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Podcast Summary: The Romesh Ranganathan Show - Episode with Will Arnett
Episode Overview
- Podcast Title: The Romesh Ranganathan Show
- Episode Title: Will Arnett: Why People LOVE Bojack Horseman & Pretending To Be A Comedian
- Release Date: [Insert Release Date]
- Guests: Will Arnett
- Format: Interview/Conversation
Episode Description In this episode, *Romesh Ranganathan* invites actor and comedian *Will Arnett* for a candid conversation covering topics such as stand-up comedy, his new movie *Is This Thing On?*, and the impact of *BoJack Horseman*. They discuss personal anecdotes, social media, parenting, and even some humorous takes on football and tattoos.
Key Highlights
Introduction
- The episode opens with a lively introduction, setting the tone for a humorous and insightful discussion.
Gift for Will (01:45)
- Romesh surprises Will with a unique gift inspired by Liverpool manager *Jürgen Klopp*, showcasing their shared interest in football.
Meeting Jürgen Klopp (02:35)
- Will recounts his experiences meeting Klopp, expressing admiration for his character and impact.
Football Banter (04:05)
- A light-hearted conversation ensues about football teams, specifically Arsenal and Liverpool, highlighting their competitive spirits.
Working with John Bishop (06:11)
- Discussion about comedian *John Bishop*, who inspired Will's movie. The camaraderie and supportive nature of Bishop's personality is emphasized.
Film
Is This Thing On? (10:13)
- Will shares insights into the making of his new film, discussing its themes of personal exploration and comedy.
Practicing Stand-up (14:13)
- Will discusses the challenges and preparations for stand-up comedy, revealing the emotional weight of performing.
Shanthi's Question (18:51)
- Romesh's mother, Shanthi, poses a question to Will about tattoos, sparking a deep conversation.
BoJack Horseman (19:30)
- Will reflects on his iconic role in *BoJack Horseman*, discussing its profound themes of self-identity and accountability, and the impact it has had on audiences.
Controversial Takes on Tattoos (30:10)
- Will shares his contentious views on tattoos, suggesting a correlation between the number of tattoos and personality traits.
Social Media Reflections (42:31)
- The discussion touches on the impact of social media on personal opinions and public personas, and the pressure to conform.
Being a Dad (49:40)
- Will opens up about parenting, the challenges he faces, and the lessons he learns from his children, showing a relatable side to his personality.
Passing as a Comic (53:30)
- Will humorously recounts how he navigates the comedy world, admitting to moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
Exclusive Insights (55:33)
- The episode wraps up with Will sharing exclusive thoughts on his career and insights into the upcoming film.
Key Takeaways
- Impact of BoJack Horseman: Will addresses how the series has resonated with fans, exploring deep themes of self-awareness and personal flaws.
- Personal Reflections: The conversation moves from humor to heartfelt discussions about vulnerabilities, parenting, and the realities of fame.
- Comedy vs. Drama: Will emphasizes the importance of authenticity in comedy, connecting personal experiences with comedic material.
- Social Commentary: The episode reflects on the current state of social media and its effect on public discourse and personal relationships.
Conclusion This episode of *The Romesh Ranganathan Show* featuring Will Arnett is a blend of humor and poignant reflections on life, making it a captivating listen for fans of comedy and those interested in personal growth through shared experiences.
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Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOGift Exchange and Football Talk
2:34 to 4:08
Will discusses a special gift and shares his love for Liverpool.
“He has led his unmistakable raspy tones to a number of animated movie roles, most notably as Lego Batman in three Lego movies and commercials ranging from Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to GMC Trucks.”
Jurgen Klopp's Impact
4:08 to 5:18
Will reflects on Jurgen Klopp's encouragement for his film.
“He, he, uh, he's, I've had the, I've had the great pleasure and honor of, um, being around him a few times.”
Football Team Conflicts
5:18 to 6:37
A light-hearted banter about football teams and expectations.
“I'd love a video from him, but not, you know, it wouldn't mean the same to me as it does to you.”
John Bishop's Comedy Journey
6:37 to 10:47
Will shares an inspiring story about how John Bishop became a stand-up comedian.
“You think it's too early to be top of the league and it's going to go tits up.”
From Comedy to Film
10:47 to 13:20
Will discusses the journey of turning John Bishop's story into a film.
“A, because it's beautiful that they sort of reconnect and start trying to figure and re-talking to each other.”
The Role of Stand-up in Filmmaking
13:20 to 14:01
Exploring how immersion in stand-up influenced the film's authenticity.
“It wouldn't necessarily be studios or powers that be might not want me to be the guy.”
Stand-Up Comedy and Personal Experience
14:01 to 16:51
Will Arnett shares his journey into stand-up comedy and his personal experiences at the Comedy Cellar.
“Yeah, and then where the film, where it happens for Alex in the film is at the Comedy Cellar, which I've also gigged at.”
The Challenge of Stand-Up Comedy
16:52 to 19:14
Discussing the inherent challenges and fears of performing stand-up comedy, regardless of fame.
“where like I'd be there and Burr Bill Burr would be sitting there like having somebody and he's like, what are you doing here?”
Family Dynamics and Humor
19:15 to 20:28
Will talks about his son's humor and the impact of his past work, including a reference to 'Show Dogs'.
“Shodogs has put food on the table and it helped us pay the rent.”
Impact of BoJack Horseman
20:29 to 22:27
Will discusses how 'BoJack Horseman' changed his life and made him confront his own issues.
“Romesh will be too embarrassed to say this, but he's a big fan of yours.”
Show all 26 chapters
Victimhood and Ownership
22:28 to 24:16
Analyzing the themes of victimhood and ownership of one's actions in 'BoJack Horseman'.
“I kept joking that going into it, they were going to have to rename it Life in Picture for me.”
Public Perception and Personal Reflection
24:17 to 26:36
Will reflects on public perception of his role in 'BoJack' and how it's affected his personal life.
“And then I ended up just recently coming full circle and realizing, I was like, you know what?”
Search for Validation and Inner Peace
26:37 to 28:00
Discussing the search for validation portrayed in 'BoJack' and its implications for personal fulfillment.
“Tons of people who reach out and say, I was going through a difficult time.”
Exploration of Bojack Horseman's Themes
28:00 to 30:30
Discusses the emotional impact and thematic depth of Bojack Horseman.
“And he's realized that this life was whatever doesn't give him what he needs.”
Tattoos and Perceptions of Personality
31:40 to 36:20
A discussion about tattoos and the correlation with personality traits.
“What I mean is like, some people are like, I'm never gonna mark my body.”
Misquoted Game
36:20 to 42:00
Engages in a game where quotes are examined for authenticity.
“I'm going to read some quotes allegedly by you.”
Personal Reflections on Intelligence
42:00 to 43:24
Romesh and Will discuss perceptions of intelligence and self-awareness.
“said to me once a couple of years ago, he said, you know, nobody wakes up happier in the morning to be themselves than you.”
Navigating Opinions in the Digital Age
44:24 to 46:28
Will shares his views on the pressure to express opinions in today's society.
“but my most unpopular opinion is not having an opinion.”
The Insanity of Public Opinions
46:28 to 48:26
A discussion on the absurdity of public opinions and social media commentary.
“Like I am, I live in this, I need to be in the student section more.”
Experiences with Guests and Comedy
48:26 to 50:12
Will recounts interesting experiences with guests on his podcast.
“and we all live in it and we live and die by it.”
Reflections on Family and Voice
50:12 to 52:05
Will discusses personal memories relating to his family and career as a voice actor.
“It wasn't until I moved to New York that I realized I had a voice that could make me some serious dough.”
Parenting and Honest Communication
52:05 to 53:48
Discussing the importance of being honest and open in parenting.
“helped me connect yeah holy shit um so the one one other thing i want to talk about the film And we talked about the relationship stuff.”
On-stage Persona and Comedy Style
53:48 to 56:00
Romesh and Will analyze comedic styles and performances, particularly Will's role.
“And I've had moments where I've had to kind of.”
Discussion on Comedic Influence
56:00 to 56:49
Explore the essence of being a 'comic's comic' and the influence of Dave Attell.
“You've got the, you know, and the other thing I'd say is you look like a comics comic.”
Funny Jokes and Comedy Cuts
56:50 to 57:48
Hear a hilarious joke from Dave Attell that got cut from the film and the humor behind it.
“And Dave ends up making fun of Alex Novak.”
The Hot Take Challenge
57:49 to 58:25
Will Arnett shares his hot takes and discusses the need for accountability online.
“I have so many, but they're like really unpopular.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00I'm not an astronaut. I don't need an astronaut. Project Hail Mary is the cinematic experience of a generation. So, I met an alien. It's exhilarating and awe-inspiring. The perfect film. Ryan Gosling gives a performance that goes down in history. Sailor! This is one for the ages. Project Hail Mary, rated PG-13. May be inappropriate for children under 13. Now playing only in theaters. Zootopia 2 has come home to Disney+. Let's go! Get ready for a new case. We're the greatest partners of all time! New friends. Gary the Snake. And your last name? The Snake. Dream Team. The new habitats. Zootopia has a secret reptile population.
0:44You can watch the record-breaking phenomenon at home. Zootopia 2, now available on Disney Plus Rated PG. And right now you can get Disney Plus and Hulu for just$4.99 a month for three months with a special limited time offer ends March 24th. After three months plan auto renews and$12.99 a month terms apply. This episode is brought to you by White Claw Surge. Nice choice hitting up this podcast. No surprises. You're all about diving into tastes everyone in the room can enjoy. Just like White Claw Surge. It's for celebrating those moments when connections have been made and the night's just begun.
1:16With bold flavors and 8 % alcohol by volume, unleash the night. Unleash White Claw Surge. Please drink responsibly. Hard seltzer with flavors. 8 % alcohol by volume. White Claw Seltzer Works. Chicago, Illinois. You know that notion people talk about that thing like, oh, it must be great to be really stupid because you're not going to sweat the details or whatever. Maybe, and I realize, oh, it's me. I'm really stupid. And nobody's told me. I'm really dumb and nobody has the guts to tell me. And they're just like, let him live in his place.
1:53Romesh Ranganathan:I told you we'd get him. I told you we would completely break him down. Be honest, am I really stupid? No, you're so smart. Hi, I'm Will Arnett, and I am here on the Rummish Ranganathan Show, and we are having a blast. You're listening to the Rummish Ranganathan Show. It's the Rummish Ranganathan Show. Oh, shut up, Rummish. I'm going to do an intro. Okay. If there's anything that's incorrect or whatever. I'll just chime in. Yeah, please do. Feel free to interrupt at any moment. Fantastic. Great. My guest today is an Emmy-nominated Canadian actor, writer, and podcaster, best known for his roles as Job in cult sitcom Arrested Development, troubled horse actor Bojack in the animated Netflix series Bojack Horseman, and Devin Banks in 30 Rock.
2:47Romesh Ranganathan:He has led his unmistakable raspy tones to a number of animated movie roles, most notably as Lego Batman in three Lego movies and commercials ranging from Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to GMC Trucks. He also co-hosts the chart-topping podcast Smartless with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes. And now he's given a starring turn opposite Laura Dern in Bradley Cooper's new film, Is This Thing On?, which premiered at the New York Film Festival to great acclaim. I'm delighted to welcome Will Arnett, everybody. How are you? Thank you. I'm very well. We've got a gift for you. Please be chocolate. It's not chocolate.
3:17Romesh Ranganathan:Okay. Now, I know this thing on is, you know, loosely based on Bish. Yeah. Who's a Liverpool fan? Are you also a Liverpool fan? Massive. This is, well, have a look actually. And then I'll tell you what it is, but it should be. This candle smells like Jurgen Klopp.
3:40Romesh Ranganathan:This is amazing. Good. I'm glad you like it. It's amazing. It's inspired. It's a scent inspired by Jurgen Klopp. I don't know if it smells like him. I've never met him. It doesn't. I've hugged him. Right. What would you like to hug? Not exactly like this. Right. But he is phenomenal. The notes say, made from 100 % soy wax. This comes in a surprise scent inspired by the Liverpool manager himself. What were his teeth like in the flat? Beautiful. Yeah. And I will say, he smells like aura. Right. That makes sense. It does make sense. He, he, uh, he's, I've had the, I've had the great pleasure and honor of, um, being around him a few times.
4:29I actually, uh, embarrassingly still have pinned to the top of my Instagram page a video of me standing pitch side at Anfield and him coming out and us talking and then hugging and bracing and then him sort of touching my face. And I'm just like, have a good game, Juergen. i do i do love him i'm a massive fan i love what he does he's i he's super inspirational he's a great guy he he just he's one of those people he's a he's a special special guy we were making is this thing on and um we facetimed and sent each other a couple videos and he sent me a text out of the blue right as we were starting and he was like um so excited for your movie will good luck wishing you all the best from and it was such a boost it was so incredible yeah to get that from Jurgen Klopp.
5:18Yeah. Amazing. Are you a Liverpool fan? No. Do you want a video from him?
5:22Romesh Ranganathan:I'd love a video from him, but not, you know, it wouldn't mean the same to me as it does to you. We'll see.
5:33We'll see. Who are, do you, are you a fan? I'm an Arsenal fan. Obvi. Yeah. Obvi. I knew it. How did you know? I just knew your demeanor. Okay. Yeah. Undeserved confidence. Yeah.
5:46Romesh Ranganathan:Just sort of a self-satisfied privilege, a kind of belief that something is coming. Sort of well-spoken. Don't worry, lads. It'll all work out. It'll be fine. Arsenal. I mean, it's unbelievable. Yeah, it's very exciting at the moment, but let's just see what happens. Do you know what I mean? Oh, we know what will happen.
6:16Romesh Ranganathan:We've all watched.
6:21Romesh Ranganathan:But, you know, it'd be a hell of a title race, whatever happens. Yeah. No, no, no. Best of luck.
6:30Romesh Ranganathan:I'm taking from the inferences that you think we're going to bottle it again, don't you? I never, again, I never said that.
6:39I just always talk like a lawyer.
6:42Romesh Ranganathan:You think it's too early to be top of the league and it's going to go tits up. That's essentially what you think. Is that what you think? That's what I think you think. Oh, interesting. It's an interesting position. And what would make you think that? How would you come to that conclusion? Are you basing that on history? Well, look, it's happened the last few years. So that is what you think? It's not what I think. No, no, don't. The prosecution rests. No, no, but I don't want to put that out into the universe. I don't think that. You just put it out into the universe. No, I didn't. I didn't. I didn't.
7:16Romesh Ranganathan:I'm taking it back, man. No, I didn't mean... No, I was... That was... Do you know what I mean? I was... Yeah. Okay, cool. Would I be a good lawyer? You'd be unbelievable. Thank you. Really good. Thank you. Really good. That's actually all I want. All I want in this life is for people to say you'd be a good lawyer. I don't know why. Because my dad was a lawyer originally, and I think... And I'm desperate for his attention. No, you'd be a great lawyer, man. I really do think that, genuinely. Congratulations on the film. Is this thing on? Released across the UK on January the 30th. Loosely based on the life of John Bishop.
7:49Romesh Ranganathan:How did you cross paths? With Bish. With Bish, yeah. Are you familiar? Do you know Bish? I know him, yeah. Yeah, great guy. Well, one of the nicest guys in comedy. He is. He's one of the nicest people I know. He's such a thoughtful guy. One of the great byproducts of this whole thing is that I've become friends with John Bishop. And he is just such a really warm, supportive, funny, smart guy. He's very honest. He sort of tells it like it is, which is not always a great personality trait. But in him it is because what he has to share is generally pretty great. We were on, I was on a barge on a canal boat in Amsterdam having lunch.
8:34True story. and with a very sort of media, London media set, you know, that sort of crowd. I know that crowd.
8:43Romesh Ranganathan:I'm not allowed in those sort of crowds, but I've seen them from afar. I would have been watching from the bank. Yeah, it was very much a lot of those sort of glitzy names and a lot of people who know each other, very sort of Mayfair at night crowd. And I have, actually, that's really disparaging. It's not true. They're all super nice people. I don't know why I said that. I went to this. Would I be a good lawyer? You'd be a very good lawyer. Thank you. Because what I do is to sit back and then allow the person to hang themselves. Yeah. But you learn from me. Yeah. Here's, I don't know if you'd be a good lawyer.
9:16You're a quick learner.
9:21So, so I'm in, I went to Amsterdam. Again, these are all super nice people. I was just kind of messing around, but I'm in Amsterdam on this boat. and we have a mutual friend, Chris Tiki, who said, I was sitting next to this guy. I said, Will, do you know John Bishop? No, he's a comedian. And John, I said, I'm sorry, I'm not familiar. He hadn't sort of broken through to the US. This is seven years ago. And he said, would you, John, tell Will how you became a standup? And he told me the story of how he came into standup comedy, which is quite well known over here because it's part of his set. He'll tell the story.
9:53And for those who don't know, right down the barrel, he, John was going through a divorce he worked in business, couldn't have been further away from entertainment or comedy or anything and he was separated from his wife, living on his own seeing his kids on the weekend, Monday he drops them off and he's quite depressed for the week Monday nights were always really tough one night he decides to go for a drink by himself goes to a pub they're asking for a cover charge of four pounds because they're doing open mic night he doesn't want to pay puts his name down so he can get in for free. And they end up calling him up.
10:30And as he said to me yesterday, the best four pounds he's never spent. They call him up, he gets up there, and he doesn't have anything to say, and he just says, I think I'm getting a divorce. And he starts speaking his truth. And he tells me the story of how he starts going week after week, and it starts making him feel better. And I thought it was really compelling. And that eventually one night, months into it, he doesn't tell anybody in his life, his ex-wife comes to the club with a different group of friend work friends and sees him on stage here's his name he goes what the fuck and he comes out and he does this set he tells a joke even about her afterwards they meet at the bar and she says that guy on stage that was the guy I married you know that was the sort of the spirit and they start to have an affair anyway Right.
11:16That story just really got to me. A, because it's beautiful that they sort of reconnect and start trying to figure and re-talking to each other. But B, because of the effect that stand-up had on him and it was able to, whether he used it as therapy or help him connect with himself and speak his truth and really change him at a later stage in life. I thought it was really beautiful. And that's what kind of got the ball rolling.
11:44Romesh Ranganathan:And then how does that become a film? How does that move towards you talking to Bradley Cooper about it and then that becoming a movie? What's the journey there? So I started writing with Mark Chappell, who's my writing partner who lives here in London. And we fly out and we meet John, ask him if we can write the story. And he says, yes. And we're working on it for a couple of years. And it got to a point where there were a lot of forces that, you know, people involved, studio, etc., who wanted it to be more of a rom-com. but and mark and i really struggled with that and we didn't we were kind of at this impasse we didn't it kind of felt like the film was neither here nor there like it's you're either going to get into this relationship or you're or you're it's going to be quite uh silly and i was flying back to new york from los angeles with bradley he was working on maestro at the time and he asked me what i was working on and i told him and i said can i send it to you just to sort of get your thoughts on it really like free notes he had a break in maestro and shooting and he called he i sent it to him i emailed to him and he about a week later he facetimed me and he said i i got to do this he says i want to do this if you'll let me i want to come on and rewrite it i want to direct it he said i i have this image of your face the first time you're doing stand-up and in the frame i can see i can see the movie and i think that this is a real exploration into people and connection and the story of marriage and love lost and reconnection and all these things, these themes, and hope and all this stuff.
13:18And there was talk over the years that maybe I wouldn't do it to get it made. It wouldn't necessarily be studios or powers that be might not want me to be the guy. And Bradley said, no, you've got to do it, and I'm going to direct you. And I said, no. No, I said, yeah, great. That would have been a cool move, though. I said, let me think about it. I said, what else have you done?
13:47Romesh Ranganathan:So watching this film as a stand-up adds another layer to it. And so John Bishop, when he did his gig, that incident, the inciting incident, was it the Frog and Bucket? It was the Frog and Bucket, yeah. Yeah, which I've gigged at. You have? Yeah, and then where the film, where it happens for Alex in the film is at the Comedy Cellar, which I've also gigged at. I did the audition. So, you know, when you try out for the comedy cellar, I don't know if you're aware of this, like, so it's not like this wasn't an open mic. This is like, it's a professional night. And then you have to, you go in and they say, you've got five minutes.
14:24Romesh Ranganathan:To see whether or not you can perform there. To see whether or not you can perform there. They just let me because I'm famous. No, I get it. Yeah. I get it. Did you, how much did you immerse yourself in standup to do this? Well, yeah, it's funny. That was, first of all, that was kind of the assignment to try to figure out what this guy would do. Um, what would it be like to be his first time? Somebody who's got no connection to standup comedy. What would it be like the first time he goes on stage? You know, we took some license. Obviously they don't do open mics at the comedy cell in that, in that way, as you pointed out.
14:55But for our purposes, we realized that we just wanted to use the cellar to be our place. We wanted to establish the olive tree upstairs where all the comics hang out. As you know, that's a real place. Liz, as you, whom you recognize as the actual manager at the at the cellar um well i'll take you back we we reached out to liz when we decided bradley was like we have to shoot we were camera testing at this outside the cellar in and around uh when we were in pre-production and bradley said we got to shoot all this here we have to use the the olive tree upstairs we have to do it and we we secured it and uh as the location for all the stand-up and we were hanging out with all those guys matt and those guys were always hanging out front and atel's always there and and i realized that i had to go up and start doing stand-up because i was going to have to go through all these beats and all these sets so i said to liz you know can i go up of course you can go up and in and try to so i go up and I get introduced as Alex Novak every night.
16:04Bradley stopped me and he said, quite literally put his hand in my chest and he said, we're doing something different. I went, right. And I went up there and really tried to take it all in as this guy who's never done it. It was really surreal. It sounds horrific, by the way. It was. And it was silent. And I say, I'm Alex Novak. Now, of course, some people laugh because some people knew who I was. and people would you know some people would recognize me and think like oh hey what's going on and I'm Alex Novak and they're like what is and then you know I think I'm getting divorced and they're like did he get remarried again I know he got divorced years ago quite famous and there were so many crazy nights where like I'd be there and Burr Bill Burr would be sitting there like having somebody and he's like, what are you doing here?
16:59And I'm like, I'm doing this thing. And then like, well, I'm going to come down and watch you. And I'm like, okay. And I'm doing this. That's what you need, isn't it? Bill Burr coming to watch you. Yeah, not bad. You did kind of okay. You know? I mean, I love Bill. I kind of just revere him. So good. He's such a fucking, he's so good. And, and, but lots of people, God, we had a night where Madonna went up. Madonna went up? Madonna went up. Did puns, I imagine. No, you'd think.
17:34No, Schumer brought her. Right. And she said, Madonna's going to come. And of course, the audience went crazy. I think she did about 40 minutes. Madonna did 40 minutes of stand-up? Yeah. Well, she had a binder, and she was reading from a binder. I got to say, it takes a lot of gut. I missed a lot of it because we went around the corner dodging the question. she went around I know how the internet works
18:04it's not my first time seeing how people do pull quotes you guys should have a clip button just clip you know what I mean it would be great people would love that and there would be all the people who would love if I said something negative and then all the people the army of fans who would hate me yeah and it's just that's the thing isn't it so let's go for it anyway let's go yeah oh let's oh you'll be with you'll be with me the whole way right when i fend this off for weeks yeah some comment um what no honestly what my feeling was about madonna was like fucking good for you because it's i mean not sucks but it's rough as you know i mean you're a stand-up so you've been doing it for a while but when you first like going up there and i don't care who you are going up and standing up there with the idea that you're going to make people laugh is scary as hell.
18:57Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah. I mean, it's, it's an ick, you know, you know, the very thing, somebody standing up in front of you and their aim is to make you laugh. It's kind of disgusting. It's kind of rank. Right. And then, and then you're trying to go, Oh, I've noticed this thing. And like, don't you think that's fucking hell. One of my kids, even like one, my oldest son said to me, dad, it's just so rank just like oh what do you think about this and have you noticed this and i think this and isn't that funny what i think about this it's like he says you know what i say you know what i say to my kids though how old are your kids well he's 16 he's 16 yeah so i have a 15 year old and a 17 year old and a five year old but my 15 year old who's quite funny uh abel he's a really funny kid and uh and i hate when people say that about their kids and i would i would go the other way my standard for him to be funny is not because i'm particularly funny but just because i would never want people you know you know the built-in thing he's a really funny kid and i think he's he's funnier than i am his timing is sick but he gives me shit we're doing stuff for this movie and some reviews come out he's like man it's better than uh better than show dogs like this crap kids movie that i did right better than it's a little bit better than show dogs yeah But I said, let me tell you something, dude.
20:15Shodogs paid for your goddamn braces. Yeah, yeah. Shodogs has put food on the table and it helped us pay the rent.
20:21Romesh Ranganathan:We've got a question from my mum, I believe. From your mum? From my mum, yeah. Hi, Will. I'm Romesh's mum. Romesh will be too embarrassed to say this, but he's a big fan of yours. He has a tattoo of one of your characters on his arm. Do you have any tattoos? If not, what will you get? I would love to know. Take care. You're either going to find this really cool or it's going to be the end of the interview. Horseman.
21:01Romesh Ranganathan:That show changed my life. How? First of all, I started watching it and I thought this is a really funny show. And then as it sort of evolved, as the show went on, I got to, it basically made me think about, but I've spent most of my life thinking I'm a shitty person, is the honest truth, right? And that's something I've had to battle with for a long time. And his examination of that and the show's examination of that and the level of ownership you take of that and the philosophy of life and how you approach things. When I watched that show, what resonated with me is some stuff that I didn't want to recognize in myself in BoJack, basically.
21:50Romesh Ranganathan:And some of those things were a victimhood about the things that he'd done wrong. You know, he's kind of, you know, I think about the moment where he sort of hijacks that AA meeting and starts saying, you know i've got all these shitty things going through my head and blah blah and the way he talks about it it's like he's a victim of those things rather than the perpetrator of those actions right not only that there's the well sorry sorry i cut you off he sort of portrays himself often as the victim of the things that he is actually the perpetrator of and there's also this idea of like owning up to what i've done and who i am and you start to you can start to tell a victim story about it or you you act like a martyr for simply owning up to being a shitty person yes and you want credit for saying yeah i'm shitty but i've owned up to it doesn't that make me a great person yeah it's like no you did the shitty things in the first place it's funny there's been so much i did a i did a um uh a thing last night at the bfi no applause um i i did this thing and it was It was like this thing called Life in Pictures.
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23:04I kept joking that going into it, they were going to have to rename it Life in Picture for me. And we started talking about BoJack. And the moderator asked how many people in the audience had seen BoJack. And I'm not joking when I say 99.9 % of the people put their hand up. And I found it quite astounding because I get a lot of questions about BoJack when I do anything. Yeah. And people draw. So I have a very funny relationship with it. And my friend who I work with, who, you know, I hate the word publicist, but that is what he does with me. He's a crisis manager. Not true. He always said, you know, I think that you don't realize how many people really like BoJack and the effect.
23:51And for me, the difference is people always try to retroactively sort of retrofit. So anything I do, they go, it's very much like BoJack. You sound like BoJack. A, I always say, of course I sound like BoJack because he has my voice. And it's really easy. I remember I bought a new house. I built this house. And it was on a magazine. And the comments about like, oh, it's such a BoJack house. And I'm like, fuck off. I didn't write BoJack. I played him. And then I ended up just recently coming full circle and realizing, I was like, you know what? I'm going to look at it differently. My perspective is going to be the reason they do that is because it was effective and it worked.
24:39And I'm going to start thinking like I did a good job portraying this guy because people actually believe it and it's something that's really resonated. So that's the way I kind of look at it. But I've had a very strange relationship. I've never talked about it in this way before. But I've had a very odd relationship with BoJack. I love... the writing on bojack rafael bob waxberg is one of the most brilliant hilarious gifted people i've ever worked with um and i thought that his writing was brilliant and it really got into a lot of very tricky uh emotional and moral questions and lots of things that that a lot of other shows don't get into in a way that was very insightful very real and very honest and all served up in this sort of Trojan horse of animated, animated Trojan horse.
25:31Yeah. But it's also been this thing that I'm like, you know, that this film, for instance, is this thing on? People say, oh, well, you know, this, this guy's quite tragic. There's a sort of a Bojack. And I'm like, this guy couldn't be, this guy is a mid-level finance guy. He's a good guy who loves his kids, who's getting divorced. The fuck are you talking about? you wishful thinking fucking asshole they're like but i love bojack i'm like i don't give a shit yeah yeah but the truth is i do i'm happy they like it yeah yeah no it's funny this is a very honest conversation you guys yeah no it's an amazing show i hope nobody listens to this yeah i listen but based on how i'm gonna get all the real fans you're gonna be like what a bojack answer guaranteed guaranteed guaranteed they're gonna say what a bojack answer to the thing i'm I'm like, okay, you can't win.
26:27Yeah. No, it's an amazing show. But I agree. It is an amazing show. And I will say this. I agree. At the end of all that, I say I agree. One of the things that I find gratifying, if you will, is when people like you say, the show really impacted me. Tons of people who reach out and say, I was going through a difficult time. BoJack really helped me out. It gave me a lot of insight. I identified with it. These are the issues that I've been going, et cetera, et cetera. And so in that regard, I really enjoy it. And also it's gratifying when people say it's really funny. It made me laugh, whatever.
27:10They just appear on any level. I am grateful for that. So I don't want to seem like I'm ungrateful. It's that aspect of it. It's just sort of dogged me. No, I get that.
27:20Romesh Ranganathan:I get that. I mean, you know, all I was going to say is I think like the view from halfway down and that whole thing is one of the best examinations of that feeling that I've ever seen. And when I said to you, it sort of changed my life. It changed the way I think about life, actually. There's one scene in particular where Diane and Bojack go to visit Cuddlewish. I don't know how much you remember it, but when they go to visit Cuddle Whiskers and he becomes really zen and he's opted out of the whole rat race or whatever, whatever you want to call it. And he's achieved an inner peace or whatever.
28:02Romesh Ranganathan:And he's realized that this life was whatever doesn't give him what he needs. And they are in the car afterwards and they're sort of like, oh, that guy is kind of, that was crazy, wasn't it? But you can tell that they think, oh my God, that's what we should be doing. that that made that even that little thing made me think um god yeah you know it's that search for bojack search for validation from the industry or you know from from fame or whatever and how unrewarding that is i just think is an amazing yeah again you know the writing is brilliant i love rafael we talk about working on other stuff uh all the time there have been moments that we've talked about stuff and he has he's written a thing he's written a thing recently that that i really like and uh you know it it did have a profound effect on me as well doing it that was the other thing it was like doing that show recording that show um as you can imagine you know ends up being quite an emotional experience going through all that stuff and there would be moments when we recorded it was just rafael and me and and and the engineer and and we would talk through scenes and we would do, and there would be moments where we'd, we'd do a scene and, and I'd say, I'd, you know, I'd come out of the booth and he'd be standing there and Rafael has this great energy.
29:23He's very much like very kind of upbeat weirdly. And I'd go, and I'd come out and I'd be like, Jesus fucking Christ, dude. And he's like, fun, right? And I'm like, you know, and, and, you know, I got in there and it's now 10 AM on a Wednesday and I've got to go through the rest of my day you know free churro that episode uh you know that was a really the writing on that episode was so good and made it really easy easy for me we basically did that in one take i not entirely because there was some thing but that was basically like just one long thing and it was you know for me it was a great exploration it really affected me that that thing of him going through that thing, talking about us, but we're in that way.
30:11Yeah, man. It's hard not to be impacted by it as an artist, if you will. Guys, I'm an artist, by the way, from now on. No, well, you've been an artist the whole way through, actually. Hey. Yeah. Anyway, so I love the guy. I do love the show. I just hate the sloppy connections people make. Yeah. Let's go to a commercial. Sure.
30:33Romesh Ranganathan:This episode is brought to you by ITV. Unsurprisingly, I know a fair bit about telly. So I reckon you can say that the best TV is the kind that you can connect with. And ITV has loads of it. I love that feeling that you're part of something. When you watch the right show, you're suddenly connected to millions of other people without even trying. And for me, that's The Masked Singer, the most surreal guessing game on earth. My whole family confidently claims they know exactly who's under the costume. But one week, they genuinely thought it was me. It wasn't. No one is ever right. Not once. But that's the magic of it.
31:02Romesh Ranganathan:The fun, the arguing, the chaotic togetherness. And then there's the stuff I watch with my family. My mum loves loose women. I genuinely think she'd be great on there because it means she'd be away from home. She already gives me her opinions every day, so she might as well be doing it on telly. And of course, the women's Euros. Who could forget that magic moment the whole country celebrating at the same time? Come on, you lionesses. That's when TV really gives you that sense of belonging, whether you're in a packed room or watching on your sofa. So whether you want to keep up with whatever people are raving about online, tune into a major national moment or just make sure you're up to date for all that catch-up chat in the office.
31:34Romesh Ranganathan:There's no place like ITV. Do you have any tattoos? I don't have any tattoos. And is that a thing that you feel... What I mean is like, some people are like, I'm never gonna mark my body. I have a very controversial position on tattoos. Go on, go on. Not very kind of. Sure. As if anything I say is... Get the push the clip button.
32:00God, I say stuff that people... how many, first of all, let me ask you this before I get a type of, how many tattoos do you have? Probably, I would say 20-ish. See, you might, so my, this generalization that I've come up with.
32:18Romesh Ranganathan:Oh, by the way, I'm unoffendable, so you can say what you want. It's sweeping. And it certainly doesn't apply to you. And I'm saying this beforehand. No, because of this time that we've spent together, and it 100 % doesn't apply to you. So there are a lot of exceptions to this rule. But I would say on the balance... Sex offenders. Yeah, how did you know? I could just tell by the way you're building up to. No, it is... Sometimes there is a direct... I've noticed sometimes with some people there is a proportionate sort of relationship between how many tattoos you have and how little personality you have.
33:07And I find a lot, people who have a ton of tattoos often are super fucking boring. Yeah. Like truly boring people. Yeah. And I find that to be just quite bland. Yeah, it's manufactured edge. That's what it is. Exactly. Right? Of course, it's manufactured edge. So that's right. That's a great way of putting it. I told you guys he'd say something good. These guys, it's funny because they work for you and they've been under, anyway, it doesn't matter. Yeah, it is. And so like I, you know, and it's that, it's that like they have to go out of their way. and some of the people I know who are the most interesting or the most sort of eccentric look the most normal.
34:01Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get you.
34:03Romesh Ranganathan:And it's also a nightmare for if you do any kind of acting. Yeah, so if you work it out and you do anything, then you've got to cover it up because you have to. Well, I worked with, I was on, you know Tom Davis, one of my best friends. Is he? Yeah. I love Tom Davis. Yeah. I love Tom Davis. He's so funny. I was in his sitcom, King Gary. I played his next one, and we went on his stag do in the thing. And my character's like kind of an annoying kind of, you know, just really highly strung kind of prick that's kind of become a nemesis of his. But I get loose on his stag do. And so one of the things I jump into the swimming pool, like jump in through this like ring in the swimming pool, I'm just like losing my shirt.
34:45Romesh Ranganathan:But obviously I've got tattoos. My character doesn't have tattoos. So they had to like, it was like, uh, hours, right? Yeah. It was hours. I had to prep it. But then every time I jump in the water, it's then compromised. So then they literally airlift, like almost a team of like makeup artists come in, lift me out the pool. And then they put me in the thing to top it up. And then we go for another take. And I just thought it's, it's not, it's not my fault. No, it's not. That is, that is also one of the reasons I don't do it because of that. Because, but if I were to get a tattoo to answer your mom's question.
35:14Sure. Thank you. Um, I would, uh, there's a very famous hockey player in Canada. It means nothing to you guys. I'd probably get one of him across my back. And I said, Across your back? Yeah. Only if my beloved Toronto Maple Leaf hockey club were to win the Stanley Cup finally in my lifetime. Yeah. I would get a tattoo of this guy, Wendell Clark, who's retired a long time ago, but of him holding the Stanley Cup.
35:38Romesh Ranganathan:Okay. That's good. Or Jurgen Klopp. Or Jurgen Klopp. Or your mom. Or my mom. Yeah. For asking the question. Okay. Out of respect. Sure. So, okay. I think that's sweet. Really sweet. Or your mum and Jurgen Klopp. Great. Just like on a walk. Embracing? On a walk. Or both of them lifting the Stanley Cup. Lifting Wendell Clark lifting the Stanley Cup. Yeah, like a cup. Yeah. Okay, great. Thank you for that. Maybe one of your listeners who's into tattoos, who's angry with me now, could send in some ideas. That would be great. If you have got any ideas for a tattoo, please do get in touch. We are going to play a game now, Will.
36:21Romesh Ranganathan:Okay. Called Misquoted. Okay. I'm going to read some quotes allegedly by you. And then you're going to tell me whether you said this or not. Yeah. This is good. Because I have seen quotes that I'm like, I never said that. Like, I never said the thing about tattoo people are bland. And I never said anything about Madonna.
36:47Romesh Ranganathan:It's misquoted. Okay, so here's your first quote. Pure and unadulterated success is not as funny as failure. I did say that. I think I did say a version of that. I should have said that. You said it to Vanity Fair in 2015. Yeah. It's true. When you said, what was the context of that? Do you remember? Or what do you mean by that? I was just saying that all my failure is way funnier than everybody else's success.
37:23That's how I just deal with my failure, my profound failure.
37:27Romesh Ranganathan:It's a weird thing because I always thought of the love of failure to be like a particularly British trait. And sometimes when you talk to, you know, when you have meetings about comedies and stuff like that, But a lot of the time, one of the things that it's always said is that your character is too much of a loser. It's like British people love just absolute losers, right? It is. It's way funnier. And if you have somebody who's successful, they have to be flawed. That's way better. Yeah. Yeah. There's nothing funny about people who are killing it. No. No, that's fine. Doing so well. Okay. This is your next one.
38:08Romesh Ranganathan:Were you about to say something? No, no. I don't consider myself a dramatic actor per se.
38:16Romesh Ranganathan:I don't consider myself a dramatic actor per se. I probably did say that. It's very close to what you said. You said, I don't consider myself a comedian per se. Oh, interesting. Well, yeah, so it's adjacent to what I said. It is adjacent, yeah. Do you think that's unfair to do something adjacent? We're experimenting with that in this case. Well, because from now on, I'm just going to say, I don't think I said that. Because then, you know, why would I? It's a fool's errand to say. It really is. Because it sounds, because now I'm sort of taking credit for saying something where I'm being sort of quite self-deprecating.
38:52Sure. But I don't, is the truth. And I'm not, I don't consider myself a comedian. And I don't consider myself a dramatic actor. and the the funny part is and i'm not even meaning i don't consider myself and i'm not even being i'm not sort of being humble i i don't really think about it yeah is that fair i mean what you
39:12Romesh Ranganathan:are yeah i don't really think about my condition a lot no i agree with that i think that's a healthy way to be yeah i think you're somebody that does this thing and then you might do this thing i think when i was younger i used to think about it more and you think about like how people perceive you or what you're doing and stuff like that. And I'm just, to quote Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon, I'm too old for this shit. I get it. He was 42 when he said that. I know, I know. Isn't that depressing? Well, and as it turned out, he wasn't too old for that shit. No. He was actually prime age for that shit.
39:43He was prime, he was right in his... Yeah.
39:44Romesh Ranganathan:Actually, it would have been a better line if he said I'm age appropriate for this shit. They ought to go back. I'm just right for this shit.
39:57Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah, no, fair enough. But I do agree, I totally agree with you in that thing of I think, speaking of fool's errands, I think it's a fool's errand to go, in my opinion, I'm a comedian or I'm an actor or whatever. I think it's mad. I do. And to sort of extend that even further, I have this thing when people say, you know, I'm the type of person who, I reject that. We're all the type of person who anything. And we just, what we decided, And so like, why are you fighting for your limitations? Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Anyway, here's your next one. Okay. I'm a total optimist. I always just believe things are going to work out and they usually do.
40:39Romesh Ranganathan:God, did I say that? You did in 2021 on the Today Show. Wow. I did the Today Show in 2021? Yeah. Congrats on that, by the way. Thanks, man. It was a big moment for my family.
40:57what uh god what was i doing in 2021 on the today show it must have been going well by the sounds of
41:02Romesh Ranganathan:it i guess if i was on the today show well but not even that it's just the quote are you an optimist i am an optimist but i'm also i'm also a realist i do all this we we joke around and stuff all of it is jokes of course i've i mean i don't i don't know man i'm just kind of making my way through this life like everybody else if i'm being honest i'm just trying to get from day to day yeah i'm like i'm trying to get my son tickets to the rams game or to the eagles game next week in la he's 17 the only reason he called me last night because he was like hey dad can you get me tickets i said i think soon he goes i love you not because of this i'm like yeah it's okay if it's because of this i'm doing that i gotta you know i'm i gotta go back i got a five-year-old it's crazy all this sort of stuff like i'm just trying to get through it and then you know what i mean i'm And so I am an optimist because I do think that no matter what happens, things are going to be okay.
41:56Although the great Robert Downey Jr. said to me once a couple of years ago, he said, you know, nobody wakes up happier in the morning to be themselves than you. And I think it was a compliment. It is a compliment. It is. But part of me then made me think like, you know, am I just sort of like this kind of giddy idiot? Yeah.
42:20Romesh Ranganathan:Maybe. No, I don't think I've got that vibe. You know that notion people talk about that thing like, oh, it must be great to be really stupid because you're not going to sweat the details or whatever. Maybe, and I realize, oh, it's me. I'm really stupid. And nobody's told me. I'm really dumb and nobody has the guts to tell me. And they're just like, let him live in his place.
42:45Romesh Ranganathan:I told you we'd get him. I told you we would completely break him down. Be honest, am I really stupid? No, you're so smart.
43:01Romesh Ranganathan:You're one of the smartest guys we've had on this.
43:07Romesh Ranganathan:You could be a lawyer.
43:13I am in a full-fledged crisis right now. This is...
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44:23Romesh Ranganathan:This seems like I'm being glib, but my most unpopular opinion is not having an opinion. We're in this never-ending opinion race that's driving us towards insanity. The truth is I don't really care anymore. I vote. I do what I think is right. I don't need to weigh in on everything. Boy, I hope I said that. You did say that. Did I? Yes. February 2020. GQ. How does that feel? Yeah, it makes sense. Smart guy. Clever, clever boy. Oh, I was saying more of the GQ of it all. GQ. Oh, stop winking. Okay.
45:01It is true. You know, there was a lot of, I'm not on Twitter anymore. I mean, I just don't even look at it as a cesspool. But even doing this, like sometimes even answering you with some of these things and promoting, I'm kind of loathe to give my opinion on stuff as a, and that's indicative. I just, the advent of social media has just made that we just live in this world that everybody's got their fucking opinion. Like who gives a shit? Yeah. Like who cares what I have to say? Like, no, but like, it doesn't matter.
45:34Romesh Ranganathan:I know, but I do think that we are in a, it's a really weird thing where I don't know if it's social media or whatever, but you're not allowed. I don't think you're, it doesn't feel like you're as loud as allowed to say, I am not well informed enough to give an opinion on this, or I don't have a take on this. You have to have immediately a take on something. It's funny you say that. So recently I've spent my life and doing this film actually taught me a lot of things. I learned a lot in the last year, more than I have in the last 20 years. And one I don't know that much. I've spent my life being a fucking know-it-all.
46:14And I'm realizing, oh, I don't know as much as I think I do. And it's kind of, it's taking me to like age 55 to realize that. And I know it's hard to believe I'm 55. And I'm your words now.
46:34But it is hard. I do realize like, who cares? I don't know anything. Like I am, I live in this, I need to be in the student section more. I just need to, what am I doing? And, and it's, it, it, it sort of took me a long time to get to this place to, to kind of, I bored the hell out of Conan a couple weeks ago. I was doing his podcast again and well, I thought I'd return the favor and, uh, I mean, I love him to death. But I quoted this book, this Sally Rooney book called Beautiful World, Where Are You? This is like the 80th time I've mentioned this, but it's really stuck with me. And there's a writer in it.
47:17The book is about these two friends writing emails to each other and other things have been beautifully written. And one of them, this famous writer talks about this interview she does. And her boyfriend, she says to the interviewer that her boyfriend has never read her novels. And the interviewer puts the story out saying this famous writer, her boyfriend never reads her works. And then there's some comments on Twitter. And this person says she deserves better than that boyfriend. And this fictitious writer in the story writes the thing. She says, I realized basically the gist of it was we live in a place now where this person who doesn't know me thinks they know what's best for me.
48:01Yeah. Not only that, not only do they think that, they write it out. They say it publicly. And other people endorse that opinion. And in that sense, she and all of us and all these people are insane. She thinks that a person, she knows what's better for a person. She doesn't know what she needs, what she thinks, blah, blah, blah, as much as she would about somebody she does know. And that is fucking insane. and we all live in it and we live and die by it. So we all have opinions on shit and other people endorse this stuff about stuff that we know nothing about. I don't care about people's personal lives and I don't care what you think about it online.
48:44I didn't watch the Tiger Woods documentary. I started watching because I was like, it's none of my fucking business. And I don't give a shit what you think about whether you approve or disapprove of what he did. What the fuck do you know?
48:56Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah. Is it too much? Is it too much, guys? No, it's actually the perfect, it's exactly the right level. God, I'm going to get killed for this podcast. Lewis, my publicist, is outside. He's like, what are you doing? We're supposed to be talking about this film. Do I get a final edit on this? Yeah, well, you've got the power to veto anything you like, actually, is the truth. It's not a gotcha. Is it? Yeah. Okay, good. Nobody ever needs to know. That's what we do on Smart List, too. Yeah, nobody ever needs to know you've even mentioned Madonna. Okay, good. Is that true? That's true. Oh, that's good.
49:23Yeah. We've had a few guests. we had a guest, a comedian she asked us to not air her episode at all which we were like, fuck it cost us money and the guys, we all have to do it and blah blah blah because she was worried because she thought that she was up and coming oh I see and I won't tell you until we're absolutely cut but we're like, you're good and turns out, we were right No, but I think, you know, one other very famous comedian who I'll tell you after, who is a fucking rank asshole recently. And we cut him off after 10 minutes and said, thanks so much. And then ditched him.
50:06Romesh Ranganathan:Seriously? Yeah. And you'll be blown away by who it is. I'd love to have the bullies today. Because you'd be like, how did you get Bill Cosby? All right, keep going. Okay, this is the last quote. It wasn't until I moved to New York that I realized I had a voice that could make me some serious dough. I think that that's probably true. You said something - Ish in the ballpark to that. Yes. It wasn't until I moved to New York that people mentioned my voice to me. I mean, in Canada, people don't really compliment each other. Actually, a member of my extended family said to me, people pay you for that voice?
50:38Romesh Ranganathan:That's true. At my grandfather's funeral. What? At my grandfather's funeral. my grandfather whom i adored who is like my best friend now we're gonna get everything on this i'm gonna end up crying uh my grandfather who i adored he died uh in 2009 um i was 39 years old so i did get almost 40 years of the the greatest guy um and she knew i adored him such a great guy he died at 97 and the church was packed which is rare because most of their peers have gone young people and stuff and i met all these people who he had impacted their lives all these people who i didn't even know he knew amazing guy and i and i and my sisters you know read read uh um did readings at his at his you know to eulogize him and i'm in a really tough state and an in-law of somebody in my family as they were coming people were kind of coming along and you sort of do the receiving line and i was really kind of and i had spoken and she said to me she said oh people people pay you for that voice you sounded quite i was like real oh shitty right that's shitty that is shitty i mean listen i don't want to judge but that seems shitty um but i don't understand how it helped with the free churro episode oh my god i bet helped me connect yeah holy shit um so the one one other thing i want to talk about the film And we talked about the relationship stuff.
52:12Romesh Ranganathan:We talked about the comedy. The kids in this film, unbelievable. There is a moment and there's a moment that actually, because Ben and I went to watch this film together. It hit me right in the feels, man. And it's when one of Alex's kids finds the notebook and he's asking him about it. and then just sort of breaks down, I guess. It's one of the, oh man, it's, it, it, as a dad watching that, it was really, it was, it chokes you up that bit. And I remember thinking to myself, I don't ever want, I don't ever want my kids to, to, you know, to, to, to, to have that, that, that experience. Do you know what I mean?
53:03Yeah. I could, I could relate to that in the sense that like, you know for all the sort of the joking that i do or whatever you know you live in a world i live in a world where my kids can look me up and they can kind of see stuff or or see quotes yeah that i've made or whatever and i and i've thought about it more recently um and uh and so anyway certainly that kind of hit me on a bunch of levels doing that scene and we thought it was really really important but yeah it's it's a great moment and those kids are really amazing the kids are great
53:36Romesh Ranganathan:And I think the way that parenting is depicted in those circumstances that they're going through is pretty. It's just I mean, it's amazing. You know, it's like it's really well done. Well, you know how, you know, again, it's about it's about wanting to protect them and be honest with them in that way, as honest as he can be in a way that's appropriate. And I've had moments where I've had to kind of. I didn't really learn this myself from my own parents whom I adore who are great but this idea of apologizing to your kids or or being open enough to go like hey I've had a lot of moments and I've had them recently um where I've had to say to my kids hey I might not have done this the best.
54:24Maybe I didn't say the right thing. I'm sorry, this is a confusing time or whatever. And I get it and just try to, you know, and just try to be honest about it.
54:34Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah. Uh, I've been there as a parent a lot. I had that. I had, I had a discussion with my friends about having a moment exactly like that, where I, it always happened on more than one occasion, but I called something wrong and, you know, had a go at one of my kids for something. And then it turned out, you know, later on, first of all, I'd overreacted in the first instance. And secondly, I'd got it wrong. So I just had to go and say to him, look, man, I was I was acting on what I thought was the right thing at the time. I'm tired. And so I probably, you know, it's disproportionate what I did.
55:09Romesh Ranganathan:And I'm not an expert. I'm, you know, I'm trying to do my best. And I can't tell you it won't happen again because it might. You know, in fact, it's highly likely. Dude, I had the I had an identical experience not long ago. Right. And I was so sure I was right. And I said, and I had to do the same thing. Yeah. Well, one of my, one of my friends, but one of my friends said to me, there's a two schools of thought. Cause one of my friends said to me, but you're showing them you're fallible. Then, you know, like he was, you know, you're supposed to be, what his take was, you're supposed to be an authority figure, which I, you know, you're supposed to be an authority figure.
55:40Romesh Ranganathan:And so now you're going, you're allowing them to question everything you do, which I think is okay. I do too. I don't want to be Eric Honaker to my kids. Okay, and I don't know the last time somebody brought up Eric Honaker on your show. Yeah, it was actually, was it episode before laugh? Was it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. The big question I want to ask you is, watching you on stage as Alex Novak, it felt like you looked like a comic. Oh. You've got the, you know, and the other thing I'd say is you look like a comics comic. And what I mean by that is, you look like the sort of comedian that other comedians would go, I love that guy, you know?
56:19Romesh Ranganathan:Really? Actually, and I was really delighted you had him in the film. Dave Attell, who's obviously one of the greats, right? The best. One of the all-time greats. Skanks for the memories, right? His special. I think it might be up there with the funniest hours of stand-up in history. He told this joke that we ended up cutting out. I don't know why it really – we cut out because it didn't fit because we had to get to – in the film where Alex does a set and then Dave comes up after him. Yeah. And Dave ends up making fun of Alex Novak. You can just sort of hear him. And then we had him telling a joke.
56:59Again, we just didn't have time for it. You gave him the joke, or is this in the tale? No, this is his joke. Right. No, you don't need to give Dave a joke.
57:06Romesh Ranganathan:No, no, sure, sure, sure. Why did I say that? Cut that, don't clip that. Yeah. Oh, you can say don't clip that? I didn't even know that was an option. Fuck. so so it's all goes he goes he goes i'm gonna butcher it but i don't know why this joke is stay with me i find it so funny it's so dumb i was at subway the other day and i looked around it was just me and the guy making my sandwich and i said guy take the gloves off raw dog my son
57:42Romesh Ranganathan:that is such a funny joke it's such an hotel thing to say god is it funny well it's been incredible to have you on super fun you've been such so open and full with your chat so thank you so much well it was and take this the right way it was punching down
58:02Romesh Ranganathan:now um the team would love to have like a viral moment or some sort of exclusive. I gave you like 30. Yeah. No, you have actually like a hot take. Oh, a hot take. I have so many, but they're like really unpopular. Right. If you want to post anything on the internet, any kind of comment, anything, you have to give your full name, address and phone number. I agree. I agree. It's, it's the only way forward. Yeah, I totally agree. And then, let's see. It's Will Arna, everybody. That was so good, man. Thank you so much. Thanks, man. Thank you so much for watching this episode of the Ramesh Ranganathan Show.
58:51Romesh Ranganathan:Now, I hope you don't mind me getting serious for a minute, but I've been told that some people are watching this podcast, enjoying it, and still haven't subscribed. And that is, well, first of all, it's unacceptable. The second, you're going to miss episodes, which is very silly. So follow and subscribe to the Ramesh Ranganathan show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. We drop new episodes every Monday and Thursday. Thursdays, I'm joined by my mum, widely regarded as the audience's favourite Ranganathan. Sorry, Dinesh. And we answer your questions, your stories, and your family dilemmas.
59:23Romesh Ranganathan:Send your questions and stories to podcast at rangaby.com. voice note or text on 0731 623 355 that's 0731 623 355 we genuinely love hearing from you and there's a good chance you'll hear yourself on the show that'd be exciting, a little bit of fame for you you can walk around looking at members of the public like I do like they're lesser human beings see you next time
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From the publisher
Actor and comedian, Will Arnett joins Romesh to talk about stand-up, passing as a comic and the making of new movie Is This Thing On? They get into BoJack Horseman, social media, being a dad and befriending John Bishop. With an divisive takes on tattoos, football and meeting Jürgen Klopp.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.
00:00 Intro
01:45 A gift for Will
02:35 Will on meeting Jürgen Klopp
04:05 Arsenal vs Liverpool
06:11 Working with John Bishop
10:13 The making of Is This Thing On?
14:13 Practicing stand up
18:51 Shanthi’s question to Will
19:30 BoJack Horseman
30:10 Will’s controversial opinion on tattoos
34:50 Misquoted
42:31 Social media
47:44 Misquoted continued
49:40 Being a dad
53:30 Will passes as a comic
55:33 Exclusive
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