Danny McBride Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ
Summary
TLDRThe transcript offers an inside look into the creative process and experiences of actors and filmmakers in Hollywood. It covers the development and production of various movies and TV shows, including 'Tropic Thunder', 'This Is The End', 'The Foot Fist Way', 'Eastbound & Down', 'Vice Principals', 'Your Highness', 'Alien: Covenant', and 'The Righteous Gemstones'. The narrative is filled with anecdotes about working with renowned directors like Ridley Scott and actors such as Bill Murray and Robert Downey Jr., as well as the challenges and triumphs of independent filmmaking, the importance of character development, and the evolution of storytelling within different genres and formats.
Takeaways
- 🎬 The speaker reflects on the unique experience of making an R-rated movie intended for a younger audience, highlighting the self-indulgent nature of the project.
- 👨👦 The speaker's children have not yet seen the movie, but it is mentioned that it resonates well with 13-year-olds, and the speaker's son will be able to watch it soon.
- 🌟 The speaker describes the surreal experience of working with famous actors such as Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black, after a significant change in their career trajectory.
- 🎥 The speaker's role in 'Tropic Thunder' involved working with talented and successful individuals, which was both inspiring and challenging.
- 🎞 The speaker shares anecdotes from the set of various films, including the dynamic between actors and the director, and the process of handling studio notes.
- 📺 The speaker discusses the development of the character Fred Simmons in 'The Foot Fist Way', drawing from personal experiences and observations of people in the South.
- 📹 The filming process of 'The Foot Fist Way' is described as being very organic and spontaneous, with a focus on capturing genuine performances from the actors.
- 🏆 The speaker talks about the journey of 'The Foot Fist Way' from its initial reception at Sundance to being picked up by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company.
- 🎭 The creation of 'Eastbound and Down' is attributed to a desire to continue exploring the character of Kenny Powers in a longer format, beyond the constraints of a 90-minute movie.
- 🤣 The speaker emphasizes the importance of humor and comedic timing in their work, particularly in the context of creating relatable and engaging characters.
- 🏰 The speaker's experience working on 'Your Highness' is described as indulgent and fun, with the freedom to create a unique and unconventional movie.
Q & A
What was the speaker's perception of the movie they were working on compared to their previous projects?
-The speaker felt that the movie was self-indulgent, akin to making an R-rated movie for 13-year-olds, which was a departure from their earlier works.
How did the speaker describe their experience on the set of 'Tropic Thunder'?
-The speaker described it as movie star camp, a massive production with many actors they admired, and a situation where they had to hold their own among very talented and successful people.
What was the significance of the opening scene of the movie the speaker was in?
-The opening scene took almost three weeks to shoot, and it involved the speaker observing the filmmaking process and the actors, including Ben Stiller's character directing without arms.
How did the speaker's experience on 'This Is The End' differ from their other projects?
-The speaker described 'This Is The End' as a lot of fun, with a comedic mix in a bigger genre, and an atmosphere where everyone was going hard at each other with no limits.
What was the inspiration behind the character Fred Simmons in 'The Foot Fist Way'?
-Fred Simmons was inspired by a mix of personalities the creators had encountered growing up in the south, particularly in the context of martial arts schools.
How did the creators of 'The Foot Fist Way' approach casting for the film?
-They looked for kids with strong personalities rather than those trying to be characters, aiming to capture spontaneous and natural performances.
What was the initial reaction to the screening of 'The Foot Fist Way' at Sundance?
-Initially, about half the theater left during the screening, which was disappointing for the creators. However, interest from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay restored their confidence.
How did the idea for 'Eastbound and Down' evolve from 'The Foot Fist Way'?
-The creators wanted to avoid repeating the same story beats from 'The Foot Fist Way' and decided to explore the main character in a longer format, leading to the concept of 'Eastbound and Down'.
What was the significance of shooting 'Vice Principals' in Charleston?
-The creators were looking for a southern coastal town like Wilmington, North Carolina, where they had previously shot 'Eastbound'. A chance encounter with Bill Murray on a flight led them to Charleston.
How did the speaker's role in 'Alien: Covenant' come about?
-The speaker was cast in 'Alien: Covenant' due to the faith and encouragement of the film's creators, despite initially not pursuing acting as a career goal.
What inspired the creation of 'The Righteous Gemstones'?
-The idea for 'The Righteous Gemstones' was inspired by the prevalence of churches and religious stations in Charleston, combined with the creators' interest in exploring a crime family story.
Outlines
🎬 Behind the Scenes of Tropic Thunder and Other Hollywood Adventures
The paragraph discusses the experience of working on the movie set of 'Tropic Thunder', including the excitement of being on a real movie set after a year of casual projects. The speaker reflects on the challenges of keeping up with talented, successful individuals in the industry and the surreal experience of going from waiting tables to working with renowned actors like Stiller, Downey Jr., and Black. The anecdote highlights the intensity of shooting the opening scene, the comedic handling of studio notes by Ben Stiller, and the immersive nature of acting, as exemplified by Downey's constant character dialogue. The paragraph also touches on the process of working on other films like 'This Is The End' and 'The Foot Fist Way', emphasizing the fun and creativity involved in these projects.
🥋 Inspirations Behind Fred Simmons and the Making of 'The Foot Fist Way'
This paragraph delves into the inspirations behind the character Fred Simmons from 'The Foot Fist Way', drawing from the creators' experiences growing up in the south and their familiarity with martial arts culture. It discusses the filming process of the movie, shot on Super 16 film, which made every frame and take significant. The creators' approach to casting was to find personalities rather than trained actors, aiming for authenticity. The paragraph also describes the emotional journey of the creators from the Sundance Film Festival to getting their film picked up by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez. The narrative continues with the development of the TV show 'Eastbound and Down', highlighting the growth and changes within the creators' team over time.
🎥 The Evolution of Characters and Collaborations in Comedy
The speaker shares insights into the development of characters and the collaborative process behind creating comedic content. The paragraph covers the creation of the character Kenny Powers from 'Eastbound and Down', exploring the idea of challenging the audience's affection for the main character. The transition from the movie 'The Foot Fist Way' to the TV show is discussed, with the intention of expanding the narrative canvas. The paragraph also touches on the creative process of working with other comedians and the improvisational nature of certain scenes, as well as the experience of filming in different locations and the impact of these experiences on the creators' personal lives.
🏰 From College Ideas to Epic Fantasy Adventures: The Creation of 'Your Highness'
This paragraph recounts the origins of the movie 'Your Highness', which was conceived during college as a unique blend of comedy and fantasy. The creators discuss their desire to produce content that was different from mainstream offerings, drawing inspiration from classic films like 'Time Bandits'. The challenges of pitching and producing a high-budget movie are explored, including the learning curve associated with managing a large-scale production. The paragraph also highlights the indulgent nature of the project, the lengthy shooting period in Belfast, and the creative freedom granted by the studio. The narrative concludes with reflections on the surreal aspects of the filmmaking process and the pride taken in the final product.
🏫 The Unruly World of 'Vice Principals' and the Charleston Connection
The paragraph provides an in-depth look at the development and production of the TV series 'Vice Principals'. It explores the creators' appreciation for television as a storytelling medium and their intent to craft a buddy comedy within the school administration setting. The process of character creation is discussed, with the speaker originally unsure of which role to take on. The paragraph also covers the relocation of the shooting location to Charleston, influenced by a chance encounter with Bill Murray. The collaboration with talented actors and the enjoyment of working on the series are highlighted, emphasizing the camaraderie and creative satisfaction derived from the project.
🚀 From 'Alien: Covenant' to the Gemstone Family - Diverse Roles and Experiences
The speaker reflects on the diverse range of roles and experiences in their acting career, from the intense and fast-paced environment of 'Alien: Covenant' directed by Ridley Scott to the creation of the 'Righteous Gemstones' series. The paragraph discusses the speaker's initial intentions to work in the entertainment industry as a writer and filmmaker, and how acting opportunities arose from the faith and encouragement of peers. The narrative includes the speaker's admiration for Ridley Scott's directorial style and the educational aspect of working on such a high-profile set. The idea behind 'Righteous Gemstones' is explored, from its inception as a crime family drama to its eventual focus on a dysfunctional religious family, highlighting the appeal of contradictory characters and the comedic potential of the ensemble cast.
🏛️ The Creation and Impact of 'The Righteous Gemstones'
The paragraph delves into the concept and production of 'The Righteous Gemstones', a show centered around a family-run megachurch. The speaker shares how the idea evolved from a crime family drama to a religious setting, drawing inspiration from the prevalence of churches in Charleston. The paragraph highlights the speaker's intent to create a multi-faceted ensemble cast, each bringing a unique comedic style to their character. The challenges and joys of producing the show with a larger budget and more time per episode are discussed, as well as the satisfaction of working with a talented team and pushing creative boundaries. The speaker reflects on the collaborative nature of the project and the rewarding aspects of problem-solving in film production.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡self-indulgent
💡ensemble
💡buddy comedy
💡mega churches
💡Hollywood
💡Sundance
💡character development
💡physical comedy
💡mockumentary
💡Ridley Scott
💡Will Ferrell
Highlights
The creator's approach to making an R-rated movie for young teens, reflecting on the unique experience of creating content that appeals to a specific demographic.
The transition from waiting tables to working with renowned actors like Stiller, Downey Jr., and Black, showcasing the rapid change in the creator's career.
The importance of learning from others on set, as the creator observed and took cues from experienced effects guys, emphasizing the value of continuous learning in the industry.
The challenges and趣事 of filming complex scenes, such as the opening of 'Tropic Thunder', which took three weeks to shoot and involved meticulous preparation and coordination.
The creator's experience with improvisation during filming, as exemplified by the unscripted 'green tea' scene in 'Pineapple Express', highlighting the spontaneity and creativity involved in acting.
The process of character development for 'Eastbound & Down', where the creators initially intended to focus on a gym teacher but expanded the concept as they discovered more about the character.
The creator's realization that 'The Foot Fist Way' allowed them to challenge the audience's affection for the main character, which was a deliberate choice to deviate from traditional storytelling.
The impact of receiving support from industry figures like Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, who saw potential in the creator's work and provided opportunities for growth.
The creator's experience filming in Charleston, influenced by Bill Murray's recommendation, and the importance of shooting outside of LA for a fresh perspective.
The unique opportunity to work with renowned director Ridley Scott on 'Alien: Covenant', providing insight into the creator's appreciation for the craft of filmmaking.
The evolution of the idea for 'The Righteous Gemstones', from an initial concept about the Dixie Mafia to a show centered around a dysfunctional religious family.
The creator's intention to make 'The Righteous Gemstones' an ensemble show, allowing for diverse comedic styles and viewpoints, inspired by classic ensemble comedies like 'The Goonies'.
The logistical and creative challenges of producing 'The Righteous Gemstones', including the increased time and budget for each episode compared to previous projects.
The joy of working with long-time collaborators and pushing creative boundaries by presenting seemingly impossible tasks, fostering a collaborative and innovative working environment.
Transcripts
- It was a very self-indulgent movie for us,
we were like making an R-rated movie for 13 year olds.
- Thadeous, your feet are bare.
Put your boots on.
- They're filthy, I'm having them exfoliated.
- [Fabious] No time for exfoliation.
- I haven't showed it to my kids yet,
but I've heard that it plays very well still
with 13 year olds, so my son has one more year to go,
then he can join the club.
[upbeat music]
"Tropic Thunder".
[upbeat music]
Honestly, it only had been a year
since I'd even been on a real movie set.
Like everything I had done
was just sort of like with friends.
And so that was like movie star camp,
I mean it's on a, this movie that's massive,
that there's a million actors I had seen,
you know, and had watched and had never met.
So it just was sort of like trying to stay alive
and feel like I could hold my own
with all of these like super talented, successful people.
And, yeah, that was like probably the most insane time
I've had on anything.
I mean we were in, you know,
to go from like waiting tables a year earlier
and then the next year I'm, you know,
in Kauai with Stiller and, you know, Robert Downey Jr.,
and Jack Black, and all these guys.
It was mind blowing.
- Hey, what's the dealy, dude?
Are we gonna blow this tree line or what?
Tuck Tuck And Kim got the blue balls here,
I'm gonna let him squirt if we're a go.
- [Dieter] Play it through, still rolling.
- Dieter, can you hear me?
That's C-four, dip shit, put that back.
- A lot of these like effects guys too,
when you meet 'em on the set,
like they do have personalities and they,
so you know, I would watch the guys
that I had been around with in this last year
and just took cues and notes from some of them.
The opening scene of that movie,
it took like almost three weeks to shoot.
So for like three weeks I would sit up in this tower
and like, you know, watch everything that was happening,
not sure if they were gonna get to my stuff that day or not.
- Dieter, these jets are about to crest this ridge line,
I got about 200 pounds of shit your pants,
I need to know if we're ready to go.
- And then meanwhile, Ben Stiller,
his character in that scene has no arms,
his arms have been blown off.
So he's like directing, you know, 500 people
and incoming helicopters that are exploding
and he has like no arms.
He's like screaming to move things here, take things there.
Even just the way he would handle the studio
was pretty funny, it's like, you know,
they would get dailies back each day
and I remember the studio would like give him notes like,
"We need more wide shots."
Or, "This needs to be funnier, it's too dark."
Ben would just take those notes
and then give them to Bill Hader's character
to just say in the movie to be mocked and ridiculed.
And then I think the notes slowed down after that, yeah.
- [Dieter] Cut-
- That's the signal.
- [Dieter] Cut.
- Go, go, go, go!
- Tits.
[planes whooshing]
- I remember I had like an earwig in
when I was sitting up that tower,
'cause if they had a cell,
any direction or anything to me,
so I could know what's going on.
And I guess during one of the takes,
they had like left Downey's like mic on,
and so I'm sitting up there and I'm like,
"Oh shit, I can hear what he's saying."
And he's like talking to people,
and he was in character the whole time,
and then I even like watched him like
walk back to his trailer and saw it from down there
and he was talking to himself.
- [Cody] Here they come!
- No.
- Stop tailgating me, you pasty tea bag.
Can I make a pee pee?
- "I'm gonna go drain the snake, I'm gonna drain the snake."
He was like made up a song about
how he was gonna go piss in character,
for no one else's benefit except for his own.
[upbeat music]
"This Is The End".
[upbeat music]
- Krumholtz is dead, Michael Cera's dead.
- Yeah, so Michael Cera's gone, it's not a total loss, huh?
[Danny laughing]
- [Jay] Jesus, Danny.
- Michael Cera's dead.
- It's not like that.
- It's not funny, man.
- It seemed like it was going to be
a lot of fun in "This Is The End".
I mean, the concept of it seemed awesome,
and once again it was like taking a comedy
and then mixing it with a bigger genre, you know,
which to me just felt like it it could be a lot of fun,
and maybe it would break through.
Jonathan Watson was the AD, the assistant director,
on that movie and he's been the AD on all of like,
"Eastbound" and "Vice Principals",
and he's directed episodes of "Gemstones",
we've worked with him a lot,
and Seth and Evan have as well.
And I remember he called me before I got there,
and was like, "Ooh, you better come prepared."
"They are going hard at each other."
[Danny laughing]
And so you kinda knew what the atmosphere was gonna be,
that it was like, oh, everyone, nothing's off the table,
everybody's going hard at each other,
it was kinda fun though.
- Y'all cool?
- That's Channing Tatum.
That's Channing Tatum dude, what the fuck?
- Chanting fucking Tatum,
I found him wandering on the freeway, I collected him,
made him my bitch.
- I had that very memorable scene with Channing Tatum,
and that was the very first time I met him,
is when we filmed that,
I was like in my trailer sort of like
going over my lines with like a skull on my head,
like all in blood,
and then Channing I think came running into my trailer
in like, you know, football pads or whatever he was wearing
or not wearing in that scene and tackled me.
And so that was when I first met him, and I was like,
"Okay, we're we'll get along, he'll be fine."
"So this will be easy enough."
[Danny laughing]
- Danny, we're friends, you can't eat us.
- I'd love to catch up but we're fucking starving.
So, let's eat!
[upbeat music]
- [Danny] "The Foot Fist Way".
[upbeat music]
- Let's go over the plan real quick, okay?
You're gonna start things off with your little floor pad,
get everybody hooked,
and I'm gonna step up and seal the deal.
- Who was Fred Simmons inspired by?
You know, I think he was kind of a mashup of just like,
you know, types of dudes that Jody and I
had maybe like been around growing up in the south.
You know Jody, is actually a black belt in taekwondo,
he had his own karate school in high school,
so he had definitely been around these types of people
and I took karate for a good part of my youth.
I think when I was like 12 years old,
I was kicking so much ass that my teacher put me in the,
my sensei put me in the advanced class
and so then I would just go to to to karate
and just get my ass kicked by like 16 and 17 year olds.
So after about a month of that I quit karate
and I put those days behind me,
and then, you know, when when Jody had this idea
and we were kind of like thinking about what to do,
it was kind of fun to be able to tap back in
to some of those personalities,
or egos that, you know, even stuck out to us
even being that young.
- You guys ever had sex?
[door handle clicking]
- Ah.
[door thudding]
Y'all getting to know Mike pretty good back here?
Why don't you go ahead and buckle up?
- No thank you.
- Okay, you guys buckle up.
- We shot that movie on on Super 16, you know,
it wasn't on digital, it was on film,
so like every frame counted, every take mattered.
We only had one camera, you couldn't play anything back,
and so you were really trying
to capture something very spontaneous.
And at that time period, you know,
we didn't really know a lot of actors,
we didn't know any actors, really,
we didn't have a lot of exposure to the industry
and there was something exciting about taking kids
who didn't know anything about acting either
and just kind of seeing what people did naturally.
And, you know, we auditioned
and went through the same process that any movie would,
and we're kind of looking for kids
that were more like personalities,
as opposed to like trying to be a character.
- Will you ever betray me, Julio?
- No, sir.
- I know you won't, because you're loyal.
You're one of my allies.
Now why aren't you out there teaching class
like I asked you to?
- They were able to express themselves
and kind of be a character in their natural personality,
and so that was sort of what we leaned into.
It was all just sort of a labor of love and pieced together,
and everyone just sort of brought as much of their A game,
or tried to learn how to form an A game, I guess,
while we made it.
- I will never misuse taekwondo.
I will be a champion of freedom and justice.
I will always be righteous
and help build a more peaceful world.
- It got to Sundance, so Jody and I instantly thought like,
"We've done it, we made it."
Like I think Jody actually went back into his job
and like told everyone to fuck off,
that he was like quitting and it was done.
And then we got to Sundance
and I think it premiered at like midnight,
and you know, we're all in this theater,
our parents are there, everyone involved,
everyone's excited to see this thing.
And about 15 minutes into the movie,
like half the theater gets up and leaves
and we're like, "Oh God, what does that mean?"
"Is it that bad?"
And we got home and were hopeful
that it would like find somebody
who could do something with it,
and then that's when we got a call
that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay were interested in it,
that they had just started this company, Gary Sanchez,
and they were looking to acquire this as like
one of their first releases.
And so I think it sort of like, you know,
we had suffered this little blow to our egos,
then instantly we were filled with our egos again.
It was like, "Yes, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay want this,"
"we are as awesome as we think we are."
[upbeat music]
"Eastbound and Down".
[upbeat music]
- [Kenny Powers] I'm the man who has the ball,
I'm the man who can throw it faster than fuck.
So that is why I am better than everyone in the world.
Kiss my ass and suck my dick, everyone.
- [Speaker] You've reached the end of cassette number-
- We shot "The Foot Fist Way" in basically,
I think it was almost like 17 days, you know?
And so we had never written anything like that before,
with that sort of formula where you were
sort of challenging the audience to like the main character
and that was like part of what the story was.
And I think we had such a good time doing that,
that we just wanted to kind of do it again.
But we didn't want want to just go make another movie,
it felt like if we did another movie in 90 minutes,
the story would inevitably have the same sort of beats
that "Foot Fist" had.
So the idea of like opening that character up
and figuring out how they would operate
in something a little bit longer,
that was kind of where it came from,
is we wanted to kinda do what we were doing with "Foot Fist"
but kinda put it on a different canvas.
And so that was why we kinda made him be around kids,
it was all just sort of elements of things
that we enjoyed doing on "Foot Fist".
And I think as we started cracking the character,
we realized that the show was like bigger
than just a substitute teacher, you know?
And that's when we kind of got really ambitious.
I think originally we even were gonna call the show like
"Physical Education",
it was just gonna be about a gym teacher.
- I'm Kenny Powers, I'm gonna be your new PE teacher
'till Coach Booth's back is fixed.
Yeah, I'm famous, la-de-dah, big fucking deal.
- The more we started to dissect Kenny
and kinda figure out where he came from
and what he was capable of and all the bad stuff he'd done,
it just made us feel like the school
was just one stop on this journey,
that his whole story wasn't about being a PE teacher,
and so, we didn't really find that out though
until we started writing the show.
- [April] Well, look at that.
- Mhm.
- That is Toby,
a Sony.
- Oh.
- Sony's a Japanese corporation, April,
it's PS3, it's a PlayStation.
- What an appropriate gift for a baby.
- Every season of that show was a blast,
I mean it really sort of marked us growing up, you know,
like when we sold "Eastbound", you know,
all of us were just like, we were all pretty young,
no one was married, no one had kids.
Like we were all just
couldn't really believe it was happening.
And then every season we'd come back,
somebody else was married, somebody else had a kid,
everyone started going out less and less.
I don't know, we kind of like went on Kenny's journey,
a little bit, of self-discovery and growth.
So for each of them, they, yeah,
there was something different.
I think the season in Puerto Rico, the second season,
was probably the wildest time we had filming anything.
I mean it was pretty insane.
- Honestly, I can't even believe you would look at me
and the word gringo would even come to mind.
- The rules were kind of like,
even just shooting down in Puerto Rico,
it was all different than
what we had experienced back in North Carolina,
it was kind of wild.
- Who am I speaking to here?
- Ashley Schaeffer, Ashley Schaeffer BMW.
- Oh-
- Damn fine to meet you.
- I take it you own this place.
- I sure do, that's why my name's on the goddamn building.
- I thought Ashley Schaeffer was gonna be a woman.
[Ashley laughing]
- I love women, I take that as a compliment.
Woo.
- Take it as you will.
- And all the stuff with Will Ferrell was always a blast,
like that stuff was always just like
you were on another planet,
that stuff was so much fun.
I think when Kenny Powers shows up to Shane's funeral,
with the boombox, and plays music,
I can just remember hiding behind the tree
getting ready to do it,
and just that fact that we were in a real cemetery
and it was, people really were like graveside.
It really, just the weight of how lame this was,
of what Kenny was doing, really was making me laugh,
it was a lot of fun.
[upbeat music]
"Hot Rod".
[upbeat music]
[hands slapping] [Rico grunting]
- And that is how it's done.
- After Will and Adam picked up "The Foot Fist Way",
the DVD of it started making its way like around Hollywood.
We started getting calls from just different people
who were watching it, and wanted to meet.
And Sandberg and Akiva and Jorma,
I guess they had seen it too.
They reached out to me and I put myself on tape
and instantly since I met those guys I just like
instantly loved them and I loved that they were buddies
and they were creating something together
and had been working together, and it reminded me of like
what I was trying to do with my group of friends.
And yeah, after meeting 'em I just really hoped
that I would get cast in it,
'cause I just wanted to get to know all them better.
I just, I admired what they were up to,
and they just felt like they were kindred spirits.
- Is everything ready?
- Now?
- No, no, no, no, not now-
- Blow it now.
[bomb booming]
[crowd screaming]
[rubble clanging]
- They weren't making comedies
at the expense of any of the filmmaking.
They were inspired by big movies,
and they were like trying to take what they liked about that
and then inject it into their comedy,
which I felt like was fun.
- One of you is getting your dick hole smashed.
[kick thudding]
[punch thwacking]
- Oh!
- I'm freaking pumped!
I've been drinking green tea all goddamn day.
[cone thudding]
- That was improvised.
I think in the script was I just get out of the car
and then give him a beat down.
And so everything in there just sort of,
I was just channeling the demon.
So drinking green tea, going to church.
- Oh, I go to church every goddamn Sunday.
- Stealing his hat.
- This is my hat now.
This is totally my hat.