Episode 008 | Billy Magnussen
Tony-nominated actor Billy Magnussen (Game Night, No Time To Die, Into the Woods, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) is unfiltered (literally) and unchained (we let him escape the basement, eventually) in a conversation about acting, the future of Holllywood, and hitting audiences in the heart with his new production company, HappyBad Bungalow.
Topics include Being vs. Acting, the Hollywood hype machine, waiting for your career to start (Pro-tip: It already has. Embrace it!), and, of course, Top Gun Maverick.
Also, the wait is over: Mom returns to the basement with a special message for her fans. Don't miss the episode!
Haunted Basement is a full-service, boutique production company that creates professional content to promote your business or brand. Visit hauntedbasement.video or contact hello@hauntedbasement.video for more.
Episode 008 Transcript
Ashleigh
We've got someone in the basement today. She is a special guest and she's going to reveal herself. Here she is!
Mom
The mama.
Bubba
Mom, I have been checking the analytics on all these podcasts all the episodes that we've been releasing, and the episodes that you appear in that you are called in, those are the ones that are performing best.
Ashleigh
Everyone really gets upset when you're not in one.
Mom
Really?
Bubba
Well, do you have anything to say to your fans? While we give you this stage?
A.J.
Your fans are out there waiting for you to speak to them directly. What would you like to say to them?
Mom
Oh, um. I love you.
A.J.
We are going to be talking to Billy Magnussen on this episode. And he is one of the stars of the movie Game Night which I heard that you watched the other night. Can you give us a review of Game Night, please?
Mom
I laughed out loud several times.
A.J.
What was your favorite - give me like a part that you laughed out loud about. What'd you like?
Mom
I just loved the whole thing because it was there was a storyline but it was goofy-funny. And Billy was awesome in it. I was particularly laser focused on him.
Ashleigh
Why?
Mom
Because I knew you were talking with him. So I wanted to see if he was worthy of you. Oh, he was great. I was so impressed with him. It's like that slapstick old fashioned comedy that I just love. It was just fun to watch and delightful. And yeah, it was great.
Bubba
I saw that movie by myself in theaters years ago when I had Movie Pass. And I had popcorn.
Mom
Oh, wow. How nice.
A.J.
All right, fans. Maybe Mom will show up on a full length episode one day. We'll find something nice that you want to talk about. But for now we got to talk to Billy Magnussen.
Mom
Is that his real name or his stage name?
A.J.
It's his real name.
Mom
Oh, good name.
A.J.
Great name. Great name, great person. Let's talk to him.
Let's go.
Billy
So what are we talking about? Haunted Basement!
A.J.
Yeah, let's do it. I'll do the intro and we'll get into it. Okay, ready?
Billy
Five, six, seven, eight.
A.J.
Hello, and welcome back to Haunted Basement, the podcast. I'm A.J.
Bubba
I'm Bubba.
Ashleigh
And I'm Ashleigh.
A.J.
We're siblings. And we run a production company called Haunted Basement. And this is our podcast where we talk about the movies, music and pop culture that inspires and influences our video work. Today's guest has quite a distinguished resume. He's a Tony nominated actor who has also appeared in such films and shows as The Big Short, Maniac, Into the Woods, The Offer, Bridge of Spies, Game Night, and No Time To Die. I've worked with him on a couple of projects and can tell you from firsthand experience that he has a creative talent who trusts his collaborators and also pushes them to create their best work. Billy Magnussen, welcome to the basement.
Billy
Oh, thanks so much. Where's the nearest exit though, just so I know where to go?
Ashleigh
Got some creepy stairs? It's all good.
Billy
A.J. I have to say the same thing about you, man. It was a pleasure collaborating with you. I don't know if anyone knows but you edited a short I did about my father, and in addition a sizzle reel for a project that I'm putting together with my company, HappyBad Bungalow. And I just have to say, man, your work speaks for itself. And it's awesome when you work with people that are so good at their job they can be assholes. You know, A.J., you're a great asshole, but you're great at your job. I'm joking. You're the sweetest person in the world. Oh, he's the farthest thing from an asshole. How do you feel about that? If someone's really, really good at their job, are they allowed to be an asshole?
Ashleigh
I don't think they need to be.
A.J.
It's hard to work for someone who's an asshole. I've worked in Hollywood, before Bubba's worked in Hollywood before...
Ashleigh
And I've worked in cyber security.
A.J.
It's tough to want to do your job when you're working for an asshole. But I get it. You attain a certain status and you get to be an asshole, I get it.
Billy
No, it was just funny, that short we did, The Carpenter that you edited - I don't want to say he's the cinematographer but he was like the main grip that had all the equipment and was in charge of like all the camera stuff. First getting to know him you're like, oh shit, this guy's an asshole. And then he's like really good at his job. And then you realize, Oh, he's not an asshole. He's just very specific. And he's very excited and he loves what he does. People that are passionate about what they do, I could sit there all day with my hands under my chin and be like, Yeah, I want to watch that.
Ashleigh
Passion, man. It's so good.
Billy
Yeah. How do you guys get passionate about this? I feel like I'm interviewing you. Who is the oldest? Who's the youngest? Who got picked on the most?
Ashleigh
Guess Who's the oldest and who's the youngest.
Billy
I'm gonna just say Ashleigh, you are the oldest.
Ashleigh
And the wisest, of course.
Billy
Yeah. Yeah. And then... I don't know between A.J. and Bubba. I'm gonna put Bubba as the baby
Bubba
Oh yeah. 100%.
A.J.
So you know what? We did a little bit of research about your history and we saw that your mom was an aerobics instructor. Our mom was also an aerobics instructor in the 90s. We have that in common.
Billy
No, I just remember like, my dad also was like a martial arts instructor and they worked at the same studio sometimes. And so I remember just having to wait as my mom like coached a class. And like aerobics, yes, it was more like just fitness generally.
Ashleigh
But very high energy fitness.
Billy
Yes, that step - everything was step class right?
Ashleigh
I remember a lot of Gloria Stefan and Madonna.
A.J.
Yeah. 90s house music is like comfort music to me.
Ashleigh
She did a lot of classes for elderly people at the YMCA. I remember watching them and being like, they are really into this.
Billy
Committed. They are committed to this.
Bubba
Does it get any more 90s than a martial-arts-aerobics combined studio though? That sounds like everyone's just dance fighting and, you know, getting a great sweat on and looking fabulous in spandex.
Ashleigh
Wax on wax off.
Bubba
Do you think your your parents, the performative nature of their professions kind of influenced your career choice?
Billy
No. You know, it's probably a deep seated like, not trauma but like just wanting attention from my parents or something like that. I think everyone in the industry has some trauma of like wanting attention. And not saying my parents didn't give it to me or anything like that. But, you know, my dad was professional kickboxer and bodybuilder and like also a carpenter. And there's like art form in that. My mom was, in addition to being a mother and aerobics instructor, she was an artist, like she painted and drew a lot. So I guess it, like lived in me in a sense? But I don't know where the performance element of it... Honestly, I'm pretty sure I got dropped on my head when I was young and it shook something into place. That's probably why I'm doing this shit.
Well, your dad definitely has - he probably passed on some acting genes to you because he was fantastic.
A.J.
He's got some performance chops.
Billy
The fucking guy couldn't remember a line. Again, A.J. edited really well.
A.J.
I've seen all the takes, but when when he was on, he's really on.
Billy
Yeah, non-actors in a film, sometimes they're the most interesting people. Because you genuinely see into their soul as they're performing, or they're not even performing. They're just being and that's like what the craft of acting is. It's like, how do you get to the point of just being in those given circumstances of the character. I remember like in school, I had a teacher, Matt Bullock, God rest his soul, the class was just, come in the door. Just come in the door to the room. Everyone acted like they could walk into a room. But no one would just walk into a room. You don't realize performers do it all the time. They show that they're pouring a drink, they show that they're doing something instead of just like, doing the action.
A.J.
Okay, you've worked on the stage, you've worked in television, you've worked in film, you've worked in podcasts. Do you approach each project with that same foundation? Or do you have a different sort of approach for different mediums?
Billy
Like I think as an artist anywhere you have a toolbox, right? You have like your whole, like, here's your tricks, and you're like, whatever. Each project calls for a different tool to like, make, and like, I'll always relate it to carpentry. If I'm building a table, I'm not going to be using wrenches and stuff like that, like I would use on plumbing or something. You know, you have to bring the proper tools to the proper job. I think that relates with any medium you're working with and like, what do I need to bring to this, this project compared to another? Like, let's think of Aladdin. When I was Prince Anders, how I approach that character compared to Made For Love. Two different people. Yes, I want to get into the headspace of the character. But like getting into who Anders was in Aladdin was like he's a rich spoiled person. The world is heightened. There is magical elements into it. So why can't I bring that magic into the character? And then when I think Made For Love it is this like, conservative strict by the book prototype, like the guy only knows computers and everything's an algorithm, everything's coding. So everything has a structure.
A.J.
You grew up in Queens, and then you moved at a pretty young age to the self to Georgia.
Billy
Yeah, um, the story I'm told by my parents is I grew up in Queens, New York, till about 10. My brother was born, my third brother was on the way. Drive-by shooting started happening in Queens, New York, a lot at that time. It was like 1994, 1993. And my dad was like, I'm not raising kids here in this. And so they actually looked all over the country, just visited some friends in Georgia. And my mom was like, I love it here. And my dad's like a carpenter. So he's like, Yeah, I can find work here. I'll just start building.
A.J.
Do you consider yourself a New Yorker? Or a southerner?
Billy
Um, I think I have the very great privilege of being an American. All of it.
A.J.
You've experienced it all. Yeah,
Billy
I think I understand both sides, you know, and we're a lot more alike than we are different. For sure. But I have pride in both aspects. And I have a disdain for both aspects.
Bubba
So A.J. went over your credits. Do you ever get freaked out? Because I feel like in the past few years, you've been in so many beloved major franchises. You go in, you act as a younger version of one of the most beloved Sopranos characters, you go into one of the biggest Bond films, you know, at the end of Daniel Craig's reign, and now you're a part of the DC Universe!
Ashleigh
And I have to say, Into The Woods, the musical side too, Bubba. Hello.
Bubba
Hey, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Do you ever get that call and you're like, oh, shit, you want me to be the Joker?
Billy
Oh, yeah. Um, I remember getting that call. Yeah, it was cool. I wish I got paid more.
Bubba
Well, listen, I binged it in the past few days. So there's, you know, hopefully some of those royalties or whatever kind of go your way.
Billy
There's no royalties. I wish. This industry, I think, sometimes mistakes, popularity for quality. I'm not saying I'm fucking brilliant or anything like that. But I'm just saying I think I've showed that my product over and over again is of a certain quality. Don't get me wrong, there's times I'm shit. But you would think it would equate in some way but this industry is weird. It's all about hype, and all about dollars. And so yeah, I've been part of those franchises and all that shit. But fuck man every time I still have to fight for inches. It doesn't stop.
Bubba
Well, you make it look easy. If that's a consolation there.
Ashleigh
I watched Game Night with my parents the other night. And they were howling. They loved it so much. My mom wanted me to tell you did a great job.
Billy
Oh, tell her I said thank you. It's funny. Like, I had been playing a character similar... I think the character's name was Ryan? Ryan, who went to Harvard. I'd been playing a version of that guy for a little while in like other small, small projects that no one had seen or some shit like that. And it was like the first opportunity I got to - we always talked about it with my team. I had the opportunity to throw my fastball in a project. Like it's like being called up for the minor leagues to go into the major leagues. And I was like, just throw your fucking fastball. Just throw it as hard as you can. It was a real lucky opportunity I got to be in that project. Again, John Daley and John Goldstein told me it was the audition I did, and Bateman was like, you know, that's the guy you want to hire. Yeah, it's really cool. And then you know, John Goldstein, John Daley, they're amazing. They're great guys. And so is Bateman.
Bubba
I mean, it just looks like a super fun film to be a part of. It looked like you guys were having so much fun on set.
Billy
Sharon is one of my best friends. Every time I'm in the UK, I see her and her family. She's, she's awesome.
Ashleigh
I've talked about Bad Sisters on here before. I want everyone to watch that show.
Billy
Yeah. Oh, so good. Yeah, Sisters is great. I loved it. Game Night was such like, again - what a wonderful ensemble piece, great people to work with. It doesn't always happen like that, you know?
Ashleigh
Do you think that's why you have a production company now? Because you're trying to cultivate that for yourself?
Billy
Well, yeah, I think the two things HappyBad Bungalow really strives for is, first of all, like, you want to dive into real characters and like, if we can create the character and find the journey and arc of these characters in a world that we love, like, that's number one priority with the relationships around them. We want us to cares go from point A to point B, that touch something deep within the human soul. Doesn't matter where you're from, who you are, what religion, who you sleep with, what's in your pants, I don't care, as long as it's deep here in your heart. You know, we all know what that feeling is. And so we strive to look for that. And then the second quality, HappyBad Bungalow looks for is quality of person, like who do we want to work with? Again, hype does not translate to quality. And we're constantly looking for the quality of people we want to work with that have that same goal and the same creative drive that want to wake up every day and be excited to explore and dive into things. You know, A.J., when I first met you, you were like, going to Italy to write and just like, what a wonderful treat you gave yourself.
A.J.
That's the only way I know how to live.
Billy
Just going to Italy and writing!
A.J.
No, I mean, whenever I have an idea, I'm just like, I need to do this 100% And I need to fully commit to this. I don't like to half-ass things. And I like to work with people who are fully committed to it as well.
Billy
Don't half-ass things, full-ass it.
Bubba
Can we talk about Jeffrey Wright real quick? I watched No Time To Die and Game Night, I rewatched both films in the past few nights. And I can't help but notice that every time you star in a film with Jeffrey Wright, he manages to get the shit kicked out of him. Is that a coincidence?
Billy
He's great. Jeffrey is - I've been a fan of his for so long. And then working with him Game Night was fantastic. But then like, really reconnecting with him again, during No Time To Die was an absolute, absolute treat. Like we were shooting in Jamaica. And like, you know, when you're on a set, sometimes - I was there like two months in Jamaica but worked 10 days. So the rest of the time him and I are just like surfing and eating jerk chicken nonstop. He's an awesome, awesome guy.
Bubba
And what was it like working Denzel on Game Night?
Billy
I know his brief, brief cameo. Yeah, Lamorne has become one of my best friends, hands down. One of my best friends, like great guy. Again, it's quality of character in a person.
Bubba
Have you experienced - maybe it was a director or producer or maybe it was just, you know, someone that was part of a crew that like, set that foundation for production? That kind of welcomed everybody in and every day before shooting before the first take and did something to make everyone feel comfortable? Like have you seen that? Or is it still something that you're kind of looking out for?
Billy
You know, when you have a tight cast and like, you're tight and you're all on the same page with a project. Sometimes there's struggles and that's like art, you know? You're trying to get the best product out and like, that's actually the exciting part is getting in the weeds with people and like really getting specific with stuff. But sometimes, yeah, you have cast and crews that just vibe and you love showing up and seeing everyone there. I did this thing on the film Coup which we co-produced. It was at lunch every day. I started it where my first day - it's just a stupid thing - but like I had chocolates, and I was inspired. Someone was working really hard. And at lunch I said, Hey, I'm Billy. I'm playing blah, blah, blah in this film. Today, I just want everyone to know that I was inspired by Kim over here. And I'm just gonna give her these chocolates and say thank you for inspiring me today. But guess what, Kim? Tomorrow, you got to tell us who's inspiring you, Kim. And then slowly every day at lunch, you know, Kim would stand up and be like, I was inspired by Jim. And then you slowly start learning everyone. It's like, you start being a part of something bigger than yourself. And by the end, when we were like the last day shooting, it was like a big celebration that moment. And there was like gifts and like, it became its own thing.
Ashleigh
That's so nice, because I know this is not a corporate America podcast, but like in the workplace that's like the number one thing that everyone always complains about is like lack of recognition. Like everyone wants to be recognized for the work that they're doing. But you can't like necessarily go around and say like everything everyone's doing, but you can single someone out. Little small acts of something like it can cause a huge effect.
Billy
Which makes it more worth it, like showing up every day. Because you have a community, which is like the best and worst part. You have a family that you like, come together with and you like, get really deep into the weeds with them really fast. And then it's just bye.
Bubba
It's such a small thing. But the last production team that I was a part of, we did a lot of interview based content. And typically like on a low budget thing, you show up and you meet the person that you're gonna interview, you meet your subject and you do the interview, and then you're like, See ya, peace! It's really weird, and you don't have a rapport with them. And you kind of don't know how to speak with them. You don't know how to interact with them and -
Billy
Just like us in this interview, right?
Bubba
Just like this, just like this. But what we realized that we had to do is like, let's get to our location a day or a night before, let's take them out to dinner. Let's get them like a little drunk. Talk to them like humans, don't even talk about the project, just talk to them and figure out how we actually communicate so that the next day when they walk in, they're not just like staring at us like a deer in the headlights like, Who are you people and like, what do you want from me? And that's why we took you out to dinner last night, Billy, remember?
Billy
Where was I?
A.J.
Billy, can we talk about first encounters with Hollywood? I went to college at USC. And Bubba went to film school at Harvard. But he would come out like every summer and we would do an internship at a production company in Hollywood.
Billy
Bubba went to Harvard?
A.J.
Bubba went to Harvard.
Billy
That is the name of a film right there.
A.J.
But we were just two kids who grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, who grew up watching movies in our basement, obsessing over Hollywood movies. And then actually sitting in a Hollywood production company and interning and reading, doing coverage and all that. We were both looking at each other like, this is not what we expected. And it was just a splash of cold water on our face. I wonder what your sort of interaction with Hollywood was for the first time?
Billy
You know, I was a New York based guy for a long time. I did a lot of theater and I did like projects here and there, independent films around New York. It wasn't until I really got Into The Woods. I was doing the play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, someone saw that play and talked to Rob Marshall about letting me audition for Into The Woods and kind of got me the job. And I went to London. Didn't really feel Hollywood there or anything. No, I think it's a bit of the agent world and the maybe the manager worlds you get this hint of Hollywood. It's promises, promises, promises, empty, empty promises, promises, and value and acknowledgement. And like the acknowledgement for the work you've consistently done, it doesn't exist. You know, it's a fickle business. It's a money making business. I think there is magic with it inside of it. And I love acting. I really do and I feel like bad saying this stuff. Like I think it is an art form. And it is something sacred and it's somehow moved away from that so drastically. It's just, I don't know hype hype hype.
Ashleigh
You are in like so many different kinds of things like you're on HBO, Netflix, like movies, and I'm just wondering, where do you think the future of all this is going?
Billy
I just want to clarify like, those kinds of projects, like Bond and all that, I'm just a hired gun. I have no say in any of that shit. Well, the reason I got Bond was because of my relationship with Cary Fukunaga and from Maniac the TV show we did. It was like a relationship we built as collaborators and stuff like that. It was cool. It's like trust. And it's like, it's cool to see like relationships come back around. I used to think it was like a family, family, family, disappear, never see someone again. But then the industry is small and you, you bump into the same people over and over again. And there's ones that, you know, you try to keep relationships with, in a sense. The question you had though, was about where's it all going?
Bubba
Tell us the future.
Ashleigh
Tell us the future.
Billy
Again, like you have this thing in your hands, the phone, and you have access to any popular, quote unquote, artists, very hard quote unquote, artists out there. And I think there are some talented people on the social medias and stuff like that. But why would I pay for a subscription to something? Why would I pay for a ticket to something? If I have access right here? So I don't know, man, I think it's gonna get cheaper, faster. I think the quality is gonna really dip personally, I think there's diamonds in the rough and stuff like that. But like Spielberg, the age of pop culture is done. Once the advent of social media and the internet happened, I think pop culture is done. It just moves too fast. I don't know where it's headed. Let's just note, business is hard to make right now. And especially with an economy that's like, still fucking over the people. Not great. God, I sound like the doom and gloom guy. I'm sorry.
A.J.
No, no, but you're also saying with your production company, you're trying to find stories that hit people in the heart. And I feel like when people are emotionally connected to any material, whether it be music, or film, or a show, they will pay for something if they feel emotionally connected to it.
Billy
I disagree.
Bubba
Wow. Okay, here we go.
A.J.
Do you think cinephilia is ever gonna go away because like, I still pay money to the movie theater.
Ashleigh
A.J., you are a small, small, small minority of people who do though. I love the movies. And the last movie I saw in theater was Top Gun.
A.J.
Top Gun Maverick, good movie.
Bubba
We need to reference it every single episode.
Billy
It was a great movie. Spielberg said Tom Cruise saved the film industry.
Bubba
Tom Cruise said he saved the film industry. He said it before the film.
Tom Cruise (Our Lord and Savior)
We're so happy you're here in this theater and seeing it on the big screen. So please enjoy, as we all made for you.
Billy
But no, but that's my point. There's not a movie star like Tom Cruise, there hasn't been.
Ashleigh
Oh, that's A.J.'s main point every episode.
Billy
There's heartthrobs out there. There's people that are lusting after the actresses or actors. But I don't know if there's like movie stars anymore, or pop culture? I mean, I don't know. But then you have like things like Squid Game come out, where it transcended culture and stuff like that? There's no algorithm for it. It's either people want to take a risk or a gamble, or they don't. And I still think the most powerful marketing tool is word of mouth. Hands down. But word of mouth is the strongest marketing tool. And quality. I mean, there was a movie made that was called Human Centipede. How the fuck did they get money?
A.J.
They made three of them. They made three of those movies.
Billy
And guess what? It sold and made money. And I'm not against it. I'm not dogging to people that invented it or whatever.
Bubba
So HappyBad Bungalow is not making Human Centipede Four, I guess?
Billy
No, we're not. More power to the people that do it. And that's their art form and like respect, but also like art is a subjective thing and we are allowed to critique it. Yeah, I think that's an issue that is not allowed anymore, which I don't appreciate. I understand constructive criticism and stuff like that. I think it's important as a culture like to have the debate but you can't - you're not allowed to criticize anything anymore.
Bubba
What I am missing most in my adult life even though I don't feel like an adult is, in terms of like relating to just media in general, is the the thing that we used to have where you go to Blockbuster, right, and you're looking at all the VHSs for rent, and you can only pick just one you know? Before streaming and before there was like endless content, you had to just make that one choice. And that meant that whoever was making the movies like that's when you still have the Tom Cruises and the movie stars because those were what was going to sell, right? When we got a DVD player, we had like three DVDs to start. So that meant we watched X Men over and over again for like one year straight. My point here is that like, I don't have that relationship with movies or music anymore, where I'm listening to the same album, or watching the same film on repeat, and like getting to know it and developing this really deep relationship, because I'm on to the next thing. And it's a double edged sword because I love that I can go from a Squid Game to Ozark to whatever else.
Billy
Yeah, you're right. That's so funny. It was the accessibility of choice. But also I can dispose of anything at any point. Even if a movie wins right now, like Everything Everywhere All At Once just won. Will people actually be like that was something special? I don't think it will have legs. Just like what was last year's winner?
Ashleigh
Oh, my God, I'm trying to think... It was... I don't know.
Billy
Someone could Google it.
A.J.
Yeah. Last year was Coda. I never saw Coda. I'm gonna say is like every single time on this podcast, but I think Tár and Top Gun Maverick are gonna be something that people watch 20 years from now because Top Gun saved Hollywood.
Billy
Tár, I mean, like, again, amazing performance, amazing cinematography. It's fantastic. It was two and a half, two hours and 40 minutes long? I don't think it has longevity either. I'm trying to think what was the last real movie that had longevity? For me Forrest Gump has longevity. But like it's not like a Shawshank. Shawshank will always be a cinema classic. But it's not even like cinematically amazing. It's more the story
Bubba
Something that gets into the zeitgeist where like, you can reference a line from Shawshank everyone's like I know what you're talking about.
A.J.
Or you just spread your arms out in like the pouring rain people know exactly what you're doing.
Billy
Dufresne!
Bubba
Or if you're in the Serrano family, we just reference the Grinch lines all the time, like Jim Carrey as the Grinch
Billy
That's it, I'm not going out.
A.J.
Oh my god, we need to do a whole episode about the Grinch. If you want to come back for that.
Billy
I would love that.
Ashleigh
Bubba have you been working on that theory? Or did you just think of it? Because it's a good one.
Bubba
Oh, I think of it at least weekly? If not daily?
Billy
I know I'm trying to think like the last movie I saw that I was like, Jesus that impacted me.
Bubba
Well, can I can I ask like a little bit broader? What's the last thing that you consumed? You know, piece of art, music, a book - what was the last thing that you consumed where you like, it hit me in the heart, and you thought about it for more than 24 hours?
Billy
Um, you know, again, I'm personally in a different place in my life. And we're all on our own personal journeys and stuff like that. And like, instantly, my answer is the sunset. Watching a sunset is the most beautiful piece of art. And there's never going to be - like tonight. There's only one of those ever, you're never going to see it again.
Bubba
So not
My mom is gonna love that answer when she listens to this episode. She's gonna be like that Billy and his sunsets.
Billy
That Billy. A piece of art that has just impacted me that I couldn't stop thinking about? Man. It's like a huge question. And the truth is, I don't have an answer.
A.J.
But what about from childhood, is there like a movie or a performance or something that like, made you be like, This is what I want to do. Like, for me, when I saw Jurassic Park when I was eight years old, it scared the shit out of me. And I was like, whoever's responsible for doing this to me, which I found out was Steven Spielberg, I was like, I want to be able to do that to someone else.
Billy
No, mine was always Robin Williams, like I can never do what he does. And I don't want to, I don't choose to. What he did was just bring joy to so many people around the world, even though like he might have been troubled or whatever, personally going through stuff. There was just magic around him. And I don't know what it was. It was just that's what inspired me like, that's someone with their own imagination, their own sense of play, that there's just joy and light in this world, that there's beauty in it, that there is fun, constantly, that he was able to share that with so many people. I was always inspired by that. A mistake I made in my career is realizing like I was doing projects, and I'm now 27, 28 years old, and I kept on being like, When my career starts, when my career starts. And I had like, maybe like 15 to 20 projects under my belt now. And I didn't realize that like a career was all that already. And I kept like striving outside of it and like comparing it or like once it starts and realizing like this is what I'm doing now. It doesn't matter the size, place, location, reach or whatever. My career is my career that I'm doing now. And like having pride in that. So not like taking a job or working a job because this is your career. And I just remember like, I don't know, I was so distant, like, I was doing a soap opera. I was like, once my career starts, no, and now I look back, and I was like, god dammit, I'm so grateful for three years on that fucking soap opera, I loved it. And realizing that was, that's my career. And no one else gets to have that and owning it. And I think like kids getting out of school or whatever, like, even those high school productions, that's your career, that is who you are as an artist. And you have to take all those tools and all those stories and all those journeys and treasure them more than push them away. I don't know.
Bubba
You're definitely preaching to the choir, because my mom still thinks that something I made senior in high school is the best thing that I've ever made.
Ashleigh
It could be.
Billy
But that's an important point. The problem with the industry as well is like you always are comparing and like, I'm just trying to get back to this career idea that like, people ask you that, Whose career do you want? And my answer has become mine. I want mine. It's no one else's. It's no one else's thing. You know, and like, look, I wish that I was getting offered $10 million on film or some crazy shit, like a Pratt or any of the Chris's, you know, but that's just not my career.
Bubba
Hey, we'll hire you. Once we get a few you know, a few bucks here, then we'll put you in something
Billy
Badda boom, badda bang. I just want to know if my name is brought up somewhere. Like it's done with a smile on someone's face. Like, oh, fuck, that guy. He's weird. Bring some sort of joy into this, you know, beautiful, strange world we live in.
Bubba
So the transition now as you're starting your production company, how do you feel about the transition from acting to directing? Do you feel like it's a pretty natural shift?
Billy
Yeah, I would say so. Like, let's be honest, like most film directors, like I've been on more sets than film directors. I've seen every aspect, I've laid next to cinematographers and grips while we're doing something, we're trying to shoot something, all the way to the editing room to producing, selling, or like trying to pitch, auditioning for a film, in a room for a job. Every aspect of it, I've kind of seen every aspect. And I think I've acquired enough skills from the many talented and untalented people I've worked with, like to go, I think it's time to, you know, be that kind of artist. Because as an actor - I've said this so many times, like you're only a color in someone else's palette. You're just blue in someone else's palette that they're painting. No Time To Die. I'm just like blue in that palette. And that was my job. But I want to be the guy holding the palette. I want to be the guy now creating the colors and building the world and the playground that people really get to show up every day to. The hunger is there for it.
A.J.
Hell yeah. All right. Well, there's a few minutes left. Let's do a couple of quick hits. And then we'll get out of here. I'm gonna start off. You were in Bridge of Spies. You were directed by Steven Spielberg. Give me one quick Steven Spielberg little tidbit on set story.
Billy
Oh, my God. He is a child. Like when I was working with Spielberg, he was 65 maybe? And he's crawling on the ground. I mean, like, Ooh, he's holding his hand up like he's the camera lens and like, Ooh, how about this shot? Whatever. He was playing. He was just playing, at that age. And he was just open to create. The best idea would win. And it's fun for him. He's got a passion. It's just playing again. He was a kid. He was still kid. Just playing with a camera.
Ashleigh
What is your favorite TV show right now?
Billy
Not gonna lie, I watched Wednesday. I loved it. I loved it. It was just candy. I was loving Full Swing. I'm a big golfer. The Last of Us was good for the beginning. And then the latter end, it just like, fell off a little bit for me. I'm a big gamer. I love that Hogwarts game. Oh my god. Avada kedavra!
A.J.
Bubs, you got a quick hit?
Bubba
Yeah, I got a quick, because, inevitably, our dad is going to listen to this and he knows that you directed your dad and I feel like he's gonna be like, you know, what are you guys gonna do? Any advice for directing your family members, especially your father?
Billy
I've directed my father and I've gotten both my brothers into movies with me. My brother Dane was in Game Night with me. He was in like the big fight scene.
A.J.
Steaing the egg at the end. Yeah.
Billy
And then my other brother played one of my brothers in Maniac. Advice? I don't, love them how they love you. Just proceed with love.
A.J.
Amen. Billy, thank you so much for joining us in the basement. It's been a very fun episode.
Billy
Oh, can you - do you have the keys to unlock these chains?
A.J.
Yeah, here they are.
Billy
No, it was a pleasure, guys. And I wish you guys also the best of luck. I hope to continue our work, A.J., together.
A.J.
Likewise. All right. We'll talk to you soon. Yeah, thank you for your time.
Bubba
Thank you, Billy.
A.J.
Bye.
Bubba
That's the fastest I've ever seen anyone leave. Must have really wanted to get out of those chains.
Ashleigh
Yeah.
