You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Garland. Hi, everyone, welcome to I Choose Me. This podcast is all about the choices we make and where they lead us. You guys, my guest today as someone I've called a friend for over thirty years? Can you guess who it is? The phrase that Kelly Taylor said, I Choose Me was in
part because of his character. We shared the screen together on Beverly Hills nine on two ONA, where he played Brandon Walsh and was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, which I have no recollection of for his work for that role. Oh my gosh. Now you can catch him on Wild Cars on the CW Wednesday nights. Please welcome Jason Priestley to the podcast. Oh okay, this is good. I'm over here doing happy dance that you're on the pod.
Thank you. I'm it's nice to finally be here. Jed.
I know this is so you. Did you know you are the number one requested guest to be on this pod because we did a little survey and everybody wants you. Everybody wants Jason.
That's hilarious. That's awesome. Well, that's good to know. Good to know if somebody still wants to pay attention.
Oh, somebody definitely does. Wait, do you remember when we met yeah on teen Agel on.
Teen Agel in Phoenix, Arizona.
Yeah, wait, we were in Phoenix.
Yeah, we're in Phoenix. We shot that one in Phoenix.
Oh my god.
We shot the first one in Phoenix. We shot the second one in Salt Lake City. You're in the second one.
Yeah, teen Angel returns.
Now, Yeah, the original with Adam Bisk and Renee what was Renee's last name.
I don't even remember what my character was or what my role was. Nothing. I remember nothing other than seeing you for the first time and thinking, oh my god, he's so cute.
Yeah, I remember it. I remember it was you were you were one in Rene. You were Rene's like buddy. You were here like kick number two. Yeah. I think I think that was the last time you played the female number two.
Oh yeah, the good old days.
But you were a kid man, you were like in high school, like you were seventeen.
I think I had my parents on the set with me, and you had you had a girlfriend. I think was that Robin?
No, No, no, I don't think I had a girlfriend back then.
Oh I don't know. I was just like, I was really stoked that our relationship was an automatic like friendship and no drama, Like I don't know. It's kind of like a brotherly sisterly thing that we've always had. Yeah, and I love that about it.
It's true, you know. You know what it does. It just makes it really comfortable whenever we see each other. We don't have to. We don't have to, you know, go back through the menu, show the last three months before we saw each other. We can we left off right. It makes it, It makes it much easier.
Yes, it does. Okay, So I named my podcast I Choose Me, which, as fans know, was when Kelly had to choose between Brandon and Dylan and instead she choose herself. But that's what sort of launched it all. Do you remember filming that scene? Did you?
I do? I do? I really, I totally remember it. And I remember you because you and me were on the beach just north of the just north of the Venice Pier, and Rusty, our steady cam operator, was exhausted because we kept walking through the sand and doing a big long walk and talk poor poor Rusty man. Uh, And I remember it was it was it was kind of cool and bluster that day, and it was it was it was cloudy.
Yeah, we were on the beach, but the scene where she says I choose me was outside the.
Oh that's right, because that's where that's where Brandon proposed that's what I'm getting beach. That was the proposition, Yes, the first time, that's right.
Did you understand the importance or that the ultimate meaning of I choose me at that time? Because I did not?
I did, Oh, I did, I totally did. I totally did. I remember you and me and Luke all joking around about it, right, Yeah, because it because it was because because we thought it was we thought it was we thought it was clever, and we thought we thought it was an original choice. Like I don't remember ever seeing uh a character on TV like that when when faced with a choice of you can marry this awesome guy or this awesome guy and the character goes no, I'm good.
And so brave, so brave.
Yeah. And you know, I think you know, certainly in those early seasons, as you know, first four or five seasons of the show, I think that we really tried to do things like that that were that were you know they were different and you know, sometimes controversial, you know, but but I think it was important to to reach our audience, the audience that we were trying to reach.
I think it was important for them that we addressed the that we addressed the issues that they were going through at the time.
Yeah. I have so many women that come to me and say, when I saw that episode and I saw Kelly choose herself, it dawned on me that I have that choice too. Like people women on that age didn't really realize that they could choose themselves and understand like what that would mean to them and their self esteem and their entire lives probably changed, which is so cool.
It is. It's it's crazy to think. And I and I especially went through this because I was just in UH in Europe at a fan event over there and UH and so many young people came over to talk to me. They were with their moms and they're you know, their moms and made them watch the show and they were they were all just telling me how much they liked it and how how relevant they all thought it. It still was.
You know, that's so cool like that that show still is. It's got a whole new generation of watchers. So like, did you ever think when we were filming that show that we would be here talking like this about what we're talking about?
Uh? No, No, I really didn't. I was no. I loved you know, I mean, I love the show, and I thought we made I thought we made a lot of great television. But but I also, uh you know, I also I was also very you know, like you know, and how many people remember this, but we really struggled to get through our first season, and you know, our numbers were barely keeping us on the air. You know, we were sort of a top sixty show. Like it wasn't It's not like we not like we hit it
gangbusters out of the gate. So and I and I you know, and I I you know, I I give props to you know, the people at Fox, and they kept us on the air. And you know, like Aaron, Aaron must have been in there fighting every day to
keep the show on the air. And I'm and I'm obviously very glad that he did, because I feel like, yeah, you know, once once the show hit its stride and once the show kind of found its audience, the first Gulf War was was good for us because Fox was the only channel that was still showing entertainment, so I think we gained a lot of followers that way. But we gained you know, the summer episodes in season two with a big turning point for all of us. You know.
I just think all the time how lucky we are to have had the careers that we have, and that so many people around the world love us and support us. Like there's no feeling that kind of describes that. And I only share that with my fellow cast mates, you guys, and it's such a bond.
Yeah it is. It's cool, it's unbelievable, and I feel like I feel like we were all incredibly blessed by by the experience.
We all brought so much of ourselves to the characters. And I say this because I'm a super fan. Now I'm watching the show back, as you know, on OMG podcasts, and I love the show so much. I never knew how much I love the show. I'm so invested in the characters and it's blowing my mind that it took me this long to catch on. But people, because I think we brought so much of ourselves into each of
our characters. There are times when Kelly blurred into Jenny and Brandon blurred into Jason, and I think that was pretty much the magic sauce.
Yeah, yeah, we did, We did well. I mean, do you remember the meetings that we used to have with the writers at the end of every season and they would say, so, what are you into? What are you doing these days? And you know, like, uh, what do you what do you think about? What do you think about? The storyline? About this?
That sent me into it was really it was it was something I'd never experienced before, and I think that I think that sort of encouraged everyone to bring.
More of their own personal uh experience and personal likes and dislikes to the to the character. And uh, you know, you know, look at look at David Silver and his music career. You know that was happening alongside Brian Austin Green and his music career. It was all very It was all it was all very It felt it felt very in house all in a way, you know what I mean.
Yeah, Now, watching it back, though, it just doubles down the fact for me that you're such a good actor. And I want to know, do you know what a good actor you are? Like, do you know that without a doubt.
Uh. I'm I feel like I'm pretty competent. Uh. I feel I feel like I feel like I've figured out a pretty good system, like a pretty good technique for myself. You know, there's when when you're a young actor and you're you know, and you study with a lot of people and you're trying to figure out a technique that works for you and uh, and how you're going to be able to get to the places that you need to get to as as what a whatever character you're portraying.
I I I sort of you know, my my technique is sort of an amalgamation of a lot of the different teachers that I worked with over the years and things that I picked up, you know, just being on set and you know, working with directors and working with other actors and you know, seeing seeing what their process is. You know, it's it's one of those things that becomes certainly as you get older, it becomes very personalized.
There's nothing like that on the job training though.
No, it's absolutely the best. And you know, spending my twenties, you know, making you have two hundred and eighty hours of television like I couldn't have been in a better place to learn to get better. So it's funny you say that you know you love the show. When I watched the really early episodes of the show, all I can see is my bad acting. And then and then as the seasons go on, it felt like it got much better. But I saw I saw a lot of a lot of mugging and a lot of life.
Oh, there's some of that for everybody. But like, I don't know, you'res I'm in season seven right now, and you're just so good.
Well, thanks Snne.
I'm so lucky to have worked opposite you, and I really realize that now maybe I took it for granted. Wait wait, wait, I have to pause for a second. I just thought of something. Okay, while I was researching for our little talk today, I had to do a double take because you were in a Britney Spears music video. Yes, and I never knew about it. You Pharrell, what's his name? Austin Powers? Mike Myers Like, when did that happen? And why didn't nobody tell me about that?
Well, that happened because because Mike and I were friends. Mike and I used to play hockey together and h and after I did snl Uh, Mike, Mike and I spend a little bit of time together and.
Uh and then uh and he would he would always invite me to like, you know, table readings and you know, charity thing whatever he was doing right and uh. And then one day he calls me and this was the mose for the second Austin Powers movie. They did that. They added that video to the soundtrack, and he wanted to do a music video for you. So he called me out and he was like, Hey, will you come and do this Britney Spears video. It's you and take
Diggs and me and it'll be super fun. I was like, yeah, my no problem.
Wait, did you know going into it that you were supposed to be that you were the one that had to dance with her like grind on the dance.
I had no idea. I had no idea what I was getting into.
As I know, you wouldn't have done that if I had told you, because I know how much you love to dance.
God it was but you literally.
Are just like there and you dance for just a second and then you back on out. You guys, if you haven't seen this, you need to check it out. It's priceless. What's his name of her song?
Uh? Boys, Boys Boys?
You remember? Oh my god, it's so good, It's so good.
Okay, hold on, can I just time out for a second. Yeah, you had to do research before talking to me each other, for I liked.
I take my job very seriously.
Yes, yeah, yeah, no, no, no doubt, no doubt. I like it.
There's many things I did not need to research. Let me tell you, that's pretty much the only thing I uncovered. Okay, So by season three you were not only acting in the show, but you were also directing episodes. You were the first one of us to lead that charge. And you hadn't directed anything before that, right.
No, I hadn't. I directed the year before that, but that was it. So for me, getting that opportunity from Aaron was a really big deal. And that episode, that episode turned out great. It was super fun. I think you mean you remember the day that the two days we spent up at Magic Mountain and were you there in Magic Mountain?
Hey?
You were there, because me and.
I remember being there.
Yes, yeah, we were at Magic Mountain and these camera mounts on the on the roller coasters and stuff. It was super fun and I think the storyline was we were there for some or you were there for some kind of like Senior did stay or something, and some dude tried to steal Donna's purse.
And yes, I don't know. I just remember Shannon and I riding over and over and over on the biggest, baddest roller coaster. We just kept saying, go again, go again, go again. That was the best day ever. But yeah, you were You're just a natural born leader. You're a natural born director. It's so apparent, you know you. You are great at leading a set, You're great at setting a tone. I'm not just blown smoke up her. But either by the way, Buddy.
Well, I appreciate that, Jenny, those are things that I worked very that I've had to work very hard on.
Yeah, and I'm sure that it's not easy to like go from being an actor, especially a heart throb, into being taken seriously in the in the directing world. But you've done it.
Yeah, Yeah, it wasn't It definitely wasn't easy. But I've I've certainly been enjoying a certain amount of success behind the camera, which which I really which I really enjoy, you know, I like I I from the from the minute I should shot that first episode. And at the end of season three, I was like, oh, yeah, this is for me, this is this is what I want to be doing. And you know, and and I got to direct a lot of episodes of of ninety two and them before moving on. Like it was it was
very uh, it was it was good. It was great. It was a great training ground for me too, you know, like having Rick Hunter and Steve Randolph and you know, all the boys there to really show me the ropes. It was. It was, it was you know, it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
Yeah. I had that same similar experience where they just kind of let you take the lead, but we're just always there to support you.
Yeah.
I love that.
Who was your when you directed? Who is your DP? Was it Rick or was it Steve? Steve Oko? Yeah, well Steve Randolph man, he was a He was a beauty that that guy.
Yeah, amazing. I need to ask you one more question about nine. Okay, who taught you to kiss like that? Because your kisses now okay, I know because you were kissing me, but watching him back, Oh my god, you are an aggressive, really good kisser.
Wow. Thanks, Yeah, how many women.
Do you think you've kissed? God, come on, come on, those people. If you were to ask this question, it would be like maybe a double digit, but I'm thinking triple for you.
I it's if it's not triple digits, it's got to be really close.
Yeah, is it weird?
Oh you know what, No, it's got to be. Yeah, it's well into the triple digits. I mean I kissed one hundred girls on nine to two one oh on camera, like you know.
Off, Oh my god, Yeah, you're you're a very distinct kisser.
No, anywhoin in a good way? Is it distinct? No?
A good way. We kind of eat my face off.
I did a few times, but that it's.
Okay because it looked good. I just remember getting like incredible razors scratch, what's that called burns on my face from your whiskers. Yeah, there was just yeah, no controlling that the good old days. Can you believe we're parents of kids that are the age we were then?
Yes, that is. That is the most shocking thing to me.
Like, you don't feel any different right talking to me, I feel like we're back there the same age. Like I don't feel any different, But we have grown almost grown up kids.
Well you do have grown yeah, my kids, My kids are almost grown up. But it's but yeah, it's uh, it's shocking.
What if they were doing what we were doing in their lives right now?
I would feel like a failure as a parent.
Why because I've spent my whole life with my kids saying to them, hey, guys, look I know what I I know what I do, but it's not real, Like, you can't.
This is not you know, the success that I that I've enjoyed in this career is not normal. So like to don't think you're just going to follow in dad's footsteps and it's going to be you know, smooth sailing and you're going to be you know, on your way to the Emmy's the next week, right, Like, it's just
it's just not like that. And so I tried, so I tried to be super hyper realistic with them about you know, about about choosing your career and choosing a job path that's something that has some security and.
H how's that working out for you?
Well, it worked, it's worked out well with my daughter. With my son, I mean, he doesn't really know what he wants to do yet, but but but in the meantime, while he's trying to figure it out, he's, uh, you know, in the theater.
A lot, which I can tell you love that.
You know what, you probably be honest. I love going and watching him and I love watching him do his thing, and he's yeah, you know, he he loves it. So I love it for him. But you know, I don't. I don't know if it's gonna be. I don't know if it's gonna be as his life's work or he's gonna find if he gets as.
Lucky as you. What if he gets as lucky as us? You say that doesn't happen anymore, but maybe it will.
Yeah, yeah, and I would be. I would be super proud of him and super excited for him if he could, if he could enjoy a career like I'd like the one that I had, I'd be super stoked. But but I you know, but I also I worry because I'm a parent.
That's what we do.
Yeah, that's right. None of what's None of your daughters are what are they? What are they into?
Okay? One is working in New York. She lives there, she's on her own. She does event planning, and the other one is my daughter Lola in the middle one. She is in fashion, she helps me run my brand. And then my youngest who's eighteen is I feel like it's going to happen for her. I feel like it's a natural. She's very natural in front of the camera. Yeah.
Wow, as she started her career yet as she started doing anything.
Yet she got some headshots done right step one. Yeah, and she is very exciting news. I'm not allowed to talk about it yet, but she's got something else that's happening that's going to be amazing. So wow, Yeah, I think it's going to happen for it.
Wow. Good, Well you know what. That's exciting. That's exciting. Yeah, and it's going to be nerve racking for you and awesome for her.
I want to ask you a question, kind of a serious one. Okay, can we talk about grief a little bit? Because we've both been through it mm hmm more than once and it's I'm really talking about the passing of our friends and co stars, Luke and Shannon. We haven't really sat down and talked about like how you dealt with it and how I dealt with it. Well, where are you in your grief? Process. Are you still I feel like I don't feel like I've gone anywhere in
my grief process. I feel like I've kind of stalled it so that I don't have to accept.
It right Where am I? I'm in the acceptance part with both them, you know, like you know, obviously Luke's passing was far more shocking than Shan's. And I and I and I, uh, you know, at the time, the time, the time, when the time, while Shannon was sick, I uh, you know, whenever I had the chance to spend time with her, I made sure that I that I said all the things that I wanted to say to her.
So so when she did pass away, I feel like her and I had had said everything that we needed to say to each other, which I think gave me, you know, some closure, like right away, you know, which which was good because you know, it's tough. It's tough being being a cast as young as we all are. To have lost two of our castmates already is is shocking,
well relatively young, uh and and and Luke. Uh, you know, Luke's passing was so uh shocking and like just came out of the blue, Like it took me a lot longer to to reconcile that and and what that meant. But I but I also, unfortunately for myself, you know, I've I lost a couple of other really close friends of mine in the inter in the in the years,
you know, in my adult years. So I I unfortunately, I'm I'm starting to get pretty good at uh and saying goodbye to my friends, which is just said, mm hmmm.
Do you remember the moment you found out about Luke?
I can't you? It was you. You called me on the phone.
I called you.
Yeah, you called me? What yeah, this is? And I was and I was and I was in the kitchen in my in my house, and the phone rang. It was you, and I said, hey, Jenny, what's going on? She goes, do you know what's going on with you know what happened with Luke? And I was like no. And then you told me what was happening and where he was and what the what what was going on? And you said, right, I'm gonna I'm gonna call you
back when I know more. And then you because I felt I felt like you were kind of the hub of the information because you because you were talking you you were talking to Madison told you, Yeah.
And his manager I and I was at the hospital trying to get in to see him, right, but they wouldn't let anyone in. And they actually told me he wasn't even there, but I knew he was. I can't believe I forgot that I called you, Like that's blocked for me.
Well, you know, of course you wouldn't remember. I'm sure you know. You were in shock like the rest of us. Yeah, that was hard. That was tough that day, those those few days were not fun for anybody. M H.
And you know, and with Shan too, Like I feel you'll, like when one of us, another one of us goes passes away, our life ends it. There's this bond that until not only until our last breath, but until the end of time. I feel like we are intertwined and connected on such a level that when something bad happens to you, I will come into that conversation, when something bad happens to me, Brian will come into that conversation, Like we're all so connected in this wild way.
Yeah, it's true. You know, I enjoy it because I comfort. Do you feel like I do? I do? Yeah, And I came from a small family. It was just me and my sister and so to you know, to sort of feel like I have this extended family. Is it's good. It feels good.
Yeah, there's some It's just there's something so special about it and we I don't think any of us take it for granted now. I think maybe before we lost luke h, I think maybe it was a little easier for us to like not think about that as much. But now it's just so in the front of my mind all the time. How fucking grateful I am to have all of you and have this shared experience that we can never forget and people will never forget.
Yeah, and it's documented right like it It's not like we had an experience that that only we got to experience, right we We had an experience that that there was there was a global experience, and that's that's something that that that's incredibly special that not many people get to get to live in that rarefied air. And I feel I feel we were all super fortunate to be there, you know, right place, right time, right and we were done.
You've done so many projects, We've all done so many other things. But I don't feel like that bond can ever be recreated. There are different kinds of bonds that
happen on sets. But I got really good over the years at meeting a new cast or for whatever period of time, three weeks, four years, and knowing that at some point that's going to end, and we're going to part ways and we're probably not going to talk to each other anymore, like as much as we see each other now, you know, Yeah, I don't feel like the bonds are the same. That's what I'm trying to say.
Yeah, No, I totally agree with that.
Yeah.
And part of that, you know, probably had to do with the ages that we all were and you know, and and the amount of time that we worked. You know, we were working ten months a year together, right, Like, we spent a lot of time together, and it was and those are and those are really formative years for all of us, right, whether whether you know whether our cast made was nineteen or twenty five, you know, we were all in it together, and like you know, we used to do. And by the way, nobody does fun
ship after work anymore. Yeah, because you know, I got you know, I work on the series all the time, and you know, everyone just goes home. I got study my lines I got, you know, we would be.
Like, let's party, let's take out.
We're going out, man, We're going to We're going to marriage text Max and we're going to sing karaoke till two in the morning, you know, and then we're gonna get up and go back to work. Like what would we like?
We were young, man, we were young. Now I just want to go home and get to bed so I can get my eight hours before I have to get up again. Oh my god, I having such a vivid flashback right now. I don't think we've ever talked about this. Do you remember the time when I think I was had a couple of drinks. I don't know where we were.
You're like, uh, whitch time? But no, the time and I professed my never ending love for Luke to you, oh and I was like, but Jesson, I'm in love with him, Like we know me, I, Jenny am in love with him. I don't know what to do.
Do you remember I do remember this.
I think we were in a hotel, well, I.
Think we were. I think we're in a hotel Universal. Oh yeah, that's it right. It was when we were doing that that episode of what was the High School graduation and the college graduates, whatever we were doing up there. I remember, what did you do with that? What did I just? I just put that away. I just put that. I put that in the vault for you January.
Like, oh, good girl, okay you and the rest of the world.
I just I looked over your shoulder and I said to the bartender cut her off.
But oh my god, I was just remembering that it was so good. It was so good. Okay. So you know, on this probably talk about choices and yes, where they lead us. So I want to talk about when did you realize that you needed to choose to leave the show?
H it was it was It was halfway through the eighth season when we went away for Christmas break and I I went, I went away. Where did I go? I went to Eastern Europe. I went to Hungary or some Budha past or something. Anyway, it was just I had this overwhelming feeling like I just I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I and not that not that to hear our show was was was bad or no, it was ending that I that I that I was lamenting already at that point
in time. But but but I just I couldn't see an ending. I think I was I was like, when is this show gonna? Am I ever going to get off of this show? And what's gonna happen? When I started having all those thoughts, what's gonna happen when I do get off the shows? Anyone never gonna want to hire me again? Like all that stuff, And then I and then I and then I called Aaron when we when we got back to work in January, and I said, so, like, what's the plan? Aaron? Like what are we gonna do? Like?
Are we gonna how much longer? Because because they were trying to make a deal with me from for the next season, I say, like, what's the deal And we're just gonna do like We're just gonna do one more season and be done. It was. And he just kept saying, no, I'm I'll be dead before they take the show off the air, you know, and he was all and more power to him.
Yeah, but that's not what you wanted to hear.
That's not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to I wanted to just I want, you know, And I kept saying to them, Aaron, let's like let's end the show while it's still well, our numbers are still big, and let's go out on top. Let's not let's not do that like slow descent into into anonymity, you know what I mean. Let's let's leave, let's go out on a high note. Let's and let's get it done. And he didn't want to do that, and so I and so.
I, so I said, well, I feel like I I gotta go or anything like, like there's other stuff I want to do, and I feel like I just want to I feel like maybe I need to leave the show.
And he got all offended. He was not happy.
That must have been such a hard conversation.
And then they did. It was it was. It was horrible. It was horrible. It was horrible. And I and you know, you know, had I known then what I know now that the show was only going to last another year and a half, I would have stayed on the shelf.
I can't believe you didn't leave until season eight.
You said season nine. I think I did it.
No, I thought it was earlier than that, because Shammon was only there for four seasons.
Yes, Luke was there for five five, Yeah, he did the first six or eight or ten episodes of season six, and then that's when that's when we did the big you know, Rebecca gay heart story with them when they when they were going to get married and then her dad tried to kill kill kill her instead. Yeah. Yeah, you watched that. You watched that? Does it hold up?
Oh yeah, it's so upsetting. And then the next episode nobody mentions her he's mourning, but the whole rest of the cast is like, let's go to the party at the frat house. Like it blows my mind.
Oh my god.
So did they try to keep like did he try to keep you? Did he try to like incentivize it more because you're already executive producing the show? Yeah, what mark could he have offered you?
Like, you know, yeah, yeah, there wasn't There wasn't really anything. I mean, you know, like I said in retrospect, you know I would have I would have stayed on this show. But you know, it worked out the way it worked out.
Mm hmm, it worked out the way it worked out. You did end up coming back? Please tell me I'm right about that.
I did. Yes, the very last episode. I was so I was doing a play in London in the West end. When you guys were filming that last I was doing a play called side Man. Okay at the Apollo Theater with Edie Falco and myself. I remember that. Yeah, it was fun. But but but but I shot I filmed something because I guess I guess at the wedding episode that you know, they had a little thing, you know, brand brand instead of send a video file, which is
you know, Aaron must have been panicked about that. You know, he hated technology in the show. That's why you know it took his years to have laptops and our flip phones.
Well, yeah, so you only came back on a video Yeah, Oh my god, this is not how I remember it. No, okay, I'm not to the end of the show yet. I'm only in season seven, like I said, but I can't wait to see what happens. And I'm very disappointed that you actually don't come back. I thought we got married. That didn't happen, did we? We almost got married already before season No?
Right, No, we didn't get married.
No, when did that happen? When did we not get married? When we were getting.
Married, Brandon asked Kelly to marry him twice. Wasn't it twice. I feel like it was twice.
Sure, No, you'd think I remember that, Yeah.
I think I think it was twice, and I think so, and it never happened.
We got onto the altar though.
Who was wedding? Yeah, because we were we were we were out on that bluff out amount about wasn't that Brandon and Kelly? No, that was Dylan, And that was Dylan and Rebecca.
Rebecca, that was a beautiful wedding. But ours was in the backyard of your house. That's right, we didn't we stopped mid wedding or something.
That's right. I feel like you're right. What season was added? Have you watched that one already?
I don't think so. I hope not, because that's a real sad testament my brain right now. Do you have a good memory.
I have a. I have a I feel like I have a pretty good memory. There are there are. I do have some gaps in the show, though, like because and it's hard for people to understand, but you know, when you're when you're when you're producing that much material, every day in the workplace is so frantic and frenetic, right, because you know, we got to get through these nine pages and we got to do it in eleven hours.
You have to be here at six a m.
And yeah, it's you know, at a certain point in time, the days all it just becomes like one long day. Right. The whole season just felt like it was one day. Yeah really did Yeah? And and so there you know there are gonna be gaps and that's that. Some people bring up episodes. I'm like, we did that, really, but it's sort of like the like, the event episodes are the ones that sort of stand out to me. Right, you know, Burt Reynolds came to our set and was was a guest star on the show, or you know,
the camping episode, and you know stuff like that. Right, those sort of event ones stand out more in my mind than just have you ever watched the show Hanging Out in the wallsh house? I watched the I watched the first season and a half with my daughter because she she was she was after a while, she was like, Okay, I don't need to see anymore of that.
She didn't get hooked.
It sucks now. She was like, this was during COVID, so she was twelve thirteen. Maybe, I mean that's kind of been a sweet spot.
Did you want were you like into it? Did you want to keep watching? Or were you like, yeah, let's turn it off.
No, I was okay to turn it off.
Oh No, I can't take my eyes off of it. I can't wait for every week watching another episode. Not only does it just like remind me of who I am and who I was then and how far I've come. Like we've changed, we've changed. It's weird, we've not changed at all, but we've changed so.
Much of course.
Yeah, but when we talk to each other and we are together, all of us, it's as if nothing has changed.
Yeah, we fall back into all the same old patterns, and I love it. Yeah, I do too. I did too. I always look forward to when we're all going to be together because I enjoy that when everybody just reverts back to the way they were in their early twenties, it's awesome.
If you could go back in your life and do it all over again, would you and.
Do it again? Do it all again knowing what I know now?
Yes, you would?
If I could know what I know now? Absolutely?
What is it that you know now that changes that for you?
Oh? I feel like I didn't know anything about how the world worked or what was really like I like, I understood what was happening, but we were in such a bible. Yeah, and I understand it so much better now, like you know, like the TV series that I that I that I do now, it's just a different experience
just because I have so much more experience. And I never I you know, I never you know, on that show, I felt like a hamster on a wheel and I had to just keep running as fast as I could or I was gonna, you know, the wheel was going to overtake me and spit me out right like uh and I and I don't find myself of a feeling like that nowadays. And so if I if I could go back, if I could go back to our show and do it again, knowing what I know now, I would absolutely do that.
Do you think you would have more appreciation for all the little things?
Yeah, I think I would appreciate it more. I think would have I have more fun.
I don't know about that. You had a pretty good time, as I recall.
Yeah I did, okay, Yeah, yeah, well we all did. Okay, Yeah we had we had. We had good times on that show. That's dimming. Like we know, we all talk about how hard. We worked, and we worked and we did we worked incredibly hard, but we had we had
tons of good times. And also I think that's what's bonded us all together, you know, like I said, you know, you know we would we would all go out as a as a group, and you know, especially when we're shooting those like season finale episodes where we were always in a hotel and we would all just stay in the hotel, and it's.
Like our it's like we weren't we were our characters when the camera was rolling, but the second the camera wasn't rolling, we still treated one another as if we were our characters somehow. Like it was so intertwined and woven together and confusing, so confusing, I feel, do you ever feel like you are ten years behind developmentally? Maybe you eight and a half years behind developmentally, like in
your emotional intelligence, perhaps like it you had. Because we didn't go to college, we didn't experience those extremely formative times of you know, learning what independence was. We were all just slammed into being adults, having adult bills and responsibilities and full time jobs at such a young age. And like I said, well, we were in a bubble.
Do you ever feel like because I feel this way, like I didn't develop fully and I had to play catch up like in my thirties and even my forties of just developing emotionally.
Yeah, do you feel that way? I did. Yeah. When I first left the show, I found myself playing catch up, also catch up, like socially and because we were always at work, and it was like, I, you know, I had some growing up to do as well, Like don't I feel like? I feel like that's pretty normal. And I think if you didn't feel like you had to do any growing up, that would be a problem. Yeah.
I didn't dawn on me for a good ten years though that I'm like, I'm living as if I'm that age still, and I'm communicating as if I'm that age, and that doesn't work for a person my age. I should I should be able to handle my emotions in a different way or communicate in a different way, a more mature way. But I just I had relied on that so much for so long.
Of course. Yeah, well, well it's good that you recognized it, but that's totally normal, and I went through the same thing.
That's interesting. I was the only one. No, Well, okay, do you remember that. I love this. I keep remembering things. Do I remember this correctly? You had a really bad racing accident, yes, and you died or almost died.
Oh no, I die. My heart stopped a couple of times.
Where was this? And when was this?
In Sparta, Kentucky, August eleven, two thousand and two, and I, you know, what a big race against it? You know, I was racing Indy lights and so I was raising you know, two hundred mile an hour open wheel oval cars, and and it was doing that. It was my turn to have a big crash, and and I had one. And uh, and they put me in the helicopter that was at the track just in case. And I was, I was bleeding out so fast that inies. Oh I I I broke my broke my nose when I pulled
my nose off my face. Actually it was really disgusting. I broke my orbital bone, my cheekbone, my ocul mantle. Uh, three skull fractures. I broke my back, my ninth thoracic bird of bray. I shattered both my feet. Yeah, that was it, so not too bad. And and then I was I was bleeding so quickly because both of my karateid arteries. You can see those scars I have right there. Those are from my seat belts. So you know, my
seat belts were outside my racing suit. I hit the wall with such impact that my seatbelts cut into my corotid arteries. So I was bleed. I was spraying blood seven feet in the air.
Oh my god, Okay, oh.
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was, it was. It was everything. It was all of the things. And then so they put me in the helicopter to fly me to University of Kentucky to stabilize me and the helicopter. I went back to the track and I met the pilots who flew me in, and I said, so, how bad was that guys when they put me in the back of the helicopter. How bad was I? They were like, oh, dude, you were dead. You were you were you were you Your heart was barely beating. You were bleeding to death
right in front of us. But we were like, yeah, we'll make the trip. Maybe you'll make it. And and and then my heart stopped in the helicopter on the way there, and.
The dogs see anything.
I did not see anything. You didn't see the light, No, that that may just be for the special people. Oh, you're not the special people. I need the good people. You're good.
I think it was there, you just didn't notice it. Oh my god, the blood was in the way or something.
I was I was too busy dying to notice the light that was shining in my eyes.
The story just takes me back to that moment of trauma.
Oh how did you hear about that? Did you see it on TV like on the crawl in the bottom of TV? Or did somebody call you? Did Luke call you?
Maybe I don't remember, Jason, because.
Luke Luke was the first guy to be to be at the hospital when when when I woke up, he was he was there, which was amazing.
He was that way though.
Yeah he was, Yeah, he really was. He was. He was special.
I was in the hospital once with a really bad kidney infection and anemia and he came to visit me. He was the one like at my bedside.
Oh it really that? And And did you did you? Did you tell him what you loved him at that point in time? No?
I never told him. Okay, I mean with words. I think he knew.
I'm pretty sure.
Okay, this is a deep question.
You guys had the funniest relationship. I mean, well, you know, you know, one one minute, you know, one minute you're expressing your love. For the next minute you're sprayed Banaka and his eye, Like, I don't was you guys, you guys were you guys had this this, You guys had this and it was it was fun. It was fun a lot you guys had this like fun for you post pole, post poll, it was, it was, it was fun to watch.
Glad you enjoyed it.
It was the show. Been the show.
Yeah, good times.
Yeah.
I wouldn't trade it for the world though, especially the moment when I sprayed but knock in his eye. Okay, I want to ask, Oh.
My god, do you remember when I was shooting I got I'm gonna backtrack it for one, so remember the sixties episode, the flashback episode that I shot. It wasn't and uh and Luke's character had this like folks bus and he had a wig that's right. Do you remember shooting that?
Nope? What happened? Did something fun happen?
Oh my god? What happened? Uh?
Dylan and Kelly were like in a van.
Yes, they were in a van. And you guys were and you got oh yeah, yeah, you guys were in the van and you guys were making out like like like we literally me and Diana vall time or behind the monitor, like if someone get a bucket of water and we got it.
I feel like.
Maybe and me I was like, no, keep it rolling, just keep keep going, guys, go burter.
You's sick of hilarious. Oh good stuff. Okay, I'm We're going to wrap this up in a minute, but I want to ask you a couple of questions. What do you know in this life without a doubt? What is it that you.
Know without a doubt? Wow? I know I at this point in time in my life. The one thing that I that I well, I mean besides the fact that I love my kids and my kids love me and stuff like that, but I know that that I know how to make stuff like and not just stuff like chairs or chests or drawers, but I know how to make content and and I so I have I have supreme confidence in my abilities to uh to create content.
And that's and that's been you know, that's been a new thing, Like that's really only come to me in probably the last five or six years.
Is that inner confidence like that has just you can't keep it down anymore. You believe it now?
No, yeah, totally, one hundred percent. I mean, you know, because you know, you know, even even sort of in the you know, the middle part of my career as a director, you know, you're always you know, you know, you always question is that the right thing? Or should I do that? Or really you know, you always questioning yourself. And now I just I mean, I'm always questioning myself to make the project better. But but it's not that I am questioning my abilities at all. And that's and
that's been a new thing. And that's and that's the thing that sort of happened to me in my fifties. And I think you know, you know, when I was younger, and I would hear people talk about, oh wait till you get your forties, Wait to get your fifties, man, it all changes. And I think that's what people were
talking about. It's the fact that you just as as your life goes on and you and you you gather more information and you know more stuff because you've done more stuff, you just you get to a point where you're like, I know how to do this now, and and and that that feeling of confidence I think is it's great. It's wonderful to have.
It gives you a sense of freedom, doesn't it that overthinking?
Yeah yeah, and you know who's got time to be insecure? Like, right, let's just let's just get on with it.
I can't waste any more of my precious days on this earth being insecure. I really work. I mean that is so clear to me too. No, it's just not worth it. And I spend so much time doing that being insecure.
Yeah.
Really, I think the industry, I think all of us in the industry are insecure. We don't know where our next job is coming from.
Yep, we don't know.
You know, we know there's somebody else that could do the role we're doing. We just happened to have gotten it.
That's happened to me in the right place at the right time, right, that's available for the money, that's me.
Okay. How do you hope people remember you?
Well? Uh, you know, I just hope people remember me as a as someone who was who's good at their job and you know, good to his friends and loved his family. Like that's all. I don't you know, to talk about legacy is something that. I don't think I'm quite old enough to start doing that yet.
You got to start planning for it, though, I feel like you already Are you already have it?
Well you're tapped in, Well I haven't. Yeah, I got planned, I got planned. Yeah, I'm planning. You know, you get to a certain point you start you start looking to the future and you're like, oh, so, how many more years am I actually going to do this? And how many are how's that going to work? And what am I going to do? And you know, yeah, yeah, I'm working on those plans or like the retirement plans.
Is it a five year or ten year?
Tell me, I'm I'm at ten years, ten years, Yeah, I'm ten years.
Yeah, yeaheah, Okay, then you'll know what sixty I'll be sixty five, sixty five, that's your deadline? Okay.
Yeah, I was going to go with sixty and I back that up to sixty two.
Okay.
But I but I feel like I feel like, look, you know, I still really enjoy what I do, Like, I enjoy acting, I really enjoy directing and producing, you know, so I still really like it. So I'm and my golf game's not that good yet. So until my golf game gets better than my director game, I think I'm going to keep directing. I mean, yeah, how's your great how's your golf game? Have you talked to anybody on this podcast about golfing yet?
No?
I don't think so, because you're a golfer now. You've become a golfer in the last couple of years.
Yeah, I did, and then I got my second Hipper place and I haven't played since, so it's been over years since I played. But I'm actually going to be in a pro am coming up real soon, so I figure I need to start swinging a golf club sometime before then.
Yeah, I'm a little nervous. You're in a pro am. What pro am?
I don't know the name of it off the top of my head. It's in Myrtle Beach.
Wow. Yeah that sounds so professional.
Yeah, it's not. I'm the weak link on the team.
You're on the am side, not the pro side.
For sure. Oh man, I love hearing about your plans for the future because I have plans to, Like, I want to be out when i'm sixty. I want to have the choice when i'm sixty to really do only and I'm kind of there now. I've been making some hard choices in my life about what I want to do and what I don't want to do. Like, is there ever a time for you when you know, you get offered a job, an acting role, and you're like, I don't I don't want to do that. I want to spend my time on a set yep, acting.
Yes, I do. I say, I say no to a lot of projects and it's and and to have that kind of freedom is is wonderful m hm. You know, because you know, God knows that you know the life of anyone who works in the entertainment business. You know, sometimes you got to take that job you don't really want to do because you got two kids in private school, and sometimes these things just happen. But I've been I've been fortunate the last I don't know, five six, seven
years that that I've been. Uh, you know, I get I get offered enough projects that that are compelling to me and that I and that I want to pursue, and so I'm able to turn down a lot of stuff that I really don't want to do.
Is there a project that you regret doing?
Oh my god, so many yes, Yes, yes, yeah, Oh my, oh my god, jeez, the highwaymen, that was that was that didn't turn out the way that I thought it was going to. Oh, fancy dancing. That didn't turn out the way I thought it was. What? Oh yeah, no, no, please don't wait.
It about dancing.
I just need to know, you lose all respect for me if you ever it's okay, here's the google. This is Yes, yes you can. Of course you can.
Good times tonight, people, of course you can.
I mean you'll never get that ninety minutes back of your life, I promise.
Fancy dancing and that shut down.
Oh my god, I love it.
You're so honest. I love it so much.
So.
You're approaching the season finale of your current show, wild Cards on the CW.
Yes, that's right, that's right.
How many seasons have you done?
This is the this is the season two only.
Season two? What was the show before?
Because I'm come before that, I was. I did a show for five years called Private Eyes.
Private Eyes, Okay, yeah, wild Cards is completely different, people.
Wild Cards is a different show. Yes, and it's you know, you know, I play the dad now I'm now I've got I've run the whole damn it. In my career, I started as the engine and now I'm the father of the engenue.
How's that feels? Like? Really? Like, really tell me how does that feel?
You know what, I'll tell you how it feels. It feels awesome because I don't have to carry the freight every day. I like, I just drop in every once in a while while do a couple of scenes, and then i'm you know, I'm home sucking to brew. It's amazing.
Sucking a brew. Wait, you don't go home and suck Bruce. You don't do that. I know that about you.
No, I don't. That's a that's just a funny line that actually that Tim Allen used to say on whatever show he was doing, and the DP told me, but he was like yeah, And then the kids all thought he was saying home sucking a broom, and so they didn't understand it was You are.
Just you have had so many experiences with so many different people. That's one of the reasons I love talking to you, because you have great stories and you're a great storyteller. I'm not the best storyteller. I need people to fill in all my blanks. That you're such a good conversationalist. And also just like I thought, I'm really not just saying all this to make you like me more.
But but you even like at our fan events, you're the guy on our team, our cast, that is the one that's like, come right in, take this picture with us, like you're in charge of us. You tell us where to sit, we do it. I think whatever were always defer to you, like what Jason, what should we do? You're like the big brother.
I don't. Yeah, But again that's the way it was back on the show, too, right. For some reason, I just I took on that mantle right well, I mean I was number one in the call sheets, so it was it was my job, job, and it's just it's just sort of remained my job just in your genes, it is so. And so that being said in furtherance to your previous question, So you know, like being being number one in the call sheet for as long as I have been, you know, being number five on the
call sheet is like super liberating. I really I kind of I kind of dig it. I like, for real, it's fun. It's fun. It's fun to not have to just be top to bottom every day and carry the freight and you know, drive every scene like it's it's fun to just kind of be a passenger for a minute.
And you feel fulfilled.
Oh yeah, And then.
What do you do when you're not working?
I fly back home, because that's how little I work on that show. It's amazing, like a fly a flight to Vancouver for four days and shoot three episodes in those four and then come home and then be at home and you know, taking care.
Of my kids and doing pilates.
And doing pilates. That's right, you guys.
I saw Jason not that long ago, a couple of weeks ago, and you look amazing. You're in such great shape.
Thanks, Yes, definitely.
Not sitting back sucking bruise.
So so so Naomi, who you know, Ny only opened a pilate studio here in Nashville, and so I've been going to her pilate studio a lot, just you know, to support my wife. And somewhere along the somewhere along the way, I've discovered it. It's a pretty awesome workout if you do it really regularly. And so it's been it's been really good. I've been really enjoying it.
I never, in my wildest dreams thought Jason Priestley would be doing plates. But I have to tell you, I want to do pilates in the same class as you. That would be so fun.
All right, Well come here anytime.
Oh yeah, your wife is rad She's always been an inspiration.
It's so cool.
You're such a lucky man.
I certainly am every day.
I don't want our conversation to end, but I know we all have other things to do in life before I let you go, though, Jason Priestley, what was your last I choose me moment?
You know what? I choose me almost every day when I go to pilates, because it is a totally selfish endeavor. And whether I'm going there or I'm just going to the gym, you know, I work out six days a week.
But that's not selfish. I got to stop you.
That's not selfishish. It is no, no, no, no, no.
It's not selfish because you have to take care of yourself so that you can be there for your kids and you have to stay healthy.
Well, that's true.
You're taking care of yourself so you can be a better caretaker and okay, father figure.
Yes, okay, okay, okay.
I don't want you to feel like it's selfish.
Okay, I don't. I don't think itself is in a bad way, but I think it's I feel like it's it is. It is a self serving act in a way, you know. I also I also want to keep myself in shape so I feel better. Yes, right, I mean, I, you know, being being there for my kids and being a better father for my kids, and it's sort of a byproduct of it. But I feel you know, I don't.
I don't ever want to be that guy. And I was talking to another actor friend of mine about this the other night and just talking about you know, like getting older and how you know, as we get older, our bodies start eating all our muscle masks, and so it's really important to you know, to resistance train and keep your skin bag full so you get because if you know, once your body eats all its muscle, then then your bones start to get brittle, and then you
fall over and you break a hip and next thing you know, you're, uh, you're home sucking to brew. Now that doesn't work there, I mean.
The aging thing. It's good to know that you have conversations like that with your friends, because I do too. Yeah, conversations I never saw myself having, but they matter. They mean something to me. And sharing like knowledge and information with people my same age worrying or thing thinking or focusing on the same things is so important. Yeah, that's one of the reasons I love doing this podcast because we can really share a lot of a lot of information with a lot of people. And I think you're
that message of that. What you're doing and choosing yourself for yourself and as a byproduct for your family, there's nothing wrong. That's that's what it's all about, is taking care of yourself because guess what, nobody else is going to do it.
That's right, that's right.
I learned so much about you today. You danced with Britney Spears and you did a show called Fancy Dancing.
Uh, the guy who would never dance.
Exactly, Brandon Walsh doesn't dance. You guys, everybody knows that. I don't want to say goodbye. I love you so much.
Thank you, Jenny, I love you too. It's been really nice to talk to you today.
I'll see you soon, I hope.
Okay, I hope so too.
Give Naomi and the kids my love.
I sure will love to your girls. Jack