past
years.
Man is like, when you get intothese big productions and you're
like looking around or what areyou picking up on the most Like
, are you like always learningor are you just kind of like I
did?
I'm gonna go back to my trailerand chill.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
That's a good question.
Well, I always certainly alwaystry to be learning, but, yeah,
sometimes there's limitedopportunity for that, you know,
because you know set works movesreally fast and if you're on
set you're part of what's goingon.
You got to be attentive towhat's you know, attentive to
your work and your job.
However, uh, sometimes, whenthings are moving a little more
(23:40):
slowly, I like to.
I watched the number one, Iwatched it the you know the
actor who's number one on thecall sheet and watch what they
do and I watch the way they.
There's a big responsibility tobe number one on the call sheet
.
You set the tone for the workenvironment.
So I watch them so that youknow when I get an opportunity
(24:02):
to be number one on the callsheet.
You know I take the good things, I leave out the bad.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
I dig it man.
One thing that I really dig,too, is what you got going on
next is helping out withveterans to get into acting man.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Well, look, this is a new.
Thank you for bringing that up.
By the way, this is a newventure for me, just as a brief
kind of pre-preglute to this.
I kind of got the bug forteaching when I recently donated
(24:39):
some hours of coaching privatecoaching to the Liv Morrow
Foundation, who is a student atmy old high school.
She passed away.
She was a big part of the dramaclub and her parents started
this foundation to raise moneyto support the drama club at my
Alma Mater Manusquan High Schoolin New Jersey, and so my old
(25:04):
principal had called me and saidhey, you know, do you think
there's something you could dofor an auction we're having?
I said, yeah, I'll offercoaching.
So I offered five hours ofcoaching that people could bid
on individually or as a block,whatever, and so when somebody
bid on them, they got them, andso we started working together
(25:26):
and I was like, wow, I think Ihave some things to pass on,
some experience.
So there's an organization herein Nashville called Creative
Vets.
It's creative with a TS on it,so it's kind of creative vets,
creative vets, and they mainlydeal with songwriting and visual
(25:49):
arts, sculpture, painting,things like that poetry.
They do a lot of work.
Just a little bit about them.
What they do is they'll theyfacilitate songwriting and other
arts for veterans strugglingwith trauma or moral injury,
right, something to help themdeal with that in a healthy way
(26:13):
and kind of, you know, get someof that out in a creative way
and in a positive way andthey'll bring in.
You know they bring in likefamous country artists and stuff
that'll come in and write withwith the veterans and they'll
they'll perform and stuff.
And so I had heard of thembefore and I drove by them once
and I was like, oh that's,that's a.
(26:35):
I just saw them on the SuperBowl or whatever.
So let me pop in there see whatthey got going on.
And I met Richard Casper, who'sthe CEO or founder, and we were
just shooting the breeze and Isaid, hey man, do you ever
consider starting an actingclass here?
You know I would love to towork with, you know, local
(26:58):
veterans who you know areinterested in acting and the
craft of acting and it'scertainly.
Look, I know plenty of veterans, combat veterans.
You know from back in LA when Iwas there through VMA, that it,
you know, acting really helpedthem deal with some of the stuff
they're carrying.
So we were talking, I wastalking to Richard and he said
(27:20):
you know it's a great idea, Ihadn't considered it.
And then we started kicking theidea around and we're going to
have our first class on thiscoming Monday no Tuesday,
forgive me this coming Tuesday.
And you know, we're going tomake it a monthly thing to get
off the ground and anybody, anyveteran, who wants to come by
(27:41):
and learn a bit about the craftof acting is welcome.
And and we'll kick around someI don't know, kick around some
monologues, some scenes andeventually start partnering
people up and start working somescenes and really exploring the
building blocks of what it isto be an actor and to express
(28:02):
yourself through through thewritten work.
So that's exciting.
I'm really excited about thatand I hope, you know, I hope
somebody sees this in thenational area and like, hey man,
I'll give that a shot.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Hell, yeah, you know, the funnest thing I did in the
past couple of years outside of,you know, podcasting is I did a
background for an FX series iscoming up and it was so fun man,
it was just.
The whole experience was such aneat.
Neat to be behind the scenesand see like a major actor and
be like, wow, that is to seethem work.
You're like, even if it's justlike 10 minutes or 20 minutes,
(28:40):
you're like that is so cool man.
Yeah, for sure, and I love it,man.
I would love.
I really, really want anybodywho's in the national area to
look you up, look up creativevets, and we'll definitely post
links and stuff like that,because yeah, post the link
please.
I think it's a great, greatoutlet for you as well, man, and
it's like another way, anothermission, you know.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Well, for sure, man, in the past I'd been involved
with some great organizationslike Gallant Few and Veterans of
Media and Entertainment, andI've since moved on from those
organizations.
But I really was kind offeeling that you know that urge
to kind of get involved againand give something back.
(29:20):
I don't know, but it's once youdo it, it's kind of it kind of
you feel a need if you're notdoing it.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
You feel?
Speaker 2 (29:33):
like or at least I do , I feel like an empty hole if
I'm not doing something.
So, you know, I thought thiswas a great way to just share a
little bit of what I've learnedin the past 15, 17 years however
long I've been doing this andwho knows, you know, I think
there's a burgeoning scene downhere in Nashville.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
I'm pouring up your IMDB right now because I got to
go through this.
I got it.
I wrote down some notes of yourcareer man.
But I love your career man.
I got to get the, I love it.
You know I watch most of theseshows too.
That's what the fucking part isFrom you know to you know, to
talk to you, the kid that cameoff of the Garden State Parkway
(30:18):
to you know, to Hollywood andbeyond.
It's like holy, we're goingback now.
Criminal Minds yeah yeah.
Video games, the Mentalist yeah, I mean we're going the.
Mentalist.
Oh GI Joe, rise of Cobra theScreaming man.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Okay, that's it.
That was my first film.
Yeah, yeah, that one, my facekind of got all crazy and like
started like I don't know whatthat was like morphing, you know
kind of transforming, and theMentalist I was shot in the face
.
It was like you're getting shota lot man.
Yeah, and remember the fourthepisode of True Detective.
(31:00):
I was in.
I took an AK round of the head.
Yep, in American Horror Storymy head exploded.
People don't like my head forsome reason and you know, the
crappy thing about that isyou're not coming back.
There's a flashback You're notcoming back.
In that situation they're like,yeah, Michael, we like it, but
we don't like you that much.
(31:21):
You never come back, oh man.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Yeah, like I'm going all the way back, like Bones
Invasion 24.
Yeah, and then all we have tolike, you know, most recently,
new Amsterdam, man.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yeah, yeah, new Amsterdam was like man, what a
what a what a rewarding scenethat was man Guest star role.
So I got to, you know, I waskind of one of the sub plot
lines of that episode and andjust got to play this veteran
who has to come back fromserving overseas because his mom
(31:53):
had passed away only to findthat she had left her house, his
childhood home, to the hospitaland he felt like she was
manipulated into doing that.
And so there's you know he'sbutton heads with the hospital
administration.
He plants on getting his houseback.
But what I loved about that oneis, as opposed to playing the
(32:15):
typical, you know, authoritative, hard-ass guy, this is a guy
who's in a moment of crisis, youknow, losing his mother and
being away for it, you know he'sjust, he's carrying a you know
about 300 pounds of guilt.
So to kind of play that morevulnerable side was a nice
(32:39):
exploration for me that I don'ttypically get to do and, yeah, I
was really happy with how itcame out.
I loved working with thedirector and we kind of found a
nice sweet spot for this guywhere he was, you know,
obviously upset.
But you know you're stillrooting for him, you know,
because if you're going to havea go at the lead on a TV show,
(33:04):
you don't want the audience tohate you.
You know what.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
So we found that beautiful balance, I think.
And yeah, man, it was a nicelittle thing and a good thing to
come back from.
I hadn't been working in awhile because I'd moved to
Nashville and without getting ina whole thing I wasn't going to
take any more shots, if youknow what I mean and so so you
(33:32):
know.
So it kind of excluded me froma lot of work.
But fortunately on NewAmsterdam they're just like just
test.
You know, you had to COVID testbefore you, before you work,
and so that was fine.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
And that's what the guy wants my dream role.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Oh yeah, man Gosh, man, I dream role.
I don't know man, you know, I'mactually writing a couple
things right now and figuringout you know what I would want
to be in that I wanted.
I want to do a cowboy moviewhile I'm actually working on a
(34:09):
Western right now.
Right now, western.
I'd love to be a hit man, butwith the heart of gold you
remember the hooker with?
A heart of gold now with a hitman with the heart of gold,
Exactly man.
Like.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Leo professional.
Come on, man, he had a heart ofgold.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
But you know, you know what film I really loved
was.
I don't know if it didn't get alot of hype, but you ever see
that film Nobody with Bob Odin.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Kirk.
Oh, that was such an incrediblemovie.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
I would love to do a little role like that.
Yeah, that would be awesome.
You know kind of a guy who'sgot to come out of retirement,
kick some ass.
And I'm also writing.
Well, I don't want to tell youI'm writing another piece that
you know.
I've got something in mind forit.
I would love to play, you know,an aging punk rocker, because
(34:59):
that's exactly what I am, mankind of you know a dad and, and
you know I don't know man, youdream role, I don't know.
I would have liked to have beenread.
Read, richards maybe.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Oh yeah, I can see.
I can see what the hair now too, or you know what I?
Speaker 2 (35:16):
would love to do Golden Age Flash.
Oh yeah, Jay Garrick.
Yeah, definitely the Doughboyhelmet, oh, except I hate to run
.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
I hate running with man CGI.
Come on CGI, they're runningJay.
Garrick, Everything.
Nowadays you don't have to runanywhere, brother.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Jay Garrick.
Yeah, I don't know.
Dream, dream role.
You know what I just want?
I just want something thatmoves people.
That's all I want to do, man.
I just want to do good work,you know.
And if Quentin Tarantino comesout of retirement and wants to
hire me, I will happily say hiswords for for scale.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
You know there are so many.
You know I've just been likebecause I just retire a little
retire until I get another job,but I've been watching like
everything I can now, man, andthat lioness show was so good,
oh, I haven't seen that yet.
Oh, it's so good.
And I'm thinking I'm likewhoever's their tech person
behind it and I mean they got itreally down pat.
And that's one thing I likeabout Hollywood and that's one
(36:18):
thing I like about yourbackground too, is like getting
into these roles and like kindof knowing who to talk to about
getting into that role, soyou're not just like winging it.
I've seen so many people playlike the cop or the military
person or or something.
They just kind of wing it.
But I like that about you.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah, I mean there are some roles I've played
enough where I don't have to.
You know there's not a lot ofresearch I have to do.
Plus, look, you know I forgetwho said it, but they say steel
like an artist, right, and we'veall seen enough cop shows and
everything else to be able tokind of do your own
interpretation.
(36:57):
But where was I going with that?
I can't remember I got offtrack, but anyway, I'm thinking,
I keep looking at you andeverybody.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
I'm going to post some clips on IG and stuff like
that for the audio out.
There is like I see a Westernman.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I want to do a Western bro.
That's on, that's on the bucketlist and you know, if I, if I
got to write it myself, I'mgoing to do it.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
You know, what I love about Westerns is like where
the protagonist is like I lovethe Clint Eastwood ones, I love
the man with no name type things.
I like someone that's like, youknow, kind of beat up, you
don't know where they're comingfrom, but they got they, they're
good.
You know what I mean.
They're good, they're fine.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I'm drawn to.
I'm drawn to the reluctant hero.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
I mean kind of.
You know Gary Cooper, and highnoon, you know something I like
that.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Yeah, I'm just picture my green chester is long
range Dude and my my my, mydraw is pretty good.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Okay, single action, single action.
There's a lot to that, bro.
I got my through.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
I got my.
I just you know I'm doing allthis competition shooting, but I
picked up my first western gunlast year, so I picked up a
Taylor Arms 357.
But in order to do this, thisWestern shooting, you need to.
So now I got to save my moneyup by another one.
I got the Henry lever action.
I'm ready to go, brother.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
So you know, like the single action, bro, if you
don't cock it oh yeah, don'tcock it properly You're not
going to get the shot off.
Yeah, so the draw right,getting that hammer all the way
back.
You know it's, there's a lot toit, and to do it well and do it
quickly.
It's not just like pulling aslush, you know, yeah, yeah,
it's fast.
So yeah, I'd work years ago.
I worked on that a whole bunchso I got pretty good.
(38:47):
So it would take me.
You know it'll take me a littletime to get back in one, but
muscle memories there, yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Yeah, well, if you need anybody to get shot, that's
me.
Man, just you can shoot mesomewhere, hey actually Nick
Pizzolato.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Nick Pizzolato, creative true detective, is
doing his next projects ofWestern.
I should reach out to him.
There you go, brother.
I say hey, rememberspecialization, john Bowen,
uh-huh.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
He shot him in the head.
He directed that episode.
Yeah, that was awesome.
Anyway, I really appreciate you, man.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Oh yeah what are you coming?
I appreciate you having me on.
I would just ask, before we go,to point everyone in the
direction of creativevetsorg.
Creativevetsorg I don't know ifthere's anything up there about
my classes yet, because I thinkthis is kind of a trial balloon
.
We're going to test it out andsee what the response is, but
(39:46):
they're just a great org doinggreat work.
So I encourage everyone tocheck them out and support them
if they can, or get involved ifthey need it.
So yeah, creativevetsorg, checkthem out.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Awesome brother, I appreciate you.
I look forward to having youback on again.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Dude, thanks so much for having me.
Let me talk about my littleSemper Fi article.
So it was, like I said, a realhonor and always good to see you
, my brother.
We'll catch up again soon,thank you.
Welcome back to the Protectors Podcast.
Another incredible, excellent,just a good dude guest today
Michael Broderick.
What's going on, brother?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hey Jason, how are you man?
Great to be back on the show.
It's been a while.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, it has been a while.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I don't think I was even great at that point, man.
Now I'm like an old hermit inNashville.
I left LA and I'm like got mylong hair and my beard.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Oh my gosh, if you listen into this, you need to
take a look at the IG orsomething.
Take a look at what Michaellooks like now.
The last one, I think, wasfathers and sons.
We did the OIG, oh that's right.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, I had already let the hair go gray at that
point, yeah, but it was shorter,much shorter.
This is absolutely the longestI've had my hair in my adult
life, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Now with the tour.
How does that do like?
Are you willing?
I mean because the last time Isaw you on TV you were with what
NCIS Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
No, I did a guest star on New Amsterdam, the NBC
hospital show, and theypractically shaved my head for
that.
It was very short, but that wasthe last time I cut my hair.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, because I think NCIS Hawaii, you had a little
scruff going on with that.
I had a beard for that.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, I had a little beard and the hair was kind of
growing.
But I'd always let whatevershow I was on, I'd let them cut
my hair however they wanted, Ididn't care.
And since I was usually playinga military role of some sort,
or LEO or FBI, whatever it was,typically they'd keep it kind of
(01:47):
within regs.
And for New Amsterdam it wasanother military role.
So they wanted to chop it off.
I was like, yeah, whatever,just chopping off, and I'd been
growing it for a bit.
When I got a job on QuantumLeap which hasn't aired yet but
(02:10):
I'd do another cop role, but Iwas afraid they were going to
cut my hair and I kind of wantedto grow it to see where this
could take me for some differentroles.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Get the Sam Elliott wrap.
Yeah, I was going to say theSam Elliott wrap.
Man, the voice is good man, butthat voice man, that Sam
Elliott.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
He's way down here, man, you know what's funny.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
He probably had that full gray and long hair.
He's probably only 25 inRoadhouse, right, he was 14,
actually, yeah, he was 14.
And he had that long ass grayhair.
He's like 50 years unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I've always been a big fan of Sam Elliott man.
I love his work.
I just love his kind of youknow I have no idea what the
guy's beliefs are, but what heseems to represent, you know,
that kind of old timey, classic,rugged individualism.
You know what I mean.
He always plays these greatroles that are, you know, kind
(03:09):
of that's like you're like,that's a guy I'd like to be.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
You know, I need to finish 1883 with him.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I haven't seen that yet and I got it, but I'm still
making my way through theoriginal Yellowstone.
So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
You know, brother, the reason I wanted to have you
on was Semper Fi Magazine, youknow.
I know we've had because we'vetalked a bunch of times about
your time in the Marines and howyou really needed that
discipline and you're a youngkid man.
But you've gone, you've done somuch since then and now you
like to be on the cover ofsomething like this.
This is huge man.
It was a it was a.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
It was a great honor to be asked.
There's a fellow by the name ofMike Searson.
Who Searson?
I only, I only I've only readhis name.
I, you know when I, when I methim, it was just Mike.
Mike Searson.
He's a former Marine, he's awriter.
You'll see his work in recoilmagazine, semper Fi and a bunch
of bunch of different magazines.
(04:06):
But when he asked, he said theywant to do this, this cover
stories, like could, could heinterview me?
I said yeah, man, I wasabsolutely on board.
You know it's the magazine.
For those who aren't familiar,semper Fi is the official
magazine of the Marine CorpsLeague and I'm a member of the
Jersey, jersey, short attachment, because that's where I'm from
originally.
So kind of, you know, if you'regoing to join it to attachment,
(04:29):
you want it to be like yourhometown, you know.
So I'm a member there and itwas just exciting to be asked.
And then I thought they did agreat job on the article.
You know, no-transcript.
It was kind of cool to lookback on some of the things I've
done since service, you know,and talk about those with Mike a
(04:49):
little bit.
And yeah, man, when it came outit was really, really nice.
I've never been on the cover ofa magazine before, so that's a
really cool experience, you know, and I can't wait to get my
hands on a hard copy.
It's online right now.
I don't know whether they'vemailed out the hard copies yet.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You know, one thing about it is I always think, like
when I think about you I thinkabout, like a lot of the actors,
like of past days.
You know, like your ErnestBorgnine's, your, like so many
Stuart, everybody that had thatmilitary background and you can
kind of see how it parlays intotheir career.
It's almost like you know, inthe movie business it only by
(05:29):
better off just to hire morepeople with the act that came
from the military background,because one it's not just a
discipline, it's time management, it's about getting someone
that's on set, someone's goingto know, like I see what you
mean.
But yeah, you know what I mean,man, it's discipline.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Yeah, yeah, I think that that falls under the
discipline thing.
But yeah for sure, man, respectfor for respect for the clock,
for Pete's sake, especially inthe entertainment industry.
Man, you know, time is money.
It's a cliche, because it'strue.
So you don't want to be late,you want to be.
You don't even want to be ontime, you want to be early, and
(06:05):
that's you know, as a Marine,that's, that's what we're all
about.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
That's been cool.
Did you guys do like an inperson or a telephonic interview
?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well, I'd actually met him years ago in and at shot
show and we'd kicked around theidea of an interview back then.
But then this time we and youknow, and we, you know, I did
kind of a little impromptuinterview in the media room at
at shot show, which was fun.
But then we, you know, wetotally basically pulled some
(06:36):
from that but totally redid itfor for this new, for this issue
, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
My life goal has been to be in a magazine.
Wow, look like, seriously, Imean, that is like I don't know
if it's like it's just somethingabout being in a magazine man
because, like growing up I'mobviously I love books man.
I read all the time, listen allthe time, do whatever I can to
get that.
Like books, nonfiction, fiction, everything but magazines man.
(07:02):
I used to have subscriptions toeverything and now, like, I
mean to see your face on thecover man.
That's pretty badass.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, you know, it definitely would have been cool.
I don't think, I don't thinkSemper Fi goes out like on
shelves, I think it's, it's sentto members.
You know like kind of likefirst freedom.
You know the NRA magazine, youknow it's only sent out to
members.
But man, I remember as a kidgoing down to the, down to the,
(07:30):
down to the Crousers or the orthe what was Cumberland Farms,
where those little conveniencestores, you know that were
walking distance when I was akid, you know we'd go down there
and pick up, like Surfermagazine or you know, mad
Magazine, skate was itskateboarding magazine?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Like dude, I got to get these tracker trucks.
I remember I ordered my bike atDino.
Remember Dino bikes man, Iordered a Dino from a magazine.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I don't remember the ones that were big when I was a
kid.
I got a few years on you.
The BMX bikes were big when Iwas a kid were Mongoose and red
line, although I never.
I never got it.
I never got heavy in a BMX.
But also, you know, we didn'thave a lot of money.
So basically, I took my bikethat it's like this purple bike
(08:21):
that I had gotten when I was six, because all of us in our
family, when you're six yearsold, you got a bike, you know,
and you learned to ride it andyou had a banana seat, you know
and like those handlebars andeverything.
And so I took the banana seatoff and I put like a BMX seat oh
, I could afford, basically wasa BMX seat to make it look like
a BMX bike and we used to jump,you know, down at Merritchie
(08:46):
Park in my hometown, you knowall these dirt jumps and stuff
back in what they called thedumps.
It wasn't a, it wasn't a trashdump, it was a.
You know where they bring allthe, the, the leaves every year
and like so yeah, I don't callit like a land, not a landfill
you know what I'm saying?
Yeah, no they're big piles ofdirt and lumber and you know uh
(09:06):
huh branches and all that Jerseyman.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
How much Jersey made it to brother.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
New Jersey.
There you go.
Yeah, we used to call it thedumps.
You know we go back there andwe jump, jump our makeshift BMX
bikes.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
When did the music start with you?
Was that after the Marines orbefore the Marines?
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It was before the Marines man.
I got my first guitar in 1982when I graduated eighth grade.
I the summer of 81 was when MTVfirst came out, right, and I
remember.
I remember waking up one dayduring the summer it was like
August of 81 or something and Ijust flipped through channels
(09:49):
before I go down to the beachand and I see there's like music
on like the who was on.
You bet, you bet right, and I'mlike I'd never seen the who.
I was familiar with thembecause I used to like jump
around with like a tennis racket, you know, like air, air guitar
and to won't get fooled again,and stuff, and they'd be on the
radio.
So I already liked their music.
But I was like, oh, this is thewho you know.
(10:10):
You know, I see Pete Townsend,he's doing these like windmills
and stuff and I was like this isawesome, you know.
So I'm all amped up.
I watched that for a while.
I go down to the beach, comeback at the end of the day I'm
like, oh, I want to go to thatchannel.
There's more music and theyplay like you better, you bet
like three more times before Igo to bed Because like they had
like 10 videos at that point inrotation, you know.
(10:31):
And and that was it, man, Isaid, I said I want a guitar and
I got my first acoustic guitar.
Then, you know, when Igraduated the next year 1982.
And yeah, I started playing inbands, or actually I started
singing in bands and then, youknow, was learning to play
guitar and started playing,started playing some bands by
(10:54):
the time I was junior in highschool, you know.
And then even in the Marines Ihad bands we played.
I was, I was, I did a float onthe USS Nassau, which is LHA,
you know, for Helos and Harriers, and they had a band room next
to the gym and you know, withall this equipment and drums and
(11:14):
whatever, and I had brought myguitar.
So we had a little band on theboat and we played on the hangar
deck one time they had like a,like a I don't know hangar deck
picnic or whatever you know andwe played out in Haifa in Israel
and that was awesome, we justjust doing cover songs, you know
.
And then later, when I got backand I played with a bunch of
(11:37):
artillery guys then, but when Igot back to New River where I
was stationed, I started puttingtogether a band.
We used to play the officersclub and the enlisted club and
play out on the town inJacksonville and yeah, it was a
good time, man.
We you know all covers.
You know I was never much of asongwriter and then when I went
to New York to I got out of theMarines.
(11:59):
I went to New York to be anactor but really kind of didn't
know what the hell I was doing,you know.
So I ended up meeting this guywho was putting together a band
and you know this is 1992.
And we were going to bring punkback, you know, because it was
all grunge at that time.
So got in this punk band and wegave it a good run.
And but you know it was shortlyafter that Orange County and
(12:22):
all that stuff which we didn'teven know what was going on, but
that blew up with like GreenDay and all that stuff.
So we were kind of behind thecurve but you know it gave it a
good run.
I played, played guitar in NewYork for about 10, 12 years,
something like that Then movedto LA to become an actor.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Now, when you were in the Marines, was this acting
thing?
I know we've covered thisbefore, but I want this is like
kind of refreshing everybodyabout your career Because you've
had an incredible career so far.
To me, I think it's still it, Ithink it's just beginning, man,
it's like one of those thingslike it's a We'll get into in a
minute about this one.
Actors always Dennis Farina.
He didn't start to like stab youin the neck with a pencil,
(13:01):
whatever it's like it was like50 something years old before he
started like really acting.
But yeah, yeah, like when youwere in the Marines, though,
like were you doing anythingcreative?
I mean, obviously, probablyplaying a guitar and singing.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Yeah, yeah, I was, I was playing in bands, but
Creative like as far as actingor nah, no, there wasn't, there
wasn't an outlet for that.
I mean, I was, I was a goofball, you know.
So I did entertain the, yeah,my fellow Marines, but no, I
wasn't, you know, there justwasn't time for that man.
(13:35):
Our operational tempo waspretty, pretty high.
You know, I served duringpeacetime, but it was still, I
think, at the time, hmla 167,which was my, my squadron.
We I think we were the, the wehad the highest operational
tempo in the Marine Corps and Ibelieve that that also
contributed to the highestdivorce rate in the Marine Corps
(13:56):
.
Now, somebody could check thosenumbers because, you know, we
didn't have internet back then.
We just know what what word onthe street was.
So, yeah, that was a, we werehard chargers.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
You know when did this acting bug kick you?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
when I was a kid, you know, I did a Gosh, I don't, I
don't know.
I, when I was a kid, I lovedall.
I loved Dick Van Dyke, I lovedall those movies like Chitty,
chitty, bang bang and MaryPoppins and all that stuff and I
just, I just thought it wasgreat, I just wanted to.
It looked like the best thingin the world, you know, and it
(14:34):
is.
When you can get the work, it'sawesome.
But I just wanted to, I wantedto do that.
I think you know what startedout as as being starved for
attention.
You know, look at me, look atme, right.
But you know, once I actuallygot to the point where I'm
actually doing it and you startto really learn the craft of,
(14:55):
you know of acting and, and it's, it's an art man and it allows
you to share, share thingsinside that you wouldn't
necessarily do otherwise andallow.
And really, you know, I don'tknow if I've said this to you
before, but it there is, thereis a, there's access to power
and being able to influence, tobe able to change the way people
(15:21):
feel or or Manipulate people'semotions.
You know, and I don't mean thatin a in a bad way, I mean in
the best way possible.
You know, like when you, whenyou see an incredible Painting
or hear a song that just makesyou want to weep, you know
there's power in that and that'sthat's intoxicating to me.
So to to, that's certainly partof it, that part of the
(15:47):
attraction for me, just to kindof I remember what Movies, what
affect movies and televisionshows and music have had on me
in my life and it's always beenEven when it's awful, it's
always.
It always fills you up you knowwhat I mean and leaves you
better.
I think it on the other, on theother end of it, and I just
(16:08):
wanted to, I wanted to be a partof that.
So, yeah, ever since I now Icouldn't have said that when I
was a kid, but I think that wascertainly part of it.
You know, I just knew it mademe feel great and I wanted to
make other feel people feelgreat.
So that was the beginning of it.
And you know I did Plays inschool and high school and we
had a, we had a great communitytheater they still do in Spring
(16:30):
Lake, new Jersey and I did, youknow, plays during the summer
and all that stuff.
And then, you know I, then Iwent off to the Marine Corps at
17, so that kind of put thekibush on that for a while.
But I fully intended to comeout of the Marine Corps and go
be an actor in New York.
You know, just didn't work outthat way.
It's a later.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
The thing, like I started noticing this probably
in the past few years is because, like, I think a lot of us get
that that creative bug, that wewant to do something Creative,
whether that's behind the screen, in front of the screen or
writing or whatever.
But when you start watchingfilms and like when you look at
an actor who could just change ascene just by the look in their
(17:08):
eye and how it's realistic, youcan kind of see where they're
going with it.
It's not just always about thevoice, it's about the whole.
There is so much going onBehind the scenes and behind the
actors eyes than just the voiceman it's so it's so cool to
watch.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Well, that's really what it is about it.
It is all in the eyes, you knowit's.
I was coaching an actor, anactor, recently for the for the
first time.
You know I'm trying out my legsas a coach and and and he had
some experience, you know, insome like local theater and
(17:46):
things like that.
And you know I I took, I takefor granted all the things that
I've learned over the years.
You know what I mean.
And somebody who doesn't haveas much experience Like
realizing that it really is allin your eyes, especially on
camera and stage, is a littledifferent, because you know
(18:07):
You're far away often, but whenthat camera gets in there, it's
all about what's going in yourin, on in your head.
You got to be thinking thethoughts of the character, you
got to be fully invested,Otherwise it's, you know.
But when somebody is absolutelyinvested, you know thinking the
thoughts of the character andlike fully loaded emotionally,
the camera just eats that up andtherefore so does the audience.
(18:29):
You know what I mean.
So, and that's that's what wasit Meisner said I think the
thing that separates the greatactor from the actor is is
intense concentration, caringdeeply about what the character
cares about, and the ability togo for the jugular on stage or
the will, forgive me, thewillingness to go for the
(18:51):
jugular on stage, but that uh,yeah, I think that sums it up
intense concentration and caring, not just caring about what the
character cares about, caringdeeply about what the character
cares about, and you know, your,your, your eyeballs tell that
whole story.
You know when, when the camerahits them.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So that's important the favorite type of photos, a
favorite type of anything.
I like to look at our people.
You know, landscape is cool.
It's great, I love it.
But when you look at someoneand like you take a photo of
them or you see him behind thatlens and stuff and you're seeing
like the reality of their face,the lines in their face,
experience in their face when itcomes to acting, you could
(19:31):
definitely see who someone who'slike invested in this role or
invested in your career, ratherthan just like a tertiary thing.
We're like I think I've becomean actor.
No, it's someone like.
When you watch someone, it'slike like holy crap, man, it's
like a real art, it's likereally, because when you bring
up the emotion thing to me, yeah, I'm like an IMD database.
I love movies.
(19:52):
I'm always watching movies.
I love it because of theemotion and if it's a crap movie
, it's hard for me to watch itbecause I need to see something.
It's I need to see like realacting.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Right, well, yeah, it's funny, real acting.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Listen, I love high concept.
You know, you throw some likeMichael Bay blows some shit up,
I'm good.
Oh, no, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
But, but, but I think you nailed it, though.
There is nothing like feelinglike you're living through those
same things via this, thisPerson on the screen, you know,
and that's always.
That always comes down to theemotion of it, and I'm not even
saying it has to be Superemotional scene, it just has to
be invested.
You know what I mean?
Well, that brings it like that.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah, I was gonna say they bring it up to one of your
roles Was like the truedetective man that were true
detective was I.
Just there was something aboutthat show man.
It just a really like kind ofCripsia and if he put that, that
must have been like whoa.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Come on, man, you're talking about Nick Pizzolato,
who's one of the I think he'sone of the greatest writers out
there, you know, and he's justthe guy's a genius, I think, and
so talented and to be able tolike be a part of that, say his
words was really Gosh milestoneand certainly a high point for
(21:18):
me.
But I I Finding that characterJohn Bowen was was easy for me
and it wasn't a heavy lift.
You know, my character JohnBowen was just there to kind of
help facilitate things, helpmove the plot along, you know,
and Just add a little more scaleto it.
(21:41):
But you know, in support ofMarshal Lee and Stephen Dorff,
their characters, and Findingthat was fairly simple, I played
a Fed who was Thrust into this,you know, as part of it, as
part of a task force with theselocal cops who are really at the
heart of the case, and so youknow, the the classic Fed versus
(22:08):
cop Dynamic is always, you know, the cops resent the feds
because they got the.
You know the higher authorityapparently.
But I Tried to just take it aslook, my goal is here to support
In whatever way it is.
I want to get past all the BSright.
Of course it's gonna be alittle rivalry, things like that
, but I wanted to be a teamplayer.
(22:29):
I'd push back when I needed topush back, when I thought that
Wait a second.
You know maybe we're goingabout this the wrong way, but
but otherwise I was there in asupport role and I was gonna do
that.
So that was kind of easy tofind health.
You know, I was in the MarineCorps, I did logistics and
embarkation.
I was in support role.
Then I've been in support rolePractically my whole life you
(22:50):
know.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Well, the thing is, you was like being around, like,
so you're one of those to me,you're one of the someone it's
always learning.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Always hopefully, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah, I've.
You know, I've seen like let'sjust follow you for the past
years.
Man is like, when you get intothese big productions and you're
like looking around or what areyou picking up on the most Like
, are you like always learningor are you just kind of like I
did?
I'm gonna go back to my trailerand chill.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
That's a good question.
Well, I always certainly alwaystry to be learning, but, yeah,
sometimes there's limitedopportunity for that, you know,
because you know set works movesreally fast and if you're on
set you're part of what's goingon.
You got to be attentive towhat's you know, attentive to
your work and your job.
However, uh, sometimes, whenthings are moving a little more
(23:40):
slowly, I like to.
I watched the number one, Iwatched it the you know the
actor who's number one on thecall sheet and watch what they
do and I watch the way they.
There's a big responsibility tobe number one on the call sheet
.
You set the tone for the workenvironment.
So I watch them so that youknow when I get an opportunity
(24:02):
to be number one on the callsheet.
You know I take the good things, I leave out the bad.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
I dig it man.
One thing that I really dig,too, is what you got going on
next is helping out withveterans to get into acting man.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Well, look, this is a new.
Thank you for bringing that up.
By the way, this is a newventure for me, just as a brief
kind of pre-preglute to this.
I kind of got the bug forteaching when I recently donated
(24:39):
some hours of coaching privatecoaching to the Liv Morrow
Foundation, who is a student atmy old high school.
She passed away.
She was a big part of the dramaclub and her parents started
this foundation to raise moneyto support the drama club at my
Alma Mater Manusquan High Schoolin New Jersey, and so my old
(25:04):
principal had called me and saidhey, you know, do you think
there's something you could dofor an auction we're having?
I said, yeah, I'll offercoaching.
So I offered five hours ofcoaching that people could bid
on individually or as a block,whatever, and so when somebody
bid on them, they got them, andso we started working together
(25:26):
and I was like, wow, I think Ihave some things to pass on,
some experience.
So there's an organization herein Nashville called Creative
Vets.
It's creative with a TS on it,so it's kind of creative vets,
creative vets, and they mainlydeal with songwriting and visual
(25:49):
arts, sculpture, painting,things like that poetry.
They do a lot of work.
Just a little bit about them.
What they do is they'll theyfacilitate songwriting and other
arts for veterans strugglingwith trauma or moral injury,
right, something to help themdeal with that in a healthy way
(26:13):
and kind of, you know, get someof that out in a creative way
and in a positive way andthey'll bring in.
You know they bring in likefamous country artists and stuff
that'll come in and write withwith the veterans and they'll
they'll perform and stuff.
And so I had heard of thembefore and I drove by them once
and I was like, oh that's,that's a.
(26:35):
I just saw them on the SuperBowl or whatever.
So let me pop in there see whatthey got going on.
And I met Richard Casper, who'sthe CEO or founder, and we were
just shooting the breeze and Isaid, hey man, do you ever
consider starting an actingclass here?
You know I would love to towork with, you know, local
(26:58):
veterans who you know areinterested in acting and the
craft of acting and it'scertainly.
Look, I know plenty of veterans, combat veterans.
You know from back in LA when Iwas there through VMA, that it,
you know, acting really helpedthem deal with some of the stuff
they're carrying.
So we were talking, I wastalking to Richard and he said
(27:20):
you know it's a great idea, Ihadn't considered it.
And then we started kicking theidea around and we're going to
have our first class on thiscoming Monday no Tuesday,
forgive me this coming Tuesday.
And you know, we're going tomake it a monthly thing to get
off the ground and anybody, anyveteran, who wants to come by
(27:41):
and learn a bit about the craftof acting is welcome.
And and we'll kick around someI don't know, kick around some
monologues, some scenes andeventually start partnering
people up and start working somescenes and really exploring the
building blocks of what it isto be an actor and to express
(28:02):
yourself through through thewritten work.
So that's exciting.
I'm really excited about thatand I hope, you know, I hope
somebody sees this in thenational area and like, hey man,
I'll give that a shot.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Hell, yeah, you know, the funnest thing I did in the
past couple of years outside of,you know, podcasting is I did a
background for an FX series iscoming up and it was so fun man,
it was just.
The whole experience was such aneat.
Neat to be behind the scenesand see like a major actor and
be like, wow, that is to seethem work.
You're like, even if it's justlike 10 minutes or 20 minutes,
(28:40):
you're like that is so cool man.
Yeah, for sure, and I love it,man.
I would love.
I really, really want anybodywho's in the national area to
look you up, look up creativevets, and we'll definitely post
links and stuff like that,because yeah, post the link
please.
I think it's a great, greatoutlet for you as well, man, and
it's like another way, anothermission, you know.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Well, for sure, man, in the past I'd been involved
with some great organizationslike Gallant Few and Veterans of
Media and Entertainment, andI've since moved on from those
organizations.
But I really was kind offeeling that you know that urge
to kind of get involved againand give something back.
(29:20):
I don't know, but it's once youdo it, it's kind of it kind of
you feel a need if you're notdoing it.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
You feel?
Speaker 2 (29:33):
like or at least I do , I feel like an empty hole if
I'm not doing something.
So, you know, I thought thiswas a great way to just share a
little bit of what I've learnedin the past 15, 17 years however
long I've been doing this andwho knows, you know, I think
there's a burgeoning scene downhere in Nashville.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
I'm pouring up your IMDB right now because I got to
go through this.
I got it.
I wrote down some notes of yourcareer man.
But I love your career man.
I got to get the, I love it.
You know I watch most of theseshows too.
That's what the fucking part isFrom you know to you know, to
talk to you, the kid that cameoff of the Garden State Parkway
(30:18):
to you know, to Hollywood andbeyond.
It's like holy, we're goingback now.
Criminal Minds yeah yeah.
Video games, the Mentalist yeah, I mean we're going the.
Mentalist.
Oh GI Joe, rise of Cobra theScreaming man.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Okay, that's it.
That was my first film.
Yeah, yeah, that one, my facekind of got all crazy and like
started like I don't know whatthat was like morphing, you know
kind of transforming, and theMentalist I was shot in the face
.
It was like you're getting shota lot man.
Yeah, and remember the fourthepisode of True Detective.
(31:00):
I was in.
I took an AK round of the head.
Yep, in American Horror Storymy head exploded.
People don't like my head forsome reason and you know, the
crappy thing about that isyou're not coming back.
There's a flashback You're notcoming back.
In that situation they're like,yeah, Michael, we like it, but
we don't like you that much.
(31:21):
You never come back, oh man.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
Yeah, like I'm going all the way back, like Bones
Invasion 24.
Yeah, and then all we have tolike, you know, most recently,
new Amsterdam, man.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yeah, yeah, new Amsterdam was like man, what a
what a what a rewarding scenethat was man Guest star role.
So I got to, you know, I waskind of one of the sub plot
lines of that episode and andjust got to play this veteran
who has to come back fromserving overseas because his mom
(31:53):
had passed away only to findthat she had left her house, his
childhood home, to the hospitaland he felt like she was
manipulated into doing that.
And so there's you know he'sbutton heads with the hospital
administration.
He plants on getting his houseback.
But what I loved about that oneis, as opposed to playing the
(32:15):
typical, you know, authoritative, hard-ass guy, this is a guy
who's in a moment of crisis, youknow, losing his mother and
being away for it, you know he'sjust, he's carrying a you know
about 300 pounds of guilt.
So to kind of play that morevulnerable side was a nice
(32:39):
exploration for me that I don'ttypically get to do and, yeah, I
was really happy with how itcame out.
I loved working with thedirector and we kind of found a
nice sweet spot for this guywhere he was, you know,
obviously upset.
But you know you're stillrooting for him, you know,
because if you're going to havea go at the lead on a TV show,
(33:04):
you don't want the audience tohate you.
You know what.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
So we found that beautiful balance, I think.
And yeah, man, it was a nicelittle thing and a good thing to
come back from.
I hadn't been working in awhile because I'd moved to
Nashville and without getting ina whole thing I wasn't going to
take any more shots, if youknow what I mean and so so you
(33:32):
know.
So it kind of excluded me froma lot of work.
But fortunately on NewAmsterdam they're just like just
test.
You know, you had to COVID testbefore you, before you work,
and so that was fine.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
And that's what the guy wants my dream role.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Oh yeah, man Gosh, man, I dream role.
I don't know man, you know, I'mactually writing a couple
things right now and figuringout you know what I would want
to be in that I wanted.
I want to do a cowboy moviewhile I'm actually working on a
(34:09):
Western right now.
Right now, western.
I'd love to be a hit man, butwith the heart of gold you
remember the hooker with?
A heart of gold now with a hitman with the heart of gold,
Exactly man.
Like.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Leo professional.
Come on, man, he had a heart ofgold.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
But you know, you know what film I really loved
was.
I don't know if it didn't get alot of hype, but you ever see
that film Nobody with Bob Odin.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Kirk.
Oh, that was such an incrediblemovie.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
I would love to do a little role like that.
Yeah, that would be awesome.
You know kind of a guy who'sgot to come out of retirement,
kick some ass.
And I'm also writing.
Well, I don't want to tell youI'm writing another piece that
you know.
I've got something in mind forit.
I would love to play, you know,an aging punk rocker, because
(34:59):
that's exactly what I am, mankind of you know a dad and, and
you know I don't know man, youdream role, I don't know.
I would have liked to have beenread.
Read, richards maybe.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Oh yeah, I can see.
I can see what the hair now too, or you know what I?
Speaker 2 (35:16):
would love to do Golden Age Flash.
Oh yeah, Jay Garrick.
Yeah, definitely the Doughboyhelmet, oh, except I hate to run
.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
I hate running with man CGI.
Come on CGI, they're runningJay.
Garrick, Everything.
Nowadays you don't have to runanywhere, brother.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Jay Garrick.
Yeah, I don't know.
Dream, dream role.
You know what I just want?
I just want something thatmoves people.
That's all I want to do, man.
I just want to do good work,you know.
And if Quentin Tarantino comesout of retirement and wants to
hire me, I will happily say hiswords for for scale.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
You know there are so many.
You know I've just been likebecause I just retire a little
retire until I get another job,but I've been watching like
everything I can now, man, andthat lioness show was so good,
oh, I haven't seen that yet.
Oh, it's so good.
And I'm thinking I'm likewhoever's their tech person
behind it and I mean they got itreally down pat.
And that's one thing I likeabout Hollywood and that's one
(36:18):
thing I like about yourbackground too, is like getting
into these roles and like kindof knowing who to talk to about
getting into that role, soyou're not just like winging it.
I've seen so many people playlike the cop or the military
person or or something.
They just kind of wing it.
But I like that about you.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah, I mean there are some roles I've played
enough where I don't have to.
You know there's not a lot ofresearch I have to do.
Plus, look, you know I forgetwho said it, but they say steel
like an artist, right, and we'veall seen enough cop shows and
everything else to be able tokind of do your own
interpretation.
(36:57):
But where was I going with that?
I can't remember I got offtrack, but anyway, I'm thinking,
I keep looking at you andeverybody.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
I'm going to post some clips on IG and stuff like
that for the audio out.
There is like I see a Westernman.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I want to do a Western bro.
That's on, that's on the bucketlist and you know, if I, if I
got to write it myself, I'mgoing to do it.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
You know, what I love about Westerns is like where
the protagonist is like I lovethe Clint Eastwood ones, I love
the man with no name type things.
I like someone that's like, youknow, kind of beat up, you
don't know where they're comingfrom, but they got they, they're
good.
You know what I mean.
They're good, they're fine.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I'm drawn to.
I'm drawn to the reluctant hero.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
I mean kind of.
You know Gary Cooper, and highnoon, you know something I like
that.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Yeah, I'm just picture my green chester is long
range Dude and my my my, mydraw is pretty good.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Okay, single action, single action.
There's a lot to that, bro.
I got my through.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
I got my.
I just you know I'm doing allthis competition shooting, but I
picked up my first western gunlast year, so I picked up a
Taylor Arms 357.
But in order to do this, thisWestern shooting, you need to.
So now I got to save my moneyup by another one.
I got the Henry lever action.
I'm ready to go, brother.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
So you know, like the single action, bro, if you
don't cock it oh yeah, don'tcock it properly You're not
going to get the shot off.
Yeah, so the draw right,getting that hammer all the way
back.
You know it's, there's a lot toit, and to do it well and do it
quickly.
It's not just like pulling aslush, you know, yeah, yeah,
it's fast.
So yeah, I'd work years ago.
I worked on that a whole bunchso I got pretty good.
(38:47):
So it would take me.
You know it'll take me a littletime to get back in one, but
muscle memories there, yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Yeah, well, if you need anybody to get shot, that's
me.
Man, just you can shoot mesomewhere, hey actually Nick
Pizzolato.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Nick Pizzolato, creative true detective, is
doing his next projects ofWestern.
I should reach out to him.
There you go, brother.
I say hey, rememberspecialization, john Bowen,
uh-huh.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
He shot him in the head.
He directed that episode.
Yeah, that was awesome.
Anyway, I really appreciate you, man.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Oh yeah what are you coming?
I appreciate you having me on.
I would just ask, before we go,to point everyone in the
direction of creativevetsorg.
Creativevetsorg I don't know ifthere's anything up there about
my classes yet, because I thinkthis is kind of a trial balloon
.
We're going to test it out andsee what the response is, but
(39:46):
they're just a great org doinggreat work.
So I encourage everyone tocheck them out and support them
if they can, or get involved ifthey need it.
So yeah, creativevetsorg, checkthem out.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Awesome brother, I appreciate you.
I look forward to having youback on again.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Dude, thanks so much for having me.
Let me talk about my littleSemper Fi article.
So it was, like I said, a realhonor and always good to see you
, my brother.
We'll catch up again soon,thank you.
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