"Steve Zahn"

SmartLess

Comedian and actor Steve Zahn joins the podcast 'SmartLess' for a candid conversation about his career, personal anecdotes from childhood, a

Key takeaways

• Steve Zahn reflects on the emotional trauma of childhood nudity during group showers and camp activities.

Main topics

• Childhood experiences with nudity and group showers

Notable quotes

"I'm just waiting here. I'm waiting patiently to be on SmartLess."

Conclusion

Steve Zahn leaves the episode with a sense of humor and humility, reflecting

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:05) Hi, this is Steve Zahn, and I just went through an intense tech setup with my mic and my computer, and I'm ready to go. I'm just waiting here. I'm waiting patiently to be on SmartList. Welcome to SmartList. All right, surprise guests, give us a clap if you're still with us, please. Speaker 1 (0:47) We are rolling. Speaker 4 (0:48) Oh, wow. Speaker 1 (0:49) That's intense. Speaker 4 (0:49) That's a dude. We're Speaker 2 (0:52) going Speaker 4 (0:52) to go tarps off today, guys. I Speaker 3 (0:55) almost sent you an article last night. So we talked about tarps off. It wasn't even a Canadian article. I never heard that before. Speaker 1 (1:02) Is that an old saying? Yeah. It is? I never heard that. Speaker 4 (1:06) Canadian old. Speaker 1 (1:07) You know, when I was in junior high school, they would do shirts. Oh, hang Speaker 4 (1:09) on. Let me settle in. Speaker 1 (1:12) They would do shirts and skins, you know, like. And I was so like... I would Speaker 3 (1:18) always be afraid Speaker 1 (1:18) to be skinned because I wasn't happy with my body. Same. By the way, it's traumatic for children to be like, hey, take your shirts off, dudes, against the guys who get to keep them on. It's like, why is that a thing? Speaker 3 (1:30) Yeah, I wonder if you can still do that. Is it politically not okay to say, Speaker 1 (1:35) you take your shirt off, you keep yours on. And the same, right. And the same with showers after. Like I remember being 12 years old, guys hit the showers. I'm like, I don't want to... be naked in front of my friends. Were you always on the shower team? Speaker 3 (1:48) Guys, can I be team captain showers? Speaker 4 (1:52) What sport are you doing this semester? I'm taking showering. I'm quarterback of the shower team. Speaker 1 (2:00) You know, though, isn't that so dramatic? Yeah, I went to all Speaker 4 (2:02) boys boarding school, dude. I had to shower every Speaker 1 (2:05) day. I mean, what is the thinking behind that? That like, oh, they'll be fine. They'll work it out. They're just boys. And I'm like, no, we're all sensitive. Anyway, moving on. Speaker 3 (2:17) Huh. Huh. Just drop us off right there, Sean. Thanks. I guess we'll find our way home from here. Speaker 1 (2:24) No, you know what I mean? It was just awful. It was awful. I was in camp. I remember I had to take music camp. Oh, he's got Speaker 3 (2:31) more. Speaker 4 (2:35) Off the top of my head with Sean Hayes. Camp stories. I Speaker 1 (2:41) had to take a shower and it was really cold. Did I already tell this story? Oh, that explains Speaker 4 (2:47) it. Speaker 1 (2:47) There's a super long line. And there was a line of like 100 guys in line to take one shower at a time. And by the time I got there, the water was so cold. I was, it was freezing. And I, you know, you lose your breath when the water's not, like, you can't get your breath. And I was like, and everybody was staring at me taking a shower. I don't know. It's just so awful. Did your Speaker 3 (3:09) folks get a deal on the camp? This is 100 people for the one shower with the no hot water? Yeah, right. Speaker 1 (3:16) It was Speaker 3 (3:16) a Speaker 1 (3:16) music camp. It was awful. Speaker 4 (3:18) Wait a second. That's it? Speaker 1 (3:19) Yeah, I mean. Full story. Just the same as always. Well, I think we can start rolling now. Speaker 1 (3:26) Sean, Speaker 3 (3:27) you've got a GEPD hat on that is some sort of a police department that is... Glen Ellen. Glen Ellen. Got Speaker 4 (3:35) it. Glen Ellen. Glen Ellen. Glen Ellen. That's in Speaker 3 (3:39) the Chicago suburbs? That is it. Speaker 4 (3:43) I'm just looking in the chat there. I don't know if you guys want to click on that. Oh, yeah. In the chat, there's Jason with his shirt off. Speaker 3 (3:48) Let me see. Speaker 4 (3:50) After every Speaker 1 (3:50) ocean. Speaker 4 (3:51) Toweling off in the Mediterranean. Hey, man, you know. Keep it relatable. That's Speaker 3 (3:56) something you can Speaker 1 (3:57) Google if anybody wants to Google. You do look good, though, JB. Yeah, you look really good. No, Speaker 3 (4:01) not really. I'm telling you, you do. That's a Speaker 1 (4:03) dad Speaker 3 (4:03) bod Speaker 1 (4:04) right there. That's a dad bod who's been working out. Speaker 3 (4:06) Oh, that is. So that's my shower shot, right? I know. See? It's embarrassing. You're never Speaker 4 (4:12) nude, right? Speaker 3 (4:13) God, remember that show. Speaker 4 (4:15) By Speaker 3 (4:15) the way, I got a bunch of – I think it's – I want to give out the correct website, but I'm going to guess at davidcross.com. But I went on David's website for his stand-up site where he's got a lot of his performances on there, which is awesome. And I bought myself a bunch of swag. I've got David Cross. T-shirts. That's cool. Hats. Speaker 1 (4:43) No Speaker 3 (4:43) worries. That's great. And they threw in a beer cozy. And I sent a picture to David once it arrived at the house. I said, hey, man, I just wanted you to know I'm a fan and I've been buying stuff. I don't know what site I was on, but it was some sort of a link or somehow I got to his website. And I was like, oh, look at all of this stuff. He's got merch, you guys. That's great. So I don't know. If you like David Cross like I do, go get yourself a T-shirt. I love David. We Speaker 4 (5:10) love ourselves some David Cross. Yeah, yeah. He should come back on the show. He should. We're doing repeats now, aren't we? We're going to do repeats. Well, this one's not. No? This Speaker 3 (5:20) is a fresh new meat? This is fresh Speaker 4 (5:22) new meat. Speaker 3 (5:23) With heavy hands. Speaker 4 (5:25) A loud clap. Yeah. This guy knows how to clap. Speaker 3 (5:29) Sure does. Speaker 4 (5:30) And you probably learned it from all the audiences clapping for him. He's Speaker 3 (5:34) a Speaker 4 (5:34) musician? He's not a musician. He's a performer. A magician, maybe. His acting is sometimes magic. You know how good magicians are Speaker 3 (5:44) on podcasts. We Speaker 4 (5:46) learned that lesson. Look at this. Speaker 4 (5:50) They're an easy booking. Watch this. I would describe some of his performances as magic. He grew up in Minnesota. There was a time where he thought about joining the Marines before he started pursuing acting. And then we got to see him in so many amazing movies and stuff over the years. Way back when, all the way to today, movies like... Reality Bites, which he was so good. Pause. Speaker 3 (6:15) And Speaker 4 (6:15) he does this thing where he goes through independent film and big studio films, and then he does, like, Crimson Tide with Tony Scott, and then he was in That Thing You Do, which has become, like, a cult hit. And then he did Happy Texas, which he was amazing in. I remember him in Speaker 1 (6:29) Suburbia. Steve Speaker 4 (6:30) Zahn? You guys did Steve Zahn? How about Speaker 2 (6:32) Steve Zahn? Oh! Speaker 2 (6:35) Hey, Steve. I love Speaker 3 (6:37) Steve Speaker 1 (6:37) Zahn. I love me some Steve Zahn. Speaker 3 (6:39) Sam Speaker 1 (6:40) Rockwell was showing me some pictures of Steve Zahn the other Speaker 3 (6:43) day, and I just lit up like Speaker 1 (6:44) a tree. I Speaker 4 (6:46) didn't even get the chance to mention his movie, She Dances, which is available now, which I wanted to get into. Steve will ask you about that, but welcome to Smart List, man. Speaker 2 (6:54) Huge fan. Thank you. I'm so stoked to be on this show. This is a guest. Yeah, this is. I'm a Speaker 1 (7:00) big fan of yours, Steve. Big fan. Speaker 2 (7:03) I'm a fan of all you guys. And I got to say, like, how is it that in 30 years, I have not been in the same room with any of you? Speaker 3 (7:15) No, Speaker 2 (7:15) I Speaker 3 (7:15) know. Where are you living? Where do you and your macaroni art live? Speaker 1 (7:21) That's the name of his production company. Macaroni art. Yeah, you got a piece of Speaker 4 (7:24) macaroni Speaker 1 (7:24) art. Speaker 3 (7:24) Macaroni art is the Speaker 4 (7:24) name of his production company, right, Steve? Yeah, Speaker 3 (7:26) it is. Speaker 4 (7:26) Is that true? That's it. That's crazy. Speaker 3 (7:29) So, listener, you should know there's a painting behind him with an elbow macaroni upside down in the shape of a U just over his left shoulder. That's it. It's a brick wall, Steve, and some art that is macaroni. That's the name of his company. And the Speaker 2 (7:43) brick wall is in Midway, Kentucky. Wow. Speaker 3 (7:46) Well, that's why we haven't seen you for 30 years. Speaker 2 (7:49) Yeah. Well, you know, I've always kind of lived outside the world. Yeah. I Speaker 4 (7:57) like Speaker 3 (7:58) that. But thank God you're still finding your way to our movie screens and TV screens. Speaker 2 (8:02) Yeah. Did you Speaker 3 (8:03) ever live in Los Angeles, Steve? No, because, you Speaker 2 (8:06) know, back in the day when you actually worked in Los Angeles, I would just, I would rent a place for a long time and it was great. Speaker 3 (8:14) Oakwoods? Speaker 2 (8:15) Yeah, I've stayed at the Oakwoods and Marina Del Rey when I did That Thing You Do. Speaker 3 (8:20) Uh-huh. But Speaker 2 (8:21) so I was, you know, I was like, well, if I can rent a house. for an extended period of time and live in a different neighborhood all the time. I'd buy. But I was New Speaker 3 (8:32) York. I was New York. You were. Okay. Yeah. Speaker 2 (8:35) And then I met my wife a long time ago, 1990. And we met doing national tour, Bye Bye Birdie. Speaker 1 (8:43) Oh, wow. I'm in. Sean, cool it, Sean. With Tommy Speaker 2 (8:48) Tune and Anne Rankin. Really? Take it easy, Sean. It was crazy. Fuck. Which part were you? I was Hugo. Speaker 1 (8:55) Hugo. Of course you were Hugo. It was 13 Speaker 2 (8:58) months on the road. Anyway, we got back and then we had tour money. And we thought we were rich. And so we bought a little cabin in Pennsylvania. And then we didn't work. So we had to give up the apartment. live in this cabin. And then we commuted to New York. So really early on. Speaker 3 (9:17) You got used to not being in the city. Speaker 2 (9:19) Yeah, exactly. Well, Speaker 3 (9:21) now, and you're not the kind of fellow that needs to go in there and take a bunch of meetings. People know what's going on with Steve Zahn. They know what they know. It's like you make a call. It's Speaker 4 (9:32) a Speaker 3 (9:32) lot Speaker 4 (9:32) of Speaker 3 (9:32) get me Steve Speaker 4 (9:33) Zahn. Speaker 3 (9:33) Any chance Steve Zahn is available? I don't care where we got to fly him in from. We just need them. Speaker 1 (9:39) Yeah. Speaker 3 (9:40) No, Speaker 2 (9:40) you know. You're like a special firefighter. I will Speaker 3 (9:44) say, Speaker 4 (9:44) Steve, I remember hearing that you are like a special firefighter. Yeah, let's get him in here and put it out. He's a problem solver. You solve problems for people. I'm a solving problem. No, but I remember hearing that you lived in like Pennsylvania or something way back when because I was always such a fan. I was like, that's so fucking cool that he doesn't even live in Speaker 3 (10:04) the city. Yeah, we don't Speaker 4 (10:06) have, Speaker 3 (10:06) the three of us don't have the balls to live outside the city. I certainly, I'm too afraid to miss the meeting. I know. But you guys Speaker 2 (10:13) are all New York, right? Speaker 3 (10:14) No, just soft LA. Speaker 4 (10:17) I'm Speaker 3 (10:18) both. I lived in New York for a long Speaker 4 (10:19) time. Speaker 3 (10:20) Sean, he's got both, too. These guys are doing real well, Steve. Speaker 4 (10:23) Yeah. No, but I was a New York guy back in the 90s, you know, for 20 Speaker 1 (10:26) years. Speaker 4 (10:26) Man, Speaker 1 (10:26) just Speaker 4 (10:26) when you thought Speaker 2 (10:27) you were doing good. Speaker 1 (10:28) Yeah. You know what, though, Steve? It's true. When Jason just said, wherever he is, we'll make it work. You pop up and, like, when you popped up in The White Lotus, I was like, oh, my God, you're brilliant in that. And then I watched Silo, and I was like, is that Steve Zahn? Is that Steve Zahn behind the door? That was amazing. Thanks. You pop up in the most unique places. How do you, do they come to you? Is it something you seek out? You're like, I love that show because it seems like you're on all the good ones. Speaker 2 (10:56) Well, no, Silo, they approached me. Rebecca did. She actually, Rebecca saw a short that we did that Macaroni Art did. We did a series of shorts called Uncandid Portrait. And I played this like, I played this. fictional artist, this photographer that's famous for taking photographs of fireworks. And Speaker 1 (11:18) it Speaker 2 (11:19) was this short and she saw it and she was like, oh my God, he'd be perfect for this part. Speaker 1 (11:22) Yeah, for my sister who doesn't watch, it's Rebecca Ferguson, brilliant actress. Speaker 2 (11:27) Yes, she's amazing. And really cool. Anyway, but White Lotus, that was one of the last times I've been, I went on tape. Speaker 3 (11:37) Yeah. Wow. Audition. Speaker 2 (11:39) And Speaker 3 (11:39) now what about that process? Do you prefer the self-taping as opposed to going into a room? Speaker 2 (11:47) I don't do it that much. I mean, usually I get an offer, but it's like... Speaker 3 (11:53) But it's nicer, right? Because you don't have to send it in until you're happy with it. Exactly. I was always afraid I was Speaker 4 (11:59) going Speaker 3 (11:59) to shit my pants in the room, you know? Speaker 4 (12:01) Yeah. That's because you're in all those diuretics, too. Speaker 3 (12:04) Yeah. Just trying to drop water weight constantly. It just runs havoc with the valve. Speaker 2 (12:12) But you know what? Also, it's like whenever I remember reading, you know, being in New York and going in and auditioning, like three of us, and there was like... 70 guys there. Three of us. You know, remember that? And like Sam Rockwell was there and, you know, Rick Gomez was there and, you know, everybody was there. Josh Hamilton. Thoreau using Speaker 3 (12:32) the office scissors there to tend to the sleeves. Speaker 2 (12:35) But you would go in and you would read with someone that might not be that great. And so, the instinct of an actor is to make that moment good. So you might do something completely different than what you planned. Speaker 3 (12:47) Right, because the other hand is clapping in a real weird way. All right. Speaker 2 (12:51) Anyway. Yeah. Speaker 3 (12:53) That's a great point. So wait, hey, while I got you there, let me ask you about that. Speaker 1 (12:57) Yeah, he's not going anywhere. Speaker 3 (12:59) We got you for a little bit, right? Yeah. While I got you. Speaker 1 (13:03) But Speaker 3 (13:03) I was just talking to somebody about that, and Speaker 1 (13:06) I Speaker 3 (13:06) don't want to get into bullshit actor weeds here, but you are a guy who clearly has many different pitches in his arsenal, and you can throw the ball a bunch of different ways, and I won't torture the metaphor, but if you're working with an actor that is doing something, wildly different than what you assumed the night before when you were running your lines and making your plan for how you're going to do the scene tomorrow. And you show up on set and that other actor is doing it completely differently than one would assume. Are you okay with pivoting and taking a different angle on your character just as you said to make that scene work? Because a lot of actors, I find they just... They don't