Hey and welcome back to the 824 podcast, Bay area, native Simon Rex and Angus Cloud. Much more than just a HomeTown in common earlier this month. Symington. It gets met for the first time to talk about their characters and red rocket and Euphoria and their experiences. Hollywood Outsiders. Who never set out to be actors.
Let alone become famous. We hope you enjoyed the episode tune in Sunday for the Euphoria season 2 finale until everyone, you know, to watch Red Rocket now available on demand, Angus, what? Sup, man. Nice to meet you with animal boy. 8:24 here. We are doing the podcast and let's just talk some shit, bro. I want to get to know you were both from the bay. Let's start there, man. Let's chop it up. Was get to it. So, you live here full-time. Yeah, stay I stay in. LOL, just for work.
You know, how about you? You live in LA? I'm in Joshua Tree. Okay, I've been there. Yeah. I've been camping out there. Just come on some land. Yeah. Yeah. And that's the way to go. I had been here 20 years. I was in New York, five years moved here for 20 years from the bay. Originally you from the bay when part of the base. So, okay, so I was born in San Francisco.
Okay, and then I moved to the East Bay when I was 11 because my mom wanted me to get out of the city because this was in the 80s in San Francisco. He was kind of crazy. So, we moved to Alameda. Right? Right, right, you know, right next to Oakland and over there. Yeah, Alameda school. It's kind of like, Chittering. It's 50 feet from East Oakland. Basically. Yeah, I mean most of the people from the bay hate on Alameda just because the fucking you know, it's a lot of old money
out there. So it's like all these people are like you whole again. Yeah. Walking down my side. Yeah. It's like that. It's like Piedmont or something, you know, so you're from the bay. Yeah. I'm from the bay. What? Part Oakley? So I grew up right next to the lake. Okay. Uh-huh, that's where we would go to parties and go to crash like Cal Berkeley party. It's crazy. I go back now. And it's, like I said, true. It's a trip, dude.
It's kind of like, I feel the same thing when I go to San Francisco. I'm like, well, this isn't my hometown. This isn't where I grew up but it's still home. I love old man, is crazy. Because, like, when I, when I was going up there, it's like, probably like the tallest building. There's probably like 15 stories and like, now it's like every
time Each time I go back. It's another small as building, and I got hotels over there and and it sucks to because my Warriors moved to San Francisco. The Raiders went to Vegas Oakland's losing, the one thing that it had which everyone together. But we got Oakland Roots, man, soccer team. Oh, wait, gotta bring you even know about that. Yeah, it's pretty much. It's pretty new, Auckland route, and we still got the ages. You feel me? But the A's are moving. I heard the Vegas. I heard.
They're Because they were going to try to build it. I know made if we lose every sports team because they're moving to Jack London Square, but then they can save this for Cisco. Kind of an asshole for that. They like, oh, you 10 y'all good now. All right. We'll take y'all now. We'll build y'all a nice, a stadium over here. Just come across the bridge and lost the magic. I went there to check it out. I went to check out the new stadium and just to see it because I'm like, all right.
I'm a die-hard Warriors fan. I was going to Warriors games in 1986. Now, seeing Oakland lose. I mean that was like the heart of Auckland. That's what everyone that was. I was there that when they when they won the fucking shit bro, and the parade bro, the party in the streets was fucking crazy, man. I saw videos. Everyone was outside, man. Yeah, at like Merit. Yep. They just went around the lake. Yeah. Yeah. There's Draymond Green got way too drunk. I saw the footage I want.
I was actually thinking about going up for it. But I'm still a die-hard Warriors fan, even though they're in San Francisco. But you write it lost the magic. It's the same as the Raiders like that's that's cool Glenn, dude. Yeah, but also out here, you got a die-hard Raiders. I know all day so it's like I'm Still rocking for the Raiders. This is sucks. You feel me? But, you know what I'm saying? Come on now, like the Warriors, had the town on a jersey.
Like I know that you don't care. Erase that I know me. Like that's the town. That's Oakland. You found me. They ain't gonna start saying the city like I'm on that. I know. Yeah. Oakland's always been San Francisco's like little brother or whatever. As far as like, you know get I mean the way when I was living in New York and like people didn't know about the bay that much I would just like kind of explain it like New York is like
the city or sorry. We call San Francisco the city and we call Oakland in town so fine. Making a comparison. It's like Manhattan. Is it more like San Francisco? And in Oakland, is kind of more like broke. That's exactly what I say all the time to. That's exactly what it is. And yeah, so I lived in New York for like five years 93 to 98. This is when New York was still kind of wild. This was pre Giuliani. So it was still felt like the
80s. It was lawless and it's kind of like now I go back to New York now and it kind of feels like that again like it's dangerous again, and I kind of like it you got your head on a swivel. No, you know out there for a bit. I was definitely on my on my ten toes you filming. So did you live in Brooklyn? Yeah, man, I was living in I was actually living in project building. The Walt Whitman house is right at Fort Greene Park. Uh-huh.
And now it was cool because like I moved in there with somebody that had been, you know grew up over there. So he had walked me around all the blocks and make sure everybody knew I was validated and whatnot. You know I'm saying. So everybody was actually everybody was super cool with me and the community and and the project is is super dope. You know, we all be kicking it
in the hallway and whatnot. I was I was running a business that I was like, I don't need I don't need no trouble with with this. I think it's time for me to move along, you know, and I'm saying, you're selling weed or something. Yeah, it's something like like it at that. So, okay, so Did you move to New York? And I only have been like 17? I think I just I had to leave Oakland cuz I didn't want to deal with something and I just never went back as ended up.
Staying you feeling? Yeah, I did the same thing. I moved to New York when I was like 19 for five years. And that was the most fun I ever had. In. My life was moving to New York because the bay is crazy because the bay and if you haven't been there, you don't know. The bay is the New York of the West Coast. Like there's not really any cities in catalyst is like La is not a city. There's no like I mean could go downtown but it doesn't have
like an herb is to spread out. The bay is its own world man. We got our own slang. We got her own music from, you know what? I mean? Like it's it's own thing and if people don't know, they don't know. But if you go to the baby, you know, it's got then you got these, like, random people out in the, in the cuts that are like super in the like baby music and shit. Yeah, I'm saying.
Yeah, it's to this day Mac Dre Too Short on now like yeah, and then yeah, it's crazy cuz the bay is really its own universe and then you hear the influence its had on music like, you know, like mustard took that hyphae sound and made it like mainstream but really that was all that, you know, keep the sneak all that shit started in Oakland really are Vallejo Oakland. Yeah. Yeah. It didn't we don't really get the credit that we That's true. So, so you're in La now?
Yeah, man. Yeah. I'm just just chilling in Koreatown. Yeah, I'll just stay at the house for the most part. Yeah, you know, I like Koreatown, man, you know why I like Koreatown? Because you walk around and is not Hollywood. There's no, you're not going to get recognized as much walking around Korea Town, but you walk around this neighborhood. You're gonna get probably cars rolling. By was that is he I mean, that's hard to beat. I just go there all the time for
my boy. I stay without here. He lives, five minutes from Crete down. So I'm always going over there to get my Korean barbecue, whatever. They just got the best food. Now, we shop at the Korean supermarket and roommates are Korea said, oh, yeah. That's so people listed. We just met, I never met you before. I don't know because I've listened to this podcast. And usually it's like old friends. Like Seth. Rogen with his boy dog, but we just met, but anytime I meet someone from the bay.
It's automatically on God. It really that's like last night. I just I just like seeing this fool and I was like some about it. May I just like, what's up man? I was like where you from? He's like from I'm from the bay. A, I was like, hey, that's what stop playing. We out here. I already knew you was cool as automatic because you can just, you can just sometimes tell about his swag on somebody where you are. They from the bay. Yeah, it's okay. So you're Irish.
We got family in Ireland, had never been Ireland, but I want to go. I heard it's amazing. I heard it's beautiful that. It's so beautiful, bro. You gotta. I gotta go. Everybody says that I got to go check out Ireland. So you're 100% Irish my mom. Pop's is an immigrant. You feel me? He is a farmer and whatnot. So he got his sister, my aunties and all my cousins are out there. My mom. She's kind of her family used to be like sharecroppers in Texas and shit. So you never did the 23andMe.
I just did it to find out what I am. I'm kind of interested when I do it. I'm time. I'm like, I don't want them to sell my fucking DNA. Oh, yeah. Okay. See I don't care. They can clone me if they want. We I need they could have another meal. It's all good. But who knows? What they might, you know, figure out what to do with that shit and in the next couple years, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, and a lot of my friends
said that but I'm like, man. Sure, they probably already have my DNA, so it's like, it's like one thing to say like, oh, we like, they're listening to us. Like, really these covid shots have trackers. It's like, bro. You have iPhone, bro. Don't get. It is listening to all day every day. Don't even get him started. Tracking every single movement and making a whole log of every place you ever been there.
How long you spent there? So yeah, if you got an iPhone, don't talk about shit, you know, you're right. It's funny. You said that because I we all got those homies who would go way too deep. Down the rabbit hole. I just heard this comedian. Jim Gaffigan do a joke about that. He's like we all had that one friend who's like Bigfoots real and in the pandemic hit in there like Tom Hanks eats babies you Like chill there. Microchipping us chill.
I feel like it goes too deep. Yeah, like lost family members falling out with all that shit. Like it's just cuz fucking like you get into those conspiracies series. Fuck their believable, man. They give you some good reasons to believe in that shit. Like you watch the 911 shit. You're like, whoa. Okay. This is a little bit. Something's not adding up here, but like most of those conspiracy.
Two aren't based on any fact, you know, but if you're watching that video is like is made for you to believe that shit. So if you get sucked into it and you don't care about doing your own, you know, background research, you going to get, get lost in the sauce in the head. You feel like it's so true, man, because there is a look, that's the problem. There's a little bit of Truth and then that's what gets you in the door and then on the news, they're not basing should all
unite. Do you know that? Just saying shit. That's why it's just a waste of energy. I see people putting way too much time and energy into that. She does like bro. Just enjoy your life wouldn't you know, but yeah, that's been like man. I lost friends to that shit. Like they went too deep that it's like I can't be around them constantly acting like they got all the answers. I want to be around people asking questions not yelling
answers from the internet. Like they watched a YouTube video, some dude made in his basement. That's what you're going to believe out of the. It's just kind of Ignorance, you know, so it's like you can't always blame shoot people for being ignorant. They don't know what they don't know.
Yeah, you know, it's like fuck and at the end of the day to what it is I think is that they actually are coming from a place of like they, they're trying to do something good there, trying to like, you know, be enlightened or share with you what they found. So their intentions aren't bad. They just lost and I think this last two years people just run the internet way too much went down. The rabbit hole didn't come. I'm out. I've been talking a lot about that with just intentions and
shit. Just like a lot of people that end up fucking in a bad situation. Like it's not like they were in their mind thinking. Oh, I'm about to do this fucking take advantage of this situation and do this bad thing. They just, you know, they they didn't even think they were doing anything wrong, you know, they didn't have, you know what I'm saying?
They were just ignorant or oblivious or whatever the case may be. Yeah, you know, a lot of a lot of people do fucked up shit that they had no idea that, you know, they didn't mean to do it right now. That's exactly right. Sometimes, they even thought they might have been doing a good thing. That's exactly what it is. That's why you can't be mad and because really, it's not their fault. It's these people pumping the bullshit on the internet, but I
don't know why. I just thought it was, but I got a question for you because you probably are, how long has have have you been famous a couple is just the first You did was you for you. Is this your first acting? Yeah, so you just got thrown into the biggest show on TV. I've been in this business 25 years and I still have a hard time dealing with Fame. Like it, fucks your head up and I've been in therapy for years and but no therapist could understand what it's like to be famous, right?
And deal with the energy that comes at you and not knowing, who's really your friend, or who wants something from you in, l.a. Is such a transactional deal. How you dealing with the fame? Because it fuck. I mean, you just seem like a real cat and you never asked for this. Yeah. I'm To be completely honest with you. I don't I don't I don't want to be famous. I do me either. It's no it's not.
I want to I want to be a regular person and have regular interactions with people and it's something about Fame and notoriety just you lose that, you know, I don't like it but it comes with it's like there's good and bad to what we do and I never asked for it either. I got this found me. I was never like I want to be an actor. It fell in my lap, right? Right. Gus Van Sant is famous director. He saw me was like you want to
be in a movie. He understand me for Good, Will Hunting. I bombed the audition. He's like you're not ready to be an actor but go to acting school. So so it just came to me. I never would dream or be delusional enough to. Like I want to be famous. I would so much, rather meet somebody who was famous and have no idea. They were fucking famous because it changed the way you interact with them. So I would much rather have interaction with someone that doesn't know.
Who the fuck I am? Then someone that does. And then the other part comes in when you say you feel like it's fake. And then you're you're questioning every fucking interaction. Like is this real is this fake was their motives? Like I'm fucking I'm fucking like paranoid now, bro. Like I feel like everybody knows who I am. They do even if they even it like I know it's fucked up now because like, yeah, no, it's fun. It's fucks me up to like you'll see someone like on their phone.
And you like you like are they looking at their Instagram? Because it's kind of pointed out mean I could tell and then the flash goes off. You like. Yep, and then you're like, oh just ask me bro, like convince yourself you like? No, they don't know. And then they go and they proved you like. Oh my God, uh-huh. So your what's it been two years since you've been doing the show? Two years. How long has it been cake came
out. So we filmed a pilot 2018 and it came out around 2019. So you've been dealing with Fame during the pandemic, you had musulega. He spinning do because I can't even imagine. I'm 25 years in this shit and I'm still like weirded out by. I don't think it's gonna go away a weird. It up. Like even by the fact that like people knowing my my name is yeah, it's weird. What, how do you know my name? Yeah, it's weird. I mean, I don't know if I was gonna say like, being a lot
older than you. I would give you some advice, but I'm actually like, how do you deal with it? Because, I don't know how to deal with it still. It's been it. I don't know. I feel like people Don't want to hear this shit, you know, they're like, what do you mean like, you're fucking living the dream right? Now? You know what I'm saying? Like, well, we all got what what what what could you possibly have to complain about? And it's like, all right is is would you rather be?
You know what I'm saying? Rich and paranoid that everyone in your life is being fake towards you. Or would you, you know, just be regular and just say, you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying, you know, because money and fame. Don't I learned what? He was one thing? I'll share with you and you probably already know. This is like money and fame. They don't make you happy everyone thinks that but that's a trap. You know, it's just like you'll
get stuck in that make. You want to believe, you know, you don't I learned one thing because I really hadn't been working in the last 10 years. I was not making a lot of money and I'll tell you what, in the last 10 years. When I wasn't working in this business and I was barely making money. I think I was actually happier when I didn't have a lot. I was just making enough to eat good travel, whatever. No doubt about it, broke it.
And I was fine. And then, and then with, you know, with the all the eyeballs on you and nowadays with social media and just the, it's just like, you never heard it would lack. The people, the image that people have of you like right now like they got me like pretty much famous as fuck real. Like I bought an old car. I'm by no. Xever me like, you know what I'm saying? Like, we hopefully get into the paper after this. Yeah, but I'm saying but it
just, it just funny that way. Then, like, everyone thinks I'm probably balling. Now, you know, I'm saying? Living the high life. Like now, I'm just your living in Korea Town with a roommate. One, two, three, four, five of us. Living in the sea. That actually keeps you grounded. I'm still dry. I'm Driving a thirty thousand dollar car. I live in a 600 square foot, grab out in the desert. I mean, it's all good. I don't want people listen to this to think we're complaining.
We're not knowledge. And we're blessed. It's a blessing, but it's a curse to a head. Fuck, bro. It's a fucking if you're just like a norm. I feel like I'm just a normal dude. From the bay. I don't like being treated special, me neither as fake as fake and people are extra. Nice. Now to what I'm noticing tools, like people are overly nice. To me. I'm like, you don't gotta do that. It's all good. Just like, it makes me feel uncomfortable.
But it's funny. My publicist is here with me and they're doing an amazing job at getting me out there and getting me like, you know, notoriety and they're doing a great job of it. And that's kind of a necessary thing for us to do what we do. But at the same time, part of the heat, the heat is like sometimes a lot and sometimes I just sit there in the hotel room and I got to go isolate by myself because it's so much.
Is that you never it's one of those jobs, where you You know, you don't, you don't really clock out, you know, not. It never ends in like, and then, man, I find myself spending so much time alone. Because if you're I'm like, I think I'm I'm not saying this is a good thing. It's like embarrassing. But like I'm too sensitive. Like, I could feel energy on people and like, so if you feel that, if you're an empath line, you just take that on, it'll
drain the fuck out of you. So, sometimes I go out and I deal with all this shit and then I'm just like, I gotta go be by myself from it. I just go sit in a room by myself. And I'm like, is this normal? Am I going crazy? What the fuck is this? You know. Anyway, so it's for you, man. You'll get your paper. But man, it's a trip fames. A weird thing, Fame, is a mask that eats away at the soul. Is that what they say? I think there's some saying like
that because it does row. So, anyway, I feel like you're going to keep a good head on your shoulders. You just seem like a cool cat. Like, I'm just here, man. I'm just, I'm just rolling with the punches. You know what I'm saying? We'll see. But, you know, all the, all the, All the all the fans and have showed mad. Love you feel me?
It's come say what's up. If you see me holler at me and I'm saying this all of you know, I'm saying and I love my job, just the best shit that it's the best job I ever had for show. You fill me in on, how did they find you for this show? I think someone told me you were in Brooklyn and someone just rolled up on you and kind of Street cast you. Is that how you got the job? Yeah, so I was just walking down the street with my homies and this. Woman Eleanor. Hendrix, I believe is her name.
She came up to me. She said you want. Can I talk to you? I was like, you gotta walk with me, you know, so she she spit her little pitch and I ended up going down to her, Studio door. Jennifer vendetti, stay V8, casting studio. And then like, they asked me some questions. They filmed like my answers.
Is just random questions like about my life and shit and then they had me do a couple auditions, you know, and then addition in front of like some of the producers or whatever, and then that was it like for the pilot man, so you never went to acting school. No, that's so dope. That's so do II. Did I have been to a couple classes for sure after the fact? Yeah. Yeah, and they send you. They were like go to acting school or do you just do it? No. No, it was kind of like something.
I was, I should probably do this. You know that fool Shia LaBeouf was doing like a free community class at some school and in South Central, I think it was a South Central but I went to go check that out in the amphitheater for a little bit. I never met him but he's in my favorite movie which one? Hold on. Never seen it. So yeah, kind of sinks it up. To me man. I got called out.
I went to these acting school in New York and I was just like driving want to do this but it just fell in my lap. And I mean I guess it's better than digging ditches. I can I mean I you know, I worked in Emeryville at a potato sack Factory. I was driving a forklift in 1989 in Emeryville at a potato, sack factory making $10 an hour. And at the same time I was doing telemarketing where this is back before the internet, where you just open a phone book and start
cold calling. Selling life insurance. I was working for State Farm Life Insurance and at a potato sack factory making pennies so fuck. Yeah, medulla is what what year was it? This was 89? No, this was denied 92. 92 is when I worked at the potato sack Factory. Before I started this acting like I was getting a 750 our at the Waffle House, bro. 750. Yeah. It was like seven feet and I guess I was longing for 10 bucks. Wait, where's the Waffle House?
At its is is closed now, but it was on Bushwick. You told me you're not the chain. No, not Waffle House. So it was like a one-off. Okay, I was pictures. It was crazy. It was like a club and there would be fucking it was open till 11:00 a.m. To 4:00 a.m. Like there would be fights every day is she was ratchet as fuck. You like me. Like yeah. DJs and it was, it was crazy. Wow, that's dope. Um, but yeah, Fighting 750 our fuck that. Fuck that. So wait, that was just a cup.
That was just a few years ago. How could you how you gonna live off of that? That's crazy shit. I was making it happen. Yeah. Yeah, that's the bay and you do decide hustle, man. You can't help. But have the hustling, you, if you're fine, two jobs. I was working at a vegan Pizzeria for a second. They all hated me because I was not vegan. Ha ha. I went in like the first day and all Like some are the only vegan I'm vegan and they're like, yeah, she should I not have said
that stay for the show. Judge the fuck out of here. Yeah, like no disrespect to you, but it's just like, you know, better than you know what I mean? That's the only thing that bothers me is like dude, shut up. So you guys shooting right now. You finished shooting. Yeah, you got any? I bet you're getting offers right. Other movie roles their, get sending you. Yeah. Yeah. Stuff coming in. Yep, trying to find the right
thing. You know, I'm saying funny how life works because there's so many people in l.a. who came here with the dream and it falls in your lap, and now you're just getting offers and you can walk outside right now and spit and find someone who would kill to be in your position, but I feel bad about it. I know right? You know, I've like fuck man. A lot of I mean it is actors. They just their whole life. They just is their dream, most actor. They just wanted it for that
whole life. You know, what I'm saying? Is they're full passion and that's just not the case for me. You know what I'm saying? Like, I love doing it.
I have a great time, you know, but I do feel bad for the people that have been like spending like that all day time and money like fucking trying to make It, you know what I'm saying, like fuck then and and the the the fact is that they possibly could be good or bad as good or better actor than me, but they just haven't got the chance to you know, you know saying it's hard to get that little toe in the door.
You know, that's you know, it's, you're absolutely right because there's so few seats at the table in Hollywood and there's everyone's trying to get there and there's so many talented cats. That just won't catch that break. It's not fair. It's like going to Vegas. It's like going to Vegas and be like, I'm gonna hit the lotto. I'm gonna hit the jackpot. It's like yeah, you and everyone else, bro. Good luck. It's a lottery, dude.
It's a lottery and it's a lot of who, you know, right from your case right time, right place. So I do feel bad, because I go to these. I've been acting classes and it's all they want. And sometimes in life the less you want it. The more it comes to you. That's what women money work. When you want it too bad, it you gotta let go and let that shit. Just something. I actually work with the DP, on my movie, Red Rocket, Drew Daniels. He'd shot a couple of your
episodes. You might not remember. No, no, no. No, I do remember the homie. Yeah, he's hella cool. He's the man and you guys shoot on 4 June even know. Do you shoot on film? Because yeah, we shot on season two is on. So that's it makes it difficult even like fucking like took some dead stock code action, like remade it for just for the just for us to use on that you got I don't think you realize man. How lucky you got it to shoot on film like man in this day and age. That's so rare.
That's why even me doing red rocket. It was shot on 16. Mm! Drew Daniel shot. It and that doesn't happen all the time. Bro. That's like some Scorsese Tarantino shit. Like not a lot of people get to shoot on film doing and it looks so much better, dude, you notice the difference because like to the average eye you might not notice but it does make a difference man. They should look sexy. It's like vinyl. It's like the same thing as listening to vinyl. It's got that warmth to it as
opposed to an MP3 It's just sex. You think that like because I don't have that much to compare to but like, is there a different vibe on the set when you shooting with film? Because it's like you don't want to like waste time or something or anything like that cause you know what I'm saying? You don't want to burn because it's expensive. Fuck. Yeah, it makes a huge difference. Like I felt that pressure the whole time. I'm like, oh we're shooting on
film. Oh, I got to get these lines right because I don't want to be wasting your money. Like is that big difference on digital? Shoot the fuck out of here? Film? You better get this. So yes, it makes a Different but I kind of like the pressure. I didn't really think about it. Maybe has been on you for you. You didn't think about it. But I mean, I'm sure they could afford it and if they gave you some Kodak film, you're chilling.
But like it does make a difference man, and nobody's really shooting on film these days. So I loved it. I loved the sound when they have to reload the hollows out. Yeah, check the gate. Yeah. Manju Daniels is amazing dude. I think he shot. I don't know if he shot season 2. I just remember when he came on to Red Rocket. Everyone's like, oh he shot. You fought. That was like his thing. And everybody was like, loving him because he shot the show
looks beautiful. I actually been, I got to be real. I'm late to the party. I just watched because I knew we were going to do this. I'm I'm weird man. If I find out it shows a hit. I got this weird thing in me where I'm like, I don't want to watch it. It's a big hit and then I will started watching it and I was like, I'm a dick, It's fucking amazing. And so I watched the first two episodes. Sounds of season one at 8:24. They're like no watch episode 1 season 2.
So you could see fez's storyline a little bit more. So when you guys hang out, you have a semblance of your character and I didn't want to skip ahead because I want to watch it in order, but it went right to your grandma rolling into the strip club. And I was like that. I'm like and I'm like, all right, I'm fully onboard. So now I'm going back. I just watched mine just the way it's shot. Everything is on dollies.
He's moving shots. Like it's so beautifully made, you know, even if you don't appreciate the stories, no, you're right. And all my like, my, real Hollywood writer director, movie nerds there, like your trip, and this shows incredibly shot. It's incredibly active. It's dope. And I fought it for a minute, but I'm always wrong. That's one thing I always do is, I'm wrong. Like, I'll be like, man. Everyone's watching it. I don't want to watch that shit and then I'm watching, like, I'm a dick.
I've been missing this shit. But it's, it's cool, man. So now I'm going back to season one because I don't want, I didn't want to watch too much on that first episode with your store and I'm like, no, I want to watch this in order but dude. Grandma is heavy man. You don't don't watch it all in one night. You feel like no, right. You got to take it in little bite-size pieces, but I just love like the whole shit with with your grandma.
Just looking up in the strip club, rolling in there, shooting homey, and the thighs. And then just the whole shit. It looks like it fell. Out like a man. It felt like some Good Fellows. She like a Tarantino movie, you know, a lot of inspiration. Yeah, kind of stuff. Yeah. I can't wait to dive into it. A little more. You think there was inspiration and behind Red Rocket. Oh, what's up? The director. Shaun Baker was really inspired by these Italian 70s sex comedies.
I don't know if you've seen red rocket yet, but it's basically I play Like a drug-dealing Porn Star. Yeah, and if but the burnt-out versions So, yeah, Sean was like, it's a comedy. I mean, it is a, it's a dark comedy, but it is a comedy and it was very inspired which I do. I'm not familiar with this. I'm starting to learn a lot about like, Italian Cinema and even the poster was like, made after 60s and 70s, Italian sex comedies. It's like a genre of movies. That's really.
Yeah. It's like sexually charged but funny and they don't they don't really make a lot of movies like that anymore, especially since my characters. Like a bad piece of shit person, you know, I grew up watching, Taxi Driver Bad Lieutenant shows where the movies where the lead character, is a horrible person and they don't do it that much anymore. So I loved it because I want to play a piece of shit. I don't want to play the fucking cookie cutter. Dad on everything.
I want to be a fucking scumbag. Like it's like sometimes though. It's like the something about the scumbag that like, you can't just hate him all the way. You know, I'm saying. Yeah, exactly. That's what What we tried to pull off, which was you want to root for him a little bit. Otherwise after two hours of sitting in front of the movie. Give me like, why do I why would I care? What happens to this is. So that was the whole point.
Was we wanted to make it like you're rooting for this piece of shit and it kind of holds the mirror up to the audience. Like why am I rooting for this? Do what I do. The he's just surviving. He's just hustling, you know, yeah. Yeah, man, but it's indeed. Think. Did you think he had bad intentions behind? Like the city was doing some to bring a circular? You know, that's a good question. And that's how I keep saying this. When I do press for the movie.
He doesn't and that's why you can root for him because he doesn't know what he's doing. He doesn't have, but he's just hustling and surviving and he's doing, he's on autopilot. He's not meaning to do this shit to people, he's just doing it so that way the audience is like, okay, I could be on board with this dude for a minute because he doesn't mean it and that's exactly. I'm glad you brought that up. It is full circle is all about intention.
And yeah, he's just hustling. He kind of relates to my character. Are you for? To because he does a bunch of fucked up shit. But like he doesn't want to, he's kind of he's forced to, you know, so it's like, it does. It doesn't necessarily make him a bad person, you know, if if you hungry, you might have to fucking steal some food, you know what I'm saying?
And it's your and your circle, it's cool that they actually went to your backstory season 2 because then you see you as a kid and you're watching your grandma. Knock a do that with a crowbar or fucking car. Coffee shop or whatever and you're like and you're just watching you as a kid. Take it all in. It's like, all right. There it is. I mean, I think they and I might be wrong about this but they say like your personality is molded in like your first zero to eight
years of your life. So if you're a little kid watching that shit happen, your that's going to be you and it's going to be hard to change. So you grew up in that world. So that's just going to be you, you know, exactly man. That's that's the thing where people People don't give a pass or like they don't give any room for the different, the different Lifestyles and worlds that people come from, you know, it's like people have sympathy fry for that.
You know, it's like yo this person came from a different world. Like they they are not thinking in any of the same way that that that you are, you know, especially people from different countries and what In this like you like don't you understand? It's like, no, they don't because that's not that wasn't part of, you know what I'm saying? Anything. They learning as, that's ignorance too, you know, yep, but you're whatever, they're ignorant to you, you're ignorant
to to them. You know what I'm saying? So, it goes both ways. That's a really good point. And I think, if everybody knew that and understood, that we wouldn't be like this country right now and I don't want to start going down this road, but like we're off. Obviously this play this country is divided as fuck. But if we could have that attitude and just be a little more understanding about people come from whatever I was like look man. I'm from I'm from the bay.
Like I'm not going to start talking about what politics. I mean you could fuck politics first of all. Anyway, but obviously I got hippie parents. I'm from the bay. You could imagine Like My Views, but like I'll be real man. Like when we went shot red rocket in Texas, these people couldn't be more opposite with their religion, their politics, and their, the best fucking people. And if you put all that,
Bullshit aside. Actually, we have more fun with these people that I would think are just not yet in the flyover state in Oklahoma. That is all super cool.
I mean and I fucking, you know, I wouldn't want to ask him what their opinions were on certain things, but it just got to how you gotta gotta give people a second chance, you know, some people they come out to Cali and they see something that they've never seen before and they life, you know what I'm saying, and and therefore when you see Uh, something new. Your first reaction is to be like, what the fuck is that?
Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I've never seen that shit before, what is that and hate on it? And yeah, you know, and it might not even be hate. It's just like, it's just like that that I mean, it's just it's just, that is foreign. They're like, wait, that's wrong. That's not supposed to be that way. So then they then they kind of are like, what the fuck are you doing? You know what I'm saying? Like, You're not supposed to be doing that and it's just because they never seen it before.
You know what I'm saying? That's why traveling is the best thing you could do man traveling is when you just start to open your eyes to other ways and you're like, oh shit. And if you just stay stuck in your little town, in the middle of America, you're just don't know what you don't know. And that's all good. What was it? A homework? Why were you in Oklahoma? Is that where you got family or something? No, no. No. We were just filming a movie out there.
Yeah, I can you talk about the movie or is it off the Record? No. No, we did. We were making like, like a frat movie. Basically about like kind of like, I don't know like the Brotherhood of like the fraternity and whatnot and we're an Oklahoma Oklahoma City. Yeah. We was out there and fucking like stuck in a hotel for a month. Remember that you ever see The Outsiders so famous movie, You Gotta See definitely heard of it, what they shot it in Oklahoma City and the director
put. So there's two groups in the movie. The scioscia's and of shit, IMA forget the One, it's two. It's the scioscia's where the rich kids and the greasers were the poor kids. And in real life, the director put all the actors who played the rich kids in a nice hotel and all the actors who played the grimy kids in a shitty hotel. So when they got to shooting, they really hated each other because they got the nice hotels. That's fire. Right?
But that movie is a must-see and it's in Oklahoma. I live in Oklahoma City once it was, it seems like it's pretty cool. I just we just couldn't risk catching covid, you know, ain't nobody worried. No master I know right? That's another thing with the whole covid shit. It's like you come to California. People take that shit way serious. And we were in Texas, shoot red rocket ain't nobody wearing a mask. And at the end of the day, man. It's like do what you got to do.
I don't judge, man. It's like whatever. Yeah. What are you gonna do, man? You can't change people. That's another thing, man, like goes back to ignorance. It's not like they got the intention like I'm not gonna wear masks because I'm gonna fucking To give other people covid-19 him. There's not, no bad intention behind it, man. They just don't feel like doing it. I got it now. I'm just ready for this yet to be over brought to be honest. I'm done with that.
So it's so you imagine you probably getting you're saying no to a lot of shit, right? Like you're getting offers sent in and you're picking your jobs. You want to do. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Whoo, we're figuring it out. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. It's a good place to Be man. Yeah, I'm trying to figure out how this shit works right now man. You just got thrown into the deep end of the pool, Bross crazy. Like you really got thrown onto the biggest show in the world, pretty much.
I mean, it feels like that's the biggest show on on TV right. Now. It's all anyone's talking about, is something about, it's crazy. It's I mean, it's fucking a good show. It's a good show man, and it's like a cultural phenomenon. It's like sit, two piece of the time. It is relevant. Now, it's Stay relevant. I tell you what though, bro. I watch that show and I just feel. Oh, I'll be honest man. I watched the first pilot and it made me uncomfortable because watching like these kids, not
even less than half my age. Wildin out like that. And I was like the sex and drugs and I was like, damn, why is this making me uncomfortable? Like I was that what it meant? And I'm like, okay, you got to sit through this because that's good. It's making you feel uncomfortable. I want to feel uncomfortable, you know, I mean, but it was like, yo, shit's wild. I'm about to do a movie with your girl, Sydney Sweeney. Yes. Yes. Who everybody and Lucas. Lucas gave?
Yeah, he told me, she's the homie song about I haven't met her yet. But we're shooting a movie in New Mexico and a couple weeks and he's like, yo, she's the best. Yeah. Yeah, and then both of them are so yeah. Super cool. So it's funny because, you know, I just did a movie with Lucas and I was like, you know, I still haven't watched Euphoria. He's like, don't watch it man. I don't want you to see me, and then I watched it and he got his
ass beat near to death. And I don't even know what, I don't even know. Survived it. That's why I stopped watching it. But the man, dude, this shows fuck with me. Like, I actually now, I'm excited to go back and finish it because I need something to watch and I really watch and shit. So I'm going to dive back into it. And yeah, it's yeah, I don't watch much TV either to be honest with you.
I'm a documentary dude. I just want to watch some real shit, especially because that's what we're doing. I like watching Gordon Ramsay talk shit for a checkup. Yeah. Yeah, always that the chef who yells at people. Yeah. Yeah. What other shit you watch. I really don't. I'm not I got a TV with a VCR things. So I got a VCR. Yes, like a little tiny, like 12 inch or this fucking sometimes throwing, that's know some old classic. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She's almost, like, do you even
need to go to acting school? Because I feel like sometimes it's like your instinct might be good enough to wear. Sometimes I think they can read rocket. All the rest of the cast except my wife would never acted before and they were fucking amazing and they just rocked off.
Instinct when I went to the class a different class in like I had a scene partner for the class and I asked her because I was trying to figure out because I had went to the class and I watch the kids doing their little scenes and whatnot and I walked away and I was like, I asked my scene partner Mike. What am I supposed to be taking away from this? Like, what should I be learning? You know what I'm saying? And she can't really tell me like a direct answer and so I
was just like confused. I didn't know what to take away or like what I was supposed to be paying attention to and things. And then at one point, Sam, the director of you for a he told me one day. He was like, yo, did you rehearse this scene? And I was like little bit and he was like, don't do it. Yeah, see that's my point. At this point, I've just been trying to just like fucking act, like it's dumb in the moment.
You know, that's it. Listen, anyone listening to this, that's trying to be an actor. First of all, what you just said, bro, is exactly what I fight with all the time because we're red rocket. I didn't have. I got the job three days before we started shooting and I had to memorize. I'm on every page of that script, right? I had no time to think and that is, what worked. Was because I wasn't overthinking and over rehearsing. Yeah. Shoot on film. Let's go, you know, your lines
kind of, let's roll on the fuck. If I ever seen coming up, man. I wait till the very last second or else, I'll just kill myself with anxiety, bro. Like so I just put it off and then I'll get my lines. You know what I'm saying?
I try not to remember, like I don't know if I can work in a movie where I have to say each line perfectly because I Marseille different every time because I don't want to get caught up on. Like, you know, the order of the words and was more like the idea of the, I bet Sam likes that because you'll give him different takes. So he because somebody some directors do do that. I've been on movies where they're like, no, it's you need
to go to the store or not. You need to go to like every single answer for I can do. Yeah. Because it would just, it would just fuck me up. Not being able to just flow. Yeah, man, it's all about the gut rocking off Instinct and going with the gut and just improving. And I luckily Shaun Baker. He let me improv a lot. Like I think he said in the end 25% or red rocket was improv, which is a lot, you know, and to be able to improv on film. You know, how lucky that is?
Brother mean? Nobody just do that. But anyway, so anyone out there listening man, go off your instinct and don't judge what. So what's the lesson to this? Don't overthink shit. People don't have bad. Tensions are the time that's to I there's got to be a third one and maybe maybe don't watch it so bad and let it come to you. There's a little bit of wisdom from two dudes who maybe aren't the wisest cats in the world, but we got a little wisdom.
I think. Yeah, a little Bela a little bait with fucking, you know, follow your dreams. They're going to lead somewhere. Are you gonna show me? Yo, man, but to do it. Yeah. Anyway, man, it was cool to meet you bail of all day. I wish you all the best. You know what I mean? And they handle that Fame. Keep a good head, on your shoulders. I feel like you got that option. Don't let the fame. Fuck you up too much, man. It was good to meet you. Rob you to my God.
Congratulations on the new movie and all that man. Appreciate. Hope to see you again soon. Thanks for listening. The 824 podcast is produced by us a 24 special. Thanks to our editor Tom Wyatt and robot repair who composed star theme.