March 9, 2022 • 48 mins
Sebastian Stan, AKA the elusive Carter Baizen stops by to reminisce with Jessica about the ups and downs of auditioning, the romance of New York City, and his incredible career from Winter Soldier to Tommy Lee.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm sbashion Stan and I played Carter Basin. Welcome back,
listeners to your one and only source into all things
(00:21):
Gossip Girl. You know you love it. XO x O.
Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of XO XO.
I'm Jessica's or and we have a real treat for
you today. One of my best friends is joining us
on the podcast and we happen to have met on
the Gossip Girl set. He played a little character named
(00:41):
Carter Basin who had some big storylines on the show,
including gambling, debts and a Serena vander Wits and romance.
It was never a dull moment with Carter, and I
can say the same about him as an actor. The
one and only Sebastian stand You know how Carter was
always somewhere in the world doing something crazy like camel
racing in Dubai or rebuilding matchup two. Well, that is
(01:03):
basically subs real life. I swear whenever I talked to
him he is off shooting in Prague or Budapest or Atlanta.
I just cannot keep up with this man. He's done
such amazing things like landing the role of the Winter
Soldier in the Marvel Universe or Titania, the Martian Black Swan,
Pam and Tommy, which just came out on Hulu. He
(01:25):
has an unbelievable range and is a true star, but
he's also just so sweet and so down to earth,
and it's just a really really good guy and super funny.
I was finally able to pin him down for this
conversation on what just happened to be New Year's Eve.
We reminisced about Gossip Girl days, New York City, and
his amazing career. Here's the Man, the Myth the Marvel
(01:47):
is Sebastian stand Hi, Hi, Happy Happy New Year, Wild times? Hey,
(02:09):
I know, are we gonna are we gonna make it exactly?
Also like it's weird just because it doesn't feel like
New Year's at all. And I We've been to like
Miami for New Year's together, We've we've done some some
fun New Year's trips. Now it's like, I think the
last three years, I've been in bed at like ten o'clock,
and I'm like, what's happy about it? You know? I know,
(02:30):
I know I'm the same way, like I was thinking
about it this morning. I used to be so much
more energized about tonight, but I'm very okay with it
just being like a normal night. Maybe that means I
don't know. I don't know. It's just it seems like
so much work to do anything else. And now, like
in Canada, there's like curfews now because of everything coming
back around, so we have to be home before midnight anyway,
(02:52):
I think. So I'm basically sixteen again and have a curfew. Yeah,
well for me this this coming year, it's going to
get better. Yeah, for sure, we got some exciting stuff
to look forward to, at least, like you have an
amazing show coming out in February. I'm obviously one of
your biggest fans. I appreciate that you are, and I've
(03:15):
always been for anyone that's listening now. When when Sebastian
got the role of Carter Basin and came on Gossip Girl,
I had seen some of the playbacks and I remember
saying to some of the producers, this guy is gonna
be like a huge, huge star. There was just something
about what he brought to the scene in this role
and it seemed effortless. And then he has become this
(03:35):
like amazing actor that everyone wants to work with. But
the Pam and Tommy show, I'm like so pumped for this. Well, yeah,
it is. It is a crazy story that actually I
feel like a lot of people don't really know as
much as they think they do. I mean, we were
pretty young, right, Like I guess when that happened, Like
that's when I first came to America, was so I
(03:58):
I don't even remember anything about it. Obviously high school
you would hear things and stuff. But this is the
time where we're kind of looking back at some of
those events, you know, from the nineties and sort of
reevaluating and re examining them again in the hope of
like offering a different perspective to what happened. And I
think people will be in for quite a ride in
(04:20):
terms of just preconceived ideas of what happened and learning
a little bit more about how we were all kind
of complicit in it, right, I mean, yeah, I bet
we'll learn a lot, because you can't always just believe
that one headline or that one rumor. And actually, one
of the last times you guys that I saw seb
it was at our friend's birthday and he had all
(04:41):
these tads and hair of Tommy Lee. It was basically
Tommy Lee and it was our friend Toby's birthday. If
we go like full circle, Toby Hemingway, Chase Crawford, Taylor Kitch,
and Sebastian stand All did this movie called The Covenant,
and that's actually kind of I remember when they were
looking for who was going to play Carter Basin. Chase
(05:01):
is like this guy that I did a movie with.
He's a friend of mine Sbashion Standards coming in to read.
How did that all come about? Yeah, well, I was
really you know, at the time, I was working on
this play and then it was two thousands seven, and
then Chase was coming to the city to do this
TV show and I was like, Oh, this is amazing.
We're gonna you know what, We're gonna get to hang
out and all that stuff. And then you know, there
(05:22):
was a guest star roll of the Carter bas Against roll.
And then I remember I went in there and I
didn't tell him about it. I said, I'll tell him
if I get a call back. I'll say if if
if I get called back, then I'll say, like, I
might have a shot at this thing. I don't know.
And then I went in and I got a call back,
and then I think I told him and he was
(05:42):
excited about it, and then yeah, I don't know, I
guess I, you know, maybe got me the job. I
have no idea. I mean, it worked out in the end,
but it was it was wild because we were, yeah,
we were sort of sitting there kind of acting again,
like only two years after we've done that first movie together,
and you know, it started a really nice journey for
(06:05):
like the next four years. You know, I kind of
got to like come in and out and watch you guys.
Because the thing is this, like I didn't grow up
in Manhattan, you know. I really grew up in Rockon County,
which is like right outside of the city. But I
was coming into the city every weekend to take these
acting classes when I was like sixteen seventeen, and I
was meeting all these kids from like these private schools. Yeah,
(06:26):
and and so I I had friends who had grown
up in the city, and all I wanted to do
was just be a city kid, you know. So then
like I feel like, once the show came on, it
was really interesting because I was like, I know this world,
you know, I kind of seen it, and it was
really wild to me how sort of accurate, Like some
of the stuff was well, because when you when you
read a script and watch it, you're like, wait, these
(06:48):
kids have this much money and they're just like going
and having a drink at a bar and like getting
in a limo and going to school. Because there's such
a small percentage of people that have that life. So
the fact that you like saw it kind of wild, no,
for sure. So I so I was like, I feel
like I know how to, like, you know, get in
the show and stuff, but but I, you know, Carter
was like such a funny character because I remember like
(07:09):
going there and everybody was dressed so well, and then
like they gave me like a I don't even know
what they gave me. It looked like I was wearing
a rug in that first episode. And I'm pretty sure
Ed's agent at the time was there on set and
came up to me. We were doing that, like we
were sitting at that poker table, poker, And then I
remember Ed's agent at the time was watching it and
(07:31):
he came up to me afterwards. He goes, you're doing
a little too much. You might want to oppone it
down a little bit, like less with the expressions and
oh my god, right absolutely, like he was like, we
want to bring it down, you know, my god notes
you know, um, but I was terrified, Like I was
(07:51):
kind of it was scary in its own right, I guess, well, yeah,
and that's the scene with a bunch of extras, and
it's like the new character that you're bringing to life
and you want to make sure like it's like mashing well,
and Carter Basin was like a very interesting character to play.
This guy's who was like traveling the world, comes from
money but didn't want the money and kind of like sneaky,
you know what I mean. Yeah, I mean very funny
(08:14):
because there are times sometimes where I'll still walk down
the street and somebody will actually just yell out Carter
Base car base, and then I'll be like, how did that?
You know? Even I didn't think any of that was
ever gonna land as much as it did, but you
know it was. Listen, it was we were all living
in the city. I've always been a city. I never
(08:34):
went to l A, you know, and and for me,
like to get a job locally in the city was
I feel like a huge thing. And then the truth was,
I mean, you know, we we really all did get along.
It was sort of a weird thing because you're going
to work with your friends and stuff, and you know,
I feel like I was lucky to kind of come
in as an outsider a little bit and come in
(08:55):
and out like I was not a regular on the show.
It was a big learning lesson for me, I feel
like in a lot of ways, because you guys really
did at that time kind of just blew up on
the scene and then it felt like things were just happening. Yeah,
and like so it was like really interesting. Having been
there longer than I was, you probably felt that meteor
(09:17):
kind of like skyrocket attention that everybody received. But I,
for better or worse, Like I felt like I was
always a little bit like you know, like in basketball,
where there's like the sixth man. He's not in the
starting five, but he's like on the but it's like
you want to put him in just to keep the
score going a little bit. But I was kind of
(09:38):
amazed at how popular like the show was, and it
really felt like you guys were just invincible in a way,
you know what I mean. Like, I don't know if
you felt that way. Yeah, Well, it's kind of weird
because I think as an actor, when you you never
think about the response hitting the way it did with
Gossip Girl or maybe something like in the Marvel World.
For you, you're just kind of doing your job, and
(10:00):
as an actor, you don't think, oh, well, what if
the show gets so big and there's paparazzi and if
you date your co star everyone's gonna want to know
about your relationship and all the things that come with that.
You don't think about that. So when it did hit
the way it did, it was shocking because you're like,
you're you're happy because you're like, oh, people are liking it,
But there was a lot that came with that, know,
(10:21):
I mean, you know, I was definitely dating co stars.
I mean, like, I get it. It was I think
also like it's tough when you're in your twenties, you know,
you just don't you're still really figuring learning stuff. Yeah,
you're figuring out who you are, you know, and you're
still kind of understanding things. And I think we're very
lucky to be working. Like I always just thought again,
(10:42):
like I was like to have a job in New
York City was a huge thing because then this year
was the first time. I had a job in New
York since literally those times, So it was a privilege
in a way. But there were people that were always
kind of going, well, you guys are so lucky. You're
having a good time, Like, enjoy it while you can.
This is the moment, you know, And I feel like
(11:03):
everybody kind of was conscious enough to go, okay, like
you want to try and and enjoy this as much
as you can while it's here, right, Yeah. And then
all of a sudden, it's twelve years ago, and I'm like, whoa,
that flies. But okay, let's talk about when you first
got to New York. So you were born in Romania. Yeah,
I was born Romanium and then the revolution happened there
(11:24):
in sort of eighty nine, and then it was sort
of chaos. And my my mom was a pianist at
the time, and then she actually left and went to Pienna, Austria,
which is like the city of music, and then started
to play piano there and then teach piano. And then
after a year I was living with my grandparents, she
came and she got me and and then yeah, I
lived in Vienna for four years, and I you know,
(11:44):
I went to like a German public school, not that
I actually spoke German, but I was trying. And then
my mom remarried to my stepdad, who was American, and
that's when we moved to New York And like, how
cool is that? Like my mom was a pianist, I know,
I mean, you know, it's easy to sort of like
take your parents for granted, right, like sometimes because you
(12:04):
just you sort of think about what they had to
deal with because you're growing up and you're focusing on
being an adult, and I mean you're a mom now,
you totally understand, like you're you're seeing it, I think already,
like from that other point of view, but it's it's true.
It was, you know, my mom like was like a
single mom at twenty seven, like taking care of me
and like being in a foreign country and like playing
(12:26):
piano and stuff. It was. It's a little like it
makes me a little kind of like I think that
I'm not I'm not doing enough, but like thirty nine, No,
it's a lot, and you and your mom are just
so cute. But she did an amazing job because you're
one of the sweetest, most humble. Funny spashion is real funny,
(12:47):
you guys, I appreciate it. I'm not, you know, I'm
I realized, I'm I'm just I don't know if I'm funny.
I'm just I'm definitely neurotic. Like I'm a very neurotic person. Like,
like I realized I cleaned my apartment every day. Now,
I've never used to do that. I wake up and
I'm like constantly cleaning things. It's like that's not but anyway, okay.
(13:12):
And then so then you worked at a theater in
New York. I did. Yeah, I was working in a
movie theater and that was amazing because I got to
see movies for free on the weekend. And also when
I when we first came here, there was a family
that we lived with who were still very close with,
and they had this basement with like this humongous television
like at the time I've ever seen, and there was
just stacks upon stacks of VHS tapes, and so I
(13:35):
was just watching a lot of movies all the time,
and that was good because I saw a lot of
things watching actors and like kind of like thinking, so
maybe that was good to be exposed to that. I
guess that's amazing. Did you always know you wanted to
act and tell stories and do that or was it
a specific role or movie you watched or you know,
I mean, I mean in Vienna, Like my mom was
trying to kind of get me into it and stuff,
(13:57):
and it didn't really work out very well. There was
this one all I did and this tiny thing, and
I remember being I think thirteen or something, and I
was so frustrated that it took so long, that you
were waiting around all the time something. It was just
crazy and I didn't want to do. But then, yeah,
it was in high school. I went to this camp
stage door Manor and that was a that was a
(14:18):
great camp. And I met my manager there and I'm
still with and that really, I think kind of helped
because once I got her, I mean, I didn't really
book a job until law and Order, until I got
to college. But she really wanted me to go to college.
She didn't want me to you know, I wanted to
move into the city and start doing the whole thing.
But she was a very important kind of influence in
(14:40):
terms of saying, no, you gotta get an education, you
gotta go to college, you gotta you gotta study this
thing and try to understand what you're a part of well, listen,
whatever you did, I'm it's it's working. So okay, so
(15:03):
you get the role of Carter Basin. But how was
that filming because that was pretty much the first time
filming something really in the city for you, Right, Well,
I had done I had done Law in Order before,
and that was in the video and stuff. But yeah,
it was the show. I didn't really think that I
was going to be coming back, you know it. Nobody
had said this was going to be a recurring character.
(15:24):
I think it was only gonna be one or two episodes.
And then you know, they kind of brought him back
around and that was fun and sort of got all
these intricate storylines and it's just funny how I ended
up with Serena. It was always this like history with
Serena and stuff. He always popped up in the scene
sort of swarm me, you know, kind of just with
another fact or you know, he's had he had one
(15:45):
more thing up his sleeve, and and I was like, God,
I'm just always going to be like this nasty guy
you know that just pops in there. And but it
was super fun like and it was I think it
was overwhelming. Two at times, because, like you said, we
were just growing up, and I think you get a
lot of young love and a lot of things that
(16:06):
kind of are coming at you very quickly and you're
just trying to process it. And I think it always
looks you know when we look back now, I think
we can all look back and just kind of go like, oh, yeah,
that was. It was more fun than we and we
were thinking at the time, but totally where people coming
in right, like yeah, people that like popped in and out,
(16:27):
and the whole fashion world think about that, like the
fashion stuff we would go to. I know, well that
was I was always a plus one at those things,
but it wasn't really invited directly. But but I remember
being there and going like, oh my god, like this
is just intense. I don't I'm just gonna look to
see where the bar is, you know, but you always
look very sharp and good and fit right. Somebody show
(16:51):
me a picture of me back then, like and and
I remember just like doing the half short talk talking
like like the one like the button, you know, like
a known and there's one ever tucked him but not
the other. And like I had like four buttons on
buttoned down to here and stuff. It was just like,
oh my god. I would say, now though, if Vogue
(17:11):
or anyone did a like survey, I would say, you're
probably top five best dressed in Hollywood at this point,
and it's probably is out there. To be honest, I
don't know. I could thank my stylist, I guess, and
Michael Fisher in a lot of ways. He's I start
of just turning him and go like, listen, you gotta
tell me what to do. It's good. But I think
in terms of our show, the show, right, like Eric
(17:34):
who was our costume design I remember I trod on
a suit one time and I was like, should I
get a belt or something? And he was like, no, no,
there was no belts happening on the preside and that
was kind of a thing. And I know he started
a few trends at the time. Right, I'm not crazy
that he's like an icon and not only is he
(17:55):
an amazing artist in the fashion world to bring all
those characters to life in a way how he dressed Chuck.
Chuck walked a certain way in those suits because of
how you know he felt in them, You know what
I mean? Well, yeah, I think that's what happens when
you as you get older and stuff, you start to
look at all these pieces that kind of come together
to make this think. You know, when you're younger's sort
(18:15):
of like I'm the actor and I'm going to do
my character and stuff. But then like these people supply
all these other kind of layers to create those things.
But yeah, I mean he Chuck Bass was a very
uh he seemed to always have all the cool lines
and you know, yeah, Eric Damon killed it with that.
So you came on basically Carter Bays and dated Serena.
(18:38):
Did you have other love stories? It was basically Serena.
But then I don't quote me here because it's been
a while, but I do remember at one point that
he became a bit of a pond in the Blair
Chuck Wars right right, Yes, there was something there like
that or or I don't know, but it was always Serene. Yeah. Yeah,
(19:01):
So you worked with Blake Lively, who played Serena on
our show the most, but then you really went off
to work with a wonderful group of leading ladies, Margot Robbie.
You have a movie coming out with the Cole Kidman
Manelope Cruise. I mean those are just really beautiful, wonderful
actors to work with totally. I mean, I yeah, I've
been very lucky to be opposite incredible partners. I think
(19:23):
when you think of acting, it's always sort of this
partnership in this dance that I feel like has to
happen with the people you're working with, and and it's true,
I you know, I think, yeah, it really did start
with Blake essentially. I mean, I think I've sort of, yeah,
I've managed to kind of work with find my way
with with some of the most strongest women out there.
(19:45):
I honestly feel like I'm better in the scene as
a result of it. And weirdly, I can't say I've
had the same experience with male like super famous actors,
you know, like it's actually been weirder on that and
actually working with with a strong woman because there's no bullshit.
You just sort of like have to show up and
(20:06):
like do the work. And I think male dynamics are
are sort of funny with each other. You know, when
you have someone who's like older or you know, a
younger person coming in and stuff like, there's always sort
of an interesting tug of war, which I'm like always
rolling my eyes at Yeah, I would. I would rather
pick a strong female partner in a movie or a
(20:26):
TV show any day, It's sure. I just worked also,
Julianne Moore, I just worked with whause another like check, Yeah,
unbelievable performances and and just incredibly generous and super just
human and and was so i don't know, like friendly
(20:46):
and kind of nurturing and it just it was a
great thing. Yeah. So and where did you where did
you guys from? That that was? I can't keep up
with where you're filming. No, that was in New York,
that one was. And Allison she's phenomenal. Hey, yeah, I
remember when we were doing that movie and Margaret really
(21:08):
had a lot of scenes with her. I had like
maybe two or three or something. But I just remember going,
it's very hard right now to kind of not sort
of break character because because she was so funny and
right and then like a drop of a hat could
like just immediately turned cold serious with you, and you
were like, you know, right, yeah, yeah, right on your
(21:31):
on your toes. But yeah, that was a great, great
experience because they were both phenomenal. Yeah, and then you know,
to Laton on Gossip Girl, when I've been rewatching, I'm like,
this girl took people on a journey. She would like
be so emotional one minute, then funny, then a little snarky.
And I'm like, did she on a c W Gossip
(21:52):
Girl show just do like twelve emotions in a two
page scene like Layton was like she brought like a
whole bunch of I always thought, and I still think that,
like I always just thought, you know that she was
such an incredible actor. I mean, I don't know if
you saw her. I saw her on Broadway of Nice
and Men. Yes, I saw it, And I've seen there
(22:14):
was a movie she did, Life Partners, that was really
really great too, And yeah, and Blair is to me,
it was a very complex character, and I feel I
feel like she always managed to do that really difficult
thing of balancing the humor with like the heart and
kind of giving you like a complex character and stuff.
And and the vulnerability that she found with Blair was like,
(22:37):
because the things that she did sometimes you wouldn't really
you'd be like, that's like kind of harsh and you don't,
but she played it so well that you always really cared.
But I mean, you know, from what I saw. I
mean she worked really hard. Yeah, absolutely, I mean everybody did,
but but I thought she she always worked really really
hard and took it very seriously. And she's a great actor. Yeah,
(23:00):
super great. Um. I just had to like bring that
up with all the people we were just listening because
it's you've really worked with been surrounded with it. Well yeah,
I mean, I mean we we didn't have like that
many scenes and stuff. There was like little things here
and there. But yeah, I actually by the way, sometimes
I'll walk and I'll go by what was that the
(23:22):
palace that what's the one on that that we always
the palace in the court, Yes, with the court artist stuff.
I'll always walk by there and I'll always remember a
shooting there and kind of it's just it's just such
a crazy place, like how much we use that spot,
you know. So it's nostalgic a little bit, you know,
because it's you feel like, was it really like that
(23:44):
long ago? Oh my god. But here's the thing. I
remember Sex in the City. I mean you remember that
that show and that was a huge show watching growing
up and stuff because it was just New York and
it was again a different kind of storytelling and it
was these women who were you know, like the adventures
(24:04):
and sort of the way it was done. I I
don't know, I love that show and it was nothing
like it at the time, and it made me fall
in love with the city and it made me kind
of sort of like feel excited about the weird, uh circumstantial,
kind of serendipitous thing that New York tends to have
because you are clashing into people randomly, like and you
(24:27):
could bump into someone and strike a conversation or it's
just so it's so much more um combustible that way
than than Los Angeles. And so I guess like when
Gossip Grow came around, you know, it sort of felt
a little bit like this was sort of like a
newer sex in the city. Anyway, it was sort of
another generation kind of experiencing New York in a different way.
(24:49):
And I and I don't know if they obviously thought
of that, but I'm sure that we're aware of, you know,
of New York and telling stories that way. And yeah,
you know, when I first started working in New York
on on Gossip Girl, people would say it's the best
city in the world. And I knew that this vibe
and this energy was something I'd never felt, but I
had not been well traveled. But then when I was
able to travel a bit more, I went to some
(25:12):
some of the most beautiful cities and amazing and had
great experiences. But I remember one night sitting I might
have been in France somewhere, and I remember saying, now,
I under totally understand what people say, there's nothing like
New York City. There's just not. There's not and and
and it's weird because when you land at JFK and
you're driving back and it's the worst drive in the
world because it's always like three hours, it's almost worse
(25:35):
than the flight back. But but get come up on
that sort of highway and then you see the the
sky city and every time it just always hits home
because for us, like coming from Europe and stuff, my
mom very much had that you know, if you can
make it here, you can make it mentality, you know.
(25:57):
And it was very like we're gonna go where the
tall buildings are. You know, You're like, it's true, like
it's that's the romantic part of it talk about in
New York. I'm just letting you know, Katie Paris just
blasting outside of my window right now. Oh yeah, that's funny.
That's New York. That's New York for you. I love it.
(26:19):
Uh did you find filming in New York because we
did so many locations, Like the amount of a d
R after doing Gossip Girl any other show when I
would be in a sound stage, I didn't realize how
much I appreciated that because you don't have to do
so much a d R. I know. It's it's such
a love hate relationship because it's true, like sometimes you
can go back in there and kind of fix your
(26:40):
performance right, but there's other times where you feel, Ye,
it was amazing, and then I'm going to screw it
up now, you know, I can't recreate that moment. But
even filming now, yeah, it's just between the sirens, the ABCE,
you know, horns, sirens, people, fans and usually people that
are just fed up there like I'm walking like literally
(27:02):
I'm walking here and you're not you're not telling me
not to walk like that's New York, you know, but
you were forgetting, You're forgetting a massive thing. But those
times there was no social media, right, the iPhone had
just come out. We had blackberries. Yes, we did and
it sucks, Like when you're filming something and then people
(27:23):
are just immediately what they'll do is so they'll just
come and they'll take their phones out and they they'll
film the whole scene, and it's like and then the
scene ends up everywhere, and you know, you want to
wait for the thing to come out. You want to
wait for that the surprise of it's sort of like
taken away from just a surprise of waiting for something
to come out because things get spoiled so easily by Yeah,
(27:44):
but it's true. I mean I remember there were times
when we were shooting it was almost like theater. You
would we would be on eight and Lexington or something,
and then we would do the scene and then you
look to your right and there was like a whole
audience if people almost you felt like you were on stage. Yeah,
it was wild. So I feel like Marvel's super weird
(28:06):
about their storylines and things getting out. It's super top secret.
So how was that for you guys? Because that's why
I think it's very hard to do it on location
now because it just somebody will film it and then
it will end up online and so oftentimes it has
to be in a studio in order to protect the story. Um,
(28:28):
and it's tough again for them because the massive universe
that's built there by cap figs just so it's all connected.
So you want to protect that because then if you're
watching a scene, it might actually be connected to four
different things in other movies. Yeah, it's impossible to really
do a lot of that on location. I mean some
(28:48):
of them we did in Cleveland. The Winter Soldier one
was weirdly all mostly on location, but again it was online,
right Winter Soldier, by the way, I want to talk
about that. I remember as your friend when when that
came out that you booked that, Like, that's like a
life changing thing for me, for you, I was just
so pumped for you. You gotta remember it was two
(29:10):
thousand ten and it was just for the Captain America role.
Iron Man had come out. I actually remember going with
Chase to see that and Ironmand had been so amazing,
and then they were going to do the Captain America thing,
and and I remember going there was a few auditions
and finally someone said I was gonna screen text and
and Chase was one of the people that they were
(29:32):
looking at. John Krasinski was another one. I remember there
were a lot of people involved that that would kind
of bring in and I had been up for a
couple of things that I didn't get. You know, I've
been up for that Star Trek Crispine role I didn't get.
I'd been up for the Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds role
I didn't get. I didn't really thank on on this
(29:53):
necessarily and it didn't go my way. They just called
me a week after saying maybe we should talk about
this other role, which they weren't even casting at the time,
and fortunately they just saw that I was more fitted
for that role. But again it was always a discussion
of yeah, we would love to do this one day,
(30:13):
but you know, we were just trying to take it
one movie at a time and make sure that people
still go see it. So it was still very early
in their success and the kind of ideas. But like
in that we've talked about this a couple of times
on the podcast. Like you know, sometimes when you don't
get a role and you've worked really hard and you
kind of get bummed, and there's like a thing where
it's like you can't hold onto it because being bummed
(30:34):
about it isn't going to change it because a lot
of times you you don't get more roles than you
get I should say, so things like when you just
went through that you didn't get this one and this
one and those are big movies and those are great.
But it's my point is is at the end of
the day, you ended up getting a role that you
knocked out of the park that people love. And there's
probably times when you didn't get a role where you're
(30:54):
kind of like, you know, you get like, damn it.
I was like, you get what I'm saying. No, I okay,
I appreciate that. And yeah, I mean and this goes
back to sort of weirdly gossip Girl in in In
in a way as well. Right when we were talking
about being in our twenties and going out for stuff. Obviously,
you know, you you go out for something like Star
Trek and then you see someone else gets it, and
(31:15):
then you see that they just shoot straight up, you know,
and the whole life seems to be changed, and you go, fuck,
that could have you know, that could have been the
role and and maybe it's never gonna happen. But I guess,
like what I've learned is everyone's got stories like that,
and Ruth is, Yeah, sometimes I think if you just
keep at it no matter what, like you just there's
(31:38):
for me. This thing was always I just never had
a plan. B Like, this was really all I fucking
thought I was good at. And you know, I feel
like now as I'm getting older, I'm trying to like
learn other things or be more curious about other things.
But it really was it for me. So I just
kind of kept at it, and fortunately, Yeah, the Winner
Soldier role worked out at a time where I think
(31:59):
I was more ready to deal with yeah, or or
or what that was gonna become. Because I gotta tell you,
if maybe if I had booked that Star Trek role
when I was twenty whenever that was, then I don't
know if I would have would have been ready personally,
I mean, someone else at that age maybe it was,
and certainly Chris Ponn was and he was the right
(32:21):
man for it. But but I guess it's my point
is sometimes those things really do happen a certain way,
and things do come in your life at a certain
time when you're actually more equipped to face them than
you know. Absolutely, for the Winter Soldier, when we were
talking about living in New York, and doing like a
d R with all those action scenes. Is that as
(32:42):
most of that done after Well, yeah, it's very weird
and unnatural because you're sitting there doing efforts that's what
they call them, and you have to kind of you're
watching the action scene and then kind of doing the
breathing in the reacting to the hits and stuff, and
and it's very funny. I think Q Jackman like filmed
himself doing one of those things. But that's what it is.
(33:03):
It's just really weird and you're just like in the
space kind of going you know, yeah, because I'm also
thinking if you're doing this in a sound stage and
you have to pretend like you just got knocked ten
feet backwards, I mean, that's that's difficult to do. It's
also the first time when you see like what the
scene turned out to be and you go, oh, this
(33:25):
is mean, that's what it's gonna look like, like that's
the take they pick, you know, or you get like
a little kind of relieved that it's not looking that bad,
you know, because it's also the first time you see it.
But what's also funny is that you have to go
back in that moment where you were on that day,
what your intention was for the scene, and you know,
(33:45):
sometimes it's like a crying, emotional scene and you're like, wait,
you're coming from lunch and you're like, okay, wait, now
I gotta like get back to that moment. I have
to be emotional and cry. And this was from like
a scene from eight months ago, and you had, I mean,
you had scenes like that, like I mean, like you know,
it's it's it's so it's true. It's the worst when
it's an emotional scene and you're like, Okay, it's just
(34:07):
it's gonna be tomorrow, and then the whole day is
about that thing, and then you're doing it and then
they have to break for lunch, so you and by
the way, the camera hasn't even been on you. It's
been on the other person. So technically, now you're gonna
have this one hour of waiting around to see if
you can get back to that moment or whatever that was.
But now you know, you've had a little bit of food,
so you're kind of more tired, you're slowed down, like
(34:30):
you just it's not gonna work out. You know. How
do you feel about auditions? Is your whole day consumed
with it. Are you someone who studies it lets it
be and then go I mean, it's weird because I
(34:54):
had to I had to do an audition. The last
audition I had to do was in the Pandemic was
in like over zoom. And then sometimes that was kind
of nice because you could sort of take different takes
and you could really work it out because if you
go in there in the room, you only have ten
minutes or whatever it is, maybe they'll let you do
it again. But now I worry about all these younger
(35:16):
actors and stuff that have to do this stuff over zoom.
You know, it's like you sit there and it's like
you're in a computer and you can't really I just
I can't wait until you can get back in the
room with people, because that's where I feel like you
get that weird vibe of walking in and then but
I would have to have a ritual every time. I
mean I was definitely cigarettes those years, but I would
(35:40):
get there like twenty minutes before, and if I was
in l A, I'd parked the car and I'd sit
in the car and like I'd have a cigarette and
then I'd like and go over the lines one time
and then I'd sort of walk and then like kind
of see if there's anybody else in there, and then
I'd have to go in there and have like a
song so that I wouldn't hear the other people in
the other room, like doing it like it was just
a whole whole thing. And yeah, and then if I
(36:02):
ever got a call back, I'd have to redo every
single thing I did, Like I would have to get
to the same parking spot. Oh my god, I love
it because I was like every single one I'd have
to wear the same thing because I'm like every single
thing could have contributed to that. I don't want to
mess with the universe of the thing. And but it
(36:22):
was the problem is when you leave the room and
you don't know right and you have no idea. I
don't love doing a self tape because then I keep
redoing it. But then again, that's also why I like
doing the tape, because then you kind of can perfect it.
But I get overly like piky. Yeah, but it's like
(36:42):
what you said, it's there's such a vibe and energy
and even if you walk in and there's thirty producers
and it's your nerves, you can bring the nerves into
the scene and it might help you, you know, add
a different color to the scene. So yeah, I always
thought nerves were a good thing. Somebody told me, an
acting teacher tell me a long time ago, saying, don't
ever be afraid of being nervous, Like that's a good sign.
(37:05):
That means your your system is getting ready. And yeah,
if you actually, if you feel that you're literally nothing's
going on with you, then maybe I'd be more worried
about that, you know. But but the the nerves thing
I always thought of. Every character to some extent has
(37:25):
to feel adrenaline. I mean, even if there are a sociopath,
whatever the audition or the character is, just tell yourself
that in that moment, that's what the character is. He's
You're just nervous. And that's the least you starting from
a truthful place. You're not trying to suppress something that's
actually happening to you in that situation, because then if
(37:47):
you do that, you sort of get that like weird
manichee kind of thing where you're like, I'm fine, I'm fine,
but I'm not, you know, but where it's like you
might as well. There are many times I walked into
auditions rooms just going I I am really terrified at
being here right now, but absolutely for the best. And
then at least they're like, Okay, you know you're a
(38:08):
human being, You're not a robot. Right. How about when
when you have to test and you have all these
network executives looking at you, and when it's a comedy
and no one is laughing. There's times I don't get
a single laugh and and I still get the call
back and I'm like, wait, are you doing this to
see if I can handle it? Like it's so weird,
I know. I mean, I have scary memories of driving
(38:32):
in pilot season in Los Angeles, again before cell phones,
with an actual map, and like doing like seven auditions
in a row, and you'd go to NBC or ABC
or Fox or whatever and you don't want to be late,
and then you're in a row of people. And but
those network tests were really because yeah, you would see
eleven people when you walked in, and you wouldn't see
(38:52):
their faces, and yeah, it was like dark. You literally
just saw suits, them sitting in suits. Yeah, and it's
everybody in the well. And I always remember the asia
of the manager would always tell me they would be
like just do exactly what you did in the callback,
don't do anything different the network, just to see consistency.
(39:13):
But that in itself was kind of hard because then
you go, I don't remember what I did right, And
sometimes it doesn't feel right to do it the exact
same way. Sometimes it feels good to like add flavored
or chained it up. But but yeah, and then and
you want the job so badly too, so you're like
trying to take the notes and trying to be organic
and in the moment. But there's so many layers. It's true,
(39:33):
that's the thing. You come in there and you can't
help but have slight feeling of desperation. It's and it's
that part that you have to always be careful about,
very careful, because then you come in there and you
know you need the job because maybe you're running out
of money or you haven't worked in so long, and
now you've got this whole phobia in your head that's
saying like I'll never get a job, and so it's
(39:53):
like whatever, But I always try to remember somebody said
to me. They said, everybody that's there, even on the
other side, is really hoping that you might be the
person like they in more hours in two weeks, like
looking for somebody else. They they're just they're trying just
the same and they might not always really know they
(40:17):
have an idea, but they might not always know what
they want either, So the best thing to do is
just it's just to really be yourself. I mean, that's
that was the hard part with the auditions, because I
always thought, oh, well, it's a character and I have
to be a certain way or something. And the truth is,
I think you just have to try and be as
honest to you as possible. I mean, if you get
(40:39):
the job, then you're kind of like, Okay, I'm gonna
if you can build on that or whatever. Absolutely, it's
a trip. We were talking about testing for Gossip Girling.
They said that Layton had tested and she had blonde hair,
but the network could not see past the blonde, so
they told her dye her hair brown. Her performance didn't change,
but because her hair was brown. And it's just like
(41:01):
so funny to me that it's little things like that.
People that are fans of the show, they don't know
little stuff like that that goes into it. I know,
but that still happens. But by the way, like to me,
I had a zoom not long ago, and I was
telling him I was looking a certain way for that role,
and I was like, this is not how I look
all the time. So if you just go look online,
(41:22):
like you'll find something, but but on the zoom you
look like this other character. Yeah. I just think it
takes a long time, I feel like for people to
kind of go oh yeah, because I'm always trying to
look different for things, and it's not I've been lucky
because I've you know, gotten some people that took some
swings and we're like, okay, let's hire him. But they're
(41:43):
not always gonna buy me the way I am like.
And then I'm always hoping that they're going to go
online or you know, look up some look from somewhere
or something. But it's just crazy because it's like you
just said it, they can't see it. Sometimes, so you
just died for hair and suddenly it's like, oh my god,
Well it's the same temperament, right, It's the same thing
that came through, right. I mean I was looking at
(42:05):
something for you, and obviously a ton of pictures came up,
but from like Tommy Lee to It Tania to the
Winter Soldier, to Carter Bays into all these movies you
have coming out. I mean, you really do have so
many different different looks and these are significant changes set
Like Tommy Lee, this wasn't just like let's cut your hair.
This was like long, dark and tattooed, and then you
(42:27):
learn to play the drums like it's phenomenal. I'm basically
your publicist, I know. Yeah I should I a you.
I appreciate that. Yeah. Look, that was a huge challenging,
kind of scary thing. I mean, I you know, Craig Gillespie,
who had done Itania was the one who called me
and said, you know, I think I'd love for you
(42:48):
to play this role. And I was like, amazing, Uh,
because I don't have a tattoo on my body, you
know what I mean, I'm not and I couldn't even
have the patience to lay the piano, so like I'm
not a musician, right, So it's like I just felt
in my head, I'm like where I mean, thank god
he felt I could play this for all because I
(43:10):
I wouldn't be looking at me to be like, you know,
one of the most famous drummers in the world from
like in this epic band or something. But fortunately I
was a like once in a while, an opportunity like
that comes where somebody goes, you know, trust me, like
maybe this isn't the guy who looks exactly or whatever,
but like, let's just take a shot. And and then yeah,
(43:33):
I felt, you know, I just needed to get really
as as close as I could to what he looked like.
And we had an amazing hair and makeup team. And
and also Lily James, another amazing actress, and Shaleyne Woodley
you worked with like you've really Sebastian. It's like Shaleen.
Also I loved working with I mean, yeah, I really
(43:55):
I really lucked out. I can't. Well, they're all very
very lucky and blessed to work with you too, obviously so,
but yeah, Lily James and as Pamela Anderson when those
pictures came out, I mean, she looks you guys both
look amazing. I think I sent you a picture of
Brad and I. We went as Pam and Tommy for Halloween.
It was so fun. But yeah, I'm just I'm very
(44:16):
excited for that. Um Okay, I'm gonna play a quote.
I'm gonna say a quote, and you have to say
who you think it is from the show. Okay, he
looks like Matthew McConaughey between movies. That's a great line.
That's a great line. I know, Um, Blair, No, it
(44:40):
looks like Matthew McConaughey between movies. It's Chuck to Nate
about Carter Basin. It's a really good line, though, you
are right. Oh god, that's such a great line. Okay, Um,
true gentlemen are a rare breed. Oh my god, this
is I'm gonna be about this area. Can you guys
(45:03):
play two? Gentlemen are a red breed? It was CC,
which I would have never guessed either, CC to you
episode ten. All right, at least I have to remember
if some of these have to do with Carter. Okay, well,
who really cares what her name is? Right? God, bless America?
That's Blair. Come on, well, who really cares what her
(45:27):
name is? Right? God bless America? That's me? Oh my god, listen,
I didn't get one of mine right, And it was
stuff I said. Yeah, Okay, Chuck always has a card
up his sleeve. That's me. Chuck always has a card
up his sleeve. Gossip girl, Yeah, that was all of them,
(45:53):
but honestly, they're very hard because a lot of them,
so anyone could have really said, you know what I mean, yeah,
but it's just the lines that I got, you know. Yeah,
here's what her name is. God, blessing God, bless America. Terrible,
too funny. Well, I don't know, I don't really want
to get off because I'm having so much fun and
I miss you so much, but this is like really
(46:14):
really I miss you too, um and listen, I'm I'm
just really happy that you're doing it. You know. It's
fun to kind of reminisce and talk about and and
sometimes like look back and look at the things that
you know, we've we've learned and and and that's you know.
So I hope. I don't know what your plant is,
but yeah you could. I if you're still doing this
next year, we could always do a part two, another one,
(46:36):
Part two. I'd love that. I want to hug you too, Pamma, Tommy.
Tommy is coming out of a very second on Hulu. Okay,
I'm like so pumped for this. All right, Well, I'll
talk to you soon either way, for sure, but thank
you for coming on. It was very I'm so happy
that you look great and I and you sound great,
(46:57):
and we'll definitely be seeing each other, yeah very soon here,
Oh my god. Okay, I know it's not quite New
Year's anymore, but I do hope your year is still happy.
I sure loved kicking off two by talking with seb
(47:19):
I just love that guy so much, and he's just
so unbelievably talented. By the way, be sure to check
him out in Pam and Tommy and Fresh on Hulu
and The three five, and then for next week, I
have one of our friends. You might know her as
Blair's right hand girl or the iconic line in the
pilot someone saw Serena getting off the train at Grand
Central bringing any bells, that's right. Nicole Pacella, also known
(47:42):
as Isabelle Coats, is on the podcast, So tune in
next week for our conversation. Until next time, x O
x O x O XO is produced by Propagate Content
and Met Jessica's Or. Our show is executive douced by Lingley.
Our producers are Diego Tapia, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris.
(48:04):
Original music by Moxie and Lune, and the episode was
mixed by seth ol Lansky.
Hi, I'm sbashion Stan and I played Carter Basin. Welcome back,
listeners to your one and only source into all things
(00:21):
Gossip Girl. You know you love it. XO x O.
Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of XO XO.
I'm Jessica's or and we have a real treat for
you today. One of my best friends is joining us
on the podcast and we happen to have met on
the Gossip Girl set. He played a little character named
(00:41):
Carter Basin who had some big storylines on the show,
including gambling, debts and a Serena vander Wits and romance.
It was never a dull moment with Carter, and I
can say the same about him as an actor. The
one and only Sebastian stand You know how Carter was
always somewhere in the world doing something crazy like camel
racing in Dubai or rebuilding matchup two. Well, that is
(01:03):
basically subs real life. I swear whenever I talked to
him he is off shooting in Prague or Budapest or Atlanta.
I just cannot keep up with this man. He's done
such amazing things like landing the role of the Winter
Soldier in the Marvel Universe or Titania, the Martian Black Swan,
Pam and Tommy, which just came out on Hulu. He
(01:25):
has an unbelievable range and is a true star, but
he's also just so sweet and so down to earth,
and it's just a really really good guy and super funny.
I was finally able to pin him down for this
conversation on what just happened to be New Year's Eve.
We reminisced about Gossip Girl days, New York City, and
his amazing career. Here's the Man, the Myth the Marvel
(01:47):
is Sebastian stand Hi, Hi, Happy Happy New Year, Wild times? Hey,
(02:09):
I know, are we gonna are we gonna make it exactly?
Also like it's weird just because it doesn't feel like
New Year's at all. And I We've been to like
Miami for New Year's together, We've we've done some some
fun New Year's trips. Now it's like, I think the
last three years, I've been in bed at like ten o'clock,
and I'm like, what's happy about it? You know? I know,
(02:30):
I know I'm the same way, like I was thinking
about it this morning. I used to be so much
more energized about tonight, but I'm very okay with it
just being like a normal night. Maybe that means I
don't know. I don't know. It's just it seems like
so much work to do anything else. And now, like
in Canada, there's like curfews now because of everything coming
back around, so we have to be home before midnight anyway,
(02:52):
I think. So I'm basically sixteen again and have a curfew. Yeah,
well for me this this coming year, it's going to
get better. Yeah, for sure, we got some exciting stuff
to look forward to, at least, like you have an
amazing show coming out in February. I'm obviously one of
your biggest fans. I appreciate that you are, and I've
(03:15):
always been for anyone that's listening now. When when Sebastian
got the role of Carter Basin and came on Gossip Girl,
I had seen some of the playbacks and I remember
saying to some of the producers, this guy is gonna
be like a huge, huge star. There was just something
about what he brought to the scene in this role
and it seemed effortless. And then he has become this
(03:35):
like amazing actor that everyone wants to work with. But
the Pam and Tommy show, I'm like so pumped for this. Well, yeah,
it is. It is a crazy story that actually I
feel like a lot of people don't really know as
much as they think they do. I mean, we were
pretty young, right, Like I guess when that happened, Like
that's when I first came to America, was so I
(03:58):
I don't even remember anything about it. Obviously high school
you would hear things and stuff. But this is the
time where we're kind of looking back at some of
those events, you know, from the nineties and sort of
reevaluating and re examining them again in the hope of
like offering a different perspective to what happened. And I
think people will be in for quite a ride in
(04:20):
terms of just preconceived ideas of what happened and learning
a little bit more about how we were all kind
of complicit in it, right, I mean, yeah, I bet
we'll learn a lot, because you can't always just believe
that one headline or that one rumor. And actually, one
of the last times you guys that I saw seb
it was at our friend's birthday and he had all
(04:41):
these tads and hair of Tommy Lee. It was basically
Tommy Lee and it was our friend Toby's birthday. If
we go like full circle, Toby Hemingway, Chase Crawford, Taylor Kitch,
and Sebastian stand All did this movie called The Covenant,
and that's actually kind of I remember when they were
looking for who was going to play Carter Basin. Chase
(05:01):
is like this guy that I did a movie with.
He's a friend of mine Sbashion Standards coming in to read.
How did that all come about? Yeah, well, I was
really you know, at the time, I was working on
this play and then it was two thousands seven, and
then Chase was coming to the city to do this
TV show and I was like, Oh, this is amazing.
We're gonna you know what, We're gonna get to hang
out and all that stuff. And then you know, there
(05:22):
was a guest star roll of the Carter bas Against roll.
And then I remember I went in there and I
didn't tell him about it. I said, I'll tell him
if I get a call back. I'll say if if
if I get called back, then I'll say, like, I
might have a shot at this thing. I don't know.
And then I went in and I got a call back,
and then I think I told him and he was
(05:42):
excited about it, and then yeah, I don't know, I
guess I, you know, maybe got me the job. I
have no idea. I mean, it worked out in the end,
but it was it was wild because we were, yeah,
we were sort of sitting there kind of acting again,
like only two years after we've done that first movie together,
and you know, it started a really nice journey for
(06:05):
like the next four years. You know, I kind of
got to like come in and out and watch you guys.
Because the thing is this, like I didn't grow up
in Manhattan, you know. I really grew up in Rockon County,
which is like right outside of the city. But I
was coming into the city every weekend to take these
acting classes when I was like sixteen seventeen, and I
was meeting all these kids from like these private schools. Yeah,
(06:26):
and and so I I had friends who had grown
up in the city, and all I wanted to do
was just be a city kid, you know. So then
like I feel like, once the show came on, it
was really interesting because I was like, I know this world,
you know, I kind of seen it, and it was
really wild to me how sort of accurate, Like some
of the stuff was well, because when you when you
read a script and watch it, you're like, wait, these
(06:48):
kids have this much money and they're just like going
and having a drink at a bar and like getting
in a limo and going to school. Because there's such
a small percentage of people that have that life. So
the fact that you like saw it kind of wild, no,
for sure. So I so I was like, I feel
like I know how to, like, you know, get in
the show and stuff, but but I, you know, Carter
was like such a funny character because I remember like
(07:09):
going there and everybody was dressed so well, and then
like they gave me like a I don't even know
what they gave me. It looked like I was wearing
a rug in that first episode. And I'm pretty sure
Ed's agent at the time was there on set and
came up to me. We were doing that, like we
were sitting at that poker table, poker, And then I
remember Ed's agent at the time was watching it and
(07:31):
he came up to me afterwards. He goes, you're doing
a little too much. You might want to oppone it
down a little bit, like less with the expressions and
oh my god, right absolutely, like he was like, we
want to bring it down, you know, my god notes
you know, um, but I was terrified, Like I was
(07:51):
kind of it was scary in its own right, I guess, well, yeah,
and that's the scene with a bunch of extras, and
it's like the new character that you're bringing to life
and you want to make sure like it's like mashing well,
and Carter Basin was like a very interesting character to play.
This guy's who was like traveling the world, comes from
money but didn't want the money and kind of like sneaky,
you know what I mean. Yeah, I mean very funny
(08:14):
because there are times sometimes where I'll still walk down
the street and somebody will actually just yell out Carter
Base car base, and then I'll be like, how did that?
You know? Even I didn't think any of that was
ever gonna land as much as it did, but you
know it was. Listen, it was we were all living
in the city. I've always been a city. I never
(08:34):
went to l A, you know, and and for me,
like to get a job locally in the city was
I feel like a huge thing. And then the truth was,
I mean, you know, we we really all did get along.
It was sort of a weird thing because you're going
to work with your friends and stuff, and you know,
I feel like I was lucky to kind of come
in as an outsider a little bit and come in
(08:55):
and out like I was not a regular on the show.
It was a big learning lesson for me, I feel
like in a lot of ways, because you guys really
did at that time kind of just blew up on
the scene and then it felt like things were just happening. Yeah,
and like so it was like really interesting. Having been
there longer than I was, you probably felt that meteor
(09:17):
kind of like skyrocket attention that everybody received. But I,
for better or worse, Like I felt like I was
always a little bit like you know, like in basketball,
where there's like the sixth man. He's not in the
starting five, but he's like on the but it's like
you want to put him in just to keep the
score going a little bit. But I was kind of
(09:38):
amazed at how popular like the show was, and it
really felt like you guys were just invincible in a way,
you know what I mean. Like, I don't know if
you felt that way. Yeah, Well, it's kind of weird
because I think as an actor, when you you never
think about the response hitting the way it did with
Gossip Girl or maybe something like in the Marvel World.
For you, you're just kind of doing your job, and
(10:00):
as an actor, you don't think, oh, well, what if
the show gets so big and there's paparazzi and if
you date your co star everyone's gonna want to know
about your relationship and all the things that come with that.
You don't think about that. So when it did hit
the way it did, it was shocking because you're like,
you're you're happy because you're like, oh, people are liking it,
But there was a lot that came with that, know,
(10:21):
I mean, you know, I was definitely dating co stars.
I mean, like, I get it. It was I think
also like it's tough when you're in your twenties, you know,
you just don't you're still really figuring learning stuff. Yeah,
you're figuring out who you are, you know, and you're
still kind of understanding things. And I think we're very
lucky to be working. Like I always just thought again,
(10:42):
like I was like to have a job in New
York City was a huge thing because then this year
was the first time. I had a job in New
York since literally those times, So it was a privilege
in a way. But there were people that were always
kind of going, well, you guys are so lucky. You're
having a good time, Like, enjoy it while you can.
This is the moment, you know, And I feel like
(11:03):
everybody kind of was conscious enough to go, okay, like
you want to try and and enjoy this as much
as you can while it's here, right, Yeah. And then
all of a sudden, it's twelve years ago, and I'm like, whoa,
that flies. But okay, let's talk about when you first
got to New York. So you were born in Romania. Yeah,
I was born Romanium and then the revolution happened there
(11:24):
in sort of eighty nine, and then it was sort
of chaos. And my my mom was a pianist at
the time, and then she actually left and went to Pienna, Austria,
which is like the city of music, and then started
to play piano there and then teach piano. And then
after a year I was living with my grandparents, she
came and she got me and and then yeah, I
lived in Vienna for four years, and I you know,
(11:44):
I went to like a German public school, not that
I actually spoke German, but I was trying. And then
my mom remarried to my stepdad, who was American, and
that's when we moved to New York And like, how
cool is that? Like my mom was a pianist, I know,
I mean, you know, it's easy to sort of like
take your parents for granted, right, like sometimes because you
(12:04):
just you sort of think about what they had to
deal with because you're growing up and you're focusing on
being an adult, and I mean you're a mom now,
you totally understand, like you're you're seeing it, I think already,
like from that other point of view, but it's it's true.
It was, you know, my mom like was like a
single mom at twenty seven, like taking care of me
and like being in a foreign country and like playing
(12:26):
piano and stuff. It was. It's a little like it
makes me a little kind of like I think that
I'm not I'm not doing enough, but like thirty nine, No,
it's a lot, and you and your mom are just
so cute. But she did an amazing job because you're
one of the sweetest, most humble. Funny spashion is real funny,
(12:47):
you guys, I appreciate it. I'm not, you know, I'm
I realized, I'm I'm just I don't know if I'm funny.
I'm just I'm definitely neurotic. Like I'm a very neurotic person. Like,
like I realized I cleaned my apartment every day. Now,
I've never used to do that. I wake up and
I'm like constantly cleaning things. It's like that's not but anyway, okay.
(13:12):
And then so then you worked at a theater in
New York. I did. Yeah, I was working in a
movie theater and that was amazing because I got to
see movies for free on the weekend. And also when
I when we first came here, there was a family
that we lived with who were still very close with,
and they had this basement with like this humongous television
like at the time I've ever seen, and there was
just stacks upon stacks of VHS tapes, and so I
(13:35):
was just watching a lot of movies all the time,
and that was good because I saw a lot of
things watching actors and like kind of like thinking, so
maybe that was good to be exposed to that. I
guess that's amazing. Did you always know you wanted to
act and tell stories and do that or was it
a specific role or movie you watched or you know,
I mean, I mean in Vienna, Like my mom was
trying to kind of get me into it and stuff,
(13:57):
and it didn't really work out very well. There was
this one all I did and this tiny thing, and
I remember being I think thirteen or something, and I
was so frustrated that it took so long, that you
were waiting around all the time something. It was just
crazy and I didn't want to do. But then, yeah,
it was in high school. I went to this camp
stage door Manor and that was a that was a
(14:18):
great camp. And I met my manager there and I'm
still with and that really, I think kind of helped
because once I got her, I mean, I didn't really
book a job until law and Order, until I got
to college. But she really wanted me to go to college.
She didn't want me to you know, I wanted to
move into the city and start doing the whole thing.
But she was a very important kind of influence in
(14:40):
terms of saying, no, you gotta get an education, you
gotta go to college, you gotta you gotta study this
thing and try to understand what you're a part of well, listen,
whatever you did, I'm it's it's working. So okay, so
(15:03):
you get the role of Carter Basin. But how was
that filming because that was pretty much the first time
filming something really in the city for you, Right, Well,
I had done I had done Law in Order before,
and that was in the video and stuff. But yeah,
it was the show. I didn't really think that I
was going to be coming back, you know it. Nobody
had said this was going to be a recurring character.
(15:24):
I think it was only gonna be one or two episodes.
And then you know, they kind of brought him back
around and that was fun and sort of got all
these intricate storylines and it's just funny how I ended
up with Serena. It was always this like history with
Serena and stuff. He always popped up in the scene
sort of swarm me, you know, kind of just with
another fact or you know, he's had he had one
(15:45):
more thing up his sleeve, and and I was like, God,
I'm just always going to be like this nasty guy
you know that just pops in there. And but it
was super fun like and it was I think it
was overwhelming. Two at times, because, like you said, we
were just growing up, and I think you get a
lot of young love and a lot of things that
(16:06):
kind of are coming at you very quickly and you're
just trying to process it. And I think it always
looks you know when we look back now, I think
we can all look back and just kind of go like, oh, yeah,
that was. It was more fun than we and we
were thinking at the time, but totally where people coming
in right, like yeah, people that like popped in and out,
(16:27):
and the whole fashion world think about that, like the
fashion stuff we would go to. I know, well that
was I was always a plus one at those things,
but it wasn't really invited directly. But but I remember
being there and going like, oh my god, like this
is just intense. I don't I'm just gonna look to
see where the bar is, you know, but you always
look very sharp and good and fit right. Somebody show
(16:51):
me a picture of me back then, like and and
I remember just like doing the half short talk talking
like like the one like the button, you know, like
a known and there's one ever tucked him but not
the other. And like I had like four buttons on
buttoned down to here and stuff. It was just like,
oh my god. I would say, now though, if Vogue
(17:11):
or anyone did a like survey, I would say, you're
probably top five best dressed in Hollywood at this point,
and it's probably is out there. To be honest, I
don't know. I could thank my stylist, I guess, and
Michael Fisher in a lot of ways. He's I start
of just turning him and go like, listen, you gotta
tell me what to do. It's good. But I think
in terms of our show, the show, right, like Eric
(17:34):
who was our costume design I remember I trod on
a suit one time and I was like, should I
get a belt or something? And he was like, no, no,
there was no belts happening on the preside and that
was kind of a thing. And I know he started
a few trends at the time. Right, I'm not crazy
that he's like an icon and not only is he
(17:55):
an amazing artist in the fashion world to bring all
those characters to life in a way how he dressed Chuck.
Chuck walked a certain way in those suits because of
how you know he felt in them, You know what
I mean? Well, yeah, I think that's what happens when
you as you get older and stuff, you start to
look at all these pieces that kind of come together
to make this think. You know, when you're younger's sort
(18:15):
of like I'm the actor and I'm going to do
my character and stuff. But then like these people supply
all these other kind of layers to create those things.
But yeah, I mean he Chuck Bass was a very
uh he seemed to always have all the cool lines
and you know, yeah, Eric Damon killed it with that.
So you came on basically Carter Bays and dated Serena.
(18:38):
Did you have other love stories? It was basically Serena.
But then I don't quote me here because it's been
a while, but I do remember at one point that
he became a bit of a pond in the Blair
Chuck Wars right right, Yes, there was something there like
that or or I don't know, but it was always Serene. Yeah. Yeah,
(19:01):
So you worked with Blake Lively, who played Serena on
our show the most, but then you really went off
to work with a wonderful group of leading ladies, Margot Robbie.
You have a movie coming out with the Cole Kidman
Manelope Cruise. I mean those are just really beautiful, wonderful
actors to work with totally. I mean, I yeah, I've
been very lucky to be opposite incredible partners. I think
(19:23):
when you think of acting, it's always sort of this
partnership in this dance that I feel like has to
happen with the people you're working with, and and it's true,
I you know, I think, yeah, it really did start
with Blake essentially. I mean, I think I've sort of, yeah,
I've managed to kind of work with find my way
with with some of the most strongest women out there.
(19:45):
I honestly feel like I'm better in the scene as
a result of it. And weirdly, I can't say I've
had the same experience with male like super famous actors,
you know, like it's actually been weirder on that and
actually working with with a strong woman because there's no bullshit.
You just sort of like have to show up and
(20:06):
like do the work. And I think male dynamics are
are sort of funny with each other. You know, when
you have someone who's like older or you know, a
younger person coming in and stuff like, there's always sort
of an interesting tug of war, which I'm like always
rolling my eyes at Yeah, I would. I would rather
pick a strong female partner in a movie or a
(20:26):
TV show any day, It's sure. I just worked also,
Julianne Moore, I just worked with whause another like check, Yeah,
unbelievable performances and and just incredibly generous and super just
human and and was so i don't know, like friendly
(20:46):
and kind of nurturing and it just it was a
great thing. Yeah. So and where did you where did
you guys from? That that was? I can't keep up
with where you're filming. No, that was in New York,
that one was. And Allison she's phenomenal. Hey, yeah, I
remember when we were doing that movie and Margaret really
(21:08):
had a lot of scenes with her. I had like
maybe two or three or something. But I just remember going,
it's very hard right now to kind of not sort
of break character because because she was so funny and
right and then like a drop of a hat could
like just immediately turned cold serious with you, and you
were like, you know, right, yeah, yeah, right on your
(21:31):
on your toes. But yeah, that was a great, great
experience because they were both phenomenal. Yeah, and then you know,
to Laton on Gossip Girl, when I've been rewatching, I'm like,
this girl took people on a journey. She would like
be so emotional one minute, then funny, then a little snarky.
And I'm like, did she on a c W Gossip
(21:52):
Girl show just do like twelve emotions in a two
page scene like Layton was like she brought like a
whole bunch of I always thought, and I still think that,
like I always just thought, you know that she was
such an incredible actor. I mean, I don't know if
you saw her. I saw her on Broadway of Nice
and Men. Yes, I saw it, And I've seen there
(22:14):
was a movie she did, Life Partners, that was really
really great too, And yeah, and Blair is to me,
it was a very complex character, and I feel I
feel like she always managed to do that really difficult
thing of balancing the humor with like the heart and
kind of giving you like a complex character and stuff.
And and the vulnerability that she found with Blair was like,
(22:37):
because the things that she did sometimes you wouldn't really
you'd be like, that's like kind of harsh and you don't,
but she played it so well that you always really cared.
But I mean, you know, from what I saw. I
mean she worked really hard. Yeah, absolutely, I mean everybody did,
but but I thought she she always worked really really
hard and took it very seriously. And she's a great actor. Yeah,
(23:00):
super great. Um. I just had to like bring that
up with all the people we were just listening because
it's you've really worked with been surrounded with it. Well yeah,
I mean, I mean we we didn't have like that
many scenes and stuff. There was like little things here
and there. But yeah, I actually by the way, sometimes
I'll walk and I'll go by what was that the
(23:22):
palace that what's the one on that that we always
the palace in the court, Yes, with the court artist stuff.
I'll always walk by there and I'll always remember a
shooting there and kind of it's just it's just such
a crazy place, like how much we use that spot,
you know. So it's nostalgic a little bit, you know,
because it's you feel like, was it really like that
(23:44):
long ago? Oh my god. But here's the thing. I
remember Sex in the City. I mean you remember that
that show and that was a huge show watching growing
up and stuff because it was just New York and
it was again a different kind of storytelling and it
was these women who were you know, like the adventures
(24:04):
and sort of the way it was done. I I
don't know, I love that show and it was nothing
like it at the time, and it made me fall
in love with the city and it made me kind
of sort of like feel excited about the weird, uh circumstantial,
kind of serendipitous thing that New York tends to have
because you are clashing into people randomly, like and you
(24:27):
could bump into someone and strike a conversation or it's
just so it's so much more um combustible that way
than than Los Angeles. And so I guess like when
Gossip Grow came around, you know, it sort of felt
a little bit like this was sort of like a
newer sex in the city. Anyway, it was sort of
another generation kind of experiencing New York in a different way.
(24:49):
And I and I don't know if they obviously thought
of that, but I'm sure that we're aware of, you know,
of New York and telling stories that way. And yeah,
you know, when I first started working in New York
on on Gossip Girl, people would say it's the best
city in the world. And I knew that this vibe
and this energy was something I'd never felt, but I
had not been well traveled. But then when I was
able to travel a bit more, I went to some
(25:12):
some of the most beautiful cities and amazing and had
great experiences. But I remember one night sitting I might
have been in France somewhere, and I remember saying, now,
I under totally understand what people say, there's nothing like
New York City. There's just not. There's not and and
and it's weird because when you land at JFK and
you're driving back and it's the worst drive in the
world because it's always like three hours, it's almost worse
(25:35):
than the flight back. But but get come up on
that sort of highway and then you see the the
sky city and every time it just always hits home
because for us, like coming from Europe and stuff, my
mom very much had that you know, if you can
make it here, you can make it mentality, you know.
(25:57):
And it was very like we're gonna go where the
tall buildings are. You know, You're like, it's true, like
it's that's the romantic part of it talk about in
New York. I'm just letting you know, Katie Paris just
blasting outside of my window right now. Oh yeah, that's funny.
That's New York. That's New York for you. I love it.
(26:19):
Uh did you find filming in New York because we
did so many locations, Like the amount of a d
R after doing Gossip Girl any other show when I
would be in a sound stage, I didn't realize how
much I appreciated that because you don't have to do
so much a d R. I know. It's it's such
a love hate relationship because it's true, like sometimes you
can go back in there and kind of fix your
(26:40):
performance right, but there's other times where you feel, Ye,
it was amazing, and then I'm going to screw it
up now, you know, I can't recreate that moment. But
even filming now, yeah, it's just between the sirens, the ABCE,
you know, horns, sirens, people, fans and usually people that
are just fed up there like I'm walking like literally
(27:02):
I'm walking here and you're not you're not telling me
not to walk like that's New York, you know, but
you were forgetting, You're forgetting a massive thing. But those
times there was no social media, right, the iPhone had
just come out. We had blackberries. Yes, we did and
it sucks, Like when you're filming something and then people
(27:23):
are just immediately what they'll do is so they'll just
come and they'll take their phones out and they they'll
film the whole scene, and it's like and then the
scene ends up everywhere, and you know, you want to
wait for the thing to come out. You want to
wait for that the surprise of it's sort of like
taken away from just a surprise of waiting for something
to come out because things get spoiled so easily by Yeah,
(27:44):
but it's true. I mean I remember there were times
when we were shooting it was almost like theater. You
would we would be on eight and Lexington or something,
and then we would do the scene and then you
look to your right and there was like a whole
audience if people almost you felt like you were on stage. Yeah,
it was wild. So I feel like Marvel's super weird
(28:06):
about their storylines and things getting out. It's super top secret.
So how was that for you guys? Because that's why
I think it's very hard to do it on location
now because it just somebody will film it and then
it will end up online and so oftentimes it has
to be in a studio in order to protect the story. Um,
(28:28):
and it's tough again for them because the massive universe
that's built there by cap figs just so it's all connected.
So you want to protect that because then if you're
watching a scene, it might actually be connected to four
different things in other movies. Yeah, it's impossible to really
do a lot of that on location. I mean some
(28:48):
of them we did in Cleveland. The Winter Soldier one
was weirdly all mostly on location, but again it was online,
right Winter Soldier, by the way, I want to talk
about that. I remember as your friend when when that
came out that you booked that, Like, that's like a
life changing thing for me, for you, I was just
so pumped for you. You gotta remember it was two
(29:10):
thousand ten and it was just for the Captain America role.
Iron Man had come out. I actually remember going with
Chase to see that and Ironmand had been so amazing,
and then they were going to do the Captain America thing,
and and I remember going there was a few auditions
and finally someone said I was gonna screen text and
and Chase was one of the people that they were
(29:32):
looking at. John Krasinski was another one. I remember there
were a lot of people involved that that would kind
of bring in and I had been up for a
couple of things that I didn't get. You know, I've
been up for that Star Trek Crispine role I didn't get.
I'd been up for the Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds role
I didn't get. I didn't really thank on on this
(29:53):
necessarily and it didn't go my way. They just called
me a week after saying maybe we should talk about
this other role, which they weren't even casting at the time,
and fortunately they just saw that I was more fitted
for that role. But again it was always a discussion
of yeah, we would love to do this one day,
(30:13):
but you know, we were just trying to take it
one movie at a time and make sure that people
still go see it. So it was still very early
in their success and the kind of ideas. But like
in that we've talked about this a couple of times
on the podcast. Like you know, sometimes when you don't
get a role and you've worked really hard and you
kind of get bummed, and there's like a thing where
it's like you can't hold onto it because being bummed
(30:34):
about it isn't going to change it because a lot
of times you you don't get more roles than you
get I should say, so things like when you just
went through that you didn't get this one and this
one and those are big movies and those are great.
But it's my point is is at the end of
the day, you ended up getting a role that you
knocked out of the park that people love. And there's
probably times when you didn't get a role where you're
(30:54):
kind of like, you know, you get like, damn it.
I was like, you get what I'm saying. No, I okay,
I appreciate that. And yeah, I mean and this goes
back to sort of weirdly gossip Girl in in In
in a way as well. Right when we were talking
about being in our twenties and going out for stuff. Obviously,
you know, you you go out for something like Star
Trek and then you see someone else gets it, and
(31:15):
then you see that they just shoot straight up, you know,
and the whole life seems to be changed, and you go, fuck,
that could have you know, that could have been the
role and and maybe it's never gonna happen. But I guess,
like what I've learned is everyone's got stories like that,
and Ruth is, Yeah, sometimes I think if you just
keep at it no matter what, like you just there's
(31:38):
for me. This thing was always I just never had
a plan. B Like, this was really all I fucking
thought I was good at. And you know, I feel
like now as I'm getting older, I'm trying to like
learn other things or be more curious about other things.
But it really was it for me. So I just
kind of kept at it, and fortunately, Yeah, the Winner
Soldier role worked out at a time where I think
(31:59):
I was more ready to deal with yeah, or or
or what that was gonna become. Because I gotta tell you,
if maybe if I had booked that Star Trek role
when I was twenty whenever that was, then I don't
know if I would have would have been ready personally,
I mean, someone else at that age maybe it was,
and certainly Chris Ponn was and he was the right
(32:21):
man for it. But but I guess it's my point
is sometimes those things really do happen a certain way,
and things do come in your life at a certain
time when you're actually more equipped to face them than
you know. Absolutely, for the Winter Soldier, when we were
talking about living in New York, and doing like a
d R with all those action scenes. Is that as
(32:42):
most of that done after Well, yeah, it's very weird
and unnatural because you're sitting there doing efforts that's what
they call them, and you have to kind of you're
watching the action scene and then kind of doing the
breathing in the reacting to the hits and stuff, and
and it's very funny. I think Q Jackman like filmed
himself doing one of those things. But that's what it is.
(33:03):
It's just really weird and you're just like in the
space kind of going you know, yeah, because I'm also
thinking if you're doing this in a sound stage and
you have to pretend like you just got knocked ten
feet backwards, I mean, that's that's difficult to do. It's
also the first time when you see like what the
scene turned out to be and you go, oh, this
(33:25):
is mean, that's what it's gonna look like, like that's
the take they pick, you know, or you get like
a little kind of relieved that it's not looking that bad,
you know, because it's also the first time you see it.
But what's also funny is that you have to go
back in that moment where you were on that day,
what your intention was for the scene, and you know,
(33:45):
sometimes it's like a crying, emotional scene and you're like, wait,
you're coming from lunch and you're like, okay, wait, now
I gotta like get back to that moment. I have
to be emotional and cry. And this was from like
a scene from eight months ago, and you had, I mean,
you had scenes like that, like I mean, like you know,
it's it's it's so it's true. It's the worst when
it's an emotional scene and you're like, Okay, it's just
(34:07):
it's gonna be tomorrow, and then the whole day is
about that thing, and then you're doing it and then
they have to break for lunch, so you and by
the way, the camera hasn't even been on you. It's
been on the other person. So technically, now you're gonna
have this one hour of waiting around to see if
you can get back to that moment or whatever that was.
But now you know, you've had a little bit of food,
so you're kind of more tired, you're slowed down, like
(34:30):
you just it's not gonna work out. You know. How
do you feel about auditions? Is your whole day consumed
with it. Are you someone who studies it lets it
be and then go I mean, it's weird because I
(34:54):
had to I had to do an audition. The last
audition I had to do was in the Pandemic was
in like over zoom. And then sometimes that was kind
of nice because you could sort of take different takes
and you could really work it out because if you
go in there in the room, you only have ten
minutes or whatever it is, maybe they'll let you do
it again. But now I worry about all these younger
(35:16):
actors and stuff that have to do this stuff over zoom.
You know, it's like you sit there and it's like
you're in a computer and you can't really I just
I can't wait until you can get back in the
room with people, because that's where I feel like you
get that weird vibe of walking in and then but
I would have to have a ritual every time. I
mean I was definitely cigarettes those years, but I would
(35:40):
get there like twenty minutes before, and if I was
in l A, I'd parked the car and I'd sit
in the car and like I'd have a cigarette and
then I'd like and go over the lines one time
and then I'd sort of walk and then like kind
of see if there's anybody else in there, and then
I'd have to go in there and have like a
song so that I wouldn't hear the other people in
the other room, like doing it like it was just
a whole whole thing. And yeah, and then if I
(36:02):
ever got a call back, I'd have to redo every
single thing I did, Like I would have to get
to the same parking spot. Oh my god, I love
it because I was like every single one I'd have
to wear the same thing because I'm like every single
thing could have contributed to that. I don't want to
mess with the universe of the thing. And but it
(36:22):
was the problem is when you leave the room and
you don't know right and you have no idea. I
don't love doing a self tape because then I keep
redoing it. But then again, that's also why I like
doing the tape, because then you kind of can perfect it.
But I get overly like piky. Yeah, but it's like
(36:42):
what you said, it's there's such a vibe and energy
and even if you walk in and there's thirty producers
and it's your nerves, you can bring the nerves into
the scene and it might help you, you know, add
a different color to the scene. So yeah, I always
thought nerves were a good thing. Somebody told me, an
acting teacher tell me a long time ago, saying, don't
ever be afraid of being nervous, Like that's a good sign.
(37:05):
That means your your system is getting ready. And yeah,
if you actually, if you feel that you're literally nothing's
going on with you, then maybe I'd be more worried
about that, you know. But but the the nerves thing
I always thought of. Every character to some extent has
(37:25):
to feel adrenaline. I mean, even if there are a sociopath,
whatever the audition or the character is, just tell yourself
that in that moment, that's what the character is. He's
You're just nervous. And that's the least you starting from
a truthful place. You're not trying to suppress something that's
actually happening to you in that situation, because then if
(37:47):
you do that, you sort of get that like weird
manichee kind of thing where you're like, I'm fine, I'm fine,
but I'm not, you know, but where it's like you
might as well. There are many times I walked into
auditions rooms just going I I am really terrified at
being here right now, but absolutely for the best. And
then at least they're like, Okay, you know you're a
(38:08):
human being, You're not a robot. Right. How about when
when you have to test and you have all these
network executives looking at you, and when it's a comedy
and no one is laughing. There's times I don't get
a single laugh and and I still get the call
back and I'm like, wait, are you doing this to
see if I can handle it? Like it's so weird,
I know. I mean, I have scary memories of driving
(38:32):
in pilot season in Los Angeles, again before cell phones,
with an actual map, and like doing like seven auditions
in a row, and you'd go to NBC or ABC
or Fox or whatever and you don't want to be late,
and then you're in a row of people. And but
those network tests were really because yeah, you would see
eleven people when you walked in, and you wouldn't see
(38:52):
their faces, and yeah, it was like dark. You literally
just saw suits, them sitting in suits. Yeah, and it's
everybody in the well. And I always remember the asia
of the manager would always tell me they would be
like just do exactly what you did in the callback,
don't do anything different the network, just to see consistency.
(39:13):
But that in itself was kind of hard because then
you go, I don't remember what I did right, And
sometimes it doesn't feel right to do it the exact
same way. Sometimes it feels good to like add flavored
or chained it up. But but yeah, and then and
you want the job so badly too, so you're like
trying to take the notes and trying to be organic
and in the moment. But there's so many layers. It's true,
(39:33):
that's the thing. You come in there and you can't
help but have slight feeling of desperation. It's and it's
that part that you have to always be careful about,
very careful, because then you come in there and you
know you need the job because maybe you're running out
of money or you haven't worked in so long, and
now you've got this whole phobia in your head that's
saying like I'll never get a job, and so it's
(39:53):
like whatever, But I always try to remember somebody said
to me. They said, everybody that's there, even on the
other side, is really hoping that you might be the
person like they in more hours in two weeks, like
looking for somebody else. They they're just they're trying just
the same and they might not always really know they
(40:17):
have an idea, but they might not always know what
they want either, So the best thing to do is
just it's just to really be yourself. I mean, that's
that was the hard part with the auditions, because I
always thought, oh, well, it's a character and I have
to be a certain way or something. And the truth is,
I think you just have to try and be as
honest to you as possible. I mean, if you get
(40:39):
the job, then you're kind of like, Okay, I'm gonna
if you can build on that or whatever. Absolutely, it's
a trip. We were talking about testing for Gossip Girling.
They said that Layton had tested and she had blonde hair,
but the network could not see past the blonde, so
they told her dye her hair brown. Her performance didn't change,
but because her hair was brown. And it's just like
(41:01):
so funny to me that it's little things like that.
People that are fans of the show, they don't know
little stuff like that that goes into it. I know,
but that still happens. But by the way, like to me,
I had a zoom not long ago, and I was
telling him I was looking a certain way for that role,
and I was like, this is not how I look
all the time. So if you just go look online,
(41:22):
like you'll find something, but but on the zoom you
look like this other character. Yeah. I just think it
takes a long time, I feel like for people to
kind of go oh yeah, because I'm always trying to
look different for things, and it's not I've been lucky
because I've you know, gotten some people that took some
swings and we're like, okay, let's hire him. But they're
(41:43):
not always gonna buy me the way I am like.
And then I'm always hoping that they're going to go
online or you know, look up some look from somewhere
or something. But it's just crazy because it's like you
just said it, they can't see it. Sometimes, so you
just died for hair and suddenly it's like, oh my god,
Well it's the same temperament, right, It's the same thing
that came through, right. I mean I was looking at
(42:05):
something for you, and obviously a ton of pictures came up,
but from like Tommy Lee to It Tania to the
Winter Soldier, to Carter Bays into all these movies you
have coming out. I mean, you really do have so
many different different looks and these are significant changes set
Like Tommy Lee, this wasn't just like let's cut your hair.
This was like long, dark and tattooed, and then you
(42:27):
learn to play the drums like it's phenomenal. I'm basically
your publicist, I know. Yeah I should I a you.
I appreciate that. Yeah. Look, that was a huge challenging,
kind of scary thing. I mean, I you know, Craig Gillespie,
who had done Itania was the one who called me
and said, you know, I think I'd love for you
(42:48):
to play this role. And I was like, amazing, Uh,
because I don't have a tattoo on my body, you
know what I mean, I'm not and I couldn't even
have the patience to lay the piano, so like I'm
not a musician, right, So it's like I just felt
in my head, I'm like where I mean, thank god
he felt I could play this for all because I
(43:10):
I wouldn't be looking at me to be like, you know,
one of the most famous drummers in the world from
like in this epic band or something. But fortunately I
was a like once in a while, an opportunity like
that comes where somebody goes, you know, trust me, like
maybe this isn't the guy who looks exactly or whatever,
but like, let's just take a shot. And and then yeah,
(43:33):
I felt, you know, I just needed to get really
as as close as I could to what he looked like.
And we had an amazing hair and makeup team. And
and also Lily James, another amazing actress, and Shaleyne Woodley
you worked with like you've really Sebastian. It's like Shaleen.
Also I loved working with I mean, yeah, I really
(43:55):
I really lucked out. I can't. Well, they're all very
very lucky and blessed to work with you too, obviously so,
but yeah, Lily James and as Pamela Anderson when those
pictures came out, I mean, she looks you guys both
look amazing. I think I sent you a picture of
Brad and I. We went as Pam and Tommy for Halloween.
It was so fun. But yeah, I'm just I'm very
(44:16):
excited for that. Um Okay, I'm gonna play a quote.
I'm gonna say a quote, and you have to say
who you think it is from the show. Okay, he
looks like Matthew McConaughey between movies. That's a great line.
That's a great line. I know, Um, Blair, No, it
(44:40):
looks like Matthew McConaughey between movies. It's Chuck to Nate
about Carter Basin. It's a really good line, though, you
are right. Oh god, that's such a great line. Okay, Um,
true gentlemen are a rare breed. Oh my god, this
is I'm gonna be about this area. Can you guys
(45:03):
play two? Gentlemen are a red breed? It was CC,
which I would have never guessed either, CC to you
episode ten. All right, at least I have to remember
if some of these have to do with Carter. Okay, well,
who really cares what her name is? Right? God, bless America?
That's Blair. Come on, well, who really cares what her
(45:27):
name is? Right? God bless America? That's me? Oh my god, listen,
I didn't get one of mine right, And it was
stuff I said. Yeah, Okay, Chuck always has a card
up his sleeve. That's me. Chuck always has a card
up his sleeve. Gossip girl, Yeah, that was all of them,
(45:53):
but honestly, they're very hard because a lot of them,
so anyone could have really said, you know what I mean, yeah,
but it's just the lines that I got, you know. Yeah,
here's what her name is. God, blessing God, bless America. Terrible,
too funny. Well, I don't know, I don't really want
to get off because I'm having so much fun and
I miss you so much, but this is like really
(46:14):
really I miss you too, um and listen, I'm I'm
just really happy that you're doing it. You know. It's
fun to kind of reminisce and talk about and and
sometimes like look back and look at the things that
you know, we've we've learned and and and that's you know.
So I hope. I don't know what your plant is,
but yeah you could. I if you're still doing this
next year, we could always do a part two, another one,
(46:36):
Part two. I'd love that. I want to hug you too, Pamma, Tommy.
Tommy is coming out of a very second on Hulu. Okay,
I'm like so pumped for this. All right, Well, I'll
talk to you soon either way, for sure, but thank
you for coming on. It was very I'm so happy
that you look great and I and you sound great,
(46:57):
and we'll definitely be seeing each other, yeah very soon here,
Oh my god. Okay, I know it's not quite New
Year's anymore, but I do hope your year is still happy.
I sure loved kicking off two by talking with seb
(47:19):
I just love that guy so much, and he's just
so unbelievably talented. By the way, be sure to check
him out in Pam and Tommy and Fresh on Hulu
and The three five, and then for next week, I
have one of our friends. You might know her as
Blair's right hand girl or the iconic line in the
pilot someone saw Serena getting off the train at Grand
Central bringing any bells, that's right. Nicole Pacella, also known
(47:42):
as Isabelle Coats, is on the podcast, So tune in
next week for our conversation. Until next time, x O
x O x O XO is produced by Propagate Content
and Met Jessica's Or. Our show is executive douced by Lingley.
Our producers are Diego Tapia, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris.
(48:04):
Original music by Moxie and Lune, and the episode was
mixed by seth ol Lansky.
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