Misspelling with Tory spelling an iHeartRadio podcast.
Eric Roberts, who were just in Dubai.
Yeah, I was in Dubai.
What were you filming? Because I know you're always working.
I wasn't filming. I was showing up and going high and Eric Roberts and isn't as beautiful whatever? It was that kind of thing.
Okay, wall I'm not going to make this about me, but I'm gonna make this about me. I was just saying, I want to go to Dubai. See you flew wait wait. When we were working on Dancing with the Stars, I remember we had show night one night and then I mean, you guys, it's a maddening schedule, wonderfully fulfilling, but it's crazy, an epic and it doesn't stop. And I remember it show night and you had to get on a plane the next morning to go to New York and then
come back learn in another dance for another week. And you were fine, You just keep going.
Well, that's my life, and I love my life, even though it's a little crazy sometimes but it's great fun and they and occasionally they pay me.
Well, that's but that's what I love about you. Like, do you wait, I have a question. Do you ever go anywhere for pleasure or you guys always just working and then you fit the pleasure.
My pleasure is coming home. That's my vacation. That's all the animals greet me. The wife is here, and we have a great place where we don't have any neighbors. We have lots of land. You know, it's just it's heaven.
Could we create like a commune because I love animals, I have five kids, I love your wife, and you have lots of land. I'm just putting it out there because I'm putting things out in the universe. I'm just kidding. Wait, tell me about your animals. I'm a huge animal person.
Well, we have everything you can think we have. We have horses, we have chats, we have dogs, we have a scroll sanctuary. We have a raccoon family who we've taken care of for many generations. And we have a coy pond with all kinds of fancy koi fish, one great big guy who's white with the red nose, who we named Rudolph. And yeah, but the cool story is
a squirrel sanctuary. We found a hurt scroll many years ago, and eighteen years ago found hurt scrool in the yard, and we take it to wherever you take it and they fix it and they call us, can and bring it back? Sure? They come back, they say, oh, you have all these trees, can bring all the hurt scrolls when they get well here, we said sure. Three hundred scrolls later, we have a scroll sanctuary, and the and the city gives us one hundred pounds of walnuts every
month to feed the squirrels. So and they're all hand tamed, and they freed people out when they come to their property because they they walk towards to it with their hands out to eat, and everybody gets like freaked out. But it's just heaven here. That's that's what I do. When I'm all.
I'm literally speechless right now. I never say no, I'm not. This is mind blowing because my dream is to have an animal sanctuary. I slowly started to build that dream. Obviously, you know my history, you know, born in Hollywood, grew up in Beverly Hills. My dad loved animals, and so together we would always talk about animals, and one day
in animal sanctuary. So I slowly started to move out of you know the West Side, and Hollywood because you can't have animals and land affordably there, and moved to the valley and at one point had a property where I think we had like thirty animals, pigs, goats, chickens, and it was the life. I really wanted to give my kids a little bit of a change of plans right now, as life loves to throw curveballs and then
you just keep going. But I want to get back to that because I really believe in animals and humans. It's just such a beautiful So were you always the animal person or Eliza or No.
We're both animal people and we got together, so.
We're animal people together.
We're animal people, and we became a farm.
I'm a big believer in animals. Have you ever had a pig?
I've had any pigs in my life. Yes, pigs are really cool. In fact, the most famous pig in our world belonged to George Clooney many years ago. He had a pig and it was a Babe Magnet one percent.
And I got into my love of pigs through Luke Perry, who I believe George Clooney had fed him into getting a pig, and he had Jerry Lee Lewis and who always came to set. So I was like, one day, I'm going to have a pig, and yeah, we have Wilbur. Wilbur the pig.
How cute.
But yeah, so animals, Oh my gosh. So we are in the Dancing with the Stars finale and I got to say, we had rehearsals all weekend. It was really good to be back.
I love being back. I love that group. What amazes me about that group, and I've been around a lot of groups in my life, is that crew. They're two hundred and fifty strong. They're the biggest crew I've ever been around, and they're all in sync, and they all like each other, and they all like us what least, they act like they do, and they're fantastic. They are the most incredible crew I've ever worked with.
So one day we were having like a training session and everybody was around and you actually said that to everybody, and I remember sitting there thinking, Wow, I mean, you've been on a gazillion cruise in sets and you would know, but I've had the same experience. I have never been with a kinder crew that every single person for top to bottom and everywhere in between. Wants to be there. They're passionate, they're kind. No one talks bad. You know,
there's no gossip, no gossip, which is great. As a girl, I hate the gossip. But what a great experience. And our time was cut short. Yours was longer than mine.
Well, I got to tell you. The bad thing is we got cut. But the good thing is we didn't have to learn another dance. That's hard work. It's hard work. It's it's not really fun because you have to really devote yourself to it. And and I am not a dancer, so it's like it's like asked me to throw a shot put. It's the same thing. I'm not to throw a shot put. I'm not a dance But I did it for my wife who is very happy, and uh
and I and I love giving to my wife. Finally something fun and you know, so that's why I was there. And it was fun because of brit my partner. She was so fantastic.
Ritz Stewart is an amazing, amazing human. All the pros are they're awesome, They're really great. And I mean you know this, being on sets, you get really attached because you're in not a bubble, but in something that no one else can fully completely understand unless you're in it, and you're in it with those people for a certain amount of time that you'll never have again. So you
get very close, very fast, hopefully. And from what I'm hearing and that, we've had one of the best seasons of the best cast and the best pros and everybody truly got along and it was just so incredible to be there. I do want to ask you, because brit has talked about it publicly, I was really wanting to see your dedication week. Are you okay to talk about that?
Sure? Of course, because my dedication week is my to my favorite singer songwriter who happens to be in my family. But he's just I mean, when you hear is Steph, you go, oh, That's why Eric loves him, because he's that good. He's like incredible, and I'm just so proud of him and I'm so moved by his work. And so that's who I was going to dedicate everything too, and we're going to have him play too. He was going to get to play on the show.
I know. I heard that, and Britt was so moved and she was telling the story on social media and literally brought me to tears listening to her and her adoration for you and care and she it was nice that she was like, I want you guys to know that this was important to my partner and we wanted to do it, and I wanted to see him do this because what I guess what everyone doesn't know is right up front in the season and they kind of throw a lot of things at you and they go
really far, like it almost makes you believe you're going to be there a really long time. They're like, you know, what Disney film do you want to do? What dedication? You know? And you're like, wow, that's week five, that's week six, I'm going to be there, and you start to believe, which is good. And yeah, so I the dedication week though, that was something I was hoping personally
to be there. I was going to dedicate it to my friend Shannon Doherty that I lost this year, who globally everyone lost a true warrior and amazing human.
Yeah, we love Shannon and she.
For everyone out there, you know, fighting so hard and still championing through. I wanted to dedicate it to them, and also dedicate it to the human that she elevated me to be because I don't know if I would have done Dancing with the Stars on some level if it wasn't for her. She before she passed, really encouraged me to find me again and to have my voice and have my confidence. So yeah, the dedication week, I wish. I wish they had done sooner. I wish everyone could have done it.
Wouldn't that have been fun?
Yeah? That would have been beautiful. Although your hair metal I was there for you were great.
I mean, thank you so much, thank you so much.
I love that one that was That was one of my favorites. What Disney one were you going to do? Do you remember?
I don't remember, Uh, Elijah, do you remember you.
Were going to do your granddaughter George's favorite one?
Oh yeah, yeah, Georgia, like my oldest grandchild, Georgia, she's five, and it was some from some movie she loved and I don't remember what it was.
Now I didn't have one. It was probably fate stepping in. They kept saying, hey, we gotta know, we got to know what's your Disney movie? And I'm like, with five kids, I have so many, And I was like, am I supposed to be the typical blonde princess, like I want to be a villain, though I'm always the good girl, like I don't know so many thoughts. I know everyone talks about your enormous body of work, which is enormous. I hope you're okay with me mentioning something because I'm
a huge horror fan. You were in Human Centipede.
I asked to be in that movie. I had read that one and two and I called them and I said, hey, you guys are making part three, put me in it. And they said, what do you mean? I said, I just want to be associated with that, with that beast that you guys you created. Put me in it. So they made me a senator who was all freaked out by the creature.
So you were number three, right?
Yeah?
Oh wait that so I'm a huge horror fan, like a sick horror fan. It doesn't matter a list B list, like I've seen every horror film ever made. Human Centipedes. You could tell I'm getting really passionate right now, I'm getting loud. Sorry, Human Centipede is one of my favorites. And hey, it's not for everyone, And definitely when you say that to someone, they they're like, but.
For anyone under fifteen years old. That's how I feel about it. It is so gross and so oh my god, what is that that you can't show children that movie? Ah?
Oh, that's where I went wrong.
You can't show children in that movie.
Yeah, of course, Eric Roberts, I've never showed my children that movie. Yeah, but no, it's one of my favorites. So you're a huge horror fan.
Oh yeah, I love horror movies. Made a bunch of horror movies. I've made probably half a dozen, and I just love them. My favorite horror movie of all time, though, is because I was such a little boy when I saw it, and it scared me for months and months and months I dreamed about it. And it's called The Tingler starring Peter Lourie. I have to look it up. It's all black and white film, a caterpillar about about two feet long, about eight inches wide, and it goes
into movie theaters and kills people. But as a little boy, oh my god, it scared me so bad.
The Tingler. I'll have to watch that and any others. What are your top three? So Tingler and what other two?
Well? The first and the second wolf Man with long Chaney Junior are epic, epic epic films, and of course the first Dracula talkie.
Oh you're going old school here.
I just like good horror movies as opposed to boo movies. I like a story. I like to get into the character, feel sorry for him that he's evil. Oh my god, you know.
Yes?
Yeah?
Are there any current ones that you enjoy? Have you seen Hereditary?
I have not? Should I?
Yes?
Okay, yes, watch Hereditary. It's it has the gore, it has, but it has the story. The acting is great. Dare I say it's an artsy, you know, horror film, but yeah, it's it's very well done. Oh my gosh, can we do a horror film together?
Sure?
Loved to Elizac and the three of us do a horror film together? Yes, Oh my god, I would lose my mind. Okay, so no one here probably knows, but Eric and I have this. Dancing with the Stars is not the first time we have worked together. We did a show. It was his series on ABC called Less Than Perfect, and I came in as a guest star, which to this day, and I'm not just saying this because you're on my podcast. I'm not just saying this because I was just on Dancing with the Stars. I
tell everyone this story. I really do, because going way back, I try to play it cool, but I'm a big fan girl of yours. But aside from that, it is very difficult sometimes to be a guest star going on to someone else's show. I know that because I was doing nine O two and oh, and I was always super welcoming to anyone that was on the show because I know it's hard and it's scary, and you're there to show up and do your best work, and it makes it so much easier when people are inclusive and
welcome you and not by me. But I did see at times on nine O two and oh maybe that didn't happen and everyone was young and going through their own stuff, but it was a huge thing for me. And when I went on Less than Perfect, I got to say, you were unbelievable to me. We had scenes together, but you welcome me, you made me feel comfortable, and it was one of the best experiences. And I love multiicam, I love comedy, but doing that show, I felt really great, and I got to say it was because of you.
Well good for me. I'm glad to hear that story. Thank you.
It's so true.
I've always been a fan. I've always been amazed by your existence, your life, how you've handled it. And I like you. You're fun to hang out with.
I like you too, and you're really here's the thing I feel like, having watched your movies, having seen you, you're disarming. I got to say you disarmed me that day because I walked in not nervous, but nervous of your presence, because you're epic, you're a legend, and you've played some like sketchy characters. I was like, I don't know what he's going to be like. But I came into it with no preconceived notions other than just watching
your movies. And that was it. And I came in and you were so charming and so funny and so likable, and I was like, oh my gosh, I'm home. Like it hugged me and I was just like, and when we went back to Dancing with the Stars, I'm just this human. I was like, oh my god, he's done fifty million things. I don't know if he's even gonna remember that was one episode I worked on years ago. He won't even remember. And you saw me and you remembered me, and I was blown away by that.
Well, I'm a fan of I'm a fan of your life.
I'm a fan of yours too. I'm a huge fan of your wife's as well.
Me too.
I know she's the best, Eliza. Will you pop on?
I will.
Certainly.
Well.
Look at the idea I stole from Carry Anne and Nava.
Oh my god, did you make that yourself?
No?
I wish I was crafty like that. I'm so not crafty Amazon, I said up all night made it.
For it was a crafty too. Oh my gosh. If he's an animal lover, he's charming, he's funny, he's a fan of mine, and he crafts. If he crafted too, I might have to steal him, Eliza.
Yeah, it's time to share, time to share.
You've had him for what is it, thirty two years?
Yeah?
Thirty two years?
Yeah, give or take? Okay? Cool? Oh I like that? Wait where did you get that?
You mean this?
Yes?
Amazon?
Everything from Amazon?
You guys not to shamelessly promote.
But yeah, you're so jealous and you saw your Carry Anne's captain. Oh I want Oh my god, I was inspired.
I wasn't jealous Tory, the sides lesson perfect. I think the first day we saw you at dancing, I also reminded you that you came and read for my mom and me for I believe it was her TV movie either Who Gets the Friends or the Other Woman and you're a little girl and you and and my mom just immediately she just said that girl is special. I love her. She just loved you. She absolutely loved you. Oh my gosh, yeah, yeah, you came in an auditioned. It was so great.
That was when you told me that story, it like warmed my heart because it included my dad and I know, yeah, so it made me really really happy because it's you know, it hasn't always been easy. No, we conceived notions nebo babies. No, I think I feel like I started nebo babies. I don't even know why.
Well, because you were you kind of were ahead of your time.
But you know, there's there wasn't nebo baby. Then it was nepotism, and it was like, we're spelling, she can't act because her father's famous. It's it's them, Okay, So I believe them.
Family businesses aren't just our business. I mean carpenters a lot of times there are kids, you know, lawyers die, they all passing down.
We all do that.
But why are we scrutinized so much?
Whereas it because we have the jobs everybody in the world wants. Everybody wants our job. Everybody thinks they can do our job. And the the the better you are at our job, the easier you make it look. So everybody thinks they can do it. It's hard acting, but if you're good, you make it look easy. So somebody thinks I can do that.
You're right. And I always hear the word over and over for in this business. I guess thirty five years now forty glamorous. I know, oh boy, I know.
It's so it's the myth in Eric's book. You kind of busts that myth a little because even though he was telling you about our house, we do. You have like a large front yard and a lot of land. You know, the house is also falling apart and in need of all kinds of love and help. And I mean, this is a job.
I got a story for you the other day. Beautiful windows in our kitchen And the other day I'm opening one and it comes out the out of the frame. Whoa, I got a window in my handle LEI but it gets to all carefully, don't break it. I mean it was and that's our house.
Oh my god, you do all you do the work too?
Please? No, I do not. I am an actor.
Okay, good. I couldn't take him Collins. I was about to lose my mind, Thank god. Okay, don't tell me. You cook too, Eric, I cook, but.
I'm not handy. I do not do repair work. I did not fix it up. I oh it's alyk. I'll take care of that. I'm not that guy.
But you cook.
And that's and then we were talking about baking, right we were okay, So Tori, we have to tell you because Keaton Keaton Simons is the person that Eric was doing his dedicate. You never said his name.
I didn't know.
It's okay. It gives people something to research. But our daughter, Morgan Simons of Pie Bakeshop, PI Bakeshop because you have five kids, a lot of birthdays the pie sign, so she is We're very lucky because she's a chef. She's a professional chef, and in culinary school her least favorite
instructor was the pastry and baking person. So she decided to play against the material and really kick ass and impress him because it was impossible, and she became this unbelievable constructor of these magical cakes.
She's such an incredible baker and artist that one year she gave her brother a cake that was a guitar in a real guitar case. He thought it was a real guitar.
Yeah, when they presented to him in hotel cafe and his angel case with a candle in it, and LeVar Burton was there and Tia Carra, everybody can tell the story. And Keaton first said, why is there a candle in my guitar? And then he realized, he said, why is my sister being my guitar tech today? And give him me? And then he put it together. Oh it's my birthday and it's a cake.
Oh my gosh. Was this before what's that show?
It was before the shows where they do that, right, She just like was doing it heat of her time. Yeah, it's great. So if you ever decide that you want to love baking, she'll come over and she can make you love baking.
Well, here's the thing I feel like in life, where either we bake or we cook I'm really good at cooking. I put all my heart and soul into it. I think we talked a little bit about this yestoray and I like, throw, yeah, if it's not on the ceiling, then it wasn't made by me, and it's not with love, and it's not execute it right. I'm really messy, but I'm really proud. I'm like a mad scientist in the kitchen. Now when it comes to baking. I'm not saying I
can't bake. I can bake, but it's a precision thing and that's not my thing, right, right, right. But my daughter is an amazing baker. She's also good at math. So you know which what age? Stella, who is sixteen? And oh, I'll have to introduce you guys. It was such a mad rush the two shows I was on. But at the finale, I want to introduce everyone to my family Dancing with the Stars and beyond. But it I mean, I think it's one of her dreams in life.
She's very specific. She wants to own a bakery in Japan. Oh wow, she's had this dream. She's been baking since she was four years old. She's outstanding to the point where I kind of just stand back in the kitchen because she so, yeah, she's a junior in high school, but it's kind of like she's like doing all this math and stuff, which I know she will need for baking, but I'm like, gosh, all the other stuff. I'm like, yeah,
just get through it. But you're creative, you are, and you know what your dream is, so we should connect them for sure.
And I agree with your philosophy about school. I think that you know the part of it that makes kids hate school, we just need to not take that so seriously, especially if you already are what you are, and then just go ahead and let that blossom. I think that's beautiful.
Right for me, It's an archaic notion that was set up so long ago.
Of this.
You have science, you have history of this. Everyone was putting into one box. And you know, growing up, even I'm not that old, but even back and I still to this day have trouble getting past the fact that I failed algebra like twice. I felt dumb and I always say that word and it's taken me years to realize I'm smart. Cookie, I'm a really smart woman. And it's funny because school is supposed to enhance our academic you know, knowledge and process and create us and in
some ways it conforms us and it's a bummer. And nowadays we let our kids kind of dictate who they are at a young age, and I love that. So yeah, all my kids I kind of know exactly the types they are.
I think that's so great. More parents should be like that. One of the things that Keaton also did, besides all of his music, there's a thing called the Natural Child Project, and they put out a book called The Unschooling Manual, and they wanted an audiobook and they loved his voice, so they had him read it. He was so inspired by that. Is like we do we need to update that whole concept because so many kids are just oppressed by it, and like you said about yourself, they start
to feel bad about themselves. It's baseless, and then you can't get rid of it, you know. So I agree with you. That's beautiful. Your kids are very lucky.
Thank you. But yes, I would love to be a force to advocate to change that. Wait, Eric, tell me about your book.
Well, it took me a couple of years to write it, and it's the story of my life so far. I'm very honest about myself and my misgivings and my journey, and the love of my wife and the love of my family, and the love of what I do for a living, and the fact I'm lucky enough to be able to do it pretty much every day, and just I have a life worth living, and hopefully made it clear in the book. It's called Runaway Train. Runaway publisher named it. I made the movie. They named the book.
It's already out. It's been out for about ten days, and he's doing very well.
Did you do the audio recording of it already?
Right?
Did?
And the audio version is actually better than the written than the printed version, because I got in the audio room with my wife and we had a field day and change a bunch of stuff. Didn't tell them. We just did it. So it's out there. It's a little different from the book, sophy. I recommend the audio version.
Awesome. You have such a great voice. I probably should know this. Have you done many voiceovers?
I've done a lot of voice work. Yeah, other people's books.
I put like animation, narration, I've done narrations.
I've done it. In fact, I have a movie out right now that I'm very proud of Hippo. Hippo, I do the narration for the whole film. It's probably the best movie I've been associated with in my adult life. Maybe maybe, maybe that's true. Anyway, it stars my wife and these other two actors that are phenomenal. Oh my god, it's basically a three character piece. And I'm only bragging about it because I can because she The movie is
so good and she's so good in it. Wait you see it, and it really You know my wife I've known since nineteen ninety three when we coached on the movie together. She's an elite actor. But the world doesn't know that until Hippo. Wait you see Hippo. It's gonna blow your mind. And she proves to the world she's elite. And the movie is phenomenal, and these kids in it are phenomenal. And I'm a snob. I don't think anybody's that good. My wife kills it. Oh my god, she's phenomenal,
and it's just a cool movie. Hip Hop.
I have heard amazing things. I'm excited to see you.
Oh my god, it's a good movie.
Everyone's hippo. You guys are the ultimate duo, not just married, not just partners, not just best friends. But you start together, you produce together. Like everything package we have.
We have a good time together. We even have a good time fighting.
You know, it's like, it's not clarify that one why she likes she.
Like tells me no, and I'll say yes, no, yes, no, and we'll do that and both like, okay, let's start over. And we know we uh, we like each other.
We don't sweat it so much anymore.
And we like each other. And you know when when when we disagree, it's because we have a difference of opinions. So we explore that and we and it's fun. And my wife is much smarter than I am, so I love what I learned all the time from I'm a professional student and that's why I'm an actor. I love learning, and she's a great teacher. We have great time.
And I've spent a lot of time with them together. And I'm a believer in love and an epic romantic. I have five kids with my soon to be ex husband, but we're still very close. And I want to find what you guys have. I want to grow with somebody because I'm on my next phase in my life. You know, my fifties my second chapter. Yeah, so I don't know if I want to find an Eric or in Eliza or a combination of both.
Combinations to grow old. It's really fun to go old. The only bad thing I'm growing old is you eventually die. But if you didn't die, growing old is such a wonderful journey. We're having so much fun.
Right, can we change that other part? Maybe there's a way still.
I know well you, I mean, you guys work together too. I'm still glad to know that you're still close. That's so important.
But Tori, you are done. You're going to find that because it's very different when your kids are growing up. Already you have these freedoms that.
You guys that you really never had, and they right and so now and plus your priorities are already you already know your priorities. And it's a great test for the person that you partner with because since your priorities are your kids, then then that person's gonna know that going in. And you know, it's just like we're not we're not putting on our best Sunday everything anymore. We're just who we are. So I am You're just.
So wonderful I think that your next chapter in terms of romance is going to be just the best. That's my self.
Well, I'm I'm excited. One thing about me is I never lose hope. I am a big believer in believing, and I believe so hard in everything ebbs and flows, you know, professionally, romantically, financial, life. I'd never give up hope. And that's a great thing for people to have to keep going. Yes, so listen, this is amazing. I am loving this interview. I love both of them so much so. Dancing with the Stars finale Tuesday nights. Eric and I are performing in it. Everyone's back the entire season, all
the cast. It's so nice to be reunited and it feels so good, and we've all been working hard and we plan to put on an epic show and I'm blessed to be a small part of it. Small, but I'm throughout it. May I ask you about this because I would be amiss if I didn't. My seven year old is obsessed with Christmas movies, like obsessed, and I was telling him, I'm like, oh, I'm interviewing and interviewing.
I don't interview, I'm talking with my friends today. I'm talking with Eric Roberts and he's on Dancing with the Stars and I showed him. He's like, oh yeah, because he came, oh you're back. I was just about to say.
I was telling my seven year old boy Bo this morning that I was talking with you today, and I showed him your picture and he remembered because it came to Bow shows I was in and he's coming back to the finale and he's like, oh yeah, oh yeah, like and I said, I was telling Eliza he's obsessed with Christmas movies. And I was looking up, you know, current stuff that you were doing, and I saw Sants's cousin, Yes, and I go, Bo, your friend Eric here, look and
he was like, oh, he's very excited. And it's wait, it's coming out in a few days.
Yes.
So it's premiering at the Las Crusis Film Festival on December fourth. And Eric doesn't know this yet, but he's flying down there because I'm working on something. There's another one out too, called the the Best Christmas Pageant Ever. That's a beautiful one. It's in theaters. You I'm obsessed with Christmas movies too, Yes she is, but this one's in theaters. It has Lauren Graham, it has Judy.
Greer and I love her so much.
Oh god, Tori, So you have any careers, You're going to adword this movie. It's in theaters. Go to the theater. But the Santa's cousin is going to be so fabulous for bo it's so much fun. I'm missus clause he's Santa.
Yes, he's very excited. So he's excited to see you in it, because you know, you know, when there's seven, like, they don't understand. I can't tell him your body of work. I tell it. He doesn't know who I am. He doesn't know what I've been in Dancing with the Stars. He said to me, Mom, I love you, but it's very long to sit in that audience. And I'm like, oh, he's right, He's right, you know, but he's seven. He's like, can I watch it on tis crafty and clever? He said,
could I watch it on TV? How about that? And I said, no, baby, I want you there because this is a moment we'll never get back in time, and I would love you there. I did not tell him it's a three hour show though I finale is three hours. Ye, it's rough, but he'll be very excited to see you in person because you're in Santa's Cousin and play Santa Claus. Wait, you play Santa Claus or Santa's cousin who steps in this?
You'll see I play Santa Claus. But you'll see I don't want to wreck the story. You'll love it. It's a kids dream the story. You'll love it.
And I know Jonathan Stoddard and he's in it. Correct, great guy, he's great. So yes, very very excited. Now I know you're going to film today because you're juggling a million things at once. What are you filming today today?
I play I play a lawyer who's in the wrong room at the wrong time and dies. Oh no, I died today. And they said, do you have anything that you don't mind getting blood on? I said no, I don't. They said, okay, we'll address you. So that's what's happening.
Wow, okay, so you heard it here. So he's going to film today. He did this with me today. Thank you. I'm so grateful you're going to film today. You're dying today, and then you're going to be on Dancing with the Stars tomorrow. So it's like, hey, I.
Love another every day. And I'm also very lucky. You know, actors, actors, you know, your whole life is spent trying to get on a set, and you know I live on sets.
I love that. Do you do your own stunts? Ever?
No, You're like, no, Remember the Summons Association in nineteen eighty two because of Bob Fosse in nineteen eighty six and doing then I did a bunch of little stunts and then nineteen eighty six and I'm when when I went under my own stunts for a runaway train, I slipped a little bit on outside of the train and I scared myself and I realized I'm not a stunt man. I am an actor. In fact, I'm an actress. I'm
an actor. I'm not at all physical. So I decided I'd never do a stunt again, and I never have, and I'm happy to talk about have you.
Done your own toy stunts?
I do try to do it as much as I can. I just got back from filming a movie in Florida and Everglades, and with my new found dancing skills and confidence, I went in and I'm supposed to be in a swamp, you know, here's a Beverly Hills girl throwing me into a swamp. You know, woman in peril movie. It's a great movie. It's a thriller. I had so much fun, great class, great director, great crew. But they were like,
you're gonna be in the Everglades. There's alligators, there's swamps, and I was like, throw me in because I'm trying really hard at this point in my life to live without fear. I wow, lived with a lot of fear for the first fifty years.
Yeah.
And my dad, who was my hero, but you know, if he were here today, he would tell everyone he had a lot of fears. And I really took that on a lot of it and I don't want my kids to have that, right. So, Dancing with the Stars, I was scared, going to do it, swamps with alligators and airboats. I was scared, But I'm going to do it.
Wow, that's so great, I'm telling you, because fear based.
Reactions finding a partner after fifty you know, fifty one, I'm.
Going to do it all right, right, it's aired.
But I'm gonna do it. Yeah.
Yeah, Yeah, that's that's really that's so inspiring. That's so inspiring because serves a purpose, but it's limited to like, don't get a car in a car with a kidnapper. I mean, you know, it's we we overuse that particular trigger we do and unfortunately boxes us in and we realize it too late. You're realizing it at a perfect time.
That's great, right, And yeah, I'm trying to swap fear with dream. So if I can dream and I can do it, I'm eliminating that and just pushing through it.
Yeah.
Well, you're beautiful and dancing with the stars just beautiful. So and even a little thing that we're doing for the finale is gorgeous to see what you're doing. So excited.
Thank you. I'm very excited. I can't wait. I will see you guys tomorrow. Have a great day. Dying today, Eric, because I love how you live.
So I got to tell you I love dying. I've died lots. In fact, I had a fan send me a montage of all times I've died, Oh my god, hundreds. And I had another fan who didn't know that fan semi montage with all the people I have killed thousands. I've been a busy guy when it comes to death.
Wow, Eliza, your husband's rad.
It's pretty rad.
You guys are amazing. I love you very much. You're near and dear in my heart, and I would love to stay in touch. People always say stay in touch, but there's people that touch your lives and keep coming back into your lives and you feel like there's a reason and a purpose and so yeah, thank you guys. I'll see you on the ballroom floor tomorrow.
Yeah,