Hour 1:  Guest Host O’Shea Jackson Jr, plus ‘Idiots’ Star Dave Franco In-Studio

21:47O’Shea Jackson Jr.:You know, whether that was, you know, my first co-hosting with Mason in Ireland or now hosting the Rich Eisen show, my love of sports, being able to nerd out with TJ Jefferson wrestling, you know, just those those things that I just kind of stayed true to me. I found a pocket in that makes sense. Yeah. Plus, I act. okay yeah yeah but i mean i got to imagine that obviously there is some crossover with you and your dad in terms of sensibilities or whatever it is mannerisms or anything but you are your own person and you guys do have huge differences too and you being true to yourself has like led you down your own path yeah yeah i i smile in public a lot you know but if it's a sunny day and i'm just out there just frowning immediately like there's no way around it let me talk about the different sides to you that I've seen uh so we got you know I guess like in the movies like you've shown this kind of um strong kind of unpredictable explosive side uh and then in real life you're so just this you're like the sweetest guy I've ever met you are so loyal uh You're just so grounded.

23:04You're so... Look at that guy.

23:08O’Shea Jackson Jr.:There he is. It captures all of that you're talking about. But Shay's got layers. And you get to show a little bit of all of them in Idiots coming out August 28th. Yeah, baby! But it's true. It's true. You get to show a more vulnerable side in this movie. You want to talk about that? Yeah. I, you know, when you first told me about the role, you know, one of the things that you said was like, I know you could kill it. As soon as I hear that, immediately it's a challenge. You know, immediately it's like, oh, my boy said I could kill it. Yeah, yeah. Like, I got to do what I do. But when you read it, were you like, oh, wow, this is something I haven't quite done before?

23:50O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Yeah. Yeah. It was something, it was a character, without giving too much, it was a character that demanded more of me than I've ever had to give a character. Okay, yeah. And so, you know, I had to go into a place of vulnerability. And also I got you who, you know, you're not competitive. But you do offer challenges just unwillingly. just for people to be a little inside baseball, there's a scene where I didn't think Dave was going to be crying. Oh, it was a scene. Yeah, and then I look at you and I'm like, yo, you got tears? Like, it's his coverage and he's crying. So I'm like, I can't not match him.

24:40O’Shea Jackson Jr.:So then I had to pull it out, bro. So it was, pause. And so it was like a real moment where, as an actor, it was like a RHA step up. But I think we bring the best out of each other in that way. Absolutely. Where I think we feel very comfortable with each other. And so we're willing to go to those places. Yeah. And again, I think we just believe in each other and we build each other up where it's like, oh, you don't think you can do this? You can absolutely do this. Yeah. And it was exhausting. Yes, it was. Tell us a little bit on how you got Idiots. Okay. So Idiots. First off, should I just tell the people what it's about?

25:15Yeah, just hit it. Okay. All right. So this is a promo. Idiots is about two guys who are down on their luck. They're both dummies. They pair up to drive this rich teenager to rehab. And what they don't realize is this teenager is a full-on psychopath. And he is going to make their life a living hell every step of the way.

25:38O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Every step of the way. Yeah. And so for me, I actually talked to our director, Macon Blair. Shout out to Macon. Shout out to Macon. uh i talked to him about this 10 years ago yeah i don't know if you knew that and at the time i was too young to play this role and so we just kind of we talked about it but we were like this isn't the one it's not meant to be and then nearly 10 years go by and i just reached out to him i was like whatever happened with that script and he was like oh it almost went it fell apart and i was like well i'm here if i can help in any way i would love to be a part of this and he came back to me a few days later he's like let's go sell this thing and so we took it out uh and then we started casting and i was like i know the perfect guy to be my my just partner in crime and you were the first person we went to and i just knew that we would have a great time and this whole movie depends on our chemistry and our banter and i love the movie it turned out great yeah i love i love the movie you know i've seen it i think three times yeah and uh yeah it i rarely do that i have a problem this is a little inside for you guys too after i watch myself on screen i'm like all right i got it yeah yeah yeah i i rarely go back it's hard the first time watching yourself in anything though yeah and i watch with a crowd i don't watch like i don't get screenings that's tough i don't do that i want to watch it by myself in a dark room and just be like okay am i did i ruin my career or am i okay uh you want to do with an audience it's because like that's how i used to see all my dads okay yeah yeah premieres and things yeah like i straight out of compton um that was the first time i watched with the cast but like of course we're gonna laugh at all of our jokes sure sure so i i just didn't feel like i didn't get what i needed until i went to the premiere and i heard what the crowd was responding to that's fair and so like that's how i like to watch and it's very nerve-wracking you know it it puts a lot of pressure on yourself when you can hear when something doesn't land or yes you know this that and the third but you do you remember seeing this for the first time and being like oh wow Oh, they crushed.

27:56This is hitting. Sundance, baby.

27:58O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Listen, for those who don't know, when you go to Sundance and you show your film, if your after party is whack, you have a terrible movie. The after party tells you everything. Everything. Our after party was jumping. And I have been at a whack after party at Sundance, and guess what? That movie didn't sell.

28:18O’Shea Jackson Jr.:A hundred percent. Our party was jumping. I was like, okay. Then I found out, like, they showed it, what, seven, eight times? I was like, okay, that must be pretty good. I know. And what we're trying to do with this movie too is like it's, it's balls to the wall comedy. Like it is, we are taking big swings. But what I love about our director Macon is he's got some weird sensibilities, man. He'll give you the biggest laugh out loud moment of the movie. And then he'll just on a dime turn and give you something real dark and heavy. And so he keeps you on your toes though. And there's no way to predict where this movie is going.

28:54O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Yeah, it's that making switch where you feel comfortable. Exactly. You feel like, oh, man, this is working out. Exactly. Bam. Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I haven't been excited for a film that I'm in to be shown like this in a long time. I mean, Shay, how many events have you worn that idiot shirt to at this point? Dave, it's starting to smell around here. I'm not going to lie. You know what, though? It proves the excitement. Yeah, dude, I have worn this. First of all, they're going to see this three days in a row. You know, I only got five made, so I've been trying to, like, flip and, like, get them through.

29:33Well, at least it's not the same one over. No, no, no, no, no, never, never.

29:36O’Shea Jackson Jr.:It would be peeling at this point. But I've worn it every week on our wrestling pod. I love it. Self-promo. If there's one thing my father's taught me is self-promo. I once saw him in a Big 3 hat drinking coffee out of a Big 3 mug with a Big 3 shirt watching the Big 3. the dude is is a self-promoting machine jake i got it real quick i'm gonna i'm gonna pivot on a dime like our director megan does um doing the podcast thing yeah did it take you a while to kind of get comfortable with it and just like basically know how to like fill the space keep the conversation going like tell me about just that those growing pains or anything like that Man, every now and then I'll go and I'll look at mine and TJ's early episodes of NCW, the No Contest Wrestling Podcast, and we were a couple fish out of water.

30:26O’Shea Jackson Jr.:In what way? Like, we're so happy to be talking to a wrestler. And like, you know, we're trying to find our rhythm amongst each other while also making the conversation not be robotic. but now we have gotten we're about a year almost two years in and now we've gotten to the point where same way with acting they tell you the best actors listen okay same thing with doing an interview yeah yeah because they're going to give you the next question sure exactly you're listening well you can come up with your plan you can come in with your questions but it's like the best conversations it's like you just got to let it flow you got to go go off their energy exactly And what we've always wanted to do was make a space that was different from any other show where most shows are, so tell us about what's going to happen this Monday night and then, all right, bye.

31:20O’Shea Jackson Jr.:We would rather get to know the person while also knowing about them, the fan, and then making the superstar still feel larger than life. Okay, sure, sure. So at the end, they kind of feel like, man, we've been talking for how long? And then after that, they want to come back. Just always the VIP treatment at NCW. Yeah, less interview, more conversation. You want to make people think that, and we've gotten these comments, it's like three friends sitting around chopping it up, and that's ultimately what we've been looking to do. Exactly, exactly. And the listeners, they feel like they're hanging out with you when it's that case.

31:55Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, I mean, a year or two in, you found yourself behind Rich Eisen's desk. This is insane, man. It's wild.

32:03O’Shea Jackson Jr.:I'm still waiting for him to call and realize it's a mistake. I'm curious, have you, and I'm taking over this interview, have you found that doing the podcast and gaining popularity there has actually helped with your acting career too? Absolutely, as far as, because when I'm not on a set, still having a camera to have to, you know, banter with, or like, you know, with wrestling, a lot of it is character work anyway. So like having to keep that excitement as a host and like keeping energy up and doing those things that we would usually do while we're on set. You know, every set is like the first day of school.

32:48Yes, yes.

32:49O’Shea Jackson Jr.:So you're going to, number one, you're trying to see who's cool, who you're going to be kicking it with while also doing your job. And it's just like having a basketball court in the backyard. I hear you. I hear you. I mean, yeah, that first day, the first day on set, every time it's first day of school vibes. But which is why I want to bring in people that I know and love like you. I Mason Thames is in this movie. I just worked with him. And this is what I've been just trying to do in general. It's like I think a handful of years ago, I just started taking things in my own hands more. And I just started creating things from the ground up and just wanting to have a little bit more control.

33:28and what comes with that is being able to surround yourself with the people you feel comfortable with and when you feel comfortable on set you do your best work because it's like no one's judging me i can be as silly and crazy as i want to be and that's when the best stuff comes absolutely fair now speaking of being comfortable on set i mean you get to do movies with your wife bro i know

33:47O’Shea Jackson Jr.:how cool is that it's the best i mean and also horror we're doing a horror yeah no it's not a horror show doing it with her but we are working in the horror genre uh so yeah i mean we've worked together i think five times now that's great and the most recent time what you're referring to is a movie called together which is a horror film where basically we play this couple that is um we're a codependent couple we get infected with something that makes it so that when we're physically apart from each other we start to feel sick so we need to be near each other and it starts escalating to the point where our bodies start fusing together and so you can imagine like this was the most full-on experience i've had with my wife where there were days where we were literally stuck together by a prosthetic for the entire day and so we're going to the bathroom together which like obviously we've seen each other go to the bathroom before but i've i've never like stood above her attached to her looking into her eyes while she's going yeah what's up how you feeling about today but it was one of those movies where after every single day we said out loud to each other we could not have made this with anyone else it was very intimate now you have you've kind of made a name for yourself in that genre do you you just you just dig horror i love it i know you're us i know you don't i'm i'm cool i hate fake blood especially when it dries it is the worst cocaine bear i got my hand blown up basically and every wasp mosquito everything just wanted that syrup i also can't use my hand oh sure for the rest of the movie and uh yeah it's just not a good time but you seem to just revel in it i love them i love them it's it's i'll seek out even the bad ones i want to see them all i don't know what it is about me my life in general like i'm pretty calm i'm pretty even keeled but then i just want the most violent nasty over the top stuff in my movies you gotta chill you want to talk about me going full franco oh yeah so dave has this thing when he goes full franco all right now this isn't this is coined by o'shea yeah yeah coined by me when he goes full franco this means that this guy is not only in his acting bag, but he's almost transformed just strictly into the character and has gone over the top to make sure we get the shot.

36:21O’Shea Jackson Jr.:The thing we worked on, The Now, which you gotta see. We're gonna shout out The Now. It was on Quibi. You guys remember the short-lived Quibi? R.I.P. Y 'all didn't get Quibi? Y 'all didn't get... No? I remember. No crickets? You guys weren't one of the nine that watched The Now? I mean, I remember Quibi for sure. Yeah, you know, bad timing. Another pandemic reference. But it's what brought us together. Yeah, yeah. Quibi, shout out to our buddy, Jimmy Tater as well. He's been on here. But yeah, that is the thing that brought us together. And there was a scene where you are in trouble, choking, if you will.

37:00O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Oh, right. And when we saw how visceral your acting was in that scene where you're, you know. So, I mean, you can give it away. No one's going to see it anyway. It's me. So this is a comedy, but the opening scene of the whole show is me hanging myself. Oh, yes. So there's that. But it was funny. It was funny. But while I was doing it, I was like, I guess I'm going to I don't know really how to fake this. And so I really leaned into it and like veins pop in blood vessels, burst in old Franco. Franco. Yeah. He's not choking. Yeah. But like you still went there. There was a similar type scene in Idiot where I'm getting choked out.

37:46And after the first take, you go, did you just turn purple on me? Yeah, like he starts changing colors.

37:54O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Like I see that forehead man and I'm like, this dude is really about to make me work on my coverage. But I'm curious to hear your perspective because I generally think that, again, I'm a pretty easygoing person. But when I am on a set and I am focused and especially before like an intense scene, I get in a mode and you can see it in my eyes. Yeah. Yeah. And we will. You know what? We will talk about that mode right after. OK, have a quick break. Oh, quick break. Play some bills around here. We'll be back with more Dave Franco. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

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39:47Then they call cut. I go in the corner of the room. I'm doubled over just trying to catch my breath. But that scene in particular, I mean, that's one where I'm literally like going through security at the airport now. And the TSA guys are saying to me, 21 grams of truth. Like that line will follow the rest of my life. And you know what? I love it. I love it. I'm so proud of just being a small part of that show. Had the time of my life. And another example of just being surrounded by people who I've known for 20 years. Like I met Seth and his producing partner, Evan, on Superbad. And so when I'm around those guys, like I remember coming into that particular scene and being like, all right, how messed up should I be?

40:35And they're like, just go for it. We'll reel you in if need be. And so I just give it everything I got. And more often than not, they're just like, go further, go get weirder, go crazier. Right.

40:46O’Shea Jackson Jr.:And, you know, another role that I didn't realize was you until later in life. You played Laloid. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. Lego Ninjago. Yeah. I used to watch. What's your relationship with that movie? I used to watch like it's one of those things that when I first wake up, you know, on my way out the door to school or whatever, it would be on. Amazing. And so, like, next thing I know, I'm watching Ninjago, like, really getting a little in the story a little bit. And then when the film comes out and you're Lilloy, it's Lloyd, but Lloyd's spelled with two Ls, so his father calls him Lilloy.

41:27O’Shea Jackson Jr.:It's clever. Yeah, yeah. And, yeah, so voiceover work as well. Yeah, yeah. So how do you feel about voiceover work? Because I just recently did my first bit of voiceover. I want to talk to you about that. So I love it. voiceover work, I've realized in recent years, the trick is being as silly and embarrassing as possible. I want to walk away and just be like, I made a fool of myself in that recording. And my most recent voice work was in Hoppers. Do you see Hoppers? The Pixar film? No, but I want... Great movie. Hoppers is awesome. Hoppers is awesome um so i played the villain in hoppers and i remember while we were recording i was like guys is this gonna be too scary for the kids i am unhinged in this movie full franco but this is a kids movie now and so what ended up what they told me after the fact um is there was there was a scene and it wasn't even what i did it was what the animators did there's a scene where my character does do you remember the um the backwards walk down the stairs in the exorcist yeah yeah they did that in a kids movie oh yeah they were like okay we we need to draw the line at the exorcist but i can't tell you how many friends parent friends of mine have reached out to me and said thank you for giving my children nightmares forever yeah see these these are the compliments that make full franco all right there's no putting out this fire i need people to understand this tell me your experience with animation though so it was kind of it was an audition you know it was an audition i can't give obviously ndas people i'm filming televisions i'll say jack you know what it is but it was an audition and did it over at sony um was there and usually you know i've done music before you know i know the the recording life but finding the voice with the directors and then like going through the lines and that whole process it was it was new to me but uh i got the role there we go got the role let y 'all know more as as things progress okay but yeah um got it and it was uh refreshing let me tell you what to ask for all right when the when i went in the first time for hoppers and i had never seen this before there was this bar in front of the microphone and i was like i was like guys what's this bar all about and they're like oh you know if you want to lean on it or just use it in any way i was like i don't think i'm going to use the bar cut to me at the end of the session i am gripping this bar with all of my might i am propelling myself into the air i am pouring sweat what i found out about this bar it's called the adam driver bar oh no way yeah and i guess when he was doing some sort of voice work for star wars uh he just he wanted something to hold on to to get him to into the scene and now you gotta monster yeah oh man i love stuff like that gotta go in and ask for the bar baby right oh yes that's all-wheel drive right there i love that yeah i gotta talk to him now yeah you're in that star wars family you got an in Yeah, right.

45:00O’Shea Jackson Jr.:By the way, film and television, I'm in Star Wars. Oh, Shay. Shout out Disney Plus. Question for you. Answer for you. Okay. Shay, one thing we know about Shay is he knows things about things. Yeah, I know things about stuff. Give us two quick facts about sharks that I don't know about. About sharks? Yeah. Okay. So my three most feared sharks are the great hammerhead. You know, the great hammerhead. They have these pockets under their face, these gel pockets that pretty much pick up the electromagnetic field that we all give off living. You've proven my point. Shay knows things about you. So, like, they can find you basically off your heartbeat even if you're hiding.

45:45O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Can't stand them. The Mako is the fastest shark in the water. And my most feared shark is the tiger shark because he eats everything. Oh, wow. They have found full suits of armor inside sharks. this has been Shea Knows Things About Star Wars. Shea, what's your favorite role that you've done? Besides Ice Cube? Because it just means something. Of course, of course. It means nothing beats Star Wars. And I don't die. Tell us a little bit about that Star Wars experience. It was just like a dream come true. It was one of those things that I wish my grandmother Dolores was alive to see because Star Wars was like our thing, you know?

46:27O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Like, she loves Star Wars, and to be able to see me in it, you know, of course I know that in some realm she did, but it was something special to me to listen to the music as I drove to work, you know, to see Ewan McGregor, you know, as Obi-Wan every day at work. And I might have stayed a couple of days to watch Vader too. Of course. Vader. But, yeah, man, that was something special to me. But Ingrid Goes West. Surprisingly. Ingrid Goes West because that was my first time stepping out, picking a role on myself. Real quick, I just want to say goodbye to your friends at Radio Us. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

47:10This is what everyone's talking about.

47:13O’Shea Jackson Jr.:Everything's on the table. This is what champions come to take. This is what everyone came to see. And the slam! No do-overs. No second chances. No more Mr. Nice Guy. This is Winner Take All. And it's all happening now on the home of the NBA Finals. Don't miss it. June 3rd on ABC and the ESPN app.