John Cusack

Happy Sad Confused

In this episode of Happy Sad Confused, John Cusack joins Josh Horowitz to discuss his transition from 80s/90s teen icon to graphic novelist. The

Key takeaways

• Cusack's new graphic novel 'Momo' was a self-financed, collaborative effort with illustrator Ignacio Noe.
• He recounts a wild anecdote where Hunter S. Thompson had him steal Glenn Frey's car immediately after arriving at the airport.

Main topics

• Graphic novel Momo
• Hunter S. Thompson friendship

Notable quotes

I will be the first non-biblical action star in the history of an action movie to wear sandals throughout a film.

Conclusion

A nostalgic and insightful look at a storied career, offering both rev

Transcript preview

Speaker 4 (0:00) I said I will be the first non Speaker 2 (0:03) -biblical action star in the history of an action movie to wear sandals throughout a film. It's like post-Heston, non-biblical, there's one guy. Speaker 3 (0:16) I'm gonna die on the sill. Speaker 1 (0:18) Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Speaker 3 (0:27) Hey guys, it's Josh. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Today on the show, we've got John Cusack here, guys. An absolute icon of the 80s, the 90s, all the way up until today. This man has been in more iconic films than I can count on two hands, and we cover a lot of them on this one. I'm so thrilled this one happened. Thanks guys, as always, for checking out the podcast. Remember to check out our Patreon if you want to support us. That's the best way to do it. Patreon.com slash happy. Say I confused bonus materials, early access, access to our live events, and so much more. Check it out. Okay, so John Cusack. This is one of those. What am I doing even trying to give an introduction to John Cusack? You know him and love him from Con Air, Say Anything, Gross Point Blank, High Fidelity, on and on and on. He's one of the best. And he's a part of like my, I don't know, my maturation as a film lover and probably yours. So many iconic roles. And we honestly cover a ton of them in this. He has a new graphic novel out. This is a new newest expression of his artistic vision. And I'm so proud to support it. It is called Momo. It is wild. It is trippy. It is definitely influenced by his old buddy, the dearly departed Hunter S. Thompson. We talk about that relationship in this and more. So check it out if you wanted to support what John Cusack does. Check out Momo. It's a new graphic novel on Amazon. Wherever you get your graphic novels, check it out. All right, let's get to the main event because he doesn't do a lot of these kind of long-form conversations. So this is a treat. Here is me and the iconic John Cusack, everybody. John Cusack. How are you, sir? It's so good to see you, man. It's so good to see you. Thank you for doing the podcast. Thanks for having me. You don't do a lot of this, so this means a lot to me. I'm obviously a fan of everything you've done as a, look, you're an actor, you're an activist, you're a writer. You're now a graphic novelist. Look at this. It's true. How does this feel to look at that in print? It exists. It's real, John. It feels good. Speaker 2 (2:19) It feels fun. Speaker 4 (2:20) It feels Speaker 2 (2:21) like Speaker 4 (2:21) we were just talking a little bit before we started. It was fun just to write something and say, okay. I kind of think this is good and done, you know, and usually, you know, you can keep obsessing and rewriting things all the time. But I said, I'm just going to I think the script is done. And then I said, let me find a cool writer. And a good friend of mine connected me with Ignacio No. And I saw his work and he was so it was so beautiful. And he responded and he said he really wanted to do it. So we just did it together. you know self-financed i like i financed it Speaker 3 (2:59) doesn't have to go through committees doesn't have to go through we need 20 million dollars to get this off the ground you can just expunge all the creativity from your soul there Speaker 2 (3:09) was no pitches there was no nothing right yeah and so we just did it and then um Speaker 4 (3:13) and Speaker 2 (3:14) i Speaker 4 (3:14) said to him you know Your full creative partner don't draw anything. You don't want to do Make yourself completely happy with it or as happy as you can be and if you want to collaborate we will but if not, you know like just Your I wrote Speaker 2 (3:29) it now you do your thing And so it was a very very like cool fun and pure experience just to make something with like one other person. Yeah Speaker 3 (3:38) So, you know, you're totally I totally get it and I and I I'm glad it's brought you here today because there's a lot to talk about. And like this particular project, it's fascinating to me because, look, you've been a part of some amazing, iconic works over the years. What I'm curious about is like, is the dopamine hit you get out of this similar? Is it different? Are you feeling like a different kind of, I don't know, rush? out of this experience versus writing gross point blank being and say anything like these these movies that mean a lot to a lot of people yeah Speaker 4 (4:09) i think it's like it's it's similar or or it's a little bit higher probably because you know when you write a screenplay or whatever it is it's still your You can just do it the way you want it. Yeah, unless you're you know selling it to somebody and you're writing for someone else But I've a lot of stuff I've done I just do like on spec, you know, I just I write my things I like yeah, and that is really fun because you know, it's just how you imagine you don't have to like sell it to anybody or justify things and This was like a pure Russian man my buddy Mark Lehner and I it's It originated Speaker 2 (4:47) we were both really interested in our toe Speaker 2 (4:51) because he's just a fascinating figure. This Speaker 3 (4:53) is a French artist. The Speaker 2 (4:55) surrealist, you know. And he was the one, like, Andre Breton and all those guys said he was the one who never relented. Like, he was just the guy, right? He just pushed it farther and farther and farther and was committed. And he was a silent film star. He was in Joan of Arc and all that stuff. But he was really kind of a radical guy. And even his philosophies and theories are unachievable. but that's kind of the point he was just he's kind of a wizard we thought you know and we were like what would be a great movie about our toe and we were trying to think of it and that one time we had mark we had the idea of full metal our toe which would be like a if he was some sort of robotic thing no that's no good and then it's sort of i can go it got well it got there but then the the Speaker 2 (5:44) The origination was, Mark and I were sitting and I said, the best version of, it was in Speaker 4 (5:49) the, he wrote it in the foreword, that it's actually a true story. I did try to bribe him, not really. But I said the best version of an Artaud movie would be Artaud rising out of the sea like Godzilla and smashing, you know, Speaker 2 (6:04) AI, tech, all the future civilization. There's a Speaker 3 (6:07) little bit of that towards the end of this. Well, yeah, that's the end of it, right? Speaker 2 (6:10) And so, but then we said, well, the... That movie would be, oh, to the theme of the Munsters. Obviously. Of course. Sorry, I left that Speaker 3 (6:18) out. To be fair, the theme of the Munsters goes with everything. It makes everything a little better. Speaker 2 (6:22) Yeah, I think so. Speaker 2 (6:24) We knew that would be the best version of the our tone movie, but then we both agreed like there's no other our tone movie to make But that would be a two-minute movie or a three-minute movie so then and Speaker 4 (6:37) then I started to think about Jackie Gleason and Richard Nixon and the alien heads as one does and I came to the conclusion with some top secret documents that were handed to me that perhaps Artaud did not die in the insane asylum on the south of France, but the Jackie Gleason, yes, the Jackie Gleason. Speaker 2 (7:01) arranged Eagle will dare commando style raid to extract him You Speaker 3 (7:08) say it out loud it makes more sense now Speaker 2 (7:10) I get it Speaker 6 (7:11) now Speaker 2 (7:11) you see what I'm saying like you're trying to put things together were Speaker 6 (7:14) any psychedelics Speaker 3 (7:15) used or consumed in the making of this Speaker 2 (7:17) well I think I've had psychedelic used and consumed in my life right so maybe based some could residuals yes could be based in that but it is Speaker 3 (7:26) like it does but it also has like it's Speaker 2 (7:28) an homage to lots of genres and things that I love. It's a Speaker 3 (7:32) road trip. It's a buddy thing. So there's Speaker 2 (7:34) a lot of things, you know, references that I love, you know, but there's definitely some Hunter in there, you know, I was going to Speaker 3 (7:41) say, I mean, there's no doubt. Speaker 2 (7:42) I mean, Speaker 3 (7:42) Hunter S. Thompson, it's Speaker 2 (7:43) like a fan fiction novel of something that doesn't exist. I Speaker 3 (7:47) was going to ask. Does that make sense? Speaker 2 (7:48) Totally. I Speaker 3 (7:49) was going to actually ask you, you knew Hunter? Yeah. He was Speaker 6 (7:51) a friend. Speaker 3 (7:52) I mean, that's, you were talking before, like one of the pleasures of your life, one of the gifts is like the people you've collected, the people you've gotten to know through your crazy life. Yes. To know Hunter. Yes. What was that relationship? What did he, what was it like to be in his presence where shotguns fired was like the whole experience? All of it. Speaker 4 (8:10) All of it. He was great. Corey was a Southern gentleman and a romantic and idealist and, and, you know, obviously a disillusioned idealist. He was. Always the smartest guy in the room. Probably the funniest human being I've ever met. A wild animal that could be dangerous, but a very loyal guy. So the relationship, I mean, I went out to see him at Woody Creek a few times and very memorable Speaker 6 (8:42) stories. Like, would you see him turn? No, no, no. He was always great. Speaker 2 (8:50) It was just like... When he picked us up at the airport, he was in one of his Cadillacs, and then he drove in and he said, oh, okay, Speaker 4 (9:00) but you see that car on there? The car over there? If you could just grab that and follow me to the farm. So right off the bat, he had me steal Speaker 2 (9:09) Glenn Fry's car. So it was right off the bat like Grand Theft Auto. Not even out of the airport, just out of the airport. And then when we got there, he's like, Do you play golf? Speaker 4 (9:22) Do you shoot? I was like, sure. And he set up a, he goes, I'm going to get back inside for a minute. You know, affidavits I've got to sign, whatever. And he set up something called Shotgun Golf where it's like a pitch and Speaker 2 (9:35) putt with a flag, but if you can blow the ball out of the air, you know, fair play. So that was like within the first half hour. Speaker 6 (9:45) Right, and then? Speaker 3 (9:46) The other stuff is not. So he put on a nice Speaker 2 (9:48) show. It was a nice show. He said, yes, come out. And on the weekend, there will be games. Some will be legal. Some will not. Most will not. But he was also like, I mean, look, he was. Speaker 2 (10:02) The the myth and the legend of you know, that was one part but he was also a guy that woke up and read everything and was Brilliant brilliant guy. Speaker 3 (10:12) So he's in your mind a bit when you're writing this. Speaker 6 (10:15) I mean, Speaker 2 (10:15) yeah, there's I don't think there's a there's some writers and some influences that affect you so hard you can't, it's impossible to get their tone or their comic sensibility out of your head. And all you can do is like sometimes pay homage to it. Because it's just, he's sort of like Lono, the god of fun. But he was a very great guy. And then most of the relationship back then would be at night. And Speaker 4 (10:42) I would get lots of faxes and things and he would send me stuff and I would send him stuff. So you were talking to him. on the phone because this was before all the stuff. Speaker 3 (10:52) You must have like a half dozen of these people. Like who's like Brando in your Speaker 2 (10:56) life? Like did Speaker 3 (10:57) you, Brando? No, no, no. Speaker 2 (11:00) I do have some amazing people that I've met. But in the, we have like a book, another book Speaker 4 (11:07) coming out with like more stuff in it. Right. And in that I have all, a lot of the facts correspondence that between Hunter and me, all the late nights you'll see like 1991, right? And he's... And you know and I would send him things like I try to work them up like I send him a Wall Street Speaker 2 (11:22) Journal article about like these pansexual snails that were brought in from And so then it became a story about pansexual snails inviting the White House Speaker 2 (11:38) And so I like I have the article I sent him and then I have the story. Speaker 3 (11:43) You need to release the Hunter files. It sounds like you are releasing the Hunter files. There's some Speaker 2 (11:47) Hunter Speaker 4 (11:47) files, but they're all it's all it's all love. And then I did a version of his. I did a version of Fear and Loathing on Las Vegas on stage. And then he had Ralph Steadman make the cover art for it. And that was what that went on the Rolling Stone cover of Fear and Loathing at Elko. He did that for our show. Amazing. So Speaker 2 (12:08) I've had, Speaker 4 (12:08) yes. Speaker 3 (12:09) What about here's Speaker 2 (12:10) a Speaker 3 (12:10) random one that's not so random because there's a lot of exorcists in this. Did you know Friedkin? Did you know? Speaker 4 (12:15) I did admit William Friedkin and we had talked about doing a show together. I was like, William Friedkin wants to do a show. I was like, yeah, he goes, we'll send you the script. I was like, why? I'm going to do it. You can send it, but I mean, I don't, Speaker 3 (12:33) I'm Speaker 4 (12:35) going to, I want to work with William Friedkin, right? And what I found was fascinating was we had to go around to all the studios and pitch it and they turned down William Friedkin. I mean, I was just like, Speaker 3 (12:48) French Connection, Exorcist, like two of the literal perfect movies in the universe. I Speaker 2 (12:53) just stared at them like, I couldn't believe, Speaker 4 (12:55) I mean, I didn't know during the pitches, but. Speaker 6 (12:59) I Speaker 4 (12:59) guess they know better. Yeah, well. But no, I've gotten to meet so many wonderful people. It Speaker 3 (13:05) is arguably the greatest gift of something like this, an unexpected gift, to enter a club you didn't know existed. Speaker 2 (13:12) Yeah, I wouldn't say it was like that because that sounds sort of like... You know as you get older you realize everybody wants to be in the VIP club and there is no VIP club There's Speaker 3 (13:24) always Speaker 2 (13:24) another Speaker 3 (13:24) relevant rope to get right right Speaker 2 (13:26) and the people that you meet that are awesome like Don't kind of say fuck it. They don't make the knowledge the VIP club. Yeah, exactly. They're all outcasts Yeah, Speaker 3 (13:35) exactly like Speaker 4 (13:36) I got to Yeah, it just was strange because I was working when I was such a young kid. I started when I was a teenager. And so I got to actually meet some of my heroes and actually work with them. I mean, yeah. I mean, I got to work with Al Pacino, who became a friend. And he is also one of the great, great human beings and one of the funniest guys you'll ever meet. Yeah. Speaker 6 (13:57) And just such an original mind. he's yeah he i mean i'm privileged enough that he's Speaker 3 (14:02) been on the podcast Speaker 6 (14:03) oh wow so Speaker 3 (14:04) you know well i mean we all know i mean like that mind is just going a thousand different places at once and you're just trying to like follow it as best you can but it's like he's got all the stories all the wonderful eccentricities and he's the greatest actor ever so it's it's everything more happy say confused coming up Speaker 8 (14:27) From the parents behind Law & Order comes a mystery the whole family can enjoy. Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries. Step into the whimsical world of Patrick Picklebottom, a precocious 11-year-old with a love for reading and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Inspired by the beloved children's book of the same name, this podcast vividly brings Patrick's tales of deduction and everyday adventures to life as he unravels baffling enigmas and solves clever cases. Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grown-ups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 5 (15:11) You've got your favorite blanket, a freshly poured drink, and a cold case burning a hole in your streaming queue. You're not just watching true crime, you're running the investigation from the comfort of your couch. Welcome to Murder, She Watched, the podcast where we recap, dissect, and slightly overanalyze some of the best and craziest true crime documentaries on our favorite streamers. Did the spouse do it? Why is the shady neighbor wearing leather gloves in July? Why did this guy agree to be interviewed in this documentary? We ask the tough questions that you're often just screaming at your TV. So every week we break down the twists, red herrings, and absurd documentaries that have kept you up all night. It's high drama, cozy vibes, and absolute couch detective energy. Grab your throw blanket and hit subscribe. Search Murder, She Watched wherever you listen to podcasts, and let's solve this thing together. Speaker 3 (16:13) I mean, you know, you reference kind of like you kind of came of age. You were a teenager when like the short thing happens, which is your first leading. Yeah. Is that the is that the shift point for you that you think of when kind of fame and kind of, I don't know, a shift in your life happened? Is that the demarcation point when you look back or? Speaker 2 (16:33) Well, yeah, because I was I went from being in Speaker 4 (16:37) high school, like in study class to being on a set with Jacqueline Bessette. I mean, like. what is it you know i yeah that's what i was in like a sophomore in high school and that's just luck because they happen to be making movies in chicago you Speaker 3 (16:51) were at a good time when chicago john he was all these films yeah yeah so i happened to be of Speaker 4 (16:55) age and was interested in acting and sort of doing it and you know um and so i was lucky enough to get a get a get a part and then get another one and then um i was still a junior in high school and I auditioned for Rob Reiner's The Sure Thing, and he hired me. And so I basically, you know, that was my first lead role. Speaker 2 (17:17) Were Speaker 3 (17:17) you... How would you Speaker 2 (17:19) - So like demarcation point is sort of like, I was a teenager and I got to jump into this world. But you'd Speaker 3 (17:24) already done a couple smaller roles. Yes. Like Speaker 2 (17:26) were you going Speaker 3 (17:27) up? Because you did, you were part of the John Hughes world a little bit. You were in- I was in one of his movies. Speaker 4 (17:33) Yeah, I was in 16 Candles. Speaker 3 (17:34) I'm surprised you actually didn't pop up in other things. There's like the, there's conjecture that like you were offered the Judd's role in Breakfast Club. No, no, no. I think Speaker 4 (17:43) there was one time, at one point where I think he thought he wanted me to do it. I think I would have done it. I thought it was a cool script. But it didn't go that way. Got it. And Speaker 3 (17:54) what do you remember of, like, how did you handle, what are the pros and cons of being a, this is going to make you gag, a teen idol, like, kind of like getting into that world, like, and getting that degree of fame and probably being on the cover of those magazines at the time? Was that, when you look back, was that fun? Was it overwhelming? Did you handle it well? No, I Speaker 4 (18:13) think, Speaker 4 (18:15) You know, they say fame is something that you know, you have to sort of deal with because you you don't really get prepared for it Especially when you're probably a teenager. So But I was lucky because I think maybe the way my parents weren't or the people that I admired You know, I Hadn't done