Lynn Whitfield: Summertime Chi
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Looks like you're not. Where are you, Lynn? This is a very mysterious background. I'm in a hotel. I knew it. I didn't want to say anything in case it was your house. I'm like, how dare you? This is my home. Hey, everybody. Welcome to Literally. Today, the fantastically beautiful, talented Lynn Whitfield is with us. I remember the first time I saw her as Josephine Baker.

which she won every award under the sun for. I was like, who is this? And now she is starring in the new season of The Chai on Showtime. And let's get into it.

No, mysterious. Okay, mysterious. No, yes. It used to be the Regal Royal next to the Ziegfeld. You're at the Regal Royal in New York. Okay. The Regal Royal was always where they would send us.

for like if you had a new series and you were doing the upfronts, right? Exactly. Exactly. So that's, that's where I am. It was the Conrad Conrad. And now it's a new name. You know, it just keeps changing hands, but the Ziegfeld is right down the street. We're in the old neighborhood, Rob. We're right here. Right here. Are you seeing any shows while you have, while you're in New York?

I am only here for press today and half of tomorrow and heading out. And of course, it's Monday and everything's dark. I know. That's what happens to me, too. I only come in for press. And then, of course, it's Mondays and it's dark. I'm so dying. There's so many good shows there. You obviously love the theater. Your family is steeped in the theater. So you must love it, right?

Well, I do love theater. I do love theater. I do. I sense hesitation right now. Well, sometimes very musical, musical theater. Too much for you? Jazz hands? You're not down with the jazz hands? I love Fosse. I can't wait to see Hell's Kitchen. Yes. Contemporary musical. I really like that.

I like what they're doing. The innovation. Elle's Kitchen's Alicia's show, right? Yes. Yeah, I was speaking with her. We found ourself on a boat together. It was one of those great sort of Hollywood things where you get invited on a boat and then you don't know who else is going to be there. So it's sort of a mystery. And then you arrive and you're like, oh my God, it's fucking Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz. This is the greatest thing ever. And I got the full download of...

the life of that show. It's going to be incredible. Oh, I know it is. And it, you know, the lead, the girl who plays Alicia won the Tony last week.

That's right. Best first nomination and win. So I really want to see that. I love a lot of these, the shows where they're adapting a writer's music, all their compositions into a show. I think it's a great...

a great way of framing an artist and their music, you know? Well, you know, my first movie, The Outsiders, won Best Musical. Literally won Best Musical. And I'm like, but that I think has got a lot of very, what would the macho sort of Gen Z, Mumford & Sons version of jazz hands be? Because I think there's a lot of that going on.

You'll have to tell me, Rob. All right. I will. I will tell you. What's the greatest theater performance you've ever seen? Every actor, I think, has one or two where they're like, oh, my God, I saw so-and-so in such-and-such. I saw James Earl Jones in the...

Was it Fences? The Great White Hope. Oh, wow. Years and years when I was still in college. Yeah. He was magnificent. I mean, you know, he was spry, you know, and, you know, had the abs and the, you know, the triple things and all of that. And he was so, so good. And, you know, I could really see in that performance how he was

You know, they say that his work was very informed by, I think, primate body language, you know? Amazing. And you could really see it.

in that play. It was so exciting to watch. I love when you see a performance and then you find out they based it on an animal. I think a lot of his work, a lot of his work, not just that one role was so... But it is. It's inspiring to see when a performance is hung on anything that is a conscious decision of the...

of the actor and they do it well and you don't know what it is and then once you know it is, you see the whole thing. Isn't that true? Isn't that true? I heard Anthony Hopkins talk about Hannibal Lecter. Oh my God. I just was talking about Hannibal Lecter yesterday. Are you ready for this? Are you ready for what he based it on? What? There are three pretty obscure things, but they're

Okay, one was Hal the Computer from 2001. Hello, Clarice. Right? I'm sorry, Bill. I'm not allowed to open that space door. So that's one. The other is Olivier in The Entertainer. Like with the face and the look. Now I have to go back and look at Olivier in The Entertainer. And the other one, this is my favorite, Katharine Hepburn.

So, and I think, and I don't really understand that one yet. I kind of have to. I think I might understand that. Well, I think I might understand the kind of persistence with which he spoke. Yeah, it's the cadence, the diction. The cadence, the diction, the kind of transatlantic thing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that was good. You went right there. You got that transatlantic ready to rumble. You know, that he had that. And particularly, I think, Kate Hepburn, in the times that he was more angry or more persistent when he was really about to dig in. Yes. Tell me, Senator. Tell me, Senator. Yeah. Did you breastfeed your daughter? Yes, that. That scene. That cut, yes.

Yes. How inspiring. Is that great? That's my favorite thing ever. Thank you.

I got to have my coffee delivered. You must be in the West Coast. Yeah, I can. By the way, I can drink. I can drink espresso and coffee all hours of the day. It doesn't affect me. And you. Oh, my God, Rob. I can't sleep. I cannot. Anything after lunchtime. It's not good. Really? You're one of those people. Yeah, I know. I call it my acting juice. I'll literally be like, I need acting juice. It's four o'clock. It's that lull on the set.

Yeah. I mean, every now and then I might make the choice to actually, you know, burn my stomach lining with a Coca-Cola. That helps. Oh, yes. The Coca-Cola with a little lemon. One of my best. Speaking of Catherine Hepburn, I absolutely love Lion and Winter. Oh, great show. That film. Oh, my God. She was so good.

They were both so good. Lion and Winter. It's one of my favorites, Rob. It's one of my favorites.

Give me your Catherine. I feel like you're inching up to doing it. I want you to fully commit. I'm not. I'm not. I would never. I won't. I won't. Oh, you were inching. You were inching. I have to be prepared. I can't just hop into it. But the cadence, yes. I was still thinking about the cadence of Silence of the Lambs. I was still thinking of him.

That's amazing. Isn't that great? I think I should, that's so great. Yes, I'm thinking about it. It's one where you want to, first of all, it's a perfect movie. The movie is perfect. And Jodi and Scott Glenn. And of course, oh, you know the other, I think I've told this before on the show, so forgive me, listeners. But because you're a Silence of the Lambs fan and you like stories, you're going to love this. And it's a great acting story. So I heard that Ted Levine, when he auditioned,

for Buffalo Bill, does the audition. Now, this is one, I don't know this is true or not, but this is the apocryphal alligators in the sewers, urban legends. He auditions. Thank you very much. Thanks for coming in. That was great. And he goes, um, I do have one other notion. And they're like, oh, well, please, by all means. He leaves, shuts the door behind him, opens the door, and he's naked with his, you know what, tucked hair.

And he's doing that dance. The greatest audition story in the history of show business, if it's true. I've got to find Ted and I've got to ask him. You have to ask him. We have to know if it's true. But you know, if it is true, those bold decisions under pressure, you know? I...

I remember for one of the auditions, one of the seven months of auditioning for Josephine Baker, I went through the acting exercise. I said, but, you know, she was like Eve in, you know, the Garden of Eden, you know? So when she did the banana dance topless, and so I just said, I think I should see what it feels like. I should just do it. Amazing. And I did. It was like this...

Yeah, I did. And it was so liberating to have the innocence that she had because it was really like she was a and I don't know what they thought. They probably terrified the room. But I don't think so. I found this amazing kind of.

Her innocence in it, not a salaciousness. Yes. It was like, yes, I'm a little dog. And it was, you know, decisions that you make as an actor or any artist, you know, like, I'm just going to do it. I'm going to take matters and I'm going to do this now and let it ride, let it roll and see. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Well, but that quality is such, you built the whole thing on that. That's like one of those things you go, oh, I've got the Christmas tree. Now I put any ornament I want on it now because this is a tree I've just figured out. Yes, yes.

Absolutely. So what was your, the role that you really, if there's one, you've had so many, but if there's one that you felt like you could just build on and just. I mean, I've been so lucky and I also, I've just been doing it for so long. It's just the thing of you do something long enough, you're going to have some stuff that's good, but

I mean, there are parts that I feel like I wish I could play forever. You know, I never get tired of. Yeah. And they're usually, weirdly enough, like the more character-y ones. They're like, you know, I did a thing on Californication with David Duchovny where I played this demented actor, pretentious actor. And I could have played Eddie Nero was his name. And I just came in and did like, when I was available, I'd come in and do an episode and leave. And it was the best. Yeah.

But, you know, they don't come around very often, do they? But when they do, they just grab hold of you. Yes, but I think I can understand the more character he runs where... You feel free. You feel free to go and just be a kid in the sandbox. That's right. With a role. And for me, it has, you know, it allows you flourishes of ideas and you can kind of just...

skip around and bowl and take the clay and keep going. But it is more character-y ones, I think. Yeah, because there's no wrong choice, really. I mean, there almost isn't a choice that you can't... And it's funny, and then I did a show called Parks and Recreation, and I played this character, Chris Traeger, which everybody likes, and I like a lot, but I realized there's only one choice. Like, every time I try to do anything other than be...

excited, optimistic, energetic. It just wasn't as funny. And, and I, which made it fun because if, even if it was something that was sad, playing it that way was so bold and weird, but that was one of those things where it's like, Nope, he's excited and energetic. And that's what, you know what? That's where formula formula is comfortable. Yeah.

Yeah. If formula helps, it's sort of like the mother of invention for ways that as the actorly actor, you wouldn't choose to do it that way. But this formula for this character, it works. It sort of just puts a different patina on everything, huh? ♪

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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. Well, let me ask you this. So when you're doing Josephine Baker, it's really your first thing and you win every award in the world and or nominated. What was, forget the performance, what's the reception, the like hurricane, the attention on you?

so quickly and so brightly. What was that like for you? Well, it was exciting. You know, it wasn't so quickly. You know, you tool around for years doing the journeyman work, you know, doing the work. And as it's not, it's not noticed. I mean, the first movie I did was

Dr. Detroit with Dan Aykroyd, where I got to dance with James Brown and his friend Jess Drescher and Donna Dixon. So things were happening all along. But to actually get those reviews of A Star is Born or Lynn Whitfield, this and that and the other, and to get all of the acknowledgement and

And for it to have been a role that just used up absolutely each and everything that I thought I might be able to deliver. You know, you had to do, it was aging, it was dancing, it was some singing, the lip sync, all of that. It was just so much to do. And

There just aren't many films where a woman is in almost in every frame of the movie. Just a woman, let alone a woman of color, let alone a black woman. Just about every film of the movie. And so, which, you know, as you know, and I'm sure your listeners know, it's called, you know, where a woman actually really carries the film. Yep.

And I got to do that at that point. And so it was magnificent. You know, it was like, yeah, they all know what I thought I knew that I could do. And very rewarding. Right. To receive acknowledgement and appreciation and all of that. You know, it's.

It's like, what's the follow-up to all of that? That becomes the question then. What happens after that? But it was so wonderful to finally, for everybody to know that I could really act. It's such a, I mean, obviously it's a classic. So we have a connection that I just discovered. Dr. Detroit was written by

the writer and director of a movie I did called Oxford Blues. Bob Boris was his name. And I did another movie with him later. But Dr. Detroit is kind of an amazing, that was an amazing time. I hear stories from that set. Dan, Dan Aykroyd's stories are insane.

Insane. Insane. And it was so much fun. And we had Summershine, you know, we shot it all in Chicago, most of it in Chicago. Then we came back to the lot. And can you imagine, you know, we were I mean, I was so nervous to tell my mother, like, OK, well,

She said, oh, baby, that's wonderful. You're in your first big movie. She said, what's your role? I said, I'm a prostitute. And

So we'll just do it. Thank God it was funny. You know, it was a funny movie. It wasn't a very graphic or anything. But, you know, Fran just Drescher and Donna Dixon and I and Lydia Lee. I mean, we had so much fun and Summer Shy playing these frothy like ladies of the evening. They're very frothy, nothing graphic about them. And Dan married Donna Dixon based on that.

Dan married Donna Dixon based on that. Fran went off to, she was just talking about the nanny and working on that and went off to do that. And yeah, it was one of those moments

You know, you never know where it all falls, but it was so much fun. It was a fun first movie in Hollywood. That was my first movie. And now you're back in Chicago. And now I'm back. I'm back. I'm back there. Went to a Cubs game. That was so fun. Oh, isn't it the best? It's the best. Wrigley Field, the second oldest baseball game.

in the United States. Still feels like the real thing. It was wonderful. And my co-star Jason Weaver, who, you know, was Simba in the movie Lion King, sang Simba. No. Yes. Yes. And he threw out the first pitch and sang Simba.

you know, take me out to the ball game, which is classic there. They do it every time there's a baseball game at Wrigley Field.

So that was amazing. The food is amazing. I'm just starting to get into the music festivals and blues fest, which I love being a Louisiana woman, you know? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, love the music. So yeah. And the Chi is in what? Is this season six already? Yeah, yeah. So what it is, it's the Chi based upon like,

Chicago. Oh, yeah. I don't know why. I think the Chi, like Tai Chi, it's the Chi. Well, it sounds awfully cute, Rob. It does. But yeah, that's what it's based on. So, yeah, it's in its... Well, it's finished its sixth season and it's being picked up for its seventh. And I came in in the sixth season.

with guest stars and just fooling around exploring this idea of um of a kind of uh mentality that really believes in retribution and all that i because i don't know much about that myself you know like how how revenge can become the most important thing but but you know

Seeing that we're steeped and surrounded in this kind of sensibility in the country at the moment, just it's like, oh, let me explore that kind of psychology, that kind of street code of an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth kind of thing.

Because it's very far away from my sensibility. The South Side of Chicago is sort of legendary, but I've never been... I mean, most tourists don't ever go there. What is it like? Is it like the Bronx? Or is it really... Oh, when I went to the South Side of Chicago, it was... Well, that's the thing. And that's what's interesting about... Very residential. Bars, cafes, restaurants...

It doesn't look like a war zone or anything like that. You know how so many of the, like it would be looked at the opening of the Sopranos, right? The opening scenes of the Sopranos, right? It's neighborhood, but look at what's going on, you know?

Yeah, that's a really good point. Really good point. There's a sense of community there and all. And that's why I love the opening of Sopranos because it sets it all up.

Yeah. Isn't that great? Isn't that amazing? All it is, is when you think about it, it's literally exterior shots, literally like drive by exterior shots, a guy driving his car and gets it. It's, it's the simplest, most illuminating thing. And it's amazing. It sets up everything. It frames the whole story. This is their neighborhood.

It's hard stuff. People sit out. They play checkers. They go. They meet friends for drinks. They, you know, have a glass of wine. They go to the family restaurant. Yet the South Side of Chicago is like that. It's not what I have seen. And obviously, where there is a war zone, unless we're shooting a scene there, I mean, I won't be there, you know. I'm a coward. I don't want to...

But yet, a lot of places where people live by these codes of street life, it's communities.

You know, there are communities there. And that's the only reason I brought up Sopana is not to take away from the shot. But since you haven't been to the south side of Chicago, that's a great example of setting up that people live here, families live here.

old friends meet up here, but still it's a place of danger and violence. So it's interesting that way. Now is Comiskey, we talked about the Cubs, are the White Sox, are

Are they on the South side? Is Comiskey on the South side? Comiskey, it's not Comiskey anymore. It's how old I am. Yes. So, yeah. Now, the White Sox are there on the South side, I believe. And then the Cubs play all of their home games at Wrigley Field. And they, well, the whole town is just, they just bought up lots of,

the property there. And I can't remember what the neighborhood is, what the name Waverly Waverly Avenue and all that stuff. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

I loved it. It was so nice. It was also Juneteenth. So it was- Oh my gosh, amazing. It must've been popping. Oh, it was popping. It was full of tradition, full of happy faces everywhere, steaming hot and nobody mind. It was crazy. Yeah. But I love tradition and cultural things like that. Do you? I love that stuff.

Yeah. I love that stuff. I worked a lot in Chicago earlier in my career. There was a moment where almost every movie, I think it was started with John Hughes. I mean, well, actually, Robert Redford shot Ordinary People in Chicago. And then it was kind of on and on and on in John Hughes. But it felt like every other movie was shot in Chicago. And I loved working there. Loved it. Yeah. It's wonderful. And

now they're shooting lots and lots and lots of television there. The bear shoots there. The same studio. Oh my God, I love that. Have you seen any of it? Oh yeah, of course. It's great. It's...

So good. I never knew that cooking in a restaurant could give me such anxiety. Watching it could give me such anxiety. The restaurant business is a hard business. Yeah. You know, timing is everything. I mean, how pissed off are you when you get a cold plate of food? No, it's...

It captures that beautifully. It's such a great... The pressure of it all, all of the conversation that goes on with the goal of getting it done and getting it out there, so brilliantly done. So that shoots at the same studio and then there's Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. Oh, that's right. I keep forgetting about the Dick Wolf world. Yeah, Dick Wolf world is...

i don't know where they are but the wolf world is there wolf world is there bears are there and movies lots of movies are shooting so it's it's it's exciting it's an exciting place to be and and culturally affirming place to be yeah for for sure and you've got weather food food is insane are you i'm like a deep dish pizza scene come on it's so bars

It's one of my favorite cities. I want to do it, but I have to be very sparing with all of that. And being from Louisiana. Don't you just want to go? Come on, you're a Louisiana girl. You got to love your food. Do you like seeing yourself out of sorts on film? No, no, I don't. But I have no willpower. You don't?

My willpower, I have willpower in very specific areas and then none. About food, you don't have any willpower? Food has become, well, you know what it is. It's that thing of as you get older, you have to start addressing stuff in your life or you get into trouble. So, you know, you address, you cut out this and then you become obsessed with that. And then you cut out that. And then you become obsessed with this. Then you cut out that. And then you become obsessed with... So, thankfully, it's gotten down to just like...

If I'm driving through Chicago and I'm hungry and I see deep dish pizza. You have to do it at least once. I mean, you have to have the experience.

At the baseball field, I had to have a Chicago hot dog. You got to. So good. And I let a Chicago and like, do it. They're like, no, don't catch it. What's wrong with you? Yeah. So how does a Chicago, what's the Chicago? Is it relish and mustard? Is that what it is? It's a very, yeah. It's a very chunky. That's right. It's mustard. Yeah.

and onion, a steamed bun. It was coleslaw, but I was not allowed to put it on. It couldn't put it on the hot dog. No chili. I said, okay, look, make me the Chicago hot dog. I'm not going to quibble with you, whatever you say. And somehow those simple ingredients came

I'm getting hungry now. I am. Same. You're killing me. You're killing me. The simple ingredients with the steamed bun and the perfectly, it was just delicious. It was so good. So, you know, I have the experience. I just can't have it be a habit, but I will definitely have the experience.

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, passport. 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. Okay, so you're in New York City. You're doing press. You're there for a day and a half. Yes. I'm definitely hitting the New York pizza while I'm there. I don't care what. A day and a half. I'm definitely... Are you doing it or can you say no to that? You're in New York. You gotta go. Nope. I can say no to that. You're my hero. No.

You're my hero. I don't have time. You know, no, no, I'm not. I don't need to do that now. I think I'll do something else, you know, like more naughty food wise when I can really sit and enjoy it, you know, not grab and go kind of thing. I like to really...

Really get into it. What's your favorite Louisiana cuisine? Your favorite Louisiana? If you could go anywhere in Baton Rouge or New Orleans and have whatever meal you wanted to really throw down, what would it be? Well, you know, a really well-prepared red beans and rice is like, it's serious. Mm-hmm.

But then you have to have all of the salted meats. Then it has to cook forever. And cornbread and the greens. That's one way of going. A really delicious gumbo. I love a delicious gumbo.

gumbo with the right and dewy all of the ingredients perfect love that so much so I can do that but I am really a slave to Caribbean and Jamaican food yeah I love I love curry goat I love

And I don't eat that stuff very often, you know? And it's not even good for you. I've been trying to do more vegetables. But every night, I will have to have it so I understand. I will do it and I will make the most of it. I will take it all in. I also love Cuban food. What's the one in Harlem that's the best Cuban food? That's classic, legendary? No, you're talking about Victor's? Maybe it is Victor's. But that's not in Harlem. It's in the theater district.

No, no, no. This isn't Harlem. I was taken up to Harlem and had the best Caribbean Cuban. God, it was insane. What was it? I'll think of the name of it. Well, if you think of it, will you have your assistant send it to me? Yes, I will. Have your people send it to my people? I will. My people will talk to me. Your people will. For that, I would stay up late and take the... I'll take the hit. I'll take the hit for a good Cuban meal that I can really...

sit and indulge in for sure. Somebody's saying it's armor. Nope. My producers are lighting up my screen with different possibilities.

but that is not it. If I, if I think of it, I will reach out to you, but this is so great. Are you having a big press day? Do you have many, many, many, many important interviews after me? Did I warm you up or I'm in the middle of the day? You're great. And you're so, you know, you, you, it's great to talk to an actor, you know? So I have to go back and watch silence of the lambs. Now I have to go. Yes, you do. Yeah. I have to see all of those influences. Yeah.

I must because I don't know. Do you still ignite the student part of your study of your acting? Oh, it's my favorite thing ever. When I find something I love, I love to dissect it. And, you know, I keep clips on my phone of favorite scenes. In fact, my current obsession is the movie The Sting.

which is another perfect movie. It's very dated looking. It was all shot on the back lot, but it's a perfect script. Swept the Academy, like Silence of the Lambs. Yeah. The Academy Awards. And there's a scene where a conductor, literally all he's got three scenes. He's buried in the credits. He's just an actor playing the conductor. That's it. And I'm obsessed with his work. And I try to teach it to young actors because all he's doing is

is paying attention to the tickets and keeping notes on who's what. I don't think he looks Paul Newman or Robert Redford or Robert Shaw in the face once. And he's not taking his moment. He doesn't realize, oh, this is my mom with Paul Newman. He's a conductor. So all he's doing is like, I think I can get you in that card game if you want. We're coming to this station in 25 minutes. And it's like so real and so amazing. It's amazing. Yeah.

Yeah, and there's so much to learn. There's so much for any actor to learn or be reminded of that, you know, acting is an action word. So sometimes, realistically, what someone would be doing just informs the entire performance of something. It takes it away from being a performance.

Boy, it's so true. Performing something, you are involved in what you have to do. You have got to ticket all these people at every stop and make sure that nobody's getting on for free. That's your job. That's what you have to do. So be involved in it. So I know it's wonderful.

Yeah, it's pretty great. And then, you know, I mean, that's another one for you to watch if you haven't watched it. Paul Newman playing fake. He's an actor playing... You told me about this thing, this thing. Paul Newman, Robert Redford. Oh, yes. I love the movie, but I don't remember the conductor. I love that movie. He sets up the big card game where they hook Robert Shaw. It's such a... I have to go back and remind myself because it was a movie that I watched...

And watched and watched again and again, and then same left it. So I say like, like Scott Joplin music, I guess, because I'm like, I'm a woman and I like to see the top of like Bonnie and Clyde. I watched it and watched it and watched it. Then I never watched it again.

I haven't seen it in years. It's so fun. It's so engaging. I mean, it's like when I think of what a movie should be, like that's a movie. It's so engaging, great performances. But it's the little character, the little details, the characters that make it work. So do you teach? No, but you might. You'll show...

You'll just help out, right? What it is is I... I have so many actors coming through...

911 Lone Star. And when they're young, I like to talk to them and help them. And I've directed a couple of times. And the last thing I directed was a young actor. It was the lead. And then my son is a young actor. Yes. And so we talk about... And we share scenes with each other. Like, how great is so-and-so in this? And that's real. I love... So I love that. That's how I keep my love of this alive. Wow.

Oh, and the smile on your face is genuine. It's funny. It's like joyful. You're like, I know. I love this stuff. I do too. It's the best. I have a collection on my phone. And when I'm bored, I just watch great. Another one, another great one. And we'll finish with this is in the Godfather, the famous scene where Al Pacino comes out and shoots the cop and the guy in the restaurant. Yeah. Watching the cop during the scene. He has no dialogue, none.

during the scene where Michael and he are, and you know that he's going to shoot, but the cop is just eating. He doesn't even look at them. He's just eating. It's a cop getting a free meal. That's what he would be doing. He's not like eavesdropping or surreptitious looks at the mobster. It's like that choice of just eating. It's it.

Yeah, somebody would be doing. But like I promise you, eight out of 10 actors aren't aren't just doing that. They're doing something else instead of just keeping it simple. But those are the reminders. And it's true. You know, we can get so busy doing the actorly things.

Yes, yes. The things that we think are the smart thing to do. He's chowing down. He's chowing down. Pacino goes to the bathroom. He's chowing down. The guy's, it's okay. I first a lot of punks.

And he's just stuffing his face. That's the other thing I'm obsessed with is actors who eat on camera all the time. I know. James Gandolfini is the best. Because most actors will not eat on camera. I won't. I mean, I draw the line somewhere. Do you eat on camera? No. It's the worst. It's the pain in the ass. It's the worst. But boy, isn't it great though when you see it? It is so great when I see it and I'm like,

like halfway you know envious that an ethic that can be abandoned enough to really just yeah like bite into an apple knowing that he's gonna have to do it 25 freaking times and and he does it and it's believable and it's fabulous and it looks so i can't i don't is it those little simple things oh this is

I love chocolate. It's kind of acting. It's okay. I have three things I wish I saw more of on screen in terms of like real life. By the way, I don't need to actually see these things. It's not like these things are particularly interesting to me, but they're the three things you never, ever, ever, ever see. You really don't see people eat. We talked about that.

You never see people like peeing and talking to somebody like through the door. Only on a few movies. I've seen that recently. It's starting to come in. Yeah. Now, because it, and then the other is, um, you can't not finding a parking space. There's always a parking space. There's always a parking space.

You pull up here and you get out and you walk into the, how about you pull up here, you circle the block four times. You have the scene while you're talking because you can't find the scene. It doesn't matter if it's a New York movie or shit. There's always a parking space. Always. Always a parking space. That's so funny. Or the other thing is when you absolutely have to call somebody, they always pick up.

Unless it's a plot point, unless it's a plot point where you actually can't get a hold of them. Yes. And that, and of course they, then, then they always don't, then they're never there. Yes. So funny. So good. Have you ever read, and I'll leave you this. Have you ever read David Mamet's memo to the staff, his TV staff writers? No.

on the unit with, he did, so Dennis Haysburg, who I love, did this great, it's called The Unit. It's a CBS down the middle procedural. Like as down the middle, as CBS, as CBS-y as you can possibly imagine. But it's David Mamet who created it. Yes, yes. And you must, when we're done, Okay. Google this memo. It is the greatest memo

Because the number one takeaway he says talking about acting is it's not the actor's job to provide the drama. Right. Like if it's not on the, another way of saying it, if it's not on the page, it's not on the stage. Right. So I play on, in One Lone Star, I play a first responder. And I always tell the young actors, the inexperienced actors, don't play the stakes. Don't, this person's about to, you cannot play the stakes. That's not your job.

The stakes have to be baked in by the script. You can't be like, this person, this is a job. You've done this a thousand times. It's like ordering a Coke at McDonald's. Right. And it's sort of what Mamet is saying, but it's way more colorful and he has a thousand rules that are hilarious. Yeah, it's really good. And if you're listening and you can Google it, David Mamet's memo to writers on

the unit. A memo to writers. To his staff, to his writing staff. Yeah. Of what the writer's responsibility is. It's what the writer's responsibility is and what the actor's responsibility is and how not to conflate them or confuse them. And it's kind of like the Ten Commandments of writing. It's amazing.

I am going to look at it this evening when I'm done with all this press, because I think that we need it. We need the deletion of how many times as an actor are you expected to to create all of it with you?

No dialogue or the wrong dialogue. Yes. And you're expected to make all the connections and bring all of the truth to something that has not been developed, that is not on the page. You're going to have the memo now in your back pocket. He needed to send that to a writer's room. Oh, he did. 100%. And most writers should know it. I make sure every writer's room I work with is Reddit. For sure.

All right. All right. This is good. This is so good. Lynn, you're the best. Enjoy New York. You're so good. This has been very entertaining. Yeah, me too. I didn't know what to expect either, and we could talk forever. But it's been so much fun. I have so many things to go back and revisit. The car...

Eating in The Godfather. The Sting in The Conductor. And Mammoth's notes to the writer's room of The Unit. I'm that guy. I'm the guy. Do this, do that, do the other thing. Anyway, do your homework. I think it's going to help keep my work clean.

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I'm going to reread it again today because it's just so inspiring. Yeah, that's the point. Enjoy The Chi. That's the sixth season. It's Paramount on Showtime. You crush in it. And we'll do this again on the next thing for sure. Yes, we will. It was so much fun. I really enjoyed it. We'll do it again for sure.

Thank you. Okay. Bye. Have a good day. That was what you call a sprawling conversation, which is great because I love having people that I haven't had a chance to ever really get to know. And then you never know where it's going to go. And I definitely did not think we would be talking about David Mamet's memo and Silence of the Lambs, but that's what you get on this show. You never know. All right. Thanks to Walmart for sponsoring today's Lowdown Line.

Hello, you've reached literally in our lowdown line where you can get the lowdown on all things about me, Rob Lowe. 323-570-4551. So have at it. Here's the beep.

Hey Rob, this is Emily from Burbank. My fiance and I are hopefully purchasing our first house very soon and I want to give him the dream man cave. What are your man cave must haves? Thanks. Bye. Ooh, man cave must have. Well, it depends on a lot of things.

If he plays golf, a little indoor mini putting green that you can find them. They're not as expensive as you think. They don't take up any space. I mean, if he's a golfer and you can just go down there and putt, I mean, he's going to love you for that. So there's that. The number one must is, you know, what are you watching your sports on? You know, you got to have the plasma, you know, have that screen, you know, how

How big it you want it, obviously, as big as you can get it. Right. What are you sitting in? And then you can have the debate with him about like function versus form. Like, are you going to are you really going to let him get away with like the new iteration of the lazy boy recliners, which are the greatest chairs in the world for every man cave? Like every firehouse I go into where the firemen can put whatever they want in.

Um, cause I play a farmer on TV. They have the big Barkaliner, lazy, whatever that, well, I know what the brands are now, but you know what I'm talking about, but girls hate them. They're not pretty. They're kind of ugly. Um, so there's that, uh, sound system is you like vinyl, you can have a record player. Um, they're out, there's some really good ones out there now that you can old school ones. You don't have to be a hipster anymore to listen to cool vinyl. Um,

Um, and then I'm trying to think of what else, you know, and you might want to give him a candle. You don't want stinky, smelly man cave. Let's face it. The word man cave sounds smelly. It sounds really smelly. So I think some like, you know, masculine candle would be, would be a nice touch.

I'm coming over. When you get it done, let me know. I'm coming over. Thank Lynn for being on. Thank you for listening. And I'll see you next week here on Literally.

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 Growl. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel. Our executive producers are Rob Lowe for Low Profile, Nick Liao, Adam Sachs, and Jeff Ross for Team Coco, and Colin Anderson for Stitcher. Booking by Deirdre Dodd. Music by Devin Bryant. Sports and

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

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