Topher Grace: Wrap it up Counselor
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That's 15% off at SaatchiArt.com. S-A-A-T-C-H-I-Art.com. Ever wish your favorite TV show had twice as many episodes? Everyone knows that feeling, and so does Discover. Everyone wants more of their favorites. That's why Discover doubles another favorite thing, cash back.

That's right. Discover automatically doubles the cash back earned on your credit card at the end of your first year with Cash Back Match. Now that's a real crowd pleaser. Everyone knows how it ends. Double the cash back. See terms at discover.com slash credit card. Hey, how are you? What a pleasure to meet you, man. I can't believe I've never met you before, but I'm so psyched to do this. I know. We have lots to talk about. So much.

Let's get started.

We have a lot of people who we share in common. I mean, most of everybody, I would say the Turners. Dude, I just saw the Turners recently. And yes, I cannot believe. I mean, I believe why you worked with them. I can't believe why I worked with them. So the Turners, for those of you who, for those of you who don't know, Bonnie and Terry Turner wrote Wayne's World with Mike. I believe they might have written Wayne's World 2. They definitely...

They wrote Tommy Boy? Yeah. And they probably wrote a bunch of sketches when you were first on SNL, right? They were on SNL as high-end writers the first time I hosted and created hundreds of amazing... Do you know some of the famous sketches they created? Yeah. My favorite stuff they did is like

The really weird stuff. Like, I mean, I love, I mean, obviously Wayne's World was like the first movie that like, well, I guess Blues Brothers was a huge deal, but I remember thinking Wayne's World shouldn't work. And then when it was that good a movie, I was just so impressed. But they did like, do you remember that trucker sketch that Alec Baldwin was in where they're like, they're at some truck stop?

The weird ones they did are the best. And they're like art. That period of time when Phil Hartman was on and stuff, I'm so jealous you got to do that. It was a great time. And then the Turners, of course, created that 70s show. And Third Rock from the Sun. And when I was in... I went to boarding school in New Hampshire with their daughter. I remember when she was a little girl. She's in some of those sketches. I think she's the little girl in that It's a Wonderful Life sketch. They've just written so much stuff that I worship. And I worship them...

not ever thinking I'd be in entertainment. And then, uh, Lindsay, their daughter did the sets, uh, for this play, but I only did cause I had a tennis injury. It was like senior year of high school. And then I said, I'm going to USC and, uh,

They kind of came up to me and said, can we call you when you're out there? And I thought they meant to be, I don't know what I thought, but like maybe a PA or something. I had no idea. And I said like, sure, babe, Hollywood, like your people call my people. I was like, kind of blew them off. And she called me freshman year of high school and told me about the show. And the funny story we were laughing about, I just saw him when she called me. First of all, I think I was like high or something. And I was like, Bonnie, who? And I was like, oh my God, it's like my friend's parents.

And then she said, you know, we're doing an audition and it's for this. It wasn't called that 70 show that I forget what it was called, but she kind of explains to me. I said, sure. I got, I'm not doing anything. And she said, bring a headshot and a resume. And I said, okay, I know what a resume is, but what is a headshot? I mean, I never heard of that. Yeah. A headshot is like, like a sniper. Yeah. I got him with a headshot. You went down like a sack of potatoes. So she, she said, it's a picture that goes with,

the the resume so we know who's and i said okay got it and i brought like the the resume said like you know dunkin donuts and suncoast video and all these places i worked and then the the picture was just me and a bunch of my friends at six flags like it wasn't really in shock so i whatever but i think it was they were looking for someone who had no experience obviously that's

That's amazing that they... Isn't it funny how life works out? You're at school with their daughter, and then you end up... It's just insane. And that 70s show, by the way, may be the greatest title ever. Well, I think it was not... It was called...

days like these or Teenage Wasteland or something. And people kept coming out of the focus group and not remembering it, but saying like, well, I liked that 70s show when they showed them all the shows that year. Wait, I gotta stop you for a second, dude. I can't... I was thinking about doing this show this morning and I...

I like can't do a show talking about me where you're asking me the questions. Like, you know, like you're such an icon, man. And I just like to, I don't know. I listened to episodes. I'm like, how are these people talking about themselves? What do you not know about Hollywood that I could tell you? You know what I mean? Like everything. No, I, I, well, you're very sweet to say it. And, and I usually have a rejoinder or a, or a sub story for everybody's story, but

People on the message were like, Rob Lowe is a narcissist. All he does is talk about himself. He should let Matthew McConaughey do the talking. I guess when someone who you're peer maybe, you know what I mean? I've listened to some of those episodes. At least then you're telling parallel stories of like, well, I tried out for Titanic 2 or whatever. I can't imagine someone like me coming out here and not... You're talking about the Turner's 70s show, whatever. What was that like going to do SNL back then? That is...

I know everyone argues about the best time, and that is the best time in the history of that show, correct?

Well, as you know, cause I, I love SNL is a big, big subject of this because a, I grew up as a huge fan as we all did. You crushed on that. And then obviously they gave you all these movies because you were amazing on it. Thank you. It was a dream. It was a dream for me. That was the Superbowl. Like handsome, funny guys like you, Alec Baldwin, these guys who went on, who were surprisingly funny. That's still what their favorite thing is. I think, you know, and that's what, because when you think about it, that's what Chevy was in the day, you

You know, I mean, to find somebody who can be in that lane is super hard for them. And I think when people talk about the best SNL, it's whatever group you grew up with. I hosted it one time and Lorne Michaels said something to me about, you know, what's the best age of science fiction? It's when you were 13.

But, okay. So I agree with that. And I have had this conversation on my show. We have three ages. And so I feel it's like Phil Hartman group, like Caitlin, who plays my sister. She's probably, um,

early thirties. She's like, yeah, but Will Ferrell. And I'm like, oh yeah, he's brilliant. And then Jimmy who, uh, Jimmy Tatro kind of came up on YouTube and he's a really industrious guy and kind of made it into Hollywood by making his own stuff. He's like, yeah, but Lonely Island. Yeah. I get all of the, what's great about, you know, Eddie Murphy and Kristen Wiig and all that stuff. Yeah.

but give me a break. It must be Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Dan Hooks, Adam Sandler, Nora Dunn. Nora Dunn plays my mom on, on home economics. Yep. You know, they have those reruns that are on at like 2 30 AM. My DVR catches them. And it was the first episode that Dana Carvey was on. No, it's kind of the first episode of that whole, they kind of got rid of the cast. Right. And I think Nora and, and John Lovett stayed or something, but,

This whole cast came. So it wasn't just, it was like Phil Hardman and Dana Carvey and all those cats. And in this episode, he does the church lady and then he does chopping broccoli on the same night. And I was like, I just, I mean, I hope not that I'm like, uh, that I'm doing that. I'm self-centered. Cause that was the age that I discovered it. I really think that has to be the best. I saw that episode live. And I remember church lady being just going, this is the most revolutionary thing.

insane idea. That's always great when you get to see the first one of a thing that takes off, even when you watch one of the reruns and they're like, I don't know why I'm promoting SNL so much. It's probably not. So good. Now, am I crazy or did I hear about 10 years ago that you were developing a St. Elmo's fire program?

thing am i crazy yeah we um we got with joel schumacher and you know it didn't get very far but it would have it would have been i guess did you have a daughter someone had a daughter right um i'm trying to think who had a daughter

Oh, I did. I had a daughter. Yes. I mean, listen, I'm like my character. Do I have a daughter? Billy Hicks did not. He was not sure whether he had a daughter or not. But he kind of found out he did. No, no, he does. He has a scene where she's in the park. I'll never forget shooting it in the on the campus of Maryland, University of Maryland. Yes. It was like just a way to get into a world, a bunch of kids post-college in that.

And that's a good idea. Joel was amazing as you know, and I thought it was such a, and Jamie Tarsis was on it who, who recently passed. It was unfortunate. Um, she's amazing, but, uh, uh, yeah, it didn't get all the way there, but I, I love producing. I'm a producer on home ec and I,

It's like, it's such a great way to, to keep doing something that you have loved, but fall in love with it in a, in a new way. But that was the beginning of me figuring out, I made all my mistakes on stuff like that. Yeah. Right. People will often regular people, people who are not in show business, normal people, good people, not people in show business. People who aren't, don't have this disease, right? Yes, that's right. Good, good people, i.e. people who aren't in show business often ask me, what does a producer do? Right. And it's like, so they put up their own money. I'm like, Oh,

No. Sometimes they do. If you're looking at the credits and someone who was not on set and didn't have anything to do with it, then maybe they did help out in some way. But if it's someone who's there every day, all the time, you know, it's, it is sad. Not that I need any more credit, but when I see what my fellow producers do who on this show I'm on, who don't get any credit,

Yeah. It's sometimes even the cast doesn't really know. I'll tell you, I made nothing but mistakes my first

five or six years of producing because it's it's not like acting where you you can kind of accidentally be good at it which i was like i didn't think i was that good at acting kind of you know i had some on the job training but basically you kind of know how to do it or not like producing is a real learned skill but i did have some skills at the beginning first movie i produced was uh i cast our friend chris pratt in a film called take me home tonight take me home tonight before parks and rec i just seen him on something and i thought he was amazing and

I think he got some great agent off of it or something. So I take some pride in that.

isn't it great when you, when you, um, as a producer, when you discover someone or, or maybe they're, maybe they're not, maybe you don't discover them, but they're kind of like bubbling around and it's, it's the thing that gets, I was like, I've never discovered anyone like that. I was like literally in their daughter's high school class in New Hampshire. And, you know, they really took a chance on me, but I do, you know, on the show I'm on now, uh,

like I said, Jimmy Tetro, it wasn't like he was in 22 Jump Street. That's the first time I saw him. And then he was in that show, American Vandal. I don't know if you saw that, but it's like, I play golf with Jimmy over Christmas break. He's the most amazing guy. And, uh, so I did not discover him, but he wasn't on the list when we went in, you know, and I was like, I'm a really big fan of this guy. And, uh,

And then the amazing thing is because I'm an act, it's not like I'm a producer, but then I get to sit back and watch it. I get to, you know, that to me, I mean, I don't have a lot of power, but I was really excited to read with everyone and make sure the group was like a bunch of people I want to spend time with. Did they understand? Because I love American Vandal. I don't think there's anything to not understand. It's absolutely genius. American Vandal is so funny.

And so well executed. So well, it's kind of like the new Christopher guest, like a take on that thing. Yeah. Just beyond belief. Genius did, did, but that's a different world than the networks traditionally inhabit. Did they get it? Did they go, Oh yeah, he's, I see what you see in him. Um, he, it was like, can he come in and read? And I don't know if Jimmy wanted to. And tell me on, on Vandal, because I,

Kind of, I didn't really want to ask him because I didn't want to insult him. I literally spent my entire Christmas break with he and his girlfriend. We were on the same island and he's a pretty good golfer. He's getting there. Did he co-create that show? No. He's an actor that they found for it. He created his own show called The Real Brothers of Simi Valley. The Real Bros of Simi Valley. And he...

That's right. That's right. It's actually amazing. His generation, you and I didn't have this, where you have to rent a video camera and the lights and the sound equipment. And I always get so mad when someone who's trying to break in now says like, how can I get my work seen? And I'm like, well, there's a distribution thing called YouTube and you have a camera on your phone that's better than the camera you and I could have used. And I just...

I feel like, God, I'm so mad that wasn't around when I was younger. But Jimmy really, from when he was in college, was making his own stuff and had like a channel. And then he had this show and then he started getting cast in movies. And yeah, I thought it was...

not cool that they wanted him to come read. And I think I, with the director called him to kind of beg him, you know, this like weird dance you're doing where you're saying like, we want you to, we, and the minute he came in and read, it was so obvious. That's another thing I do think, I don't know where you are on reading, but try to like do it as much as possible. I even try to send in tapes sometimes instead of do meetings. Cause I'm like, I think people feel like they shouldn't do it after a while. And I think it's, you know, I love, I love it. I'm with you. I love, I, to me, it's, it's, um, it's, uh,

I'm a super competitive person. And anytime I get a chance to go toe to toe with somebody, I look at it as like, let's fucking go, Leo. Let's go fucking whoever. I'll fucking let's do it. So I, I actually, I actually enjoy,

um when i look i don't want to do it i really get offered a movie i look at it as the ones they're gonna offer me i don't want like so i don't even care like by the way it's true most of the time yeah yeah and the i remember the biggest one to me was i i said i i read black landsman because i um i wanted to read anything spike lee was doing and it wasn't like he said no it was like

And I don't think he did even know who I was, but everyone said no. And I made a tape with my wife, which by the way, my wife is still recovering from the language I had to use in this tape shooting in our basement. But I was so determined to,

And I think that's the only way to, you know, whatever, hop into a new lane is like, you got to show, you know, proof of concept or whatever. What it was to be a young actor today is very, very, very, very different than what it was. Certainly when I was coming up. Even when you were doing it, it's like, you know, I mean, anyone who did it from the 70s on, I guess.

That was all new. But I really wish they had that old studio system where you just show up and they... I don't know why the actors helped get rid of that. I guess they thought they wanted freedom or something. It would have been great for a guy like me because the studio system really, really knew what to do with people like me. That's right. It's kind of like a Cary Grant thing. Although I think he's one of the people who helped dismantle it. But if they figure out you're good in comedy and... Wouldn't have been great for Dustin Hoffman or De Niro.

or any of those guys. I mean, that's a really good point. That's what happened is like, you know, there's a certain lane of actors who helped Jack Nicholson. You know, I mean, there's a lot of great actors who never would have been stars in the studio system and that would have been our loss. But,

I would have liked it. The studio is what I just kept feeding me shit. And it would have been genius. Career longevity is the gold ring. I mean, you're like going for the title in terms of like length of career, like, and like, it's really working like, like hot projects. You know what I mean? Not like, Oh yeah, that guy's work. What do you attribute it to? If you had to boil it down, your fundamental attitude.

Like, which spills over into everything in life. I'm an optimist. I'm a glasses half full guy. Were you always like that? Always. Really? Like seriously, you're doing it when you're really young and you're, you're, I guess maybe you were probably so good looking when you were younger that you maybe didn't have some of those insecurities that some of us do. You know, but listen, that part of me also didn't serve me well because it's,

It's like, I take it super seriously, obviously, but, but at the, and the other part of it is I don't take it that seriously. Obviously. Do you know what I mean? It's a weird, it's a weird mix. Cause like, you know, when I came up with Tom cruise, he was just this super, he take it seriously. Oh bro. No, I'm just kidding. I was just kidding. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You can't imagine Tom taking anything seriously. And I always had a sense of humor about it and it's two ways of working, you know? Um,

And then, you know, I love to work. I do. I just, I'm about to go into a year where I literally will not have. I'm going to do a Netflix series and go back into Lone Star. It's a year of solid work because I love it. I still love it. ♪

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I definitely ratcheted down the career for the kids. I did do that. You waited until your youngest was what to go, okay, now I'm going to get serious. Well, ironically, I worked more than I ever did during the years, but it was all on television so I could be close. But it's when the kids got out of the house.

that I, that I started both podcasts, literally this one. So youngest goes to college. That's when you're like, let's ratchet it up a little bit. That's right. That's what I'm, I don't care. I'll work Fridays. I'll work till midnight. Um, I don't need it. I don't need it. I don't need two weeks off. I don't need Christmas. I don't need those, those bread. Yeah. That's when I just said, let's go. Yeah, man. Uh, TV right now for me, it's like, I work 15 minutes away from where I live. And it's like, I, I remember when I was doing 70 show, all the adults were like,

This is the best schedule. It's never going to get better than this. And I was like, I want, we're going to New Zealand for three years. You know, I just wanted to like, I want the adventure. And now I can see how it changes so fast. I remember when we were doing the West Wing, I would pass the friends stage all the time.

And they, and I'll never forget on the West wing, we would, we, by the time Friday rolled around, we would show up for work on Fridays at like 2 PM. Cause our call times had shifted so much. And they're like, by the way, here's all your new dialogue that you have to learn. Wait, I really, I want to know this when you're doing an Aaron Sorkin thing and the dialogue comes out day of,

I don't think I could do it. I've always thought if I did something like that, I would have in my contract, like I won't say any dialogue that doesn't come two weeks earlier because I literally can't memorize that stuff. You could. You know why? Because all actors can memorize great dialogue faster than bad dialogue. Oh, because it's so good. It kind of has. I'm just telling you, there's something about I know that there is a line that I cannot remember.

in a scene. Like I always keep, maybe I stumble on it or I keep getting, I know that means it's a bad piece of writing because if it's, if it's good writing, you do not forget it. No one ever forgets good writing. Why would you? You're so happy to have it. That's amazing. I just, I'm so bad at memorizing. People ask me like, is that hard? And I want to say like, that's the, that's the easy part of it. But I actually think that's, I wouldn't say it's the hardest part. I'd say it's the homework part. Like I can't,

I get why these guys put this stuff in their ear. Oh, the earplug guy. Who have you worked with that's worn what they call an earwig? So for those of you that this is the best, there are certain actors. I think Brando made it fashionable.

where he eventually got so bored and so self-loathing about being an actor that he put in a little earpiece and would have an assistant give him the dialogue while he was acting. So he never had to even read a script. Yeah, but here's my beef with that is one, I don't understand how someone is saying the line and you're saying it. Like I, it just, I'd be like, hang on, like stop talking so I can, you know, and then it would be all, I don't know.

Maybe that's a skill in itself. I knew news reporters do it, so it's possible. The second thing is, I think the memorizing it over and over again is the, and this felt different to me after I did theater for the first time, which like 10 years in, I was like, oh, the work on it

is the thing. Like when you show up, it's because like you, there's things you don't know on your 10th time around about it. And it sucks to memorize, but I get why when you're, I've never met Johnny Depp, but I hear he's one of the people. Here's my favorite. Here's what I hear about Johnny. This is the best is I, he uses the earwig, but it's not for dialogue.

It's for music. So he's listening to music. That's actually great. Maybe that's great. I mean, is that that actually I actually think that might be amazing. So he's like listening to, you know, Led Zeppelin's Tangerine while he's getting Jack Sparrow's big speech at the mast of the ship. Or, no, if you're listening to score or something that might really because some of the stuff you have to do.

I did a small part in Interstellar and it was actually hard because the thing was so... You know these kind of... Do you know what I mean? They're so big. You're kind of like, am I overdoing it? And then you go, there's no such thing as overdoing it. You know, the world's about to end and you're looking up at the sky and whatever. But I...

I get it. It's always someone who's a legend. Like it's, there's never someone new who shows up on set. No, it's all, no, it, and it's always someone usually of a certain age. And look, I do the memory as we know is something that as you get older, uh,

it certain people lose it quicker than others and so there's a medical thing too what do you think though some of these guys you've worked with some of them if they if they just don't want to do what i don't want to do like is a full day of work of memorizing stuff it's i honestly think that they honestly can't do it i really do think they've honestly lost a step in that direction i really really in that case i actually understand it but uh

But I feel like my read on it was that it's kind of like, how do I put in this much work, become this much of a legend, and I still have to

sit around with my assistant, like running lines and now maybe double the amount of time because I'm older, but I hope it's what you're saying. Yeah. And the other thing is it's, uh, people talk about muscle memory and I don't really know so much about that because I'm not an athlete per se. Um, but the muscle memory of memorization is a real thing. I handle so much dialogue on a daily basis that I can, I can look at a brand new scene, read it once and

and have, I would say solidly 70 to 80% retention. Yeah. As the season went on, cause I've never done single camera comedy. I've only done like four camera where you have the whole week to rehearse. But as the season went on this year, I was like, it felt weird. Like that part of that frontal lobe of my brain was, uh, more developed or something. I just was getting a little faster. Yeah. My, my brain after all these years is, um,

is gigantic on one side and atrophied to a P on the other side. Like I literally have, like, I can't, the other thing I realized is so awful is, is we're, you know, what people don't realize is actors are led around all the time. Like literally there's someone with a headset and a clipboard leading you around all my life is this knock, knock, knock 10 minutes. They need you in 10 minutes. Knock, knock, knock. They need you now. And then you come out of,

your trailer office, and then they take you to a place you've never been before. So you have to be led. And it gets to the point where I'm, I feel like I'm on my days off. I'm like a 90 year old man who doesn't know where he is anymore. At a really high level. Do you think like,

You've seen them all like turn over like five times, like whatever Jennifer Lawrence is now, you know, who the one was before that, the one before that. Yep. And, and, and ever not just to pick on her and anyone who's in any given role in Hollywood or any like archetype or something. Do you,

Like, what does it feel like? Does it feel like even to me? I've only been in 20 years and I feel like it's like a battlefield where everyone's dead. But I'm like, oh, there's Chris Pratt. I see a couple of people I've worked with. The ones I really see are the ones where someone made a decision somewhere in the smoke filled room that the trilateral commission.

made a decision that this is the person. By God, this person- And it's never the guy, right? And it's never, ever, ever. That's so true, man. I've seen a couple of those. It's usually before a strike too. There's like, we got eight projects. We got to get them going before the strike. This is the dude. And I'll see some person in something again and again and again and go, that person's never been in a hit.

America's voted. What's going on? I feel like some people are really great. I feel I'm always so bad when I go in a casting room, and I feel like some people are really great in the casting room, but maybe not on the, you know, they don't want to turn on as much on set. What was it like working with Nolan, Chris Nolan?

On Interstellar. I know you just came in for a bit, but that's even harder to do when you come into a big thing like that. It was, I mean, I did it just to have the opportunity to. Of course. All my stuff was Jessica Chastain and she's amazing too. And it was, the thing about Chris Nolan was one, he's really funny. He'd be one of those guys I'm sure you'd get along with. Like he's just a really, you wouldn't think he's funny because of the subject matter of his films. Really dry, funny guy.

And, um, and we started joking around, um, his wife's lovely too. And she's his producing partner, but I started joking around with Chris and it was, it was, uh, like, like we were really rough housing. Like, you know what I mean? Like he was so drunk. I think I said something.

Like I was actually talking about the scene. He said something to me, like right before he said action, like try not to screw up my whole movie or something. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. But he's British. He did it without any dry. Yep. So dry. And I was like, uh, I think he's kidding. Oh no, no. He came up to me at the end of a scene and was like, honestly, we just have to move on.

And it was so dry that I was like, either he's messing with me or I'm doing so badly that I'm going to be cut out of this film. So I just said to him, because I was like, I think he's messing with me. I said, hey, Chris, you yelled cut, but please wait until I snap.

because then you'll know when to cut the film later. Amazing. And he was like, very good, very good. I mean, it wasn't like he was laughing or anything. He was very dry British humor. And then it was on. Like every time he came to give me a note, I remember Jessica was like sweating because she was like, I don't want any part of this. Like it's too, and she was doing a lot more head-picking in the film, but it was like too, like he was like, well, you know, I think he gave me a note once where he said, try literally anything else.

That's amazing. I love that. Anything beyond, besides your instinct or whatever. I mean, it was like, Oh, this is great. We were having so much fun. And then the last day he came up to me and he goes, Hey, actually good job. And I said, Oh, thanks. He goes, where was that guy? The whole movie. That's really funny. No. And there's a coda to it, which is my wife bumped into him somewhere with someone that knew him at some restaurant. And he goes, uh, she said, Hey, I think, uh,

you know my husband, you just worked with him. This is right before the movie came out too, so you've been working on it. And he goes, oh, who's your husband? She goes, Topher Grace. And he goes, no. Amazing.

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All set for your flight? Yep. I've got everything I need. Eye mask, neck pillow, T-Mobile, headphones. Wait, T-Mobile? You bet. Free in-flight Wi-Fi. 15% off all Hilton brands. I'll never go anywhere without T-Mobile. Same goes for my water bottle, chewing gum, nail clippers. Okay, I'm going to leave you to it. Find out how you can experience travel better at T-Mobile.com slash travel. ♪

Qualifying plan required. Wi-Fi were available on select US airlines. Deposit and Hilton honors membership required for 15% discount terms and conditions apply. I've never, ever, ever worked with anyone who's legitimately funny, who also wasn't super, super, super, super, super smart. Speaking about geniuses, I'm thinking about Bonnie and Terry Turner. My experience with Wayne's World was in eighth grade. I think I was in eighth grade or ninth grade when it came out. And I remember thinking,

this is going to be stupid because it was based on a sketch. I mean, how could that be good? You know what I mean? Like, Oh, when I met Mike Myers, when I met Mike for the first time and we were, he was right, we were writing, I was in the writer's room on SNL and he's a writer star of the show. And he goes, do you want to do a sprockets or a Wayne's world? I said, Wayne's world is not from, I don't get it. I don't get Wayne's world. I truly don't get it. And I get it as a sketch. No, I like sprockets sprock. I was a sprockets man where Mike,

played the German. Sprockets is great. I mean, it's yeah. So if the first time I did the show, I'm doing sprockets. So when they did the movie and came to me, I was like, I don't know. And even you thought like this isn't going to work on a whole host of levels. Like, and then, and then, and then when did you know it was working?

Oh, I'll never forget it. One of the things I look back at in my experience and it's I will literally never, ever, ever forget being in a test screening. So you didn't you didn't even know it was good the whole time you did it. You kind of thought, who knows? It was I knew it was it was working for what it was. Right. You just didn't know what that was. Right. Yeah. I mean, like I've been on movies where you go, oh, this is bad.

Or we're not executing what I hoped we did. It wasn't that. We were executing what we were there to execute, for sure. And everybody in it was at the top of their game and super smart. And in that moment in their lives where they're completely plugged in. So it felt great the whole time. But I sat in this little screening room in Paramount with a test audience who didn't know. Oh, and they were going nuts. Well, when...

Bohemian Rhapsody came on. Right, right, right. And I talked to Mike about it. We both, we turned and looked at each other. I've never, ever been a part of anything ever like that, ever. It was his first time watching it with an audience. Yes. That's actually special that you got to be there. That's crazy. When they talk about the place erupting, they would have pulled the seats out if they could have. And the bits in that movie are so like...

um, concrete strong, like, and it's really bits. Like they're doing like this bit with the subtitles. They're doing this bit with the member, the product placement. Oh yeah. They're literal. Like, and I learned a lot. I learned so much. I mean, I learned about, and Mike then took it to the next level with the Austin powers movies where, um,

It's like you, you, you know, you, you, you can do modular comedy. We're like, if that, if any of those bits don't work in theory, they can be taken out. Oh, I never thought about that. That's right. It's like, kind of like you're testing out sketches in a sketch show and then whatever sketch you don't like, you just cut before air or something. You just take it out. Like that product placement bit in Wayne's world, which is super funny. It could be, it could, it could be taken out in two seconds and the story wouldn't suffer at all.

So when you get to like the, certainly when you get to the third act, but deep into even deep into the second, every joke, every joke, no matter how funny has to move this story. Like you can do flights of fancy. Like we were just talking about early on. That's so interesting. You,

It like the dream girl and stuff like works. Cause it's like the first act. That's right. You, if you do dream girl in this late in the second act or in the third act, it doesn't work. It's a really important thing. Cause the audience is like, hi, yeah, we get it. Okay. I got to get home. I got kids. How's this getting us to the finish line? Even if they don't know they're thinking that they are. Oh. And also it's like, it's like a judge in the beginning. You're like, I'll allow it, but I want to see where this is going. But then like, that's exactly it. But the end, you go, let's wrap it up. Counselor. That's exactly it. That's exactly it.

And then Tommy Boy was, now you thought this is, look, when I saw the, this is again, my experience with Tommy Boy, which I guess I'd maybe met Bonnie and Terry at like a parent teacher conference thing or whatever. But like, I just knew they'd written it. Like when I saw those two guys in a trailer and I was the target audience, like I was probably in 11th grade or something. So like I, like you couldn't want

someone more than a 17 year old male to come see that film. Yep. Like I knew,

I haven't felt that way about so many films where you go, that is the two guys. That's the perfect pairing. That's the way to do it. Like, I was so excited about that film and then it delivered on the whole thing. It's of all of, including Wayne's World in a way. I mean, Wayne's World is like, is iconic, but Tommy Boy is the, is the movie weirdly enough that like resonates with people in a, with a staying power that I certainly never, ever experienced.

expected. And I know it's got an emotional quality that Wayne's world wasn't actually, I mean, I guess they were friends. That was like the most emotion that was there kind of, you know, a 70s show was sold as they went into Fox and said, Wayne's world meets friends. And if you think about it, there's so much crossover and it's because of Bonnie and Terry, but the, the basement, uh,

Seven shows exactly. And what's crazy about Wayne's World is because I think it's Bonnie and Terry talking about their and Mike, I guess, talking about their teenage years in middle America. That's right. It's middle Canada or whatever. It's like nothing happens. I mean, that's why I think Wayne's World is too tough because there was like stuff happening and it's better when kind of nothing happens.

And it also, I guess Wayne World takes place in the 70s? Like, it doesn't. It takes place in the 90s. But it isn't. Every song on the soundtrack is from the 70s. And all of the things he did were in this. Yes, that's a really smart thing. I never really noticed it. You're right. It's Mike's childhood, which was the 70s. But it's not a 70s show. So Bonnie and Terry finally got to do...

with your show, actually put those jokes in the time with which they remember them. It's kind of the same. I mean, first, it's like, I didn't get it. When I was a teenager in the 90s watching it, I thought, I don't know what these songs are. And they were kind of like, Tia Carrera covers a bunch of 70s songs, and there just are a bunch of 70s songs. But it wasn't like, Queen was on the radio in 1993 or something. That's a big, funny moment where I learned Mike...

is the king of fighting for what he believes in. I mean, literally. But the studio didn't want that or something? Oh, no, no, no. And Lauren, who never whiffs, rarely, on this one, was like, I mean, maybe Guns N' Roses? And Mike was like, no, no. How about no? No. It's Bohemian Rhapsody. That's what it is. Quit sliding songs under my door.

that are on the top 10 and then what is the one moment that i will never forget that the audience went ballistic bohemian rhapsody it was funny i'm realizing as i'm thinking about all this 70s stuff is you're from the 90s in that movie that's what it is i am from the 90s oh look at this look at the outfits and even where they live is like a 70s suburban community but you know it's really true um

um, Topher Grace, we, we didn't even get to half of the fun stuff that I wanted to get to with you. I'm just so, I honestly, I'm honored to talk to you. I grew up watching so much of your stuff and, and then kind of being able to be a part of it a little bit in the ways we're talking about. And I just, I can't believe I've never met you. I know, I know we, I, well, we should figure out a way to do that. Cause we have so much, so much stuff to talk about. I would, I w I would love that. Um, congrats on the show. Keep plugging away and, uh, tell us

Tell Jimmy, I said, what, what up? Yeah. You know, that's what we're gonna have to do. I'll get together. Maybe we'll take, we'll get the star map and find out where you are. And then, you know, don't be a jerk about it. Let us in. What a great guy. What a great guy. It's so fun when I get to talk to people that I've never met. I mean, there are plenty of people I've never met, obviously, but, um, you know, I think the interviews are different.

When I have somebody that I know really well and to get to know somebody a little bit while I'm talking to them is really, really cool. And I had a great time. I see the light is flashing. Let's have a little gander at the low down line. Hello, you've reached literally in our low down line where you can get the low down on all things about me, Rob Lowe. 323-570-7000.

4-5-5-1. So have at it. Here's the beep. Hi, Rob. This is Nancy from Westchester, New York. I really enjoy your podcast. My favorite was the one with Patton Oswalt. Hearing you crack up together made me smile and laugh out loud. Thank you so much. My question is, what makes a favorite guest for you?

Thank you. Thank you so much, first of all, for listening. And please tell all your friends. It's funny. I think a lot about, you know, as I'm trying to book guests for the show, who I want to have on the show and what makes a good guest. And I kind of think there are two guests, two types that I love having on.

One would be people that I've never met that I'm a super nerd fan of. You know, and that's the Kenny Loggins, Lindsey Buckinghams, you know, people like that, where I get to ask them questions I've always wanted to ask them. And the other are sort of my peers and contemporaries where we just goof and have a really good time, like you alluded to with Patton Oswalt. I love people who are quick on their feet and

And who can just riff. And, you know, we kind of talk about nothing, but also everything at the same time. So it's I feel like the show has two kinds of episodes, hilarious and fun. So thanks for listening. Appreciate you. Don't forget to subscribe to the show. Don't forget. Also, we've got Parks and Recollection out there. It's pretty great. We go through every single episode of the comedy classic. At least they tell me it's a comedy classic.

I don't know if I can say that because I was in it. People tell me it's a comedy classic. You know what? It's a comedy classic, but for what I brought to it. What I brought to it was just like whatever. But everything else, total comedy classic. So Parks and Recollection. Be sure to check it out. And I will see you next week on Literally.

You've been listening to Literally with Rob Lowe, produced and engineered by me, Rob Schulte. Our coordinating producer is Lisa Berm. The podcast is executive produced by Rob Lowe for Low Profile. Jeff Ross, Adam Sachs, and Joanna Solitaroff at Team Coco. And Colin Anderson at Stitcher. Our researcher is Alyssa Grahl. Our talent bookers are Paula Davis, Gina Batista, and Britt Kahn.

And music is by Devin Bryant. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next week on Literally with Rob Lowe. This has been a Team Coco production in association with Stitcher.

At Ashley, you'll find colorful furniture that brings your home to life. Ashley makes it easier than ever to express your personal style with an array of looks in fun trending hues to choose from, from earth tones to vibrant colors to calming blues and greens. Ashley has pieces for every room in the house in the season's most sought after shades. A more colorful life starts at Ashley. Shop in store online today. Ashley, for the love of home.

All set for your flight? Yep. I've got everything I need. Eye mask, neck pillow, T-Mobile, headphones. Wait, T-Mobile? You bet. Free in-flight Wi-Fi. 15% off all Hilton brands. I'll never go anywhere without T-Mobile. Same goes for my water bottle, chewing gum, nail clippers. Okay, I'm going to leave you to it. Find out how you can experience travel better at T-Mobile.com slash travel. ♪

Qualifying plan required. Wi-Fi were available on select U.S. airlines. Deposit and Hilton Honors membership required for 15% discount terms and conditions apply.