Dermot Mulroney: Kombucha Trouble
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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. Dermot, man, so good to see you. Oh, gosh, thanks, Rob. I appreciate you having me on your super popular show.

Hey, everybody. It is literally with me, Rob Lowe. Yeah, this guy, this guy. If I have to hear one more story from my wife about how hot Dermot Maroney is, it could end. It could. One of Hollywood's longest running marriages could end over Dermot Maroney. I mean, not that I disagree with her. I mean, look at the man. He's something else. But but he's here today.

Yes, he is. And I'm going to get to the bottom of all things Dermot Moroney related. He's one of the nicest guys ever. Let's get to it.

This has been the most fun. I got to tell you, I love doing this show. I love if you go through the library, you'll see all kinds of people you've worked with and you know, and they're super fun. I know I don't hardly have time. I would spend all day listening to you and reading what you've written. If

If I could, but I haven't quite squeezed it in yet. I don't know if you're recording or whatever, but I can speak volumes about your first volume, which I know I touched on when I met you, which really, really struck me and I thought was brilliant writing. And I think about it so frequently.

the writing of your first book. I'm sorry that with the title, but your memoirs stories, I only tell my friends, gosh, that really stuck with me. And it really meant a lot to me when I was reading it. I was kind of like compared and, and knew some of those feelings and just thought you had such a, you did such a great job of breaking in, you know, great story to tell. I really appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And it's, and I always love when people have read,

the books and because it really is when you write your your

your story, you know, your memoir, it's you, you know, and we work mostly in such a collaborative medium that anything good that we've ever done, there've been a thousand hands making us look good. Right. And, but when it's, when it's a book, it's, it's all you for better or for worse. Right. Well, really in your case, in the way you write, I mean, I don't know how else to put it. The writing of your writing is also really good. You're telling a great story, but

The way you wrote it really touched me, Rob. Oh, thank you. For sure. I have a great photo of you, me, and Dylan Dermott. It's the best photo. I posted it on my Instagram. It is such a great photo. I know the photo. I know the fly-by moment that you created when Dylan and I were pretty much for the first time seated at a restaurant having a...

Hell of a time. Swapping stories. You got to tell me because like, so one of my best friends, God bless him, passed away a couple of years ago. Bill Paxton was always, he was the best. He was a role model and an idol of mine as an actor and how he comported himself. Everybody loved Bill, such an awesome friend. Everybody loved him. But, and he was always, everybody was a go, wait, Bill Pullman? Yeah.

No. Or Bill Paxson. And like, but people did all the time. And sometimes you have that with, with, with, I hate to say those are bills. So that's different. That's like, that is different. Another Rob in a room happens all the time. I know. And term it. It's,

It's a different category, similar. But I think they're actually with the Bills, Paxton and Pullman and others in there. They're confusing them with each other. That is not the case with Dylan and I. They're just mixing up our names. They know precisely that I'm me and he's him. It's a name mix up. So when you finally met and hashed it all out, how was it?

Just two ways of telling the story. I could go from the first meeting, and I've told that one before, or I could tell you that really he finally gave in and cast me on his TV show. Amazing.

He finally let his card down and let me inside the castle. Yes. So I appeared on that super popular Fox sitcom called LA to Vegas. Oh, that's right. It was a situational comedy.

And you were the pilot though, right? I was the rival pilot. I flew international. Oh, see, and that's- And he was just doing that junk run LA to Vegas. So I was like a step above him. I remember when that show came out, I was going, and these are only the lessons you know, having starred in many shows that bomb, of which I've certainly had more than my share. Rob, you're such a great leading man. Go on. Well, you're nice to say it, but believe me, there's many a dud.

And you go, I go, I wonder how long it's going to take them to realize they've got to get off those planes. And how quickly are they going to get off those? Like, I just, and sure enough, like how quick can we get out of this fuselage? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I was there a few days and we had a plane.

boxing match and toe-to-toe pilots showing down and all of within which of course there was you know this this subtext between dylan mcdermott and dermot moloney um iping though which is that see i always mix up the former and the latter anyway i'm the second one um right that day

Come to think of it, I don't know. Here I'm telling out of school a little Dylan. Oh, you got it. You got to tell out of school. Come on, let's take him down. I love him. Let me just say that deeply. And at the time he had a couple of, you know, kind of quirky, quirky habits. One's chapstick. You've seen it. A lot of people have it. But by the way, certain people are addicted to it.

Addicted to Chapstick. I have a friend who's addicted to it. I won't comment anymore on that. Probably shouldn't have at all. But the other bears on my experience with Dylan, he enjoys a little kombucha. Maybe after a whole scene's over or something, someone would bring him one. I might have some, I don't know, some still water from a bottle or hopefully. Kombucha. Yeah. And so he says, here, you ought to try some of this after we're done shooting an active day.

Um, comedy acting. Um, so I did, I tried something. I had probably a good, you know, low ball glass full of it. Middle of the night, I wake up, it's coming out of both ends. I'm not supposed to have kombucha. I don't know how I found that out. And there wouldn't, he tried, Dylan McDermott tried to poison me. Tried to poison you. Backstage at Fox studios. So I drag my decimated ass into the stage the next day.

uh and have to like sort of strip down and have a boxing match with the guy so he almost you know he almost took me out but you know really what he did it made me real slim i was gonna say he was he was he knew the next day he had to have his shirt off and he was just you know instead of doing a colonic just helping a dermot out this just help a dermot out um hey well the truth be told uh

I never met an American man named Dermot until in recent years. One of them has two Ts. One pronounces it Dermot. So I'm still the only one that I know of. And we also all know that we couldn't have the name McDermot. We couldn't have a Dylan McDermot without Dermot.

So he knows that we're square on that. In fact, I proposed to him and we are indeed going to get married. I think you should. Yes. I think it's a career move at this point. He said yes. So you were... I got a story for you. So you were in Young Guns. Yeah. Two or one? No, Young Guns won. I didn't make it to the final credits. That's right. So...

Stop me if you've heard this. I might have glanced. The day they announced that there was a Young Guns 2, Green Light on the next movie. Yes. Was that day. It was the day they were shooting me. Yeah. They stopped at lunch and everybody said, stop, stop, cut. Hey, great news just come in from the Los Angeles. We've got a sequel. People are riding around bucking horses.

While they're rigging me for squibs to take me out of the sequence. Couldn't you have said, can you make my wound more like a wound instead of a death shot? I suggested an evil twin that come back as some sort of doppelganger in a dream. They wouldn't fall for it. Damn it. Well, my wife was the makeup artist. We were not married at the time. Cheryl. She was the makeup artist. And boy-

So all of you people out there. I know and love your wife. I've seen her once since that time. But we were all there. We all know how beautiful and what an incredibly formative experience that was. So bless her. Will you please give her my deepest, honest, and love? I know precisely. I remember everything. How beautiful and what a big part of making that movie she was. And that whole trailer.

Jeannie Van Fughe, who designed Dirty Steve's Makeup, who I got to work with a few times. And so bless you all that were there, Cheryl. That was a great. So of all the studs, of all of the young guns, and there were a lot of young guns for my listeners today.

The one that everybody thought was the hottie above all was my guest today. Forget the Charlie Sheens. Forget the Emilio Estevez's. Forget the Lou Diamond Phillips. Forget the Tom Cruise coming in for a day and hiding under makeup to be an extra. Forget all of them. There was only one hottie.

That everyone coveted and it was you, my fine sir, and I tip my cap to you. Well, Rob, I was really following, I was snapping at your heels, following in the path that you had cut for young leading men in Hollywood. So they gave me an end around by giving me a couple of great early hits.

character roles to disguise the fact that I was, as you are, a leading man, like a longtime companion in Where the Day Takes You. So I went in under the disguise of being like a character actor and was so blessed with incredibly diverse, kind of really incredible roles and

But, you know, you were the first wave. You broke down the bastion of ancient old Hollywood, you and your cronies and your Malibu ranch types. That's right, baby. And I'll say thanks because it really was a trail being blazed by you guys when for the first time Hollywood had 19-year-old men and girls, pretty and pink, risky business, all of that right then. Paris Bueller.

Your work, just incredible. The films, and they let me in.

Thanks to you. Really. They were looking for more guys like you. Longtime Companion is such a great movie and so ahead of its time. Oh, my God. And if you were to watch it again today, it could have been. It's timeless. Wow. It's absolutely timeless. You said time at least two or three times already talking about Longtime Companion. And that's one of the things that made it a magical film.

Even if it was about some other topic in a group that interrelated so closely as these men did in that story. But the thing I pointed out before is it's an eight-year history leading up to the present for when the film comes out. So at the end of that movie, you're grieving the loss of eight or nine years of friends and family. And we're where we are today. When that movie came out, it came up to the day of...

I guess I'm explaining in a clunky way, but I think that always set that film aside. And then, of course, the incredible acting from that cast, Campbell Scott, Bruce Davison, of course, was awarded the Oscar for saying goodbye to Mark Lamos in that scene that stuck with all of us forever. It's amazing when an actor has...

Not only a performance or a movie, but has a scene in a performance in a movie where you go, oh, yeah. Like, I always remember Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Bastards, that opening sequence where...

I turned to Cheryl watching, he's winning the Oscar this year and, and he, he did, you know, there are just times when you, Hey, well, here's to you, Rob, I'm going to, I'm going to get your phone number. And when you, when I see you in that scene, I'm going to text you and say, you did it. They gave you one. So keep your eyes out and go get one. I'm looking too. I'm yeah. Listen, if you find one, let me know, please. By the way, since we're on it, um,

I just watched All Quiet on the Western Front. Have you seen it yet? What an incredible movie. Yes, I worked with that producer. And yeah, go on. No, just that's definitely, I mean, it won the BAFTA. Well, that's how movies should be made. And just that kind of commitment. You can only imagine how you get in there and do that. Yep.

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Hey, I was looking over some facts about you, and it says that your mom was a regional theater actress. I started in regional theater. Yeah, I know. Did she ever tell you stories about regional theater? Regional theater is amazing. And I'm wondering, when I was a kid growing up in Ohio, it was the only place we got to do serious stuff.

you know, work. What was her life like as a G did she ever share any of her stories or about what that was like for her? It's incredible. The biggest volume of her acting she did after she was 40. Every year she'd do a play in the local town where we summer and the Cape Cod over in my hometown in Alexandria. My mom's story, she was a theater student at university of Iowa.

And then, Rob, you won't believe it, for two years she was in the repertory company at the Cleveland Playhouse. It's about 1955 and 1956. We're right in there after college. From whence she went to New York, eventually met my dad, and life continued. But she was a regional actress in your hometown theater. It was huge. Regional theater was massive.

massive, massive, massive when I grew up. Absolutely. And I know that from your memoir and that attached me to your storyline even more so. So it's so cool that because of my mom's experience and her experience always played kind of real quietly, but in the background as a curiosity or a, hey, my mom went, oh, you know what the big thing was at that same season

I think she did As You Like It. And in that cast was Dom DeLuise. So for us, it was crazy that we were that close to greatness. That my mom had once been in a play with the guy that's in the Pert Reynolds movie. Listen, when I was a kid, I saw Dom DeLuise. I saw Dom DeLuise in regional theater doing a musical I've never heard of since called Under the Yum Yum Tree.

But you'll never forget it, right? No, but I love that Dom DeLuise was clearly killing it in the early 70s. He was doing Shakespeare one summer and then Under the Yum Yum Tree. Yeah, and Cannonball Run just on his off season, right? Right? Incredible. So that was sort of our viewpoint of celebrity or something so remote, yet it had pressed my mom, right?

And then in college, right ahead of me was a group of actors that went directly to SNL. That was Julie Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall, her husband. What are two other names? Sorry. But they immediately went to like fame on TV instantly. That was the peak place for comedy. Obviously still is. So that kind of rolled me twice. I had a couple of things that reflected like it's that close. Yeah.

It's right there. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, for sure, the most successful actor in the history of television. Incredible. She's never been in anything that wasn't a hit. I mean, obviously she has Seinfeld, then she does The New Adventures of Old Christine, ran for like five years, right? You forget about that one. Yeah, of course. That was a big hit, though. And then, of course, Veep, legendary, legendary, legendary. I mean, she's just...

She's a killer. Of course. Of course. And her film work in the last couple of years, of course, is stellar. She touched in the MCU. And she was in that same comedy troupe that I was in, improv troupe at Northwestern. So that was how close... So what I'm describing to you is like...

snapshots that I had where it made it realistic that it could be because I wasn't anywhere near it and I wasn't really aiming at being a film or a TV actor but there it was. Same. Because we grew up in areas where it was only theater. I just assumed I would go to New York and be a theater actor and only because my folks divorced and ended up in California because of the divorce did I end up

There's no theater to audition for in LA. Incredible. There still isn't. There still isn't really. But do I remember that somebody had already spotted you, that you were in a play or an agent had seen you or a teacher? Yeah. It's the best. So there was a professional touring group in Ohio called the Kenley Players. I've talked about them a couple of times before and I love the notion of the Kenley Players. And it would be like –

Henry Winkler on his hiatus of playing Fonzie would do Streetcar Named Desire in Flint and Cincinnati. And, you know, clearly these guys came in for, you know, four weeks, made a fortune, drank their way through the Midwest, part did whatever they were doing and.

had laughs and got to do the parts of their dreams. It was so clearly was what it was. Now, looking back at it now, I know exactly what it was, but then, to me, I was like... Would you go out now if that was still going on? Would you go do a month on the road and do...

Okay, so they offer you- Hello, Dolly or something. I'm going to call you right now and I'd be like, all right, bro, here's the thing. You got to take a- I got this amount. There's this much money in the bag. That's right. And we're going to Cincinnati. Here's the bag. Rob, I am on that tour bus with you. Right? Yes. I think. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, should we do- Guys and Dolls. How about-

See, well, here's the thing. They were always like raucous crowd pleasers. Oh, which are those then? Let's have it. I would want to do like True West with you. Oh, now see that's- Do you know what I mean? Well-

That's what's frustrating about you, Rob, because you're so timid. It's right in there. And you've done everything, everything, everything else. So that's all you have left to do. I think I have to play like, you know, like Fagin in, you know, Oliver. Like that's what they want. Come on. You did not say that. Can I please tell my Fagin and Oliver story? Please. Which was also extremely...

extremely formative. If you tell me you saw Vincent Price play Fagin, I'm going to... No, it was in my high school. And it was... I got to add this. In the fall, we did To Kill a Mockingbird. And of course, I wanted to be Atticus Finch. And they cast me as Jem Finch. I was 12.

12 years old. And I played that. I trooped my way through it and I hated every minute of it because I was small and I was playing a little kid and I was a senior in high school. Yeah, you wanted to play. So senior spring, the show was going to be Oliver, which I listened to that album flip side until it was worn out. Yep. Never wanted to be Oliver. I wanted to be Artful Dodger. But for that play, I was going to play Fagans my senior year where I'm not playing anything at all. And the teacher didn't give me the part.

Come on. And so I wasn't in that. And even more to my balancing moment in life, I sat in the pen orchestra and I played cello for the guy who was playing. See, now this is, thank you for reminding me. That's how you learn. You are...

An accomplished cellist. I think I was aware of it. I didn't realize that you also play on soundtracks. Like when they have orchestras, you come in and you play. Yeah. And you tell us the movies that you're on the score of. Well, I'm on the score of about two dozen movies. So among them are the following. At least two of the Planet of the Apes, two Mission Impossibles I think I play on.

three and four. Inside and Out, Incredibles 2, Coco, if you can imagine being in that room while they recorded that Central American musical theme. These are all composed by Michael Cicchino, who I became friends with after he wrote the score

for Family Stone. Man, my head's even spinning, Rob. I'm so blessed. And I kind of challenged him, I could play you, sure? And he had me come in and he had me play. That was 18 years ago, I looked it up. And so I sit in an orchestra with eight or ten other cellists who are some of the best, like,

recording cellists in the world of course and therefore probably some of the ringers right ringers so it has each i played for two weeks recording this incredible wall-to-wall end-to-end of the movie soundtrack for rogue one of star wars story so i'm playing music i played on two of the jurassic world so i'm playing themes written by john williams that are composed again and arranged

by Michael Giacchino and his amazing crew and engineers and recordists and musicians. And I know all these people. It's my second career in a way. That's spectacular. Recently, I even played for another composer. I've played for a few others when it's kind of happened. Mark Irwin, the storied and award-winning composer who's done everything, had me in to play a session for an upcoming Peacock show that I appear in.

So that was incredible. Michael Giacchino's movies are all big blastbusters. I've never been in those. You can say you're in them. I mean, you can say you're... Well, I'll never... It's on your IMDb, baby. I'll never forget it.

For correction there, it has me listed as soloist on Rogue One. I am not. Mr. Stephen, gosh, I think I could get his last name, is our principal cellist. He played that. And nowhere else is it all listed at Wes One because they're not all captured on IMDb, the scores that I've participated in. So,

I even played with Michael Giacchino last Thursday in session with just nine other players. There's one cellist, me. He had me in to play just a few soft accompanying mid-tone parts for an album that I'm not supposed to talk about. So if you can believe it. Well, I had... You'll appreciate this. My favorite day on the West Wing was the day that Yo-Yo Ma played all day long. He played...

All day long. And I had no dialogue. Oh, God. I just get to sit and the camera would like eventually push into all of our reaction shots. Wow. And, you know, it was never been, has it been easier to be emotional when you have Yo-Yo Ma sitting right there doing his thing and the camera's pushing in on your face. I thought, this is heaven. It's a dream. I saw it.

Thank you. I'm going to recruit you now, please. I saw Yo-Yo Ma play when he was probably in his early 20s, just out of Juilliard with the National Symphony. I sat just below him. I'm a teenage cellist. I'm 16 or 17. And it changed my world. So I followed him, of course, all along. Recently, I told someone that I was going to play the

the Vivaldi double cello concerto with him. And they said, oh yeah, when? And I said, I don't know because he doesn't know about it yet. But so maybe you'll help bring awareness to that, also that little side project, which is to finally group up. And I know that we can do it for a good,

purpose because he seems to be truly driven to do good for people with his music. And that's the thing that I most admire about him. Can I add this? That John Wells and his lovely wife, Marilyn, were so kind to invite me and Prima to see Yo-Yo Ma from their box at the Hollywood Bowl. This is just about three years ago because they knew I played. And so they

We were stunned and so thrilled to be their guest. Of course, I worked with him on Shameless and on August Osage County. But isn't it funny that you were with John Wells listening to Yo-Yo Ma too? Yes. And Yo-Yo Ma has played for every president since Kennedy. It's kind of an amazing... And with every ethnicity and every music type almost known to humankind. He was put here

To do that. And I really can't even speak further to it. It's otherworldly. It's beautifully put. So his cello, he told a story. He probably tells the famous story. You know, he left it in the back of a cab once. Yeah. Can you imagine? I do. Rob, I ran over my cello.

In high school, I still have it. It's the same cello I've had since I was 14 or maybe 15. I was going to ask you, do you have the same cello? I do. It's upstairs because I just played it the other day. Same cello, but this is before he left his in the cab. I'm in high school. Oh, I forgot something. I put it in park. I need the keys for the trunk. I run back in the house. I get in the car, put it in reverse and...

The car rises up on the old hard cello case. Not a scratch. Oh, yes. And so, yeah, I was meant to continue playing the cello. And I still am because I have yet to play with Maestro Ma.

You have so many great movies I love, but dude, so everybody had been telling me over the years, you have to see Living in Oblivion. You have to see Living in Oblivion. It's one of those movies that go, no, no, no, I know I'm going to. You know when people, you know you're going to like a movie. You know you are. It's not like you're procrastinating on it. You know, like this is in my wheelhouse. I know I'm going to like it, but I just haven't gotten around to it. I finally did a few years ago. That movie is amazing. Wow.

That movie is amazing. It's been too many years that I haven't seen it, but I know it's amazing because really-

It's in the top four or five of movies that people come up to me about. If I'm anywhere near a film set, that goes skyrocketing up to number two. It's the best movie about- That guy's going to come over and say, hey, you know that other movie? I'm like, yes, I do. He might have his earphones around his head or like a radio clip to his belt or a bullhorn. You don't have to say, I get it, I get it. Living in oblivion. It might be the best movie about-

filmmaking. If you really want to know the foibles and the, and the, uh, what is it? What, what's the phrase I'm looking for? It's sort of, um, it's that great Jerry Maguire line. It's like, it's, it's the, uh, the, the, the, the horrible things about filmmaking that nobody will ever, will ever tell you about. That is the one it's all. It's just, it is something else that is from the frustrated mind and brilliant mind of Tom DiCillo who had made a movie called

Johnny Suede. That is that offbeat choice that suddenly out of Thelma and Louise, Brad Pitt chose to do. Tom cast Catherine at the time, my wife, in that. Catherine Keener, the great Catherine Keener. The great Catherine Keener. They co-starred in that and remain friends to this day. Besties of all time. And that's where I met Tom. Tom was trying to get Box of Moonlight made, which wound up being made third.

John Turturro starring in that in a brilliant performance of Sam Rockwell supporting him. I have a little roll. Because he couldn't get finance after a successful film with Brad Pitt and he just sat down and he wrote this super like anxiety dream short movie about the most disastrous day you could ever think of on a film set. That was made into a brilliant short.

In black and white, if you recall. So it was a short before it was a movie. Yeah. And that was just short ends, like borrowed, used film. And six months later, we regrouped and put two more dreams where Nick Rev...

Of course, in French, Rev's Dream. But Nick is the character Steve Buscemi masterfully performed in that. So he wakes up three times from it being an anxiety dream. So good. The noise, the music on the street, everything. The boom man with the clock, you know, with the...

Fave a fave clock who wants to get a frame line. Every time anybody says anything about, can I get a frame line on any set I've ever been on since about six people just crack up.

Yeah, I'm going to use that tomorrow. I'm going to go back to Lone Star. I'm going to look at the guys and go frame line and see if they left. Rob, I got to tell you, I'm going to even interrupt you because I know I've been wanting to talk to you. So this is really amazing. And I didn't expect that I'd be on your podcast, although, you know, I'm out shilling a franchise movie. So who knew I might do something. We will get to. We will get to. Some podcast with somebody. I'm so thrilled it's you. I just learned about it the other day.

But you brought up movies that people have said, and you're like, yeah, I know, it's a great movie, I love it, and if I ever saw it, it didn't clock it the way I did. When?

I saw The Outsiders a month ago with my teenage daughters. Oh, boy. So I'm coming into this like really full, really full of your talent and how beautiful that film is. I know you wrote about it so eloquently in the time you had in Tulsa.

Um, so I'm watching it sort of reverse engineered. I know about reading your book while I'm watching that movie through the eyes of an adolescent kid. And let me tell you, you guys, I got choke in my throat. You're so beautiful.

Oh, it's all you guys, Ralph and Tommy. It's incredible what you did and what the camera did with you. You guys are leaning on each other and it's so organic and your faces are gorgeous. And can I please, if you will, allow me to suggest that that was a cutting off point. That was the beginning of a time and an end of a time right there with those Coppola movies.

rum a fish, where the youth was taking over. It was our time to come in. So, and it got hard on the old guys about four or five years later when you guys were still in charge and Tom Cruise had done Top Gun. And they were like, wait,

I'm not so sure about this. And then they kind of just chalked all you up to being too successful or, dare I say, too pretty or too this, too that, too something. When all y'all were frocking it and you were paving the way, but you were blowing down doors and putting those old men...

bed. So guess what now, bro? We're on the other side. We're the old men. So step aside. You see these kids getting these parts. When I see Timothy Chalamet get a good part. I was going to say Timothy Chalamet. I was going to say the same thing. Do you actually feel like jealousy, Rob? Yes. Do you have like the remnant of like coveting that role? Oh, I go, I go.

I would have so loved to be in the Baz Luhrmann Elvis casting carousel. And I just know I never would have gotten it, but boy, would I have loved it. No, but they almost stopped there. And then this second wave came in, of which the reason they went to Chicago and look at students to see who was next was because of you guys. And, you know, and like Judd Nelson and Andrew McCarthy. Yep.

And all those other blue eyed boys. And you know what? They finally needed, they needed a brown eyed guy. So they went and they got me.

Been here ever since. And then what did they do? They put dirt all over your face in Young Guns. I mean, what the living hell. Yeah, yeah. Well, that helped me really stay. If you mean dirt on my face for Dirty Steve and Young Guns or any other, I've been doing it since, although it's getting a little old. How are you feeling about that? I mean, is it sticky blood or feeling like cold in the scene that night? I'm good, baby. You know, I had a...

I've had two... How cold have you been on a set recently? I'm cold all the time now. Oh, are you? Is that an age thing? Yeah. It's surprising. It's only on Zoom that I'm not wearing my... What do you call it? A neck gaiter. That's how I roll at home. The neck gaiter. Okay. I'm off to... Yeah, to keep the draft out of your scrawny old neck. Oh.

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 well i tell you i had two really good conversations with my idols about aging in hollywood and one was michael cain and the other was clint wow and both lovely lovely obviously beloved men and um have been very nice to me over never worked with either one of them but have been very nice to me over my my life and um

Clint, I think is 90 now. Still making a movie every year. Yeah. And I, uh, it's one of a kind. I, um, I asked him, I said, how do you do it? What is, you make a movie a year. That's really, really hard. And how do you do it at your age? And he leaned into me. He said, Rob, I never let the old man in. Gosh, that's so, that's actually really heavy. Yeah. And great. And then the other was Michael Caine. And, and I said, how can I be you?

And he goes, well, you'll just have to keep living and you will be. Right. And I thought, well, that's simple enough. Yeah. Because that's the thing is like, that's the next thing is old man parts. Because, dude, there are a lot of old man parts that crush. I know. I mean, all my kids, young kids, they don't know Michael Caine from anybody. But, man, when Alfred the butler talks in those Batman movies. Right.

They know that the shit is going down. No, they will. They will replay. Some men just want to watch the well burn. They will. They will replay that scene over and over. And I'm like, because it's Michael Caine. Yes. Yeah. It's incredible how you can you can watch something over and over again.

Obviously, we've been doing that for a long, you know, since we got VHSs. But, you know, you started even before that. So your movie would be out and then it'd be out at the end and then it'd be over. And it'd be over. You know who's my neighbor these days is my favorite of your female co-stars, of which you went on quite a run, young man, with the hotties, is Cameron Diaz. Oh, what an amazing person. Yeah.

I'm so glad. Are you acquainted with her? Are you a neighbor? We see each other and her husband Benji has cost me a lot of money because he's got me into watch collecting. Oh, dad. So this is the one that Benji... Ah, I have to check it.

I wish I could zoom in on this. It's a good one. But Benji's gotten me into... He's gotten me into some very, very expensive habits. Wow. And that being number one. But boy, Cameron Diaz is just a miracle. Well, Cameron Diaz is a down-to-earth person. I'm telling you, he's probably got a lot of extra money left over for watches because...

She seems to roll just in the happy zone. And I love her intensely. I can think of every moment I spent with her. I can't forget a single one of them. I will give her your best. I was going to make up some scenario where you're walking your dog or whatever, bringing your groceries in. Please give her my love. I will, for sure. And I'll text her and say, same.

Now tell me you're in the new screen. You've entered one of the great franchises of all time. You're in the new Scream. Yeah. Welcome to Scream. Screamology. Screamopolis. The Scream universe as they call it now, right? The universe of Scream. Yeah. It's kind of amazing. Of course, the fan base is already there. This has happened to me one other time when I joined Shameless, which was already a hit show. So it's a very distinct sensation I've only felt twice where all of the hard work is already

already done. Every other job I've ever had, you know, like building a boat, you just hope it doesn't sink. And if you get to the other side without, then that's good. There's no like life once you get over there, it's just the boat. So they crushed it in Scream 5 and reestablished the franchise. I think it's,

Thank goodness I never had to be good at math. Oh, me neither. But it's 25 or some years since they did it originally. And they remounted it with Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega in the lead with Mason Gooding and Jasmine Savoy Brown in the four leads that are once again being chased around by Ghostface.

So it's one of those slasher movies where the guy has a mask that have been happening since the first one of these or from those off-tune movies of this 80s, really, is when slasher horror came back strong and hasn't left. Jen Ortega, boy, she's having a moment, isn't she? I mean, whoa, whoa, whoa. I mean, just blown up. Well, they're going to stumble on it eventually, I'm sure.

I didn't know her very well, but I was already in a hit horror franchise with Jenna Ortega, but she was 11 and she lived next door to me. Come on. Insidious number three. Oh.

So I think there's a still photo from that set that is bound to be unearthed before you know it. Isn't that amazing? So she's been doing it since she's 11 and now she's what, 20? I believe. 10 years. Yeah, right in there. But she was the one.

To fill me in on that and show me the picture. So that's super charming to begin with. Yeah. But this is an extraordinary person. I almost can't even... There's a reason what's happening with her is because she's exceptional in every way that you can imagine. Can't say enough. Can't say it better than that. She really seems like she is so...

Sometimes you feel like somebody's really supposed to be doing what they're doing. And she's got that in spades. Yeah, her Wednesday is such a hit for Netflix there. And I got to compare notes on her cello playing, of course. Yes, that's right. Yeah, she nailed it. Only the smartest, finest people play the cello. I am now learning. It's hard to fake playing the cello and to go on record. And she really nailed it. She did a great job.

Oh, you might have been one of the first people to hold a condom on camera on a network television. Yes, in fact, I was, Rob. That's a very obscure fact, but it's funny that you would bring it up. Really? That's a good fact.

What prompted you to hold a condom on network television? Well, can you imagine the meetings they had about that? That's 1987. Yes, I can. Probably 1987. It's probably really my second, third TV movie called Daddy. You'll remember it. Patricia Arquette was a teen mother and was the father of high schoolers.

Danny Aiello was the coach. John Carlin played the dad. You used one of these, little lady. Yeah. Was that the scene? Well, but no. And it was a big moment in television history, whether anyone knows it or not. But that was my hand in the scene where the girl's saying, well, you have to wear one of these. Awkward insert close-up of condom in palm of hand. Thank you, America. You're welcome. Wow. Just say no.

Or just say yes. Just say yes to condoms. Yeah, I think that's still the going. No, what I was angling at was best MTV movie award kiss. Yeah. That's not nothing. Listen, many are called, fewer chosen.

You know, it's a big deal. You and Winona Ryder. Yeah, we were nominated, Rob. Oh, I thought you won it. See, no. Do you remember who won it? No, somebody should quickly Google that. Who's hotter than you and her kissing? We were in an amazing movie called How to Make an American Quilt. It wasn't funny. Maybe that's why. But if what you're really angling at is like what it was like to kiss Winona Ryder and

1997. Go ahead. Ask. I did a movie with Winona Ryder and I played the fiddle. It's not the cello. No, even harder though, Rob. That's impossible. Really hard. Well, you need to watch it. It's called Square Dance and then you need to tell me if my fiddling made any... You know who taught me how to play the fiddle? David Lindley. No. Yep.

This is the best. So the studio, this is one of the great things about being an actor. Square dance. Square dance, yeah. And so I have to learn how to play the fiddle. And they go, hey, I'm going to find somebody who knows their way around the fiddle. They get me David Lindley, who is the iconic...

all of Jackson Brown songs you've ever heard. Yeah. And on and on and on. Wow. And that was a real thrill to take some lessons and just learn how to fake it. So what low era was that? This was right after About Last Night. Right. It was right after About Last Night. So right early, so young. Chopped all my long, luxurious mullet, hair mousse blocks off and played this part of a...

I don't even know how you'd describe it, but it was an intellectually challenged young trailer rat living in... But he was a brilliant... And it was Winona's first lead. She'd done...

It was right before Beetlejuice. Rob, I remember this movie, of course. Jason Robards was there too. I don't think anybody ever gave you a chance. They didn't even give you a look at something that had like, you know, serious actor on it because of what you'd already done. And because they were, they were just starting to turn against you. And guess what? They let, let in, but it went stronger female at that point in Hollywood, in young Hollywood.

Right? Yeah, he's a... It was a fun name. It was Noni's first... Noni, as she was known. Oh, bless her. I came back around with you. I'll even pitch it. It's still sitting right out there on your remote control. Gone in the night. I'm fine. Wait, put that back up on the screen. I want to see it. I didn't get a chance to read it. My team is telling me who won. Oh, yes, please. Best Kiss winner of 1996...

Natasha Henstrich and Anthony Gudeira in Species. In Species. It was like a VFX tongue kiss. You remember it. It was awesome. So totally deserved to win. I don't think so. But still, if you're asking about what it was like to kiss Winona Ryder in 1996, go ahead. How was it? It was amazing. Yeah.

That's why we're in Hollywood. Well, thank you. So this is so fun to catch up with you. I can't wait to see you in Scream and everything. You know, you're one of my favorites. Same here, Rob, for real. Honestly, it was amazing to see your early work recently too. God, that's amazing. How did your teenage daughter, how did she, the movie's 40 years old. Fell madly in love with Ponyboy as you're supposed to. Yeah, like incredible. Just pie-eyed. Right. Yeah.

And also now people their age should be

absorbing the cinema of it so much more as a part of consuming a movie than I did as a kid. I just took it in until I got into making movies that you realize the mastery that's involved in each and every job on those sets that we've grown up on. So here's to all those guys and you, man. Thanks a lot. Oh, thank you. It was great having you. So appreciate it. I can't wait to see you around. He makes me want to play the cello.

No, actually, that's not true. If I'm being totally honest, he makes me want to fake play the cello. I want to fake play the shit out of it. I think I could. And he's inspired me to do it. What a nice guy. All right. You got questions? I got answers. Let's hit the lowdown line. Hello. You've reached literally in our lowdown line where you can get the lowdown on all things about me, Rob Lowe. 323-570-7000.

4-5-5-1. So have at it. Here's the beep. Hello, Rob. My name is Linda. I'm calling from the city of Pico Rivera, California. And one question that has just every time I see the movie, I just think about it like almost all the time. In St. Elmo's Fire, when Alec dunks your head into the toilet because you pissed him off for some reason or another, but the toilet.

First, is it a real toilet? Second, is it clean? Or is it dirty? Every time I see that scene in the movie, I always think that, like, oh, my God. And lastly, I just want to thank you. Thank you. I'm sure like everyone else, a lot of us have grown up with you. And I just want to thank you for your sharing yourself through your podcast with us and through your work. And a lot of us have just grown up together with you. So I just want to say thank you.

for all that you do and sharing yourself with this and keep up the work. Thanks, Rob. Have a good one. Well, thank you. Without people like you, I don't have any of this. So really, thank you. That's very sweet to hear. I remember that toilet very well. Luckily for me, it was on a set in Warner Brothers Studios that was built and meticulously designed

placed clean water. Looking back, I'm watching that movie. That's really a dick move that they do to me. And we all kind of laugh it off. We're like, I mean, I guess it's before they didn't teach him about bacteria at Georgetown. I think the St. Elmo's fire people needed to spend a little more time in science. They wouldn't have been so cavalier with Billy Hicks's head in the toilet.

And that, of course, is the same scene where we all, for no apparent reason, huddle up and go, which people will quote to me. It's never explained. And I love that the director, Joel Schumacher, let us do that. Because what that was was something that Emilio and Judd and I were doing regularly as buddies. And Joel thought it was funny and put it in the movie. And what that was is that was our imitation of these guys that we would see out at the clubs.

who didn't speak a ton of English, but had Ferraris, lots of money, sending champagne to all the girls. And we were all like, God damn those guys. And they'd be like eyeballing our girlfriends in the corner going, So that's where that comes from. Thanks for calling.

And thank you for listening. And there's amazing guests coming up. So get ready. Next week is going to be another fun one, I think. Thank you, as always, for listening to the show. And please spread the word to all your peeps. See you next week.

You've been listening to Literally with Rob Lowe, produced by me, Nick Liao, with help from associate producer Sarah Begar, research by Alyssa Graw. The podcast is executive produced by Rob Lowe for Low Profile, Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and myself at Team Coco, and Colin Anderson at Stitcher. Booking by Deirdre Dodd, music by Devin Bryant. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on Literally with Rob Lowe. This has been a Team Coco production.

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 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.