¶ Introduction & Welcome, actor / writer / director takes center stage as he invites us into the world of his new rom-com, "." This heartfelt conversation uncovers Max's motivations behind creating a film that authentically represents queer experiences. With co-star by his side, Max opens up about navigating the New York City dating scene as a plus-size gay man and his deep love for the 90s rom-com classics that inspired him. Their camaraderie and shared vision infuse the project with a unique energy, promising a love story that is both universally relatable and refreshingly genuine.As if that weren't enough, we also share the spotlight with the multi-talented , who talks about his new series, "," on . David's enthusiasm for genre storytelling and his journey through iconic roles in films like "", "" and "" reveal his dedication to pushing creative boundaries. From memorable filming locations in New York to exploring the transformative power of acting and storytelling, this episode is a celebration of creativity, connection, and the joy of storytelling in both film and television.-------------------------- is now streaming. !--------------------------Get all the Pop Culture Weekly podcast info you could want including extra content, uncut interviews, photos, videos & transcripts at Watch celebrity interviews at !Read the latest at
In this episode of pop Culture Weekly, I talk with the one to know Lyad David dest Mauchin all about the brand new Apple TV Plus series Murder Bot, and Max Talisman and Joey Polari joined to discuss their movie Things Like This.
Let's go Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from my Heart Radio your pop culture news, views, reviews and celebrity interviews on all the movies, TV, music and pop culture u CRABE Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon.
No No, no NTT, Hello and welcome to the pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon. I of course am Kyle McMahon. I thank you as always for joining me for another episode of pop Culture Weekly. You know the drill. We've got your all access passed to the stars and biggest stories and buzziest releases in entertainment, and today's episode is
no different. It is stacked with talent. First up, we're going to be joined by Max Talisman and Joey Polari, the dynamic duo behind the new rom com Things Like This. They will be dishing on everything from the making of the film to the importance of authentic queer storytelling and what it was like bringing their on screen chemistry to life. Max has a very interesting story behind his reason for, you know, writing and directing and starring in this film.
I think it's a pretty important story to tell, and I'm glad that he's telling it on Pop Culture Weekly. Then the one and only David des Maushin stops by to talk about his killer new Apple TV Plus series Murder Bot. Yes it's sci fi, Yes it's crazy, and yes David brings that same unforgettable intensity we've seen in Dune and The Suicide Squad and Oppenheimer and my favorite film of his, Late Night with the Devil exclusively from Shutter,
but this time with a sarcastic, emotionally complex robot involved two. Yeah, it's crazy, but I love it. So let's dive right in.
¶ Max Talisman and Joey Pollari talk 'Things Like This'
We'll start with the heart and soul behind a brand new romantic comedy that's been already turning heads and winning hearts from the reviews alone. We've got actor, writer, director Max Talisman, who not only stars in the film but also wrote and directed it, so definitely a triple threat there. And joining him is the incredibly talented Joey Polari, who
you may know from Love Simon the Away Looking for Alaska. Together, they bring a fresh, authentic energy to things like this film that explores love, connection and self discovery in a way that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. Really really did enjoy this movie, and I wasn't, you know, wasn't sure that it was going to be my cup of tea, and it is just universal. It's such a
great film. It's charming, it's funny, it's emotional, and you know, most importantly, it's a huge step forward for inclusive storytelling in film. So please welcome to Pop Culture Weekly, Max Talisman and Joey PILARI thank you Max and Joey for joining me. I really appreciate it. Yeah, thank you, Thank you so much of course. So first of all, Max, how did this, How did things like this come up? For you? Writer? Director, producer? Where did this come from?
It came from the feeling that I wasn't seeing roles that I wanted reflected in the landscape, and also stories that I felt represented myself as part of what I was seeing on screen, and my acting coach, Amelia Campbell, had suggested that I just sit down and I write and see what comes out. And I know that there's a lot of you know, acting coaches, a lot of professors who give that advice. And I would also say that if that advice is given, give it a shot,
because you never know what could have happened. But that's really where it came from. And it started mostly with writing what I know, which is, you know, at the time, dating in New York, dating as a plus sized gay man. Like that's really where it started, and it just grew from there. More and more, you know, parts of the story came in, and I grew as a writer. I developed it for years with Buzz Kane, my producer, and then you know, eight years later, here we.
Are, Wow and Joey, how did you get involved?
I got a call out of the blue, like something that you just dream of. Yeah, and Max called or sent an email, you know, the euphemism of call, and I just like got thrown to me. It was in the middle of the pandemic. Then the script came and I started reading the script, and I hopped on a call with Max. I mean, had toscussion about like what would actually look like, and once we got on set, it was off to the races. We just had an absolute blast.
Max for you. You know, you mentioned this that you didn't see exactly you know, what you wanted to see representation wise on screen. What are some of the films that you know inspired you, although they might not have been exactly what you were looking for?
Absolutely, I think the films that inspired me most are you know, straight roum comms of like the nineties, like movies like You've Got Mail, Nodding Hell, When Harry Met Sally, like sort of the quintessential rom com. And also movies from a little bit later when I was in like high school, like The Proposal or I just movies like that that sort of you know, I, as a queer kid, would have to see myself reflected in these straight stories and find sort of, you know, how I could relate
to them. And so, you know, I felt like what I wanted to create was a queer romance where street people could relate to it, just sort of tell a love story that was funny and had a lot of heart to it. And that's that's where it came from, was this feeling of what I got from those movies.
And did you find as you were writing it is you know, you're obviously being in any I feel as an artist that whenever you are creating art, there's a real vulnerability a lot of times. Did you feel that especially you know, not only are you creating it and writing it and producing it and all, but you're in it. Yeah, and so you know, so it's it's even I think,
more exposing yourself. So like, Okay, I'm going to write all this and then I have somebody else do it, so I can kind of, I don't want to say, hide behind that and negative, but when you're writing it and then you're also being it, it's even more exposure. You know. Did you did you find that?
I didn't necessarily only because yeah, I ever saw him break a sweat once exactly what you're talking about.
You would think that someone would had that level of just fear, but Max's no.
I was going to say, like, as a as a writer, what's sort of comforting is that, like, I think all of the characters are elements of me, you know, in a way, so they're all sort of like parts of you know, my brain, you know, personified. So I'm only playing an element of myself, Like I think that, you know, obviously to be like, if I'm being frank, the character my Zach is probably the closest in the film to myself.
But that being said, we soill have a lot of differences, and so it wasn't It didn't feel as vulnerable, to be honest, probably the most vulnerable was the writing of it itself, but just on set in general, I just felt like, you know, so blessed to get to do this and like so just happy to be there. So yeah, no, there was no sweat, There was no everything had a solution, Everything sort of you know, had somewhere to go. So it didn't feel like I was ever under a lot
of stress. It was always just sort of a great situation to be in. And the vulnerability you're speaking of was I think really sort of explored in the first part of it when I was just writing it. And you know, I what's interesting is now that it's being released, maybe that will be something, you know, that will start I think it's no, it's interesting.
You should be very afraid.
Good.
I'm all good. I'll call my therapist later.
But we're good. Okay, And Joey, you know to that, do you feel a responsibility? You know, I mean Max is right there, he's on set, you're you know, you're talking to him in your scenes. Did that it ever occur to you that, like, I am you know a part of I am that I'm reflecting back to any I just kind of felt like the only thing.
That were really vulnerable are these moments where like the characters really going through it really is trying to confront why they're drawn towards each other away from each other. That's the stuff is vulnerable. When you have a cast and a crew that's so supportive, eventually you feel all right. You know what the scariest part was is that one of our most dramatic scenes was shot maybe day two.
It's day three year us. It was absolutely right, and.
I remember getting the call she yeah, oh okay. I thought I have time to work up to this. But it taught me a valuable lesson, which is just you always have to dive in. And it really helped. Once that scene was over, you just felt like you could breathe this big breath of fresh air. So that was a real it felt like a curse and it turned into a real blessing.
I was worried about that too. I kept trying to fight the schedule to be like, why are we here on that you know, but locations independent film, you really don't have a say on where you are when. So it worked out in the end, I think to me, it did sort of force us into the fire, you know, dive into the deep end type thing.
Yes, well, and it came out beautifully. So thanks mission accomplished for you, Joey. When you're doing a role like this, are you able to or how do you separate or not separate yourself into zach yours? Zach.
I think at any time with this, something like this or things like this, you're you're it's so much trying to replicate that chemistry and that sparks as relatable as possible. So you're not trying to just build this entire character or build all these walls to try and construct something.
You're just trying to relate as much as possible. So I'm trying to bring as much of myself as there is in trying to find out where those moments are that I can relate like any artist, you know, trying to find your way in That was the real gift of playing a rom com. You know, comedy relies your instinct, relies on your instincts. Drama relies on your instincts with different degree, but it's it's you've have to be in that moment.
So that was just a pleasure. And did you ever pick Max's brain about you know, I think it's almost like a blessing and a curse. I would think that Max is there as the writer because you can almost end director, because you could almost get in well literally you can pick his brain about Well, what did you mean when you said this for me? You know what I mean?
Yeah, that was a real I was nice, Yeah, I was nice. I mean Max is right there. There's no and Max doesn't have any sort of ego about Okay I'm here and I'm doing this or that. There's not this hierarchy where you're trying to talk to someone through something. Max is just always available. So having those times where you do have a question or not. But I mean, honestly, most of the time we just laughed our way through this thing.
We did.
I would like to, you know, portray some story like I was really going back there and trying to figure out callus therapists behind his back something like this, but no, it was just pleasurable so much.
But we would also I mean, there were times where you know, we would change words on the fly type thing, like it's not precious about the writing to be honest, Like if if Joey felt like something should sound differently, I would be like, let's go with that. Like there's no.
That's so rare.
I mean, it was just great collaborative experience, you know, that's awesome.
And and Max, I got to ask you, it's so beautifully shot, you know, there are so so many gorgeous shots, especially of New York. How did you decide, you know, did you have like a list of things that you know you wanted to hit shot wise in regards to this city.
Absolutely, yeah, No, I knew that, you know, you have limited times sort of you know, being able to showcase the city, and I wanted to highlight, you know, what makes New York that's sort of the most romantic city, not just to me but clearly to a lot of filmmakers and people in general. So it was important to me to highlight the places that I felt, you know, felt the most sort of magical, like in this elevated not elevated, but you know, a lifted place of mystical realism,
like just the next level. And so we did sort of have the places you know, we needed to hit and what was important to us. And it was also important to me that we got a stonewall in there for a moment, just to make sure, you know, to you know, recognize that we wouldn't even be able to make this film if not for what happened there years ago.
And it was just you know, important to just make sure that we were highlighting the parts of the city that really you know, allowed us to make the movie at the.
In the end.
But yeah, also, you know, you speak to the shots, and that's a lot my collaboration with Matt Clegg, the DP, and really just my associate director, Michael mctuzek, And we just spent you know, days sort of creating a shot list and going through it. And I knew that for a lot of things, I wouldn't you know, end up
being behind the camera because I was on screen. So we had to make sure that everything was really planned and you know, looked the way it was supposed to when it was time, and that I could quickly look at a monitor and be like, yeah, that's a shot we planned, Let's go for it.
And that actually brings up a great point because you are wearing so many hats in that did you find it difficult at all to uh, to kind of juggle all these balls or whatever the saying is, Did I just mess up? That's say.
No, that's all what I was laughing at to me, honest, it was just fir, I think it is.
Yeah.
No, The truth is that I know I didn't. I think, like in the same way that I think every job you know has its stresses, and it's you know, it's moments of can I do this, like the imposter syndrome comes in. But that was all sort of before to be honest, once you know, we're speaking about being on set, like I was surrounded by such an amazing crew and such a just wonderful cast that like, once I was there, it was just your support for everything I was doing.
And I never felt like I was out there alone. And it never felt like it was all on my shoulders. So even if you know a lot of it was, it doesn't it didn't matter because I didn't.
Feel that way.
I felt completely supported, and I always, you know, I feel, even when I was wearing so many hats, that I was just part of the crew and part of the cast. So in the end, I felt more like, you know, a team leader more than anything else, and so that really pushed forward sort of you know, the mentality to be able to go through it, right.
I love that and Joey for for you, you know during the shoot, what was the funniest, Because it is, you know, a romantic comedy, what was the funniest for you as an actor? You know in your shoot, whether on screen or off.
Oh, I mean there's too many moments to count. We have such funny people in this movie. I've got a couple of scenes with Taylor Trent, who plays my ex boyfriend in the movie. He is so incredibly funny. We had great just day players who came on. I mean that's the fun thing, right, Like you just meet this person, you jump right into a scene and you finally have all this wonderful talent or this wonderful Yeah.
So that's that's to me the most.
Yeah, No, I mean I think you know, it's it's it's every day felt really fun. We felt like we had did have a lot of day players come in. We had a lot of like people who were these incredible comedians come in for really like hours and we would get to play around with them and then they would leave, and so it was really special. But I will say that watching you and Taylor was a special joy. Like they are, they were able to sort of, you know,
improv and create these really hilarious bits. And we have a lot of tailor in the bloopers because it was just sort of like.
It's in Gold, it's a tailor and they're not really or just outtakes outtakes of.
Him playing the character. Yeah, I would love for him to play some like you know, crazy Jim carry us characters so you can have like a liar liar blooper real of him because he's just crazy talent aster. Yeah, that'd be sick fire Liar the musical.
I love that. And finally, what do you hope for people to get from things like this? Both of you? I hope that.
People get that the you know, the message of this film is that love is universal, and the fears that we have, the anxieties that we have about falling in love, everyone goes through those. I hope that the message that we you know, all want to be loved and we all feel the you know, the need to connect with other people. I think those are the main things that I'm hoping, and I also hope people just have a
good time. I hope they laugh. I hope they you know, leave wanting to hear more of my jokes please, So those that would be what I.
Say, Yeah, I love that and I have the same feeling. I mean, we have a great message here about that universal love and that everyone's creences the same things when they go and try and fall in love. But it's just a gas of a movie. It's fun to seeing a big theater. It resonates, baby music's loud. It's a gas from start to finish.
And it's a joy to watch. Thank you both so much a pursuing with me things like this. Thank you any great day? Yeah? Thanks you take care, Max Tellisman, enjoy PILARI great, guys. It's a great film. Things like this really is, you know, an enjoyable universal film that I think is important for you know, people that aren't necessarily always represented in film authentically. So we're gonna take a quick break and to pay the bills. When we come back, we're talking with David das Mauchin be back
in sixty all right. Thanks for hanging with me and supporting our sponsors that help support this show so I can bring great stuff to you. So all right, let's
¶ David Dastmalchian talks Muderbot
get right into it. You know, our next guest from some of the most unforgettable roles in recent film and TV The Dark Night, ant Man, Suicide Squad, Dune, Oppenheimer, and my favorite Late Night with the Devil. Is the kind of actor who disappears into every role that he does and he leaves a lasting impression every single time. Now he's stepping into the world of sci fi once again, this time as a scientist in this crazy world of murder Bot, which is a new Apple TV Plus series
that's based on the beloved books by Martha Wells. It's action packed, it's smart, it's darkly funny, and full of heart, just like David himself. So let's get ready to dive into rogue robots, existential questions, and some pretty cool storytelling. Please welcome to Pop Culture Weekly, the incredibly talented, always fastating David. That's Mouchin. Thank you so much for speaking with me, David, I appreciate it's how you doing. I'm great, man,
How are you I'm doing well? Thank you. Congratulations on murder Bot and this will lead into that. But you have been in so many of my favorite projects, from Weird to you know, uh, Late Night with the Devil is one of my all time favorite things ever. I love it so awesome.
So much, thank you, of course.
And then Twin Peaks, I mean, so many of your projects have been some of my absolute favorites. Last Voyage, I mean, anyway, I could go on about your entire career, but is this and then now murder Bot is so cool. You have obviously the best agent in the world. That's but like, how are you drawn to these kinds of projects? Like is that a conscious choice that you know?
Is there's some that's conscious than conscious. I'm energetically drawn to the material, and maybe the material energetically magnetizes me. But since I was a little boy in Kansas sneaking downstairs to watch the you know, Cremation Moortem Friday Fright Night, and I would watch all the classic old horror movies, and then I, you know, became completely engrossed in the world of comic books. And I've been collecting comic books since I was nine years old. I love science fiction.
So all of that being a fan myself and having been someone that's found so much joy in those spaces now as a professional actor, storyteller, perhaps there is some kind of invisible thread that is drawing me towards all of this, but honestly, I give it up. You know, it's God, It's a miracle. It's incredible. I I'm someone who's shouldn't even be sitting here today, but thanks to you know, the miracle of like mental health, mental wellness recovery.
I'm going to be celebrating twenty three years clean and sober in May and the back congratulations, I thank you. I get to tell stories for a living, especially in the genre space, and how that's all taken shape is in many regards just beyond my ability to comprehend. Sometimes I show up to work and I look around myself and I go, how is this even real? A friend of mine once said to me, you know, you're living in nerdvana.
And I completely agree. A state of nerdvana. That's a perfect way to put it, because you know, as your career, I've obviously myself been a lifelong pop culture fan, and you know, two thousand and eight or whatever, you know, as your career really started picking up in film and TV, and I'm like, okay, David and then it's the next cool project that I'm looking for, and I'm like, oh, he's in this too, And then the next cool project that I'm excited about, I'm like, Wow, he's like He's
like in all these cool things, you know that I'm drawn to as a as a genre nerd.
You know, I'm so lucky. And one of the things I'm so grateful for is my history and my background in the stage and working in the theater, and this
deep love of text and bringing characters to life. Because whether I'm you know, trying to manifest you know, Frank Herbert's pytrate degrees in Denny Villaneu's Dune film adaptation, or bringing James Gunn's Polka Dot Man to life in The Suicide Squad, or portraying Goarath and a character from the mind of Martha wells Now in this show from Paul and Chris Whites, I will approach these opportunities the same way that I would if I was getting to manifest
Iago in Othello, if I was getting to play Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. I don't think there's any difference in the approach no matter the genre, and I take it just as seriously. I mean, it's incredibly silly when you look at it from the outside and here I am battling giant spaceworms and I'm shooting polka dots out of my fingers, and to many people you could go, wow, that's ridiculous.
Sure it is. But I love it and we love watching it. And you know, for something like murder Bot, as you are, you know, getting this script, you know, and looking at reading it over and stuff, do you kind of nerd out too, like as I do watching it. I do.
As soon as I was given the opportunity to get to be grath and in murder Bot, and I started really getting into and diving into the scripts and the stories and the characters in the worlds that we were going to be bringing to life, I get twelve again. I get that feeling, that tingly feeling that I get the same feeling I get when I'm because I write a lot of comic books. I'm writing for many years
a series called Count Crowley for dark Horse. I've write, I've been, I created and write Nights Versus Samurai Image. I just did a run of Creature Commandos at d C. I've got a new Venom story in Marvel and many more to come. Whenever I get you know, an email with layouts or you know, inks or pen from my artist, I jump up in my seat. And when I get a script with a character like Giratham that I get to play, jump up out of my seat and I just I feel twelve, man. When I'm on set and playing,
I feel twelve. And that's a beautiful way to feel. Not the twelve that was terrified or insecure, or afraid or self loathing. The twelve that would walk into Clint's Comics in Kansas City and you know, open the latest issue of you know, Detective Comics or West Coast Avengers or X Men or whatever I was reading at the time and get so nerdily excited and transported to another world.
I live for it.
It's it's a dream.
It's it's awesome to watch. And then you know, and like you said, then you go on set and you are literally in the murder about Diaries, you know what I mean?
Yes, yes, And that world that Martha imagined is so you know, full, and it's so powerful. So I'm excited for audiences to get to see this world because it's like Yeah, it's science fiction. Yeah, it's comedy. Yeah, it's all these things that you think, you know, what that's
supposed to look, can move and feel like. And I feel so blessed and grateful that here on this show and Apple's support it and give us an opportunity to create something that I genuinely feel like is so outside of the box of what people are used to and it's gonna be utterly surprising in my humble.
Opinion, I hope for people who tune in.
I don't know if you've gotten to watch episodes yet, but to me, I've been given a chance now to sit down with them, and I'm so proud and I feel like this, this this experience pushed me in the best way possible and made me a much better actor than I've ever gotten to be before.
And I'm really grateful for it. Yeah, and I'm grateful to watch it. I can't wait for everybody to see it. And I love that you can continue to elevate. You know, I say our genre as this collective, that's what is.
Special about it, though man it is ours, it is not, it's the it's the least exclusionary of the storytelling. Sometimes things can feel inaccessible, even they shouldn't. You want to see Shakespeare, you want to go to the opera, you want to see you know, a hardcore drama syntomes, those can feel exclusionary even and with genre work and the science fiction in the nerd space, everyone is welcome. All of us belong and it is ours. It's ours to share and celebrate. And that's why a story like this
is so important too, because look at the characters. There's so many weirdos and people outside of norms, and we're living in a time that can be dangerous for people who live outside of the norms, who aren't fitting into the binary structure, the way that people are told they're supposed to look, present themselves, behave. We're all safe, we
all belong. So thank you for saying our it is our genre, and I'm just grateful and honored that I get the chance to come in and sometimes, you know, contribute to it.
Thank you, David. I can't wait for everybody to see murder Bot. It's a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you, Thanks man, Thank you so much. Have a good.
Day, David dest moushit in love him, Love murder Bot, Love Late Night with The Devil, one of my favorite movies ever, Love the Dark, Night, Love ant Man, Love Oppenheimer.
He's just such a great actor. He you know, I would really say he's like a character actor. He really just brings a whole thing to everything he does, you know, and that's why I find him so enjoyable. So all right, that's our show for this episode. The next episode is
our annual National Memorial Day Concert Special. I'll be live in Washington, d C. At the West Lawn of the US Capitol, talking with the performers, including Gary Sonise and the gospel legend Yolanda Adams, all about you know, celebrating and remembering what Memorial Day is all about. National Memorial Day Concert will air live on PBS on Sunday, May twenty fifth at eight pm Eastern, with an encore following at nine thirty pm Eastern. So all right, I will see you next time. I love you well.
Thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. Here all the latest at Popcultureweekly dot com.
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