Jake Johnson on Ed Harris, Chris Farley and The Dink

25:25Dana Carvey:It's not that, but no, no, you get out. I don't feel weird. Cause it's me and Mary Steenburgen. Her vibe is I don't feel weird that I'm three decades older. You naked grosses me out. I'm used to that scene with like Alison Brie and me, but I'm like, Oh, that's so much funnier. And I thought, all right, we have a big third act. We've got that. I'm like, this is enough to build. And then we spent about a year on the script together. And then, you know, Mary's very pretty also on top of me. She's striking. She's also so good in the movie. Yeah, she's always good. As good of a person as I've ever worked with.

26:02Dana Carvey:Yeah, I remember her. Always holding up her mind. Jack Nicholson Western was her coming out film in the 70s. Oh, really? Yeah. Jack directed it. I think that's her first movie. I think so. And she popped. What was it called, Dana? Come on. Heather. Very simple. Jack, that was where Jack as a cowboy really took to the next level of being able to eat in a movie and make it amazing. Yeah. You know, well, I get, you know, it was so fantastic. But what I was going to ask you is like, this cast is pretty stout. I mean, did Apple call them the big guns? Are these friends of yours? I mean, Chloe Feinman, Patton Oswalt, I mean, Ed Harris.

26:43Ed Harris was amazing. So Apple came on after. We made this movie independently. so we just kind of called out we just called people asked them to show up send them the script and then when it was done we screened it and then apple came on board so like chloe was um you know i think i reached out to her on instagram to be honest ed harris we i don't know how we got to him but he was so it was so fun doing scenes with him because he had never done a comedy and he was so you know ed harris is legitimately scary at least for my generation like i know ed harris from the press tour of history of violence where you guys have seen that clip where he's like, I don't know if I like this!

27:21And he like punches something and throws it. Yes. Well, him walking into that coffee shop with the

27:27Dana Carvey:sunglasses is a work of art in itself. Yes. So cool. With no lines. And Viggo Morrison, it's like, well, we don't want any trouble. And the way he's like, yeah, that movie is... He's fucking awesome. He's old school in a way that's so great on set. You know, Hollywood has just changed so much. But he's fucking ripping unfiltered cigarettes. And I'm like, thank you for doing this, man. Thank you for literally smoking an unfiltered, and then coming in and being like, and then nailing the scene and me being like, this is how you do it, man. I really saw him throw that for just a second. Yeah, it was the fucking move.

28:10I would be scared and feel stupid reading a scene and thinking he's going, what have I done? you know because you're in fucking Harris and you're like hang on I don't know it yet but I'll get there and he's just like well what's really embarrassing is when you're yucking it up for your director friend who I've Josh and I have been close for years and our inside jokes have gotten to the point where they're just gross to watch but I'm sometimes doing bits just for Josh next to Ed Harris and then Ed Harris it's like looking over me and I'm in the middle of like josh and then i'm like i'm gonna be eating supper never mind and you just have to go like it's humiliating i'm not like you i know you hate me and you should hate me

28:59Dana Carvey:did he tell any did he suddenly go uh you know me and robert mitchett or whatever you know movie or store did he ever regale you with any no he was never he was never that guy although i wish he was but speaking of being that guy now i gotta transition really fast while i got you uh sure you and so the early farley movies with you guys did together were so important like i loved that and farley was the guy for me and you guys together what was it like i've heard you guys in interviews being like he was the funniest but for my generation it was like we all wanted to be with him and then we all got to be you in our eyes where you were like carrying the thing and then he's what was it really like and i've watched all the fucking little documentaries about you two guys together but what was it well i mean he was sort of a bit of a tornado just at snl with days in love with dana because he comes yeah of course i loved him immediately i said to my wife i've been on the show five years when he came around i said i invited chris farley over he's new on the cast you know and he was like bolt down the lamps and tables hey i'm gonna stop in here for a second i got a six pack of tall budweiser's anyway never seemed anything but fun and likable sweet but david david and chris were this so great speak to that we did cone heads which is the first one and we were just both in it together just excited to be in a movie and lauren was like um i'm gonna read a list of 37 cast members that will be in this movie read it if you want uh adam sandler chris farley david spay dan akra so we all if you watch conant's we're all peppered through it but chris had kind of a funny little boyfriend part of course he was great in it and then we got to do Tommy Boy and Black Sheep.

31:00And then we had another one kind of ready that would have been next. And that's when everything went sideways. But man, yeah, everything was just front row. Just watching him rehearse, watching him. And you kind of don't know at the time this won't be forever. Yeah, totally. Because he was a hard partier, but he would show up. I was worried at the beginning. And then I started to go, maybe it's just me. I couldn't do that. I couldn't drink that much. Do all that. I think in terms of that, the one thing I've learned as a young man who's nearly 50 is when we look back at stuff, it's so clear. But when you are in it, it is not obvious.

31:40So people look back at something that happened where they'll be like, nobody did that. You're like, it wasn't clear at the time. Like I had a dear friend who killed himself. And in looking at it, as soon as he did, I went, yeah, it makes sense. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He told me every fucking sign for 10 years, I missed every cue. So I know if I was with a guy like Farley, I would go, I can't live and drink like that. But he fucking can.

32:07Dana Carvey:He's got a steel gutty. David, this is a question I've never asked you. His last year on SNL with you guys, when you and Sandler and he were sort of peaking as a cast, wasn't he kind of clean for a period of time? He definitely did not seem off the reservation on Tommy Boy. He had waves and he was doing good. I think he was off to do ninja. He got so much money. That did not help. Anytime anybody's got any demons, the worst thing. I don't see it enough. Fame is one thing. My favorite thing is watching. It's ugly guys who start sleeping with too many women. All of a sudden, you start going like, you're getting too vain for your looks, brother.

32:51Then the other one is people with demons who get money. you go like oh no you should have your salary should be that of a working class carpenter you shouldn't have this much money man and he was a working class you know wisconsin guy and then when it got up to tommy boy and black sheep weren't a lot of money but when it got up to like cable guy where they're like we're gonna have you lead a movie and then that was three million i He was going to be the cable guy. Yeah, and he had to give that up to do Black Sheep. How was he treating you then when he found that out? Was he pissed or was he fine with it?

33:30He didn't love it. Because we were riding off the Tommy Boy. We're just doing Tommy Boy again with a different title. It's fun. Let's do it. I mean, everyone's fine with it. We all know the scam. we're just gonna be out there acting stupid why wasn't it tommy boy too i mean mostly fred wrote fred wrote a good story it was political whatever but it just turned into once that came into the mix like we were already almost you know we were set with a green we our movies are greenlit first and then they write them so fred wrote it and then it was like well he had a two picture deal i didn't so he had to do it and then paramount's telling me to do it and then lauren's telling me to do it and then chris goes you know if uh if you don't think it's ready we can always do it next summer it's so tough because he had his hair slicked back and i'm like i'm seeing your strategy my king but i can't play well i obviously it was so obvious that I don't know.

34:43Do you know I know about cable gun? And so I go, I know. I just have to read it and I just have to say if I think it's close enough, I'll do it. I have to say yes, yes. I said, and he's like, yeah, and if it's a no-go, that's great. And I'm like, okay, I sort of know where you're quietly steering me. But it was pretty good and Fred Wolf was one of my best friends who's writing it. And we would all write together so that was who all did the first one and so when we got to the second one and it was already the momentum we're doing it that summer and there's sherry lansing involved from paramount and it was like and i read it i was like i kind of like this story and you know he's like fuck because cable guy and then went to jim carrey you know oh that's jim and jim carrey got 20 and that was the first time i think anybody got 20 oh my god and he was on a two-picture deal so he just got what his first deal he got less than me even worse really because i didn't have a set deal and i think he made a deal because of uh he was in rehab and it was like no and they were and he was like can i do anything i want to do movies they're like we'll do a two-picture deal He's like, I'd love it, please.

36:05I'm on the straight and narrow. And he would do great for a long time. I don't remember big problems during Tommy Boy or Black Sheep or anything with drinking. It was always like in between and the boredom and the money. Wasn't it Espressos too, though? And too famous and too interesting. And everyone wanted to hang out with him. He had definitely magnetized people. uh express those between uh take like 20 of them right well the first day was bad because we were like i'm like i'm no doctor i don't think you can keep this up a thermos too much and then just shots of you know just but like addicts you know they switch over to caffeine or whatever and uh and then it you know i think he got it to where we we knew how to do a movie after that we didn't know on tommy boy how to pace it out and we were giving everything in wide shots in masters right and then they'd push it and we're like oh we're still doing this scene they're like yeah everything's unusable so far i'm like i didn't know it's already lunch we're not using it well now we're gonna i'm literally so tired 5 p.m they're like okay spade this is the one we're gonna use i'm like

37:20Dana Carvey:what's going on use the one where my back was facing camera that was my best stuff you know what's funny is brian dennehy came in to uh play his dad and he's like an old exactly what you like yeah yeah yeah guy from fucking everyone smokes and he's like so the first first wide shot chris is doing cartwheels we're all fucking dropping paper doing our you know corny shit over and over and then brian goes hey what what the fuck are we doing this is a wide shot move on what are we doing no one's using this no yeah he goes we're gonna use it we open the scene and we close yeah and he goes you're are you killing these guys this is what we're doing no wonder these guys are falling apart we're both like this because we're flying back and forth messing now so exhausted so and farley's obviously being very physical so he kind of helped tone it down a little for that where we started to go we were more aware we were just like doing what we're told like another take another take don't complain don't complain and i've learned how to complain that's really the big benefit of what i took yeah there farley is but farley it's everything is advertised everything you couldn't take your eyes off them in the trailer we saw you do some you went over was that you going over the tennis net in the white shot i'm going back to you and loving chris farley you well so i'm so no so you know the when i came up, my dream was Farley.

38:46And then when I moved to, and then, but I got a question for you too, Dana, I want to get to before we go. But when we, when I came to LA, I was 27 or 28. I had done a lot. I did a lot of years on stages and I didn't have a commercial agent. And when I got out to LA, I was a caterer and I went to a big party at Endeavor, one of the big places in 2004. And all the big celebrities were there and I was catering. And I realized I'll never compete with like the big, crazy, funny. I was like, everybody's type is so defined that if I'm like just chubby, I'm like, you can't just be like chubby and sweaty and be the big guy.

39:31I was like, that's a 300 pounder who does ballet. He's going to beat you at that job. Yeah. So for me, that beginning was starting to hone in of like, all right, well, where is my zone? And so for something like the dink, what I love about it is and why I love that big ensemble is I like carrying something from the beginning to the end and making sure it tracks. And then I like people coming in and crushing. I like going from like a scoring guard to a point guard. I like both equally.

40:03Dana Carvey:oh definitely you hate that that's thrilling when someone comes in a cameo and hits it and they're being so funny yeah we got this in there and you're like oh my god and it's why i like producing because i don't feel as an actor one of us is gonna pop and get a huge opportunity there's a million projects now so like that old world of like we're all competing for one slice of pie i'm like that's over nobody's eating any of this pie by the way how tall are you how tall are you five ten well i was just thinking in terms of physicality chris chris was like five six probably chris farley yeah he's not tall he's just big he was so chris farley was five six don't you think david i would say five seven five eight maybe the back i was definitely taller than him but you know you could if you're he wasn't if you're tall it's much harder to those pratfalls like chevy or something you know by the way chris farley being five six is the key well i think he was i don't want to go on record but i kind of thought maybe five seven he is so one of the most likable guys i've ever watched on screen just got more likable you're like ed harris is 410 you can't tell Bobby De Niro's 3 '11 and he's 2 '5 Scorsese's 1 '9 Scorsese 1 '9 with his good boots on Dakota Banning's 6 '10 Hollywood's crazy it is true, but you know he's 5 '5 and Dustin Hoffman oh I see but yeah, Chris Farley was something else does Ed Harris ever go, what if you kicked me in the nuts and I fell off a ladder.

41:51And you're like, in this scene? He's like, I'm just trying to brainstorm. And you're like, what if you had to tell him his ideas weren't funny? That would be horrible. Never. Well, what it was more so was Ed really sticks to the script. And, you know, I'm a believer in sticking to the script. Yeah. But once you get it and, you know, when you're talking about doing stuff in the wides, I'm really into the shots. So once we've gotten my single saying the lines three different ways. If we're shooting again with the same shot, I feel why not give another option? It's an and or. And so you already got the other ones, but what would be scary is making direct eye contact with Ed where we're very close and not saying that I'm going to go off book.

42:38Oh. Insane experimental tone stuff that a lot didn't make the movie. Yeah. And seeing a man's eyes as you're doing a bit that isn't landing in front of a crew of 80 being like i hate you why are you doing this i'm trying to think of my next line why are you talking about gators in florida and then afterwards going what was that and you go like i just thought i would try and he's like what oh how sick me to hear what was that yeah or yeah his face just does it he just goes like this and josh goes like i liked it i would say let's do another one like that and i would be like you know when meryl streep would try to pull that shit on me imagine them on the deer hunter going let me just throw one out

43:30Dana Carvey:yeah i'm gonna do something instead of saying wow i'm gonna say no Let me try this later. That was from the deer hunter, if anyone's paying attention.

43:46Imagine having a free day out in the town, sitting down for a nice lunch, relaxing. Then you get an alert. The window at your home has been broken while you're miles away. It's that kind of thing that can turn your good day upside down. Obviously, that's where ADT comes in. ADT security systems are built for situations like this. They got 24-7 monitoring to help keep your home safer, whether you're there or not. No one wants to feel unsafe at home, and with ADT, you won't.

44:15Dana Carvey:That's right. Their systems are professionally installed by trained technicians, so protection starts from day one. ADT also has the most company-operated monitoring centers in the industry. and the ADT app lets you keep tabs on your home from virtually anywhere. Don't wait to prepare your home for an emergency. When every second counts, count on ADT. Visit ADT.com or call 1-800-ADT-ASAP. One thing I love about summer is how easy everything feels. The days are a little more relaxed. I find myself reaching for the same comfortable, go-anywhere pieces again and again. That's why I keep coming back to Quince.

44:56They focus on well-made essentials that naturally become those everyday staples you live in all season long. Honestly, my absolute favorite piece right now is the 100 % linen pants.

45:07Dana Carvey:Oh, yeah. Light, breathable, easy to throw on. Perfect summer upgrade starting at$34. Whoa. Yeah. Their tees, unbelievably soft. Lightweight gun sweaters are exactly what you want. Especially when summer nights cool down. Yeah. Everything at Quince is priced 50 % to 80 % less than similar brands because they work directly with ethical factories. Cut out the middleman, so you're paying for quality, not brand markup. They even have incredible home and travel essentials. Make your summer wardrobe easier. Go to Quince.com slash fly for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

45:52Dana Carvey:That's Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash fly for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince dot com slash fly slash fly. Comedy royalty, Kate McKinnon returns as Queen Mortuana and heads will roll heir apparent. A highly anticipated sequel to Audible's fan favorite original comedy series. She's flanked once more by co-star Emily Lynn and a new star-studded ensemble, including Richard Kind, Laurie Metcalf, Jimmy Fallon, Megan Mullaly, Sam Richardson, and Carrie Coon, plus an extensive cast of comedy greats. Seriously extensive. This is wall-to-wall comedy at the highest level. When we last left our gloriously unhinged queen and her raven sidekick JoJo, the unlikely besties had fled to the woods for a simpler life.

46:40Wow. It did not last. Queen Mo is back on the throne, an heir apparent and facing her greatest challenge yet. Produce an heir before her 40th birthday or lose everything and spend eternity as keeper of the menstruary.

46:55Dana Carvey:it's a very sticky sitch meanwhile jojo's botched wing enhancement surgery turns her into a toad leading to unexpected interspecies romance and a choice between royal duty and normal life with her thrown on the line mo and jojo embark on an increasingly unhinged scheme to secure succession. Part medieval mayhem, part razor-sharp social commentary, Heads Will Roll, Air Apparent is fantasy comedy for the ages. It has everything. Trad wives, polycules, Sasquatch, mercenaries, milk people, toad-on-mole romance, a child named Barbara. Seriously, everything, David. When was the last time you heard of a child named Barbara?

47:44Well, Don't miss a moment of Kate McKinnon and the killer cast and Headsville Roll Air Apparent. Seed a child or seed the throne. Listen to Headsville Roll Air Apparent available now on Audible. Go to audible.com slash Headsville Roll Series to start listening today.

48:05And then, Carvey, just to go to you for a second. Sorry that I'm doing this, but I've just watched you guys for too many years as a fan. you and uh myers for your first of all you on snl was right my wheelhouse when i was coming it was like you you and hartman you guys were just the kings and then when you guys did wine's world i was part of the age where it exploded the universe of comedy you'd be the right age it was i remember watching it being like it was like a before and after where you were like, oh, we have this in our world now. Wow. Well, that's very nice to hear. You know what I mean?

48:47Like there's like certain things that like for every generation, for my group, we were all those little hacks being like, swing! The amount of times somebody dramatically did a swing in school. What was that experience? The moment you knew it really hit? What was the real dynamic with you and Mike? Like there was all this stuff of like, they're so great together. Then they weren't, I was like all that stuff I've always tried to find. I'm so interested in.

49:16Dana Carvey:Yeah. Well, we, you know, I wasn't, we weren't really, we were just in a sketch, you know, together and you're in someone else's sketch. You it's kind of, it's their production. Basically. All he said to me was you'll be my sidekick. Your name's Garth and you, and you dig Wayne. So that was it. So I saw his thing. He was going to have a brown wig. So I just went blonde. And then it was the character that I did, the tactile, this guy, that was based on my brother Brad, which you would see in the very first sketch I did on SNL. I did kind of that character. So I just used that, put the glasses on, put it on.

49:54Dana Carvey:And then we're in the movie and it was getting used to that. There was some conflict over what are we, Abbott and Costello, you know. But they let me kind of go in and kind of weave in little things for Garth throughout the film. But it was Wayne's World. And then it did feel good. You know, here's going to what you're talking about filming. We didn't have much time. So we get on the top of the car. We're going with Bugs. Are you attracted to Bugs Bunny with Bugs Bunny's in a dress? You know, that thing. It was a throwaway, 45 minutes, mostly two shots. then the sequel we had like two days you know 25 angles you know the money really yeah they they built this uh wayne and garst loft and it was like a half million dollars comedy it yeah because you have the first one was quick and easy penelpa's fierce you when i was doing a little piece of business that corp uh she'd say okay what are you gonna do here i do what's She goes, could you do it five seconds faster?

50:57Dana Carvey:That was the only direction from her. So I can keep it in the movie. But we were shocked when it opened big and then kept going week after week. And the fan mail was stacking up and awards were being sent to us and stuff. That was just sort of a fever dream, you know, basically. Yeah. I would walk by Dana's mailbox at SNL by the PA where you check in on the 17th floor. And everyone had a cubby hole. Spade, Barley, Sandler, Schneider Like five letters They just smashed in With all these letters from fans Then they brought in a barrel I think to the flow Mike and I And they're like Spade can we borrow Your cubby just to put some overflow It just hit like Crazy Yeah and it was I just really liked the character I loved Wayne and Gov together were a nearly Perfect duo because they complemented each other it was the same thing that happens in scenes to this day where you go like when two people are playing the same rhythm or the same game they can work but when you have a natural opposite yeah it's literally stuff that you know if you go back to you at farley or you and myers when i'm when we're putting the ding together when i was looking for the sidekick the reason it's aaron chen is we don't share the same frequency ever yeah it's So if you're sharing somewhat of the same frequency, it's fun, but it's now a hangout scene.

52:24Yeah. I was like, I really like it when it's not, when it's these two characters like one another, but they're just plain opposite. It's almost like they're on different planets, even though the scene's working.

52:37Dana Carvey:Yeah. And for me, that's how you can be in a two-shot and live. Even the way both people are listening should be funny because you're like, they even listen differently. Yeah. And that's Abbott and Costello. that's Lewis and Martin that's uh you know Laurel and Hardy and then obviously Spade and uh Farley you know just different what do you guys what did you guys think the glue that made uh Phil Hartman Phil Hartman is like an actor so obviously you know people talk about or my generation talks about what made him great and they'll say you know he fully committed he could do a little bit of everything but what would you guys say in terms of like as an actor like what was it about phil that you could kind of take from and go forward like if you had to working with because i i feel like i can't i don't really know what people are like to act with unless i'm in a scene with them because you can feel in someone's eyes who's present who's thinking about the next thing they're going to say who's aware of the cameras and then certain people you step in a scene with and you go like, oh, you're a fucking goldmine to act with.

53:42What was that experience working with him, being in scenes with him that kind of made Phil Hartman, Phil Hartman, in your guys' opinion?

53:49Dana Carvey:Well, for me, I had never done sketch comedy until I got on SNL. I'd only done stand-up. So Phil, in the very first sketch, was playing a game show host. And he was 38, and he was the king of the Groundlings. He was a legend. But he was like, I don't know if I want to do SNL. But he was already so locked in and so confident and just knew exactly what he was doing and hit it every time. And then Jan Hooks was really skilled, too. And they had a lot of stuff together. So I just learned a lot from him. I was doing more Flight of Fancy characters with wigs and voices and trying to land those ways.

54:26Dana Carvey:But with Phil, we called him the glue because he kind of whatever he wanted, he could do it. And one of the most fun things I ever did was Johnny Carson with Phil as Ed McMahon. That was just so much fun because talk about opposites. I wasn't for the first time on the show. I'm not really trying to be funny. I'm just trying to sit in that attitude. And then correction. It was a perfect rhythm of funniness. So Phil, you know, just, you know, think about him all the time. You know, just a genius. I remember Dana more like him walking around 17 while writing and not having a care in the world. Got his Fisherman magazine.

55:08Well, hi, guys. How are you? And then you're like, Bill, I'm writing this thing. Can you play Russian accent? He's like, yeah.

55:18He was the least stressed of all of us because he was so good. He'd go to read through 44 sketches. Okay, here we go. And then he's good in all of them. He's like, all right, I'm going to take off. Go eat. and you go are you it's just it's a confidence talent and b it was sort of like just so natural to him when when others me we had to work hard you know you had to really get into but he was

55:42Dana Carvey:he was he was a renaissance man he didn't really care about show business that much even though he's really at it kind of stupid looking at evan root see this evan root motor here that's a 458 and he bought scuba gear. He became a pilot, bought a plane. He wanted me to go on the plane. I go, I can't. Was single engine. Lovitz went with him. We went to Catalina. So Phil's a pilot. He's got two boats, the Boston Whaler. He goes, come on and see my sailboat. And we're sailing and it's a beautiful day in LA. And then we see smoke plumes coming from the city. It was the Rodney King riots. Well, we better get back to the dock, fellas.

56:22you know love it said one of the uh best bits of a he did an episode of new girl with me and max greenfield and i were in scenes with him and he he was just running the show with bits and max and i were just got over time laughing way too much and then love it starts going i'm not being treated enough with respect that i deserve and we're like we agree and he goes just it's right there on my title. I'm a guest of this show and I'm the star.

56:54I've not been able to see guest star. I'm like, right. He's our guest. Period. And our star. He scores and everything and he comes with ideas. So if you're ready for it, he will switch it up. Well, he's another one

57:08Dana Carvey:of those, you know, there hasn't been another John Love. I mean, just wherever he came, that voice. Those personalities in that old SNL. it was hard actually being there when i was you know got there i'm like i did kind of know not everyone is this good like right farley obviously jumps out but there's mike and dana dennis is one of my favorite comedians ever neil is the king of that dry shit so everywhere i'm going around i'm like it's chris rocks unbelievable stand-up so i got out of there and I'm like, at least the good news is not everyone is this fucking good because now I have a chance out in the real world.

57:49This is in every show. Yeah, you can't go, oh, some people are just okay at everything. Yeah, totally. But it makes you try to be better because everyone was just a good writer, a good performer. Yes. I had that when I first moved to LA. The first thing I did was a sketch called Derek and Simon on HBO and Bob Odenkirk was the director. Oh. it's so funny jake come on i love i loved mr show yeah oh yeah yeah yeah that was the beginning incredible mr show exploded my brain yeah and when he would give direction was the beginning of me being like oh there's levels to this game and i'm just at like the improv olympic because you would look around at the improv olympic and i'd be like there's a lot of hacks here like i think i'm gonna make it you know what you do jake yeah is it like if you're i'm sorry to interrupt you but like when i would be on at dinner with these guys at the show and like you in that situation and bob was a writer with me and conan and greg daniels these guys so i'm thinking of stuff and then i get to the point where i go oh no if i'm going to comment on this dinner joke i have to do the joke after that joke because these guys are all seeing that one coming and so you start to go they're at a different level of a game yes and i'm like oh i was funny with my friends this is different everyone's too quick and you start to go so you start thinking weirder ideas for sketches because you go everyone's gonna find a way in everybody i'm gonna tell smigel that and he'll be like ah right and then he goes that i don't know i don't know if I'd write that and you go, oh, that was my great idea this week.

59:33Okay. But then you start to watch and you go, oh, I have to get, I just have to get better. And what you're learning. What I like about it. Yes. What you just said there was why I fell in love with LA so much. And I'm not an LA hater. I love it. But it was for me when I got out to LA and I saw real talent, I was like, oh, if I want to play this game, I have to keep getting better. and that is a thing that I'm like it's so exciting to go as long as you want to play if you want to seat at the table you have to keep improving because yes there's a lot of hacks that you don't know how they get certain things but then there are other people you're like that motherfucker is playing at a high level and thinking at a high level and he's and he's so sneaky about it you would like say something he would laugh and you go it's really funny you know what you could do and then he would pitch you something that was so much smarter.

1:00:26And you'd go like, I would like to do that, my man. And he's from Mr. Show. So you're like, this is the guy that's doing all the ones I'm laughing at. He's the guy doing the thing that I love. And that was a great beginning to go. And now it's like a journey to you find that talent and then hook into it for as long as you can. And you're like, oh, when you get to be around somebody who's got that, you're like, what a fucking joy the game can be.

1:00:51Dana Carvey:well yeah you're um you took i mean the path you've taken to get where you're at is very cool thanks man you didn't wait you know you just did it on your own and and the fact that you're producing this movie i don't know it's very admirable it's really smart and i agree with that my first time at a comedy show period at berkeley when i was 20 years old just open mic like 20 people in the audience. Robin Williams was the third guy up before Mork and Mindy. The first three came up. I thought I started to make some notes. I might be able to do this. Yeah. And then he came up and I literally folded it up.

1:01:32Dana Carvey:The notes I had and put it in my pocket. Cause I thought maybe there's 300 of these guys, but every time he came to visit, I go, I've got to get better. I can't do that. And what you start doing, at least for me, is you start loving people like that yeah you're like you're the reason i'm still like this game can be really great but then once you've hit a few of those like early on goals money yeah you start going like why am i playing right yeah what is the thing and you go like oh there's something to getting better working hard being like even if the whole project doesn't in the vicinity of these guys yeah like if you can sit and talk to robin williams and have him chuckle at something in a half you go her am i even in the vicinity of something that you would think is funny like that's that's the weird thing is you go i think i'm getting closer to the people i think you're great that kind of thing that's yeah and it's always people better once you once you cross the threshold of like this is my job i i make a basic wage i have an apartment after that it's like it's different it's like trying to catch the wind sorry for the analogy but you you can always wind down comedy something could always be juicier and better and just you know so it is a game that never gets boring really you know i mean you sound very excited about your movie you're excited well i think you know honestly i what i try to do in my career is do a nice mix of all different types of movies and types of projects.

1:03:07And Dink as a movie, we did what we wanted to do. We wanted to make a movie that almost felt like Yacht Rock of a movie, if that makes sense. Like, I wanted it to be enjoyable. I wanted it to be funny. I wanted it to be easy to watch. I didn't want any scenes where you're like, we're going to push the audience here. You know, hang on audience. But there's a lot, you know, the last few years of like what comedians have become and what comedy is. And I'm like, I do believe it is important. I do not believe it is like as important as it all seems right now. I believe that comedy is just what it was for me when I was growing up.

1:03:45It's a fucking great thing to turn on and be distracted and have a great hour and a half. When I watched Cheers growing up, I wasn't like, wow, I'm really learning a lot about life in politics, either the left or the right. Like, thank you for teaching me all those conspiracy theories or you know thank you for showing me how bad i've run it's like it made me laugh yeah oh and i'm like a different world you're like fine no nothing just a movie that you fucking turn that's why i was happy the ip is pickleball because i'm like what could be dumber than pickleball as the ip we're making a fun movie and so we did so i'm like so proud of it happy for people to see it.

1:04:25Well, you're like the first guy to tackle it. And it's great. It's July 24th, Apple TV, which I just did something with. They're great over there. They know what they're doing. Fortune is in it. It's great. Mary Steenburgen, of course. Yeah.

1:04:38Dana Carvey:And of course, Andy Roddick. You got him. Nemesis. Patton Oswalt. So funny. Patton Oswalt. Yeah, he's always fun. Chris Barnell and Floyd Feynman. Got it pretty stacked. Yeah. Everybody comes in and crushes. Yeah. Great. Congratulations. We'll look for it and appreciate it. And thanks for all the nice things you said. And we'll talk soon, bud. We like when people ask this question. It was a fun chat with you guys. Good meeting. All right.

1:05:09All right. Listen, if you're enjoying The Fly on the Wall, of course, hopefully you are. Click follow. We don't want to be desperate, but obviously smash that goddang button on your favorite podcast app. Leave a review, a good one. Leave a five-star rating, nothing else. Whoops. And maybe even share an episode with a friend. If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please subscribe, Dana. What do you think?

1:05:33Dana Carvey:I'm going to tell you this right now. Hear me now, believe me later. Fly on the Wall, believe it or not, is presented by Odyssey. And executive produced by, hold for it, Dana Carvey and David Spade. Or David Spade and Dana Carvey. We don't write this stuff. Heather Santoro, Greg Holtzman, and Leah Reese Dennis. The show is edited by Evan Cox, with production support from Phil Sweetek. Talent production and booking by Sophia Lepore.