In short
“My Misspent Youth” is a coming-of-age, celebrity-studded discussion of youthful misbehavior, humiliating moments, and formative experiences—especially around sex, fandom, auditions, and early acting careers.
Guests (backgrounds)
- Jo Koy (Filipino-American comedian; stand-up career goal of playing major arenas).
- Gwyneth Paltrow (actor/producer; longtime friend of Rob Lowe via Cheryl).
- Ralph Macchio (actor; known for The Karate Kid; discusses music/teen memories).
- Rob Lowe (actor; shares early-life stories and “Bruce Paltrow rule” advice).
- Additional guests mentioned: Dave and John Chernin (creators behind raunchy high school comedy Incoming High School); Penn Badgley (actor; audition story); Michael Cera (referenced); plus Jonah Hill/Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg/Greg Mottola/others discussed in context.
Key claims
- Koy used his mom’s Visa with a Filipino accent to buy Eddie Murphy “Raw” tickets at age 15, ending up 15 rows from the stage.
- Paltrow describes Cheryl (Rob Lowe’s wife) as a formative, sexually liberating influence when Paltrow was a teen.
- Lowe recounts the “Bruce Paltrow rule”: kids can want acting, but “not doing shit until they’re 18.”
- Chernins say raunchy high school comedies should still have heart; they studied the genre by bingeing classics.
- Badgley recalls being laughed at during a child audition (humiliation shaping him).
Notable examples
- Eddie Murphy’s “Raw” reveal with a red highlight-screen montage; Koy’s later arena performances.
- Paltrow’s memories of celebrity brunches and Cheryl’s guidance.
- Macchio’s “The Outsiders” music/boombox memories and hotel/line-running stories.
- Badgley’s “Charmed”-era audition disbelief line.
- Rogen/Franco “The Interview” cyberattack and premiere security anecdotes.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOJo Koy's Eddie Murphy Concert Experience
0:00 to 0:25
Jo Koy shares his memorable experience attending an Eddie Murphy concert.
“What if you could have the most reliable Wi-Fi at the same price for five years?”
Jo Koy's Eddie Murphy Concert Experience
0:27 to 0:56
Jo Koy shares his memorable experience attending an Eddie Murphy concert.
“Grainger knows if you're a procurement manager at an industrial manufacturing facility, you're balancing inventory and budget while sourcing critical supplies across the operation.”
Jo Koy's Eddie Murphy Concert Experience
1:14 to 6:06
Jo Koy shares his memorable experience attending an Eddie Murphy concert.
“hey everybody welcome to literally today's show is called my misspent youth you're gonna hear the horror stories of the crazy shit that we all did when we were crazy when we were young and crazy you know what?”
Rob Lowe and Gwyneth Paltrow's Youthful Encounters
6:06 to 8:08
Rob and Gwyneth reminisce about their youth and relationships with Cheryl.
“I want to hear your side of it before I give you my side.”
Cheryl's Influence and Relationship Dynamics
8:08 to 14:01
Gwyneth discusses the influence of Cheryl on her life and relationship milestones.
“Anyway, so then Cheryl started dating an actor named Rob Lowe, which was very exciting because, you know, Rob Lowe in the 90s was a dangerous and scintillating proposition.”
Reflections on a Traditional Upbringing
14:01 to 16:42
Explore the speaker's childhood and the influence of a traditional family dynamic.
“And, you know, as you said, I did have a very normal, you know, even though I came from people who worked in show business, I had a very, you know, like a non-Hollywood.”
Navigating Fame and Family
16:43 to 19:29
Discuss the challenges of growing up with famous parents and the importance of hard work.
“And that you can also see through the, I mean, and the same, I've seen you through so many chapters in your life.”
Navigating Fame and Family
19:30 to 21:00
Discuss the challenges of growing up with famous parents and the importance of hard work.
“you know, they're aligned with yours or with their own sense of who they are, et cetera.”
Navigating Fame and Family
21:06 to 21:21
Discuss the challenges of growing up with famous parents and the importance of hard work.
“Now available in Canada and the UK, too.”
Navigating Fame and Family
21:22 to 22:06
Discuss the challenges of growing up with famous parents and the importance of hard work.
“You know that thing where you get an amazing pair of shoes at a really great price and want to tell everyone about it?”
Show all 21 chapters
Navigating Fame and Family
22:10 to 22:36
Discuss the challenges of growing up with famous parents and the importance of hard work.
“And with Ashley's annual Labor Day sale, you can get cozy in your dream home setup.”
The Evolution of High School Comedies
22:37 to 28:00
Analyze the characteristics and cultural impact of raunchy high school comedies.
“Okay, so I'm going to introduce you to some guys that you may know, you may not know.”
Nostalgia for The Outsiders Playlist
28:00 to 39:04
Explore the iconic music and memories associated with The Outsiders.
“I was thinking about, there are certain songs that come on and I think, Like, oh, this is the Outsiders playlist.”
Nostalgia for The Outsiders Playlist
39:33 to 40:16
Explore the iconic music and memories associated with The Outsiders.
Penn Badgley's Humorous Audition Story
40:16 to 42:00
Hear Penn Badgley recount a humorous audition experience that shaped him.
“Penn Badgley, what was your auditioning experience like?”
The Humiliation of Auditions
42:00 to 43:39
Learn about the challenges and humiliations faced during child auditions.
“Because, you know, it had those stutters.”
The Middle School Connection
43:40 to 44:27
Explore how experiences in middle school shape individuals throughout life.
“And, you know, and my two co-hosts have a completely different experience.”
Memories of Superbad
44:28 to 46:30
Reflect on the experiences and memories related to the movie Superbad.
“I think that's kind of because it's like humanity itself is going through the same process of coming of age.”
The Controversy of The Interview
46:31 to 48:59
Discuss the international incident sparked by the film The Interview.
“and I guess you might have this with some things you worked on where you have basically no memory of the process.”
Behind the Scenes of Arrested Development
49:00 to 50:48
Get insights into the atmosphere and experiences on the set of Arrested Development.
“So by the time it came out, the notion that it was even a movie nobody cared about.”
Behind the Scenes of Arrested Development
53:06 to 53:49
Get insights into the atmosphere and experiences on the set of Arrested Development.
“Hey everybody, this is Paul Scheer and I host the comedy podcast, How Did This Get Made?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00What if you could have the most reliable Wi-Fi at the same price for five years? That's the Xfinity five-year price guarantee. No annual contracts, no hidden fees, and our best equipment included. Plus, get online in minutes with same-day Wi-Fi. Just five years of fiber-powered Wi-Fi that boosts speeds to the devices that need them most. Lock in your price and unlock the possibilities. Xfinity. Imagine that. Select plans only. Restrictions apply. Powered by fiber. Connected to the premises by coaxial cable. Actual speeds vary. Grainger knows if you're a procurement manager at an industrial manufacturing facility, you're balancing inventory and budget while sourcing critical supplies across the operation.
0:39Too much inventory? Costs climb. Too little? Production slows. Grainger's$2 billion in on-hand inventory helps you get what you need when you need it, so you can help keep budgets balanced and lines moving. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.
1:14Rob Lowe:hey everybody welcome to literally today's show is called my misspent youth you're gonna hear the horror stories of the crazy shit that we all did when we were crazy when we were young and crazy you know what? Turns out we were young crazy. So the all-star cast is going to regale us with the adventures of that very specific time in life.
1:51Joe Coy. Can I tell you something now that we're talking about guys with auras? so Ticketmaster I called Ticketmaster and this is like 1987 88 whatever 87 don't quote me on the year research it 87 I call on the phone I get my mom's visa card and I pretend to be my mom now mind you when you call on the phone and use someone's credit card act like somebody they usually question you they're like okay you're not you're using someone's credit card but when you use a Filipino accent they don't question you And I remember I was like 15 years old and I got my mom's credit card and I called Ticketmaster and I'm like, I'd like to buy two tickets to see Eddie Murphy at the Tacoma, at the Seattle Coliseum.
2:36I need two tickets, please. Your best seats available. Thank you. And the lady was like, oh, no problem, man. And sold me two tickets to see Eddie Murphy Raw at the Seattle Coliseum. I was 15 years old and I was 15 rows from the stage. I saw that live.
2:53Rob Lowe:oh was you wearing the red leather or the purple leather he was wearing no he my our show he wore all black no t-shirt wide open and he had driver gloves on he had like these leather driving gloves and he had a big ring this big diamond ring like i forgot what finger was on maybe his pinky or something oh and i remember it was just lighting up the coliseum there's like 24 000 people there it was just it was packed here's the other thing about oris rob yeah yeah let me just explain to because I want everyone to know this because you won't know this unless you went to the concert. If you watch Raw, the beginning of Raw, he comes out.
3:30It's a silhouette of him standing behind this big red screen and it's just a black silhouette of Eddie Murphy and the crowd goes crazy and they stand up and they're going crazy and he walks out. The screen lifts up and it's Eddie. It's the reveal and he walks out. I'm going to tell you what that red screen was because no one knows what that red screen was. There were three of them on stage. There were two on the sides and there was one in the middle. And it was a highlight reel. It was a montage of everything that he's done up until that point. And it had like Gumby. It had, you know, 48 hours.
4:02It had Beverly Hills Cop. It had everything. And it was just running all his lines. You know, everything. James Brown, everything. Stevie Wonder. And it just kept getting faster and faster and faster and faster. All his hits. And then, bam, it turns red. And he's standing behind it. And bro, he could have said fucking good night, Rob. I've never seen. It was rock star, bro. That was, it was rock star, man. Like 24 ,000 people jumped out of their seats, screaming, rushing the stage. And it was just one guy, one mic and a stool. And that's when I said to myself, this is what I'm going to be right here.
4:41I'm going to be this right here. And that was it. I had the horse flaps on, and I never did anything but stand-up. The minute I got out of high school, I was doing stand-up, and that was my goal. And my goal is to play that arena. I was supposed to play it this year, the Seattle Coliseum Arena, but it was under construction, so I had to move my show to Kent, and I played it in a hockey arena. I did two shows at a hockey arena there. But I already told them, I go, I'm coming back because I'm walking on that stage that Eddie walked out on. I'm playing the Coliseum. It's under construction, so I'll be there.
5:13It's crazy to even say I'm playing arenas. It's crazy to even say that, man. I was going to say, it is.
5:18Rob Lowe:I mean, I think, did you play the Forum? I did two of them. Back to back. I mean, you played the Forum. Talk about the Lakers. They sold out in like less than like an hour, both of them. It was crazy, man. It was nuts. It was crazy. It is. It's unbelievable. And you're so crushing it out there. You know. Thank you. Eddie was, I knew him in that era. I knew him in the era, the 48 Hours era. Unbelievable. And there's great pictures floating around online of young Eddie and me just getting into just, you don't even want to know how much trouble. Hey, Rob. In Vegas. Hey, Rob. Rob. Yeah. We still know.
5:57Rob Lowe:We know. We know. We know. We have long memories. We still know. We know. Know. About your misspent youth. Ladies and gentlemen, Rob Lowe. Rob? Thank you very much. Well, thank you.
6:16Rob Lowe:Gwyneth Paltrow. How long have I known you? I met you. I want to hear your side of it before I give you my side. Okay. So I met Cheryl before I met you. I met Cheryl when I was. My wife, Cheryl. I met the Mrs. Lowe when I was 15 or 16. She was a makeup artist at the time. doing a certain Blythe Danner's makeup on it. The best. My mother. I have my own Blythe thing, which we also need to get to. So she was doing my mom's makeup on this TV movie, and I went down to visit. Was it in Florida? It was in Florida. And I met Cheryl, and I was immediately obsessed with her. First of all, she was dating Keanu Reeves, who was my celebrity crush.
7:08And she was so cool. And she knew that I was sneaking cigarettes and she would come smoke with me behind the trailer. And she taught me how to give a blowjob and, you know, all the classic Cheryl stuff. and I just worshiped her. I thought she was literally the coolest chick of all time. And she was so awesome to me. And I was a high school kid. Like the fact that she's loved me that much before I was anyone or anything, you know, same with you.
7:42Rob Lowe:Yeah, yeah. So then it didn't work out with her and Keanu. I don't know if you're aware. I am aware. Okay. So sadly for me. I am aware that I did best him in one regard. Well. At least one regard. At least one. At least one. He's pretty awesome, though. Yes. He's pretty. He's done okay for himself, that kid. And he's still a celebrity crush, let's face it. Yeah, he's 50-something. He's gorgeous. Killing it. I'm obsessed with his girlfriend. Anyway, he has great taste in women. Yeah, he does. Amazing taste in women. Anyway, so then Cheryl started dating an actor named Rob Lowe, which was very exciting because, you know, Rob Lowe in the 90s was a dangerous and scintillating proposition.
8:36So...
8:36Rob Lowe:Even if I'm purely domesticated and in the aughts or whatever we're in now. Right. Now you're domesticated. Back then, it was another story. Yes, it was. Oh, wasn't it, though? Do you miss those days of just flinging your D all over town?
8:57Rob Lowe:Here's the good news. My family doesn't listen or care about any content I produce. Perfect. So I can say, yes, I miss it. And my wife's not going to say shit. I could do 300 hours of podcasts, and you know how many hours will she listen to. She won't. But she'll tell you she did. Yes, 100%. So this is a free fire zone. Yeah. So anyway, then she was dating you, which was fantastic. And then I was like staying with you guys for a while. I was staying with her for a while. I was staying with her for a while. And you guys were dating. And you made me really nervous because I was still like nervous of celebrities.
9:40And even though I'd grown up with my mom's friends who were celebrities or something more, Like they were like old people, you know, but you were Rob Lowe. It was very unnerving. But can you imagine? So I've known you, I think since I'm 17 or 18.
9:55Rob Lowe:Since you're 16 or 17. Because I remember that you, when Cheryl moved in with me to my Miami Vice bachelor. Oh my God. Do you remember my Miami Vice bachelor pad? Yes, I slept there multiple times. Yeah, that you moved into the guest bedroom. Yes. And I remember you were either going to UCSB or... It was before that. Jesus Christ. It was before that. And it was such a bad... It was like a spaceship on the side of a hill. It was literally designed... Let's tell you all you need to know. When the realtor took me to look at the house, I bought it because it was 12 minutes away from the Hard Rock Cafe.
10:35I don't think you should admit that. I know.
10:38Rob Lowe:It's really bad. By the way, the notion that the Hard Rock Cafe is so bad. But was it ever a cool place to go? Oh, it was un. Wow. But it would be like today if that were like Leo and, you know, Timberley Chalamet. And all going to the Hard Rock. Billie Eilish. Right. We're getting French fries. That is so classic. I mean, L.A. during that time. It was pretty cool. I mean, it was, I wasn't inside Hollywood yet. I was trying, you know, I was going to go to college and then I was going to try to act, I guess. But it was so cool to be getting toed around town with you guys. I remember one time you took me to this place for brunch.
11:24Was it called Butterfield or something? Yes. I remember that. Yes. And there were so many celebrities in there eating brunch and I couldn't believe it. It was just, I think Billy Idol was in there eating.
11:34Rob Lowe:I think you're right. I remember Butterfield. I remember you had to walk down all these stairs. It was like a garden below Sunset Boulevard. And like one of the Guns and Roses, I think, were in there. It was very, it was just, it was cool. It was very 90s. Because you were like you and your parents lived a really normal life, even though you're, both of your parents are show business icons. You were like, well, well brought, very well brought up, very well educated, very normal. I was blessed to know your dad and love Blythe. You know, so my Blythe, sideline Blythe Danner story, is I was obsessed with Blythe when I was, she might have been my first crush.
12:15Rob Lowe:You know, we've talked about this. Of course. When she was in Future World. Which she doesn't like when I bring that credit up. Do you notice that? Oh, that's a terrible movie. It was much, it was a terrible sequel. Why did he, oh God. I want you to do, can you do the whole interview as Blythe Danner? It would be so good. It was terrible. Oh, Rod, it was terrible. She's so cute. She's so cute. I had a book of the book version of the script, A Future World, and had a beautiful picture of Blythe in it. And I thought she was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Aww. And so, but, and then your father, Bruce, that's how Cheryl knows.
12:56Rob Lowe:Because my wife Cheryl worked for Bruce. That came after. Home Fires came after? Yes, Home Fires came after. See, this is when people don't realize how far we go back. So far back. I mean, way, way back. Way. Like, I was in high school or just finishing high school when I met you. And I knew I met Cheryl when I was, like, in 10th grade. Like, Apple's age, I met her. Apple's age? Yes. Okay, that makes me feel. I mean, I've known her forever. That makes you feel like an ancient person. You are. Well, I know. But I don't look it, do I? But tell me, I'm very interested in what lesson, what Cheryl's expertise was in the blowjobs.
13:35Gosh, I can't remember exactly.
13:38Rob Lowe:Oh, who are you kidding? No, I can't. I just remember it was less about remembering the technique, although I'm sure that I implemented it the first chance I got. Yes, I'm sure. Sure. But she was just, it was so cool to have someone treat me like an adult and see me as like a young woman and someone who was sexual. And she just made me feel so free. And, you know, as you said, I did have a very normal, you know, even though I came from people who worked in show business, I had a very, you know, like a non-Hollywood. Very stable, structured. Right. Like regular. Yeah, for sure. And, you know, it was like pretty, not conservative politically, but just, you know, it was like a lot was expected of me.
14:26I had to study really hard. It was like I had, you know, so, and the gender roles were pretty defined. And, you know, my mother was. She's very prim. She's. Wouldn't you say, is it? She's, I wouldn't say prim. I think she's just traditional and sort of, you know, she's like that wonderfully sort of waspy kind of thing where she just, and of that era, right? Like, we didn't talk about stuff like that. So for Cheryl to be like, okay, and then hold the balls and whatever. And I was like, what is happening? What is happening?
15:02Rob Lowe:She hasn't changed a bit. I know. Listen, let's face it. I did a lot of research when I was looking for a wife. Oh, really? We didn't know that, Rob. And we've been married 29 years. I know. And it's because I've never met anybody like her. I've never met anyone. And it's funny. I sat in Cheryl's makeup chair just as an actor, and she was my makeup artist, and that was it. and the way that she spoke to me and the way she valued me as a person. Yeah. And saw me as a person. Right. Was different than anybody ever. Yeah. And it's an amazing, it's a beautiful quality. And she's so loving. And she's such a caretaker.
15:51And she's like such an amazing like Jewish mom. And it's all the food and the comfort and everything. But then there's this just wild side to her that's so fun to this day.
16:03Rob Lowe:Because I would never survive somebody boring. No, I know. If I wasn't with somebody, and I say this with all love, a little crazy, maybe more than a little, I would run roughshod. Yeah, no. She keeps you on your toes. I think you guys have an amazing marriage. And, like, obviously, you know, I've known you guys for a long time and seen it through many chapters. And it's just so inspiring to see you both continue to make the commitment to grow together and like to keep finding honesty and new levels of authenticity and commitment and what that looks like over different decades. And I don't know.
16:39I think you guys are rad.
16:41Rob Lowe:Well, thank you. I mean, it's I think it's important in in life and in marriages to have friends that you can count on. Yeah. And that you can also see through the, I mean, and the same, I've seen you through so many chapters in your life. Beyond. I mean, beyond. It's crazy. I mean, you could write a book. I know. I'll leave that to you. Yeah, I remember. My secrets are too explosive. They're too good. They're so good. We bury them to the. We bury them. The barriers are the deepest. But even little things like your dad, I remember when you were nominated for Shakespeare. And remember when they used to have those crazy Miramax parties and everybody had to do charades?
17:26Oh, yeah. No, those weren't the Miramax parties. Those were like you would like actors. It was actually sweet. It was like actors who had won in previous years would sort of like host game nights for people. It was like, remember?
17:40Rob Lowe:Yeah, it was a thing. It was a thing. We would have these. These big nights. Yeah, game nights. And I remember running into your dad at the one that was sort of done in honor of you. That Helen Hunt threw for me. That's right. Yeah. And I think Matthew, my oldest, must have been about five or six. And I must have known where the road would lead with the boys. Because I said, what advice do you have for me? Because Gwyneth has turned out so great, you know, for raising my kids. Like, what if they want to be actors? And I'll never forget, I call it the Bruce Paltrow rule, which is, you know, they can say they want to act all they want.
18:19Rob Lowe:They're not doing shit until they're 18. Yeah. But you wanted to, and he just threw the hammer down. I wanted to so badly, so badly. And people would, you know, casting directors sometimes came up to me in New York not knowing who my parents were, you know, asking me to audition for this. And I always wanted to, but my parents refused to let me into the public eye. and then finally when I was 18 I just kind of oh it was a frenzy I remember it I remember it was like it would it the only thing I can think of it would be like um the NFL draft and people were just in a fucking for you know who's going Gwyneth Paltrow's being drafted first oh my god she's people are trading up to get Gwyneth Paltrow oh my god no it was a it was a in like all the agents you were you were meeting with everybody knew like it was like the fix was so in.
19:10But it's, it's weird, you know, because it's like, I, I, I don't know how I feel about it. Ultimately that sort of advantage that, you know, kids it's like, we get doors open for us because of who our parents are like your sons do, or my children would. Um, and so that's why I think it's so important, you know, as you say, to raise a kid that has a work ethic and whose values are, you know, they're aligned with yours or with their own sense of who they are, et cetera. So that, you know, because the truth of the matter is like the doors can be opened for you, but if you think about all the people who try and it doesn't happen.
19:50Yes.
19:51Rob Lowe:And that's what I mean. When I say the fix is in, it wasn't that, it wasn't that people knew you were going to succeed because of where you came from. They knew you had the goods.
Read the full transcript
20:06August is the perfect time to hit reset before the autumn rush begins and your closet is a great place to start.
20:15Rob Lowe:Quince is the perfect place to refresh a wardrobe with timeless, high-quality essentials, like their ultra-soft organic cotton teas and premium Mongolian cashmere sweaters. They're versatile, timeless, and transition seamlessly from a casual workday to a dinner out. Everything at Quince is priced to 80 % less than other brands. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middleman. So you're paying for high quality, not brand markup. One of my producers here tried Quince. Here's what he had to say. That's right. I love my Quince linen wardrobe. It's been keeping me cool all summer long.
20:58So thank you, Quince.
20:59Rob Lowe:Upgrade your everyday. Go to Quince.com slash Rob for free shipping on your order. and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash Rob for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash Rob. You know that thing where you get an amazing pair of shoes at a really great price and want to tell everyone about it? Yeah, so do we. Here at Designer Shoe Warehouse, will give you something to brag about. Like the latest styles from brands you love or the trends everyone's obsessing over or shoes that make you feel like, well, you. So go ahead, show off a little.
21:45Find shoes that get you at prices that get your budget. Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today. DSW, let us surprise you. After an exquisite summer, you deserve your beauty rest. This Labor Day, save up to$1 ,000 off select Beautyrest black mattresses and adjustable base sets featuring pocketed coil technology for our most advanced motion separation. Visit beautyrest.com to find a retailer near you. Labor Day weekend means extra time to relax. And with Ashley's annual Labor Day sale, you can get cozy in your dream home setup. Starting August 4th through September 14th, save up to 60 % off deals site-wide and in-store.
22:24Hot buys start at$4.99 with a free upgrade on select adjustable mattress bases. Ashley is making your Labor Day dreams come true. Shop the Labor Day sale at Ashley.com. Going on now through September 14th.
22:47Rob Lowe:Okay, so I'm going to introduce you to some guys that you may know, you may not know. they are partially I would say more than partially responsible for one of my favorite shows ever on television it's always sunny in Philadelphia Dave and John Chernin or as they're called the Chernins the movie is August 23rd on Netflix incoming high school my favorite is raunchy high school has there ever been a high school comedy that didn't have the qualifier of raunchy And by the way, what is raunchy really? It's so raunchy. Has it ever been used for anything other than a certain type of humor? What does raunchy mean to you?
23:35I have never considered this question, but I think it's a very good question.
23:39Rob Lowe:It's a really good one, I think, right? It gets into gross-out territory, I think. Bodily fluids. Okay, yeah. With some raunch, and I hope we deliver. Yeah. I know you will. I know who I'm talking to. Come on. A raunchy, like, did you go in when you were, you go, listen, we had this idea. It's a high school comedy, but this one's raunchy. This one's different than the others. I don't think we ever set out to like provoke or to like be, you know, gross or big just for the sake of it. It's just the way our twisted minds work, unfortunately. In the panthenon of high school comedies, raunchy or not, what's the...
24:29Rob Lowe:I mean, fuck. I mean, it's not really... I guess Breakfast Club isn't really raunchy. That's true. Is it? No. Not raunchy. The American Pie is the peak of raunch. Yeah. Super bad. That was in there. Porky's had some raunch. But raunch doesn't always age well. you know as we studied the genre a lot of the raunch uh it's it worked at the time but i think it's best left there walk me through what did you guys obviously you're familiar with the genre anyway because that's why you wanted to do it but like when you were like okay we're actually doing this did you go back and what did you go back and re-watch if anything everything everything yeah like we when we went to write the first draft of the script we like went and rented an airbnb somewhere and just hold up for like two weeks and every night we'd blaze through a different high school comedy and some hold up better than others uh like clueless blew us away and like we've loved that movie forever but watching it 25 30 years later you're like this thing just kills every beat and that's not a very raunchy high school comedy actually it's true um but there's some great ones you know like fast times at ridgemont high dazed and confused American Pie is very funny even if it feels like it's of a different era to an extent but I think the best ones even if they're raunchy have a real sweetness to them and there's a lot of heart Fast Times is an amazing it's killer I mean that was probably the main inspiration for this one Fast Times so I went to school with all of those people with Sean Penn and all those people.
26:13And for years,
26:14Rob Lowe:we had supposed that and assumed that Sean based Spicoli on a particular dude that we all knew. And finally, Sean admitted it like a couple of years ago. And I was like, because he would show up. We had a thing called nutrition, which was not lunch, but it was a time, it was like a 20-minute period called nutrition where you would go and get anything but. Like you'd get like a cinnamon fucking thing and milk. or whatever and this guy would show up with a bagel in his shorts on the top of his shorts and of course picoli makes an entrance doing the exact same thing i was like that has to be bud has to be uh i mean that performance is inspired it's incredible and it's funny like seeing him now like you know he's such a gifted actor like winning multiple oscars but seeing him just turn on the comedy like that is something to behold.
27:12The more you learn about Sean Penn, the more you appreciate that performance because it seems so unlike who he is. Oh, 100%. Did you guys go to Sammo or did you go to Malibu together?
27:26Rob Lowe:Well, he was a few years older than me, so we missed each other. My memories of Sean aren't really even at school. I think he might be four years older than me. I He did go to Malibu Park and Sammo. We all circled through it. I was Chris, his brother was a year younger than me. And four years in high school is an eternity. It's like an eternity. Yeah. That's a grown-up. Yeah, he's a fucking grown-up.
28:00Rob Lowe:Ralph Macchio. I was thinking about, there are certain songs that come on and I think, Like, oh, this is the Outsiders playlist. Like, oh, this is what we listened to on Matt's boombox in the pouring rain shooting the rumble. It was, okay, so obviously Bruce, right? Right. Obviously. There was a lot of clash. Wasn't Dylan into the clash at the time? A lot of clash. And then Tommy was into Adam Ant. That's right. Do you remember Adam Ant? I do. I do. I can't, don't ask me to sing any Adam Ant, but I do remember. What is it? Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. I can't do it. But he was, Adam Ant was pretty great.
28:42Yeah, yeah, no, I remember at the time. I remember Dylan was always playing The Clash. I had Springsteen on the box all the time in my room, and the hotel security would be like, could you turn that down? You know, Darkness was probably the one that was rolling a lot at that point.
28:59Rob Lowe:It's funny the memories you have. we played a lot of caps. Remember caps? Yes. Which by the way now they, the kids, it's beer pong. Yeah, it is beer pong. It's beer pong but in our era it was caps. And I can remember vividly it might have been, I don't know who it was again, it might have been you. You know the last notes of jungle, down in jungle and I threw the fucking cap up and it was like Yeah, yeah, right? I remember it like it was yesterday. Oh, well, that's where it all began for so many of us. That movie was the one everyone wanted to be in, so we all wanted a piece of that. I read it when I was 12, so it's kindred spirits, man.
29:47And it's just anytime I see you or Tommy, Dylan or Diane or whatever, it's just, you know, it's like first, you know, freshman year of everything.
29:59Rob Lowe:That's what I say. People say, what's, you know, do you ever see this or that? When I'm like, it's like when we see each other, if you were in a fraternity or a sorority and you see your brother or sister, that's what it is. Yeah. That's exactly like you go, you go right back to those, to those days. I mean, dude, we were so young, I remember being thrilled that I could order room service without my parents yelling at me. Right. So how old were you then? How old were you? You were 17? How old were you? I was 17. Right. I was one of the elders. You and Swayze were the elders. Yeah, Swayze had me by a bit.
30:39But, yeah. But so was my second movie. the second movie but I did a TV series I was on this TV show called Eight is Enough
30:49Rob Lowe:do you know my connection to that yes I read it in your book and I said I didn't know this yeah you think you know a guy so um Eight is Enough was a big hit I had done a bomb for ABC but they were nice enough to give me a like a holding contract or whatever and they were going to add this amazing character to Eight is Enough and and I got to go and read I worked my way through the audition process to get to the network reading. And I remember sitting in these giant chairs at Century City. I think the network had big chairs to make you feel insignificant. Yeah. And I look over and there you are.
31:28Rob Lowe:Of course, we didn't know each other then, but you're over there. And it's, I think it was just between me and you. And I didn't get it. And you did. And I was like, God darn it. I learned that when I read your book. I didn't know all that i learned that and i'm just it's interesting because as you write and your memory um you know it's it's not so much selective memory but it's the stuff that that solidifies in your mind over time and how that feels and how you felt and that you write to that so you know it'd be interesting to have that visual playback of what really played out on the day versus what you feel and take with you.
32:09But as long as it's honest, I think that's what I always reach for.
32:13Rob Lowe:And the other thing is, with a little bit of never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Oh, 100%. I'm not sure that Martin Sheen, when he would patrol the neighborhood during Halloween to keep the punks in check, I'm not sure he was actually in his Apocalypse Now clothes. But you had it painted that way. In my memory of it, he was. But for sure he was patrolling the neighborhood with a baseball bat. I'm not making up stories. I remember you telling me that story. He said, Emilio, get the ball bat. Get the ball bat! I remember you saying that. I remember hearing that story from you in the lobby of the Tulsa Excelsior, which is now like a double tree.
33:00Rob Lowe:I went and looked for it. I was in Tulsa. I did too. And I went up to the sixth floor. I did. And my room was being serviced. No. I swear to God. It was like cruise me where you were, Tommy, Dylan, down the end of the hall. I just, it was a trip. It was a trip. Can you imagine a floor of a hotel? Let's walk over. You kind of did it, but let's just marinate. Yeah, let's let it sit and simmer. Okay, so I had an adjoining room with Tommy Howell. Right. Because I had Cruz next to me. Dylan was further down the hallway. Yeah. And Emilio. Yeah. Yeah. I just don't remember vividly. I remember Cruz next to me and Dylan down the hallway.
33:46Two reasons. One, I just do. But two, with Dylan, we'd go run lines sometimes. I'd come like he'd say, you want to run these lines in this scene? And I would go down to his room and we'd run some of the lines, you know, the barbecue sandwich scene from The Outsiders. And then with Cruz, he was just right next door. And I remember the script for Risky Business coming. And him saying, I'm getting a script if they, you know, put it in my room if it comes up here. I just remember the script. It didn't say Risky Business on it. It just said, you know, it was just an envelope. So I thought, what if I took that script and just that trajectory?
34:31Rob Lowe:I remember envelopes arriving for Leif and there weren't scripts. Yes, there weren't scripts. They were kind of padded and puffy and soft. I remember thinking the coolest thing in the world that Leif had figured out a way to get to FedEx's blow to us. And it was like, but you were a good boy. You were a good Long Island boy. I was ridiculously good. You're very, very – you didn't fall down the – but we would like imbibe with Leif and then walk to the river. That was our big night. I do remember you saying – I put this in the book. I do remember you saying to me that we should get me a T-shirt that says do not disturb on it.
35:13That's right. Because I'd always have that on my door, blasting Springsteen or studying my lines. I was at that point, it was like I was so taking everything so seriously. I mean, I did have fun. I got out. You know, we had good times. We had our chase parties and all that stuff. But but I was pretty reserved and sort of arm's length from from diving to the other side of the tracks.
35:37Rob Lowe:Yeah, because there was the other side of the tracks was, ironically, Tommy Howell. Right. At 15. He's 15. That guy cut a swath through Tulsa, Oklahoma. Like a tornado. And, you know, the other thing that was amazing is the business, I don't need to tell you, has changed so much, obviously. This is a Warner Brothers studio movie by one of the most iconic directors of all time. Everybody in the world knows about it on everybody's radar. And as a 15-year-old, they would provide you with alcohol and rap every night. At times, they were a-changing. Do you remember, by the way, when you said you ran lines with Matt Dillon, I'm stunned because I feel my memory of Matt is all he did was ad lib or try to.
36:26Yes, but this is this one scene and he's mentioned this a few times. So that's the only reason I would dive into it a little bit. But that scene we shot, he had all the dialogue there.
36:40Rob Lowe:Is this the one where he's talking about getting the train to Windricksville and everything else? No, no, after that. This is when Sofia comes up. Sofia Coppola is a little 10-year-old in the drive-in, eating the barbecue sandwiches. And he's saying – That was a big audition scene for people. Right, yeah. I get you a hideout, a hangout, a hideout. You hideout anything. So that's where the ad lib came from. And then so we only shot – it might have gotten dark. I don't remember exactly. But we had to go back and finish up the scene. So at that point, I don't know if I asked or if he asked, because he always would say, you're the most professional actor I've ever worked with.
37:19Just because you want to run lines? I thought that was the deal. I thought you had to learn the lines. No, not bad. So it was a little bit of a bonding moment for us. It was Johnny and Dallas.
37:33Rob Lowe:You guys are iconic. I mean, I can't think of a more iconic pairing. It was great. I mean, it was great to experience all that stuff. But that's one of those memories, like I alluded to earlier, that sticks. You know, there are many others that just blur. The other thing that blows my mind looking back on it, and I guess it's because it was my first movie. I was super excited. We were all friends. It was a good time everywhere. but I remember being on the set during scenes I wasn't even in yeah me too I schlepped out to the church sequence which is way outside I was at the scene I have a picture from the day of the barbecued where you guys were getting the sandwich on the car where I brought my dad there we would just show up on the set even when we weren't working yeah it was camp
38:42We'll be right back.
39:04Visit Sling.com to learn more. The Beautyrest Labor Day sales event is here. Because after getting the most out of an exquisite summer, you deserve your Beautyrest. Save up to$1 ,000 off select Beautyrest black mattresses and adjustable base sets featuring pocketed coil technology for our most advanced motion separation. Limited time offer. Visit Beautyrest.com to find a retailer near you. people at their best get their beauty rest
39:38at DSW we ask the important questions like what shoes are you going to wear whether you're prepping for wedding season festival season or just planning the ultimate vacay the right shoes can make or break an RSVP so own the moment you've got big plans and we've got just the shoes at the perfect price of course get ready to get ready with designer shoe warehouse Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today and let us surprise you.
40:16Rob Lowe:Penn Badgley, what was your auditioning experience like? You got some good audition stories? Well, sure. The first one that comes to mind was a moment that I was both humiliated but also felt kind of empowered because I was like, I knew that it was like not right. Um, I went out for a, would have been these days it would be the CW. The CW still exists, right? Yeah. So, but then it was the WB. Yes. Back, um, and I was going out for a show and you know, I mean, I've been working for Warner Brothers now basically since these days, but, but, uh, but so I was going out for a show. Is it better if I named the show or not?
40:53Oh, it's always better. Okay. I'm pretty sure it was charmed. I'm pretty sure it was charmed and I'm pretty sure I was 13 or 14. I was, I was young. and I had, I think, a callback for, you know, just some, just some, just barely a role. It was just a guest star, like a kid who would have been, and Charmed was a show about witches and supernatural things, so I think I was a kid witnessing some supernatural thing, and in this moment, in the script, in the sides I'm auditioning with, the kid is meant to be saying something in disbelief, like, how? What do you mean? Something like that, you know? And I already hated that kind of television.
41:38It's not even a judgment to that. It does what it does. I had already been out for so many roles like that, that I was learning to become cynical, you know? And I really didn't want to be there, to be honest. And I really didn't like these lines that I had to say. And this moment of disbelief that I needed to have, I just could not get behind for the little 12-year-old life of me. And I gave a terrible delivery. I went like, why? Or something like that. Because, you know, it had those stutters. Or you yawned in the middle of the line. Yeah. And one of the young writers, because there was just a team flanking the casting director.
42:19It was a giant room full of people. Somebody actually laughed out loud. laughed out loud at my line reading which you know might not sound that bad but let me tell you that's a rare i mean you know like to actually laugh to scoff audibly in response to a child's line rating yes like you're an adult get your act together man and i and i was humiliated and didn't really know how to continue but had to of course and but then in my mind i was also like what the does this guy think he is? I'm a child. Yeah, so anyway, that's just one little...
42:53Rob Lowe:Yeah, I can remember having a... I was probably 12 and Fred Silverman, who was then on the cover of Time Magazine as the smartest executive in television, he resurrected, I want to say, NBC and came up with all these hits. I had an audition with him for some reason and he talked on the phone through the whole audition. I mean, he feels like he didn't talk, but he had the phone to his ear and was listening with one ear and listening. That was good times. Good times. It's the rejection of an audition is actually when you're that young, you don't realize how much it's shaping you. Yeah. How much therapy have you had over it?
43:30Because I can tell you, my therapy bills are a lot. This is not a shameless plug for my show. We don't even have to talk about my podcast. No, I want to talk about your show. But this is actually how I kind of got into it because it's about these years. It's about the middle school years. It's called Podcrushed. And, you know, and my two co-hosts have a completely different experience. They had a more, they come from actually middle school administration. So they're like their former teachers and they're professionals in that way. Didn't work in media at all until this. So, you know, this kind of magnified shame and rejection that anybody who auditions goes through, I think is like, it's essentially the feeling of being in middle school, you know.
44:12Rob Lowe:Literally any human being. Yeah. There's a part of us that's forever stuck in middle school, I think. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I actually fully agree with that. Yeah. And the more we do our show, the more that thesis seems to be proven. Yeah. I very much agree. And you know what? I think that's kind of because it's like humanity itself is going through the same process of coming of age. You know, we're going through this transition. We've never been able to see ourselves as a global people before the last, what, 100 years or so? we're going through the same the same painful coming of age it's super interesting
44:53michael cera i don't know if you ever had a version of this i was in shreveport working on a movie years ago and um i was in a restaurant and um i think super bad had just come out and the guy who was our waiter so i think the situation which i figured out later was like some of the staff recognized me oh that's the guy from super bad i was there with a friend of mine and our waiter i think hadn't seen it and he was like well you know who and they were like you go ask him if he's the guy from super bad so they enlisted him you know but he didn't hadn't seen the movie so he came over and he looked at my friend and you know and he goes hey hey aren't you you're from that movie man you're from that movie and that was such a weird situation because we were like what is happening and how do we you know just how do you yeah you
45:36Rob Lowe:How do we move past it? And the guy either has to lie. Yeah, my friend was so confused. Yeah, I am the guy. We were doing the math lie in real time. And I said to him, I think this was my attempt at breaking the ice and sort of bringing us all home, but it made it worse. But I said to him, I was like, have you seen the movie? And then because he hadn't, he got so defensive. And he started snapping at me. He was like, yeah, of course I've seen it. You know, what's your problem? And then the whole situation got so ugly and weird. And there was just no way to reel ourselves out of it. You know, we all felt terrible.
46:10Rob Lowe:Such a great movie, though. Super bad. It's it's I think super bad. I think your guys's work, the two of you, Jonah and you, or is just beyond belief. I mean, I'm not kidding when I say I really am not that I think you guys should have gotten nominated for Oscars. I'm not kidding. That's so sweet. Well, do you have a feeling like that movie is so long ago for me, and I guess you might have this with some things you worked on where you have basically no memory of the process. I mean, I think it's really sweet to hear you say that, and I can kind of take the compliment because I feel so separated from the world.
46:46I don't even know what I did or what you're even talking about, but I appreciate you saying it. But I think that it was a very conducive environment to good work because we all just felt really relaxed. I know that was going on. Like we all, I didn't feel like we were making a movie. It felt like we were all hanging out, having a good time.
47:04Rob Lowe:Well, that's what it felt like. It felt like it was like such an authentic hang. You're like, I'm hanging with these characters. Yeah. Yeah. They, yeah. I mean, and all credit, you know, for that goes to all those guys, you know, Seth and Evan and Greg Mottola. I mean, it was so relaxed. I mean, and not only that, we felt so supported. Like I would be hanging out, you know, during scenes that I wasn't in hanging out at the monitors and, you know, and I was like my first feature film really. But I felt, you know, by like a week in, I felt comfortable enough to like make suggestions, you know, and make pitches to like scenes I wasn't in.
47:37I mean, at first I kind of did it like dipping a toe, like, is this even allowed? And it was so embraced, you know, they would laugh and they'd be like, oh, yeah, let's do that. It was just so embracing and encouraging of an environment. You know, it was very magical like that. And it's funny because their process, Evan and Seth, the way they make movies is so, I don't want to say it's on the fly because the scripts are always really great.
47:58Rob Lowe:But when you're on the set, they pitch wildly all the time, yelling stuff out. Yeah. Total curveballs. Just like, trailer! Yeah. You're like, okay. I did a little thing for them in a movie called The Interview. Yeah. And I was just blown away with how - It's a crazy movie. It's insane. And the fallout of that movie. Dude, it almost brought the country to war. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's a fascinating story, that whole situation. So the interview, for those of you who may have forgotten or didn't see it, was Franco and Seth Rogen playing hack journalists, basically, that go to interview Kim Jong-un of North Korea.
48:39Rob Lowe:But this is pre-North Korea really getting in the news, saber rattling, yeah. And the North Koreans were angry. They hacked the studios. They cyber attacked the studio. It was literally an international incident. Yeah. This stupid little funny comedy. That was crazy. And by the time, and it happened before the movie had come out, unfortunately. So by the time it came out, the notion that it was even a movie nobody cared about. It was all about the - It was the story. The drama and the intrigue. And I can remember being on the, there was some premiere we did somewhere. And I remember Seth had to travel with an armed guard.
49:18Rob Lowe:Sure. Yeah. You don't want to get the smear. You don't want to get the smear. The poisonous smear across your cheek that makes you die in five minutes. The poisonous smear. That's right. They do that in the other – Yeah. But that was going on. It was a real thing. It's pretty scary. And of all people in the world, Seth, really? I mean like the most harmless human you could ever come across. It was so crazy that they were at the center of all that. That must have been a fascinating movie to be a part of when it was coming out because – Well, did it eventually? Because basically, like Kim Jong-un was saying that if it played in theaters here, that was like an act of war, right?
49:56He was going to consider that, right? Yes. It shouldn't even be shown in theaters. Yes.
50:01Rob Lowe:And was it? Or was it not? It was to my recollection, but it was, again, this is one of the things that like my memory of it is so foggy and it's all so insane that I don't remember what's true and not true because all of it sounds like it's a made up story. I know. It's so insane. You can't believe that it happened. Just circling back to Arrested, that cast, what was the vibe like on that show? You're so young, though. You don't really know. You're like 13. Yeah, my perception of it and my experience of it was loving the cast, loving the atmosphere, and being so excited to be on the show, so proud of the show.
50:43and me and Alia who played my cousin we were the two youngsters on the set you know how it is when you're a child actor you kind of have to zip off to do your school work in between scenes it's a lot of work but the real bummer for us was like there's such a hang going on all the guys were all chain smoking and hanging out at the trailer and laughing and we got to sneak in where we could but it was sort of out of reach in a way because we had to go to our you know schooling and she and i had each other and we're like best friends to this day so we had each other and but and we did get to like hang with the guys and they i mean at least when we were shooting you know and they were always um they never censored themselves i mean they were it was very much like big brother vibe really encouraging you know everybody was always really really encouraging with us but really it was a tough like room to hold your own in just in terms of just, just even if you ever ventured to like, maybe try and say something funny about these guys or something, it took a lot of nerve because they're performing at such a high level and such a rate.
51:51It just makes your head spin. You know, you're just taking everything in just, we just basically would watch them and laugh all the time. You know, it was just a lot of laughing. You've been listening to literally with Rob Lowe produced by me, Sean Doherty with help from a, Associate Producer Sean Calvano. Research by Jeff Fox. Engineering and Mixing by Joanna Samuel. Our Executive Producers are Rob Lowe for Low Profile and Nick Liao, Adam Sachs, and Jeff Ross for Team Coco. Booking by Catherine Cook. Music by Devin Bryant. Special thanks to Hidden City Studios. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on Literally.
52:58We'll be right back. SimpliSafe Active Guard outdoor protection plan starting at$49.99 a month. Visit SimpliSafe.com slash licenses for alarm license information. Tennessee 2012. Hey everybody, this is Paul Scheer and I host the comedy podcast, How Did This Get Made? along with June Diane Rayfield and Jason Manzoukas. And every week we break down the best bad movies or sometimes movies that were simply misunderstood or overlooked. And our latest episode is on an overlooked cult classic. I'm talking about the 1985 Legend of Billie Jean starring Helen Slater and Christian Slater. No, they are not related.
53:28It is one of our most fun and divisive shows in a very long time. I'm Team Belt Dad. So if you don't know what that means and that's intriguing, well, why don't you listen to How Did This Get Made wherever you get your podcasts? And if you like our Legend of Billie Jean episode, which is a little bit of an outlier anyway, we have hundreds of episodes on movies that you love or love to hate. Listen to How Did This Get Made wherever podcasts are heard.
From the publisher
This week, we're looking back at our youth. Rob has curated some of his favorite conversations about youthful antics from the seven years of Literally! for this special episode. This episode features moments from interviews with Jo Koy, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Chernin brothers, Ralph Macchio, Penn Badgley, and Michael Cera.
Make sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube at YouTube.com/@LiterallyWithRobLowe! Got a question for Rob? Call our voicemail at 323-570-4551. Your question could get featured on the show!
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
