Matthew Rhys Returns Again

25:33But I would do everything in my power to make sure that you play. I think you'd be amazing. And I think that would be just a terrific project. I certainly think it's a story and a book that needs to get made because the sheer scale and scope of it. But also Moses as a human being, as an individual, if you read that play, book is staggering. It lays Shakespeare to the sword because you cannot quite believe the ascent of that man. And that man had more power than maybe anyone in American history, say the president, but he was able to, it's unimaginable now. Yes. But he could just say, I think this highway should go here and all of these buildings in my way shall be destroyed.

26:21And these communities removed. And these communities removed and it would happen as if he were a czar. Yes. And it was the way he understood power. And that's a real Caro obsession is how people accumulate power and how they use it and who are the masters at that. And, of course, the other one is Lyndon Johnson. And it's just this thing that he writes about so well and he understands so well. That beautifully, beautifully put. I'm very talented. You are, but it's the understanding of power. I might be the Robert Moses of comedy. Ooh. Yeah. I have laid waste to so many communities. when I have a joke I want to do I destroy communities and my whole tenements and buildings come down in your wake yes and then I it's just a quick wordplay pun but people have lost their buildings yes I hope this happens so do I and I will I will pray on that tonight when I kneel and I say my prayers it's all about my career of course nothing about the family no think of the commission yes I would love that I would love that to happen so would I So would I.

27:24I'll make it happen. Okay, good. You heard it here first. Yes, and you'll hear it here last. Now, I want to bring up one more Celtic thing, which is you have claimed that you have and that you have profited from in your career Celtic eyes. Oh, yes, yes. Tell me what are Celtic eyes, what they are, and then I'll ask you my follow-up question. Well, actually, what I was going to say was an accusation, but it was more an inquiry. You're not to accuse me of anything. No, I have a number of things I'd like to accuse you of, but we'll wait until we stop rolling for that. Yes. It was, I sat down at a dinner party in Los Angeles once, and a very, very dashing, older kind of silver fox gentleman turned to me, and he just went, Irish.

28:03I went, no. Scottish. I went, no. Well, then what are you? I said, Welsh. Oh, of course, the other Celt. And I said, I'm sorry, what made you say that? He goes, Celtic lids. You've got Celtic lids. He goes, I could really help you out. He was a plastic surgeon. And what he was inferring was, is this sort of slight droop on the top of our eyes, which Which is, I think, you know, centuries being downtrodden makes you go, oh, I'm so sorry. You know, genetically. And the coal dust. That does it too. It's everything, yeah. It's having, it's both emotional and practical. Yes. That you keep dust out of your eyes, but also you take your place, you know, in society.

28:38Yes. And apologize for being there, more importantly. Someone was going to try and fix your, you could say, Lids, I call them peepers. Jeepers, creepers, what's inside those peepers? Exactly. Yes. One of my favorite poems also. From Dylan Thomas. Dylan Thomas. He did a lot of great stuff. He does. He did. Purple polka dot bikini was his. Yes. Where the sidewalk ends. Yes. So I'm fascinated that anyone would try and touch those eyes. Because those are great. I would think they've been so useful to you in acting. Well, there's another moment when the Americans was finishing. I believe it was the New Yorker that wrote a very nice article saying that I was like, what is it called?

29:17The king of downtrodden tragedy. and there was a photo of me and I looked at the photo and I went, that's my resting face. I'm not acting. I'm not doing anything. That is what my face looks like. You can project whatever it is you wish upon that downtrodden face and if you bleed in some emotional music, it might give you something cinematic. But at that moment, I was doing nothing. Yes. That's all it does. Cut you to the quick. It fans the flame of your imposter syndrome. That's all it does. All right, this brings up my next question. First of all, look at my eyes. Yes. Do I have anything? Is there any Celtic anything going on in my eyes?

29:59Yes. My eyes are narrow. They're suspicious. They're creepy. Yeah. It's kept me out of film my entire life. What can we do? Help me. Help me. I did watch a documentary about Charlie Sheen the other day. Yep. And he said there was this one time where obviously he was struggling with substance abuse, which isn't funny. But one thing he did, he realized he was falling asleep mid-take. And do you know this? Yes. And he asked for the cup of ice. And he inserted an ice cube into his rectum. Yes. And he said it gave him like. And it finished the scene. Yes. And then they show the scene in the documentary.

30:35And he's very present. And aware. Yes. And I thought in that moment, I went, good God, he's cracked it. my downtrodden lids, if I just give the old, you know, one up the chute, right? And I'm gone, bing! And like, all of a sudden, you know... Right now, you're doing it. Look at me. I'm like, I could play Scarface again. I'm like, oh, fuck you, Dave, right? Right? It just gives you the zing. So you're saying if I shoved ice up my ass, these eyes would open up. Oh, like... I'm trying to think of something that opens up. Just... Yes. Yes. Like a mall on Christmas Eve. There you go. Now we're talking.

31:11So I, let's call it pulling a sheen from now on. Oh, okay, good. I think that's the way to do it. You need to pull a sheen. Yes, I'll be back in a minute. Yeah, and then zing, ring, and then in you come. You talked about imposter syndrome. Yes. Everybody has imposter syndrome. Well, weirdly, with this Richard Burton piece, it's the first one-man show I've ever done. And the true great fear I have is that I will forget my lines because that's it. It's just like stand up. It's just you in the audience. What I've started doing now is doing a run through. If I go wrong, it's not stopping or correcting myself.

31:48It's seeing how I get out of that. Because that will ultimately be, I think, the lifeline. So that is an entirely new discipline for me. Yes, it did a little bit on stage, but you're always with another actor who will help you, catch you, throw it back to you. They're your cue. 100%. They're giving you, I mean, you're leading each other, but it's a dance. and now you're out there alone. Yes, and I forgot my lines in the past and another actor has saved me. And for the first time, playing Richard Burton going home after 22 years, I will do something alone. And what I'm intrigued is how do I, exactly what you say, how do I get out of those moments where it doesn't seem like I messed up or try and make it seem like I messed up?

32:29I have a suggestion. Yes. If you're open to it. Don't do it. If you can get out of the play, I would get out. Yes. I think you're a terrible actor. Yes, good. This is good. You shouldn't be on the stage. Should I get my eyes done? Yes. And immediately get your eyes done. Eyes, please. Zoey. You should put a little thing in the program. Yeah. A little message. Yeah. And it says, you know, they always say this takes place on New Year's Day. Yeah. Richard Burton's apartment in 1968. Okay. Was it 68? Yeah. I just was making that data. I know. I'm serious. We literally said it at the same time. Okay.

33:04So this is how good I am. I know. Of course I don't have imposter syndrome. Oh, God, he's good, yes. So you should have a little thing that says, on this day, Richard Burton has a very bad cold. And then you come in, enter coughing. Yeah. Then start your speeches, let the cough melt away. Yeah. But any time you start to lose it a little bit. Good God. Thinking, thinking. The whole time. What's next? What's next? Find it, find it, find it. And then you'll find, yeah, that's it. The cough. And people will say he'd never missed a line. Yeah. And God, he made me feel like he really was sick. Good God, that's genius.

33:44Yeah. That's the work of genius. Well. You should direct theater. You know what? No one's ever said that to me. And no one ever will seriously. But I'm going to take you up on that. Something to consider. I'm going to quit everything I'm doing. What would be the Irish one-man show that you would want to do? Which Irishman? Surely there's one about Harris you could do. Oh, my God. Well, I mean, first of all, the worst thing I could do in my career would be for me, an American, you know, third generation Irish American to return to Ireland and attempt a true accent. Do it. They would destroy me.

34:19Do it. A true accent. Do it. They would destroy me. Do it. Was Harris ever on your show? Yes, he was. How many times? He was on once, I believe. And I watched the interview recently because one of the problems with doing so much volume, thousands and thousands of hours of television, four of them quite good. I decided that, oh my God, I remembered I got to speak to the great, iconic Richard Harris. Yeah. And I have a very dim memory of it. And then I realized, wait a minute, I can watch it. So I typed in Conan Richard Harris. He came up. I watched the whole interview. He was spectacular. And at one point, he finishes his story with great bravado and throws himself back in his chair, roaring, laughing, and his chair starts to tip over and Andy and I kind of grab him and pull him back.

35:12He was an absolute delight, everything you'd want him to be. And now you have this retrospective way where, you know, when the greats die, you look back and go, now I'll watch me talking to him. Yeah, but you know what's funny? I'm often, when I see those moments, I think, why is he there? Meaning, why is, not why is Richard Harris there? Why is Richard Harris there? Why wasn't it Peter O'Toole? No, why isn't it just me alone? Yes. Why is Harris mucking it up? I could have done much better with that story. Yeah, exactly. No, I just see myself with a Richard Harris or a David Bowie and go, oh, my God.

35:48It's that thing where you just are, can you lose him? Why is he there? But I'm sorry. That's how we all feel. I know. Because the other person is legitimate and you are not legitimate. Of course. And that's just the way it is and you have to accept it. Yes, and we go through the world, you know, meeting these people and feeling like that. I also do think that the Celtic gene doesn't help us. No. The English is much better at it. You know, there is a thing. There's a true suspicion when you go back to, when I go back to Ireland. And I love it there. And I love the people. But I know that if you've gone off to America, if your people went off to America.

36:24Of course. And then you're coming back as a television personality in America. Of course. You're asking for it. Of course. You know. Of course. Who the fuck do you think is? Oh, here he is. Bertie fucking big balls Look at him Yeah Exactly And that's the attitude When they stamp your passport And everybody's hilarious That's the other thing Right And you probably have this Yes In Wales too Where I'll think Well I've really been honing my craft And then I get off the plane And I get in a cab And the cab driver's funnier than anyone I've never imagined Yes And that's why And they won't forget a grudge I was in Belfast We're driving along.

37:04I was going to do, they were having some thing for Game of Thrones that they wanted me to host. It was during the last season of Game of Thrones. And they said, would you come up? And I go to Belfast for the first time. And I get in a cab and we're driving along. And then I notice out of the side, I say, hey, it says Harland Wolf. And I remembered, and way back in my mind, Harland Wolf Shipyard, that's where they made the Titanic. And I said to the driver, I said, that's where they made the Titanic. He went, that's right. And I said, oh, that ship didn't last too long, did it? And he went, he said, the English had sunk it.

37:40He said, it was in pretty fucking good shape when we gave it to him. And I'm like, and he said it as if this was something that went down two days ago. He's still got that chip on his shoulders. When we gave it to the English, it was funny. We didn't tell him to run it into an ice party. You fucking. And so, I mean, it's just, I love the old wounds that are as fresh. Oh, my father still talks about 1282, you know. Yes. Yes, when the English killed off the last of the royal Welsh family. They're like, well, it all turned to shit then, didn't it? You're like, what, I suppose? Yes, I don't know. So everything after 1282 has been...

38:14Well, bollocks, yes. No wonder we're all like this, you know. We're trying to block out the world. It's been crapo ever since. To say it's all been shite. Ever since. It was golden age up until then. Yes. We were okay until the Bronze Age came along. Yes, they ruined it for us. I must discuss briefly. The power broker. Your lovely partner. Oh, yes. She is a power broker. Is she a power broker? In every sense. I am a mere pawn. Is that true? Does she control you? Sorry, prawn is what she calls you. Yes. Are you a prawn? In many ways. Shellfish to the nth degree. I'm just curious. I watch, I'm going to give a quick shout out to the beautiful and talented Keri Russell, who I'm entranced by the diplomat.

39:07She's incredible in everything she does. I was stunned to find out and still stunned that you two, because you're actors and you start in this series together, The Americans, you had to have a chemistry read. Yeah. To have a chemistry read with someone who then later on becomes your life partner. It's fascinating to me because I never had a chemistry read with my wife. Wait, what? And I think we should. Don't you have an agent? Surely you have management. Dear God, what are they doing? Don't give them 10%. Yes. I think if my wife and I had had a chemistry read, I wouldn't have children right now.

39:39The whole thing would have fallen apart. You have nothing. Get her out of there. But it got me thinking that everyone should have a chemistry read. Yes, yes. I mean, essentially, that's what some people do. Yes. The Catholic Church has some version of it. Well, of course. Where they, you two should get together and have some conversations in the company of a priest. Yes. But that's no chemistry read, let's face it. Did you know in the chemistry read we have real chemistry? No. No. No, I couldn't. And I struggle a bit with the term chemistry read because, you know, I've done so many of them. They go, well, they want you to do a chemistry read.

40:16And then you go, do you mean they just want me to act with another actor? Yes. Is that what they want me to do? It's a silly term. Yes. And then I think sometimes What they secretly do is In between the acting They want to see if you're joking And having fun Or you might like each other Do you know what I mean? And if they might get on set I don't I honestly don't know Right I struggle a bit with the term chemistry Because I'm always like I can pretend to like that person In the room And then hopefully They'll give me the job And then I'll act my best In the acting bits But that's all Pretty much I can do Yes She had to slap me In our chemistry read And the director said One of the reasons He said We cast you Is because you took that slap so well And I went, I had no idea she was going to slap me.

40:55It was absolutely, I was reeling in shock that she did it. It really hurts. Oh, my ears were ringing. They went, God, you took it so well. I was like, it caught up with me like three days later. Yeah. I had no idea that was happening. So, you know, there are strange happenstance like that where you go, oh, thank God. I didn't go, oh, Christ, what are you doing, woman? Is there tape rolling on this? Yeah. Oh, yeah. It's so funny to me, the idea of your family being able to at any point. Yeah. look at a tape of this is when our parents met each other and it's you getting the shit kicked out of you.

41:27Yes, yes. Well, they're like, well, that's like any Wednesday, really. But also... I forgot. Yes. Constant beatings. Of course. Oh, there's Dad again. Yeah. But we'd actually met about 15, 16 years prior to that. Oh, wow. And at a kickball party that Jennifer Grey threw in Los Angeles. Those are famous. Well, those are famous, debauched parties that she throws. I fought my way in. I was like, God damn it. There's a reason they call it dirty dancing. And I'm making my way in. It can't really mean kickball. It must mean some other kind of kickball. It's code. Yes. So at the end of the party, I'd asked for her number.

42:07And I then very drunkenly left a message on her. You know, back in the old days when it was beep. And she said some drunken Welsh idiot left her a message. And that was me. So we kind of reminded ourselves of each other after that. So I'd remembered that I'd met her many, many years earlier, but it wasn't the time and place for me to go, oh, guess what? Do you remember that fateful night when I opened a beer with a key on my thumb? And I was inebriated and had to walk home and left you a message all made of consonants, not a single vowel.

42:39Well, I remember that when we did our first podcast, and as I said, it was during COVID, and it looked like you were talking in a basement. You were shrouded in darkness. Yes. That's my aura. It looked so sad. And then in the background, this angel walks by with a hamper of laundry. I know. And I was like, he's carrying us. And I put my creep glasses on and started filming. Telegram. Hey, telegram, Ms. Russell. It won't work. You're on Zoom. Yes. Damn it. Separated by Zoom. All my creepy tricks won't work. I want to talk about this new project. And there's a little strange, I have some connection to this project that you've done, The Beast in Me.

43:27Yes. Which is that early, early on, I had this production company and the wonderful and very intelligent, wise David Kissinger said, there's this script that I found that's amazing. He brought it to me. I read it. I think Jodie Foster had seen it. So Jody came in and we just started talking about how amazing this script was. We were doing our best to try and shepherd this thing along. But once people hear Conan O 'Brien's involved, everyone flees. That imposter. That imposter. Yeah. Yes. He's phoning it in again. Is he wearing those glasses? Did you get one of his telegraphs? Yes. They're not real, you know.

44:05Yes. And so time goes by and then I find out that, oh, wait, this is actually going to happen. but I wasn't sure. For a while, we were thinking who is going to play this part and then I find out it's Claire Danes and then I find out that it's you and I had no, no one would listen to me anyway but someone did call me at one point and said, what do you think for the part, for the second lead or the co-star of it, what do you think of Matthew Rhys? And I was like, I love that guy. He's got to do this. I want to have my name in something that you're in. And listen, I take no credit for anything. I'll demand money.

44:46I'll make sure that I take a big enough, that I get a big enough piece that it hurts the production. Always, always. That's why I did it for bread. Yeah, exactly. But no, I can take no credit for anything other than I loved this script a long time ago and I very much wanted to see this make it. And I hope my name was of some use. It may have harmed. Oh, no. And my 70 % of the profits, I'm ashamed. No, you shouldn't be. I'm ashamed, but I - No, you've earned it. You've earned it. And thank you for the vote of confidence. By doing nothing, I've earned it. Oh, stop. It's the other thing that no one realizes the amount of years that go into development.

45:26So when people like you and Jodie Foster going, no, this should get made, you know, thank God that you do. Jodie was a child at the time. Yes, she'd just done Taxi Driver. She'd done Taxi Driver. I was in fourth grade. And I said, I think we should make this. And no one listened to us because I was in Brookline, Massachusetts. And she just done Bugsy Malone with Alan Parker. Yeah, so, no, it was a long time ago. This, people don't understand how long it takes. And the Securitus Roots, it's a musical for a while. Now it's an animated series. Yeah, no, it's very true. It was all going to be done with cats for a while.

46:03Yes, well, they haven't ruled that out. but it was it it reminded me of I want to be careful with this but it was there's a sense of it being an old-fashioned thriller which I haven't seen in a very long time where a concept kind of is sometimes overpowering and overwhelming in certain productions these days and what I just loved was that you have two people who are basically intrigued with each other and they then therefore begins a very gripping and thrilling cat and mouse game yes it was it's old-fashioned thriller tension. And I love that about it. Because it's, when I read it, it did the same thing that it does when you watch it.

46:41You go, oh my God, how is this going to unfold? Yeah, that's how I felt reading that script for the first time. The fact that Howard Gordon is the brain behind this. Well, also, you know, when I said, when obviously it was Claire's project, so when they said, you know, Claire Danes, Howard Gordon, you know, the Homeland team are back together. And as soon as you hear that, you're like, okay, I'm in. And then they said, we didn't ask you. I was like, I know, but I'm still in. Do you just crash meetings and go, I'm in? Yeah, and they go, who is that? Yes, stop saying that. I'm in. Yeah, yes, you somehow got into this room.

47:15You know what's funny? I've heard you say in, I think I've heard you say in more than one interview, oh, I'm not an A-list actor. I don't know. I think of you, I think of you, I don't know. Maybe, maybe actors think about that more than anyone else, but I don't see why anyone wouldn't want you first and foremost for something. Because you're money in the bank Money in the bank You're 70 % in the bank What I want to start What I want to start Okay Is in showbiz parties Just going up to other actors Going what letter you What letter you A Are you A Are you B Yes But really how many A's are there anymore A list I mean truly I don't know what it even means I would say five Who are they I don't know I don't know See that's what Biz Clipler Chaz Maloney Crazy Chaz Sass Dadarak Is he still around Sheila McGee Sheila McGee See, it doesn't mean anything anymore.

48:03No, I know. But who, like, Meryl. Meryl Streep, A. Oh, Meryl Streep, A. Harrison Ford, A. No, he's fallen terribly. Why? Because he's gone to TV. I think he's on radio now. He's doing ads. He said, go to that car wash. It's a good one. You need to land a bike, a bike, a golf course. But I think, but it's very personal. It's, you know, Meryl, it doesn't matter what your opinion is. She's up there. Always A. And yeah, and Harrison Ford, yes. A. He walks on screen, you go, oh my God, Because you've grown up with these. Some of that, too, is longevity. You've grown up with them. You're still a young lad.

48:36Stop your ways. Stop your ways. Tom Cruise, another A. Yeah, sure. People who basically, when they walk on screen, you feel safe or comfortable. Because you go, oh, we're okay now. Right, but I think it's increasingly maybe an irrelevant term. Everything's so fractured now. Yes. We used to walk into the old movie palaces and buy our popcorn and our sodie pop. And we'd sit there and we'd watch the golden legends up on the screen. Those days are over. We're watching things on an airplane. We're watching things on little screens on their phones. I watch all the Academy-nominated movies on my phone.

49:13No, you don't. And sometimes I think, that's still too big. And I crack the phone in half and I watch it then. Through one eye. Through one little, my squinty eye. Yeah, yeah, which one today? Yeah, exactly. I'll use the left for this one. Oh, yes. It's all they deserve. So, yeah. And also, we've read on Instagram what they've had for lunch. So there's no mystery. The mystery's gone. Well, that's why you should stop telling people what you've had for lunch. Why? People love it. I had an egg mayonnaise sandwich just before I came in. I'm 30 seconds from a heart attack. Stay off the egg mayonnaise sandwiches, for God's sake.

49:44Damn you. You'll do as you're told. No, I won't. It's the devil's work. And I love the devil. Oh. I just want to rent a cabin with you so we can just yell at each other. Yes. Nothing sexual. No? At first. But then we're just yelling at each other. Damn, you all have your eyes! You know, it's just you and I yelling at each other. It's basically Munty on the Bounty. Yes! But we're both vying for who plays Captain Bly. Who's Bly, yeah. Damn your eyes, huh! I feel terrible for one man right now, and that's his name is Eduardo. Eduardo does all of... I don't know if you can hear us, Eduardo. I hope you can.

50:15Is he doing this? He is doing all the mixing right now. And I think his board is probably on fire. Is that what we can smell? Because you've got a Welshman and an Irishman screaming at each other out shouting into these very sensitive microphones and um He'll have tinnitus for life Exactly But he'll think of us Yeah, and he'll know how to say tinnitus which most people don't Oh, do you say tinnitus? I don't even say it anymore because I can't I can't pronounce things over the ringing in my ear Do you have it? I have it I have it all the time What's that? I do I want to get Why did the ear horn go away?

50:45The old ear trumpet that comes out that people used to in 1920s we would just go Yes Yes I want to get one of those in my dotage. And then it'll be selective because you can put it to your ear depending on who's talking at what time. So exactly. And with a hearing aid, people don't know. But if I have a giant horn that I hold up to my ear, it'll be great because I'll be listening to someone else. And then you'll start to talk and I'll put it down. It'll be the ultimate social tool. Yes. The ultimate burn that what you're saying means nothing to me. It just goes down and it never comes up. Slow horn down.

51:20Yeah, the SHT. You got SHT'd by your... Oh, yes. So am I coming back to your house tonight? What's happening? Yes, I'd say we'll stop off somewhere for a few cold ones and then text Kelly that we're on the way. A few cold ones meaning ice for our ass. Yes. Two five-pound bags, please. Would you like some ice? No, we brought our own. Yes. We both blow on our thumbs and it comes shooting out. Yeah. Oh, come on, David. Grow up. It's not the first time. Yeah, Jesus Christ. David's had to insert it most of the time. Yes. Ice me, David. No, sheen me. Sheen me. Do you have Mr. Sheen in this country? I talked to him on the podcast last week.

51:59Last week. Yeah. I don't know when this one, this one's coming out soon, isn't it? Okay. Yeah. So, yes, I talked to the man. He's doing well. He's fine. He's in fine fettle. Great. Yeah. Good. Your eyes just went dead because I was talking about another actor. Yes. Well, there's three. I was holding, I was actually holding three Sheens in my head. I had Charlie Sheen obviously his wonderful father yes Martin Sheen Martin and then also Michael Sheen a fellow Welshman who is responsible for this one man Richard Burton because he'd taken over the Welsh National Theatre and said come and do something in Wales and I went I'll come and do it I admire you well thank you I'd like to grow up and be you one day only I'm older than you I can tell my wife today she's in New York with me saw that I had a little joy in my step today and I said I'm seeing Mr.

52:48Matthew Rhys and I couldn't be happier. Well, you are hilariously funny and you're a joy to be around. I hear you're a monster on set. True. But I wasn't on set, so I don't care. I was the beast. And I just wish you all good things. I really do. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate those words enormously, especially coming from you. Such a great man. Yes. Let's elaborate on that. So I'm sorry, as a great man or more so. Maybe the greatest man. I was trying to get to that, possibly the great. Let's get sooner, sooner. Sorry, sorry. The greatest man I've ever met. Yeah. Maybe the greatest comic of all time.

53:18Well, that goes without question. Why it's written here. Sorry. We rehearsed this. Yes, I'm sorry. What else am I supposed to say again?

53:29It's all so embarrassing. Yes. Go with the gods, old friend. Thank you. Be well. Thank you very much. And a joy to be here as always. Thank you for the invite.

53:48Last week, we were doing a State of the Podcast, and it got sidetracked by Sona and the Brazilian butt lift, which is not a new Indiana Jones movie, but it is a children's story. It's a children's book coming out soon. And Sona and the Brazilian butt lift. Mommy, that's my favorite book. This is part two. So Adam, we interrupted you, because you were listing our incredible accolades and successes. We had a ton of accolades. And I got embarrassed, and we got off track. Lots of awards, great guests. And I was talking about how we've started doing full-length video in May. And numbers are great. And again, the concern was, is it incremental audience or are we just taking people away from the podcasting?

54:33Now, the interesting thing is on the history of the podcast, delivery has been RSS. You know what that is, Conor. No, I don't. When people have listened to podcasts in the past and use the podcast app, you're getting an RSS feed delivering you the podcast and you have to subscribe to that. Right. So subscribers to the podcast will get the podcast every week. And we have built up a huge audience in podcasting over the past seven years on the podcast app. People have subscribed. Yep. The interesting thing about YouTube is we have a very large YouTube channel, over nine million subscribers on YouTube.

55:08When we put out. Unrelated to the podcast. Completely unrelated. That's Conan content from before you chimps. That's very true. That was built almost, that was built on TBS content and lots of great. One man's dream. We're keeping them subscribed. But the interesting thing about YouTube is with the, when we put a podcast video on that channel that has 9 million subscribers, about half of the views to our podcast video come from non-subscribers, meaning that YouTube has - Algorithmically suckered those bitches. Algorithmically is exactly the word. YouTube is serving our content to people who didn't subscribe.

55:45Who actively dislike me. I mean, I doubt it. I think YouTube thinks that they're going to like this content. And so it's sharing the content more and more, which is actually awesome because it's growing. The old legacy podcast is a very deliberate act. You know, you had to subscribe. Then you get your podcast. This is like we're growing our audience on YouTube because all these people who didn't already subscribe are getting fed the content and watching the content. So we're an invasive weed. Best description I've ever heard of this podcast. Is Conan going to be like a YouTube personality though?

56:18Should he be like, hey, smash that like button and subscribe? I mean, yes, we probably, the crazy thing is, and we talked about this a little bit on the last time, but like podcast, because podcasts are becoming so, are distributed so much on YouTube, as a billion people a month are watching podcasts on YouTube, which is a crazy number. the sort of podcast world and the YouTuber world, Sona, that you're talking about, they're kind of merging. Like podcasters and YouTubers are all part of this larger creator economy now. And you're there. It's hilarious that no one has sat me down, including you, and talked to me about any of this.

56:53Is this not what this is? That's what this is for. This is what this is. I know, I know. We can't sit you down unless there's a microphone in front of you. Or a camera, turns out. that's incredible you should become more of like a YouTuber like do some pranks and like yeah unbox stuff I'm gonna start unboxing stuff yeah here drink this urine go go go yum yum yum yum I don't even know enough about YouTube stuff I don't either well I will say Conan sorry to interrupt you but the other the thing that you've joked about a bunch now which is becoming more and more true is that you're back to hosting a late night show because not only is YouTube the number one destination for people to listen to podcasts, it's also the number one streaming platform now.

57:40And the number one thing that people are watching on TV in their living rooms. So you have essentially just gone back and created another talk show repeatedly, but it's so funny to me that I deliberately left late night after 28 years. I loved it. I enjoyed every second. I said, that's good. I'm going to go now. I'm going to do my little podcast. I'm going to do my little travel show for HBO Max. I hope they always call it HBO Max and don't start messing with the name. Uh-oh. And then everything, you know, that was it. And I'll work on my body at the request of everyone. And then this. Oh, my body.

58:20What? Well, people said you've got to fix that body. That was the big thing I heard. I just don't like the way you worded it. It's weird. Body. Anyway, now we're doing this podcast and it keeps growing and people started to say things like, we should do some in front of an audience. And if there's an audience, we should have Jimmy Vino there and other people in the band. It'd be really funny if you came out first and warmed up the crowd. Now you should do a monologue and then call out the other guys and do the podcast. Hey, it'd be really good if we put this up on YouTube. And now people are telling me, I love your show.

58:52And I'm like, it's not a show. It's a little podcast. but it doesn't matter to me. It's fun. It's organic. We're having a blast. I'm not asking. I'm telling you. It's really enjoyable. And all joking aside, you're not going to like this, but we have a secret sauce here with you guys. It's a really nice environment. I never know what's going to happen. I'd be miserable if I was here alone. And you guys are really funny. And this is lovely. I'm having a really good time. I'll drink some urine to that. Yeah. Yeah. Very nice of you to say. Thank you. It's all led by you, boss. There you go. Yes. Oh, man.

59:31You ruined it. You shouldn't have handed it back to me. I know, but you were being sincere, so I was sincere back to you. I was so sincere to get you to hand it back to me. Yes. I lead the way and it would never happen without me. Well, that's it for the State of the Show. Adam, this has been a good pep talk. Thank you. And also, thank you to Adam. Yeah, thank you. His leadership, his common sense. Of course, Eduardo, always there working the knobs. guiding us at the helm, taking care of us, blaze shouting into the microphone, things we don't need to hear. Just what a lovely, lovely. It's a fun group.

1:00:07It's a fun group. It's a highlight of my day. Every day. Did you hear anything about the advertisers, mad that we talk still a lot about, like a lot of jizz and stuff? They don't mind. They don't mind. No, they don't mind. Check us out. Now we're getting, yeah, now we're getting jizz only. I was going to say, your sponsorship is jizz monthly. So it's appropriate. The magazine. The Jizzinator. Yeah. If you shot some jizz and you don't know where it is, use the Jizzinator. We won the Jizzy for Best Podcast. We won the Jizzy. Wow. And you beat Jizz Taylor. Yeah. Yeah. And we've been invited to New Orleans Jizz Fest.

1:00:40And trust me, you gotta wear a raincoat to that thing. Stay out of the podcast. Stronger than ever. Oh, man. Conan O 'Brien needs a friend. With Conan O 'Brien, Sonam of Sessian, and Matt Gourley. Produced by me, Matt Gourley. Executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross, and Nick Liao. Theme song by The White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy.

1:01:11Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista and Brit Khan. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up at SiriusXM.com slash Conan. And if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O 'Brien Needs a Friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

1:01:55Thank you.