ROB BRYDON: I CRIED FILMING THE GAVIN AND STACEY FINALE

0:28Hey, it's Adam Grant from WorkLife, a podcast from TED. software, you'll work smarter, not harder. Freshworks uncomplicates. Learn more at freshworks.com. Does it ever feel like you're a marketing professional just speaking into the void? But with LinkedIn ads, you can know you're reaching the right decision makers, a network of 130 million of them. In fact, you can even target buyers by job title, industry, company, seniority, skills, and did I say job title? See how you can avoid the void and reach the right buyers with LinkedIn ads. Spend$250 on your first campaign and get a free$250 credit for the next one.

1:04Get started at linkedin.com slash campaign. Terms and conditions apply. Hi, this is Knox from the Popcast with Knox and Jamie. And maybe like us at the Popcast, you also know people who have been smokers or vapors. And Zen is the one product it seems like everyone is talking about because there are many good reasons to make a change to Zen nicotine pouches. Reasons like Zen nicotine pouches are still America's number one choice for smoke-free, hands-free nicotine satisfaction. And you can choose between 10 varieties, each variety available in either three or six milligrams. Check out zen.com slash find to find Zen at a store near you.

1:37Warning, this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. This episode is brought to you by Huggies Little Movers. It's fun having a baby that loves to move, but it can be challenging to find a diaper that can keep up with them. Huggies Little Movers is designed to move with your baby With either the double grip strips or the new HugFit 360-degree waistband, you can be confident relying on Huggies Little Movers for your active little ones. Huggies Little Movers, made with double grip strips or the new HugFit 360-degree waistband, so your little double can keep moving like you.

2:10Huggies, we got you, baby.

2:17Hello, everyone. My name is Jamie Lang, and this is Great Company.

2:26Or Merry Christmas. Oh, sorry, Raffi, are we recording? Yes. Oh, sorry. That's staying in, right at the top. Are we recording this? You said, ho, ho, Raffi. And I just hiccups. And you burped. Is that a hiccup or a burp? It's mixed between the two. And also, this is our first... We're doing a Monday release. Monday Drap. Can you explain why we're doing that? We have this fantastic guest coming on the show today. And we're heading into Christmas. And traditionally, Christmas is a time when listening figures do go down. people's habits change their podcasts people out and socializing, Christmas drinks yeah and also podcasts are a real like habit media yeah it's habitual, you know you get up, you go and listen to your podcast you maybe go on the school run, you listen to your podcast exactly, so Christmas the old schedule is out the window so listening figures go down so traditionally what happens at Christmas is lots of shows we'll put on best ofs or we have some special Christmas episodes but we also thought well let's just give you a proper portion and also today's guest oh my god has a very special reunion episode of Gavin and Stacey coming out at Christmas time so we thought it was a perfect time to launch it yeah 100 % now before we kick off um hi everyone if you don't know who I am my name is Jamie Lang I'm the host of the show great company and you are I'm Jemima the producer that's why she knows all the understanding of this and that and when we put things out all those different things right So who's today's guest, Jemima?

3:48Well, they've probably read the title. It's Rob Brydon. Rob Brydon. Uncle Bryn. Uncle Bryn from Gavin and Stacey. I mean, look, he needs no introduction. He is an actor. He's a comedian. He's a musician. He's a host. He's a voiceover artist. I mean, his book of what he does and doesn't do is pretty big. He presents a show called Would I Lie to You? Have you done that? I've done it, yeah. It was great. What was your lie? My lie, I didn't have a lie. I had a truth. What was your truth? My truth was that I burnt down a sauna in Brazil by pouring vodka on the rocks in it because I thought it would get me drunk.

4:24That is really stupid. Yeah, I didn't think they trusted me with a lie. And I love that show and Rob is... It's such a good show. I mean, he's done so many amazing things from movies to incredible TV shows like Gavin and Stacey and The Trip. He was recently in the Barbie movie, a very short little bit and I can't wait to talk about that. But Rob is great. I went on Rob's podcast and he's now come on mine. So this is going to be a great little moment and hopefully he enjoys it. Are you ready for this? I'm very, very excited. Okay, so please, ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this episode. Now, if you haven't subscribed to the show already, please do.

4:56And also, please remember to get in touch with us. I can leave all the information at the end of the show when we come back and we have a little chat between each other. Are you ready for this? I'm ready. Please enjoy the episode of Great Company with Rob Brydon. Hi, I'm Rob Brydon and I am in the great company of Jamie Lang.

5:20Knock, knock, rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat. Is there any room in the inn? Not for you, not for you, not for you. Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat Any room in the inn? Not for you, not for you Take your sugary snacks away with you They're bad for your teeth and your gut You don't know that you're just guessing I think it's been scientifically proven

6:09When you were doing Gavin and Stacey, did you realize how big it was going to be when you started shooting it? No, no, no, no, no. I knew it was good. I knew it was really strong. Why do you know when something's good? When you're starting to do something, do you just get a feeling for it? Well, you just make a... You make a qualitative judgment. I mean, I always say that the fact is most things are not hits, right? Most TV shows are not hits. Most films are not hits. Most books are not hits. Most records are not hits, right? Most of them just come and go. And that's okay. But then on this, so the script, so being Welsh, I look at its portrayal of Wales and I go, oh, yeah, yeah, that chimes with me.

6:52These characters are terrific. And all the characters are so well drawn. You know, they could all stand their own show, I think. you could have a show you know just about um dave coaches that would be interesting you could have a show just about dawn and pete i mean that would be great wouldn't it to see a show just about them there we are it's getting giggles here um they're all liking it yeah yeah look at that so no but you never know i mean that's really interesting you say that though that is so true yeah because they're so well written they're so well written and they're such good characters that you could see everything branch out.

7:29You almost know their backstory without knowing their backstory. That's because it is beautifully written. I mean, what James and Ruth have done in that script, it's as good as anything because it combines incredible character studies with tight, tight plot. It's as tight as a soap opera. You know, the way a soap opera has to be economical and move you on and move you on Keep you guessing. And Gavin and Stacey has that to it. You have to be honest. Okay. What happened on the fishing trip? I'm not going to tell you.

8:11But you wouldn't really want to know, would you? I do. I think everyone wants to know. See, I'm somebody who, right, if my wife has bought me a present, say at Christmas or birthday, and it's under the tree, there is no part of me that wants to go i wonder what it is no no no i am for delayed gratification let's wait let's build let's let's enjoy it and even when i'm opening it i'm opening it slowly oh you're not yes no you're not i want this moment to last so when it's christmas time and you get my present and we're gonna be sugary crap it's not gonna be sugar crab is going to be lovely and you're going to love it.

8:53We're sitting together and you're opening it up little bit by little bit. No, not like that. It's psychopathic. I'm not tearing tiny strips, but I'm going, I'm like an old bird. I'm going, oh, save the wrapping now. No, but I take my time. And also, even when I've taken the wrapping off, I might not have looked at it yet. I might have done that and gone, oh, because isn't that all about enjoying life? I mean, who wants a kid of seven goes... Don't they? I still do that. Of course you do, and that's no surprise to anybody. Gavin and Stacey is such a... It's a complete cult. Classic in so many ways.

9:37And for everyone, it's coming back for a Christmas special. Holy shit, Rob, that's big. Holy shit, Jamie, it is. Holy shit. Holy, who says holy shit? What would Al Pacino say? Oh, it's back. Was it amazing when the decision like that starts to happen and the feelers go out? Because it's been rumored for a while, right? And then suddenly, and what's so amazing is that if you see on all social media, TikTok and things like that, there are crowds. Oh, we had, yeah. We had even more than last time. Obviously, when we did the series, we didn't have crowds. I don't think, maybe towards the end a little, but I don't think so.

10:18When we did the last special five years ago, we had big crowds. This time, oh, wow. Even on the days when we were just shooting interiors so that all they'd see of us is when we got out of the van and went into the house and then came out of the house to go to the other house where we would just chill out, you know. And the occasion you'd walk up and say hello. But, you know, there's not a lot to see. Now, sometimes we're filming in the street. I suppose that's quite interesting, I suppose. But even then, they'd have to put barriers up So to not give any, if there was stuff happening that might give you a clue as to what's happening in the story, they put big screens up so then you wouldn't see anything.

10:59Do you think the audience are going to, are there surprises or is there something that you're going to tell me that we have to wait? Is there anything that you can tell me that is, does anything really big happen? you um i've been instructed to not let anything and i am terrified of being the idiot who says something ruth not so much james ruth is one of the most secretive she likes to keep everything on that if if we were to discover one day that ruth works for putin i'd go yeah yeah i can see that yeah how did it feel to get everyone back together it felt beautiful really felt so emotional i thought it would feel emotional on the last day which indeed it did floods of tears but anytime we were doing a sort of communal scene where there's a bunch of us i would sit there and i'd look and i'd see alison steadman and larry lamb and i'd see ruth i'd see james and you know and i would think wow the word journey is overused so let's not let's not indulge it now but i would say wow i have lived this experience with these people and it's been 20 years pretty much now since it sort of began more or less 20 years and we've all grown and changed joe's had a lot of kids she didn't have when we started, you know.

12:37All sorts of, you know, we lost Maggie John, who played Doris. We've all gone and done our different things. You know, James, I suppose, most notably, he went off and he conquered America. Wow, right. It's amazing. Which is, which he doesn't get the praise for that he deserves. I mean, unprecedented. Who else has done that? And there we all were. back in the room. And so, yeah, it was really, it was really emotional. Do you find it easy to get emotional? Yes, yes. My children would say, yes, I, oh, dad's tearing up. Yeah, yeah, I do. Yeah, yeah. I like it as well. I think... I like it as well.

13:28I really do. I like emotion, Rob, as well. What are you saying? I like it as well. I really like, I think having a good cry, being vulnerable, I love it. I can cry at anything. I cry at the John Lewis Christmas advert. I just saw this news Amazon advert. I cry at everything. What's the Amazon advert? Oh, it's amazing. There's a guy who comes onto stage and he's a janitor and he's singing. I've not seen that. It's so good. He's singing. So you sit through the adverts, do you? I like watching it because it's emotional, yeah. You're an advertiser's dream, aren't you? Wow.

14:02I think it's beautiful when people cry. You were about to ask me when was the last time I cried? I was going to ask you that at the end, but I'm going to ask you now, when was the last time you cried?

14:13Well, I cried on the last day. Did you? Gavin and Stacey. Yeah. Yeah. And I filled up, you know, during it, particularly if I look at Ruth, because we were kids. We were literally, we were kids. We went to school discos together. You know, before we could drive. I taught her to drive. I took her around. I was older than her. Took her around in the car in the car park by the beach in Porthcall. So, you know, and then this show, aside from just being a delight to do, it's a hit. Everybody wants a hit. That's the other element you've got to put in, the experience of getting back together, right, is we're all aware, hey, we're in a hit.

14:54And actors like to be in hits, and they're very hard to come by. they're very hard to come by.

15:04Rod, do you think you were, truthfully, do you think you were put on this earth to entertain? I would never make so self-aggrandizing a statement, but it's certainly what I like to do. What do you love about it so much? What does it do to your body, to your mind, to make you feel? That's a great question. No one's ever asked me that. Just a caveat, just for a second, and I want you to... Because Rob, I don't find you entertaining, but I know there are people who do, and I just want to understand it. Because every single situation, whenever I've met you, whether it's on a TV show or when we go for our dinners that we go for.

15:41Or in rehab. All those times we've had to get, sorry, if you have been to rehab, I'm sorry, I'm saying it because I'm not a rehab person. Where we've met in rehab, all those places. But you love to make people laugh. Yeah. In such a beautiful way. And when you do what I lied to you, and for lost people, no, there are breaks and certain things like that, that you have to reshoot something or do whatever. You even make the audience laugh. You really do. And so you have this innate ability, firstly, to entertain. But, so back to my question, do you think you were put on earth to do this? No, I'm not going to say that.

16:18You can say it, though. Then that's a quote. I was put on this earth. No, but I do. you're absolutely right I do on that very basic level yeah like and sometimes it's almost a dirty word you know to say or entertainer I think it's very noble and I like that and yeah yeah I do I do what do you love so much about it I suppose how it makes me feel you know ultimately I suppose it's a selfish thing because that's how I like to be I like to have that interaction. Although I suppose then when, sometimes I think that, you know, we have a group of friends, my wife and I, and they're the parents with three other couples who are the parents of fundamentally our 13-year-old son, our youngest.

17:14And we really hit it off with them and we have holidays and we hang out together with barbecues and stuff. And it occurs to me that, yeah, with them, I probably don't, either now and again, I will try and be funny. But generally, I sort of don't with them. I like just being, you know. Does that make sense? That makes total sense. That's interesting. Because then I tell you what I had for a bit. Because I did a reality show for so long, which I don't know if you've seen it. We won a BAFTA. You haven't, but that's fine. And you know what? That's true.

17:57well done I'm like what can I say well done I'm still trying

18:04but I because it was so much it was 160 days a year we were filming right was it? 160 days a year yeah 160 days a year we'd film so what would happen was is that I was in this constant like entertainment mode all the time so then when I was off camera I would still feel like I needed to entertain and so that became quite psychologically I suppose is quite like exhausting in a certain way. And what I realized is that I just didn't feel comfortable that much being in my own skin. So if I could entertain, that made me feel more comfortable. Here we go now, we're getting deep. Now here it comes. So do you think that within yourself, that when you are your true comfortable self, you can sit back and relax?

18:47And maybe that you find entertaining easier in a sort of social situation? this is where he doesn't like to go deep no no no no no it's interesting um maybe i i

19:07well you know that's a that's a big old question it's a big old question you can't just you can't just rattle off and i'm giving it some thought i mean i don't i don't honestly don't know how to answer your question. I mean... Well, I suppose the question is this... You ask it again in a different way. Okay. Ask in a different way. You're asking, am I comfortable in my own skin? I don't know. Maybe I'm asking something different. As a... Okay, when you were a child... Yes. Were you also... Did you realize that if you could make people laugh and entertain people, you could gain popularity and become friends with people?

19:45I suppose I was aware of that. But it was the other way around. I think it was just who I was. And the things that you talked about were a benefit of being that person. Got you. Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was never particularly judgmental or opinionated about things. I've always been a centrist, you know, but equally swayed by, you know, I mean, typically I will hear a politician from the left talking and I'll say, well, that makes sense. And then I'll hear a politician from the right talking. And I honestly, I mean, and I'm very embarrassed by this. I'll go, well, I mean, that makes sense. I'm insane.

20:39Right. I'm exactly the same. Yeah, I get swayed very easily. I mean, I watch Quest in Time and I go, well, yeah, yes. But yes, but that's always been in me. And in fact, the first thing I did that was any good was a show called Marion and Jeff, which was a series of monologues, a taxi driver, like an alter ego for me. And he has a line in it, which I think is quite revealing about me because he says, he says, I will always see the other side. He said, if Michael Owens scores a goal, he was a footballer years ago, So I'm delighted, but I will spare a thought for the goalkeeper. Now, that's a comic line.

21:16But at its root, I can see a lot of me in that. So I find it quite hard to be especially opinionated about anything, really. Because I go, well, there's always the other side. That's a nice way to be, I think. Yes and no. I think, but even you saying that, Rob, is so nice. I sat with Alain de Bottin. Do you know who that is? Yes, I do. He's amazing, right? And he said, I wish I can ask you at the end. I said, what's your biggest? You know when you asked, do you know who that is? Yeah. Is that because you think a lightweight Rob wouldn't be aware of modern day philosopher Alain de Bottin? Yeah, I thought that.

21:59I bet you did, didn't you? I did, yeah. No, I bet you did. I bet you, otherwise you wouldn't have asked me. do you know who he is? I was being belied No, you were being patronising No, it's not patronising Have you ever heard, Jamie, of Sigmund Freud?

22:19Have you ever heard of Siegfried Sassoon? Oh, yes Yeah Wonderful haircuts For me, the reason why I did a reality show I always loved entertainment more than anything I loved it I loved being on stage I loved making people laugh I loved, always wanted to be in TV, all these different things. And I think there's a part of me that wants to do it because I think probably I thought I'd get the validation from the crowd or the people watching. And that maybe came from a small insecurity within me. And there's that kind of idea that most entertainers have something that they're sort of harboring, I suppose.

22:58Talk about it. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. I understand how it works. am I allowed to pause briefly yeah you can pause alright okay I think there's a lot to be said for introducing the pause into podcasts there's another one if yes subconsciously not consciously I you know I just liked always liked making people smile or laugh by had an ability to do voices. And of course, not everybody can. And when you can, you forget, like not everybody can sing. Not everybody can make their voice do silly things and sound like somebody else. But I was always able to do that. So, wow, how lucky, you know, we can do a thing.

23:45You know, I do that stupid thing where I go, I go, hi there, how are you doing out there? Great to see you. Oh, my word. How are you today, Jamie? What an amazing place. And that's got such reactions from people, but it's just a stupid, dumbass trick that I'm able to do. You know, it's not a talent, not really a skill, you can sort of finesse it a bit. But I do that, and I quite, just enjoy it, you know. Do that one more time. Hey, Jamie, how are you doing today? Great to see you. Oh, my word. Look at this boy, this boy's even smaller than he was before. That's really tiny.

24:25That's absolutely mad You ready for me? Hold on Can you do it as well?

24:36You ready? Yeah Okay

24:40Okay, here we go Hold on, I've got this Come on, Jamie I'm Winnie's Robin I'm just sitting in a box How on earth? Sounds like I need a poo. Well, it does. That's what it feels like. It sounds like you were having a poo. So that's your very sort of famous man in a box. I call it small man in a box. Yeah, just a stupid thing. How did you discover you could do it? I was sitting around at home thinking about ventriloquists. I don't know why. I was thinking about how they throw their voices and make them sound like they're coming from somewhere else. And I started going, and I went oh and and you know that the canny part of me not as canny as you the sweet factory but the canny part of me went oh that's a thing what was the first play you did or show you did as a kid well we actually put on a play we did a stage production of star wars because Star Wars was the hit film.

25:47Honestly. Who's we? Who's we? I was the ringleader. Okay. How old are you at this point? I think I'm, when did Star Wars come out? 77, 78? Yeah, yeah. I'm 12, maybe 13. Okay. We write a script. I'm Luke Skywalker. Of course. We couldn't make an R2-D2. It's a very challenging shape with the thing. So at the time, Doctor Who was on and they had a little dog robot called K-9, which was a much more achievable shape. So we made that. We had toy lightsabers. We made a door on the starship out of silver foil. And the stormtroopers were dressed in white skateboard helmets, the plastic stormtrooper mask with the elastic and cricket whites to look like stormtroopers.

26:38and they, at the beginning to make their entrance, they burst through the silver foil. It was quite dramatic. That is dramatic. I played Luke and before we started, I went out the front in front of the curtain and did jokes from the Two Ronnies joke book. So that was probably my first stand-up on stage telling jokes. So we did that and then I moved schools and I went to Porth Call Comprehensive and I met Ruth Jones there and they had a superb drama department with a young dynamic drama teacher who put on brilliant musicals every year and that was me. That was my life mapped out. I heard a rumor that you stole money from Catherine Ceter Jones.

27:29Yeah, well, there's some truth in that. Catherine Ceter Jones, I mean, every school I went to had a future star. Yeah. Honestly, the first little school I went to, Eddie Izzard was at. Not when I was there. He was there two years before. Yeah, yeah. And then... Love Eddie Izzard. Well, of course. Unbelievable. Eddie and I have shared photos of the school sports day. Eddie was probably... Eddie's good at everything. He's probably very good, but I've got me coming last in the sack race. Then Catherine Zeta-Jones was at this school in Swansea, you know, very young, doing tap dancing and performing.

28:07And one day as I was arriving at school, her mama just dropped her off and said, oh, I've forgotten to give Catherine a dinner money. It was about a quid in change, I think, from memory. Would you give it to her? I said, yes, I took it, put it in my pocket, forgot all about it. And then we would go down to town at lunchtime and have fish and chips or whatever. And I remember coming back and we were at a sweet shop then. I go, wow, I'm cash rich. What's going on here? Forgot and I spent the money. So it wasn't really theft. That is theft. No, it's me forgetting. It's me forgetting even at that age.

28:40And then Ruth was then at this other school and that began that sort of lifelong friendship with her. Everybody around me behaved to me as though I was talented and as though I was good. That's all I've ever known really in my life from when I was a little kid is people going, oh, he's very good. Oh, he's good. Oh, Robert's very good, isn't he, with the voices. Oh, he's good. that's all I've had. So you had that inner confidence? Yeah. I never had that. See, where I come from is just Port Talbot. You hear actors say, oh, see where I come from, there weren't any actors. So, you know, where I come from, where Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins are from.

29:19So you could go, well, yeah, you can. You can become an actor from here. I mean, Tom Jones wasn't that far away and Shirley Bassey wasn't that far away. Catherine is younger than me, but Catherine Zeta-Jones is in the road. Michael Sheen is. I mean, my God, you can't move. You almost feel like you were failing. Exactly. It's just expected of you, isn't it? The people in Wales that don't become famous artists of one type or another, they stand out more than the ones that do.

30:02freelance talent fast. No bulky overhead. No rigid long-term contracts. Just the right expert right when you need them. Work smarter and faster with Upwork. Go to Upwork.com now and find your freelance expert. That's U-P-W-O-R-K.com. Post a job for free and get started today. If you're a smoker or vapor ready to make a change, you really only need one good reason. But with Zinn Nicotine Pouches, you'll discover many good reasons. Zinn is America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Plus, Zinn offers a robust rewards program. There are lots of options when it comes to nicotine satisfaction. But there's only one Zinn.

30:42Check out Zinn.com slash find to find Zinn at a store near you. Warning, this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. No one knows your business better than you. So who better to create your website than, well, you? Wix's website builder puts it all in your hands. Create a beautiful website just by talking with AI or choosing from thousands of templates. Customize every detail with simple drag-and-drop tools and get everything you need to start running business your way. Build more, think bigger, and do it all yourself on Wix. Go to Wix.com.

31:25I think acting's a sort of hard gig in lots of ways, and especially the entertainment industry. You don't say. But I do, because it's so hard to get successful. You said that as if nobody's ever... Lots of people... Of course it is. Lots of people don't know that, because I think it's hard to get successful. It's hard to get work. And you know, something like last year, I think the statistics are something like that. 92 % of working actors and actresses earned under£10 ,000. Yes, everybody knows that. Does anyone know it here? Nope, shaking heads. See, there you go. That's more, that just says who you hang out with.

32:04These people should be at school. But it's true, it's crazy. Is it an inset day? Is that why you're here? This is the real kids who turned up. But it's hard. So firstly, it's hard to get any work whatsoever. Yeah. Then you potentially get... The odds are all stacked against you. I mean, it's hard to get an agent, right? Anything. It's hard to get any sort of work. And then it's hard to keep working. And it's hard to be in a hit. And then if you're in a hit, it's hard to get another hit. It's really hard. It's really hard. So you can only do it if you love it. And I always say to people, you can only do it if you have to do it.

32:39So it has to be like a calling. It has to be like a vocation. You've got to, because, you know, if you had the decency to read my autobiography, you'd see all the rejection that I went through years and years and years of it Talk about it, what rejection? And you'd read that and you'd go why the hell didn't you give up? You know, when I read it back I read it back and I said well, if that was a friend of mine I would have been advising them with a gentle hand on their shoulder this probably isn't for you So what keeps you going? As I said, pay attention, Jamie it has to be like a calling right?

33:18It has to be like a vocation. You need to do it. You need to do it because that's where you feel that you are you. That's where you are being yourself is doing that. What jobs do you take in between? So there was a point where there was just no money coming in. We had to sell some of the furniture in our house to pay some bills. We defaulted on the mortgage. So I did one morning in Kensington High Street, telesales, environmentally friendly industrial cleaning agents. And I went in and I tell you a funny thing that happened with that was I had to have an interview. Well, I'd never had an interview for a job because I was a DJ, a presenter, an actor and everything.

34:06And the guy was, and I felt like a failure, you know, and he's a very sweet guy. And I had to fill in a bloody form. You know, I'd never done that. And they said, hobbies. I don't have hobbies. He said, I want to be an actor. This is what I do. So I put, I keep rabbits, right? And then he - As a hobby. Yeah. And then he said, so tell me about the rabbits. He was being very sweet. He was being nice. So I said some waffle. And then I instantly felt guilty because I thought, well, this guy's just doing his job, isn't he? And I started making stuff up about rabbits. Anyway, I go in to do the job and they give you a script and they give you all these numbers.

34:45It's like Gary, Glen Ross. They give you all these leads, right? And you phone them up. And what you do is you lie. You say, hey, Jamie, hi, it's Rob from, you know, Acme Cleaning Products. And Jess wanted to say, just say thank you for helping us out with that survey because we've had the, what survey? Because we've had the results back and what survey? We've had the results back. I don't remember us. We've had the results back. Are you sure I'm the, the results are amazing. And listen, I just want to thank you. So thanks for that, Jamie. Oh, and by the way, we've got an offer now on such and such, and you've got to get them to give you an order number, right?

35:27For this product. Okay. And there's a script and you've got to find, I've got to find out details about Jamie. What's that accent, Jamie? Where are you from? I had one guy, I remember, he was German. Where are you from? I am from Stuttgart. I said, Stuttgart? We had our honeymoon in Stuttgart. We didn't. You say this and you've got to get, and as you're doing this, you've got headphones on, there are supervisors coming around and they're listening in and they're going, come on, come on, come on. And you've got to get to the stage where you get an order number. And if you get that order number, bang.

36:02And you get to ring a bell at some point and there's all the best sellers up and think, well I mean I was I was doing this and I did it and we got to lunchtime and I was hating it and I went out onto Kensington High Street going because you know I'd been working on radio I thought oh what's happened you know and I remember thinking here's what I thought right I thought I thought I can do funny voices I thought not everybody can do funny voices right there must be a way of getting paid for doing funny voices so i didn't go back i walked away from that and i got home and i started to blitz voice agents production companies trying to get voice work and eventually i did and then everything was okay because i i can make a living doing that what was the turning point in your career marion and jeff human remains were the two shows in 2000 once those shows came out.

37:06And once I was working with those people, it felt entirely like these are my people. This is where I should be. When you get that success, how do you keep your feet on the ground? Oh, quite easily. Because, well, unless somebody wants to say, well, what about when you behave like this? But I think I did because I was already 35. And there's a well-known thing The age that you acquire fame at whatever level, because I appreciate that we're not talking about Leonardo DiCaprio here, but, you know, when you acquire whatever level of fame, you can sort of cease to develop emotionally. It happens to pop stars, of course.

37:49They suddenly run. They're not developing. I was 35. I already had three children. So, you know, I had responsibilities. Yes, your feet were on the ground in a way. And I think the great thing that's done for me is it has given me this great appreciation of it. Because you work towards it and then you've got it. Even today, I mean, even today, but today I'm coming in in the car to do this. And I'm going, it's great, isn't it? I'm being driven in. I'm going to chat with Jamie. Honestly, I'm going, I don't take it for granted. I mean, you know, this is lovely. 35 is when you started drinking, though.

38:30Yes, it is. But not in a... I mean, it would be lovely if there were some dark undercurrent to that. It's really not. I mean... What was your first drink you picked up? The Alka-Pops. Was it really? I'll tell you what happened. So I get to about... I never... When I was a kid, it just never appealed, right? Just never wanted it? No. And I tried it. Like, get all kids do it. I don't know, 13, 14, 15, whatever. And I would go, I had a very limited palate. I think that probably affected it. Oh, that's not nice. Whatever it was, beer or wine or I can't remember now, but oh no, I don't like that. But also I never felt the need.

39:08I never felt like I think some kids would have gone, bring me down the disco on Friday. Oh, it's great because it loosens me up. I mean, idiot here never made that connection, right? So I'd be at school discos and I was always smart enough to make girls laugh and keep their attention. but I was never confident enough to go, you know, because for fear of rejection, oh, that would be awful, right? With hindsight now, I think if I had done that, I might have been okay. And I would see these other boys who I consider to be positively Neanderthal by comparison, snogging girls at the end. I think, well, how are they?

39:47And it was simply because they had Dutch courage. So funny, you were so scared of rejection, but you went into an industry which is so full of rejection. That's interesting. It is, isn't it? No one's said that before. Okay. It's so refreshing, Jamie, when you've done a million interviews and somebody finds another, genuinely, it's really interesting. Yeah.

40:10Well, okay, let's really delve here. If someone was rejecting me as a performer, as an actor, I thought they were wrong, right? But if a girl was going to reject me, I would think she was probably right. Does that make sense? It's very true. I had a real belief about my abilities, whatever they may be, as a performer. But not so much with girls. You were in the Barbie movie. Six seconds. Can you tell the audience who you were? Because they may have forgotten. I was Sugar Daddy Ken or Sugar's Daddy Ken. When you went through the script and you found your part, did you find your lines quickly? They only sent me my page.

41:17I don't think it was even two pages. Who did you play in Barbie? oh that's right you weren't in it oh yeah yeah yeah yeah i mean take me on if you want jamie but i will hit back what were your lines in barbie so america ferreira goes to the home of the discontinued barbies wow okay where kate mckinnon is yeah yeah and as she arrives she sees me stood upon the next level of this Barbie house with Tom Sturton, who's playing Magic Earring Ken. Yeah. And she sees me stood with my little plastic dog and she says, Sugar Daddy Ken? And I say, no, no, no, no, no, no. And I improvised that. That wasn't in the script.

42:10I say, I'm not a sugar daddy. And at this point, we are halfway through my performance. I say I'm not a sugar daddy and I hold the dog up I say this is sugar and I'm her daddy and that's it that was it yeah yeah how many takes not many I'm very good no it was about it was about oh I don't know I can't remember there's lots of improv as well that of course doesn't make it well you also seem to be fair there's a bit lots of improv that doesn't no well there's there's always the way I mean did you improvise much when you were on it? Oh no, you were at home, weren't you? You were at home. That's right.

42:53I remember. You were in your house. That's right. That's right. Do you know what though? Because that performance just then, I felt like I was there. I tell you what, if you went to the cinema to see it and you had a box of Maltesers. You'd miss it. And you looked down at the wrong time, you would have no idea I was anywhere near that film. So do you get paid for it?

43:21No, Jamie. I thought it was a favour. Of course I get paid for it. Okay, that's good. You honestly think? Just for what, work experience? I thought that's all you'd... Yeah, I'll do it. Yeah, it'll be fun. I like Margot. Margot Robbie likes me. I'll just go and do it. Incredible, isn't it? Incredible I think you would be surprised How interested people are in you I would I really think they are Because I've become defensive I know why Why have you closed your body up like that There you go You're so bright and bushy How many coffees have you had None Is that right I don't drink caffeine And I think it's for the best If this is how you are without it Wow Honestly Jamie I swear to God Can't drink it What happens?

44:16If I drink caffeine, I get almost jittery. I become almost... Worried? Anxious? I get anxious. Yeah, yeah. Well, I get that. But I can have it if I've got stuff to do. But if I haven't got anything to do, so I had one caffeinated coffee this morning at about eight o 'clock, something like that, and then I won't have any more today. Because it makes you jittery. It makes you anxious. So jittery sounds like, oh yeah. But I mean like, oh, oh, you know, that feeling. And a lot of people don't get that feeling with it, do they? They get the, hey, here we go feeling. So I've got to get... And they become American.

44:53Yes, they do. Hey, here we go. Hey, here we go. What you doing? You drinking the coffee? Hey, you want the coffee? Did you ever see that Al Pacino? He's just released an autobiography. And he talks about, very openly, about when he lost all his money because he had very bad advisors. So he lost all his money. and he just assumed he'd never taken an interest in it. Suddenly he's got no money, so he has to do lots of jobs he wouldn't have done. And you can see it, he does this coffee commercial and it's a perfectly good coffee commercial, but it's Al Pacino. And he's walking around Soho in New York and he goes, oh, oh, I like a coffee.

45:31And it's Al Pacino. And you see him, he's got to, if you ever see one of my scripts, it'll have coffee on it. I'm doing Al Pacino and then at the end he goes he goes that's good coffee and if that was my coffee company and I had Al Pacino saying that I would go take me now Lord I like you Jamie Lang I really like you I really do like you and that sounded really insincere but I really do I think you're amazing and what I find so I'd rather be insincerely liked by someone than sincerely disliked by someone. How about that? We like to end the conversation with eight questions. Let's do it. Are you ready?

46:19I can manage seven. Eight. What's a saying or phrase that always makes you smile or cheers you up? Anything that might, whenever my kids say anything to me that makes me think I've done something right as a dad, that's a fantastic feeling. A little bit of vulnerability there, I loved it Some vulnerability outside that normal cast iron hard man exterior That we've come to know him for Best compliment anyone's ever given you Billy Connolly once paid to come and see me do stand-up And that blew me away And then I ran into him at an awards do And he quoted bits of it to me What did he quote saying?

47:06You know that bit when you were talking about the so-and-so? That made me think about so-and-so. I thought that was so good. I thought, bloody hell. Because to my mind, Billy Connolly is, you know, like Robin Williams, Billy Connolly, you know, these are special. Eddie Murphy, these are special people. What scares you most about yourself?

47:28Well, I always think that thing, we have nothing to fear but fear itself, when fear gets a grip of me. I hate that. I hate that. And sometimes I can keep it at bay, which is why I do all these things like, you know, exercise. And we talked early, didn't we? Was that today? It was yesterday. And saunering and cold plunging and trying to eat the right food. You know, part of that is to stay in a good place physically and mentally, live for longer, but in the short term, be strong and robust. what's something you can't let go of that I can't let go of yeah like what do you mean by that well I don't know it can be a physical object it can be a memory it can be an emotion a thing you've said a moment you've had with someone what a brighter news oh really I mean I don't know a thing I can't let go of love Elvis I love Elvis hey you guys Elvis stupid answer stupid question you're gonna like this one then what's something that you'd be embarrassed for people to know you like or want.

48:34Oh. Is there any embarrassment anymore? I don't think so. I don't know if there is. I don't like acne scars. I'd like nicer skin. I'd like skin like yours. You have beautiful skin. But I'm not embarrassed by that. I mean, that's just, you know, as you said, I mean, it's wonderful vulnerability, isn't it? What turns you off? Oh, okay, right. What turns me off? Oh, all the typical, terrible, reactionary, he's getting older things. People being inconsiderate. I mean, they're pathetic, Daily Mail things. You know, people throwing litter out of the car window. I don't understand that. People having their feet up on the seat on the train, those things.

49:14People not being considerate of other people. People vaping in the street when you're behind them and you get this nuclear fusion plant of vapor. seeing somebody holding their vape and feeling sorry for that level of dependency. That annoys me. People smoking, although now I look more kindly on smoking because I think it's not as bad as vaping. People vaping surreptitiously with those little plastic ones that don't give much and they think you can't see.

49:48The other vapors with the lightsaber thing in their hand who stand like that and go...

49:58Those people. Horrible football fans. I took my kids to see Chelsea the other day and we're down near the away fans who are from the football club, the Arsenal, a North London club. And there we were. And there was one guy, he looked like Jack Loudon from Slow Horses. He had a tidy beard. He had slicked back blondish hair, quite well dressed. He had one of those lightsaber vapes here and he would stand up and he would look across like that and he would start making the wanker sign and he would start using the C word at them. What the hell are you doing? What are you doing? I don't understand that.

50:42Number one, he's blocking the view of the people behind. That's the first thing. Occasionally.

50:51Wanker Yeah What is he doing Then Saka came off For Arsenal Right Saka right Lovely great Wonderful talented man Devoted his life To football Has become The best of the best He's walking past us Because he goes off Behind the goal And he starts Not in a racial way But he's doing He's giving him All this abuse And I'm going What And then He has to Come out of his row Right And he's being so polite to all the people that he's going past. He's going, sorry, sorry. And he winks at, he goes, sorry. You don't get to be polite after what you've been doing. Polite is gone now. What turns you on? Oh, baby.

51:37Here we go. What turns, what, you mean in a sexual way? Up to you. Well, what do you mean? Well, what turns you on? I see trees of green and skies of blue. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. More and more, more and more, the natural world. Beautiful. And shagging within it. No, more and more, the natural world. Seriously now, seriously, right? The natural world. And that can be my garden, right? Coming here today, I'm looking at all the leaves that have fallen. and I got real pleasure from that. I'm just looking at them and going, wow. What do you like most about yourself? Oh, for God's sake.

52:24What do people say to this? I don't know. Yes, you do. You've been sitting there. What do you like most about... What can you say to this without sounding like an arse? You don't sound like an arse. What do I like about... I mean well. There we go. I do. I genuinely mean well. I don't really wish anybody any harm. I don't wish anybody any ill. I like the fact that I have some natural abilities. I feel very grateful that I can do that stupid thing with my voice. I can sing. I can act. I can make people laugh. I like that. I can portray a story as an actor. I really like the fact that I'm able to do that.

53:08because that's just a thing that you either are, you can finesse it, you can work at it, right? But I do, I like that. I like that I'm able to do that. Yeah, yeah, I would say that. Bonus one. Yeah. Favorite swear word, but you have to do it in Uncle Bryn's accent. Oh, no, I won't do that for you. That's not fair because that's not Bryn. But it's probably the F word. I have a trainer, right? And she trains me over Zoom. I've got a garden room with a gym. I've done very well. And I do that, right? So I have music on in there. So I train. And when I train, right, what I love to do is swear at my trainer.

53:56And she likes it too, right? Maybe because I'm paying her. She finds it funny. Listen, I tell you what, this is interesting. I quite like to entertain when I'm training. It makes you feel good. So I will effing blind. I'll say, so she'll say, she's Canadian. She'll go, Nadia. She'll go, okay, Rob, now let's, you want to do, she doesn't speak about it. And I will go, are you out of your fucking mind? And then I'll imagine I'm telling someone else. Then she told me to do like the box rotation and then do the long leg mountain climb. I said, you're out of your fucking mind? What the fuck are you trying to do here?

54:30You're crazy. That's when I enjoy bad language. But generally speaking, there's no need. There's no need. I love that. There's no need. Rob, whether you were born to do it or not, I think we've all been thoroughly entertained. You're amazing. You're an inspiration to me and so many other people. And thank you so much for being on Great Company. I've thoroughly enjoyed it. When I arrived, I mentioned that my 13-year-old son said, oh, bring some of his sweets back. and you said, oh, you can take plenty of sweets. I just, on camera, are you still going to honour that pledge? They're upstairs waiting for you.

55:09Rob, thank you so much. You're the best. Jamie Lang speaking earlier today in London.

55:19Okay, so at the end of the show, this is where we talk a little bit more. Do you think people will stay on to listen to this bit? I don't know. I probably... Would you stay on to listen to it? Yeah, I think I would stay on. 100 % I would. I'm a person who doesn't finish books sorry yeah what do you mean so in terms of whether I'd stay on I often I'll get partway through a book and be like nah you don't want to know the end of the story well if it's not piquing my interest I don't like the way it's written that is interesting yeah I do that with TV shows really anyway I hope that you've stayed and if you have thanks yeah if you haven't this is the best bit yeah if you haven't you don't even know we're talking about this what do you think of the episode lovely lovely it's made me feel very Christmassy and I cannot wait for Gavin and Stacey oh my gosh I don't think we'll ever know what happened on that fishing trip I'm glad that you did ask I'm sorry I didn't find out for everyone no it's okay but I yeah it's made me feel very very excited and it's just it's just such a warm warm show and the way he speaks about it like made me feel like those things okay so we also have mentioned this before but potentially we're going to be starting our bonus episodes and we would like some questions from you guys it can be any question at all maybe it's about how to make a podcast maybe it's about guests maybe it's about ourselves anything that you want please send us any questions but also comments if you want to ask anything about the podcast we reply on our social media at greatcompanypodcast or you can send us an email greatcompany at jampopproductions.co.uk everything is in the show description and if you haven't subscribed or followed the show already please do please do okay thank you Jemima thank you Jamie Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Happy Holidays and we'll see you next week for another episode of Great well will we yes we will will we well we've actually got an episode coming out on Wednesday oh we have an episode coming out on Wednesday and then the following yeah we will but then there'll be an episode that week do you know what just watch the space there'll be stuff coming in your feed all over the bloody shop all over the bloody shop so we'll see you then bye bye

57:22hi this is Nox from the podcast with Nox and Jamie and maybe like us at the podcast you also know people who have been smokers or vapors. And Zen is the one product it seems like everyone is talking about because there are many good reasons to make a change to Zen nicotine pouches. Reasons like Zen nicotine pouches are still America's number one choice for smoke-free, hands-free nicotine satisfaction. And you can choose between 10 varieties, each variety available in either three or six milligrams. Check out zen.com slash find to find Zen at a store near you. Warning, this product contains nicotine.

57:53Nicotine is an addictive chemical. Snack time. Just got to glow up with My Mochi ice cream. My Mochi is scoops of delicious ice cream wrapped in sweet chewy dough. It's creamy, dreamy, and totally satisfying. My Mochi comes in fabulous flavors like strawberry, mango, and cookies and cream. Gluten free and only 70 calories a piece. My Mochi is the perfect Anytime treat. Because why wait for a reason to feel joyfully chill? Grab a purple box of My Mochi ice cream and chew it. Love it. Repeat. Did you know that parents rank financial literacy as the number one most difficult life skill to teach? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app for families.

58:36With Greenlight, you can set up chores, automate allowance, and keep an eye on your kids' spending with real-time notifications. Kids learn to earn, save, and spend wisely. and parents can rest easy knowing their kids are learning about money with guardrails in place. Sign up for Greenlight today at greenlight.com slash podcast. Summer's heating up and so is the action with Chumba Casino and 2311 Racing. Whether you're trackside with Bubba, Riley, and Tyler or cooling off at home, the fun never stops at Chumba Casino, the online social casino packed with free-to-play games like slots, blackjack, and more.

59:09Jump into summer at chumbacasino.com and score your free welcome bonus. 2 million free gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins. No purchase necessary. VGW Group Voidware prohibited by law. CT &C is 21 plus sponsored by Chamba Casino.