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Julia Garner: Material Girl

2025/2/13
logo of podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe

Literally! With Rob Lowe

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Rob Lowe: 我认为茱莉娅·加纳对于成功和成为一个多元化的演员有着独特的看法。她兼具对专业的认真和谦逊,这种健康的混合非常难得。我们就像一个融合的家庭,彼此关系紧密。 Julia Garner: 我感觉我已经认识你们一辈子了。我一直很担心找不到工作,甚至拒绝了一个有很多疯狂裸露的电视剧项目。但我告诉自己要得到更好的机会。如果我得不到《黑钱胜地》的角色,我就无法观看这部剧。我不喜欢人们知道我在做什么,因为这会让他们对项目产生期望。我喜欢被导演推动,希望他们比我更了解自己。我本质上是个纽约人,但当回到纽约时,我的家人却觉得我变得很加州化了,这让我感到困扰。拍摄恐怖片时,我每天都处于恐慌状态,故意让自己焦虑。我们需要不断地填补创意之井,否则生活会变得痛苦。演员应该尝试各种类型的作品。我喜欢试镜,因为我可以在那里犯错和学习。在试镜时,我会检查一个不存在的后视镜,并让我的眼神看起来像有车经过。我需要学会开车,这对我来说很重要。我需要去上表演课。时间对我来说是最宝贵的。我想学习各种口音和踢踏舞,这些技能对演员很重要。我去法国小丑学校是因为我太害怕失败了。重要的是要有“最坏情况”的心态,并敢于尝试。我对《黑钱胜地》和《虚构安娜》之后被过度关注感到不适。提名是因为你的表演,而获奖是因为你的故事。我没有找到我的小丑,但我不害怕失败。人们总是认为我隐藏着什么,也许我的小丑会是一个偷偷摸摸的小丑。关于麦当娜电影,没有什么可说的,它和其他电影项目一样。我讨厌在电影拍摄前谈论它,因为你不知道它会是什么样子。你们就像我的家人一样。你是我最喜欢的演员之一。演员要么有充足的时间,要么没有时间。

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So if you are interested in acting, let's say you're a young actor, I want you to really pay attention to this interview because this is Julia Garner, who is a good friend and one of my favorite actors. And I know a lot of actors and have known a lot of actors, but I don't think I've ever known anyone with the kind of worldview about what it takes to

And to to succeed and be a diverse, hilarious, dramatic, funny actor than than than Julia and her worldview. And the sort of the the perfect mix of the seriousness with which she takes her craft and the humility and the lack of seriousness because people either have one or the other.

And then they don't have a healthy mix. And she does. Anyway, super looking forward to talking to her about her career and who she is. And she's just a love bug. Here she goes. Yeah, we have to behave today. We have to, because otherwise we're going to think that we're just

Hanging out with, you know, Johnny and Cheryl and Mark and, you know, our blend. We kind of have a blended family. We do. It's very meshed, all of us. It's a meshed family. I like it. It's a mesh. It's a mesh. Usually, they'll say meshed is a pejorative. Oh, you're so meshed. I like it. I think it's nice. I like it.

Right? Yeah. Let's make it a thing. So for those who are not invited to our Meshed Family dinners, I met you through my son, John Owen, who is besties with your amazingly talented husband, Mark Foster, who is not only foster of foster the people, but did the music on

On Unstable, the show we do together. Is that a fair assessment of how we all met together? Yes. Yes. I was trying to figure it out. I think the first time I met Johnny officially was actually at the Wiltern show a few years ago when Mark was playing. And then Johnny and I were trying to figure it out. When were we hanging out all the time? Because I was hearing about...

oh, you got to meet Johnny. You got to meet Johnny for like months. But I was shooting Ozark at that time and it was COVID. And I don't know how it all started. I don't know when I first met you. I don't, it's all a blur to me now. I don't have any memory. I feel like I've known, I feel like I've known you guys like my whole life at this point. Well, and also Cheryl, my wife and you have a very specific thing going. And I think it's, you

you know, the daughter that... My Cheryl Lowe. I'm wearing SL earrings always. Every day. Cheryl Lowe earrings. Every day. Staple. Yeah. Yeah. I love, I love, love, love, love, love, love Cheryl Lowe. Big fan.

She's a good one. Yeah. Smart man. And I had a t-shirt. Johnny gave me a t-shirt of your face and I forgot it at the house. No way. Yes. I had a whole shtick planned out and I just, I was stupid. So anyway, go on. God damn it. Okay, first of all, let's...

We have so much to talk about. But first of all, I want to hear about Wolfman now, which is what that's in theory why we're on this because otherwise we would just be having lunch and talking. OK, so you come off of Ozark, which, by the way, obviously everybody in the world loves. How much if I had a nickel for every time the meme of you comes up on my tick tock and, you know, obsessed I am with tick tock.

I will fucking kill you! It comes up on my TikTok. It's the greatest. It's my greatest little internet snippet of all time. Do you love that it's such a great thing? Are you serious? Coming from you, you're like the most like iconic person. That means a lot.

No, it's, I mean, I don't have a line as iconic as that. But you're iconic. You don't need a line. You just, you are iconic. Well, but I want a line. I want my... You don't need, you just, your face, just everything, your voice. Like everybody knows, you know, nobody's Rob Lowe.

Well, I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. No, it is. It's a great thing. It's a great thing. Okay. So how did you, first of all, how did you end up on Ozark? How did you, was it Jason? Was it, because what a great, amazing, iconic part for you. Yeah. Well, it was funny. It was interesting that year that I booked Ozark, you know, there's some years that are, it's like a desert as an actor. There's like nothing. And, um,

I was really worried that I wasn't getting a job. I was not getting work that year. I was going on so many auditions and I wasn't getting anything. And there was a project at the time that was a big project, but I actually turned... It was a TV show and I turned it down at the time. And because it just...

it had so much like crazy nudity, but like crazy. And I was just like, this isn't, this isn't, I don't want to do that in this day and age and TV. And like,

It's not what it used to be even with like the Sopranos. Like the internet's like crazy. So I was like, I'm not doing this. And I was like, oh shit. Like this was a missed opportunity. But then I told myself at the time, I was like, I'm going to get something better. Even though like I didn't know that I was going to get something better. I just like lied to myself just to like... It's not a lie. It's faith. Well, yeah. But at the time I was like, I better get something better. God damn it. So then a half a year later...

Ozark came in the picture and it wasn't even a big, it wasn't a big part. It was actually like, I want to say it wasn't even, it was like a, it wasn't even a regular. It was like just a reoccurring at that time. And, but I knew the way that that character, they gave me like a, like a, like a fake scene that wasn't even in the show. And,

But how the character was written, it just like stood out to me so much. And I remember saying the words and thinking, if I don't get, and I don't get this often, but when I do, it's so strong. I remember thinking, if I don't get this, I cannot watch this show. I cannot watch the show because I know that that is my part. That is my person. So I can't see anybody else do it.

And I don't get that that often. And so I went out for it. I auditioned for it. I went, it was like a tiny, tiny casting, New York casting office, paper thin walls. You could hear the other actors read the lines that like you're about to read. And I remember sitting there thinking like, oh my God, like, and I practice it, practice it in like a Missouri accent because it said she was from Missouri and everybody else was just

doing like their normal like voice. And so I only practiced it in an accident thinking like, oh, like I'm, you know, let me try doing it just in a normal voice. And I couldn't remember my lines in my normal voice. So I just went in with this accent and the cast, it wasn't even the casting director at that time. It was like the casting associate. It was like, and then we got a call back with Alexa Fogel and she's incredible. I love her, but

And then I remember calling my mom. I was like, I'm never hearing from them again. And then two weeks later, 10 days later, I met up with Jason right in front of him. And then it was all quick. It was all that like fast. Wow. Yeah. And I didn't know it was, it would change my life in the way that it did. You just never know. So you knew it was the part, your part and important to you as an actor, but there's no way of knowing how that.

works in the zeitgeist there's no no way to know that that show would become what it came other than the fact that it was good on the page a hundred percent and you know like i'm sure even like you you know you've been doing this for so long like there's times where the lineup of the project is crazy yeah and the buzzer i always notice the projects that are like buzzy even before you do it i don't love it i don't love people knowing like what i'm doing

Because then people have expectation on the project and they're not even aware of it. I don't love trailers even. I actually hate trailers. Oh, trailers? I think they're designed, I think because they're designed for the broadest audience, which makes sense. I understand you want to bring everybody into the tent. But they, I think they actually make most movies and TV shows look horrendous. They give away the whole movie. What?

And just the tone and like, they're so hacky and like low hanging fruit. And it's unfair because almost every commercial for anything ever that's out there makes me not want to go see it. No. And then I'll go see it and go, oh, that was actually really great. But it would be hard to, because Ozark is the tone of it. That first episode, I was like, oh, yeah, I'm so in.

It was like, you can't watch the first episode of Ozark. I mean, it feels like a thousand years ago because you guys did like 300 seasons of it. So amazing. And Jason's one of my favorites. Yeah, he's the best. He's the best. And he's the best director. Like, I've worked with him. Because he just notices like everything. It's like you can't... And he...

sees an actor the way that they don't see themselves so he can push them in such a way. And I love being pushed. I love it. Like, I love to be pushed. Like, even if I'm like, not annoyed at it at the moment, but like, I like when somebody knows that's my, if I work with the director, I want them to know more than me in a way. Yeah.

Yeah. And that's rare. That's actually very rare, I feel like. I was talking to Adam Scott, who came in and did the show. I love him. He's amazing. He's great. We were talking about Ben Stiller on Severance. Amazing. And, you know, Ben, it's like, look, actors, when they direct, are usually good to fantastic. I think some of the best directors we've ever had were actors because we...

Um, if we know, if we're smart and have been paying attention, we know what's going on on a set. And then because we are actors, we definitely know and understand the acting process, which a lot of, um, a lot of directors, it's surprising. They really don't. It's a mystery to them. It's a real mystery. Well, it's people. It's, uh, it's a people business. That's really what directing is. It's like connections. It's how, um,

you, even if you don't want to connect, you have to be a good connect. You have to be good at connecting, you know, having other people connect in a way. Did you film in Atlanta? Cause I just remember seeing, I'd see Jason at a Dodger games and I'd be like, I'm like, bro, we ever going to golf? He goes, no, I'm going back to Atlanta. I was like, I think it's yeah. Yeah. He's always in Atlanta. Well, no, I don't know if he's in Atlanta anymore, but yeah, we shot, it was for five years. So like,

Majority of my 20s was in Atlanta, which is hilarious to me. That is... You're such a New Yorker. I know. It's like annoying. I find you to be... I definitely find you to be like through and through New Yorker. I can't...

But it's funny. I go back to New York and, like, my family, they're like, you're so California now. I'm like... Oh, no way. Okay, what if they... That's amazing to me. What trait or characteristic have you picked up? Well, it's more my sister. It's not... My mom and my dad actually love California. I actually feel like if they could do it all over again, I think they would, like, move to California. My dad's also from Ohio, by the way. So, like, yeah. Cleveland. So... Yeah. I think they would come...

here, maybe, but I don't know. Because I love it here. They love it. Like, you know, I feel like, but my sister, she's like, yeah, you're, you know, you're a California girl now. And I get, like, I don't know. It bothers me. And I know it shouldn't bother me because I love California. No, there's something about it that's a little bit of a, like, back, well, no. Look, there's no denying. Yeah, Anna. Her name's Anna. I mean, if you're listening to this, stop saying that.

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Tell me about what it's like for you to do. We were talking about this the other day because I'm considering doing this really bizarre little tiny little but really incredible horror slash sci-fi movie. And then you and I were talking about what it's like to do horror movies. And they're hard. What is it about? Because you have Wolfman out now. What is it about that that you find different and more challenging than other genres?

That every day you're in a constant state of panic. You do not get a break. You are constantly giving yourself an anxiety attack, like literally purposely like hyperventilating. And then you're just like,

what am I doing? But then you're like, but I'm sick because I chose this. Like something is deeply wrong with me. But that's okay. It's because, you know, it's good for the acting, I guess. No, it is. I think every actor gets to a certain point in their career where they've done enough work, where they...

question that because it's going to the well. Well, I think what you're saying, which is true, and correct me if I'm wrong, you have to make yourself uncomfortable from time to time because otherwise it's depressing.

you don't like we're creatives. We have to fill that creative well somehow because otherwise we're going to go then we're actually going to then it's going to be a real life horror movie for us. But for real, it's like then it's going to be like every day like you'll wake up and you'll be miserable and everybody around you will be miserable. So I think it's just always important to like

try to always figure out, like, how can I refill that well creatively? But I think with a horror movie, I think an actor should do that type, that genre at least once in their life. I also think, like, an actor, if they can, try every genre. I was going to say every genre. Exactly. I think, like, I, you know, that's why...

you know i i do all these you know i i i did this movie which was very different for me i've never done a movie like this i've done you know this year even fantastic four that will be coming out very different wait is that done wait have you shot it yet yeah we're we're pretty we're done i'm pretty much done so yeah um but it was very very different for me and um

But because I can't expect that everybody's going to watch Ozark. There's going to, you have to kind of rant. You have to, there's different fans everywhere. How much looking at like a tennis ball on a stick? A lot. A lot of tennis ball acting? Yeah. Yeah. That to me is really a discipline, dude. That is a. Well, it was, it did, it actually reminded me of like audition days. Yeah.

And just like auditioning. Because you have to imagine everything anyway. And it's a different, it's not like one's easier than the other. It's a different type of acting. Okay, I got one for you. You ready for this? Yeah. Okay, you get, because I'm thinking about auditions now. By the way, I loved, I don't know,

I don't want to say I loved auditioning. No, I like it too. I don't think there's a whole stigma that it's weird. I think that's the only, like, cause I didn't go to a conservatory, like I didn't go to like a Yale or drama school. Same. You know, that's where I learned how to make mistakes and act. Not on set. Me too. Thank God. Yeah. I'm, I'm all about auditioning. I think it's, I think it's great. Okay. So you, here's the scene. Okay. I'm giving you the sides. This is what you have to audition for. I want your, your take on this.

You are playing, let's say it's Driving Miss Daisy and you're auditioning for the Morgan Freeman role. You're auditioning as the chauffeur slash driver best friend.

It's a three-page scene. It's you and, you know, whoever's in the, you know, in the car with you. You and me, which in this case, I don't drive in real life. Yeah, yeah. You're driving now. Well, listen, because you don't drive in real life, it's kind of going to kill the whole conceit of this bit that I'm building right now. Yeah, okay. But my point being, you're sitting...

You're in the room. You're auditioning. You're a driver. You're sitting in a folding chair in an office auditioning. Do you... It's a two-and-a-half-page scene. There's a lot going on. Do you fake the steering wheel? Yes or no? No. So you just look like you're sitting there, like you're on a park bench. Is that what you're telling me? No. I...

look like I'm past, like, well, the hand movement's distracting. And then you're reminded that you're auditioning. But is it? It is. I'm telling you. Well, okay. I'm telling you right now. You know what you do? This is more impressive, I think. Okay, what do you do? You check a rearview mirror that doesn't exist? Yeah. And also look in your eyes that there's cars passing by. Yeah, that's good. No, that's really good. That's really good. I'm telling you right now, I bet you, it's like the Ozarks story.

80% of the people in there. This is killing me. Like, what do you do? I don't think I ever. Oh, no, no. Believe me. I've seen great actors. I'm doing it now with like with my legacy. Can you see me doing it? Oh, this is what you do. You make sure that your hands. Look what I'm doing.

Up below the frame? Yeah, below the frame. No, that's a go-kart. You're driving a fucking go-kart. This isn't Ringling Brothers Circus go-kart movie. It's driving Miss Daisy. That's my car movie. It's because you don't drive. I asked the wrong person this question. Yeah, I'm the worst person. But

But I will learn how to drive. I've been saying this for you. I will. I will. You have to learn how to drive. I know. Trust me, I know. Because the other thing is, it's also one of the greatest, most New York affectations of all time. But now with Uber, though, I guess it's not. No, I need to learn how to drive for me. It's like a cycle lot. I need it for me. I'm out of, I'm not in New York right now. I mean, I love New York. I'll go back again. But, you know, I live here now. So it's like I need to learn how to drive. Trust me.

I know. But anyway, but the Mrs. J, I think it's below the fring. Let me see it again. Don't you think? No, it looks like you're having a spasm. That's not good. Can you put your hands up a little higher? Yeah. This is weird. It just looks like I'm doing it. No, well, that looks like you're like, yo, homie, like you're doing the COVID fist bump. I'm done.

I can't. It's this. How hard is this to do? People should write back what they would do. This should be the big question. All actors who are auditioning, call the lowdown line. Tell me if you use your hands to fake driving, if it's a very long driving scene. Yes. How about this? In the scene it goes, it says in the script, they make a violent turn.

towards the building. Are you telling me you just sit there? No, no, you make the violent turn and then you have the aftermath of the violent turn, you know, the turn. But you draw the line at actually turning the wheel, huh? I'm trying to think if I had an audition with driving, I probably did have a wheel. You're right. Okay, let me ask you that. Oh, oh, this segues perfectly. I'm so glad I remember this. I would have killed myself if I didn't think about this.

So you work nonstop. You do all these amazing projects. You have some time off. And you elect to go to France to clown school. Please, in excruciating detail, tell me about this. I know all about it, but it's my favorite thing ever. You have to tell everybody about this. Well, we went to Hawaii, all of us. Like, I want to say a week before I went to clown school.

And I was telling you about it. Yeah. Why is it Kalon School? It's a natural progression of the itinerary. Well, I wanted to take an acting class for some reason. I just felt like I needed to go back to some acting class. You've literally won your fourth Emmy or whatever. You're like, you know what? I need an acting class. Yeah. Yeah. I need a project. I always need some weird project. But so I...

I basically found out, actually it was like through a mutual friend, Sasha Barone Cohen was at this dinner and like he was talking about clown school. And I didn't, I thought, I didn't know that it was like a real thing. So then I asked him, I was like, what's clown school? And he told me about this teacher. His name is Philippe Goliath.

and he's like you need to go to him he's like 85 years old like he's he's one of the great great teachers and so I was like okay so I wrote down the name and I looked it up and it looked amazing and then I realized I was like I'm gonna just go now because I feel like I'm not gonna do anything the whole summer because there was a strike there was the writer's strike and so to me the the

The greatest luxury is time. Yes. And when you are an act, like either you have all the time in the world if you're an actor, you have zero time. And to me, I'm like, okay, well, this is just another thing in my pocket. You know, when I wasn't working that year that I wasn't working before I booked Ozark, I wasn't like booking any jobs.

I wanted to learn the basics of every single accent. I hired a dialect coach and I learned the basics for like every single accent that if an audition came, I wouldn't be scrambling, that I would have the basics down. So by the time that I actually did it, I can focus on the details. So that was like my project then at the time. And so then I was kind of like, I need to find, now the next thing I want to learn tap dancing because I feel like that's like a good skill set. And it's good for stunts if you fall the tap.

So it's like all those things are kind of, I feel like, related somehow. I'll fix you up with Dulé Hill. Oh. You know Dulé from West Wing? No. He was Tony nominated for Tap Dance Kid on Broadway. Hook me up. He's one of the nicest men in the world and like,

Like, tap dance savant. Yeah. And that's a dying skill. And I feel like it's, like, important for actors. I just feel like all these skill sets are very important for actors. You know? But how do you get into the clown school? So, I applied. I got in. But it's a thing. It's, like, a hard—you don't have to let anybody in. Well, no. It takes, like—it's months because everybody wants to go there because they want to learn from this guy, Philippe.

and he's responsible for a lot of, like, he's just a very famous clown teacher. And so I went there, I went for clowning, just pure, there's different types of clowning. There's like clowning and then there's bouffant, which is another type of clown work. What's the difference between a clown and a bouffant? Well, like a bouffant is like a buffoon. A bouffant is a buffoon. And it's like a pariah on stage that you want, that is really funny and it's kind of an ass and you want,

them to, you know, leave the stage. Like, Sacha Baron Cohen's, like, the best one of the best. He's best buffoons of all time. That's probably what he... I'm assuming what he went for. So, Borat and Ali G and all of those characters, they're all... They're buffoon, buffant, buffoons, not clowns. Yeah, it's different when you have, like... Then you have someone like Charlie Chaplin, who's, like, a pure clown. Like, he, you know, will run...

He'll destroy something and then he'll like smile. And like, everybody's like, that's hilarious. I did not find, I didn't. So anyway, jump, jump to, I go to France. I wanted to, I, you know, I just needed something different. I don't even know why I went. And then I realized after the whole experience, why I went. And it was because I was so, I got to the place where I was so afraid to fail. And I was never like that.

ever because I failed. My whole life was like one giant failure. So I was like very comfortable at failing. So I was kind of just always had like the what's the worst that you can lose mentality. And I think that is so important in life, but just with the acting, I think just putting yourself out there, what's the worst that I can lose? Because the audience can sense that they can feel the

When you just go for it and you just, you don't, you don't care. It's just like, this is, this is what I'm offering. You can take it or leave it, but this is all of me. So if you don't like it, you don't, you don't have to watch it. And there's something like captivating about that. So I think I got, I think I had just not shame, but I think that there was a lot of after it's, I love, I love working. I had a hard time with

The aftermath of just all of it with Ozark and Delvey and like, I'm just, I was not comfortable in being watched in that way. And I got very self-conscious, which made me like,

I don't know, made me like kind of ashamed for myself. I don't know. I wanted to hide. It's a different thing. I mean, like we're talking right now, it's Oscar season. And, you know, if you deliver a performance and it gets recognized and it's great,

It becomes a full-time job. An actual... It's more work than making the movie. It's more work than making the movie instead of just being like, you do one or two award shows, which is how it used to be. You, you know...

You go on the carpet. And by the way, people used to buy their dresses. They didn't have like some crazy thing. They would dress themselves. And everything was just a little more personal, it felt like. It was just a little more, I don't know, there was something...

It didn't feel so corporate. It's very corporate. And by the way, this is not a... We're not. No, it's not a slight. No, we're not. We love the Oscars. We love the Oscars. We want to win lots of awards. But it's just a mere statement of fact. It is a... You get nominated because of your performance and you win because of your story.

Yeah, and I feel like it's not... That's it. That's it. But again, but Philippe would always say, you know, the failure is the friend of the clown. I love that.

Failure is the friend of the clown. And there's, he was, I wouldn't say, because it was a crazy class. So, like, what happens in clown school is, like, stays in clown school because some of the things, like, well, you know the stories. But, um. Can you give me one clown school story? Well. Just give me a minute of him. Give me. A minute? So, he. Describe him. Describe him.

So he would have like a, he has like a giant drum that like if he doesn't like something, he just bangs and he's like, get off the stage. But that was also another thing. Like, it's so hard to just make people laugh. You would go on the stage and then you would wait. So he would just do anything just to get a laugh. And he would be like, it's absolutely okay. It's get off the stage. Yeah.

And then you would get off the stage. Or the biggest compliment that he would say, he's like, you are an idiot, no? And that means that, like, you're funny. That's great. You want to be an idiot. Like, that is, like, it's great to be an idiot. People love idiots to watch this. It's, like, great. So I think, but one of the things that... You are an idiot, no?

No. No. It's not bad, you idiot. Or he would say, he would say, he would say crazy things. But that being said, he would also say the most...

incredible things. Like there was even the first day there was somebody on stage and she went on and he said, he's like, you are not funny. And then he was like, she was like, I'm funny. I'm funny. And he said, no.

you are not funny. And she's like, I can be funny. He's like, no, no, no. Say that you are not funny. Mind you, you couldn't hear a pin drop. Like nobody was laughing at what this girl was doing. And she started to say, I'm not funny. And everybody like started to laugh a bit when she said that. And then he said, laugh.

And then she's like, I'm not funny. And she kept on screaming. I'm not funny. I'm not funny. Which was actually, it was hilarious to like just watch someone screaming. I'm not funny. And then he was like, there's nothing funny about the cookie clown. Everything is tied to humility. Oh, these are all so good. So that's my point. Failure is a win.

It's incredible. I love a comeback. I love even if you have your own comeback story every day. There is nothing funny about a cocky clown. No, there isn't anything funny about a cocky clown.

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See, this is this. Oh, God. Should I go to clown school? I would. We should all go. Family trip. Can you imagine? I could, actually. Yeah, I'm trying to think. Yeah, I'm trying to imagine also Cheryl in clown school. My wife in clown school. We have totally different senses of humor. I don't know how she... She would either be great or terrible. I don't... She'd be great. She'd be great. She's great in everything. She picks up everything. No, she would be great. Um...

How have you incorporated clown school into any? Or is it one of the things that was just in your DNA? I'm going to be honest. I didn't find my clown. I don't think I'm a pure clown. Even though I have my certificate. I have a clowning certificate. You have a clowning certificate? I do. I have a clown certificate. I graduated as a clown. But I didn't find my clown. I think for me, it's just that. Not being afraid to fail.

Yeah. And I think sometimes when you have wins for a period of time, there's ups and downs in a career. And I think that's important. You got out of it what you wanted. You got out of it what you wanted. Yes. You didn't need to find your clown. Yes. If you'd have found your clown, would it have been an actual character? Like, do people come away and go, yeah, it turns out my clown is a, you know, a...

A cowboy or whatever. I think, I don't know. I think my clown would be kind of secretive because for whatever reason, people always think I have like something on my mind. But I'm like, if you really just, I play, they always make me like these like secretive like characters like Ozark and Delvey. And I don't know. They always think I'm funny when I'm hiding something for some reason. So maybe it would be like a sneaky clown. Maybe. Ooh, that's a good, that's an archetype I could work with. Yeah. Yeah.

But like, but, but most of the time, like people really know what I'm thinking. I'm just like that, you know, that monkey that has, like, I'm just like, everyone's like, oh my God, what are you thinking? I'm like, do you really want to know? Yeah.

Yeah. Like, tell me the latest. Or it can be so like, you know, my brain. I don't know. I don't understand my brain half the time. Tell me the latest Madonna stuff. No, no updates. Same status quo. Yeah. Same. Same status quo. It's so funny. Everybody is always like, oh, my God. Can I imitate? Can I imitate journalists on your media tour real quick right now? Sure. Sure.

Okay, here I am. Here, this is actor Rob Lowe playing a journalist, everyone. Playing, I'm the host of, I don't want to say, but I'm the host of something.

So, Julia Garner, give it up. Give us the tea. Spill the tea right now. Madge, Madam M, the material girl herself, tell us all what's happening with the Madonna movie. Well, I can tell that you're burning up.

For your love. To know the answers. Yeah. Well, I should have said that, actually. That's actually kind of funny. I don't know. I wish I said that. Did I do a good job now? Isn't that exactly how? You did. You should. You do. Yeah. You did a great job. I should host a morning show, shouldn't I? You should host every show. Yeah.

So tell us now, I know I'm sworn to secret just between you and me and the goldfish. You, me, and the live television. Are you or are you not going to play Madonna in the movie that she is directing? Yeah, that's all I would say. There's nothing else to say. There's nothing else to say? No, and you know what's funny? It's like, it's no different than any other job.

The difference is because, you know, she's Madonna and she's iconic. And it's great because people want to see it, you know. But it's like, you know, it's the same stuff for a movie that, you know, would be on a shoestring budget. That being like, oh, when is it going to get made? Oh, we're supposed to film it in April, but now we're filming it in September. I mean, it's the same thing. It's so, like, not...

Like, I think people just want... And that's, you know what? There's no intrigue. It just is. It's the same... No, it is what it is. Yes. It's the same stupid movie stuff. It's like, we're shooting it in Budapest. No, actually, we're shooting in New Orleans. Well, actually, we've pushed to the fall. Literally. Actually, literally. Yes. Right? Yes. Yeah. It's just the stupidest thing as opposed to some intrigue. Yeah, that's why I'm like... I always, like, have a... I don't know. To me, I get so...

I hate talking about projects before they're shot. For sure, because you don't know what it is. You don't know what it is. And people, I don't know. I just, I don't, I don't, I want to see the movie before I'm even talking about it. Oh, I want to see the movie. Or just in general, just like, I want to see the movie before talking about it even. What if I don't like it? Yeah. Yeah.

No, that's a real thing. Yeah. You're just saying I, so how, you are how old? I'm going to be 31. So I knew Madonna at that. I mean, you, I do get Madonna vibes off of looking at you. There's, there's for sure. I hope there's a scene in the Madonna movie of she and I at the release of her second album party.

And she goes, come on, let's go dance on the dance floor. And I go, I'm not going down there and follow all those people and dance. And she turns around and she goes, well, honey, I'm not going to let success fuck up my fun. You should have danced with her. What were you thinking? She's so fun to dance with. I missed my moment. I missed my moment. You kind of did. I'm not going to lie. Oh, 100% I did. 100% I did. She's a great dance partner. She is.

Oh, for sure. The best. I want to see that movie badly when it comes. I'm going to come visit you on that set. Yeah. I mean, same. You know, but one day at a time.

One day at a time. Well, this has been amazing. You're the greatest. I'm going to go golf now. I'm dead. Where are you going? Where are you? Is this in Santa Barbara? I'm in Santa Barbara. We could have done this at the house. I know. With the dogs running all over us and stuff. I know. This is also another thing. Why is it that, like, sometimes when you have, like, general meetings that they're, like, they, like, put you... The amount of times that I've had meetings sometimes that, like,

You know, like, listen, no, no, nothing against the farm shop in Brentwood, but like love the farm shop. But it's just like some random place. And they're like, yeah, and she really likes it here. And I do like it, but it's like I wouldn't or people like they pick these places. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. I want to go to like Pink's Hot Dog and meet you there. Yeah. Or like at the beach. Anywhere.

Yeah. It's like, I might as well go to a Starbucks at that point. Next time we'll go to, um, we'll go to dog park. Your dog biz is one of my favorite dogs. I, I, I love all your dogs. Bella's like a sweetheart though. Bella's so gentle. Sweet Bella. Well, here's, so I'm, I'm doing a, uh, a thing for, for pets and pet food and this whole thing. And I, and I did my first day of work and brought all my dogs and it was great. And they were all amazing. And then my second day of work, like, um, um,

Maybe just bring Bella. Oh. Which is sweet because she's the older woman. Oh. Yeah, but she's a baby still. Energetic. She's a good girl. Our dogs are good dogs. Well, I have to say, like, you guys are like family to me. And, like, I love you guys so much. And I never, you know, because I always feel like we always see each other at, like, dinners. And it's always different. But, like, you're honestly, like,

one of my favorite actors and I think you're just so incredible and um and now I'm not only I'm not speaking I'm speaking to you as from actor to actor right now and so this is just like you know I'm I'm so happy to have done this to just talk to you about you know acting or whatever it is you know let's do well we'll do something for real one of these days I hope

Yeah, and I think we should. We should actually. We should do it. We should get off the phone. Let's get off the phone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But a hundred... Yeah, I know. But I'm so excited for you to do this movie that, you know...

I think it's going to be really good for you, the horror film. Are you excited? Well, yeah, but, you know, it's like the Madonna movie. It's like, well, we're pushing five weeks. Well, we're pushing two weeks. Well, you know, I mean, we'll see. I mean, I'll know soon if I'm going to do it, but it would be sick. It's a movie. Movies never—it's either tomorrow or it's in years. It's never like a—it's so funny. It's always the same. It's like you said. I love you said it. Actors either have all the time in the world or no time.

No time, but that's why time is like the biggest luxury. And, you know, use this time to prep because this is an opportunity for you to do something different. Like if they're not making it immediately, like that just gives you more time to prep. 100%. All right, darling. Okay. Love you, Rob. I will see you shortly. I'll see you soon. Okay. Bye, Rob. Love you. Bye. Thank you. Bye.

Who doesn't love some Julia Garner, right? Isn't she the best? She's just the best. Wolfman in the theaters, great genre piece. And you heard it, you heard it from the horse's mouth, making herself uncomfortable every single day on the set. Because you know why? There's a Wolfman there. There's a Wolfman there. What are you, not gonna be comfortable around a Wolfman. I wouldn't be. She clearly wasn't. Ha,

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. Sound by Devin Bryant.

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