Reflecting on Career and Legacy

This episode is brought to you by Bishead. What if we told you the taste of deep fried turkey is now available at your local deli? Well, Bishead just did that bursting with flavor perfectly seasoned with that indulgent taste that usually means planning your whole day around it presenting The Friar's turkey breast only from boar'shead. Backyard tradition now available behind the counter. Visit your local deli today. Discover the craftsmanship behind every bite, Bars headad Committed to craft since nineteen oh five Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We have an awesome guest today, the great Coleman Domingo. And Cleman and I have so much fun. We talk about his beautiful mother, Edith and how she shaped his life. We talk about our shared love of dancing and why it means so much to us. We talk about peptides, what are they and who's taking them And we also celebrate the fact that he is working with Steven Spielberg in his new movie Disclosure Day, which is coming out this week. Big summer hit, blockbuster baby. Speaking of Steven Spielberg, Stehven joins us our as our guest today who's going to talk to us about Coleman. He's going to talk well behind Coleman's back. And if you don't know who Stehven Spielberg is I don't know what to tell you. You know, fifty years ago, he made jaws last year he was you know, producing Hamnet and he's made every single movie in between. So Steven Spielberg. Mr. Spielberg U Are you there This episode of Good Hang is presented by Paul Mullive. Family time isn't just the big moments. It's weeknight dinners, sitting around the table, everyone talking at once. So when the plates are empty and the sink is full Use Palmolive ultra. Palmlive's most powerful formula removes up to ninety nine point nine percent of Greece leaving your dishes sparkling clean. And the new convenient pump makes cleaning even easier. So you can spend less time tackling dirty dishes and more time together. Now Palm Olive. com. Steid No Oh my Godd, I'm on good hands. G bd. We gotta get you into the stewood. We tried. we work we couldn't schedule it. Dang, Yeahah, we were like we don't have time. Dn, Ive tried. I tried. I gott to make a few more hits We're like really sitting on your show. We were like we were like, we just want to see one or two more things from Stehven before we said. I know. I know. I love the audition process Stehven, you are my subconscious. Like the work that you have made is in my brain You have you shaped my entire life. You are a GenX director through and through. Oh, thank you, thank you love I love that I'm in your subconscious and yet you can still be funny with my plethora of comedy, you know Well, I mean, I feel like I've gotten a chance to Um We've been lucky enough to see you at U, you know pllaces and events and shows and stuff, and I got to see you recently at the SNL fiftieth. That was great. That was just great It was hard to believe. I mean, you know, I was there the first show in nineteen seventy five. I was in the audience. Get out of here. It wast the very first show. ye. flew all the way to New York because it was in the air. was it was one of those things, you know, where my generation suddenly was being included in something that was going to define Define us And um It was just an I just somehow knew I had to be there for it. and I just, you know, got a ticket and went in the audience and watched. Where did you sit and watch? Were you on the floor or were you up in the bro? No, no, I didn't know anybody. I just was I was in the stands. Jaws had come out in June. I think the first SNO show is October Yeah october eleventh. Yeah Ober. Yeah. And and I was there and it was incredibly. it spoke to me. and after it was over, I' left with the audience and Somebody came running up and grabbed me and Drag me kindind of backstage to Balui And so John said, You the guy that made the Shark movie? And I said, Yeahah, he says, you got to meet Danny. And he dragged me over to Danny And that was the beginning of my first first event that I really became a formal groupie I've always I've always I've always gravitated toward comedy and stand up and comedians and and I go real Robin Williams was one of my dearest closest friends of my whole life. And I were books and I sort of started out together. And so that sort of, but I'm not the funny guy. I'm a good audience for all of you. I'm your best audience. Well, you're here today to talk about Coleman Domingo. And um He's a new friend of mine. I actually met him on a dance floor, which I wantna talk about because we were kind of we met just like at a party. so makes sense. But when did you first meet Coleman, whereere did you guys first meet? I was going to make a movie about Ira and George Gershwin And I was going to make a movie about the process of writing and staging Pgy and B And u I had a script and I was excited and I was casting it and I was looking for Todd Dunk who played poorgy And I met a lot of actors And when Coleman came in to the meeting, that was the first time I I became under' certain the first time I Mett Coleman But um I intended after that meeting to cast him as Todd Duncan Oh wow. I mean, Stehven, people must come in to meet with you and you must feel their nerves So how do you get people to relax when they're having a meeting with you. Well, well, you know, You know, a disadvantages me if somebody comes in and I can't find them in a fifteen, twenty or thirty minute meeting because of of whatever expectations they bring to the meeting how nervous some of them are, someome of them aren't nervous at all, but a lot of them are And I had this problem onlyn because success, because success creates a a kind of false front. It's kind of like you know, I've always seen myself early in my career being successful, but also feeling a little bit like a fake Western street on a Hollywood backlog. When you walk around behind the facade or there's just a bunch of two by fours holding up the facade and people peopleople only knew how nervous I am and how nervous stressed I get. They wouldn't be so nervous in front of me. And I really was and I just I came up with a method which I use for a couple of pictures starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark And I decided that all the actors that I audition in person I'm going to meet them in a kitchen and we're gonna cook We're gonna we're going to actually cook And and so for a couple of movies starting with Raiders, everybody that came in met me in a kitchen and we were cooking stuff. And that was how everybody relaxed around That's so smart because you're also you're just getting to do something. Like it's like, what do I do with my hands? basasically is what you're thinking half the time when you're stressed. Yeah, everybody becomes so real when they' co they're covered in flour and you know and you're trying to break an egg and the egg spills out on the counter. I mean, everybody becomes the best version of themselves. Although there must have been people like Good news you have an audition. Bad news, you need to learn how to cook. You know wee. Well, the good news is you could be part of a recipe But the bad news is you're only here for thirty minutes and you're not going be able to eat what we make.. all the actors that came in at the end of the day were able to actually feast on what we had prepared starting at nine o'clock in the morning, right? So you meet Coleman. And now you guys are and did you work together on any other feed films after that. What happened was I was I had actually cast a lot of the movie and then I had a omething that doesn't often happen when I'm that far down the line, but I had a kind of second thought about the project and I decided not to continue making it That's the only reason Co and I didn't work together then But remembering Coleman as well as I did, I cast him in Lincoln playing Private green. Right And that was the first time we actually professionally worked together. And what's it like working with him? Kind of like riding in a Wo where you don't have to do anything but sit in the back seat. because the car drives very well by itself And Coleman is When he graces you are set He brings kindness. And he brings collaboration And he brings love And he brings a real sense of let's have fun while we're working hard. while we're working hard to be serious, can we also have fun? And he makes a director look forward to going to work the next morning. Oh, what a dream. I mean dream. I'm sure you're at the point in your life and career too where you can tell like Sometimes You know, people people are motivated by a lot of things, As you know as a director and you have to kind of find out. what motivates them? But when someone has Talent and ease Yeah. It's not always the case No, it's not always the case. I've been lucky. I've had actors, I've had a lot of actors who have and such great collaborators, you know, to work with, even on really You know tryrying projects Coman isn't about himself, he's about the whole. You know, he's about it's like the play is the thing as Shakespeare said. He's about the play. he's about the whole He's he's as interested in the actress, he's playing opposite even more so than he is about his own role in the and the whole And that's rare. That's really, really rare. He is so full of empathy And because my movie deals, Disclosure date, you know, deals a lot with the importance of empathy. Coomen was a very easy choice for me to make to invite him to be part of this company part of this ensemble. We cannot wait for this movie Another hit, Stehven. huge Knock on my wooden head. Listen, I'm calling it right now. Okay. now I don't believe in Jinxes and I call it as I see it And I'm telling you something, this movie is everybody is ready for this movie. It looks so good. I still don't really know what it's about which is great. I think it has to do with aliens, but You tell me, I don't know Well, what can I say? Here's looking at you hereere's looking at you, kid do you have a question for me that I could ask him big or small. I've been thinking about that. you know, he's He's such a success and he's So consistently successful I'd love you to ask him. Was there ever A film he auditioned for that he didn't get and he was desperate to get. Oo. Oh yeah. I mean, he I bet he has an answer to that because I know that he, I mean, when I look at his career, he's really done a ton of different types of work. I mean, Coleman, talk about talk about empathy He can play He has a huge range. He can play like just a love bomb of a person and he can play a really sinister scary person too. Yes. Okay, that's a good one. Well, Stephven, thank you so much for your time. It really means a lot. I know Coleman will be thrilled that we talked and I can't wait to talk to him about what it's like to work with you. I can't wait, I can't wait to watch this. This episode is brought to you by visible. How many of you are currently listening to this podcast on your phone? If you are chronically online like we all are these days, your wireless network should be too With Visible, you get unlimited five G data and unlimited hotspot, all powered by Verizon's five G network Big wireless for half the cost. Visible isn't just a wireless plan, it's unlimited wireless designed to always keep you connected and no contract holding you back Switch today at visible d. comot Plans start at twenty five dollars a month, or get our premium Visible pllus Pro plan and save ten dollars on your first month when you use promo code Hang, an exclusive offer for podcast listeners. Terms apply, see visible. com for planned features and network management details. Oh my go, Coleman Domingo is here and he brought me. I bought you a meal. I b. I bought you an egg. Okay, now I've been starting to get gifts, which is that's what you required. That's when it becomes ridiculous, right? When someone finds out what you like something. Okay, let's discuss this for the listeners, what did you bring me? I bought you a fake egg It is c It's a key chain. lookook at that. Okay, I'm gonna describe this while I show it. It is a fried egg on a key chain. Yes. Do you like fried eggs? I love fried eggs. Oh good me too. Sunny side up. I love suunny sideide up Because it gets things moving, that's why.ot to start off there and just go to my I guess Let me ask you about your suny setup Do you like to ' this yoke is very exposed. Do you like to flip it once and get like I like I like that in a little crunch. Me too. exactly. And then like you then it bursts with a of hot sauce on there This is a rubber . Also Coleman brought me plastic silverware in case I wanted to just pretend to eat it. I'm not a crazy person, Coleman. I don't eat this fake. Okay. Oh my go. okay, well This is now gonna to get ridiculous. Well, I don't wanna brag, but we got a couple A list stuff up here. We got some pe pods from Jennifer Lawrence Where did the raspberries come from? Oh, the raspberries, where did they come from Oh, Moma, that Moma sent us fake raspberes. Ma's veryasp. P put it next to Moma's raspberry. I think that's good. Raspberries and eggs. And there's an egg here. There's another egg there. Look at that. Look at that Oh my God Okay, that's too cute. Oh my God, I made the board. it's so good This is already a good hang. a good hang with Hmy. You know Aa Garden gave us a giant chicken. That's. Isn't that a really good chicken? V good. I'm really fascinated by all of this. No, isn't it cool? It's very satisfying. It's good. And when did you didn't know Yeah. When did the fetest start Tell us about your channelen. Yes. I don't know, It's it's like good art. I don't know how to explain what I like, but I know it when I see it. Yeah. I love that egg. That you brought. You're very welcome it's realistic. I don't like children's Fake food. I'm an adult. Grown people fake food. Exactly. What do are you? You're not nuts? It's so good. It's Collemin Domingo was here. I was really thinking about what to wear because I knew you'd look incredible. You look good. I'm fine. I'm wearing a limed green sweater situation. You can wear Anything really You look incredible in everything. You have the best style. Thank you. like, The style is bigger than just clothes. L you have a You have a a way of moving through the world where you like I find clothes and fashion to be kind of confusing for me. Like I'm always trying to figure it out. I don't always feel like it's a world that I understand or that I'm a part of. But whenever I see you wearing whatever you're wearing It's like an invitation I think it is. I think literally that's what I think it is. It's like, okay, I just Even like What I was supposed to wear, there was a jacket with this. And I thought, oh, no, I'm gonna go hang with Amy. She's sh those guns I gotta shoot of guns. I gotta sex it up a little bit. No shouldt That's when I emailed you, I was like, bring theing it bring. You gott to bring it. Bring that. That's okay That's what I'm doing when I'm supposed to do. So But I thought like I just want to feel relaxed with you. Yeah. The jacket was just all like, you know It was a very serious business Yeah. But I was like, now I'm going to feel little sexy. but's that's exactly the point. Like the clothes never wear you. L you are alwaysing. How do I get into this feeling? right? this character. Yeah. And that is what I have learned about about wearing something, like figuring out how to dress is like basically how do you want to feel? What do you consider your style to be? When you wear a suit I can always tell, you look so sexy and beautiful in yourself. Cplx. exxactly. You didn't know that this was gonna happen today, did you? I hoped. I hoped. No, but you do becausecause also I can tell that you feel very comfortable in your body and' comfort. listen, Diane Keaton did that. Diane Katon was like She perfected her style in a way that was just her own. Yeah. And she was always cool and chic and it had these masculine vibes to it. and that was her. Who are you wearing Hul Smith today Hul Smith. H heard of him? Yeah, Well you know Okay, we got we're kind of new friends. We're getting to know each other and I feel like I was trying to remember when we first met. And I think we first really met U non verbally on a dance floor.actly You do remember It was at a night before party. Right O one of the Amy the Amy night before parties. and we just I don't know what the DJ was killing it that night and you and I and you were wearing a suit actually. Oh. You're wearing a suit and you and I we just cut it up and And I was like, oh my God, Amy Poler can dance her ass on. Thankk you for saying that right back at you I mean, we were killing it Why do you love to dance? I always love to ask people who love to dance why they love to dance. You know, I grew up, I think, My parents used to always throw the best parties. So New Year's Eve was always at our house. And we didn't have we lived in a row home in Philelphia and so the basement, we had a bar down right. We had a basement did The dark dank basement. Were your poles carpeted? Oh, absolutely. carpeted. We had a black sheba, a velvet on the wall. like you know, she's like some black woman with the afro and a tits out and a panther and I would always look at it and just. Remember like string art? Yes absolutely. All of that was down there Everything was down there. O Christmas toys were in the back but that's whole the thing. But it was really we would have dance parties down there. So we got down there and the music was cranked up. And we dance to we just dance. So I come from a family that lo to dance. My mother before she pass my mother passed in two thousand six One of the things that my sister always loves to tell me is Just the week before my mom was dancing in the aisles of Pathmark She was dancing like, you know, playing whatever music was playing, she was dancing the aisles. and So the idea that that's my sister's memory of my mother dancing. So I come from people who like can dance anywhere. Like I have zero shame. Me too. And in fact, you know, I get it actually helps me expel a lot of my social anxiety. Yeah. Like I'd rather dance than talk. Yes. Same here. We dance like, do you remember the show daning on air Well, we had danance Well, you were fromhy D Ph dancing an air was Dan the Dan USA. Dance USA. Yeah, exactly. withith Kelly Riipppa. With Kelly Ripppa. Exactly yeah, exactly, exactly. But like you and I danance like from that generation. We We're the same age. We' the same age. So like when you cut tear it down. one hundred percent, we really move and it's like they don't move like that anymore We mo move like we were trying to hurt somebody. There's a whole thing a trend on TikTok about how like showing it the difference between how Jen X and Gen Z dance Because Jen Z barely moves. They barely move. And Jen X like clear the dance floor. Oh wee. Did you have high school dances playing what music was playing at those l They had high school dancers. Now I went to high school with Will Smith, by the way. They had high school dancers, but I was You went to high school with Will Smith. Will Smith. Inredible.ame grade. He was one right above me. Oh my God. What was he like in high school? You know, He was a cool kid. Yeah He was actually a cool kid. Yeah. He was actually very friendly and everybody really liked him. And he performed at the W ball room Philelphia He and Jazzy Jeff.. But I was a bonafide nerd. I didn't do any of that schoolan. No, no, no. I didn't come I didn't turn into this until like second year of college. Be I decided I didn't want to be like that anymore. I was very shy and bookish and very awkward. So you weren't like pareing up the dance for in high school? No, no, I was dancing at home with my siblings, but in high school I didn't go to any dances. I know, this is where it gets sad I didn't go to any dance. You didn't go. I feeling too shot. I went to my prom, but I got there late because my prom date Terry Hayes. was very late getting her dress made. So we got there very late. So I didn't even dance at my prom. Okay, okay. This has gotten very tragic. well because I feel like I feel like that this idea of coming into your own and like feeling your getting in your sense of power and like who you are and all this stuff is like the theme of the for me, your career, your life for interview because I find your my experience with you, I feel like you really have worked very hard to know who you are and to like show that person to the world. basasically. I mean, I think listen, that started, I think one of my first jobs was at Barnes and noble bookstore in Philadelphia And I would take care of the self help section. This one was eighteen years old. Slf help and travel. those were the sections I took care of And I would be in the corners and I'd be reading these books on how to become a person. to be very honest because I felt I was awkward, I wasn't I wasn't gregarious or anything, but I knew I wanted to become something else. And so I went to self help books And I was like, oh, to become a different person, you had to do certain things or adopt certain traits. And I think while I was becoming an actor as well, it was very useful. So I was actually trying on these different things and the way I dressed, the way I express myself, the way I walk into a room, the way I spoke. You know what I mean? Wh where I pitch my voice, all of that stuff All of this was been a bit manufactured, you know, because because I didn't have I was I didn't have it before. Well, you know, you've talked so much about your mom who seems so amazing.. Oh you would have loved her. I bet. And what would she tell you in those little awkward times? Like what would she how would she reassure you or just like gently kind of walk by, you know, alongside you while you were feeling awkward I'll tell you this. Well I have to tell your story now because of that because you just made me think of this Um When I was a kid, I used to always suffer from like really terrible asthma And And one time I was hospitalized and was and I went in right before maybe about like first or something like that I was in the hospital and, you know, just breathing and stuff like that, getting myself together. And then when I came out when I was healthier, I came out and they pick my mom picked me up at night and we're driving through the city and there's all these lights up, all the Christmas lights and stuff like that everywhere And she said and I said, Oh my God, look at all the lights. She says, you know, they all put up their lights to welcome you back home And so this is the mother that I had. She would make me believe that I was very special and that the world was set up to do me more good than harm stantly She was constantly going against any narrative of what the world was and telling me that I was special, that I was useful, that I can be whatever I wanted, I can travel. because I was always I always had my head in a book. I was looking images of ancient Egypt and Rome and she said, up you can go those places.o. So I always had a huge imagination because of my mother. Yeah. So it was in all those moments when she would just like when I wasn't feeling great about myself or anything, she would tell me how smart I was. Yes That was the thing she always told me I was smart Yeah. She always said you're so smart and you' so handsome. That kind of early conditioning It's it makes I mean I'm saying the obvious, but it's like a it's like actually a privilege. I'm learning more and more, it's a privilege to have had a parent or parents that said that to you. Yeah. because it's Would your parents like that as well? Absolutely. where they would be like You can do that whisper of you can do what you want to do. You're smart, you're capable, you're useful. you're're you you're you have purpose. You have Yes, exactly. There's a reason why you're here, all that stuff. L when it's said out loud, it changes the course of your life. I think it does. Yeah. I think've I've been given so many beautiful moments by people throughout my life who told me something that I didn't maybe I didn't see in myself. even how I became an actor, of my early college teachers. I took an acting class just as an elective, too Again, my mother said, take a class for fun, take something to get you outside of yourself. And so we thought about an acting class. And I took this class and then this teacher Chris Wolf He said to me, first time I' ever heard this from anyone, truly He said, Have you ever thought about acting as a profession? I was like, I don't even know what that is. I'm a kid in West Phy. don't know Whatere were your parents jobs? Nont my mom worked at a bank for a long time. she cleaned houses and then she kept going back to school. Eventually, she worked in customer service at like first Pennsylania Bank. Yeah. My dad sanded hardwood floors. He was my stepfather, and he was just a blue collar worker I work on the summers Yeah and make some extra money. Yeah. So they were very much like just like good working class folks Yeah. and they wanted you to go to college and be better than them you know, so they were just like reallyast trying to prepare you for things. But it never heard Until I got to college that someone said I would be curious if you follow this path as an actor. he said because I think you have a gift I realized that I'd never heard Someone to tell me I had a gift at's something. Right. And so suddenly, I was like g He said, I he said this, it was like a challenge. He said, I'd be very curious If you follow that path, That was like mic drop I mean, because we, I mean, I don't I wantan to get into this early, but Coman and I are both Eneagram As. Yeah, we are, ye, we are Yeah yeah, ye exactly. We love it we got that. Tina Fay was like, what Tina made Coman take the test on the set of the four seasons. Y. He got an A. I was thrilled And please explain that again, what the eight God, my audience is gonna be like, but we're the challenger. I guess the point is he challenged you. I'd be so curious what you do with that gift. And that is a motivating factor for us is like a little bit of a challenge is exciting for us. Y. Sometimes it's like our way through We like a little challenge. I mean, we're so easy.one everyverybody has their ways that like we think we're not manipulated, but we respond well to when someone says, I bet you can't do that. Oh We're like bet Y Yes it's true. It's true. I'm the same way when someone's like,,be maybe that's not for you. I'm like, now it's hundred percent for me for the rest of my life. Oh, my Godd Where you from? Fr Boston. I'' right exact.. But it's a city of underdogs as well. Like Tina and I we always talk about that. We're like There's something that Philly and us's like, yeah, you know Philly makes Boston look like London, England She did I Lets talk about it. It's true, It's true. Billy is wild. is wild asots I mean just mean a Philly fanatic. I mean, that's insane. I still don't even know what that is. It's an insane person, is? I mean we have the Mummers parade. I mean the Mummers is like just Dunk Iris people in New Year's D. The only time I've ever been called a se word to my face is at the Philadelphia airport. Wait, what? and when Tina and I were touring guy one of the weird like you know autographed people there when they follow you around the airport and it gets really stressful. And we were like, o you're stressing us out a little bit. And then he keeps along the seaab and Tina turned me and she goes, Welcome to Philly was like, Yes. It's like a badge of honor,. You're like ye, ye. Yeah. exxactly. They like me here. But I wantna say. but you get out of Philly, you go to San Francisco, but I just want to stay with one thing that I love Cleman about you is like also There's like these There's ye shhy kid trying to find his way, momom who told him he was special and Christmas lights were for him You go from Philly to San Fran. Why San Fran? Why do you move there because I had a couple college buddies. It always happens. this usually the story. I had a couple of college buddies, actuallyually three of them that were living in a studio apartment in the Tendnderoin district. They were like, San Francisco is amazing. Yeah. I was struggling in school. I was working two jobs and trying to matriculate. and I was like My mom was like, you know, you can take a semester off and you can always go back to school. And so I have these friends of mine that moved out to San Francisco. they're like, comeome out Is it great. Like literally come out because I was also that's another sidebar. I just also come joke. I was gonna come out I' in San Francisco. comeome out everywhere. Sure. Rich. So then I moved to San Francisco and it was four guys living in a studio apartment in the teenderline district. And if anyone out there doesn't know the Tenderline district Yeah tell everybody about that. You know ladies of the night and you know. Yeah, it was a really wild It's exciting time. It' very exciting. But nineties that's when it was like crisp Yeah. What was your rent? Do you remember how much you your rent? Oh, I do remember my it was for that studio was Six twenty five twenty four four. So split four ways. And we're just like there to like I literally slept, this is also a terrible joke, but I literally slept in a closet. You come out of the closet? Because we had a walk in closet. so I was the third fourth guy moving in there and I literally slept in a walking closet. You you're too tall. I mean, for people that don't know or can't or haven't been next had the pleasure of being next to you, you're six two. Six two. That's right. Rrats. Tall drink of water. That doesn't. All these teeny, tiny actors. There's a lot of actors. There's lot of little actors. Yeah, there are And and and you know I kind of get it because like, you know, it's camera. I love being in a scene with the six two gentlemen. It's kind of hot, right? Also, it's just a great view. Like there's a great angle. When we turn around, the camera's gonna be up here. Okay, so you go to San Fran, you're there, you're working as a bartender, you're writing plays. Do you remember the first play that you wrote, what was it about The first play I wrote was called Up Jump Springtime and that is the title of a Stan gets and Abby Lincoln song and it goes I was out promenating in high hopes are fading that dreams ever really come true. Th been up, jumped spring timeime I got to look at you It was a play that I wrote I adapted A bit of a novel, and I sort of embedded my work in there as well. It really was about coming of age as a young queer man. And I had three actors. we play all the roles. W. We played men, women, lovers, mothers, fatherers, sisters, whatever, but it was really about the experience that nobody was writing about at the time. It must have felt so good to be a successful playwright while you were also auditioning and being an actor. I think so to be hest I didn't consider myself a I considered myself a writer at that time and then I grew into becoming a playwrright. What year was this that you're writing? What you Witing I started writing about nineteen ninety seven.. The last play, I've written plays and musicals. I've written the Don of Summerusical. Oh, I want to on Broadway. I wrote a musical You wrote the book for the Don of Summer music. I know, right? I mean again in that in that high school world of like the dances we were at or we weren't at Down a summer Her music was so important to our generation and to every generation. But I feel like Donna Summer doesn't quite get spoken about. She. She was one of the greatest singers, I think that has ever walked this planet. Be also her voice, she could do anything with her voice. Yeah. She could sing opera, she could sing country, she could sing, you disco. I think that her voice, I mean, she even famously talked about her voice she was like, No, I make music. and you just never know where I'm going to be angled in that way And then before we move on to you, like the career stuff, I always want to pause to talk about because it is it around this time that you meet your husband Oh no, I met my husband in twenty one years ago. So Okay in two thousand five Okay so so not in metam in funny it's aird thing because I lived in San Francisco for ten years. moved to New York Yeah. I go back to San Francisco to do a show at Berkeley Rep. Yeah. I go to Berkeley, California crossing paths goingoing into a wal range with the most beautiful person I think I've ever seen Not even just beale aesthetically, but like just energetically We never speak. Three days later, I'm try to buy use computer on Craigslist I couldn't stop thinking about him And I thought about posting one of that Craigslist Missconnections ads. Oh, it's so analogue. And's so analogue, right?. I used to read them like crazy. Yeah. And I get to the second page And third one down, I remember exactly the placement and it set saw you outside of Walgreens, Berkeley. He placed it just an hour before I looked So we were looking for each other and then we met And I'm so uncool. We met three days later, had our first date. And I literally was like, I think I love you, you're gonna change my life. That's how uncool I am, though That's so good. That's so direct also everyone that took a look at Raouul, like everyone would be like, I love you. Maybe you got that a lot. L I love that. I get it. You gotta lock that down very fast Yeah like but that's you. Like you're very I mean, what I'm learning about you you're in the moment. And also you one of the many, many things that I love about getting to know you is you There's not a lot of like, like people know how you feel. There's no question. But that's a love language. Like I'm gonna just tell you how I feel now. I'm gonna take that risk. I'm like thats that's what vulnerability is. like I'm just gonna tell you right now, I love you. like that's amaz. like no games at all. I'm always telling people to like, don't play me gam. just me to. Just be straight. Just be straight if you don't like it, you don't like me. Eact just me move thing takes time away from, you know, Just move away. getet out the way then. Yeah the people who receive that they' going to be right there with me. And so you guys have been together twenty, two twenty years, twenty one years twenty two years ye. know here at Good Hang, we only allow a few few spouses to come becausecause, you know, you don't want to have, you don't want to have everybody's wife and husband around.. And we've had the most amazing group of people. We've had Roles here today. Yeah, he is We've got he's in the green room Hi Ro . I love you. Ro's here today. We had Carool Burnette bring her husband Brian, and we've had Viola Davis's husband Julia. Oh, that's great. And that's it. That's it, That's it for the good hang. That's it. That's it. No more spouses. No. Raol's like a cat. He's sort of like, you know, Yeahah. you barely even know he's here. Well and the cheekbones what we boughttom for the cheekbone. I mean, both of you guys are like cheekbone sittity. You guys could open up a cheekbone shot. That's our next adventure. It is too. And it's funny, becausecause sometimes when we're with other people, they can't even tell that we're it's I guess it's a compliment. They can't tell that we've been together for so long. Yes.' a compliment they can't tell 'cause we're still like very in love with each other. Y. And we have fun and we're touchy feelings. Yeah. but also then Even when we're in groups of people they're, oh my go, how do you guys know each other?, Oh, that's my husband. They're, Oh my that's my bro. But that's also my husband. He' m a lot of fun. Yeah. And I wish you two could have children together. I know. But just the two. You't wait for the science to happen. Many things can happen. Faces alow. You just want those cheekbones on the baby. cheekbones on that baby.yn' have four cheekbones Inoring, gasping during sleep feeleeling fatigued? askk your doctor about Zepbound, Terzepetite, the first and only FDA approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA and adults with obesity Zbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and obesity to improve their OSA. 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Learn more at Sopi dot com slash sppotify Brokerage offered through Sophi Securities LLC, member FINRA slash SIPC Terms apppply When I've been looking at your career, which you've done so many things, so many different parts all over the spectrum, like Cleman, you just you play really intense like kind of Joyous love bomb characters. you play complicated and oftentimes scary and terrifying characters. you can do it all. You've done so many different parts. But what I love is your is the one that I recognized because we're the same age of like what all actors kind of did to start because you didn't have And in you were just like, how do I get started making the work? And so you do you're like learning on the job and I mean, you're even in law and order, which is like you're not an actor you were in law and order. Exactly, exactly. you were on What did you played? youaybe your character I was on I'd to ask. Three or four Law Oders. I was on different characters. Yeah, ye, exactly. remember the Law Nder criminal intent? Of course. And I played a schizophrenic heroin addict. Okay. I played an attorney. Perfect. I played an attorney on one of them You went from the schizophrenic heroin addict to an attorney. Yeah exactly. That's acting. No that's acting. I also was a bartender at a leather a gay leather bar. Exactly. Like I'm like unpacking the various ball gags as you were telling them about Ex Because you know, what I love about Loner is that they're so busy. They're so busy when the cops are talking to them. like' just New York didn't have time for everybody. They're like, I'm sorry, I got to pack these bags while you're talking to me, offfficer. What? Imt to get the fruit off this truckch. I don't have time for that dead. It's incredible. I love watching in particular for that. I'm like the walkking tuck. We were too busy for these officers to talk to us. I love it. Tally. I was a very busy bartender, Yes, exactly. And was exciting to get those parts at the time. That was a good g Because if you didn't get law order, you felt You were garbage. You were like I know. I. I never got a law in order. and I know It was my dream. If I could go back on a time machine, if I could back to the future of my life, the one thing would do differently And maybe it would change my whole. mayaybe it would book a la in order. I would book a law in order. That was my goal Bllison. and when I lived in San Francisco, the gig was to get booked on NS Bridges because that was That wasah I played Don Johson everyvery dumb criminal on that show. I play one of them. exactly. And yes, and I literally wait, there's one episode and people who watch it. It's my favorite episode of me. I kidnapped Don Johnson's daughter and then he found me. and I happened to be wearing swe while I was working out. Okay sure. I was wearing you know that Bill Cosby coogi sweater. I was wear a cououjie sweater like while I was working and he busts through the door and I'm like, Oh, and I throw the weights off and I'm running, Then it kicks me in the ass through the window. Th then he picks me and he slnaps me around and He's, Where is she wear me? It's my favorite episode. It's so crazy and rabid and you're like, what is happening? You're wearing a cougy sweater. while I'm working out I'm B pressing I I like But also, I was a young actor I didn't question it. I' like course, yeah. more than I. And that's what we're wearing. At the time I didn't work outs, I don't know, I thought people worked those gooy sweaters. Theing is so embarrassing. I love it so much. I love it. Okay, then you go to New York, you're doing a million plays on Broadway and the West End. I do have some important theater questions because I I have such respect for people who do that grind. It is such grind. It is is the hardest job to have the hardest part of your day be at the end of your day, to have to show up every day and do the same thing and you're not getting paid a lot of money when you're doing theater and you are, you know, you're like being asked to do a lot. But I'm always curriious about a couple things I'm like, O Cleman will tell me the truth. Okay Have you ever thrown up on stage? No, I haven't. 'causeuse these are some of my stage theaters, like my anxieties. what do you do if you have to in the middle of a scene go to the bathroom You just hold it. You hold it. You hold it. Although I did there was a situation whereere your character went the bathroom. You said you know what, listen, I like I make sure before I go out. It's a practice. Yeah. You have to go You have to make that happen. Yes. Whatever. N number two is gotta happen. rightta happen. You gott toa have an egg over easy.? You gott to make it happen. You make it happen Have you ever forgotten lions on stage No. No, but I've had to work with some people who sometimes would flub some things and you'd have to you have to help support it. make My biggest nightmare, which is like someone skips ahead. yeah. When you're in. Wh that Oh, I fully have that. They they skipped ahead of my own way exactly That's a living stress dream. Yeah. Eactly. Oh no, it's true. And it happens. But but I think that's the joy of it too. For sure. So you see like, that makes you wly. And you like I gott to work on my feet. I got to get that storyline back in there. I gott to make that cue happen.. I love. It's such a challenger. Have you ever forgotten a prop? likeike been like gone in a scene to Oh yeah. after that c And you reach in your pocket. I think I think I forgot a gun. I forgot a gun and I was like, And you were like I just had hold it like this. I was real str. they' looking at me like, where's g? And I'm like It's right here Tough. You didn't ex you're. I didn't put the finger. I was smart enough to not do that some but I just was strong And I was a threat But there was no gun. Exactly. Have you ever had to say, Is there a doctor in the house No But somebody said that on my flight the other day and I was like, they did. And I literally thought, Well, I played a doctor there. And I thought that's not what they want. They're like, I'm sorry, if someone needs a medical emergency? Is their doctor homeboard? And I was like, literally for a second, I thought, what I reallyally thought I was a doctor I love. ' I played sw my God. I really thought about it I can't do anything. I won't get mar yet. When did you play a doctor? I played a doctor on the Nick. Oh yeah. that show is great. Exactly, yeah. I mean, it must be to be a doctor and when you hear, this is why you know you're not a doctor When you hear is a doctor on board and you're like, ooh, but a real a regular doctor must be like, Hh They must be. They must be. Also also you start thinking like doctors do different things. There's not not one So you think like, well, I have a doctorate. But you really do. Yes I'm a doctor. I have a doctor. You have a doctorate. I mean I do not have a doctorate. I have a doctorate, notot like but it just must be like, oh God, can I pretend I'm not a doctor They' like I'm just watching I just yeah, I to watch movie. I'm to finish this. Yeah. I'm almost done with this season of Summerhouse., you have a doctorate? Yeah I do. I just got two in a month. Isn't that crazy? Congratulations. It' kindind of greedy though too. I think I just got got I got fromwthmore C college Doctor of Arts as of four days ago. Fantastic. And I got one from my Almamada Temple University. ye. That must have been really something. It was really wonderful. went you went back and back Do you have to give a speech? I gave the commencement address at Temple and I gave Swthmore. And I think what I lo about it, especially right now I feel like Something about being with young people and students and just like because I feel like they really need to hear some words out here. likeike how's it going to be? they need to be inspired like What was your kind of what was your orrganizing principle for your temple talk? Lo. Yeah. I really feel like the more that I distill things of what I care about right now, what I inspire people to do is to love more and whatever that means I feel like that encompasses a lot. But I feel if I'm talking about love and service and if people can attach themselves to that in whatever way it is for them. So I feel like I'm talking a lot about that because I feel like that's That's what we need to hear. I don't want to Ohh, you know, make this world yours and do this and I don't need to do all that.. But if you do it with love, whatever you're doing., just participate and feel like that, you know, you have a voice and you can you can be the change. You know, there's and don't be afraid of what's out there. There's probably jobs out there that aren't even don't even have a name yet. So I feel like I just want to inspire that with their imagination as well. Well, I mean, the word that I've heard described a word that is used to describe you a lot is empathy. is the empathetic way in which you not only work with people because you learn a lot by somebody about somebody by how they work But that is that makes perfect sense that that's what you would be talking about because I mean, in all the characters that you've played, you have even characters that feel like they're really the villain of the story, there is you are always approaching them with that Basically that they're a human being. I think so I have to love every character that I play. And I feel like even though the villainous ones are like whether I'm playing a pimp or a Mist in the Color Purple or Joe Jackson, I feel like I never try to take the lens of what everyone else says about the person. I do my study and my research and I find out who that person is and find my way in Usually if that person's connected to some part of me in some way. You're working color purple, you're working in Michael, like the work you've done, the work you've done on stage, Rustin How did that change? I mean, that That portrayal was so beautiful and also just like a part that met you at the time when you were ready for it. Y. Did it feel like that? It did. It felt like we were meeting each other when we needed each other. L Yeah like this role, this moment pull byy Rustin out of the for people who don't know By Rustin was the organizer of the March in Washington. He was an openly gay man at the time, of course, and when it was not pool to himself or his body or him having momentum in this world. And he defied all that. And he was brilliant. No no one could deny that he was brilliant. and he was smart, but he was always on the sidelines of history And I felt like and I can aybe I'll say it And this way too, I felt that my career was very similar in that way. I would show up, I would do the work, I was a practitioner, but I was always sort of a bit marginalized. And then in a way, just like like, oh yeah, that's great, but that serves that purpose. But it's never the engine or something. But I knew I could be the engine. Yeah. And so when I finally got this opportunity If like we were meeting each other, we're like, o I know this guy. I've lived with him. He's a part of me as well. And then also I just have to talk to you about Singg Singh. Okay Coleman Cleman I watched that on an airplane And I love to cry on an airplane.. Me too. It's the best thing. I love. I bet we're similar. I like to cry by myself. Yeah. on an airplane. Yeah. And hope like like it's hopefully under a blanket. Yeah exactly. ye exactly. Yeah. Yeah ye. That must have felt like such a of talking about love. L it must have felt like what was it like to make that film? I think that's exactly what it felt like. It felt like I knew that I I had the opportunity to help tell The story of these men in a really complex way. Incarcerated men. Yeah Yeah Th men were incarcerated, you know, with this beautiful arts program in the center of it. and they hun ono it like it was their U It was it was a new path for them. Yeah to exhibit empathy and joy and dance and art and all this other stuff. So it was really like healing them in many ways And I work with a group of formerly incarcerated men who went to the program. and I really, you know led this film and we produced it as well. But I knew was something that like, you know I think I get paid like one hundred fifty dollars a day. Yeah. we had a very tight schedule. It looks like a labor. And this is the kind of work that you're like, o, this is why I can do that other high profile work and I can put my attention on work like this. That's very necessary. Yeah. And so we created with like we locked arms together And that's what felt like locking arms and It was a great beautiful challenge for me because these men have the lived experience of being incarcerated and going through this program And it was the first time that I think I was challenged with actually giving even more of myself putting myself in those circumstances like, yeah, I could be wrongfully accused of something. I could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A lot of people in prison are not they don't belong in prison. You know, so I can find that part of myself. So I think it was a bit more bearing of my own soul and that work. And I think that's what the difference is for me. I can see it, which is why I feel like I haven't watched the movie that often because I feel like when I watch it, I feel You know when you watch somebody like, it takes you right back to. Yeah, It's basically what I always I have like a somatic experience if I'm watching something I've done much more than remembering like even the plot or story or like I just remember the feeling I had making it. Yeah.. That must have been an intense feeling. It was pretty intense. Yeah. I mean, you're so good in you're such a natural leader. And you can tell in that film that you're leading people through the film while being in the moment in the character. Well, the funny thing is a Divot movie after Rustin Yeah. And I really felt like doing them at the same time basically or a little bit a little bit because I had to do pickups for Rustin right after and then I started to color purple. but o my go I literally felt sort of that trio of off films really ignited that true leader in me on set You know, I feel and as a leading actor too, I sort of I literally moved into my leading actor Y in a way. Like sort of But I feel like I needed all those years of supporting and being sort of that utilitarian actor and plays and things like that. I needed all of that. Yeah. And but I was always Even when I was doing work on stage, I was always the equity deputy. So I was always the one that everyone came to to right the wrongs or, you know, advocate for actors or practices or something like that. So I was always the one like saying being willing But now I really the role and the opportunity. And so then I took that into my leadership of Sing Sg and it's just kept going. It' such incredible work. I loved it so much. I wish we were friends then because I would have texted the shit out of you. Okay. So as we're wrapping up, and we're gonna to talk about your new movie Disclosure Day, which is going to be a gigantic hit, holy shit.. And for seeasons, which I love you on, let's get to the fact that you've work with and have been influenced by and shaped by amazing women. Yes, truly. Your mother being the first Y I just everything I read about her, I just love, I love her face and I love she just seems like a wonderful person.. And I love the story of Edith writing letters to Oprah Winfrey, who, of course was a producer in the color purple version that you did. Can you just tell that story about how your mom wrote letters when you were? Oh my God. get this. My mom would she would When I was starting out as an actor in San Francisco in the nineties I would call my mom. we wouldd talk a couple of times a week and you know, I would have my struggles as an actor And she she would always said, Well you know, I wrote Oprah today. And I was like Why? And she said well, you know, she can help you. I was like, what's she gonna do? know She helps people. You know, She just my little. She can help you. She's the lady that helps you. Yeah You're so good. But Oprah found out how good you were, she could help you. And I was like, okay, whatever. So anyay, like over and over again, this was like maybe I was it eight time my momam Opperh And and I was so frustrated like, Oh my God, will you please stop writing Oprah? I'm like it feels crazy. Anyway Two years later, I just have to sidebar say. My mother always, she was like She was so hopeful. And she would say Gosh, I just need I just want Spike Lee to know you and Steven Spielberg. They should They would love you. They would just love you andry I think about this. she always had that much faith that people Even if I didn't see it, she thought These people if they just got to know you, they would love you the way I love you.. Yeah, that's that's And literally I'm like Beause I look at my life now and all these people. my life. Yeah. Aazing. So sometimes somet I do believe that sometimes people have dreams for you you don't even have for yourself. And at some point they meet. Yeah. And so I had this moment I was in Maui with Oprah walking on our beautiful mountain. incredible and we're hiking. And suddenly, I said, Oh my God It just occur to me and my mother used to write to you. Over and over again And she says, reallyally I said, yeah. And she sort of stoped and she says Oh I don't know if I got the letters, but I know I got the message. And then we just continue to walk hand in hand And I really do believe it's like I know that like going to say it, I think I know that like when I lost my mom in two thousand six and I lost my mom and my stepfather in the same year. I just I knew that like my friend Melissa said when I was very berefted and I said, what am I going to do with all this love? I know that I was a good son. If I know if I wasn't anything else, I was a good son And she said, we're going to put the love into everything you do. Yeah, ye. and and that will be you'll do it in dedication to your mom And so literally, I feel like because I've been leading that way. Yeah. I've been meeting every person. It's like my mother's own wizard of Oz. I've been meeting every person that she laid out for me. Yes. And that they've loved me the way that She loves me And so the me me like like with Disclosure dayay is like she wanted me she wanted Steven Spielberg to know me. She didn't know me Stehven Siv will love me Well we love each other now And he's my family., you know? I love that. I love Edith so much. You dont want to tell you And I don't say this slly, you would love her. She was fun.. sweet Yeah. and likek to dance. I think I'm a lot like her, to be honest. And she talked to everybody. She would She would really, when I was a kid, was annoying. I was like, M, can we just go to the in and out of the bank? And she was like, How are you? How are you doing? She flirted with everybody She, Look at your legs. You are so cute, Amy. Oh my God, She would do that. Well, you know what's kind of fun? When you're a woman of a certain age, I just realized it the other day, I was like, watch it, Amy like you get to a certain a where you start going, you're beautiful Look at your butt. Wow, he's got nice arms. Exactly everyone's like, oh, that little lady is so n. That was my mother. But you gotta be careful. You gotta be careful, exactly. You just go, wow, look at her face. Also my mother was old school, so she would reach out and touch him. She would. Oh yeah, My grandmother used to be like, oh, look at the chest on him and I'd be like, Nana, you can't touch. now you're becoming that And I'm becoming that. good. And how is it like working with my wife for life, Tina Fe We have such good time together. The wirdest thing is it's funny when I first met Tina, she's shy too. She's very shy, but I thought I didn't know what to think of her when I first met. I thought she's very I thought she's very she's like a scientist especially when it comes to comedy and being very thoughtful. but she's also very I find her to be very tender and very sweet. She's very sweet. She's very sweet. And's she's y fy than I knew. And I love that we've sort of I feel like she's becoming one of my good friends. Yeah. because I love Yeah. I text, she texts right back. She's always in my corner. She's just Once I found, she's taurus too. She's a taurus. What are you? Sagutarius. Oh. Taurus. onnce I found her she's aaurus I got you figured out. I li with one for twenty one years, so I got you. She wanted me to ask you what peptides are you on That's. I'm not I feel like I want to.'s like she's like the writer right now, she said, As Cleman, the writers want to know where does he get his energy? What pe ties? They all think I'm want something because they're like, how are you possibly doing all this stuff? But it's just it's like we. We got to get pepped. I mean, my dream is that while we're while I'm recording these podcast we're getting pepttides at the same. I feel like we should be because I think like whatever peeptides is doing, I don't know. People are looking good. You know what I love about Peptides is people are like, I'm getting all these peptides and it's like what's in it? and they're like, I don't know. Yes, everyone everybody' just shooting it in and they're I hope for the best. hope for the best. Okay, you getting them every day. what's in it? It's called B one, two, eight. Yeah But you're right, no one can describe what it is. No, no one knows what it is. No In fact, it's better not to know. Just like, let's just go. Let's just peep tide it up. P tie it up. you and I, let's do it. Pep tie this sh. Okay You're in the Big movie of the summer. It's I mean let's Steven Spielberg So we have this thing where we talk to people before our podcast and we find out more about them. we talk well behind their back and talk to Steven Spielberg. Oh you know you didn't. Yeah. You did What Yes. we talked to Steven Spielberg, I was very nervous. Wow. actuallyually, I realized as I was talking to him, I was like, I almost was like, Mrter Spielberg. you know And I said to him, I' like, your work is in my body. Like your work is in my subconscious forever. You've shaped our childhood Every single summer, every version of like an unknown world you brought us into, he's just so singular. He is. What? And you've worked with him a couple of times. Yeah Before we get to the great stuff he talked he said about you, what is so great working about working with him? What's it like to work with him He's just lovely.. He's funny and warm. gives you he's got a sparkle in his eye that make you believe that you can do anything. Even if he's giving you the wildest task of saying these lines while going through an explosion and there's, you know, the camera work is all intensive He looks at you and believes you can do it. And so you have that belief. you're like, o, great, we're gonna to make something together. We're taking a leap of faith together. He's really just lovely and he's kind. Yeah. And he's right there with you. He likes his portable monitor and he's right in the action with you They he's not at's chairs, he's not a video village. No there's no ego about the work. Yeah. And he's also just like, you know, what do you think about this? or like you can you know, you can bring your ideas You're like, let's think about that. So he's very collaborative. And that's what I enjoy about him. It's his kindness Yeah the way. And also he feels like I to say I, He feels like he's just starting out. Like he's that excited. He's like, Well, let's try that. Let's I have an idea. He Come, I have an idea. Okay, great. And he's like, Okay, let's try it. so he feels like he's a kid assembling his favorite craftsman around and he's playing with you. You're all playing together.. I mean, this is like a big is gonna be a big summer movie. L like a blockbuster. But also I think it's a movie we all need right now because sure. It is a movie. afterfter I saw it, I've seen it twice now And I've cried both times. That'll just tell you, And I won't tell you why I cried, but it really did feel like It's a movie that's trying to connect us again All of us, you know, especially like the idea of inviting idea that there's There's something bigger than all of us that we're a part of. So I think that's why I cried. I called him right after and I said, you really care about us. You really care about humanity You know, and what we're wrestling with right now in our times. And then what can unite us? Well, he said the same thing about you. He basically was like, yeah, I' me you you know what forget about Stephen. tell you what say about me? What did say about you? Well, first of all, he said that the real Housewag episode.. Okay, That would be really funny. This is the first podcast where I'm like He actually said some presumpt. He was saying that working with you is like working with a self driving car. Like you know that you're going to like you have it, you're You're in the zone, like there's very little that he has to do because he has such faith in you. But what you lead with as a person on set in an ensemble is empathy and love and respect. So like what you get is this act this very skilled actor but also a really wonderful person. And I think the privilege of when you get to a certain age and you work you get to want to surround yourself with those kind of people. Like that's important. And it's not always the case, I think when you're younger, you're kind of like Maybe complicated, difficult people are there to challenge me in different ways and I'll learn something from them. And I know for me anyway, like as I get older, I'm like, Also I want to be around people That's good people like Life is short. Yeah, life is short. this should be fun. How lucky are we? Truly. So and his question was his question was kind of like a because we were talking about auditioning. And I was asking him like, how how do people not get nervous around him, like how does he deal with people's nerves? Becauseuse he must have people coming in being like, Nice to meet you. And he wanted me to ask you, did you ever not get apart that you tried hard to get. And like what did you what did you do with it when you like what did you do with the feeling when you didn't get? So many. Oh my God, that was like most of my career. I was was booking a lot. I really feel like I was like, even things you felt like you really wanted or you really u was skilled for M At some point you had to divorce yourself from the idea of getting the role. You're like, okay, I'm prepred for this, but it's not up to me. It's like someone and maybe that's thing I pride myself when I'm like, when they want me, they want all of me. Yeah. It's okay if they want someone else. Yeah. So for me, it became a practice of being very sober about it and saying, you know, it's okay if they didn't want me, because like what I give is very different than that other guy. Yeah. It's not that he was better than me. or but they didn't know he was useful to them. all he's going to bring to it And that's cool. So for me, it was like, and maybe that was a healthy thing that I needed to give myself Yeah. so I can give myself grace and like and and continue to be a practitioner of this art form Yeah and not let it be about my ego. But it doesn't feel like it's a learned skill that's hard to don because also' when you're young, but also there are times when you're I mean listen, I've had moments where there were things that I thought I was perfect for Yeah and I didn't get and it shattered me. But like to me, I'll be hestant Amy, I'd never really imagined place that I'm in right now in this industry. I just wanted to be a working actor and also yourself Famous and successful too Oh God so famous. But you're right. And also the contentment part, that's the goal. Yeah. Like satisfaction and contamment. it's the hardest thing to find. It, you know, it doesn't matter what you do Hell is Wing more. It's like hell.. That's suffering. It is suffering. I think listen, I got a beautiful, beautiful message from this guy when I was turning fifty. This guy was driving me in a car in Toronto and who's seventy years old, and I said, do you have any? any words of wisdom for my fiftieth He said he said, listen, I wish I knew this years ago He sort his important to You want to hope for everything, but want for nothing And I was like to eliminate want. O You know?. So I know that like when I walk into a room, like you say, I walk into through these rooms or in sets. I don't really want anything. Yeah. I hope that it can be. There's other things that I hope that it can be. but I'm not coming to get something. Oh yeah. You know what I mean? I'm coming to hopefully be in service and also to give something. Yeah. And I think that's the best we all can be. So if everyone's coming from that place We all win. Yeah, you know.. The problem is only when somebody's coming in just like to want to take shit. and that's ego in the room. and then that's some dark forces and you try to just protect yourself against that, you know?. We gott to talk about those egos offline Exactly. dark forces. Okay I love that you're we're the same age by the way, because I've said this before. We look good, don't we We look great. look great. Thank you. But we're picking fifty, fifty five. fifty six look pretty good. I'm turning fifty five very soon. I'm older than you You're fifty six, right? Yeah And I like what's your favorite part about your fifties I love my favor. You know what's funny to me? Lately, it feels like things are moving faster. Like I just fifty six I like I'm not gonna be fifty seven this year? Ites doesn't make any sense Once you could pass fifty. And like the second half of the decade because like we you don't like fifty just turn fifty and then you like And then like about to hit sixty. Yeah. And then you're like, you know what? sixty? sixty, sixty one' sixty sixty, forty five six sixty like my fifties are my best. Me too. Yeah. I felt my forties I was was it was fine Yeah. thirties were. gettingting better It's getting better. Yeah.. Al also feel like we have to have to be conscious of you have to take care of yourself That's right. That's in a different way. showow up in a different way for right? Yeah. So I feel like we getting better. Yeah, I feel like our obsession with youth is like, I think it's changing. I think our generation is helping. I think one of the legacies of Gen X, I've said this before, is that of which we are proud proud members of. We we're not boomers, We are GenX. We're GenX Rock. We give shit. We really don't give a shit we don't give up Weation.ar around our fucking nck. out when we were eight. We were like, fuck around find out generation. Exactly. one hundred percent. We too out we are tough. We really are. And we and we and nobody remembers us and nobody gives us a track Nobody gives any respect It's true. We're the toughest generation. The president. The Janax president. Anyway U But we don't care. we don't care. We don't care. The system is broken. We always knew that But one of the things about it is that oh, I've completely lost my trains. I forgot what I was talking about Who cares? You know what? Wh cares? Who cares? Wh cares? Okay. Last question Well last question, Coleman, what has been making you laugh these days? I know you love to laugh. You love comedy. Yes. What are you listening to watching like What do you go to when you want to check out laugh? like Dumb, highbrow. What is the thing? I always go back to watching Melissa McCarthy insp Oh my god, okay, let's watch her right now. I got a laptop. Spy is my any clip, Sy is I will watch it. Melissa McCarthy is so She makes me pe funy. She's so funny. Have you guys met? I love her. Yeah, She came to I saw I met her backstage at SNL when she was there for Jack Black And I just like, I really I think we're becoming friends because we exchange numbers but I really want to be a friend. a little cred over like? She wears the buffet get cl Yeah because she's like she comes across as this mousy woman who works for the CIA, and then you find out she's an agent as well. And then she goes on this whole journey. like she was like really like, you know Laying back and you find that she's like the most wildest one of them all. She's wild. Yeah. You all these great disguises which are really one is funnier after the next. Rose Burn is in it. She's out of control. This is a comfort movie for you. It's a com. I will watch it at any time. That and the color purple. I know it's very weird. A very color purple. I watch like, the whoopy version of it. Oh my or this. So either I want to cry hard Yeah You're want gonna laugh harder. Oh Godd, I'm with you. I kind of I'm the same way. I wanna cry or You know what I don't wanna be anymore? Bored. Scared. Don't w to be scared. No. I don't want to. I don'tan to scared. don't want to horor a. No a horror, no. No more. I just saw the other day there was some new thing. I I won't even say it. And I was like, You don't want that. I don't want that ies about being attacked in your own home. No, no, no, that's terrible. Th are terrible movies. I never watch those movies. Me neither. I never I don't want that. No No more. We either want to laugh or we want to cry pe like laugh or cry period at the end. That's it U Well, I feel like you should do a movie with Melissa McCarthy. I think I should too. I would love that. Yeah God, you're so funny Coleman. Oh thanks. you can do anything. Thank you. You can wear a lime green, you can pull it off Thank you for my egg. Oh this has been so great. So fun. We've been talking for an hour and a half and it just went by so fast. So good. And I just love being able to call you a new friend. I feel that way too. Thank you for doing this. Congrats on everything. I'm always excited about whatever you're doing and like a true, true fan of your work. So thank you. I'm a fan of you in every single way thing. Thank you so much for doing. Appreciate