Training Regimens and Life Lessons

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Set in nineteen ninety five, this Gemini vegetarian knows exactly who she is until her family moves from Bela Air to Seattle. packed with iconic fashion, nineties nostalgia, and a throwback soundtrack, Elle proves one thing Law school was hard. High school was harder. From the world of legally blonde, watch Al, a new original series only on Prime videoide. Watch now. Yeah, I got that script. in nineteen Early nineties And then I read it And I thought, this is not very good. How are they gonna pull this off? Yeah, I't gonna pull this off. And Side, of course is you know my spartring partner and my producer and director, my boss, I'm like, you know, how close do I get, you know? If I didn't get close enough, you'd get upset, you know And if I touched him, he would like, d that you know, it's like, oh shit Kind of the original Marvel superhero, nineteen eighty nine doing the Punisher. Yeah I think that movie was like a little ahead of its time in terms of like audience retention of superheroes, but the obsession there is now. Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah, Masters was kind of ahead of its time a little bit. Yeah. 'cause they really couldn't create that world, didn't have the tools to do it I think punishher as well. Yeah Hestly I have four older brothers and I think they'd be losing their shit if they were here. And I can't wait from the ses. I haven't told them about it yet. Grew up in the nineties that older brothers, so I've seen all your movies so many times. Now how did this role in Master of the Universe, the new version come about? Was it something simple like a phone call or an email? Yeah, they approached me. I heard about the movie first that it was being made I read about it, I heard about it, you know, I saw the cast This new guy for He Man. I thought, Oh, great. finally Because people have been talking about it for like fifteen years to try to reboot it And then they approached me and they had this Dear to me for me to be part of it But I didn't really like the idea they had. I mean It was it was It wasn' really what I But I thought was going to be, you know powerful Let's put it that way. So we talked about it. and actually I read the script and I reread the script and at the end there was like a quote what it means to be to have to be strong for a man to be strong, what does that really mean? And it was a nice quote. And I thought, what if What if my character in the movie can delivered to the too the young warrior, the elder warrior has a chance to impart some wisdom And they lik the idea a lot. so they rewrote script that little scene I had And it was really charming in the way it came out. I thought. Yeah, it was nice. It was fun. Was that the gym lifting some weights? I loved it. Yeah. It seems like a lot of your movies from the past are getting rehashed out again. And I gott to say, you're in one of my all time favorite monster movies, Rocky fourour Oh yeah. I love that movie so so much. Did you think that that film would have the lasting impact it had when you're making as well as the character Drago? And I mean lines like I must break you with the amount of times. I said that with my brothers when we were rough housing. No, you know, when you make them, you know, you're young, you're, you know, it's a gig, you're You're trying do well and you never think of the The fact that they may live on for thirty, forty years, you know, that doesn't enter your mind when you're, you know, twenty nine years older. I mean I I also think that it takes about twenty years or so for for a film to lit to prove that it can live on Because there are a lot of films probably made in nineteen eighty seven that made more money than Masters of the universe that people don't want to remake or you know, they don't believe have that huge audience and I think it's there's something kind of kind of magical about and also about the Rocky franchise, by the way, and they live on as well So I'm really happy to' been part of a few films like that What about this specific new version of Master Universe do you think that fans are going to really resonate with? and how does it really do justice to the original version and the IP in general I think it I think it does more justice to the to the IP, the the original really then my film that I starred in probably because you have Prince Adam you have that kind of transformation, you have a little more You know of the action takes place on Eternia, which it didn't in my version I think because it's hard for them to reproduce it to It would have been too expensive to build the whole thing U And I think I think Faz are going love it. I think that you know, I certainly thought it was a great movie. I was surprised that Nick was as good as he was. I mean, I know he's a good actor, but it's a very difficult task to comedy to play the vulnerability to show that kind of every that's that that Clark Kent quality that you know that Christopher Reb did so well, but it's difficult. A lot of actors can't do it because you know, you either get the strong man or you get the The sensitive guy, it's hard to play both, but he's doing both, which I think is great. I think people are going to love it. And I love yours too. It has this entertaining campiness to it and obviously there's more vulnerability in this version of the character. and it's kind of like like you said Clarkquette like a reflection on humanity in a way. Yeah. If you could go back or like if you were making your older version, what kind of like current technology filmaking technology or techniques do you think you wish you would have had with the production back then? All of it. All of it. all the CGI. All the CGI, I would not want to stand on that'. flying disc and waiter in middle of the night wearing nothing but a loin clloth it was like forty degrees for like eight hours back and forth main street Yeah know, I think A lot of the new technology kind of you know makes This film special, but it I love that they've made it funny. they made it they They make it very modern in camp and also They play arm. homage to the original IP, to the original characters. I think All of that is not easy and You know, Travis The director has done a great job I mean, imagine taking this on. I mean, wow, there's such a huge risk of failing and so many pitfalls and he didn't, you know, so more power to him. Yeah, it's a ton of fun honestly Huge career What movie are you most proud of in your entire filmography? If you had to pick just one? Oh boy. Uh I don't know. I have so many. I don't're all they're like your children. Wh which kid you love the most? Well, you love them all, you know? I have two daughters I love both of them exactly the exact same amount You know, orr is there any that you think? you wish was less underrid ro more people Like like knew about it now or that lived more timelessly I think, you know, memorable for me as in my life, obviously Rocky four because it was my first chance It came from nothing really. Chemical engineering student, martial arts champ, and I just suddenly I was in this big movie with all these famous actors who I'd watched for years, myself. you know, Apaula Creed, Rocky Bal Boa, all these characters. And You know, it was a huge hit. so that changed my life. So I will always remember that obviously I liked and speaking of that character Drago, it was nice to play him again and P too and u be able to play an older version, you know, And also my dad I had a very troubled relationship. He was a difficult guy, a military officer, very stern. and I And I got to play him a little bit and Ced two uh and kind of have a and kind of resolve their relationship in the movie. it wasn't as resolved in real life unfortunately, but That was great. So that was a very memorable experience for me I like your kind of like more unknown cult classics, like Showdown in Little Tokyo, Showdown. Oh Yeah, yeah. You know which one is good too. I come in peace. Yeah And that was David died the guy who written a lot of Spielberg's movies and I did the latest, I think. He wrote Star Wars, right? A lot of movies. Yeah ye He did that when he was a young guy, you know, and The original job was even crazier, you know? It's about a alien drug dealer it comes to Earth to to harvest drugs from people's brains and is followed by an alien cop then the cop killed so now this Eth cop has to take over. How'd come with that? You didn' a bunch of buddy cop. would you smke to come up with that stuff? What was it life for working with Brandon Leags?cause I always feel like he would have been probably one of the biggest stars on the planet Brandon would have been a huge star. He was Good looking guy, good actor, good fighter. U I enjoyed working with them very much I was obviously a martial artist. So his dad was Bruce Lee was a big hero of mine. When I met him, I actually didn't know it was I found out the same day. Oh, his dad' Bruce Lee, like, what? You should have told me this But and also I think his mom was half Swedish, Linda Lee. so He was like a quarter. so he'd spoken he spoke a little sweeter, so we kind of connected over that. 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Go to rula dot com slash Raiders to get started today. that's rula dot com slash Raiders for quality therapy that's covered by insurance. RulLa is committed to seeing you succeed in reaching your therapy goals making sure that Their therapy providers are carefully screened and veted monitoring the quality of their care and helping you monitor your progress in therapy Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit rula. com slash riders to get started after you sign up. You'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support our show and let them know we sent you. That's RuLa. com slash riders You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget Your summer weekends fill up fast, but Crocx has your back. Road trips, beach days, last minute getaways, whatever's on the agenda, swing by your local store and find your new goat too Try it, style it, make it yours. Because the right pair doesn't just show up. it shows off Wlock out ready for whatever's next. Visit your nearest croux store today This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast instead of doom scrolling? Smart move Another smart move Getting help from one of State Farm's nineteen thousand local agents when you choose to bundle home and auto. Bundling. Just another way to save with the personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state Yeah, I did Yeah What it Did you live in the city for a little bit? You know what, I had a master's from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and then I went to University of Sydney and I got this Fulbright schcholarship to MIT. I had six months off because I went to school in Australia. I graduated in you know, their school year ends in December And I was going to start in September at MIT. So I went to New York and I'm I met this girl who was a singer and then I went to fifty four and I went into Andy Warhole and the rest of them, you know, M McGg, whoever was, and Michael Jackson And I got sidetracked, you know interacting So I had this finally, I was going to U St my scholarship. I was going to started for a PhD up there and I had a And I had an apartment there in Cambridge and I went up there and went to the I showed up on my big black motorcycle with my girlfriend on the back dressed in leather They looked at me like, this is the Fool by schcholars? sorry. This a fool by schcholar from Sweden? No, we didn't expect this So u I was there for about two weeks and I decided to quit. rest is history. Amazing history though, honestly. Thanks. In an ear tie career, So many actors, you know, ps come and go some leave they disapparance at E that they never developed. Is there a project that you were in talks for or you were trying to develop that you wish could have happened that just like kind of got away Oh, probably a few. you know, I've had many projects I liked a lot bad , I still have a few that I'm working on as a producer to develop I had a really good one actually that I still have, but compicated to get made about a finnish World War I soldier who And now fought in Finland against the Russians And he fought and Then he fought in Germany against the Russians. Th thenen he became an American citizen. He went to Vietnam And he was decorated as a Green Beret in Vietnam and he was killed in action and Like late sixties And he's going to hear it Finland and it's a real person, right? Soldier of three armies they call him That schoolool buried at Arlington National Cemetery U He's kind of a legend in his pressure forces community and I want to do a film about him So I developed that and it was just that has to be shot in the snow in Finland. And then You know, also in the jungle of Vietnam and also you need like the young version I could play the older version probably, but the younger version, so it's complicated, but Maybe we'll get them on made. Do you want to direct that? because you've done that? I could direct it. Yeahah, why not I look on camera or on camera Um, What was that? Do you prefer behind camera on? I like both, you know Behind camera is more satisfying in a different way, but it's also very time consuming. I'm also running this Vidka company now I'm the CEO of this Vidkea company H hard cut vodka Yeah, hard cut vod.'s the best vodka in America, That's simple for you. But so I have a lot, you know, I'm working on that quite hard every day and that's kind of my day job. so I'm hoping If I just act, I don't have to spend you know two years on a project. So maybe I'll just act for a while. Is it true that you were almost in Gladiator and would have been Tigris, the champion that Maximus fights in that film? Yeah, I got that script Back in nineteen Early nineties And then I read it. And I thought, this's just not very good. How are they gonna pull this off? Yeah, they' gonna pull this off But this is before Russell Crow and And the director Rit Scott was involved. so I think, you know That was one script. I should have maybe I should have reread it. Well, they went into production of like a twenty No production of this thing. They just made that up as they were going. They were figuring out every day. They went a twenty page script when they finally tell it on when they want it they wrote it so many times. But obviously it was one of my favorite movies. I love the picture. Yeah Beautiful. I love swwords and Sandals movies, and I think that's why you made one of the more fun ones in the eighties for sure. And honestly like Mash the Universe, yours has maybe the coolest movie poster of all time. Oh yepic, It's outstanding. I love it Is there a movie that you regret doing or Oh like God, I don't thirty five or forty of ' them I don't have to name them. I'd aboutite a hundred. Forget the names. Um, Ging up Overseas, then coming here, did you idolize any specific stars or characters from film TV a kid? Yeah, when I was a kid, my dad You know, he took me to see. I remember when I was must have been about Seven, I went to see like a Bond move My dad, you know, he was a fan of Sean Connery. He's a real man, you know, it's like it was the hairy it was everything. Hir chest, the whole thing. like, you know Five six Gruff friends at alls he, you know, this is probably like from Russia would love, and think it worst done Wh is I think still one of his best performers understand Um And I think he has to fight on the train. That famous fight on the train Close quarters with Yeah close quarters with that guy who You know, u It was that actor who was in Jws was his name Robber Saw. Yeah, Robber Saw's right. Yeahah. Yeah, he was so much younger in this one in the blond movie. He was blond ha here. Yeah. Yeah. looks like Ivan Drago kind kind of like with the shirt in the opening of the movie like out in the sun tanning like the s tanning outside the Yeah That's when he she she hits him with the with the with the we call it bare knnuckles. I mean with brass knnuckles, right? Brass knnuckles, right and it doesn't flinch Yes, I like that character. I also saw I remember to slightly later Clint Eastwood and ame the other guy McQueen? No Broncha She runsvill too. Yeah. O time onene spot time in the west I love Yeah. That's one of my favorites of all time. It was great. And you know which one was good too was hard times Yeah. He's the bare knnuckle champ. He's a legend likeike that guy's Workout routine and his physique was ridiculous for that time. I know in the fifties and sixties. I know. Guys built like a bull. I know It was Exactly I think we would do like a thousand push upps a day was wild Somet like that And I heard he also, you know Yeah, he was he was a tough guy. I mean, real I think he was a wasasn't he cold miner or something? somethingomet like that you You can tell He had wrinkles when he was in his twenties like. You're right You've trained quite a lot for your films. Yeah in a lifetime physique building. What's the hardest you think you've ever trained for a movie? or like what movie was like your physical peak? Oh I think you know Usually I would say, you know early thirties is usually when you're like You know, the twenties you're maybe more performance oriented. when early thirties you get a little put on a little extra thickness and that was like masters of the universe, I would say Uh Red scorpion, We've shine in South Africa in the desert, you know, I only I think I had to giveiven myself eight ounces of water a day or something. like a hundred. twenty degrees and I had some poor guy my driver who was like, I told him, just give me X amount of ounces a day. and then You know, I' do all these actioncenes. I'd be like, hey, give me some water and And he's like It's gonna happen. I was like, giveive me fuck water. It' like, be f of this water bottle the desert in South Africa. So things Move got a little better since then. Yeah less. body fat five percent. Yeah, That's when you're like shirtless in every scene for like three months, you know Does your body just get used to that daily amount of water that you don't get you got used to it. Yeah. And then after a while you can still get You get a little bloated anyway The problem is then when you actually drink gallon, you know, you blow up, hide in the hotel room. Like over the weekend. Is it tough to avoid crafty as well when you're doing that Exactly, No craft, you forget it A lot of younger fans, they may not know that you're kindind of the original Marvel superhero, nineteen eighty nine doing the Punisher. Yeah I think that movie was like a little ahead of its time in terms of like audience retention of superheroes, but the obsession there is now Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah, Masters was kind of ahead of his time a little bit Yeah because they really couldn't create that world I didn't have the tools to do it I think punishher as well. Yeah, they just You know They made it kind of a more of a contemporary kind of a regular pe regular human version of the superhero, like the real character had the , you know, the special suit and the skull and all they kind of made it a little more you know, down and dirty and I don't know Low founds were a little disappointed with that. Um But I, you know, it was fun for me. I got to work with Lou Gus Jr. who', you know, great actor. and And I got to bring martial arts back because I hadn't done martial arts in Rocky, it was just boxing and You know, masters was sword play But in punisher They flew this fighters in from Japan These two guys were like full contact fighters and they thought they were there to fight me, you know, for real. So when I met them I remember the one guy in Japanese to an interpreter says, sayy, kick my hand. I kicked this hand like and he was like But then they both ended up getting killed in a movie and they were devastated. They didn't they didn't want to die, you know, Eespecially one of them, he was like to have to like really convince them to die to hisis character had to die, but he was going to lose face back in Japan. so he was Anyway, they were tough guys, so Yeah I mean, that's a crazy movie and then especially that dojo shootout is wild. Oh yeah. but you play like you play a lot of hard characters, but they're layered. Like even going back to Drago When I a kid I would watch it him be like this guy' such a villain,'s such a bad guy But but as I've gotten older and I watch him more and more I realize he's really just a product of his environment. That's really what he's become in terms of this kill like this punching machine And obviously, him and Rocky develop that relationship and then you get to revisit it later on You're right. I think what happened was like I know I have a documentary coming out actually This fall, I have an autobiography with Harper Collins in September. but In the documentary, Sly is talking about You know, when he hired me how You know, he had his idea. of this kind of hairy ape like creature, you And then He said, Well, you know, I was recommended to him by a friend of his, John Hertzfeld, who was a director who had met me in New York because I'd been turned down for the role in New York at at casting. and And Stillone when he met me, he says You know, I I was wrong for it. He didn't He didn't like it. and then When I was in there for maybe half hour and talk to him, you know, because I was he was interested because I was a champion and all like, you know And then you started rethinking the character like, well, maybe you know Maybe it's like the new man, the superhero And then he kind of came up with this Frankenstein myth where The Soviet state creates this sort of superman and he does what they tell him to. If they tell him to kill this Paularete American fighter, he does it. he doesn't want to do it, but You get a feeling he's a bit reluctant to carry out the orders. So I think that's why It was clever because that's why I ended up in my next film, I ended up playing a The hero hean because people could see something like you said, even though you know, some people hated me for killing him Pauler and all that up, but beyond Inside you could tell there it's like more of a He was more of a conflicted guy, you know of all your fight scenes is your favorite and maybe what was the most difficult to land in terms of an entire fight sequence? Well I have done a few of those actually A lot of them were difficult I could told that the punisher was difficult because those guys were They were real fighters that kn't how to pull their punches. And so it was a little dangerous, you know, I would say the most work I spent on something would have been which still have be rocky for because we shot we practiced for five months for that last fight five months mon every week. Every week. everyvery day. Wow. sixix days a week waits in the morning u coordination, fight coordination in the afternoon for two hours, six days a week, for five months And I was in great shape before it started because I was karate champion. but You know, that we shot it for two weeks And then we shot another week on stage. So I still think that fight When it comes to like boxing on screen boxing, fights is still pretty good. No, it's great because we both look. heart and It's all all the punches very L of lot of body contact. I think D one was tough because I also You know You have to get very close, especially to the face And u You know, if you don't get close if in Side of course is my, you know, my spparing partner and my producer and director, my boss, I'm like, you know, how close do I get, you know? If I didn't get close enough, you get He'd get upset, you know And if I touched him, he would like, do that girl you know, was like, o shit. And he was going through divorce at the time. so like But it was a good school. I pulled that off didnidn't get fired and the movie did pretty well. So and after that everything was easy. What was it like, you know, shooting scene after scene that in the editing room? because they they edited so well in terms of making that fight, but is it like we're shooting a ton of sequences, a ton of coverage and then making it in the edit as best as possible? Yeah, that's how they did. They had it in those days, you know, now you could put the CGI audience there, but then it was just a ring. it was in Vancouver I couldn't go to Re Russia because that was, you know, it was a Cold war nuclear standoffs. So Yeah, they had nine cameras. They had like three three wide Th medium and then three right ring sides. So nine cameras shooting Two weeks. hours day. So the amount of footage And this is shooting on film. so it's expensive. The film is expensive, right? So all that footage they have to like cobble that together And that's where Stallon has a genius like how do you Wh you cut to make it the hit and where do you, you know, which take do you use? I mean can imagine all those takes So I think, you know Yeah, those days when they cut on film, it was very everything had to be in camera. so if the blood had to shoot out of your mouth it has to You have to do it. You can't just add it afterwards. so Put that fake blood in your mouth Spin it up when you get hit. Yeah, I spent a lot of blood out of that movie. A lot of blood, yeah. Get it on the PAs ever. Everywhere