Sam Robards

a few crimes, and here's a hint our. Last episode, we saw him walk out in handcuffs. Today we have who else Howard the Captain Archibald himself an amazing actor, Sam Robarts. We're going to break down the first two Crazy seasons with Sam before the Captain heads off to jail. You don't want to miss this one. Here's Sam Hill. How are you? I'm doing so well? This is not to make it super awkward or weird right from the jump. Your voice is super, super sexy and wonderful. Why thank you?

And now I'm all uncomfortable. I know I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Well, thank you for being here, or of course, thank you for asking me. I appreciate it for sure. So we've been doing like walk down memory lanes and rewatching and all the things. But I don't think i've seen you since we were filming Gossip Girl, which is over a decade ago. Oh my god, that's correct. Yeah. I also

don't think we ever had a scene together. I know we were definitely would cross pass in the makeup room, or you know, you'd have a scene before me or something on the day, but I don't recall because I was always I like a lot of your work, so I was always very like happy to be like, oh Sam's here, like he's you're just I'm a big fan of a lot of your films and the first sweet of you. Yeah, I think I think our initial meeting

was that that whatever that party was. I think I'm thinking season two or when I came Ember, when when we were on the East River and that hospital over right about the FDR. Yes, that's my memory of I think are one scene together along with other people, but right, yeah, let's okay. So this is Sam Robots who played the Captain Howard Archibald. Why don't you tell us about how Gossip Girl came about if you you know, knew you wanted to do it right away? Was was there an audition,

wasn't an offer? Like kind of what was your experience with Gossip Girl like to be a part of it. I was living in Europe and I had just come back to the States into New York sort of the like. I think it was like February of oh seven, and I got a call from my agent and they were like, look, there's this new show and they want you to read for the show. I was like, okay, so I read it.

And actually I initially had read for Matthew Settles role rufus Yeah, but I think I was too old or maybe I just was too much of the captain already no um and so anyway, so I went and I read for it, and they were like, okay, Mark. I think it was the guy who directed the pilot. I can remember his last day and he was like you know what he had to talk and I don't know whatever, and they were like, they want you to read for the Captain and I was like, okay, great, I'll read

for the Captain. But in the pilot, I mean, I think it might have been seven words or seven not even seven lines, maybe seven lots. Like it was like over there, how you doing make it easy? Like that was it? And I was like, look, I'm happy to read this. I don't know what on earth how you're going to cast it because off of these three lines. Yeah,

I mean, I'm happy to do it. And if I if I get the job, and I think they I feel like they wrote some bunk scene, you know, some phony Balogney scene just as an audition thing, and somehow I got it so and that's how that's how I got Yeah, well I love it, and you played it so well. And there's this character I mean, because I know I'm re watching it obviously with this podcast and all the things, but I didn't even know half the stuff that Howard the Captain was going through and what

he pulls and what he does. I'm like, this motherfucker's nuts. But you also did it in such a way where you you still fight for him and care for him and root for him. You know. It's kind of like William H. Macy on Shameless, like he's like you you know, thank you? Well it is he does all this like crazy things to his family and put them in really really uncomfortable, wild positions. But yet you guys both play these roles so well that you you give us a

reason to keep caring and fighting for you. But on paper, if you would like read what you know the Captain does, you'd be like, you hate this guy, but you, the way you play it is so wonderful than you. Yeah, a whiskey swelling, coke snorting, child beating and besler. I mean,

come on, that's yeah, that exactly. Okay, So before we get into all the storylines and filming in New York and playing Chase his dad and being a part of you know, this crazy awesome show that now I always understood why it was a hit and why people liked it because of reading it, and you know, all the acting was so great and we all had such a fun time bringing these storylines and all the things to life, but really watching it and seeing it all put together,

I'm like, okay, wow, this was really something. So it's really been fun for me because I just I just kind of did it and went on with you know, shooting and living my life there and and working without really going back and being like, oh my god. And it's been so fun. So but before we do that, you're you were born in New York, correct, Like your resume is insane, I'm serious, Like, what what got you

into acting? What? What was I mean? I know you're both of your parents are Hollywood Royalty, Jason Robards and Lauren Bicall. Was it because you were born into it or was there something you watched or was it? Well, actually, my grandfather was an actor as well, amazing, and he had this sign because he was he was a theater actor before he moved out to Los Angeles in the twenties and he when they started going too talkies, but um, he was he was an actor on the on the

road and you know, touring on all these shows. And my dad had a sign, a wooden sign from my grandfather because in those days, you know, actors were second class citizens. We were we were considered people of quote unquote low morals, that we were not trusted. And this sign said we do not lease rooms to theatricals. It was from a boarding house. And when my father went to begin his career in acting, my grandfather said to him,

never forget an actor shot Lincoln, which is true. So that was sort of the world that my grandfather came from, which was then filtered down to my father's world. And then my mom came from a totally different place, which was you know, she was a fan, and then she married you know, the biggest movie star in the world, Bogie, and they had their their story. Yeah, that's wild, right,

they had their their thing. And then you know, when I was in my parents it was when I was growing up, there were all these things that were sort of in the air, in the ether, and they would constantly be talking about, oh, this job and I want to do this, and someone else got it, but what about decision and that, and it was just always there. And then I would see them in shows on stage. I was also on a set, but as a kid a set, as you I'm sure you know, it's just

deeply boring. Nobody's really quiet. You can't do and he's like going to church, you can't do anything unless you laugh, which then is hilarious. But but in the theater, you know, they'd be up there and I'd be in the audience, and or i'd be backstage where it was, which it

was very different backstage. But when I was in the audience and they and the audience was grooving on and the play was going on, and this was happening, and that was happening, and it was my parents that were on stage, but it wasn't them, but it was them. They would appear briefly and then they would disappear into their character, and it was it was a little confusing

for me as as a as a child. And then afterwards I'd go backstage and you know, all the glad handing and everyone's just you're the greatest nace and sliced bread, who were you? You know, all the the usual blah blah blah that you get. And then while all that was happening, I would go on stage after the audience had left, and I would look out at the at this empty theater, and I'd be like, okay, so it's okay for me to be on stage right now because

nobody's here. But half an hour before I couldn't be on stage and everybody and so that whole weird thing of like yeah, and I was like, what is happening. There's something that's happening here. So that sort of started the German Nation in my brain and I went to, you know, tons of plays when I was a kid. I was dragged hither and yon and and went to see my parents shows many many times. Anyway, that's how I got started. I just was like, I got booted out of college, and I was like, you know what,

I don't really want to go back to school. I mean, I guess I could get a bartending job or a waiter job, but I want to just give this a rip because I just don't want to wake up when I'm worthy and go well, should have tried it? Yeah, yeah, And so then I have. So I got a job as an understudy assistant stage manager, which is in a play at the Cherry Lane. It's a category that sadly doesn't exist anymore in equity. It should because you really

do learn about the theater. You'll actually learned the nuts and bolts of being in a show and what it entails blah blah blah, which can be more more than a lot of other things that you that people think you need to do right but totally totally. Yeah, And then I got and then so that I got that job. You know, I made two sixty seven a week and change. But that was when you could live in New York and you know, a movie was four fifty and a

ball game was four bucks. And you know, I mean you could rent was like three dollars and if you split it with somebody you could live in New York. Then, right you were really you really knew how to do it, right, Yeah, well that's how you live. So and then I got another job, like a big job and a movie job, and then I then it finally an Asian was like, yeah, okay, we'll we'll represent yeah. So and that's how that's sort

of how I got started. I love this. And when you were nominated for a Tony for the man who had all the luck, how well, I mean, you put all this energy and time, and everyone's method is different or the way they get into roles. And I'm not sure. I've never done theater, but do you prepared differently than when you were preparing for the Captain or for a film?

Is it completely different? Totally? Yeah? Yeah, Well, I mean it's I mean, because obviously you're rehearsing because on Broadway before we did that show on Broadway, we we were were the year before we put it up in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the Theater Festival there with virtually the same cast and It was very strange because Arthur Miller was in the rehearsal room, and my dad had worked with Arthur years before they would start helped to start Lincoln Center in

the early sixties. That was the name of that senior moment. I can't remember the name of that play that he was in. Any way, it was so anyway, so like it was that was cool and intense. You know, like when you're working with somebody, it doesn't matter what kind of quote unquote method they use. It's just like, can you deliver the goods? That's all really. Everybody cares about that. Nobody cares about what your process is other than hey, we're ready to go. You're you're ready, right, yeah, yeah,

nobody cares. But theater obviously is very different because not only well yeah, but you have a little bit more time to find it. And you know, it starts in the rehearsal room where the director and obviously in this case Arthur Miller, they have an idea about what they want the show to be and they tell you that idea, and then as you go through the rehearsal process of a few weeks, it starts to become each of ours, all of us who are playing these different care it

starts to become our show. We're using their template to discover how we can deliver it, right, and then they have to sort of let it go until you know, once the curtain goes up, it's ours, right, there's no cut, nobody's going to sounds bad and yeah, and you know, and in the theater it's very different. I mean, obviously in film and television it's totally collaborative. You need every single person. You need every rigging grip, every yeah, I mean,

you need every electrician and crafty and just transport. You just need everybody all in collaborating. Yeah, you need every piece to that little putt. And in the theater that's true too, although if you were to strip away everything, you don't even really need a theater. You just need a space outdoors and you just need an author to write the words, right, an actor to interpret the words,

and an audience to receive the words. And then and you've got yourself a play, right, and send back there their interpretation of what you're doing, which it changes because it's a live thing, right, it's a vertical thing. You throw these ideas up in the air and people take what they want as opposed to like this horizontal medium of the film where a director can speed up or slow down a scene or actor's reactions or take one out or whatever. So it's very it's a totally different discipline.

But so that's that's the difference for me. And I mean, I love it just because it's as an actor, it's just so freeing and it's terrifying, which is great because I think you should always scare yourself. Yeah. See, to me, that's what I think would be one of the funniest things because of how yeah, scary and and challenging, probably for the first time to like, especially someone who's for me. So I used to doing TV. That's why I love going to place because it's they're just so fulfilling to me.

You got to be in one, Jessica. I know. I we should do one together. Maybe it's maybe my first one will be with you. I'm in I love that. Oh my gosh. So when you got the call? Who called you? How did you know you were nominated for a Tony Let's let's just finish that and then we can get into some gossip girl stuff. But I'm like fascinated with this because I think theater even what isn't when you go to watch what you get from it.

It's just such a different feeling than when you watch a film or television, Like just sitting in the theater watching this, being in the same room, watching the people deliver their lines in the same present, you know what I mean, Because you're right there. You know, you can't pause it, you can't say, hey, what did he say? Or you know you're crying like you're just in it with them, You're on this ride with them in real life.

And I just find that so fascinating. So I think getting nominated for a Tony is like epic and like amazing. It was. It was I I couldn't believe it because there were there were so many other performances in our show that I thought were equally I mean, I don't know, honestly,

I don't know what the greater is. I just and I was playing this sort of oddball part of an Austrian and guy and I had a mustache and glasses and I would just come out and I would hear this whispering in the audience, and I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I kept thinking, must be doing

something wrong at my fly open. I don't know, like what was going on, and I realized later on that people were going because for some reason I nailed that Austrian accent with a lot of help from the dialect coach and other actors and everything and a lot of hard work. But I think people were confused who I was. They didn't know me right away, and I think that's

what that whispering was. And I think that and it was also that part was the part that sort of was to do with the emotional arc of cryst O'donald's character of the main character, so that I think that that helped to get the Tony nod. I can't remember. I do know that I got a Drama Desk nomination first because those were the first ones, and then I

can't remember. I think I got a ohne call from Kate Burton, who Richard Burton's daughter, amazing actress in her own right, and she had gotten nominated for Elephant Man, which was also on Broadway at that time. She and I have known each other for many many years as our parents were friends, and she was like, hey, we got nominated. I think that's how it it came down, as I recall, but twenty years ago, so I have no memory, right, I know, it's so wonderful though. That

had to be a wonderful, wonderful feeling. Yeah. It was a little weird though, too, because then you have a month before the Tonys and everyone was coming to see the show even more so than they were before, Right, And I didn't necessarily quote unquote feel pressure. But it was the only Tony nomination that the whole show got.

I don't think there were any actors that were that way, but I think there were some people who were who noses were a little out of joint, who thought that the show could should have gotten more nods because it was Arthur Miller's first play that he wrote as a young man, and it was the first time on Broadway and since nine and actually the guy who played the part that I played was one of my early acting teachers. That's awesome. Yeah, so there was a lot of a

lot of connections, a lot of connections in that show. Wow, that's awesome. I wish I could go, like, watch you in that play. It's a great play and a lovely part of that's yeah. Yeah, well that's awesome. Okay, about another role you played. You know Howard the captain Archibald never heard of him jumping into this. This character gets arrested for cocaine fraud, embezzlement, please the country to escape

his trial, returns to kidnap ann and Nate. Um is released from prison to live with Nate later on, and then you kind of just had one of a final appearance. It was in the last episode I watched you you turn Yourself in, which okay, I just that's a lot on the captain's plate, a lot going on so on paper when you were I don't know, it's been so long. I mean, what's the character breakdown for for the captain? Well,

it was. It was funny because initially I got there and then the like, I think one of the first scenes we shot was me in my quote unquote office, right, and it was all this nautical stuff, like there was a you know, a sex stint and a ship's bell and a captain's hat, and and I was like, okay, and I said, like I came. I think Stephanie was there in their early days. Josh came a few times,

but Stephanie was there definitely a few times. And I said to them and also to set deck and all those guy was like, you know, actually, I think I don't think it's a nautical thing. I think, actually, what this guy is, he's a working class guy from one of the outer boroughs who actually is a captain at

a restaurant. And what he does is he tries to find rich, lonely Upper east Side women and bed them, and then he found one and married her and stole the money, which was which was a very different different vibe than I think that they were thinking initially, Yeah, and I don't know that, but that's my guess, and I think that they then sort of ran with that, which I liked because I you know, you hope that your character, especially in a show that goes on for

a number of seas, and you know that Gossip Girl was like a big ass hit, so you know, you you hope that your character will find some redemption, which, in his roundabout completely idiotic way, the captain did by turning himself in because he tried to kill um No, but you know, you know um so that was where it started. So were you you were just sitting on the set and seeing all these like was like, it's not a captain's hat. It's not it's not that exactly. No,

I like that more right because it autumn. Well, it just makes it a little bit more specific, well then it and it also makes a little it makes more sense where you're like, Okay, you kind of cannot understand where he's coming from in a way, do you know what I'm saying? Like Otherwise you're like, here's this you know, very wealthy man who chose to you know, as a dad and is choosing his addiction or all these things over like and it was all her money, right, That's

what I'm saying. That's the whole thing. Yeah, it doesn't justify what he's doing, but it definitely makes you like, hmm, okay, that makes a little bit more sense, right exactly. So that was because I just didn't make it because then I was like, okay, so what's captain? And then what exactly I drive a barge? I don't understand. And you know, they sort of had the other parents like the basses and all that, we're all super uber rich and and it just it was just nice, nice to be a

little flawed, right absolutely. Okay, So let's talk about the captain's relationship with Nate, because there were some things that like Nate have. He decides to sleep with the duchess for the family, basically for money to help the family. Which when when that happened, you know, I'm watching it and I'm like, I mean, he's between a rock and a hard place. Because I'm a very big family person.

I'm very close to all my cousins and siblings, and everyone lived in the same town and everyone did everything with each other. So like, to me, you do anything for your family. So when they do that, like I can see it. But then I'm like, the captain puts them in some tough spots. Yeah, well it's because I mean, I think the captain was willing to do anything for money to hold on to what he had at the expense of his relationship with his son, with his wife,

with himself. I mean, that was sort of the direction I was hoping that they would go. And then and you know, Stephanie and Josh really understood what was going on, and they really and everybody in the writer's room really cranked that up. And I think that it also helped

chase his character. For Nate to I mean, to have that kind of pressure from from your parents, that's extremely especially when you have to violate something that you might believe in strongly and you have to go against yourself in order to assuage one or both of your parents Aszires, It's it's a deeply disturbing thing, I think for sure. And we've we've talked about this with like the adults quote unquote in the show, you know, like moms and

dads of the show. Like they did a good job of showing the imperfections because I think a lot of times when when we grow up, our parents are heroes, but when you get older and you can see that they're not perfect, because no one is. They did a good job of showing that in the show. I mean they went real far on some of the stuff. But sure it's that, you know, there's not like these books that parents read that all of a sudden when they become a parent, like they do no wrong and they're

you know, they're perfect, which is the truth. Even though a lot of parents will do anything for their kids and want them do you know, want to show them what's right and do the right things right. That was not the captain's case. That was not the captain, But I mean, like that kind of behavior of forcing. You know, in this case, the captain really pushing Nate to do things that he was not comfortable with. That can break a family relationship, that can break a father's son relationship,

which sad to say, it did in a way. You know, it certainly broke the captain, and I think there was a piece of Nate that probably was broken in that, and obviously the marriage didn't survive. So yeah, I mean, there's do you remember the time. I'm like thinking about this, like all of your scenes with Nate right now while

you're saying that, I'm like, oh my gosh. Then when you punched them, and then when when Anne finds the drugs and she thinks it's Nate and you're the three of you are sitting there, this is season one and she's like how could you and you kind of give him this look and Nate looks back at you and he takes one for the team. When I watched it this time going around, I couldn't remember what happens. I'm like, wait, there's no way he takes it, like, oh my gosh.

And then it's death by a thousand cuts. You keep doing that to prop up this version of your father not only for yourself, but for the family, for your mom, until finally you can't handle anymore. And then you do what he had every right to do, which was to punch me. And when he had finally had enough. Yeah, and then when he talks and that's here's the thing. And then here's Nate still somehow trying to do the right thing, where he tells he's telling you you got

to turn yourself in. That's the only way this is going to like kind of make something, okay, right now, Well, then he's the father, right right, Yeah, because his father can't be a father in any real sense of the word. Yeah. And then when we see you in the next couple of seasons, you're in jail. You're in prison. I thought I looked good in the orange. Not that I would do it as a life choice, but I thought was a good call because I know it's a very fashion

forward show, right, but I like the orange. You did look at the orange? And was that at silver Cup? Yeah? Okay? And was that was that set specifically for Gossip Girl? Do you know? Or I think that, like, but jail cell that has been used many times. I don't, I don't know, but it felt like it was. I mean it may have been. It probably was. I can't imagine they built that just for that, but it was my

home for a little while, that orange jumpsuit. And then I don't know if you remember this in the show, but then Nate ends up getting arrested for the same thing you did, which was like yeah, full circle, Like wow, they just keep it going on this show, don't they. Right, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree despite your best efforts. You know. That was part of my reason

for becoming an actor too. It's because I thought, well, I could be closer to my parents, I might understand them better by being an actor, and then we would have something to talk about, or at least I would have some understanding of their thing, you know, because as a kid, you don't necessarily understand when your parents are there or not there, what's going on or you know

what I mean? Right, absolutely, And I think that sometimes you just you do that stuff because you you want to get closer to you your parents, and then you end up sometimes doing the same stuff. Absolutely, it's the it's like ironic, right, you know what I mean, The irony of him knowing that that wasn't the right thing or you know, but good old Nate Archibald, good fellah, I know, and you and the family you guys are, It's like it's like Chase's family in real life. They're

just all beautiful. The Archibalds are great. Yeah, Like when you see his mom and dad and sister, it's like Texas family, so beautiful, so sweet. It's it's great and it's literally I'm like Nate, it's kind of the same to such a beautiful, aesthetically looking family. Yeah, well, thank you. Yeah. Um. I have actually like a clip from Chase when I we did his episode. He loved, loved working with you. Oh god, he and I had the best time. He's

just great, isn't he wonderful? Yeah? And we just really and and then with Francie Swift like just like it was just really it was a good vibe. I really like, I like that fake family. That Archibald family was wonder fall weight. I'm gonna play you Chase this clip quick, because we were talking about how serious the storylines were with everything that the Archibald like what you guys all had going on, And then He's like and then Sam and I would just be cracking up in between, He's like,

sometimes I couldn't keep it together. Hold on, I'll play it for you. Sam Robarts played my dad. Yeah, he was so funny to his character had a drug problem and he would always like but he would always save it from my coverage when when the camera's on me, so it'll be done, and he'd be like, I'm you know, you like this thing, like you know and have the snipples and like way overact. I'm like, Sam, stop, I'm cracking up. What what do you do to not like? I don't? I don't. I just laugh and I lose

it and everyone's mad at me the whole time. He was like, we just had the best time. But when you have a relationship like that with another actor that you work with so much, especially with how intense, like Nate stuff was with the Captain, it's so nice to have like a little it of light in between, and like and Chase, the sense of humor is so funny. He's one of the funniest people I know. Yeah, yeah, And I think that's why we got on because we both had a good sense of humor with each other.

And you know, and as you say, all the stuff was so serious, you can't take it so serious all the time. I have to you have to give yourself a break, totally. What do you think the Captain is doing? Now? Well, it's funny that you should ask that, because I was just in New York in April and I was walking around and what do I see. I'm walking by Bryant Park to south of Briant Park, and there's gossip Girl one of the I think it's a I think it

was the food truck for the New One. Yeah, lunch was over, and I was like, I should totally go up and find the show runner because I had this big, big gas beard, and I was like, guys, here's what you need to do the ultimate crossover. The new guys are walking down the street and there's the Captain homeless. Oh my gosh, I really hope you did that. You can't actually tell us that it happened. But I didn't.

I didn't do that, but because I was like, because I just saw the food truck, God knows where they were shooting, I was like, well, I gotta be somewhere. I'm not going to go spend my whole day going hey, God tracking them down. Yeah exactly, But I just thought it would have been a really funny like they're just walking by, just like who's that Guy's just some homeless guy and then just keep walking. But it was the captain Dad. It's Dad is just like a man, I

need somebody eat? Why Lie? I want a beer? Why Lie? I want to beer? The first time I saw that I was leaving, it was like coming off the one on one in l A in Hollywood, too, Yes, and the guy said, I'm not going to lie, I'm homeless and I want a beer, And I'm like, I honestly, I wish I had cash on me because I apreciate the honesty. And I was like, here you go. It's your last name, March, your ball. Do you have any other problems? Yeah? Exactly amazing. Um, what was your experience

filming in New York? After speaking of the food trucks and all that, like filming Gossip Girl in New York That's the only thing I did one other indie which was a very whole different experience, different areas of New York that we didn't really film in with the show. But how did you enjoy it? Was it too hectic? How do you feel about it? It was great? I mean you know, I've shot a bunch of stuff in New York, and I mean, I like it just because it's you know, I actually knew quite a few of

the drivers. I used to play a lot of softball in Central Park and one of the drivers, this guy Ritchie, he was he played. Yeah. Yeah, So like, I know, there's a bunch of guys that I sort of knew from and from other jobs because you know, it's a small shop in New York for everybody, so you sort of get to know everybody. So I really like did I mean, the one thing I didn't like is when we were shooting on the Upper east Side and then we break for lunch and then they'd be like, Okay,

it's a walk away lunch. I'm like, what do you mean it's a walk away lunch. We're on Madison Avenue and set I can't get a piece of bread for less than eighty five dollars walk away? I don't want to is there? No? But it was not going to eat today. But it was early on, yeah, before they knew it was going to be a big, big thing. And then once it, once it hit, then they were cool.

And that that sort of cracked me up. I was like, I don't want to walk around, I want to food, So I became an listen, I love love a lunch, right, yeah, totally yeah. So was do you feel like filming on the Upper east Side other than an eighty five dollar piece of bread? Which you were not wrong. I always felt like because not a ton of my scenes were at Silver Cup and I wasn't. My character was on the Upper east Side more than she probably should have been,

with the way she didn't like it up there. She I always found Vanessa's up there, I'm like, why are you still up here? Go back to exactly. But when we would film up there, I just remember, I'm like some of the kids that went to actual school up there,

I'm like, are they all skipping school right now? And then screaming in between the scenes, like if any parents or teachers need to know where their kids are, they'll just follow the screams, because these kids would literally come and just be there all day watching, which I found so wild to me, because I'm like, it's definitely a school day, and you're definitely here since seven this morning,

right yeah? And then you know, I mean I and God knows, I was beyond the west side and then you would like, you know, ten thirteen year old girls would come out and scream and go, you have a cap? Yeah, yeah, I know it's okay. I'm just trying to cross the street. But I mean, that was sort of the thing where like I remember when Chase and I were shooting that scene. I think it was on I want to say it was like ninety five and fifth Avenue. It was, you know,

it was a classic Faturday and it was late. It was like midnight or something. In the scene where where I punched him and it's midnight, it's two thousand and seven, and I look across the street and there's probably at least a hundred kids with their sidekicks and their droids and maybe a razor, all sort of filming or taking pictures of us. And that was like episode five or something like that. And I said to Chase at the time, I said, dude, you better get ready for the ride.

And he was like, what do you mean. And I was like, Okay, there's a hundred kids across the street. It's a Friday night at midnight in the city, and they're not out partying. They're taking pictures of you because they ain't taking pictures of me, brother taking pictures about of you. But no, no, I know, but I was like, you better get like I knew it then. I was like, right, this thing's gonna this thing is gonna blow up. Buckle up, buddy. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah.

I feel like the way Chase played Nate to with you know, trying to cover up and hide these things and still you know, being a teenager and you know, fighting the emotions with the girls and and what's going on at home. I think he liked I thought he was fantastic and also just and you know, this is beyond the let's not beyond the purview of the show.

I think it's part of the show. Is like when I came back to the second season, all of a sudden, now there's security all over the place in front of all their trailers and everything because girls are going in there.

And I think that I think for you know a lot of the young guys, all those guys, it must have been in addition to trying to actually just do your work on the show, you know, with that just punishing schedule and everybody's shooting twelve shows at once, and you finish one location outside and then you got to go to Silver Cup and then you can go home. You got to get up at four in the morning, and all this craziness that was going on at that time.

Just the external of having to deal with the fandom of it must have been really difficult for them, you know, and and still be able to do your work. I think that must have been very challenging. It was really all of our first jobs, so no one knew. We were all trying to figure out how to handle it. Everyone obviously to each their own however they do it. But I remember being like, this is weird that people want to know what everyone's doing outside of work. You know.

It was just a very odd, strange thing. Yeah for all of you. Yeah, that must have been brutal. Yeah, it was. It was insane. And then like all the places, like when they did this started making a tour, like they did the Sex and City tour, and then they did where they would come and see where the Archibalds lived and the you know, the met stairs where the girls sat, the galleries, and you know, they made drinks

of our characters at the Empire Hotel. I'm like, this is really funny and cute that people enjoyed it that much, you know, that's awesome. Yeah, it's yeah, it was nuts. I mean I happily didn't have to deal with any of that, but it was that was nuts. Do you feel like when you are traveling or going about do people recognize you more from gossip l than other stuff? Hilariously? Yes? Uh. Usually what happens is people like, did you go to college with my sister? And I'm like, yes, how is she?

I have not seen her forever and they're like no, no, no, or like people will like people be like we've met before because they can't place it. Yeah, well that's and

that's what you want, right, you don't want. Yes. A buddy of mine was working on a movie many many years ago with the famous actor Shall Remained the Most And they were in this small town in North Carolina and they were working, uh, and they had the night off and they went out and they got some food and they're sitting in a banquette in a window and some small North Carolina town and they're eating dinner and

they're talking. And then he's sitting there and he turns and he looks to his right and there's this window there and there's a ton of people with their faces mashed against the window looking at this other actors taking pictures. And he turns to this other actor and he's like, how do you how can you do this? I couldn't do this, And they were like, uh, you know, just ignore it. Yeah, I mean like I would not want

that personally. Yeah, it seems invasive and so much right and also for us it's like if if we're in another part, you know, the hope is is that people aren't going to go, oh, that's Vanessa or that's the captain that actually you'll be able to play the part, and they're like, oh, wow, that that person was just that person, you know what I mean. Yeah, so that because I think sometimes like a larger dollarp of fame

doesn't always work in your favor. I mean obviously unless there's some big movie star or something like that, but you know what I mean, like you're able to actually play the character without the baggage from other parts that you might have played. You know, absolutely, it's so interesting what we do. Hey, Like just the industry, entertainment, all

the all the things. I mean, even just like when you were telling me about going to the theater and standing on there and then growing up with you know, classic Hollywood royalty, and then having the career you've had, and then also how much has changed even from when we met on Gossip Girl. Like I remember when when I was doing Gossip Girl, it was like you either

did film or you did TV. You couldn't you You could still be like a theater actor and do film, but you either did theater and did film or theater and TV. I mean not just there were the few, but it wasn't like now it's like all across the board. You can go do your film, but you can also go to a series. It just wasn't. It was so one or the other, wasn't. Don't you feel like, oh yeah, yeah?

Well And even when I was growing up, my parents wouldn't even dream of doing television, right, You couldn't do TV because then you were a TV you know what I mean? You were in a movie star right right, It's like whatever, I like, is there a check? Where am I standing? Am I talking to? Dress? Fine? Perfect?

So yeah, whatever you need exactly. And even now, like when you were saying you were just saw that they were filming Gossip Girl, I'm like, I haven't watched the new one, and I'm I haven't either excited to go see what it what it's all about in the sense of when we were doing it, it was a show about a blog when blogs didn't really exist. So I'm very excited to see what they're doing with it, do you know what I'm saying? Because it was the whole

point of gossip growth. To me with ours, it was interesting because we didn't have all these platforms and now we do, so I'm really excited to see how they're

playing with that. Yeah, it's totally different rent to Yeah, absolutely, I do think that it would have been different back then at the time if we would have had more social media, Like I don't think our show would have people would have responded to it the way they did then if we had all of it, like the first time around, I feel like it would have been challenging to um have all that in the show and off the show, both of it. But yeah, well that's the

social media is a whole other thing. Man. That's now a metric for you know, whether or not you get hired and all this stuff. That's whole so crazy. Yeah, it's a lot. Yeah, That's why I'm not on it. Yeah, I've really that's awesome, very refreshing to hear too well, because it's like irony does not play in the digital ag You can't be ionic because you can't read tone from a tweet because it's just although there's hilarious stuff

on Twitter, but it's just it's just information. Yeah, so if you don't have context, it's hard to figure it out. It's the whole thing man. Yeah, absolutely, I mean, you hit it right on the nose. Anyways, that was I mean, we I basically just wanted to kind of talk to you about the Captain and and how you got into acting and living in New York and all that kind of stuff. I feel like we covered a lot of fun, fun stuff I really loved. I didn't really know that

about you being on set with that. That's like a fun fact that I don't think a bunch of the fans. I think I'll love hearing that too because I didn't know that, and it really makes me feel different about

the Captain a little bit. Yeah. Well, I think, I mean, obviously I think they probably were going I think they probably obviously knew as well that it wasn't just couldn't just be like, you know, I wasn't like Captain Stubing from the Love Book, although I could have done that too, could have maybe in the new one, we'll get him a job. No, homeless, No, it's gotta be. Do you have any any projects coming up that you can talk about? No? Actually, I've been Actually I've been writing a lot, and i've

been directing some theater. And that's so that's one thing. The pandemic. I've been able to sort of slow down and pick and choose a little bit. So that's that's sort of where I've been at. Yeah, And how do you do you like directing? I do? I do. It's I mean, I I much prefer acting because I don't know, I just I like acting on stage. It's fun, it's it's challenging and fun and and what you get is sort of immediate. And my my dad said something about it.

I think he was quoting Ralph Richardson, was an English actor of great note in which like, if you're doing something that's not of this time period, you're sort of breaking time and it's like our our time to dream. Like you can go to the theater and see something and it's not and it's a little bit of a dream time and then you come back into the world, and I think that's we need that, and that's one of the great values of the theater. Yeah. I love that. Wow,

I need that. You're making me like have all these fields of coming and just going and watching theater for weeks in New York now, but good New York for sure. I'm gonna definitely be coming and going and seeing some theater. You got me all fired up about that. And I hope that we like Cross Paths soon and I can't wait to tell Chase that we did an episode. He'll love it. He'll be super pumped. Please do Yeah, I hope.

I hope we do as well. Yeah you Wow. It was so good to talk to you Sam and hear all of your thoughts on such a complicated character like the Captain. I loved getting to chat with you today. So thanks again for joining me. For everyone else, make sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcast and leave a review. I can't wait to see you back here next week. Until next time, x O x O x O XO is produced by Propagate Content and Met Jessica's Or. Our show is executive produced by Langley.

Our producers are Diego Tapia, Christin Vermilia, Emily Carr and Hannah Harris. Original music by Moxie and Lune, and the episode was mixed by Sethel Landsky