Adam Scott: Ben Wyatt & Chris Traeger Reunite!
47:07 Share

We all wish hiring was easier. I know I do. Robert Half Research indicates 9 out of 10 hiring managers are having difficulty hiring. If you have open roles,

Chances are you're feeling this too. That's why you need Robert Half. Their specialized recruiting professionals engage their skills with their award-winning AI to connect businesses of all sizes with highly skilled talent in finance and accounting, technology, marketing, and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support.

at Robert Half They Know Talent. Visit roberthalf.com today. Macy's is celebrating Women's History Month by continuing their year-round support for women creators, brands, and causes. Shop woman-owned and founded brands from Macy's like Sunday Riley, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Fashion Fair, Patricia Nash, and Katy Perry. Macy's is also partnering with Girls Inc.,

to help girls grow through mentorships. Donate to Girls, Inc. through in-store Roundup or online to help girls grow through mentorship. What a great way to make a difference. Shop and support Macy's.com slash purpose during the month of March. Rob Lowe has the best stories in Hollywood ever. Proceed.

Hey, everybody. Welcome to Literally. Oh, my gosh. One of my favorite people in the world is here today. Adam Scott, not the golfer, the real Adam Scott. No offense to the golfer, Adam Scott. Adam Scott Severance, one of the greatest shows ever. He's here to talk about the new season. Who knows? We might even talk a little Parks and Recreation. Might be a little Chris Traeger-Ben reunion and all kinds of great stuff. So I am bursting with happiness for Adam Scott. Dude.

Rob. Well, we'll talk about all this shit. Yeah, yeah. Look at you. You look great. You look great. You mean you look exactly the same. You continue to have...

Very Adam Scott style, which I love. I don't know how to describe it, but I fucking love it. That's nice of you to say. Likewise, and you smell terrific as always. Well, thank you. As always. I don't get that a lot. You smell great. You always smell great. I don't think I'm known for my scent. It's a good attribute to have, I think. Right. Don't you think? Oh, I do. It's very important. As important as the hair. Yeah.

The hair. I mean, bro, let's face it. Listen, we lucked out. We drew the genetic lottery. Yes. But like, I don't know. I can only speak for myself. Yeah. I've been taking Propecia since I was eight or nine years old, I think. My parents, along with all my other vaccinations, injected me with Propecia when I was born. Yeah. No, you're a hedgehog. That's right. No, I started...

I started taking it when I was like 28 or something. So you did. I was doing a bit, but no, I did too, by the way. Yeah. Around that time? 30. I remember like, so I hadn't done any like, this is like the most sort of, I know you love these stories, so I'm telling you, you love this show. By the way, as everyone knows, because they listen to this podcast, Rob Lowe has the best stories in Hollywood ever. Proceed.

Say that again and say, and I'm Adam Scott. We're going to use that as an ad. Just add, and I'm Adam Scott. So, I'm Adam Scott, and I am here to say that Rob Lowe has the best stories, as you know, because you listened to this podcast, in Hollywood. The very best stories. Please proceed, sir. Amazing. All right. Make note of that, boys. So, I hadn't done any magazine covers in like...

decades i've been sort of in the hinterlands sure you're raising my family and like doing whatever the fuck and then i get the west wing yeah and so everything changes and i remember getting like people magazine cover and i was like i'm back motherfucker i'm so back and then i get it and i'm like whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa wait a minute and i'm like convinced i'm losing my hair

Just from the photo. Just from the photo. Oh, interesting. And... Just the light hitting a certain way. Just the light hitting a certain way. It's a scary moment. It's not a good moment. No. We don't like this. No. And so then I, you know, then I went on the protocol. So was that an immediate thing? I mean, because I remember, I remember Naomi saying, hey...

Sorry, I don't know how you feel about this, but I thought I would let you know that I noticed some hair on your pillow in the morning, every morning. Every morning. Yeah. Like, you know, once she started noticing it, she was noticing it. And I was like, oh, okay. And then I kind of got the mirror. And so there are an array of options out there.

Like, I remember buying something to rub on it. Do you remember when... And next time I have him on, I'm going to ask him because I always forget. McConaughey was doing radio ads for... For something and...

That you rub in your scalp? Yes, do you remember this? I remember hearing about it. Yes, yes. But the pill seemed like the easiest, most practical. It's the only. And it works. But let's... Are we familiar with what's going on in Turkey? No. What? Oh, it's bro. So...

This is weird. I can't wait. I mean, no, apparently Turkey is the new hair transplant capital of the world. And they like fly you out. They put you up in a hotel. I have heard of it. And it costs like two grand. Sure.

And you come back and you look like Adam Scott. Right. Like it looks good. It's unbelievable. And why Turkey? Is there a lenient regulation or something? I think it has something to do with like, why do I shoot my game show, the American Game Show, the floor in Ireland? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you really? I do. Whereabouts? Dublin. Dublin.

I'm about to go to Cork for like a couple months. No way. What are you doing? A movie. But Cork is out in the countryside. Oh, bro. Have you been there? Oh, I haven't been to Cork, but have you been to Ireland at all? I've been to Dublin. It's great. It's great. It's so fantastic. It's beautiful. That's interesting that you shoot the floor there. It's cheaper to bring 100 American people. Wow.

to Ireland than to walk across the lot at Fox. Right. Pass the sound stages and do it there. Crazy. Do you think if we shot Parks right now, we would be in Budapest? 100% we would be.

We'd be in Budapest. We would be... It's so weird. There's nothing shoots in Los Angeles. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. I had a... My next show already done, scripts, deals closed. Yeah. And they said, we're shooting this in New York. And I said, I'm not moving to New York to do this. And then it went away. The show's done. I'm not doing it. Wow. It's like...

No shit. Yeah, I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it. It's just too expensive to shoot here. There are no tax credits. So like all those other places are offering 40%. Yeah. 40%. Oh, yeah. And then on top of that, there's other stuff that they do. Yeah. And then that's not even talking about the union stuff. That's just tax economics of it all. So it's criminal what the California...

And LA have let happen. It's criminal. Everybody should be fired. It's a bummer. We have our office on Radford lot where we used to shoot parks. Yes. And it is quiet over there. Quiet. That place. When we were shooting our show. Hustling. Oh my God. Everything. Every stage was filled and working and it's really weird. Super, super weird. I love that little lot. Me too. It was a good little lot. Congratulations on Severance. Thank you.

The running. The running. It's a lot of running. The running. A lot of running. And I know we've talked a lot in the past about our mutual appreciation for Tom Cruise. Yeah. And you finally got your moment. You finally got your moment to pay homage to the master. I did. You know, and Ben Stiller also has an affinity for Tom Cruise. Oh. Obviously. Yeah.

I mean, there's nothing. Is there anything better than him playing Tom Cruise? Yeah. And then him providing the kind of platform for Tom Cruise to play. Is it Lou Grossman? Is that the name? Lex Grossman. Lex Grossman. I think. Yeah. Amazing. So, yeah. So, yeah. All that running. There's no way if you're running that much in a suit, there's no way you avoid any sort of comparison to Tom Cruise because he's the king. Yeah.

It's what he does. He is. It is what he does really, really well. Okay. So what, what is your, cause I know what my takeaway is from Tom Cruise run. Oh, okay. Tell me what is, well, no, no, no. You, you just did it. I haven't had the opportunity to sue. Why did Chris Traeger run? But it was never, I mean, that was a whole other thing. I ran a lot as Chris Traeger. Yeah, you did. And you also ran, would run in place. You would hang upside down. I did a lot of, of that, but I never channeled my Tom.

Yeah. Well, what I find is something that he does that's incredibly impressive is he's, you know, like at one point when we were shooting the opening sequence for the first episode of season two, we did a bunch of different stuff. And at one point I was on a treadmill with a harness connected to me and the treadmill was,

What we found was there was some uncanny valley thing that would start happening because if you're on a treadmill, you're running a consistent speed. There's no variation in your speed. Whereas if someone is actually running, there's constant variation in speed that isn't even perceptible to the human eye, but you clock it when you're watching Tom Cruise run. There's something very human about it because he's actually doing it. So we found that

In order for it to be realistic, I had to sort of run around on the treadmill just to make it inconsistent. It was super interesting. But then, or bordering on interesting, you're welcome. But the thing about Tom Cruise is he's so consistent. It's almost as if he is on a treadmill because you watch him. And it is just...

Yeah. And those knees are coming way up. The knees are coming way up. And the main thing is his torso. Yeah. Upper torso does not move. That's right. And he, it's almost as if the upper torso is just us sitting in a chair doing this. Yeah.

That's right. And it's just his arms and legs. It's just his arms and legs are moving. But he's also always in really uncomfortable clothes for running. He's not in like athletic gear and he has like dress shoes on. But then he's also as you know added in jumping from building to building and all this other cool stuff. I heard that because the

the sets weren't all built that you had to run over the course. You'd still do the running scene. Like episode six, you're like, oh, we're doing a little pickup from episode one. You're like, it was five months ago. Yeah. Yeah. It was whenever someone would come up and ask me to remind them which color Gatorade I liked. I knew we were going to do some running the next day. It's amazing. So we had our own little wrap party for the running sequence, like five or six months in. Oh, I like that. I like multiple things.

I like wrap parties during the shooting. You know, I know you were very nice for texting me after the Coppola interview. Man, what a great interview that was. He had, and the reason I bring it up is on Outsiders, we had a wrap party every week. You did? Like, what do you mean? Well, we'd wrap the week. Just like we finished another week. We finished the week. Let's have a wrap party. And for a lot of you, this was like the first real big thing. I thought, listen, it was my first movie. I thought at the end of every week, the director goes into the catering truck

And cooks pasta. Oh, man. While the crew waits around. Right. For him to come and sign off on a shot. Right. But he's like, yeah, I just got to boil this water and I got a little more parsley I got to get in. Did you guys just chill for a little bit? I thought that's how you made movies. Wow. Wow.

That's so cool. It was really unbelievable. It was so fun listening to you guys because it's so clear that you remember every nook and cranny of that experience. It's all stored up there. Yeah. Oh, yeah. As is when you're young, you remember everybody's names, their faces. Like I remembered the assistant video technician, Anahid. Yeah, you named her in the interview and he was like, whoa.

Yeah. Like we remember that. Remember that? Like today, we can't remember anybody. No, nothing. I can't remember. I barely know who your name is. Totally. But also, I think it's also because it was such a formative experience for you. You're not forgetting any details. No, no, no, no, no. And The Outsiders, it's The Outsiders. Like it is a seminal movie for all of us. Thank you. It was so important.

And also all you guys that are in it. It's just, it's one of those, I think it even outranks Dazed and Confused as one of those casts that just can't be beat. It's unbelievable. And probably the first time Tom ran. Yeah, he did do some running in The Outsiders, didn't he? Did a backflip off of a car. Jesus. And the thing that was interesting about Francis is I didn't want to, I didn't want to like,

ask all like the, some of the harder questions that I wanted to. Like I heard that we, we lost the financing during it. And that's why we had a month of rehearsal. Right. Cause he didn't want to let us go home. Right. And so do you think he was just like paying for hotel rooms for all you guys and just keeping you there? I'm pretty sure. Crossing his fingers that the financing for the movie would. That's right. I'm pretty sure. And like, then it was like, you know, I think you guys should really study gymnastics. Yeah.

Wow. What? Which we did. Yeah, sure. By the way, and again, like Tai Chi,

which I did ask him on the thing. I go, what does Tai Chi have to do with being a greaser? Yeah. Was that a big thing in Tulsa in the 60s? But like, that's the magic of him. But it was all about getting you guys in sync with each other. And because it really does, it comes across on screen that you guys are really kind of family and relying on each other. So that must be what the Tai Chi was about, to get you guys like in sync or something. I mean, I think it was just getting...

giving us something we had to wake up for in the mornings. Yes. So we weren't just ruckusing. Putting some structure out there for your day. I think there was a lot. Yeah. There was a lot of that. All right. I need to ask you about, was it Hardcastle McCormick?

What was the opening? Oh, the opening credits that we did? Yeah, I'm obsessed with that. We did Simon and Simon with Jon Hamm and I. Hardcastle and McCormick is such a good call. That would have been a good one too. Well, the one I wanted you to do that I was lobbying really hard for was SWAT. That's right. That's right. Because it has some of the worst. They keep cutting to, it's a van.

Yeah. It does. I don't even think it has. There's nothing on. It looks like a UPS truck. Yeah. And it's so clear that they're just rocking it. Right. It's not skidding out.

It's just a van rocking. Are you talking about like them driving it and the van being rocked while they're driving and acting? And the wide shots of it just going down the street. Right. Isn't that crashing? And then each character gets their freeze frame moment. Yeah. Everybody, please pull up the theme from SWAT right now and look at the worst Texas switch in the history of cinema. So the Texas switch is, as you know, when a stuntman like

comes through a window and drops out of frame. And then the actor who's been there the whole time pops up as if it was them. Yeah. Really bad. Because the timing has to be right. Well, it has to be off a little, right? Or if it's too perfect, it's fake. Right. And if it's

If it's not, if it's too long, it's fake. It's like you really have to nail it. If it's too early, if it's like immediate, it's obviously fake. Yes. And that's what this is. Oh, great. And it literally is a guy busting through a high window. Yeah. It's like shoulder height. Yeah. Yeah.

busting through it with a gun, shattering it, dropping out of frame. Yeah. And the actor comes up with the gun. Right. It's so... That's fantastic. And then I think they do another one of a guy rappelling. Wow. And he rappels and rappels and rappels. And then it cuts to the actor who's clearly already on the ground. Yeah. And he just turns around. Oh, that's great. It's so good. I love that stuff so much. We may need to do that. I would love to. I would love to do more of those. Yeah.

It's the greatest. Oh, God. That's SWAT. That's such a good idea. And the song is written by my neighbor. Really? I remember it was top. Who's your neighbor? Barry Dvorzan. And he also wrote In the City. Oh, wow. The Eagles. Wow. And Nadia's theme. What's Nadia's theme? Nadia's, you're too old, young for this. It was the Nadia Komenich theme.

Oh, I remember her. In the Olympics. Yeah. And she had her own theme. It's very sad. Did they play it while she was skating? No, she was a gymnast. Oh, she was a gymnast. It was all very sad. Yeah. And it's like when they would do the slow-mos of her. It was very... Wow. Yeah. And everyone was in love with her. Oh, everyone. Yeah. Everyone. Those were the... So I want to redo that stuff. Yeah. It's fun going back and looking at all that stuff. Yeah.

San Diego is a place that inspires positivity like no other place. So this is an ad for San Diego. I'm reading it. I just need to take a break from this and say San Diego is so cool. It is literally amazing.

Like my favorite, one of my favorite cities in the world. And my son Matthew and I, whenever we get a moment, go to San Diego. San Diego's good vibes and unique outdoor lifestyle offer a wide range of experiences to make your trip unforgettable. Everyone can enjoy the outdoors. Yes, that is true. Over 70, this is the real key, 70 miles of coastline to explore unparalleled scenery from deserts to beaches to

And there's so much to do for kids and parents alike, just like my son and I. Whether it's kayaking, a trip to the world-famous San Diego Zoo, or a day at Balboa Park, and what I would add, the greatest sport fishing in the United States. Whether you're soaking up San Diego's rich cultural experiences like the La Jolla Playhouse. How about that? There's plenty to keep you enriched when you're not enjoying the beach. And with its proximity to Mexico, you're sure to find some of the best and most authentic places.

Cali Baja cuisine, happiness is calling. Plan your trip at SanDiego.org. Funded in part with City of San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment Funds.

Literally with Rob Lowe is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the Name Your Price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

Macy's is celebrating Women's History Month by continuing their year-round support for women creators, brands, and causes. Shop woman-owned and founded brands from Macy's like Sunday Riley, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Fashion Fair, Patricia Nash, and Katy Perry. Macy's is also partnering with Girls Inc.,

to help girls grow through mentorships. Donate to Girls Inc. through in-store roundup or online to help girls grow through mentorship. What a great way to make a difference. Shop and support Macy's.com slash purpose during the month of March. So you're obsessed like I am with...

There used to be theme songs. One of the things I loved about Parks and Rec... Me too. ...is that we had a theme. Yep. And now they don't do it because they're worried about storytelling. They'd rather have the time for the storytelling. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I loved and I also loved that a lot of the opening credit sequences were made up of clips from the shows like Parks was as well, because as a fan of the show, it was sort of a thing that's put together for you of all the like fun moments from the show. That was really fun, too. But you're right, like the actual songs. It's just a lost art kind of thing.

Because often it was completely separate from the show. The network would hire like a jingle writer, like your neighbor, to come in and come up with something super catchy. I mean, I remember being in the recording stage when a full orchestra did the West Wing theme. That was amazing. Now, can I ask you a question? Was that... Was that...

a certain ways into the first season because I seem to remember the first few episodes it was like synthesizer to sound like strings and then they were able, they got the budget to actually do strings later. That could very well be. You know, that could be, it was the theme was always the theme. The same, yeah. And I think you're right. It would have been synth because nobody wants to pay. And what a theme. What, oh.

Oh, my God. I mean, and again, it's like... Snuffy. Yeah, Snuffy Walden. Yeah. But like, and like the Soprano, it's like, it's the same goddamn thing. And I never fast forward through it. Yeah. Never. Yeah, same. Gilligan's Island theme. Yes. You remember it? Yes. Are you aware of...

when the cast negotiated to have their mention added to the theme, which is my favorite thing ever. Is that, that's a, that came from the cast? Well, you gotta, you would think, because it was literally, they go through the whole litany of who's on the boat, right? Yeah. The skipper, Marianne, the professor, the movie star, and his wife. Yeah. The professor and Marianne. No, no, no, no, no, no. Originally, it was the movie star and the rest. There were two more people. Yeah.

Two more people. And the rest. And the rest. I would have been pissed too. Pissed? Yeah. And the rest? The rest. How hard would it be? Are you referring to me?

I'm the rest. Yeah, just us guys. And then, of course, then it became the Professor and Mary Ann. No, no, it was originally and the rest. So the Professor and Mary Ann. Not mentioned. Wow. That's my favorite. For me, that's the most memorable part of the song is the Professor and Mary Ann. By the way, Gilligan's Island shot at Radford where this parking garage is now was the lagoon where they shot all

All of that stuff. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. When I first came to California as a kid, a wide-eyed, bright-eyed, wanting to be an actor. Yeah. I remember being on a bus coming in for an audition going up La Cienega. Yeah. And I saw Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel. Yeah. And I was like, wow, that's, you've made it. Yeah.

You've made it when you're a TV. Your series is in year six and you've opened a lobster barrel. You have so much money, you don't know what to do with it. And Carol O'Connor's The Ginger Man. People don't do that anymore. Why do you, why does that? What was The Ginger Man? What was the? That was in Beverly Hills. That was in La Cienega, Hollywood. Wow. Carol O'Connor's Ginger Man. It was like in the heart of Beverly, Beverly Hills, like Rodeo Drive. Wow.

And it was kind of like a, it was a bistro. Yeah. And because he was the biggest television star. In the world. In the world. Yeah. Nobody does that anymore. No. I think that the idea, or if they're investing in restaurants, they're like a silent partner because they don't want everyone to know they lost all their money. That's right. When it goes under. Yeah. Yeah. The two lost things that I mourn, not two, of the many things I mourn. Yeah.

is the lost art of, you know, James Gandolfini's meatball shack. Yeah. The celebrity restaurant. That's great. And the celebrity softball teams. Yeah. That was fun. I mean, it was fun to, to, to watch. Did you do those? I did. I was, but I was with my small time agency softball team. Okay. And right agency. Oh, well, everyone knows the, don't we all? Yeah. And, uh,

And but you'd always get beat by the Gary Marshall happy days and Laverne and Shirley teams. They were it would murder you. OK, can I tell you something that my wife is and her friends are really in the pickleball right now?

where they go and play pickleball sometimes is Gary Marshall's old place in Burbank, right? Yes. And I go with her sometimes to play and to hang out. And we go in the backyard and it's everything as it was in Gary Marshall's

wife is so sweet and lets us go back there. But you go into the bathroom and there are framed pictures of that softball team in the bathroom. No way. And he would have the happy days cast over all the time in that backyard. I played in that backyard. You did? Okay. He also had a basketball. He had a weekend basketball game. That's right. There are pictures of that as well. And the basketball. Yeah. Very serious stuff though. Yeah. They were not messing around. I get the sense that they were. Oh, they were not. Yeah.

And you don't picture Gary Marshall as this gnarly athlete. He's like, hey, come on, we'll play, we'll drink, we'll slap a laugh. And meanwhile, he's a murderer. Really? On the basketball court? Oh, murderer. Wow.

And was Henry Winkler playing? Yes, he was playing. And, you know, again, Parks and Recreation. Yep. He is, without a doubt, if you voted on the most beloved, nicest man in show business, he would win in a landslide. Yep. Right? 100%. 100%. And it's 100% real to us. And you hear about how nice he is, and then you meet him, and it makes total sense because it's genuine and he is...

So kind. If you'd have told, you know, 12 year old me. I know. That one day I'd be working with the Fonz. I know. I'd be like, get the fuck out of here. Are you kidding me? You know, one day on the park set, we were shooting something and he, Billy Eichner and I were all chit chatting.

And he started telling us a story about when happy days hit and they would do these autograph signings and grocery store parking lots. And for the first couple of weeks, no one was there. Um, and they couldn't get anyone to show up to these things, but then one week it all changed and the place was flooded with like 3000 people. And it was this really cool story. And then in the midst of the story, um,

He went into the Fonz and did the Fonz for Billy and I just as a tool to tell the story correctly. And then they're like, oh, Henry, we need you over here for blah, blah, blah. And he's like, oh, excuse me, guys. And he walks away right after doing the Fonz. And Billy and I were like in shock. We couldn't believe that we had just seen this happen.

to see the Fonz do his thing right in front of you, it was, I'll never forget it. No, that's the thing is like, what I love about what we do and what I still get to do are moments like that. Yes. Where you're like, oh my God. Oh my God. Are you kidding me? I know. It is, it is unbelievable. As Ty Cobb said, it ain't bragging if you've done it. Yeah. I was at dinner the other night

And I was looking just, you know, you notice who's sitting around and there was a table of, you know, sort of older guy, you know, sort of stocky and the wife, whatever. And I get up to leave and he gets up and gets right in my face and stops me and says, I just want to say hello. And yeah, I really admire everything you do. And you've been a big part of my life. Yeah. I don't think that really means a lot to me because I'm Casey from Casey and the Sunshine Band. Really? Yeah.

And I'm like, if you get the, are you? I was like, and I'm instantly like, we need to get a selfie. Yeah. Can I take a picture with you? I need a 20 minute conversation. I need 20 minutes with you, boogie shoes. Wow. We're getting down tonight. Casey in the sunshine. I mean, come on. Wow. I'm going to say, wait, I'm sorry. You, what's like the great story I told you that you always love about Paul McCartney. Yes. It's Mike Myers and I at dinner with Lorne Michaels. Yep.

And, and Lauren goes, oh, there's Paul over there. Paul comes over and goes, oh, what do you guys do? I can't do a Paul. I make, I make Paul McCartney sound like he's from India. You're a really good mimic and impressionist though. You always have, you have ones that you wouldn't expect to. Sorry. Well, my Paul McCartney is not one of them. I thought that sounded great. Well, okay then. Okay. There you go. What are you all doing over here? Yeah. And he's, oh, we just did the 25th anniversary screening of Wayne's World. Oh, oh, Wayne's World. Oh, yeah.

That's a classic. Wow. I'm thinking, wait, wait, wait. No, no. Sergeant Peppers. Yeah, yesterday. Pretty good. Pretty good. Yeah. Right? But those are... Wayne's World. Didn't you also have a Telly Savalas run in when you were a little kid? Yeah, he fucked me. Yeah, he was like kind of a dick to you? Yeah, he fucked me over. Yeah. Yeah.

It's a great story. If I ever do my one-man show again, you've got to come. Oh, 100%. Because it's a big... And you were telling... It's a big throwdown part of... I'd love to see it. Big throwdown part of my one-man show is my Telly Savalas. Oh, really? Oh, great. Yeah, basically, it's this. I'm living in Dayton, Ohio. I'm eight years old. I want to be an actor. It's 1974.

Okay. Whatever the fuck it is. So that makes me 10. Sure. And Kojak is the biggest show that's ever been. He's as big as the Fonz, if not bigger. Yeah. And he's coming to- Huge. Dude. I mean, that show- Kojak. Like 70 million people. I don't know how many people watched TV back then, but it was like Super Bowl numbers now. Super Bowl numbers. And he's coming to Reich's department store. Okay. Yeah.

Because that was clearly a thing. Like, I was interesting to hear that the Fonz did. Like, I guess if you were a TV star, then you did two things. You opened a restaurant. Yep. And you signed autographs at department stores and parking lots. That's right. Those are the places that were big enough to, like, hold a bunch of people, I guess. So, he comes to Reich's

And I convinced my mom to let me get on the bus and go. I love that my parents were nowhere to be found. They're like, yeah, great. Get on the bus. Go see that actor. Yeah. Down at the department store. With a bunch of grownups. It sounds great. Wait in line. I get there and I like, I take my allowance and I buy him. Remember his thing was he had the lollipop in his mouth all the time. So I bought him a lollipop to give to him. And the line is huge. And I wait in the line. It's like two and a half hours.

I'm getting closer. He's sitting by a card table signing and now I can see him. Yeah. I'm getting closer. And that must have been a big moment seeing that it's a person. Yeah. He's a real person. Yeah.

He also, by the way, did not take Propecia. Yeah, clearly. Didn't. That was not. Or reverse Propecia. It would have been a career ender for him. Yeah. You know, there's the lid for every pot. That's right. And his didn't have hair on it. His had no hair. No. And I'm getting closer and closer. I get to him and they put the velvet rope down in front of me. Right in front of you. Right in front of me. Mr. Savalas has to go.

And up he went and off he went. Wow. Not even a sorry kid. No, no, no, no. Gone. I get it. He's probably under contract to go there for an hour and a half. It's an hour and a half. Sure, but... So, off he goes. And I...

look to his handler. Yeah. Like, excuse me, sir. I'm, I'm like probably two and a half feet tall. Go, would you mind giving this to Mr. Savalas? I brought it for him and I give him the lollipop that I bought, brought for him. He's sure kid. Absolutely. I will. That's really nice of you. Thanks so much. And I got on the escalator to walk, to go, to leave. And as I turn around to see the guy throw it in the trash. Oh, really? And that was, that was the, my first welcome to show. Welcome to show business. Yeah.

Threw it in the garbage. Garbage. So whenever, like in all, in all seriousness, like whenever, like I have any interaction with anybody. Yeah. I always remember. Yeah. The Telly Savalas garbage. Oh, a hundred percent. I, you know,

You think about, that sucks. I just like now look back and think of like little Rob. Eight years old. Eight years old. Took the bus. I'm probably in like. On his own volition went and bought a fucking lollipop. Oh, buddy. I'm so sorry. That sucks. Oh, buddy. Right? What a drag. Yeah.

fucking lame. So, that's why I'm the jaded old curmudgeon that I am. Well, it's why you're nice, you know? I mean, those lessons are really good because you're like, I never want to make someone else feel like that, you know?

This is an ad for Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo. Woo! That's a mouthful. But that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small. So whether it's buying tickets to the game with your mom or grabbing a coffee with your dog, earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases you've made with it. Say it with me. The Active Cash Credit Card.

from Wells Fargo. Learn more at wellsfargo.com forward slash active cash.

Terms apply. Literally with Rob Lowe is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

Macy's is celebrating Women's History Month by continuing their year-round support for women creators, brands, and causes. Shop woman-owned and founded brands from Macy's like Sunday Riley, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Fashion Fair, Patricia Nash, and Katy Perry. Macy's is also partnering with Girls Inc.,

to help girls grow through mentorships. Donate to Girls Inc. through in-store roundup or online to help girls grow through mentorship. What a great way to make a difference. Shop and support Macy's.com slash purpose during the month of March. Do you remember when we did the take off?

The parody of that where I was the biggest dick in the world for the promo for coming back on. I throw coffee in Aziz's face. Yeah. Yeah. It was so fun. I don't know. Like, I don't know people's. That was really fun. Was it for when we were off the air for nine months? A certain amount of time. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. By the way, what a brilliant idea.

I can't believe that we got to do that together. I'm so happy that we got to go into the show at the exact same time. There's certain things that you remember. I remember waiting for our cue to walk into that very first scene. Me too. Remember that? That was our first scene on camera, on camera. We're together. Yep. We're standing behind the door. There's just Matt, right? Yep. Just men. There's somebody with a, you know, walkie talking. Yeah. And then, and then we go and it's Ben, Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger. Yeah.

We didn't know what the fuck we were doing. I didn't. Maybe you did. I didn't. I remember after the first take, Dean Holland coming up and being like, so it is like a mock documentary. You know, that's what we're doing. But you don't need to keep looking at the camera. That's amazing. You don't need to notice it at all. We'll do like...

like talking head interviews later and stuff, but you don't need to, because I was, I guess, acting like, why is this cameraman here? Oh, that's amazing. I didn't know what to do. No. That's, well, you were the master of the look to camera.

That ended up, yeah, you're right. Well, not right that I was a master of anything, but you're right that we did end up doing the thing where we would look at a camera sometimes for like a punchline kind of thing. Yeah, I thought you were the best at it. 100%. Very nice of you to say. That was really, what a great just foreshadowing.

five years that we got to do that because we got to we came in two season a full two seasons into a show I did for a moment a podcast about Parks and Rec and I had never seen the show before we came on it I knew of it yeah it's so different oh yeah it's like a

I don't even know what it is. It's like an indie movie. They really started finding it on the road. Yeah. Like in while they were kind of figuring it out as they went. And then even when we came in, if you watch those early episodes when we joined. You were a huge dick. I was a total dick. Yeah. But also just the kind of speed. By the time we finished, the show had sped up so much. It was like.

six jokes a page. Like it was just going. Whereas when we started, it's just interesting to see how a show kind of evolves as it goes. It's a, if people are interested in comedy production, the, to pay attention to the editing and parks and rec is, I mean, they were micromanaging down to the frame. Yeah. I mean, the thing I always think about the most is the, and I wish I'd have been in the scene, uh,

I think you're in it where they all have to go present something on an ice rink and they have to walk out to that stupid song. I wasn't in it because that's the episode where I'm doing claymation and you come to help me out. No way, that's also claymation? Yeah, yeah. Dude, how about that? How about an episode? Well, that's another one with the editing is cutting out the REM song where they cut it out. Yeah.

is a laugh every time. Totally. And it's only because of where they choose to cut the song off. Yeah. It's perfect timing. Totally. That's a great... That's also Calzone Zone. Yes, I think so. I think it's Claymation and Calzone Zone. And you come over... I just saw it the other day. Someone showed it to me and I hadn't seen it in years. And it's so sweet that you're coming over to help me out and telling me like, you need to slow down. Yeah.

Like, you're going crazy. And I'm like, what are you talking about? And I am. I'm depressed. Oh, you're saying you're deeply depressed. Yes. Yes. But also the timing of those camera, Tom McGill and his team and the timing of their moves. Right.

really help, you know, responsible for so many laughs too, you know? What I love is born out of something that's organic, your love for REM. Yeah, that's right. Right? That's right. And again, the cut where I go, you pitch to me the calzone zone. Yep. The low cal calzone zone. That's right. And I go, that's amazing. Shotcut me. That is the worst idea. That's a terrible idea. Yeah. That timing of that is...

They just don't make them like that anymore. I know. They really don't make... And let the show kind of breathe and find itself. Yes. I don't know if the show would last that long now. Well, and also comedies today, that kind of comedy has fallen out of favor. Now, comedy... And look, I like the bear as much as the next person. It's not a laugh riot. No.

Mm-hmm. You know what I mean? It's a different thing. Yeah, it's like a dramedy, I guess. Yeah. Which I love too, but hard, like 30 Rock, I still watch on Arrested Development. Yeah, Arrested Development's so great. And 30 Rock, I mean. Golden Age. Incredible. Golden Age. Can you tell me what you're doing in Ireland or is it top secret? It's not. I'm doing a thriller over there about...

Trying to think how to explain what it's about. It's called Hocum. It's super interesting. Hopefully, it'll be scary and super weird. That's all you need to say. I'm doing one in Budapest. Oh, cool. But you'll love this. The reason I'm doing it is Crispin Glover. No way. As an alien. Really? Yeah, and I'm like, Crispin Glover, Alien Inn.

100%. I mean, I'm not crazy, right? But also getting to see you and Crispin Glover together. I mean, right? And by the way, it's independent film. I could walk out of the studio today and maybe the financing fell through. Right. And I may be, and Coppola will have me doing gymnastic lessons. Sure. But the fact of the matter is, like, I think you and I have a similar interest and taste in weird shit. Yeah. Like, you'd be down with Crispin Glover as Alien. Oh, my God. Right? I would pay money to be anywhere near that.

to see Crispin Glover do anything. I mean, that's really... Have you guys ever worked together? No. Never. But you were kind of in the same circles or adjacent? We were adjacent. I mean, the close... I would go visit

Eric Stoltz on the set of Back to the Future. Right. Before he was replaced by Michael J. Fox. You were on the set for the Eric Stoltz version? I was. Because we were shooting St. Elmo's Fire and they were in the back lot doing the diner. Yeah. And we were shooting St. Elmo's, which by the way, we're doing a sequel to. Are you really? Yes. Because of, did Bratz help? It was, it was, it,

Bratz helped it. And it was just like, yes, we are doing it. The script is being written. Oh, that is great. And everybody is, we may need you to come do be a cameo. I would do anything. I could be a waiter at the restaurant. You should be the waiter who's really just milking it. Like you should have moved on, but you're kind of, kind of like hanging out. You're kind of like hanging out. Keep checking to see if you guys are okay. Yeah. Wow. That is so fun. It'd be fun, right? Oh my God. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, let me listen. The script has to come in and we all have to like it, but everybody wants to do it. Everybody's on board. Everybody's on board. It was so satisfying seeing everybody, almost everybody in Andrew McCarthy's movie and everybody looks great. Everybody's happy. Happy and yeah. Family, just having a good life. Yes. Because for us who grew up with those movies, we,

It's like seeing family or old friends or whatever. It was really, really special. Yeah. And yeah, it was great. It was great. Yeah. My little son, John Owen, who you met when he was, you were so nice. Everybody is obsessed with the Catalina wine mixer. I mean, it's not just, it's not just my kids. I mean, everybody is. And I still, I came across it on my phone that you were nice enough to say,

fucking Catalina oh really for John Owen for John Owen for his birthday I just ran into John Owen at a concert like six months ago he's like a big fancy Netflix creator now it's crazy what's happened to that kid he's a grown up he's a grown up yeah

Why was I talking about John Owen? Why did I bring that stupid kid up? I don't know. You said I did a Catalina Wine Mixer video. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. But he just loves you so much. And you've always been great with kids. How old are your kids now? 18 and 16. Graham is graduating high school this year, going to school in the fall.

Frankie is 16. Unbelievable. I know. They were like little kids when we did the show. Remember our Halloween parties? Yeah.

They're so sweet. So sweet. Yeah. All the Parks kids are grown up. They're all grown up, but they would come and walk through the set and there would be candy for them to go. It was so sweet. Every Halloween. I love that we would literally shut the show down. I know. And have a Halloween parade like they do at school. That's what you're right. It's a Halloween parade. Yeah. The Parks and Rec Halloween parade. Yep.

God damn it. I know. We need to go back and... How fun was that? How fun... Those were great. But listen, now you're a fancy streaming guy, Fock. No. What are you going to do? Now we're streaming people. You're winning Peabody's and shit. No.

I mean, you know, you've forgotten where you came from. There's something so that I miss so much, which is why I never watch parks is because it just makes me sad. Yes. Yes. It makes me just miss everybody and miss the, and I didn't, I don't feel like I ever took it for granted because I was always appreciative of how fun and like how lucky we were, but it was just such a great place to go every day. And just having that job, um,

was we were really lucky. It was really fun. Well, I also, not every job

has the long-lasting friendships either. Yeah, that's true. And that kind of connection. Yeah. You know, look, it's a little mercenary sometimes. Yeah. And Parks is like, you know, you and Pratt and Amy and I, I mean, just everybody, Aubrey, everybody. It's like we're all on our thread. We're all there for each other. Yeah. And I love that. I think that's a function of

the kind of shows that Mike Schur puts together as well. Yeah, the fact that Mike and Amy were really kind of spearheading the show and the tone on the set and everything was really healthy and fun. And Ben Stiller should learn how to run a show, I think. I've got to talk a little bit about, I'm such a big Ben fan. Yeah.

I mean, he can do it all. Yeah. There's nothing he can't do. I mean, I don't want to say he's unheralded because he's gotten his flowers as he should. That said, I think he should get more flowers. I agree. I think he's one of our great filmmakers. Like when I saw Escape at Dannemora, I couldn't

But I was like, have I ever seen anything this good? Like, this is great. Agreed. And the director was invisible. It felt like we were watching a movie from 1976, you know? Like a great movie from 1976. Yeah, I completely agree. And I think that it's nice to see that he's getting the credit he deserves for what he's been doing. It's amazing. I was...

I mean, everybody talks about it, but I was with Downey during his trophy run. I did a lot of Q&As. Oh, cool. Great. That must have been fun. It was in my high school English class. Yeah. I mean, you know, history. Sorry, high school history. But we would talk about how amazing Tropic Thunder is and like that he could in Zoolander, which is the they're literally my favorite.

comedy is in that he can go and do severance yeah which is like there's nothing in that work that would lead anybody to believe I know he's the perfect guy for severance I I totally agree um and Dan Amor like those two things and then you put it up next to reality bites or tropic thunder or zoolander it's it's wild and uh or Walter Mitty even yeah another thing that's completely separate from all those things and um

Yeah, it's, and just as an actor too, to have a director like Ben, who is so, you know, kind of seeing the entire board, sees the matrix or whatever you want to, however you want to refer to it, you don't have to worry about, because you know, as an actor, sometimes a director asks you to do something and you're like, okay, but...

The car's going 40 miles an hour, right? If I do the thing you're asking, is it going to seem a little silly because she's... Whatever, you're thinking of eight things. 100%. Self-preservation, it's called. That's right. And sometimes you can see in a director's eye that they haven't thought of any of it. Yes. Boy, isn't it true? You know that they literally haven't thought of it. Sure. And sometimes it's experience, whatever it is. So, you know...

When you have a director who you know has thought of everything and beyond that to things you'll never think that you wouldn't even consider. That's right. You can just trust that you just focus on this one thing. And for me, at least, that's a...

That's a huge kind of, that trust is essential. Yeah. Well, I'm psyched that you get such a great opportunity and you're crushing it. Thanks, buddy. This has been great. Yeah. Thank you for having me. Love you, buddy. Love you too. Well, this is fun. Great to see you.

I could have talked to him for another five hours, but I know you have valuable time and I appreciate you listening. And I didn't want to keep you any longer than I already have because I love that man. And he just makes me laugh. Just everything about him. So thanks for listening. And thank you, Adam. Love you. This is great. But there's more to come. This is not a one-off. There will be more of these. In fact, next one is next week.

So don't forget to download. Tell your friends. Give us a good review on Apple. Subscribe. Do all that stuff because there's more right here on Literally. See you next week.

You've been listening to Literally with Rob Lowe, produced by me, Sean Doherty, with help from associate producer Sarah Begar and research by Alyssa Grau. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel. Our executive producers are Rob Lowe for Low Profile, Nick Liao, Adam Sachs, and Jeff Ross for Team Coco, and Colin Anderson for Stitcher. Booking by Deirdre Dodd. Music by Devin Bryant. Sports and Media by Devin Bryant.

Special thanks to Hidden City Studios. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on Literally.