Robert De Niro

We have Robert DeNiro with us today. Robert DeNiro, the King of New York. If New York was a person,

“it would be Robert DeNiro. And you know what Frank Sinatra sang. If you can make an interview”

with Robert DeNiro work here, you can make an interview work with anybody anywhere. We are very, very excited that we have him. We, we're going to talk about so many things. We're going to talk about good fillers. We're going to talk about him hosting SNL and what that felt like. We're going to talk about how much he paid for his first New York apartment in rent. And we get into it, what a pleasure and a privilege to have Robert here. And because it is so special and he is so special,

I'm doing something a little bit different. I'm going to ask a few people to talk well behind his back and to talk to me about him. Because I, I just want, I want to get prepared. You know, like he's such a good actor, he prepares so well. I want to do the same. So we're going to talk

“to Rachel Dratch, my good buddy, Rachel Dratch, who starred with him in the World Famous Debbie”

Downer at the SNL 50th. We're going to talk to Seth Meyers, who is always an incredible friend

and support and who interviewed Robert Bob DeNiro a couple of times. And we're going to talk to Jane Rosenthall, his longtime producing partner who started the Trebekha Film Festival with him, knows him so well and is going to give us a question to ask Robert DeNiro. So let's get started and see if we can get Dratchy on the Zoom. Drooch. This episode is brought to you by Uber. You know those little choices you make that give you more comfort throughout the day. Like planning your

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on. Oh my god, headphones. I can't ride the headphones any longer than they've already cared me. Look at that! Gross. Okay, well that's there, but you know what other than other not. Oh we're all good. Oh we're all kind of miss this progress. Wait, I'm just trying to think of any better life. Lister's Rachel's just adjusting. I mean, at this point in our lives, why are we not surrounded by ring lights? I know. You know, uh, yes.

That looks good. Also a nice lip. Thank you. I put an effort for you, polar. With a lip, and that's about it. You get a lip. You get a lip. I drew she and I had dinner last night. So nice. We did. Yes, yeah. And I told you that I was interviewing Robert De Niro and I needed some help. I'm shy around big name celebrities.

And I don't know, I'm just going to say this. You can use this or not, but I always thought you were

very good. When we were in our cell, you were very good at talking with celebrities when we were standing around like, oh, you know, waiting for the scene or whatever. And I would be quiet as a mouse in the background. And so it's good that you're doing this podcast because you're good at it.

“Thanks, dude. I'm glad it's not me in the reunion here. Oh, that's what I'm saying.”

Because I'm, I just clam up. But you're one of my close, one of my few close friends that has worked with him. You've got to work with dinner. You have shared the screen with Bobby. Bobby and I have shared the screen. Yes, that's true. You have you've shared the screen. And tell Bobby, I say hi, but it's going to be like, oh, no, um, Bobby, I'm now committed to calling Bobby for this. Well, I'm going to call him Bob because that's what. Okay. And you know,

there's nothing worse than anybody calling somebody by their first and last name. So Robert De Niro,

what do you think? Right. Right. I am nervous because he doesn't seem to really love to talk that much about himself. And also, he feels like our generations actor. He, yes, he really has been in

It was like, his stuff was like the scary movie or the violent. Yeah, his stuff was like you felt like an adult when you got to kind of watch his stuff. Yes, you got to do some comedy with Bobby. Yeah. Oh, you know, I was thinking about this because not only did I get to comedy, but he also hosted back when we were on the show way before. And I was remembering about that is I don't remember if I got you seen with him, but I remember I submitted a scene where I was doing an impression

of him, like in front of him at the table. And basically all my, well, you can't see this if you're

listening, but my impression was just going like this. I was just like a face and there's probably not much more to describe. It's kind of like, listeners, listeners, Rachel is doing an impeccable impression. Well, it's a great one because you kind of back up, you close your eyes, and you kind of get your mouth open, like, hey, you know, that's all, that's all it was.

“Anyways, it didn't make it to air. Surprise. Okay. So, yes. So, I think, you know, Paul and I were”

going to write a Debbie Jenner for the anniversary show. And then like, you get the list of like who's available out of all the stars. And then I think Paul, it was like, we got dinner out. Like, dinner with Debbie, daughter is just like such a appealing, you know, prospect for us to imagine him. To explain, what do you mean by lists? Like, just so people don't know, the SNL 50 is, what do you mean there was a list? Like, there's a list of like, who would be willing to be in a scene?

You know, for an anniversary scene. So, there's a list of the stars that we're going to be there that would be willing to play in a scene. So, the combo of Robert De Niro having to deal with Debbie Jenner was making us laugh a lot. So, then when we find it, we had him, we were really excited. And then we got to have him say, like, he was just trying to get a drink at the bar, and she's

“bombing him out. And I think our favorite line was about like her saying, you don't want to use”

a plastic straw, because it's microplastics or it's probably taken up residence in your testies. And then when he had his, like, flip out at me, he's like, I don't want to hear about the plastic in my balls. And then he went to throttle me. And we wrote in that he, like, goes to strangle her. But then I was in the rear, so I was like, you know, if you wanted to actually strangle me, you can't. So then he actually strangled me on the scene. I was like, I'm getting

strangled by Robert De Niro. This is like, no comedy person. Everything's that's going to happen to them. So that was a fun thing to experience. I've told you in politics, but my favorite part is when he calls you Debra. Debra Debra. Excuse me, Debra. Yeah. But I kind of go like out of body when I'm dealing with someone that's like a huge icon. And I was definitely nervous about being in the scene with De Niro. Like, even though he was perfectly nice, and he was like giggling, and he was

willing to be there and play in this comedy land, of course. But but I still get nervous, knowing that it's De Niro. You know, I would say one thing that you two have in common Rachel. What? What could this be? Is that you're both in an extraverted business, but you're

“quite shy? Yes, that's true. I think he's shy. Luckily Jimmy was there to smear that all the”

social edges. Yeah, Jimmy Fallon also in the scene. Very good. He's really good at that. Well, I'm going to bring up Debra down her to him and talk to him about SNL because I do think that like there is this comedic side that we, you know, what we've gotten to see over the years, but my experience similar to yours is like a very kind of like fun and nice and quiet, giggling person. Yeah. Okay, Dratch. I'm going to go talk to another person about Bob and try to

get some more info and get ready for our interview. So thanks, Judy. All right. Thank you.

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glasses? I'm wearing my cheaters. Well, that's right. You have cheaters now. I think Paula Pell is the first person I ever heard say cheaters. Seth, you look great. Oh my god. Thank you,

Paula. Did you get facelift over it now? You always said you want to meet two announced on the

pod. That's because you used to say my face had a few parts that had a bad hang. You would point

me from. Martha's vignette. My childhood bedroom and bed for New Hampshire. Wow. What other

“desk would there be a bobblehead of me of the update this? I bet your childhood bedroom is”

similar to mine, which is my parents have now put things about me in my childhood bedroom, as if that was if I would like that. It's a living museum. It's a living museum. Yeah, like old press, like, like an old timeout article from 1997 framed. People don't know that the White House if you sleep in Lincoln's bedroom, it's a lot of clippings that Lincoln's mom saved. It's got the old shovel that he did his homework on. That's basically all it is. Who made that bobblehead when was

that made? After you left, we got a lot of that on earth. I mean, you know what's that, I'll be left. The fact that there's a literally it would be great if it had been a two-person bobblehead of my mom had just saw you out. That was the one time my mom learned how to solder. What are you doing in your childhood home? I'm doing a charity event. Oh, you're in Manchester, New Hampshire, and I'm sure by the time this airs, it will be too late for

anyone if I take it, but if you came, God bless. Hey Seth, and you asked me to ask you this, you do a lot of charity, yes? I asked you to leave out the sort of tip, the top of that. I am, I'm constantly doing charity. It's a little tiring. Oh, I bet. But it's worth it. You know,

I always say it's worth it. And my good deeds are the wind, the wind beneath my wings. Yeah,

it's what you get out of it. It's not the people you help. Anytime I'm feeling low, I just think of all the good things I do. Yeah, I know, and not the people because you refuse to meet them. Oh, I, you know, most of the charities are for pets. You're mostly, you're mostly animal based. I feel like people can care themselves. People can take care of themselves. You get in the jam as a person who's up out of the jam. Exactly. You're an animal. You don't know what you're doing.

Much of what's gone wrong for you as an animal is the fault of people. I'm just doing my best to clean it up. Well, you are doing an active charity today, actually, because you are getting on it, helping me because I'm going to speak to Robert De Niro. I'm quite nervous,

and you've already done it. And I, always nervous. I will say, I wish I could tell you not to be

“nervous. I've been nervous every time I've talked to him. Okay. How many times have you spoken to him?”

I think I'm at 20 times in my life because of his time on SNL. Okay, sure. I will tell you this. I've never been able to pull the trigger and call him Bob. No. No, I can't bring myself to do it. It just feels, it just feels too familiar for a legend. So should I just call him Robert De Niro? Mr. De Niro. Mr. De Niro, that seems too much. I did do this once, and it was not. I did once called him Danny De Vito. And that I cannot recommend it off. You don't do that.

Robert De Niro is like, um, everybody knows that name. He's so famous. He's so famous. I, again, because I'm aware of how little you guys do. I did a little research before De Niro. And I looked back because he's our second season is the first time he hosts. And so he's about 25 episodes into our run on SNL. I think he's the first true legend who hosts the show over there. Yep. And it's very surreal to work with legends.

And the wonderful thing about when he showed up, and it never, it never beats the point where I was like,

"How is just like us?" But he laughed so hard at that table read. Yes. And he laughed just like Robert De Niro. Yes. Yes. It's so much fun how much he laughed like Robert De Niro. And he laughed. He's an incredibly generous laugh for to the point where if you early, if your sketch was early and he laughed at it, you might think you'd written a perfect sketch and then like 25 sketches in your realizing like, "Oh, he's laughing at everything." I want to try to get that energy today. I don't know.

This is for anybody. Anybody about the list in the interview? If Bob's not laughing. It's maybe it's because he's so moved by the conversation. Oh, well, I mean, it's about me, hey, a lot of people think I might even say my best quality is my sense of humor, but when I did good hang, I was just choked up, crying most of the time. People still ask me, "Oh, I'm okay." Maybe I'll get to Nero to cry. You think? Maybe? You never know.

“I think you can get to Nero to cry. We'll see. Tell him you thought Groden carried midnight runs.”

Looking back, do you agree that Groden's name should have been first in it? It's a immediately person, I'm a volunteer. Seth, get serious. I'm about to interview Robert Dyerl and I need it. Okay, you've done it.

And you did just call him Bob. I'm going to call him Bob to you. Okay, okay. Bob gives great answers.

“There's a lot of important information in his answers. I think he answers with authenticity.”

What he does not give are long answers. This tells you, and I think it's one of the great things about Dyerl. When Bob has made his point, he has no need. Like, a lot of us do. You and I think over talk. Yeah. You don't want to mean? Oh, yeah. An interviewer without often is wondering when it's their turn to get a word. Often when we're being interviewed, we both see this, which is just someone going like,

that's enough. Or like, this sometimes when they point at the watch. Yeah. I'm going to guess. I'm going to look into your future and think there's not going to be a moment where you're going to be like, "Oh my god, buddy, wrap it up." Right. Like, maybe there'll be some moments where I go and and what else. But again, what a thing. I mean, I feel like the fully realized Robert Dyerl

“is not, he does not need to hear his voice more than he feels his necessary. No, I mean, I think”

it's something interesting to talk to him about is the idea of like, he seems quite introverted for such an extraverted job. I mean, he feels like his characters and his work is where he's able to like, you know, he's spoken about it. He's quite a shy person. Yeah. It's very, and part of that,

you know, shyness is, I think what allows you and I to be intimidated. But the reality is,

he's not, you know, he's not bored or put off by people. I think he is just genuinely shy. I've told this story. I apologize if I've told it to you, but I remember the first tambourine we did with him. I like ran to get in the elevator to go home on a Wednesday night, and I ran and not realized that he was the only other person in the elevator. And so then the door to close. And again, it's only, it's only said, you know, 17 floors. But it felt like the longest

out, because it was just me and Robert and Aaron. And he was very, uh, he was complimentary to about how the day had gone, but like in very, and the fewest amount of words that you could be. I mean, it's going to be hard not to turn into Chris Farley and just be like, dear Hunter, like, uh,

like, oh, so good. That's the problem with interviewing legends. I, in fact, the first time

dinner was on my show. He directed a movie called The Good Shepherd, uh, with the Linda Jolie and Matt Damon. He think he's only directed one or two things. And I really liked it. It's right up, Seth Sally. It's a CIA movie. And I remember the first time he was on my show as a guest. I told him, I hate really liked that movie. I mean, he was like, no, thank goodness. And then the

“next time he was on my show, I think again, from that moment of not feeling awkward. I was like,”

hey, by the way, I really liked it. And he's like, no, I remember I had been like four years on my coat, right? Like, just because he's quiet, doesn't mean he is not hearing you. But I like videos, like, you know, what are you going to tell me every time I hear about a movie I did in 2006? And I'm like, I don't, I got nervous. Well, he, yeah, I'm, I'm genuinely nervous. I don't get, you know, I think you're similar. I'm not, don't get that nervous. I'm, I'm sure with your, like, you've

interviewed so many people, you probably, it's very rare that you probably get nervous, right?

Well, it's always that. It's always somebody who was, you know, iconic when you were young. Yes.

That idea that not only are you talking to them, but you're talking to them because they like, they got in a car and came to where you worked. And yeah, and you look, you turn and look at them and you're like, you're talking to me? Oh, very nice. And now you've blown it, and I can't use it when he's there. Okay, if you blew, you have one, by the way, every interview with dinner, you get one you're talking to me and you do it. Before we finish, drag you talked about how fun it was to do

Debbie Downer with Robert De Niro. And I do want to talk to him about comedy because he's done a lot of it and he's in a new one, meet the parents, another meet the parents, which is going to be a big hit. I'm sure, but what did you write when you were, when he was hosting, do you remember stuff you wrote for him? You know what I wrote? And I did a twice. And this is a wonderful call back. If we were doing a hair old right now, this would be the last beat. I did a sketch called

pranksters, where I played a kid on Nickelodeon hosted a prank show. And the first time I did it with Wunk and in the second time I did it with De Niro. And the game was that older gentleman had recorded their pranks and their pranks were vicious in nature. And so it would be like a kid would come on first and his prank would be like I'd put a rubber, you know, a contend would be like I'd put a rubber spider in my teacher's drawer. And then De Niro would come out and his neighbor borrowed

remember about it, or the thing I do remember about it, is Jim Sienrelli, a commercial parody director

as an old legend. You know again, we filmed the first take and Robert De Niro got covered in,

you know, whatever putting type substance was supposed to be blood. I just like they just sprayed him with it. And I remember Jim was like all right, let's clean him up and take it from the top.

“And I was like, and De Niro just looked at me and said, uh, do we get it? We get it?”

And I was like, yeah, yeah, we got it. He goes, okay, goodbye. Just like again, like it was a perfect take. But I had this moment of like, I don't want to have written a thing that makes Robert De Niro take a full shower. And again, we just did a lowly island podcast about the party Mr. Bernard's

which was. That's right. That's right. What is it? We get a Bernie's, where he basically

like it was just happy to play the course. And then the last thing I'll say is we couldn't get Martin Scorsese to do this, but those glasses do look a little bit scorsese like, will you just, and I know this might feel weird, but we're going to do something to the zoom where we're going to pretend that your Martin Scorsese first time. Hey, Bob, he's the best. I love working on them. Oh my god, ask him about this. Ask him about that. He's the best. Thank you. That's perfect.

We're going to put that on a loop. And then I, uh, is this weird? Could you just cut that up and send it to Lauren with like, you know, why can you let him get more impression? Totally. Yes. And you know what? I also said it to Martin Scorsese and be like, sadly, I miss you before I know this is weird. But show us all the inside the drawers of your daughter. Just show us one thing. Oh, what do we got? And this is from a 82 chance?

Oh, that's you. Yeah, why football? 82 champs. I don't think we're getting 82 people or jeans. You're, you're playing football. We're ending injury at 82.

“It was nine or a little bit, uh, I think they said it was a lady risks. I can't remember.”

All right, Seth Lee, I miss you. I could talk to you forever. Thank you for zooming from your childhood bedroom. And thank you for for helping me out with this because it is a big deal. This is a big interview. And I appreciate your help. I would love you to start by saying sets us high. And if you don't, they're very happy to be very bad. And I'll tell him that you loved his movie. I'll tell him again. And I'll say he thinks he forgot. I say Seth would love to tell you

he likes something else he've done. But it's really that's just it. Thanks so much for doing this. And I'll let you know how it goes. Hi, Jane. You me, hi. Thank you for doing this. Great to see you. I mean, I feel like you do so much great work for the city, so much great work for the industry.

“And so much great work with Bob, you and, and Bob have worked together for what?”

30 years, they're longer. Seven, eight, almost 38, but who's counting? I mean, it was a period. He was, we were doing so many things together. I remember him calling me one day and saying, "What do you think about exposed brick?" And I said, "Is that a script I'm supposed to?" The actress, I'm supposed to me. He said, "No, when you're off this, I thought we should stand last walls."

Exposed brick, a new thriller. Yeah, exactly. So we do this thing here where we, we always try to

speak to somebody who knows our guests to get a little bit of insight before we talk to them. And I imagine more than most people, Bob has a lot projected on him. And what do people get wrong about him? What is one of the best things about him that people don't know? He's funny. He's got lifelong friends. He can tell who somebody is by how long they keep their friends. And he's had the same group of friends going way back. And he's funny. And he loves

the good conspiracy theory. He's like, "Oh, we should get into some of those." And he loves good food. And it was during Irishman. And we were premiered at the London Film Festival. And then

I grew up with us. Let's go to Paris. And we got on a plane. It was probably like 11 o'clock at night. And there was some restaurant that he insisted we go to. Of course, the place was closed, but they said they were closing and whatever. And I was like, "Oh, Bob's on his way." Yeah, we're going to keep it open. We're going to keep it open. And the side when we were jet lagged, you had the London Film Festival. There we were seeing in this restaurant because he had to try

“you know, whatever. And it's like one, two, and a morning. And you're knee-deep in snails at this point?”

Yes, exactly. But you know, he loves it. He loves trying new things. I mean, I, you know, ever since the origin of his art, like artist parents, like I do feel like he enjoys, he's like NSC, like he enjoys beautiful things and things done well. And people who are good at their jobs and like in a lot of different mediums. And I know you're the same way, too. I mean, I, that's where the Tribeca Film Festival now celebrating

his 25th year is exactly that. It's like a compendium of talented people who have all different kinds of points of view and you're, you know, using your currency to support their visions,

basically. It's really, it's really something. Thanks, we try. Is there a question

you have for him today? Something you'd want to know, bigger small, something that you think he wants to talk about. Also, what does he not like to talk about? He probably doesn't like to talk about like how did you gain weight and lose weight? I love it. I love this. Fantastic. No. He just saved me 25 minutes of. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I, I feel like Bob doesn't even really like to talk about acting.

“You know, he's been famous for so long. Yeah. You know, how did his kids look at him?”

Yeah. He shows his daughter Helen, a lot of movies. I haven't, and he goes to movies with Helen all the time. How old is Helen? 14. So that would be a nice question. What, what, what have you and Helen watch lately that you'd like together? Yes, as opposed to he and

Gia, who's three and he goes about Miss Rachel. Amazing. Maybe we can get Bob to talk about

his favorite Miss Rachel moment. That's a great question. Like, because I, I would like to know what he's watching and responding to and because, you know, if you're a New Yorker, you know, it's about the present moment. Like, this city moves fast and it keeps moving and things change

“and you have to stay present and current always. The one thing about Bob that I find so,”

like, amazing. If you say, if you said to him, okay, well, on taxi driver, on a Bronx tail, on silver lining. So I mean, just on my son, any movie, like, where, uh, you shot the movie on six Avenue. No, no, we really shot it on eighth Avenue. When it was the Northeast corner and when it was a little Delhi that's still there, it used to be a smileers and now it's like this,

we were on the second floor and he goes into such, when he's a photographic memory. There's

she doesn't remember, but he is, like, why he calls me sometimes. He'll, like, call me and then say, do you have anything you needed to tell me? And I'm like, no, you called me. Oh, when I remember, I'll call you back. I mean, but he's, you know, he can pretty much tell you where things were shot up to the exact corner and what was on it and what's on it now. Oh, that's fantastic to know. That's really helpful. Um, these are great questions and, and, and thank you for helping me prep for

this interview. Um, huge fan of yours and huge respects. I thank you. Thanks so much, Jane, great talking to you and I hope I see you soon. Thanks, bye. Bye. I have to say, I know you don't love interviews. Thank you for doing this. I'm already worried that nobody told you that you were doing this today. Go, I looked at my schedule. I said, oh, God. Yeah. So, but I'm fine. You're like, how can we get out of this? No, no, because we're going to talk, but I know like, you're, you know, you've described yourself

as kind of a shy person at times and I don't think you like to talk very much. It's some of

ask you a favor. Oh, they're talking a little more. I get paid by the word if I don't get, if I don't

“meet my word count by the end of this interview, I'm screwed. I, I think it's really interesting”

that you've described yourself as a shy person and a shy kid because I think there's a lot of

the introverted people in this business and I don't think people always assume that about people

that are actors. Would you consider yourself an introverted person? In some ways, I, yeah, some ways I am. Okay, depending on the situation, I agree with you guys. Okay, let me have to know I have to come up with something. At least 10 more words. Yeah, okay. I have to fill the quarter. Okay, were you a shy kid? I, I was, I was quiet in some time, but when I, when I wouldn't have to speak up, I would. Yeah. And I think being an actor, it allows you, I always, you say this is still

saying, it allows you to be other characters that you would normally not know at all of this way, it gives you a little taste of what they would be like in that experience, would be like, and so without having really to pay a price, you know, you're aware of the price, whenever that character is, this price is, you know, when I'm around people who are quiet because there is a difference between quiet and shy. Yeah. When I'm around people that are quiet, I mean,

I notice that a lot is projected on them and then also I feel like a responsibility to keep talking. Right. Does that happen to you a lot? You mean you would me? Yeah. I don't mind that. I bet. Did you talk, and I can just sit and listen? I'm friends who like to talk a lot and we get along really well. Well, you were going to get along with me because there's going to be a point in this interview or if we're going to be listening to him being like, Amy, please be quiet.

But, but as, as preparing for today and, you know, we're talking about, we're in New York City, you know, you're celebrating 25 years of Tribeca Film Festival. I feel like there's no other person that personifies the city more than you. It's like, if the city was a person, it would be you. And I'm sure you've been told that, but it really is true. There is a directness and a sense of the present moment in you. There's a, you know, New Yorkers are not necessarily overtly friendly,

but they're secretly kind. Yeah. I'd say, yeah. Yeah. And there's a, like, a ambition and drive that's, that's, you've had throughout your entire career. And your history of being in New York,

like, you know, I'm always fascinated by kids that grew up in New York. It just seems like a fairy tale.

“What, what, what was it like? Was your neighborhood like, what was it like when you were a young person?”

Could you describe it to me? Well, I grew up in the village and, um, you know, it was, I, and then I had, I hung out in a little league for years and then that's how I know Marty. It's called Saisy. The Marty was hung out with this other friends on another street and I hung up with my friends. What street were you on? What street was he on? He was on a, around Prince and Martin. I remember, and Elizabeth, and where, where he lived and I was, um,

Ken Merin, mulberry or broom, sometimes a mulberry. Well, I mean, I think it's really amazing. You grew up with two artists parents. Like, you know, what you had, both your parents were artists. Your mom was a poet and a painter. Your dad was a painter. Like, you were around. I had a poet too. And a poet too. You were around art all the time. Yeah. And I know art still really important to you. When you were growing up in New York,

“do you remember that art scene? Like, did you ever meet Warhol? No.”

You never went to the factory? No.

You ever see like a fake, I mean, in New York, you always see somebody walking past you. Did you ever meet a famous artist during that time? Like, the 50s and 60s? No, I wasn't too much really into art. It was because my father and mother, you know, he, he, take me to a gallery that he, that he was old money, uh, by, um, uh, from. And, um, and that was it. I mean, it wasn't to, uh, yeah.

I mean, I know when I moved to New York, I saw Lou Reed walk down the street. And I remember thinking, okay, I'm in the city. Was there somebody that you used to see in the city and be like, that's a, that's like a quintessential New Yorker? No, when I was a kid, I saw, uh, Alan Arkin. Yeah. Once, uh, I think Alan was from, he was from New York, I'm sure. I'm not sure where, but maybe he was long Alan about it. He's in New Yorker.

In spirit. He has my favorite line in Glenn Gary, Glenn Ross, in the film. When he says, uh, shoes boots, yes, you know, that one. No, I mean, baby. Yeah. Well, I guess I know man that better than you. Yeah. I'm fine enough. I mean, I saw the original production Bobby DeBao and, um,

thing in common, which is, I think our first, uh, semi-professional productions or something was, uh,

“was from a similar show. You were the lion, the cowardly lion, and Wizard of Oz, and fourth grade.”

What I was ten, yeah, maybe. Yeah. Okay. And I was Dorothy around that time. Oh, my, and I'd like to know what you brought to the role of the lion. I don't know. I, I, I liked it. I, I, I, uh, said my lines. Um, and that was the part I was given. Okay. Okay. It's a funny part. Yeah. It was good show. It's a good song. Yeah. Did you sing? I don't know. I didn't know that part. I didn't do. Yeah. I, it was, I guess it's a long, I was ten. Yeah. The last question in that,

in that time frame that I wanted to ask you is, it felt like you knew from a very early age what you wanted to do. Yeah. All in all, I did. I was sort of drifting in that direction or gravitating in that direction. And do you find, as you get older, I know I do that like, that's one of the things you wish wish for anybody, especially your children. It's just do whatever you want to do. Just know what you want to do and do it and do it as well as you can. Yeah.

Totally. You know, and if you really like it, you'll, you'll start to do it as well as you can. You started out doing in the very early, in your early films, like a lot of comedy. Uh, a couple of like, well, I did greetings, high mom with the parma and then, um, another comedy we did was the attachables. She is later. You know, a little thing about the untouchables. Yeah. Do you know what I'm going to say? Oh, maybe not. I don't think he worked with you

actually, but there's a gentleman in the untouchables as kind of a del close, who says the

“titular line in the movie. He says he think you're untouchable. Don't you? Del close. Yeah. I think you”

see his scene as with, uh, Elliott Ness with them. And, um, and, uh, he was a Chicago actor. Yes. And he, he formed an improv theater, um, that I studied out in Chicago, I grew up

in Boston. And then I moved to Chicago after I graduated college and studied at Second City.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And he had this, like, kind of new theater call at the time it was called improv Olympic, with any improvisational theater. And Del is kind of one of his, like, brushed with great and his claim to fame, and he's in the untouchables. Okay. Right movie. Yeah. I enjoyed doing it. I am, so there's Viola Spaule and Paul. Yeah. That's a head of view. Yeah. That is a head of the, that's a little way ahead of me. Um, you know,

Del close used to talk about Nichols and May and that and that, like, second city being formed. And back then, there was a, I don't know if you ever were involved. Like, there was a big kind of controversy about whether or not improvisation was its own art form. Right. Tool. I'm sure. And then, did you ever do improv when you were, when we were in the movies and with the Palma, you know, when greetings in high mom and you kind of, um, another movie's here and there,

or we have the script, but you can go off it and those you make the points and don't get off on a tangent and and stay in the right direction. Yeah. It's okay. Do you like to, like,

get it as scripted first and then improvise? I know directors like to.

Well, I mean, some directors will tell you to improvise, give you the situation and tell you to improvise. I work for the director who would, um, we'd sit down and camp and go over what was written. Yeah. And then he'd say, "What do you think about this?" And it was kind of loose. He opened it up and it worked out. Yeah. I, I feel that way about improv sometimes is exciting to be allowed to do it. And other times it feels like, uh, this is a little too loose.

Yeah. Yeah. You got, you know, the one thing I, I don't like seeing is a movie that goes off in a direction and maybe the director likes what they're doing and but they let it go too far, too long. It goes off on another tangent. And if you forget why you're, what the situation is

“and that's important. Or like everybody's speaking the same way? Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.”

I, I, I, we used to make a joke when we were, when we were doing the TV show that I was in Parks and Recreation, we used to make a joke like, "Do you want us to do a take that's longer and less expensive?" Right. We'll give you that. Yeah. Speaking of, of your work, mean streets, deer hunter, good fellas. The Godfather, too, raging bull taxi driver, Cape Fear, wag the dog, King of Comedy, analyze this.

Silver lining's playbook meet the fuckers. No questions. Just great job. Thanks. I just want to ask you. You're very nice.

But, but I, I think there's just like so much to talk about in all those films and I know they, they're like, you know, so many of them are different parts of your life. Do you watch your

old films ever? No, but I've always been wanting to watch all the movies I did from the latest one,

all the way down or the other way. So the earliest ones just go through a more, but it takes, it's, it's more, it's easier, it's easier said than done. That would be like your own festival. Yeah, I just, you know, I make comments and somebody said, "Well, you know, well, right, a friend said, you know, I'll dull right." Oh, that's a great thing. I wasn't sure, but it there's no downside to doing that. So just knowing, I wanted to get a sense of what I've done,

where I, you know, and where I could go, what's missing in that, that I can make a choice of something different. That's interesting. I look at your body of work and I also do like visit old friends. Imagine what it must be like. Yeah. Yeah. Can I ask you about, so I won't get deep about, because again, we, we don't have the time. But, uh, and we want to talk about what the present

“stuff that you're doing. But, can I ask about one specific scene in one specific movie?”

Yeah. Okay. So good fellows, uh, you know, a lot of people's, you know, top five favorite movies. It is still the test of time and credible, um, credible cast, credible performance by you, and so many people in that film. There's this that wonderful scene with you on the rain, Braco, where Lorraine is playing the wife of Rayliota, and she's kind of worried that he's fallen out of favor with the rest of the organization. Right. And, um, you, uh, Jimmy, you kind of play,

like his patriarchal, what would you say? Like, uh, yeah, I'm going to be like his mentor. Yeah, but just kind of his mentor. Yeah. And there's a scene where she comes to try to get some help from you, and you ask her to walk down an alley to go get some D.R. Close it for her. And there's a, it's just, it's a perfect example of real tension. Yeah. Can you tell me what you remember about

“shooting the scene that day? I think it's a perfect scene. Well, the thing that I was concerned about”

is just that as Marty, it was, I remember it's just that you don't know what he really is doing. Is he selling her up or not? And so it's just making this, which happens in life to that way, you know, the same thing. I mean, it's okay. It's, you know, just be very casual. And God knows what'll happen to you. Could, could be nothing. It could be something. Did you make a decision as an actor to know what you thought was going to happen? I, I think I thought more

that it, something would happen. Yeah. And that, but I, my main thing is to make to act as if everything's good, you know, just going, you know. It's such an incredible lesson in how to create suspense and tension and also to remind people that people don't often telegraph what they're

going to do. Right. No, no, no. I mean, you never telegraph Bob. Can I call you Bob? Yes.

Just started. I mean, I mean, never, there's never, we never, ever see you ever doing that. Even, you've never indicating, it's just, and it's one of the millions of examples of that, I think, in that scene. Well, it's important to not, you know, indicating and acting is indicating. And, and so you say to an actor who's just watched a scene or something, not a negative critical way, but if you can't, you don't indicate or you are indicating. So it's better not to, you know,

in life, people don't do that. They just do, they're very good actors. People in life. And it's life and it's, it's real. And the way you behave, it could be life dependent. For me, it was a great example of a woman's intuition. She has an intuition there that's very strong that she listens to that saves her life. Yeah. And then she comes home and says, I don't know. And she's, she's starting to kind of gaslight herself a little bit like, I don't know. I just got scared, you know.

It's, and it's, I think, a beautiful journey for that, for her character of, like, what's real? Yeah. Um, when you do a scene like that, what is, what is Martin Scorsese? Like,

“how do you know you got it? What does he say? I can't remember, it's been a while, but I think,”

Martin, you know, basically said, you know, you're going to go, she wants to go when you

want to go to her to go in there. You're going to, and I forget what's set up. But the whole thing is to show the ambiguity. We don't know. We don't know. We see it very possibly something could happen, but at the same time, it couldn't. So that's part of the whole reason the scene is done,

We got it. Well, it's, it's okay. It's good or this. It's just like when they go, it's okay. We got it. Well, you could say we got, I guess, but that's on the scene and one of it is, and you like when they're, you say, like, it's good. It's good. We're good. We're good. It's good. Yeah.

“But the low key. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, just, I mean, no, you know, the same morning, a”

morning says, you guys, we, we's happy with how we talk. If we got this piece, we got that out of that. I'll say, yep. We're good. Yeah. Yeah. It's okay. Yeah. Yeah.

And that happens in a second and like you just mumble that to each other. Are you suspicious of

people that are like, I guess, I'm projecting, but I'm a little suspicious. Sometimes when people are too, like, I don't know, when they're flattering me. Sure. Well, you know, it's funny. I don't mind the, when a director or somebody tries to tell you very good or certain types of situation, that's good, it's good. And because it's like when I was, I did the last time cool and because then, and we came out of a looping the stage and he said, you know, that was great. Because

he was like, you know, I was really, you know, just got it. I said, well, thanks. I feel good. Even though I'm not sure you really meant it, but I'm happy. He said, he got, he got a little

offended. I thought I didn't believe. I said, no, no, I said, the effort is the most important thing.

You know, it's like telling your child when they do something, they show you something. Isn't a nice, it's great. You know, oh, it's a party. You know, it's real. You believe it. Yes, it is. That's right. It's true. I know what you mean. And it's a fine line, no. And it's a fine line in that

“moment. But as a director, you must also feel the urge sometimes to take over if somebody's not”

a strong captain. Well, I don't like to be in that situation. Right. You don't, I don't put myself, but I'm in. I'm in with the director. Maybe certain things, but I trust them and entrust me and I'm not going to mess with them and play games. You know, we have an objective to achieve and we're there working together. We don't want to waste time. You know, then you nonsense. And the other thing in the many years of incredible work that you've done, again,

which we could talk about forever, what are some skills that you had to learn for parts that you still, like, but you still maintain or retain? Well, I practice a lot with

the saxophone in New York, New York, New York, and but I never kept it up and I regretted that

because I did work very hard on it. I did everything phonetically, but it's, it's the skill. Yeah, that you can't take away. I mean, it's real. So I just wish I made something that I would practice, even a half an hour every day to keep that. I feel that way about like instruments.

“I can't, it's so embarrassing. I can't play an instrument. Yeah, and any other instruments?”

No, I mean, I wanted to play the piano, but it's one thing to want to play. It's another thing to do it. I know the piano feels like an instrument when you sit down at it. You think, I'll be able to play this. Yeah. And then you can't. No, I mission and my mother tried to make me take piano lesson. That was five, and I had no interest in it. It was drudgery. Yeah. You know, I wish I was, I wasn't smart about it. Yeah, I do regret not being able to play an instrument.

Well, there's no, there's still time, Bob. Yeah, there's a Sarah. Right? Sure. Okay. And then do you ever use TikTok because I want to show you something? Do you know what a thirst trap is? No. Okay. So it's basically like hot pictures of people. Uh-huh. But TikTok loves you. And they make videos of you, of you, of vom, you in different movies. Uh-huh. And can I show you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's going to make you feel great.

Oh, good. I mean, I feel like these are, these are to make people feel good. And this one is specifically for you. But look at this. It's usually sexy music. Look. These are young pictures of you and young kids make you look. Yeah. Wow. Look. Look at you. Yeah. Oh yeah. Listeners, Bob is staring at this as it. Look. Yeah. I don't know. I guess just good job at being so handsome. Oh, thanks. Let's talk about some comedy stuff because

we met, I think, uh, for the first time or at least in my mind, for the first time, although

followed you down the street without you knowing. But, uh, at SNL, 2002, um, you've hosted three times. Yes. You obviously have done it more than once because you liked it. What do you like about doing it? What I like about it is that it's so fast. You can't. It doesn't give you time to think. Yeah. And you've got to change it into different costumes and that, boom, boom, boom, they've got the cards for you. It's so fast. If you, you know, you, you can not worry about failing, if you will,

whatever that means, and just have fun with it. Yeah. I have a real image stuck in my mind of Donna, the woman who pulls you around and changes you through. Yeah. Yeah. Right. She's still there.

Yeah. Oh wow. She's incredible. Yeah. She's kind of the one that should write the book.

She knows. She's seen everybody naked. Exactly. And she, um, I remember, uh, us doing a, I was, I was, I was my second year. I started in 2000 that, that, that show after 9/11 was my first SNL and, um, you hosted anything first in 2002. Um, you were being pulled by Donna, um, while you're

“dressed as, um, Sigfried. I think from Sigfried and Roy. Oh, okay. I have got to remember that. No,”

but, um, she'll look at those better not to look at them. Yeah, probably. Maybe when you go back over the, over your canon of work, just let us keep that up. Um, and one thing I'll say is like, you know, you are a person that people like to do impressions of. Is that weird? No. I mean,

it's kind of flattering. Alec Baldwin does really good impressions. And I, and I, and I,

I know one that he, he did, he did, he was on, uh, I can't, what talk show he was on. And he was saying, commenting on the, Godfather reunion with me and Ale and Bobby DeValle and Francis and Tau Yashire and, and, uh, Jimmy, kind of, everybody. And, and he said, did you see that? And he said, you know, they're talking to dinner. And now they told they talking. He's just making the way he makes fun of, of you, it's just hysterical. You know, even how we're all mumbling. You're on what

to help with. He can't understand what we're saying. Well, you have what you, but what I love about, what I love about you, Bob, is when you're laughing and when you're upset, it looks like the same

“base. Well, okay. It's kind of, you, you, you're, you're, you're quite a laugher. No, right?”

Would you say? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, sometimes, if it's, I, I, we have a more, a more boisterous laugh depends. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. We're almost done. We, we, we're at 40, we're at 45. I like you. I like to know how long things are going to take. So we're almost done. Okay. So here we go. Um, I feel like a lot of, uh, a lot of your career has been defined by lasting partnerships. People that you've met and continue to work with. And I think it's, it is a sign

often of, um, like, somebody's character that they maintain friendships and partnerships throughout their life. You've talked a little bit about Martin Scorsese and the ways that you guys have, you know, it's really something that you grew up around the corner from each other. Mean streets was based on people that you knew. Yeah. What, um, what does it like to have a friend in this business

“for this long? I think it's, it's great. And, and I, I don't always say it's kind of amazing that”

Martin, I, we're aware of each other. We had a mutual friend who passed away. But he was, uh, may rest in peace. He was a, uh, I did a movie called "Alton Nice." And I, he, uh, Martin, I did this, uh, well, he, there's a documentary about him was only consent of when they wrote the script, Nick Bellegi, you know, wrote this. I said, how do you know about this place called the "Alton Nice?" He said, well, I, you know, it was a crime reported down there and the reporter,

and I knew this, that social club was, I said, that's a place I used to hang out at. Yeah. And I was a kid, and so my friend, one of my friends, but he, he remembered things that I had forgotten what went on there and stuff like that. So it was an interesting. And they were terrific in the movie, so that was a nice thing. Nick, uh, I would love to meet Nick, uh, and, and I would have left to a met Nora. Yeah. Yeah. Um, uh, Maril Streep. Maril, yes. You know, she claims that you're not

very good at charades. Yes, I know, I heard that. Yeah, I, I, I probably am, uh, you know, you know, I think we did it somewhere. I, I was not inspired unless that's my fault. Well, you can

try harder next week. I will. I will. Where did you meet her? For the first time you saw her on stage?

Maril, I went with Mike Chimino to, um, and it's funny because I went to the devilware's

do a chariot, I think it was in Raoul, Julia. And, uh, Mike Chimino, I went because for that

“part of the her for the, for the dinner. So that's the first time. I don't even know if we”

went back stage. I'm not sure, but she, you know, she had it. You have worked together a lot in many different ways. What, what, what, what's so wonderful about working with her. Maril's a, a great actress, and so skilled and smart, and it's just terrific and very funny and great to sense a humor. And, uh, she's just a wonderful person. Yeah. Ben Stiller, you're back with Ben again. You've done quite a few features with him. Yeah. Um, does he still run all the time because you run

every day? He's a good shape. He's a brand-new eye. I guess he does. I don't know. Yeah. I see him run too from the set. No, I'm kidding. But he does something. He's a very, very funny together. What, what's been, what's been your experience? Well, Ben, he has a way of, when you, when he reacts to what you say, which is kind of a funny line, say, my character, Jack, he'll go, uh, oh, yeah. He has a way of commenting on what you just said, saying that it's not too

smart. A little stupid. But, uh, I'm giving you the respect. He has a way of commenting on it. It's so there's three different things, four different things going on at once in his reaction. And he's very funny. Yeah. The status between the two of you is just such funny. Me and a father. And you, um, join him again in, um, in your new film, Falker and Law, with Ariana Grande here. Yeah. She in here who was a delight. What did you think work with her? Ariana was terrific. Yeah.

And nice, nice young lady, terrific. Yeah. Real true. Perfect for it. And, um, Jane Rosenthal. Jane, well Jane and I worked together for 37, 38 years. And, uh, we had a thing last night at, um, the Chanel party, and I did it like a tribute to her for a long time. Congratulations together on that 25 years. Yeah. I try back a film festival. Amazing. Like way to amplify new voices and use your currency. I mean, it, you know, um, it's, it's, it's really, I mean,

I was speaking to Jane earlier. And, um, we were saying it's wild. How everything is now 25 years ago.

Yeah. I mean, it's like, I know. It's been a really, it's been a really, really. I mean, it always

is an intense period in New York, but the past 25 years have been something else. Yeah. Yeah. So before we get into that and Jane had a question for you, I, I got very quick. Um, this is, this is speed round hot takes. Okay. Okay. It can be slow around. Okay. But, um, NYC hot takes.

“Do you remember the cost of rent of your first department? I think it was $75. Where was it?”

And Irving Place. Was it a studio? One bedroom? One bedroom, 75 bucks. It might have not even been a one bedroom. I mean, it's one room that you put a bed in there. Favorite New York Museum? The Metropolitan and the Museum Modern Art. Do you have any art that you, any, um, paintings that you back to like that like, are you like, you know? No, I don't, my, my mother or father might have something in the Museum Modern Art. I think I'm not 100% sure. Really? But you don't know.

I know when the Jane would be, I, I mean, it was something I think, yeah. Mama, if you're listening. Yeah. And, well, sushi order. What do you order? What's your favorite?

Well, I always say we say black card, but black card is good and noble.

And, uh, pizza order, what do you get when you get a slice? It was a piece of pizza place, um, I'm happy to be like, I'm pepperoni in front of you. Okay. Um, New York Restaurant, Best New York Restaurant that you don't own, because you own a few. And one that I'd said, I want to say, because I, I'd want to keep it away.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you don't want to blow up the spot as a kid say. Yeah. Which you would know if you were into. Yeah. Yeah. Um, when you get into taxis to people, taxis driving here and there, very little. Yeah. But I don't get in cabs, but maybe once it was a while or a Uber or something. Yeah, yeah, but you don't get in cabs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Industry to people. Yeah. And when you walk down the street, like to walk in the city,

everybody does. Yeah. You've, you've spoken about how like there's, you know,

“with the best thing about the city is you can just be blending in a part of it.”

Nobody cares. The people have peripheral vision. And if they see somebody physically, like me, uh, I'm older and stuff. I look like an older guy, you know, so they're not on TikTok, huh? Not on TikTok. But they're not going to, they're not going to look

Yeah. So I just walk in, though, but I get not recognized much. When do you listen any music

“when you walk to, are you a podcast person? I like to listen to music in the car. Right around”

a lot in the car because I have to go here and there and then I read the paper and listen to music. So it's an oldies, it's moving. Well, all these, certain oldies, from the '70s. Yeah, but there are for music. Yeah, I mean, that's, there's a space to listen to on a series.

That's '70s and '80s. Like, yeah, it's got music that I used to always hear and listen all the time.

It was almost, you know, you see so much brought back so many memories. And as it does now, as a channel 16, the blend is cool. Hmm. I know exactly what that channel is. It's great. Yeah. Yeah. It's been a music that we like had a lot of lives too. Yeah. And then last question is, we spoke to, we always try to talk to somebody who knows our guests. We get, like, you know, we kind of talk well behind their back. And Jane and I were talking earlier today.

And we were talking about the festival and talking about YouTube and your long history together. And, you know, she just, I thanked her as I would like to thank you for, you know, the

film festival, it started at a time when the city was really hurting. And that coincided with

for myself personally starting SNL. It was like, okay, being at a live sketch variety show during a time when New York was really had, you know, had just suffered through 9/11. And it was like the city really needed in, you and Jane and so many other New Yorkers stepped up for the city during that time. And I know a lot of people were grateful for it. And I asked Jane to ask you a question. And she had a sweet one which was, what, what have you in Helen, your 14-year-old,

seeing it recently that is, is she, you know, I trying to tell her that we should look at movies. She looks at things like Stranger Things. She's got me into it. She into, I saw a movie called House Made. Yeah. It was good. Yeah. I saw another movie that she, you know, I'm walking by or why she's watching, and I can't say that's not bad. That's the movie. And there's something, and just walking by, I get a sense of the film that I say. But I don't like to look at those. I wind up looking

out because she wants to look at it. I'd rather find classics that she could look at or movies. Did you show her anything that she liked? Because I have teenagers. It's hard to get them to like what you like. No. It's hard. Yeah. And she does very little on her iPhone at this point. She being that very, on the wraps, most as I can. But Helen introduced you to Stranger Things.

“Yeah. Yeah. And you liked that. Yeah. It was good. That was good, right?”

We went to see the play too in the musical. Yeah. It was good. Um, okay. And so is there anything for your last, my last question with you? Um, and by the way, congratulations on Faulkner law coming out, big new comedy movie that we need right now. And, and I, I just want to say, as we wrap, um, you know, I, I, I, I just personally want to thank you for, like, doing what you do, speaking out in the way that you do about where we are in the

world. There's a lot of people that are asked to speak truth to power and they're usually, you know, members of the, like, the margins. They're people that are young. Don't really have as much, currency or a footing as other people. It's often people of color. It's often women. And to see a

“person like yourself, the age that you are and the status that you are, it reminds me of the best way”

I can describe it as when it's like if someone's giving a terrible speech at a wedding and they're ruining the wedding. Yeah. And the wedding is America. And, and there's another adult who says, like, we don't talk like that. That's not how you're supposed to treat people. This isn't sane. Yeah. It makes everybody feel very safe. And so I've seen you do it over and over again. And I really appreciate it. Thank you. Yeah. It means a lot to a lot of people. Because you're standing up for a

lot of people who don't have the power to do that. So thank you, Bob. And thanks for doing it over and over again. And this is going to be a real switcheroo because I can't believe I just made you cry. I feel

incredible right now. Hold on. We're going to get you your tissues.

Thanks. We got good hang tissues for you, Bob. But it's true. It's true. It is, you know, there's not a lot of

have a ton of power and don't use that responsibility in a way that they could. So thank you. Yeah. Of course. I don't. It's so upsetting to see what's happened in this country. And it's so crazy. Yeah. It's not like it's, I mean, in the way that's better than it's so blatant. Because this will happen again. And people and in this guy will have influenced people and they'll

come up and they'll say, well, I can do it this way that way. And we have to always be on guard with

the, what's happening now. What do you say to people who feel very hopeless? Because that hope,

“hopelessness sometimes paralyzes people. I understand that, but you have to fight. You have to fight.”

Because if you don't fight, you're not going to get anything. Yeah. You're not going to, and you have to fight. You have to join people. I just say you use this example, Jason Crowe saying, the courage is contagious. And, you know, the other thing in the negative feelings can be contagious too, but why not have courage and be contagious and stand up and you might find out it's not so difficult. And people will stop the nonsense that they're doing. It's just, just out of control.

Well, it is, it, when people like you do that, it makes it easier for other people to do it. So thank you. I hope. Yeah. And then they don't like to use the word hope. I know we keep using. I mean, whatever, you know, I, and what are you watching these days to make you laugh when you're feeling really? Well, another one is one in family. I watch my daughter put me on to it's very funny. Very

fun. And just a good one to watch. Yeah. There's a million of them. It's great. And you can just crank

“through. Yeah. Yeah. They're very funny. Likeable people. Yeah. It's well-cast. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think the”

comedy right now, and I know you've talked about it, but like, when things get particularly stressful in the world, people want to watch that rupture and repair in that way that people are getting along. And they just need some kind of self-s soothing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I texted the SNL ladies, Maya, and and Paul and Rachel and Tina to act because I knew we were talking today. And I was like, do you have any questions for Bob? And they were all saying they have a really fun memory of

when we were doing the read through, you just laughing a lot. Me? Oh, yeah. I know. I'm going a lot.

I love SNL. I think it's so far. Always when I see movies, I say that that's a great

sketch from this or some political situation. Yeah. This is a great SNL will do. Yeah. When you were growing up, what was comedy like? What kind of comedy were you watching in your house? What did you like? Who'd you like? Well, and when I was kid, it was Abel Custello, the three studios, Laurel and Hardy, and there was a theater called the laugh movie on 40 Second Street, and then only comedies. And I would go, or maybe they'd have a Frankenstein movie or Frankenstein

meets Abel Custello or something. But I'd go there every week and we sat on a thing the subway.

“There's nothing like watching a comedy in a theater. Yeah. Do you remember when SNL premiered?”

Yes. I think it was a show with Rob Reiner. George Carlin, I think was the first. It was one of the few. One of the early ones was Rob. Yeah. He did a thing where he was playing like a way in Newton-type character or something. And he kept singing and singing and singing and singing and it was going on and on and on. I'm saying this is this is good because he's not, you know, he's not stopping when you'd expect him to. He's just going on and on. I thought

that was great. What I liked as it all. Did you feel like at the time you were like sensing this was like a show for you. I mean, it really was your generation's like anti-establishment. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I curious, you and Lauren are both examples of longtime New Yorkers who've been working for a very long time and been successful. I'm famous for a very long time. What do you take from, like, working with him and, and, and I think he's great. Lord, I think, and I use him as an

example of someone who had the show going all these decades and is able to do it compared to what goes on with the cloud show with the Trump and all that. You know, he doesn't know what he's doing. And it's, it's just a good example of leadership. Yeah. I agree. And it was kind of on display on the

they didn't see what did you get to do on the SNL 50th show. What did I do? Yeah. I did the thing with Debbie Downer. Which was fun. Was it fun? Yeah. So, what can you explain to people? What do you

“remember doing in the sketch? What was your, what was your motivation? What was your character?”

Well, the most important thing to me was not to, you know, even I can laugh and rehearse or

enjoy the kick out of it when you do it. You got to do it straight. Yeah. You have to really commit to it. Yeah. So, I don't do any indicating and just strain on what you're supposed to do with that person as if it was a real situation. Yeah. And that's how I looked at it. I spoke to the writer Paula Palo and she said it was like, her dream for you to get upset at that character and to call her Deborah. Deborah Downer, you said, look Deborah. Yeah. And I think you strength, I think you

fake, strangled her. Yes. Rachel Bratch. Rachel Bratch. Yes. She was great.

May she rest in peace. Yeah. I mean, that was, so that was, I mean, that character really makes me laugh because to your point, people like that make me really angry. Yeah. And to be like, hey, cut the shit. Yeah. It was a good, good skin. Should we end by just quickly watching you and Debbie Downer? Okay. Bob, thanks for doing this. I got through it. Did you hear it folks? We got through it.

“And that's what I want my guest to feel. Okay. I wasn't bad. Wait a minute. That's a great”

review. It wasn't bad. Yes. Good. That was surprised. You want to straw. Micro plastic. That's why we're all walking landfills. All of the people are taking up residence in your chest. You're going to talk now and you're going to shut it. I do not appreciate this conversation. I don't want to talk about plastic in my balls. I have to feel joy.

I forgot the amount of stuff my life came in tonight to get a little trick in the break.

“I'm just like living under a full die. It comes the strength.”

You very much enjoy that. Bob, thanks for your time today. Thank you. I really, really appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Bob, um, for coming on. What an interesting conversation. It's really something else. I just wanted to take this moment for our

polar plunge to just basically, uh, I don't know, just speak to the past version of me.

Because moving to New York City in 1996, being an actor, if you had told me 30 years later that I would have a podcast. I would say what's a podcast? Um, and then if you told me, you're going to interview Robert Teniro and you're going to be talking to him about acting and you're going to be talking about SNL a show that you will, you will have been on. It's just nuts. And, you know, New York City remains my favorite city in the world. I've lived here for

30 years, um, sometimes in LA, but let's not talk about it. And, um, I just have to say, um, the fact that I get to be here that I feel like I know the city and that I get to talk to people who represent how much the city means to me is really something else. So my plunge today is plunging back into the time machine and telling my younger self to hang on because good things are ahead. So hope you can all do that too. Thank you so much for joining us and see you soon. Bye!