Big Weird Swings with Skyler Gisondo & Austin Abrams

9:04Skyler Gisondo:make enough money where i was able to like sustain on my own nice yeah did you have influences growing up for you like like i don't know if we've ever talked about that influences it's a good question

9:14Austin Abrams:i i i don't know i like i loved there were certain movies i would watch over and over um i loved like

9:20Skyler Gisondo:as a kid for west side story yeah and for some happy gilmore like there were certain movies i was just i would fixate on but but influences um i don't know man um i loved the machinery of set

9:35Austin Abrams:Like I love being around like, you know, cause as a kid on set you work and then when you're not working, you go, you have to do school. So you have like a studio teacher. So there was like this mystical quality to a set of, I was like, I wonder what happens in between takes when I have to go away. Like all the, what are they talking about? What are they doing? Like they're setting up the next show. I just loved like all the pieces moving around. And I was so, I guess like in a round of chance, I don't know, I was so influenced by just like pretty much every adult I worked with. Like I was like, I wanted to be an adult world so bad.

10:06Austin Abrams:I wanted them, I wanted to know what they were thinking about. And it was funny to go back and forth between kid world and adult world.

10:12Skyler Gisondo:Cause like the, the social currency didn't transfer, you know, like if you're 10 and adults, like, wow, you're so you're precocious.

10:19Austin Abrams:Or like you, you read at like a ninth grade level, you're in seventh grade. That doesn't make you cool.

10:23Skyler Gisondo:You know, with a kid there, that doesn't really do much for you, but influences, uh, I don't know.

10:28Austin Abrams:Did you do with, were there big, like early, uh.

10:31Skyler Gisondo:I mean, there's something like Heath Ledger or something, you know? Oh, sure, yeah. The work he was doing was, that was, you know, pretty wild. Because we were kind of at that age where, like, when we saw The Dark Knight, it was, like, wild to me. Just, like, watching this guy and be like, oh, my God, that's him?

10:49Austin Abrams:I can't believe that's him.

10:50Skyler Gisondo:You know? Yeah, that just, like, really blew me away, you know? No, it's, like, blew a lot of fucking kids away, that movie. Yeah, no, totally, totally. Yeah, just like him and that was just so, so wild. And then seeing like Daniel Day-Lewis and There Will Be Blood and being like, oh, my God, I know you could do that either. That's crazy. Sure, dude.

11:11Austin Abrams:Yeah. It's funny. I watched perform. I always was more like influenced by more like, I guess, every man, like more like you're talking about actors who are like of which I think you are. It's interesting to hear you say those two because and I'm not the first person to say this, but I think most actors like more or less, we play different versions of ourselves. like you know roll to roll and like the costume helps and the hair and the makeup yeah but then there's there's very few who like legitimately like shape shift and i think you are that kind of that you have you like when i watch you like you you really disappear to me and so that makes sense to hear that you were like inspired by performances like that from actors who who do that um because i would watch those kinds of performances and like i wouldn't even like they couldn't it was just so beyond me i was like oh i'm not that kind of like it was it was it was like Like, you know, I was awestruck, but I wasn't like, yeah, that's what, because I was like, I have no, I don't even understand what they're doing.

12:05Austin Abrams:Like, I don't know how that works. How do you, like, who would even think of, but so I was like, I, you know, I, I, I think I liked, I responded more to more like grounded sort of down the middle stuff. Yeah. If that makes sense.

12:21Skyler Gisondo:Well, how was, how was your work with, with Pattinson in primetime? Because he's like, you know.

12:28Austin Abrams:Yeah, Rob is like the ultimate, dude, he's, you know, that was like, he is someone to me who is unrecognizable, you know, role to role and like down to like every mannerism is invented. Like everything is like, I remember the first scene that we did. You know, when you like read a scene and in your head, you kind of like, there's only so many ways it can go. And you're like, I think I have a sense of like what this is and how he's going to do his part and I'll do my part. And like, I was sure like the first day, like 6 a.m. or whatever. And I was so nervous. You know, Rob and I hadn't like spoken a ton.

13:00Austin Abrams:And I was also so nervous because the role is like it was so unlike anything I had done. So I was like, you know, really like locked in. And the scene is later in the movie. And I'm, you know, in full decoy mode calling like a predator in a police room with a ton of cops around. And they're like they're the call they're listening in. And like they're trying to get incriminating evidence so we can like move in on this guy. and I'm supposed to be on the phone talking and at some point Rob is supposed to like come over and start mouthing the word cock. Basically like the point being like get him to start talking about something incriminating that we can use.

13:36Austin Abrams:And so like in my head, I just figured like he's gonna at some point be like cock. Like say, you know what I'm saying? And so like I'm doing it and I'm kind of looking down and it's like kind of emotional and like he doesn't say his line, like he gets to the part and he doesn't say it. So I'm like just kind of vamping and I'm not like, I'm just so nervous. I'm like having this out of body experience and then finally like - Your first day too. The first day, first take,

13:58Skyler Gisondo:first scene, you know?

13:59Austin Abrams:And like finally, there was like a noise and everyone looks up and like Rob is like across the room and he looks like really kind of like messed up and he like slowly makes his way over and he just looks like he looks like,

14:11Skyler Gisondo:he looks crazy, dude.

14:14Austin Abrams:And then he does this thing where he like snaps his hand in the air and he like slowly points down at my groin and it's like, Like he can hardly get the words out. And he's like, there's like sweating. And dude, I remember like, dude, I was just never been in a moment like that where it's just electrified. Like, I guess he had made this choice unbeknownst to, you know, everyone that it was like this almost like vampiric thing. Maybe we're like this guy gets his life force from taking down these dudes. And like when he feels far away from it, he's like just getting, you know, he's like disassociating.

14:47Austin Abrams:And then as he gets closer, he's so worked out. that he doesn't need. And it was just so unexpected and intran dynamic. And like, I just remember thinking like, I would never like what actor, like who would think too. And it was just, that was just sort of like every day, like he, the decisions he made, he was able to move in and out of things so quickly. Like he wasn't one of those people who like walks around with a dark cloud over his head. Like, I mean, he was so like effortless for him to find new things, try new things, like try something and throw it away. And everything was like the most incredible acting I've ever seen.

15:17Austin Abrams:yeah and then uh it was it seemed so effortless for him yeah which i you know i know it's not but um yeah dude it was so inspiring to work did you feel like it was like through the rest of uh working like did you feel like what was it like that where he kept surprising you and other things too or yeah i'm curious how you feel about i get nervous to like try too many things i kind of like have a sense of what i want to do and to feel so free to just like do some you know and not know if you're going to fall flat on your face. And I was so like to see him so willing to just like go for it. Yeah.

15:51Austin Abrams:It made me want to like loosen up. It was like this very formative experience in that way where I was like, oh, dude, you gotta like, do you find yourself like, do you find yourself like bouncing off the walls and try kind of like seeing what sticks or like you, are you kind of like.

16:04Skyler Gisondo:Kind of, kind of, kind of both. Definitely, definitely both. I mean, it can be like having an idea of what you want to do, but then so much of it depends on like the moment and what's actually happening like in the scene and like what you're what the people you're working with need um and it also depends on the director you know like uh working with like uh kreger he's like he really enjoys like shaping uh the scene you know so we kind of like come in and and it's a lot of i feel like it'd be a lot of like shaping it. And then once it would be shaped, then it would be like kind of letting it go and then doing whatever you want it to do, you know, and kind of like whatever your instincts told you to do.

16:56Skyler Gisondo:I mean, your instincts are still coming when you're shaping it, but I'm kind of going like more off the wall with it. Yeah. So it depends. It depends.

17:05Austin Abrams:I dude, I just, I don't know if i told you but i they just showed me 20 minutes of resident evil yesterday and uh dude i was so floored it's so funny and scary and you're so good in it you're such a movie star in it dude i was beaming like a maniac watching you i was so i was like just like gleeful dude and i they they it was like very top secret seeing the movie so they brought me to like a screening room yeah and like they like shut this heavy ass door and like like it like locked or something so i was just alone dude and there was like i think like 12 rows of seats in my first incident i went to the front row in the middle seat dude like eight minutes in i moved to the back i was so dude i was so and like just on a primal level i was like i need a i need my back against a wall dude like this so i moved to the back of the theater and i was just alone terrified dude and also um just so thrilled for you man this is such a big movie it's such a big deal how uh how was like did you guys go right into it after weapons which we got to talk about weapon did you did you guys just go

18:08Skyler Gisondo:right um i mean did we uh well what do you mean like did he start talking to you about it on the set he's like i have this thing well no i mean i remember him mentioning it um but he didn't i think it wasn't it wasn't like fully real yet i also don't know if he fully wanted me to do it yet um So it didn't come up until until I don't think the beginning of 25 or something. And he was and he was talking to me about it about it. Well, first, he wanted me to read the script and he said something like take a look at the role of Brian. But I just kind of thought like he wants me to like maybe he wants some notes or something like I did.

18:50Skyler Gisondo:I just didn't assume that he would. He wants you to punch it up. Yeah. he wanted some thoughts and then when he was like uh i was like dude this is awesome he was like oh do you want to do it i was like uh yeah i mean yeah and i was like who would uh like direct it and he was like i would and i was like oh okay like i think he's such like he's such a high bar in my mind that i just didn't expect that he would i don't even though we just worked together I didn't like assume that he would want me to do it with him. Um, yeah, yeah. But it was wild with, well, I, so I saw primetime too, not just the first 20 minutes.

19:34Skyler Gisondo:I actually stayed for the whole thing.

19:36Austin Abrams:Yeah, no, I, you were good and don't get me wrong. It's just, there's a lot going on. You've got a lot to do. I started watching Mad Men recently for the first time. I was like, I could just go home and watch Mad Men.

19:46Skyler Gisondo:You started watching on your phone a little bit. I was on the, I backgammon on the phone.

19:51Austin Abrams:was no dude they were so top secret they're like we'll give you 20 minutes and i showed up i was dude this is probably not gonna be in the pot i was two minutes late two minutes okay 3 30 showed up at 3 32 and this woman who was controlling it she was like she goes a lot of traffic or

20:05Skyler Gisondo:i was like two minutes we're in the grace period and i was like no she's like oh what parking was

20:11Austin Abrams:it parking trouble and i was like no she was mad everybody's mad the whole thing all of this to say they can tell yeah they got a big movie on their hands dude and they're they're keeping a tight ship but no it was just the opening sequence through probably shouldn't say out dude well

20:26Skyler Gisondo:primetime was amazing and you were amazing in it thanks man i thought you were really incredible in it and that like moment when you like turn into him it was so good dude i was like going crazy like in the future about it um but what was your like how did they do like how did they talk to you about that or approach you about because i remember when you first told me about it i was

20:52Austin Abrams:like this sounds wild well i mean the whole movie man it truly this was like the most formative uh professional experience in my life and like and just personally too it was the most uh lance oppenheim who you know he loves you i think you know lance a little bit no man not personally well huge fan of yours dude lance is our age and so which is so crazy to me he's such dude he is a master like a total master and a joan who wrote it is like our age and everybody on set was like young but i remember getting sent the script and um my agent was like you know lance really like likes you for this and i read it and i was like dude like i i'm i'm never considered for the like i'm not the and lance and i got on zoom and the zoom was just like me almost trying to talk him

21:36Skyler Gisondo:out of it i was like are you sure you got the right guy man because like the script was so unlike

21:40Austin Abrams:anything i had read and it was dark and it was strange and like lance had this vision and i'd watched some kind of heaven and sperm world and ren fair and i was just this enormous fan of his and david boland who shot it another young guy who's like a just such a an artist and um yeah so it was really like a lot of discovery i felt this like you know going into it it was just like never done anything like this you know i don't really know how to go about doing something like this so yeah really yeah what way uh it was such a character and he was like this like deeply troubled and like you know there's this darkness to him and like i just feel like i up until that point had like sort of been thought of in a different way like these kinds of filmmakers and that kind of movie i think there was just like a different list of actors they usually do you know what i mean like yeah i but but i mean i don't really feel that way about you but thanks man yeah thanks buddy yeah um but i i for what for whatever reason i had it in my head like i don't even know if i could like there was things on the call sheet where i was like i don't know if i can do that like i don't know how this is gonna go sure but then just like like um that scene was one of the like the the scene where i i turned kind of i try i try yeah and what's funny is how you do it thanks dude it's great what's funny is i don't know if you've had this experience where doing it it seems so obvious but going into it literally five minutes before it occurred to me like oh i should try to be sounding like you didn't him too like i right like because i and so i rob was thankfully on set and i flagged him down i was like rob can you do like can you read all of these lines for me and because i want to try to sound like you and he was like that's great that's great i mean like so he was reading the lines for me and um i was able to like try to you know mirror his his voice yeah and that actor matt was so great in that scene but yeah dude you

23:24Skyler Gisondo:You did it perfectly. Thanks, man. Yeah.

23:26Austin Abrams:It was also helpful too. It was so like Lance was so, I'm curious like working if it's the same with Craig or like Lance was so collaborative. We're like, I know some directors are kind of like, you know, you're the actor. Don't worry about it. I'm the director. Like, do you do your thing? I'll do my thing. Lance and Bolin, his DP were always like showing me, you know, it was always like, come look at the monitor, come look at the frame, get a sense of what you look like in it. And which makes sense to me because I feel like filmmaking, it's kind of a magic trick. It's like this very technical thing where sometimes what you're doing may feel a certain way, but look very different depending on like how big or small you are.

24:01Austin Abrams:And just like, you know, the temperature of the light and like whatever else, you know? And so it felt like we were like these kids making a movie together. It was so collaborative. It was so inclusive. With like watching any of Craig's movies and especially Resident Evil, like it seems so immaculate. Like there's such a precision in his filmmaking. Like, does it how how like what is the back and forth like with you guys? How much like are you guys like dialoguing about everything or are you just kind of showing up ready to rock?

24:31Skyler Gisondo:I mean, yeah, I mean, yeah, he is. He is very precise, but he also is like to me, from my experience, like very collaborative, you know, and like always, always was once the best idea, you know. but he really has such good taste and can like feel when something's working or not, you know, and especially like working in his world, you know, because it's his vision and he has a strong vision. But he's, you know, he's really collaborative. And like, I mean, I just try to throw out just as many ideas as I possibly can. And just have him either say like yes or no to it, you know, because I know that he'll be able to decipher like, OK, this is that's a helpful one.

25:26Skyler Gisondo:You know, that that we don't need that, you know. Do you like do you feel like do you do that where it's kind of like because sometimes also you don't know. Do you ever feel that way where it's like you feel like this is a good idea? Yeah, yeah. I think I feel like it is. I'm going to throw it out there. but maybe you know what actually no that that's that's terrible i yeah dude i never know you know

25:47Austin Abrams:you ever have where like you do know you're like i feel this is like yeah this is gonna knock they're gonna love wait till they get a hold of this and then you do it and like they come in there you

25:55Skyler Gisondo:come to these kind of like yeah no it's something's not really work i don't think and you're like oh

26:01Austin Abrams:man i thought that that was the i really thought i had so i was onto something um no dude i feel like i never know and i really love like i love that directness like that when when you can have like I think part one of the gift of working with Lance like he was just so like always always talking and like so wanted you to feel like really seen and hurt and like sometimes working with older directors I'm too like nerd like I'm always like oh they're like I'm not gonna bother them you know there's this there's this level of deference where you're like they're probably thinking about a hundred thousand other things so you can kind of feel like you're on an island sometimes where you're like I don't want to go be like hey is it good like do you want me to do anything different and like you're just kind of trying to do your thing um but yeah with lance there was like this constant uh dialogue and uh i felt like i always knew like right where i was

26:50Skyler Gisondo:in in the movie were you watching to catch a predator during it yeah yeah because that's dark i mean what did you watch it when it was on yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah re-watching all of it it is

27:01Austin Abrams:dude um it's about as dark as it gets it's so dark it's so dark and that's why i didn't know what to I was really surprised by how funny the movie. I don't know if you found it funny in time.

27:10Skyler Gisondo:Oh, it's so funny.

27:11Austin Abrams:But it makes sense to me. I mean, looking back, yeah, this weird, the juxtaposition of how dark this thing is, trying to prosecute these guys who are doing this awful thing. But then the show itself, looking back at it, is so insane. It's wild. The staged houses and Hanson with these epic one-liners and it's so deeply entertaining. Yeah. And just sort of like... tonally all over the place and i think that's kind of what they were trying to part of what they were trying to zero in on i want to uh i wanted to ask you because we jumped right into

27:45Skyler Gisondo:resident evil i do want to ask you about weapons too because speaking of uh dude speaking of

27:50Austin Abrams:disappearing into into characters dude you're so good in that movie it's so great i just re-watched it in preparation of our of our meet and greet here how much of that was like on the page and And how much are like – because you're so – you're off the rails in that movie in like the most wonderful way. It's like so specific and like did you – do you look at – coming up with a character like that, do you look at the page and you're like, I got it? Or are you like sort of showing up and like – are you putting on the hair and the makeup and you're sort of like figuring it out?

28:23Skyler Gisondo:I mean, those those guys that are like living those lives, there's so many different types of of those kinds of guys, you know, and there are so many different like stages to how unwell is this person doing right now? you know and even like this week you know has this person like not slept for a week or so you know so they're going crazy and going into like a psychosis were they just sleeping for like you know two weeks and now they're like just coming to get back at it how long have they been doing this like so no at first that there wasn't any sort of because it just felt like there's a million ways that like you can you can go with this um and a lot of it was kind of uh just like instinctual kind of figuring it out of like what was what felt right um and what felt the most fun to do yeah i feel like it was like kind of mostly just feeling it out you know and then feeling it out with zach yeah i remember him and i talking where it's like you kind of you you you want to feel like this person can like come back from this a little bit you know you don't want to feel like they're like too far gone um so i remember that was like an important aspect to it it's so you're

29:38Austin Abrams:so it could it could have like veered into like your what you're like it's this tightrope thing where like it's so it's such a big swing but it's also like so grounded and human and like you always care so you know so so much about you and the character and yeah dude it's um it is so fun that is such an awesome you got a lot cooking dude i just watched the trailer for whale fall before i came in here and is what i'm amazed that it was you were telling me it's a real whale that you guys were able to train or it's some kind of and whale fall were you going to tell me that oh I thought you were telling me

30:15Skyler Gisondo:no

30:16Austin Abrams:I was like man this whale is amazing like Abrams is good in this

30:20Skyler Gisondo:but this whale not a whale

30:25Austin Abrams:now I'm less interested I'm currently a little bit less interested in a movie

30:30Skyler Gisondo:I wish it was a full did I say that to you?

30:33Austin Abrams:I thought you did so all CGI

30:35Skyler Gisondo:okay well there was a

30:37Austin Abrams:completely fake there was a real

30:42Skyler Gisondo:whale like head made so it wasn't a real whale but it was a real head of a head of a whale a decapitated fake whale

30:55Austin Abrams:a built whale head that you were inside

30:59Skyler Gisondo:touchable

31:00Austin Abrams:like completely practical like on camera looks like And is that what you were inside?

31:11Austin Abrams:You're in the whale? Because the trailer, it's like, he's going in there.

31:16Skyler Gisondo:Well, we built that. So then in the scene where it's like, yeah, I am going into it. Like there was actually like that to shoot, you know, and like shooting like the outside of it. There was like that to shoot. And then they built stomachs.

31:31Austin Abrams:um yeah a bunch of different stomachs whoa dude yeah that speaking of auditioning against each other i remember i just think i remember getting sent that audition and i know i can't think of another time in my life i've done this but i looked at it and i literally said to my my agent i was like oh i can't do i can't do it i can't do that he's like what do you mean i was like like dude i i don't have the tools to like if i put this audition on tape it'll be so bad that you guys will like reconsider representing me like it's gonna i remember saying like it's gonna take such a special kind of actor to do something like this it's so intense and specific and like and of course it's well i mean i don't i mean i remember feeling the same way

32:14Skyler Gisondo:personally i was like i don't know how i'm gonna do this had it been me i would have probably

32:21Austin Abrams:insisted on the way the real whale but that's just the way that i work you know you did what

32:26Skyler Gisondo:No, you wouldn't have done it if it wasn't the real deal.

32:29Austin Abrams:I think they had offered it to me. Is it a real will?

32:32Skyler Gisondo:Yeah.

32:33Austin Abrams:How was – because you're alone a lot, I imagine. Yeah. How was that?

32:39Skyler Gisondo:It's challenging. Yeah, it's challenging. Yeah. That's probably one of the most challenging things of – because doing stuff that you just don't know how you're going to do it every day and coming in and there's not a, you know, like a scene partner to work with, you know, and you're just kind of coming up with it all your own was, yeah, was challenging.

33:06Austin Abrams:I can't imagine, dude. Yeah. Yeah, because so much of, like, it's like I feel when you're doing a scene with someone else, you can always just, like, look at them and, you know, kind of go off their vibe.

33:16Skyler Gisondo:Well, so you're going to be working with, like, a animatronic goblin.

33:22Austin Abrams:Yeah, yeah. This could be like the coolest thing I've done or it could just be the end of the road professionally. It could really be. Of course. It could be so. No, dude, I really. The script, David Mickelson, who wrote it, it's batshit crazy. It's just like the weirdest thing I've ever read. And it's about my father comes to me one day to tell me that our family's been in possession of like a medieval Italian goblin for a thousand years. And the goblin makes all of our dreams come true as long as we fulfill one request a day for the goblin. And it's now my responsibility. And Kenneth Branagh is the voice of the goblin.

33:57Austin Abrams:And I don't know how much I can say about it now, but I'm really excited by the idea of like just going out on a limb. And the puppet, it's like completely practical. It requires like something like 12 puppeteers simultaneously at times.

34:13Skyler Gisondo:so is that a thing where it's uh all gonna have to be kind of like planned out or kid like i think

34:20Austin Abrams:so can you improvise with them i think i i think my understanding is yes because they they can just kind of like rock with you and then the voice can happen later these 12 people there's kind of synced up these i yeah like i think depending on the scene and what's required at the time it might only they he might need fewer puppeteers or more depending on like the physicality in that moment yeah um but i'm really really stoked and i think i i've every time i read the script again over the past several months like i i get more excited about it i laugh even harder as i really

34:52Skyler Gisondo:start to think through which is a really good sign were there people over the years who you

34:57Austin Abrams:work with where it was like a very formative experience for you were you you feel like you learned a ton in a short time from somebody i mean i remember working with ryan gosling that

35:05Skyler Gisondo:That was like the first person I worked with, you know, that was like, this is a goddamn movie star, you know.

35:14Austin Abrams:I'm sure. What did you guys work together on? I did this.

35:17Skyler Gisondo:It's more so I don't know if I'd say like we really worked together. I kind of came in. I shined his shoes for a little. I did this movie Gangster Squad and I like shined his shoes a little bit. Yeah, yeah.

35:27Austin Abrams:How old were you? I think I was like 15 or something, 14 or something like that. What a cool song. That's awesome.

35:34Skyler Gisondo:Yeah, but that was wild. but he was just such a welcoming guy. And throwing out ideas was way too sweet than he needed to be to me. That's awesome. I think I worked maybe four days or something like that. But he was really, really lovely.

35:57Austin Abrams:And at 15, I mean, that four days is a lifetime. What a big experience that can feel like.

36:02Skyler Gisondo:Yeah, it was wild. and, like, kind of, like, throwing out, like, little lessons and stuff. Like, I remember him, I think we had finished for lunch or something like that and said something like, he's got to go do the real job now and then went across the street and signed autographs. I was like, wow. It was so cool that he, like, just took the time to, like, say something like that to me, you know?

36:32Austin Abrams:It's funny. So for you to have been exposed to that, because I've seen you so often, people are like, Austin, Austin. And you'll say like, don't talk to me.

36:39Skyler Gisondo:Get away from me. Or you'll yell, you'll raise your voice. So it surprised me that you were exposed to that. But I didn't take the, you don't always have to take the lessons that you're given.

36:50Austin Abrams:Right. Yeah.

36:50Skyler Gisondo:To just like, to see that and be like, wow, that's a great, great person. A really, really great guy.

36:56Austin Abrams:I saw you kick a kid in the shins once.

36:58Skyler Gisondo:A little bit. Yeah. But he just came from soccer, so he had some padding on. He did have the padding. The padding.

37:03Austin Abrams:So it's, you know, he was fine.

37:05Skyler Gisondo:He liked it. I don't get it. What's your deal? Well, like, also influences, because we both worked with Stiller. Yeah, dude. And now you've worked with him twice. Yeah. Another movie I auditioned for, I wanted that so bad. Well, Night in the Museum was the one that I wanted. So I was thinking like, no, you do.

37:25Austin Abrams:I was thinking like, oh, yeah, we just did, you know, this will be great.

37:29Skyler Gisondo:What was it like coming back and working with him again? Again, like as his son again.

37:33Austin Abrams:It was, dude, it was awesome because I was 17 and I did the museum at three. And it was. What was that like? Dude, such a big, at that, it was this huge movie, you know, like we filmed in London and New York and Vancouver for like four months. And it. Sorry, I'm just, I'm just imagining it as you're saying. Let me take you on a journey. and you know at 17 dude to be on this like a movie of that size and like

37:59Skyler Gisondo:I auditioned for that too so I'm just trying to get the feeling of what it was like what was Robin Williams like wait tell me tell me it was

38:07Austin Abrams:and Robin man like you know yeah yeah

38:10Skyler Gisondo:tell me

38:13Austin Abrams:it was such a dude it was it was it was a dream it was like this I miss basically like most of my senior year of high school you know doing this movie and it was like this did you watch them

38:23Skyler Gisondo:growing up Yes, of course.

38:26Austin Abrams:I had this. You know, it's funny. I auditioned for the first one, but there was this other kid. I remember there was a scene. I distinctly remember having to cry. For his son?

38:34Skyler Gisondo:To play Ben's son in the first movie. Oh, whoa.

38:36Austin Abrams:And there was a scene in the sides when I was eight for the first audition where I had to cry.

38:41Skyler Gisondo:Yeah.

38:41Austin Abrams:And I couldn't. I would do that thing kids do where I would just kind of like, I kind of still do that and hope I cry to be honest. But I would just like pray to God that something happens. And I just closed my eyes. I was like, wait. With Furley's eyebrows. Yeah, please. Something. And I was like, I'm not, this is, I'm not going to get it. And then 10 years later, they, I don't know what happened, but they wanted to shake it up and like bring someone else in. And so I auditioned again, like 10 years later at 17 and I got it. And, and I learned, Ben, it was like this masterclass of like, I'm sure you've seen, it was the third movie in a big franchise.

39:11Austin Abrams:And Ben, I feel like he'll, you know, he has certain movies where he takes these big swings and does these super broad, crazy characters. And then he'll also be more of like an everyman. And at the museum, he's more of an everyman kind of guy. And like he could have it could have just been like a straightforward performance. And it's like the third movie. But he like he was such a perfectionist. He was so precise. Like he like watching this guy work so hard and so methodically was like I was floored. And I remember it really like lit a fire under me of like, oh, that's what it means to be Ben to be like at that level.

39:48Austin Abrams:Like it doesn't just happen. And you have to. And so I truly took a lot away from that. And he was so good to me. I like, I, he and Robin helped me make a video asking my girlfriend of the time to prom. Oh, I think I heard about this. Yeah. And like, I wrote like a -

40:02Skyler Gisondo:I think he told me about her.

40:03Austin Abrams:Did he tell you about her? So I wrote like a one page skit that would have made for like a 20 second video or something. And I was like, can we do it real quick? And Ben was like, oh no, let's get her. And he got the cinematographer and they like lit it up. And Robin and Ben, once the camera started rolling, like they just were, you know, they were doing their thing. and it ended up being this like three or four minute long video. And then that was just sort of like the whole experience. It was a magic carpet ride. She said yes?

40:27Skyler Gisondo:She said yes. That was so tough. She said no. She said no. Yeah. The next day I'd set everybody. Didn't do it for her.

40:33Austin Abrams:Yeah. No, yeah, she wasn't into it. Yeah. The other guy got Benicio Del Toro to make his video and she likes him more, I guess.

40:41Skyler Gisondo:She's a big fan. She's loathing Las Vegas. She really loves it.

40:45Austin Abrams:And then to work with Ben again 10 years later, Dude, it was like, it was, you know, it had been such a formative experience. I'd learned so much and then to get to do it again, sort of, and as an adult and really get to talk and like get on a level and like see him still working just as like, you know, just the discipline and like, yeah, it was, it was awesome. Had you guys stayed in contact? Like we like texted here and there and like, you know, he had for prom, he had like, as

41:15Skyler Gisondo:a surprise gotten me and my friends a limo like for prom like little things like that just him

41:20Austin Abrams:being really cool and like supportive and um how was are we like 19 for brad status or 20 yeah

41:26Skyler Gisondo:maybe 20 or something how was that it was that was great and it was such a i mean that was like such a great um script too um that i've i was just i couldn't believe you know i don't know if you ever feel this when you're like working with those kind of guys that you've like grown up watching but i'm just like i can't believe i'm i'm like talking to this person talking to him

41:51Austin Abrams:right now a hero yeah you know totally it's like do you feel that way big time sometimes in the middle of scenes which is really bad yeah yeah i'm like me and ben stiller man look at this yeah yeah what a trip together like wow we're getting along so good actors probably don't think that

42:07Skyler Gisondo:But he was awesome. He was great and, like, really cared about the work. And, like, just another one of those guys that was, like, really welcoming. And, like, I remember us doing a road trip together. I forget where we drove from, but it was, like, a proper road trip.

42:26Austin Abrams:Wow.

42:27Skyler Gisondo:To just kind of, like, get acquainted with each other, you know?

42:31Austin Abrams:Wow.

42:31Skyler Gisondo:um and uh yeah so like really giving because he did not need to do that at all you know and kind of goes to what you were talking about of like really caring about the work um totally but uh totally yeah i just i did yeah i loved him yeah i just thought like wow so wow that you went and worked with him again on something else yeah as his son yeah you know what was denaro like

42:56Austin Abrams:dude that speaking of working with people where you're like every second it's just like cannot believe i'm like breathing the same air as you dude it was so cool and it was so inspiring because here's robert de niro on this movie like uh john hamburg our director who and again another person

43:12Skyler Gisondo:i'm just such a huge fan of would come in with a note or something and and bob everyone calls robert de niro bob bob would like you do now include would included me which i think when you say bob i won't i'll understand who you're talking about he he did like he would like hop

43:28Austin Abrams:too he was so like excited about the work and eager and like open to like and and we would do takes where like sometimes you know i don't i don't know if you like to do this but i'll like reset myself if it's a joke or a little thing like just take a run it's something if it's a quick thing and like one time i reset myself and then bob was like oh good do you want and he was off camera and which is you know like he doesn't have to be there but he's like off camera and he's like that's good you want to go again you want to keep i'll keep and like he was just oh he's so excited And I had all of these completely out of body moments of just like, I cannot believe this guy.

44:02Austin Abrams:And yeah, so approachable, like, like lovely to talk to. I remember it was a big hurdle for me going from calling him. I would call him Mr. De Niro when I met him. Sure. Because I wouldn't dream of calling him anything else. That'd be ridiculous. But everybody is calling him Bob or Bobby, you know. And so I was like, hey, Mr. De Niro, you know, like pleasure to meet you. like yeah right and and so the like the first week of work is going by he's playing my grandpa we're supposed to be like you know familial and close and i keep calling him mr de niro so i made a game plan like friday going into the weekend end of the day yeah i'm just gonna go for the first

44:38Skyler Gisondo:bomb oh so you had you had a time and a place and everything and if it does if it goes poorly at least we're going into the weekend yeah yeah he'll forget about it he'll forget right he'll yeah we

44:45Austin Abrams:can start fresh start once again exactly and so i go we had like everyone's hugging he always hugs

44:51Skyler Gisondo:people and we're hugging i was like all right we're doing our hug we're doing our hug i was like

44:55Austin Abrams:thanks for a great week bob i was like that and i could be reading too much into it but i i think he gave me like a little knowing smile i could see a glimmer in his eye of like that's time and i was so stoked i got him i was like i called mr denier i called him bob yeah have there been other people from ben who you had a similar kind of deniero level like i mean you revered them so much that you're like how am I gonna talk to this person or work with this person

45:22Skyler Gisondo:I mean definitely like with Pitt and Clooney and you know that'll do it yeah that was holy shit yeah yeah then to be working with both of them at the same time was pretty you know it was it was like it was pretty overwhelming

45:38Austin Abrams:yeah dude yeah

45:39Skyler Gisondo:you know because those were guys that I just I just loved still and loved growing up you know that was like And so then the thought of like actually working with them was insane. I couldn't believe it. And then you're working with them and like – because you're going to be working with each other for a while, like they want to be friends. They want this to go well and they're just friendly guys in general. But like to be just in the same room with them when they're like being just friendly to you and trying to be friends, you know, friend to you is was I couldn't handle it. You know, I mean, it literally took like, I think, months personally for me to like chill out.

46:28Skyler Gisondo:Yeah. Like, actually.

46:29Austin Abrams:Totally. Yeah. Totally. I don't think that I don't like I don't I hope that would go away, but I feel like it never will. I'll never be immune to like, I just like, I love movies. And I'm such fans of people that like, you kind of can't escape that, right? Like every time you meet, so, cause it's this very vulnerable thing. We're like, how do you tell someone how much their work means to you? You know, like it's this very intimate thing.

46:53Skyler Gisondo:Do you do that? Will you say something?

46:54Austin Abrams:I like, no, I always find, I'm curious how you, like, I don't know how, I always feel silly saying it to somebody who is already like an iconic person. It's like, yeah, of course. You know, when you tell like Robert De Niro, like, by the way, Bob, I got to tell. I just love, man. I think you really got like, you're so dumb. But then I think just no one telling that anymore because everybody's too like, yeah.

47:19Skyler Gisondo:So maybe you'd be like, oh my God, I haven't heard that in like 30 years. Yeah. Right.

47:22Austin Abrams:Right. You should. Yeah. I don't, I don't know. I just find myself like, usually not. I'll do a note. It's easier to write it down. So at the end of a job, I'll be like, I'll just like hard on my sleeve. Like, I love you so much. And this meant so much to me. and yeah, you know, forever will cherish that, you know, and then just like give it to them, never talk to them again or look them in the eye again.

47:41Skyler Gisondo:Yeah, yeah. It would have been smart.

47:43Austin Abrams:Is it, are you a smart?

47:44Skyler Gisondo:I, I, no, I don't think, I don't know if I ever, I mean, okay. I don't know if I ever do it. No, I mean, maybe the no thing, but I'm not even sure if I like went, was able to go to like that lengths. It's such a, just when you're with those folks and it's such a privilege to like be with these kinds of guys because it's also like they're they're like when you watch their movies you you want to hang out with them right you know right like and that's the same way in real life they're like these are you know a lot of them are great people that you want to hang out with and uh it's just um i just feel too intimidated i feel like to like i you know there's other friends that I have that are able to just kind of come out right away and and kind of break the ice I think in like in maybe a helpful way but for me I'm like I don't know I know things about you know about you and I know your work and I have these feelings already towards you do I say those right you know right it can feel disingenuous to play it cool because you know you're like freaking out you want yeah it's the idea I don't know what to do dude yeah it's

48:54Austin Abrams:easier to meet someone well yeah there's always the work you know so it's like all right we can And we're going to spend time together. And then it can sort of like – there's that element too where it almost feels inappropriate when you're working together like to gush too much over somebody.

49:07Skyler Gisondo:And I'm like is that going to make them feel – I don't want them to feel uncomfortable. I know that this is just a regular person. At the heart of it, we're all the same. I know it's that situation. So it's like kind of try to come at it from that or come at it from a character's perspective maybe too.

49:23Austin Abrams:Yeah, right.

49:24Skyler Gisondo:Sometimes that's kind of like helpful. is there do you think of uh like is there anything specific you want to do i would just

49:32Austin Abrams:again i know i said it earlier but i was watching resident evil and i was like oh dude like you just look like a movie star you know we're talking about these kinds of guys and so part of the joy of doing this is like uh kind of getting to do it like with friends that watching watching it happen for friends at the same time and like see them go and and and you're gonna have you know you're gonna be able to do whatever you want to do you know like what is there something in your head where you're like one day i'd like to do is i don't know yeah no i don't know i don't know if i've really like look looked at it like like that you know i mean do you do you feel that way or do you look at like yes and no like i think if i did i'd be like a great writer if i knew if i could create i so often like don't know what it is until i read it and then it's just this burning thing where you're like this yeah i really want to do this i don't know anything else but like i'd love to do this but it becomes very obvious becomes obvious i'd say like i love like uh which i hope yeah i i think like i get so fired up watching like old jim carrey stuff or like um old adam sandler stuff like still stillers like his old like the the really broad physical comedy stuff like i i love um just taking big weird swings and uh that seems so exciting to me like something that's kind of on the edge yes primetime in a different way is you know for lance it's a

50:53Skyler Gisondo:movie that is like it's very much on the edge of like it's so specific and strange and yeah um so i that's something that could really not with that subject totally fall flat on its work especially because it runs this like line of with the comedy you know and that like tone it's like a really hard thing to do totally and you crushed crushed it thanks dude crushed it

51:13Austin Abrams:i'd love to do something with i'd love to do i think every actor wants to be a musician you know like we all just kind of wish we like ripped and yes i would love to like jim croce is like a folk uh singer who i love you know kind of like a forgotten like great uh like not a biopic but some kind of like i love i think it's really fun to play real i'm excited by the idea of playing a real person yeah that seems because so often with acting like it's a little bit like unnerving just the lack of like like i'll have a script i'm like i know i want to work on this right now but i don't really know what to do which way to go like i don't know how to work on it i literally don't know what to do with my time other than just think about it sure but if you have like if you're playing somebody you have homework like you have structure the idea of like i'm just gonna like go

51:53Skyler Gisondo:study tape you know and like was that a part that was helpful with prime time because you had

51:57Austin Abrams:like what was there like did you see watching i guess he's kind of like an amalgamation of like different decoys that they had you know so like it well yeah it was helpful to watch to have like reference material for sure and i also just like i love reading like historical like narrative non-fiction i i think that like so much so many of the craziest you know things ever like that have happened and like there are those stories are there and like on the page and so yeah the idea like weird weird big swings or but but also on the other i also like just kind of being the everyman and like holding down the fort too like so many of my favorite performances and actors are people who do that really well yeah and just kind of serve as the audience and i think that's like it looks easy i think it's you know a difficult like thing to do well you know because

52:44Skyler Gisondo:i mean i genuinely feel that like that like like you know movie star feeling about you personally where it's just like you're just you're just so good and and watchable and just like yeah i'm just like i'm excited watching primetime i was like i'm excited to see him to keep going down like this avenue you know it's really exciting probably should say this in a pocket but of all

53:09Austin Abrams:of our movies bomb it will be really funny to look back on us doing this just us two for an hour

53:13Skyler Gisondo:dude and i gotta say your movies dude your movie you're gonna be so us just hyping each other up believing it like yeah this will age so at least we believe in each other believe really hey it's true man we believe right now we believe in each other no matter what happens okay i believe in you um no thanks buddy all right love you dude love you man that was fun movie star movie star You know what I mean? Your movie's done.