#117 Winning Time: Spencer Garrett

Announcer 0:00

Looking to sound like you know what's going on in the world, pop culture, social strategy, comedy and other funny stuff. Well join the club and settle in for the Jeff Dwoskin show. It's not the podcast we deserve. But the podcast we all need with your host, Jeff Dwoskin.

Jeff Dwoskin 0:16

All right, Francis, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get the show going each and every time and this time was no exception. Welcome, everybody to Episode 117 of live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back. Great to have you back for another winning episode. That's right. This episode is the max of its winning. You might say it's winning time for live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show because we've got Spencer Garrett here from the HBO series winning time, the rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which is in mid run right now on HBO every Sunday you can catch a new episode. It's a 10 episode run. Episode Five is airing this Sunday. And we're talking with Spencer Garrett who plays Chick Hearn the legendary announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers. Have you ready for a 20 foot layout a dribble drive a finger roll of football score? I'll bet you and ice cream you're gonna love this episode. You've also loved Spencer Garrett and yes man Air Force One once upon a time in Hollywood. bombshell Star Trek The Next Generation Murder She Wrote the front runner, Iron Man 3, the list goes on and on and on. Believe me, it goes on and on and on. Spencer Garrett has been an everything. So put on your basketball shorts, grab your favorite basketball and get ready to shoot some hoops with me and Spencer Garrett because we're going deep into winning time. And of course, as always a bunch of other great stories from Spencer Garrett throughout his career as well. That's coming up in just a few minutes. I know you're thinking to yourself, you're like, Jeff, do my ears deceive me? Is it Thursday, and we're getting another interview episode from live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show, but yours up close. And let me say know your ears are not deceiving you.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:19

I realized I had so many interviews recorded that I wanted to share more frequently with you. They'll still be special episodes of crossing the streams coming to you on Thursdays as well. But I'm gonna mix it up every now and then throw an extra interview in here and there. See how goes tweet at me at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter. Let me know we think I think you're gonna love it. I do know based on the feedback everyone loved my trilogy of Happy Days episodes Marion Ross, Anson Williams and dom most Mrs. C Potsie and Ralph malph all making their way to live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show what an honor it was to talk to them and even more so to share it with you. I do I do a quick shout out to my friend and podcaster Brett Allan, check out his show. He's got a great interview show. The Brett Allan show wherever podcasts are found. He introduced me to Spencer. So thank you very much, sir,

Jeff Dwoskin 3:17

As I started watching winning time to prep for my interview with Spencer. All my friends. No, I'm not the sports guy. I'm not a sports guy. But I fell in love with this show. I really did. It's a great show that just happens to be about sports building the Lakers dynasty, but I got sucked in hook line and sinker. It shot so amazingly well in this story. So great. Let's doesn't hurt that a lot of the stories around magic Erving Johnson Michigan's own who left Michigan to save the Lakers. At least that's how I understood it. I'm not very good at the sports.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:49

You're going to love my conversation with Spencer you're going to love watching winning time. If you're not already watching it, definitely jump in. Also jump in and join us every Wednesday 9:30pm Eastern Time for crossing the streams. We're live on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Plus, there's 17 Bonus crossing the streams episodes right here in this podcast feed and over 60 hours of crossing the streams streaming on YouTube. So check that out. Head over to Jeff it's funny.com home of live from Detroit on the web.

Jeff Dwoskin 4:19

But in the meantime, I do want to thank everyone for their support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors you're supporting us here at live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show and that's how we keep the lights on today's interview sponsor the Regency Bruin theatre located near UCLA, the corner of Broxton and Weyburn in Westwood, the Regency Bruin theater has been bringing you the best in cinema since 1937. The ruin specializes in bringing classics to the big screen so you can see the classics the way they were meant to be seen. All this month. We'll be featuring the Wrecking Crew in 1969 Classic starring Dean Martin. Get your tickets online or the old fashioned way by walking up right to the booth. Join the Bruins mailing list and never miss a classic on the big screen. All right, well, that sounds amazing. Nothing like watching one of those old time movies on the big screen. I remember catching the Wizard of Oz on the big screen at our Fox Theater we have in Detroit. That was quite the special moment.

Jeff Dwoskin 5:25

Well, speaking of special moments, I think it's time I shared my conversation that I had with Spencer Garrett with you, Dr. of winning time on HBO, and so much more. Enjoy. Alright, my next guest has over 100 million IMDb credits. You've seen him on the West Wing insecure bombshell. Yes, man madman. I could go on and on and on. He's currently starring in HBO is winning time as legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn, welcome to the show. Spencer Garrett.

Spencer Garrett 6:00

Good morning from LA. Good afternoon to Detroit. Hi, everybody.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:04

Good to be with you, brother. Good to have you with us. 100 million

Spencer Garrett 6:07

credits, I suddenly feel 100 million years old.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:10

I rounded it up. Nice from over 200 puts in 250. I mean, it's like that's a lot. That's a lot of credits. Yeah. Do you feel fortunate? I mean, like, you're like, gotta be one of the hardest working guys in Hollywood.

Spencer Garrett 6:24

It feels like that sometimes. I mean, the last couple years during the pandemic have been obviously very strange for all of us. But we lucked out after getting shut down for a year we shot this pilot for winning time, in the fall of 2019. Thought we were going into production in April 2020. And then, you know, pandemic, reared its ugly head and we shut down for an entire year, I managed to stay busy. Pretty what pretty much during 2020 doing other stuff doing Goliath and heels down in Atlanta, I got lucky, I got some, some really choice gigs in the midst of all of this. And I kind of learned early on how to work during the pandemic, because we were all getting tested. And we were wearing face shields and all of that. And we would rip them off right before you're about to do a take. And so by the time we got up and running on winning time in the spring of 2021, working, getting tested every day, working that way sort of became second nature. So yeah, it's been it's been a wild time. But I've been knocked wood. I've been very lucky that I've been staying busy during all of this. And in the years prior.

Jeff Dwoskin 7:29

I have a question. So you did the pilot in 2019. And then you picked it up in 2021. What did they tell you though, like all right, Spencer, I don't mean just you but everyone, you can't gain weight. You can't change your hair. You know what I mean? I because Episode One and Episode Two, you know, take place right after each other. Right? So Right. But they were filmed years apart. So in that sense, so they have to kind of, you know, I know, like when they do stuff in films, where make sure you're wearing the same shirt and the same buttons, you know, but like, all of a sudden, it's like, Wow, check looks different. And second is

Spencer Garrett 8:01

a great question. I mean, the attention to detail in this thing is like nothing I've ever experienced other than working with Michael Mann on a couple of his things over the years. I mean, he is incredibly meticulous about the knot on your tie and all of you know things like that. So they really paid great, great attention. When we moved from the pilots of the first episode, you don't really see check that much in the pilot. He's not really introduced or established, other than seeing him briefly in a couple of little pops throughout the pilot episode, but to the discerning eye. If you look at the first episode and the second episode, if you look really closely, you'll notice that chick Hearns kind of beaky nose was a little bit different. In the pilot episode to the first episode to episode two. We had a different hair and makeup crew on the pilot, they changed crews and so they made his nose better. They made his hair better they did. I was in prosthetic makeup for two hours every morning. So there was a little bit of a difference in how I looked between the pilot and the and the second episode, but because I'm you don't really see chicks that much. It's really it's kind of hard to tell. But I mean, everybody, everybody that was in the pilot, obviously Quincy who plays magic trained his ass off and he had to be at the same kind of shape two years later. So to Jason Clark, who played Jerry West, because he had to do basketball training in order to play Jerry's. So we all had to be in the same physical condition and have pretty much the same size and weight and all of that as we did in the pilot in 2019. But for me, it was really about reestablishing the look that they established in the pilot and making it better and I think they did that incredibly well. I mean that the it was an amazing woman named Jamie Jamie has who created the look for check Hearns I mean, I wanted to look as much like him as I could and the prosthetic work they did was just amazing. I don't look anything like chick in real life. But when you see chick really for the first time in episode three, it's kind of uncanny. It kind of freaked me out a little bit when I saw him I was doing looping and I saw really the extent of the prosthetic work really seeing it on screen for the first time was jarring and kind of thrilling at the same time.

Jeff Dwoskin 10:08

That is really cool. Just to state take a step back, we're talking about winning time, the rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which is on HBO. I'm actually really excited to be talking to you Spencer on a different levels. Well, it's rare that I actually I think you're the first person I'm talking to where we're talking about a show that's actually happening right now. Right. Great. So that's pretty awesome. I love Episode One and two, because you know, Magic Johnson is a Michigan native. Sure. Oh,

Spencer Garrett 10:32

I and she was Isaiah Quincy is actually from Lansing. There you go. So it's a great story. It's a great Hollywood story. It's a great story for Quincy as well, because he's a kid that really came from out of nowhere and he just shines so brightly in the show. He's really He's really extraordinary. He captures magic in his the smile and the essence and the swagger and all of it this dude, Quincy, Isaiah just brings it so hard. And for those who haven't caught up yet watching him and then when you get to the later episodes when the Lakers start playing the basketball games, I mean, he's got the basketball chops as well. It's really It's

Jeff Dwoskin 11:08

It's nuts. Yeah, Michigan, we call it winning time how Lansing save the Lakers.

Spencer Garrett 11:12

Sure, sure. Absolutely appropriate that you mentioned

Jeff Dwoskin 11:15

the out how much time you spent in makeup. I as watching the show, Michael Chiklis is almost unrecognizable, as well. How great is he? i My God, incredible. And I love John C. Reilly. And he's he's so hilarious as well as treasurer. So interestingly enough as I was, I'm a big Adam McKay fan and Will Ferrell. Yeah. And interestingly enough, as I was kind of researching this is the project that kind of broke them up. A rumor has it? Yeah, the rumor has it is it Will Ferrell really want it to be Jerry buss, John C Riley's part and that Adam McKay had promised it to him, and then gave it to John C. Reilly, who I think is brilliant in it, and probably the right choice, but that kind of crushed their relationship. I don't

Spencer Garrett 12:01

want to get I don't want to get into the weeds with that. But that scuttled but but I don't believe that it was promised to Ferrell, from what I understand. I think I think we'll wanted it. The original casting was actually Michael Shannon. And if you know who Michael Shannon is, and what it looks like, it would have brought a totally different vibe to the show. And then for whatever reason Michael didn't work out. And I think then will, will, will it I apparently only was one of the job. But I don't know that it was promised to him. Yeah, it's unfortunate. I've had I've had that all shook out. I do hope that because it's been such a great association with will and Adam for years. And obviously they created Funny or Die together and such a great working relationship and a great partnership with John C as well. So I hope I do hope that I hope that Adam and will can smoke the peace pipe at some point down the road. Me too. They're both they're both geniuses.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:53

I agree. I agree. Yeah. Michael Shannon, that would have been an interesting one. He he's a very versatile actor. He was in Superman. He was Zod.

Spencer Garrett 13:00

He was he was odd. And Superman. I mean, he's been in a million things Oscar nominated a couple of times.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:05

But yeah, that would be a lot different than having John C. Reilly. Yeah,

Spencer Garrett 13:09

just I mean, he brings a kind of a slightly menacing vibe to a lot of his roles. He's not, he's not a kind of a warm and fuzzy type, at least from what I've seen in his screen roles. But damn, he's a he's a hell of a good actor, right? It didn't work out for whatever reason. But sometimes the stars align and I think John C, I think they were a week away from filming. And so John C needed to jump into jump into the role within a week's time. And so it all went down rather quickly. And I can't personally think of anybody better suited to play Jerry buss than John C. I mean, he just he's just so for a guy who for guys like Jerry buss, who was a womanizer, and a drinker, and all of his all of his swagger and braggadocio and bluster, and all of that John brings, such as a sweetness and a love ability and just kind of a warmth to Jerry buss that you just instantly like him no matter how he is. And that's the mark of a great actor. I mean, John is just one of our best. And it's, I mean, you talk about a million credits. The guy's been in a million movies. I've been I've known John for 30 plus years and as a friend and a fan and watching him on the show is just a delight.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:18

Yeah, he's incredible and working with Adam McKay I assume also delight I love vice and Commander you mentioned like he's got a real awesome style the way he creates don't look up on the cop right?

Spencer Garrett 14:30

He's really kind of he started out in Chicago improv and then obviously went on to write for SNL and then became the the director and autour that he is I love the the most recent films I love don't look up he just kind of gets better and better and better and a hell of a lot of fun to work for he I only met him really we directed. He directed the pilot episode two years ago and I wish I was only on for about three or four days. What it was just a just a thrill and of course succession which he produces is my I mean, that's my jam. I'm

Jeff Dwoskin 14:59

just kidding. My favorite shows bad for that show. I've

Spencer Garrett 15:02

just crazy about succession. Can't wait for season four.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:05

love that show. Love it. Yeah. So great. Every

Spencer Garrett 15:08

single human being on it is horrible. And yet somehow you find yourself rooting for one or the other at any given time. It's really It's amazing. I mean, the writing is just so delicious.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:19

Oh, amazingly obsessed with that I love donut shop as well. Yeah, I'd like to see when I pitched mouse drape, alright, and this is what happens here. At the very, very end, I would just,

Spencer Garrett 15:29

I mean, nobody can nobody can make a comedy about the end of the world and lace it with such really, really pointed social commentary and commentary about our culture and how obsessed we are with celebrity and the bullshitter. Of, of technology and what that's done to our culture. So he does it in a very light hearted way. And, and makes you think, I mean, I heard the story of how he, he was sort of pitched the idea of making this movie about, he wanted to make a film about climate change, because he's very, he's very activist about the climate crisis. It is the number one issue of our time right now. And somebody came up with the idea of, Oh, why don't we make a comment. And that was it. And he sort of took it and ran with it. So it's, it's brilliant. I've watched it three times. I'm an academy voter, I vote for the Oscars, which is a lot of fun. So I got to watch. I got to watch it again. The other night, the score and the just the performances, all of it is just a hell of a lot of fun. And then we get to work with Jonah Hill in episode two Jonah, direct to the episode how

Jeff Dwoskin 16:31

now and that was a great one. Yeah, you, you were making drinks in that one, making

Spencer Garrett 16:35

drinks and making slightly racist commentary about some of the Lakers players, which apparently Chick Hearn had kind of been known to do not from the floor while he was calling the games. But he did. He did make a couple of racial blunders over the years. He was a complicated guy, but a fascinating guy to play.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:54

So is there a whole balance of your performance and winning time that is going to be actually where we see you? And then a lot of it in the future episodes I can imagine, because it's this the basketball commentary where your voiceover,

Spencer Garrett 17:07

you're gonna see check your he's really sort of introduced properly in episode three. Adrian Brody, who plays Pat Riley brilliantly, a lot of people don't know that after winning the championship in 72, with the Lakers, I guess Riley was sort of drifting around and not really knowing what he wanted to do with his life after basketball. So he comes to the forum and comes kind of hand in hand to check Hearns office asking for a job. Chickering was also a GM of the Lakers. He was he was in the front office, and instrumental in the drafting of the players and he was part of the boardroom conversations. Pat Riley comes to him and says, Hey, man, I need a job. And Chick says, terrific, why don't you go pick up my dry cleaning, and maybe I'll give you a shot at being my Sideman at the table, calling the games and so eventually, that Riley becomes chick Hearns Sideman, his color man for several games before he finally graduates to becoming assistant coach under Paul Westhead. It's a great performance by Brody, and you'll see a great kind of transformation because you the first time you see him, he's kind of shaggy haired with a bushy mustache. And eventually, over time, you see the hair gets slicked back, and he turns into the Pat Riley that we know is the guy on the court with the Armani suits. But chick is really introduced and established kind of properly for the first time tomorrow night. And then of course, once we get into the basketball games, you see a lot of me calling the games and all of the chick isms and all of the things that people know if you're W chicks been gone from us for 20 years, if you're under 50, I guess I don't know a lot of people don't know who check her and was the younger generation. But I mean, he was an icon and in the Basketball Hall of Fame, it's an honor to play him and hopefully I bring him to life in my way. So it kind of honors his memory.

Jeff Dwoskin 18:53

I assume you worked very hard to get the voice

Spencer Garrett 18:55

I did. I worked very hard to get the voice I had a couple of weeks after I found out that I'd gotten the pilot episode, I went online, I went on YouTube, and I just watched countless hours of Chickering interviewing Laker players interviewing Larry Bird calling the games and I got to a point after about a week or so I was so familiar with the players and I gotten that voice and the cadence and the essence of what His voice sounded like. So I would turn the volume down on my TV and I would just call the games as checker and so that was kind of the most important element of him to me is I wanted to get that voice proper. And then everything else fell into place. Obviously the makeup and the clothes and all of that mix it up mix up the totality of what I brought to chick, but getting that voice right was my job number one,

Jeff Dwoskin 19:43

the whole cast must have just had a whoa just in the dress. Everything you're wearing it just with winning time. It seems like there's a at least right right now there's like our whole run of miniseries type shows based on reality your dope sec, which I know You were in an episode of dope sick.

Spencer Garrett 20:02

I was in it I did an episode of dope sick all credit to the great Danny Strong. I did an episode of dope sick. But unfortunately I had a scene with Michael Stuhlbarg, who was a incredible actor and somebody I've had a bit of an actor crush on for a long time. I did I did a scene with with Stuhlbarg that actually didn't actually make it to the final cut. So I was cast I did I did the episode, but it never made it to the screen. So happy to say that I was part of it, but ultimately not in the final cut. As has happened to many actors over the years. I've gotten snipped out of a couple of things. But

Jeff Dwoskin 20:34

well, the official Spencer and Jeff recommendation is skipped out sec. Watch dope sick. No, it's great.

Spencer Garrett 20:41

Watch dope sick for Michael Keaton's extraordinary performance and Katelyn Deaver and everybody else in it. It's an amazing project. It's just an incredible piece of work. And and Michael is is particularly great in it. So definitely watch dope sick, even if I'm not in it. I'll come come to my house. And I'll reenact the scene for you in version.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:00

Perfect, perfect, but there's a drop out eventing and Pam and Tommy, there's just so many shows lately, you're not knows either, but the but just in keeping with the theme of the those type of shows, it's just like, reality, not reality TV recreated reality TV,

Spencer Garrett 21:17

and really, really well done. Like every one of those you've mentioned, so far, super pumped. Another one. I've been watching all of them, and they're all really, really bloody good. I mean, we're just we're just in a great golden age of television and the last in the last several years. I mean, it's the quality of work that's being done on on the streamers is just really, really amazing to watch. So it's a cool thing to be a part of.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:41

I agree. It must be great to be an actor in a time where it is okay to do TV and movies. Because like, right, because at one point, that wasn't the case, right? If you're a movie star TV was your

Spencer Garrett 21:52

movie star. You were a movie star. And that's true. I think it kind of started in a way you had. I remember when Laurence Fishburne, Laurence Fishburne did CSI after William Petersen left, and he did it for a couple of seasons. And that was a big, that was a big deal. It was a little bit of a sea change, you started to see guys who are primarily known for their film work, jump in and do television Fishburn, I did a series that nine people saw called luck for Michael Mann about horse racing with Dustin Hoffman. I remember that doing a TV series with Dustin Hoffman was wild because I mean, this guy is a movie star of movie stars forever and ever. And so to see him do an HBO series, not only just for Michael Mann and David Milch, but just to be able to work with Justin every day on a show like that. And I just remember thinking while something's shifting here in the in the landscape of television, and then eventually you started to see it more and more, but it kind of I feel like it kind of started with those with those guys. And then I mean, Dustin really kind of opened the floodgates. And then you saw more and more what were considered movie actors. Because there's always been a bit of a caste system in Hollywood. There were film actors, and there were TV actors and never the twain met. Now it's anything goes it's just get the get the best actor for the project.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:08

You know, I remember lucky I remember watching it, it was now that you mentioned, it's fine. That was a good show. I was I always was up so there was lucky. There was a show called Lucky now the one we're talking about what doesn't know

Spencer Garrett 23:19

I was I was I was actually on a show called Lucky. Lucky about gambling, and then luck about horse racing. So one of my million credits,

Jeff Dwoskin 23:28

how do you keep it all straight?

Spencer Garrett 23:30

I don't know. I don't know. Drugs.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:34

Man. So I, I have another show that I'd like to talk about. You're on Star Trek The Next Generation. I was. And so the interesting thing about this also, I read as part of you're kind of getting to know the Star Trek universe, your godfather, Liam solvate. Original Star Trek? Yes. And so I must have been a hoot. He was on Plato's children. That Episode of the original series.

Spencer Garrett 24:00

lado stepchildren. I can't remember the title, the name of the character he played. People always remind me trek Trek fans always remind me what the guy's name was. My godfather was an actor named Liam Sullivan. He was on the original series. When I got cast in next generation and 91 or 92, something like that. One of my very first jobs on television ever, and I was not a Star Trek fan. I wasn't not a Star Trek fan. I just was not that familiar with the show and really how popular it was. And I knew that my godfather had been on it. And he gave me a VHS copy of his episode. And I watched it and I popped it into the VCR and Damn, this is really, really good. He played the character that's moving Shatner and Michael Dunn, the the dwarf actor they're moving around on a chessboard brilliant episode. And then of course, I became hooked with the original series and went back and watched all of them. And I think I've seen I've since become a hardcore Trek fan, because I've watched all of the original series all of I did Voyager several years later, as a different character. So a very cool thing to be a part of for sure.

Jeff Dwoskin 25:03

I watched the episode yesterday because I was as I was reading the synopsis, guy, I was like 12 Yeah, right. Right. A young Spencer. Yeah, younger, younger. Right? It was it was a very interesting episode it's it's considered like one that is a well liked episode of the the next generation. Definitely interesting thing that I read about is it's considered a bottle episode, I didn't know that phrase until, where they're kind of doing a low budge, like less special effects less. It's that kind of thing to kind of get it through

Spencer Garrett 25:33

all in one on one or two sets. I think if I recall, Jonathan Frakes, who played Riker direct to the episode, I think it was one of his earlier directing efforts. He was just starting out as a director to in addition to being on the show, and yeah, bottle episode means you shoot the entire, the entire show inside the inside the soundstage, you don't go out into locations or anything like that. And so we shot most of my stuff in the, what they called, well, we were shot it in, in the cards, the cards, quarters, and then in the courtroom, when I get tried for trying to blow up the ship. It's funny, somebody, I was in the market the other day, and somebody recognized me and said, were you were you, Simon Tarsus. And I get that more than anything else out of all of the things I've done. And it's such a compliment, because I guess it's, it's still it has a lasting impression. It's a really well written episode too. And it was kind of a kind of a metaphor for the the AIDS epidemic in a way, which was still kind of raging in the world at the time. And they they made it they did a very savvy bit of writing where, you know, I was put on trial for having kind of different blood. And that was the that was sort of the the metaphor for the AIDS epidemic, which was going on at the time and brilliant show. Brilliant show.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:44

It was really interesting because rewatching and now if I if you if that were to air today, you would almost say like, oh, this was based on people's perception of immigrants or you know, anything like that. It was like That's when science fiction I think is like at its best when it taps into something because that feeling about how people felt with people with AIDS and like and then even just like, if you go back to the you know, sandwiches or any Makarios, McCarthyism, your communist, you know, that kind of thing where you start to create these conspiracies about people just based on your perceptions, not nothing, in reality, just hate as a driver of guilt. And it's like, yeah, it was just, it was so good. It was just, you know, when something like that can stand up, like you said, was, like 30 years ago.

Spencer Garrett 27:25

But you're right, no, you're right. It could absolutely apply to any of that to, to the anti immigrant sentiment in the country and the anti other, the anti other sentiment that's been running in through this country for the last several years now, which has been chilling. I mean, you could it really is applicable to a lot of stories that deal with discrimination, and demonizing other people. So that's why it does hold up. So well. I think it's great point,

Jeff Dwoskin 27:51

that episode name is the drumhead if anyone wants to, for anyone wanting to jump in on Paramount plus, it's in season four, I guess. drumhead is a reference to how they would do the justice. And like those olden days where they'd have a drum head and they'd kind of Patrick's do that much better than then than I could write. I wasn't working with him. You had a lot of scenes with him.

Spencer Garrett 28:12

I did and I was I was kind of in awe. I was. I was young and very green. I hadn't done a hell of a lot of television up to that point. So I was early on when I was a kid, there was a thing on PBS, a television show called Acting Shakespeare with a guy named John Barton. And he used to have on people like Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren Great British, Czech Shakespearean actors, and it was basically a Shakespeare class and it would, you know, and they would, the actors would do scenes and sonnets and passages from different Shakespeare plays. And I remember seeing Patrick Stewart as a kid, late 70s, early 80s, I believe it was, and that incredible voice, that deep, resonant voice that he had, and I think he had a pretty fuller head of hair back then too. And so I was kind of in awe of him then being a big Shakespeare guy anyway. And so when I finally got to work with Sir Patrick Stewart, it was intimidating. It actually informed the way I played the character, because I was so terrified of what was going to happen to me in in the trial. So the scene that I have with Patrick, if I look nervous, I was nervous because I was I was nervous as an actor, and I was also nervous around being around Patrick Stewart, who made me feel he could not have made me feel more welcome and more like a veteran like I'd been doing it forever. Anyway, he was so gracious, but in that scene, I was genuinely intimidated just being in in the presence of somebody so formidable that it really informed how I played Simon Tarsus. That sounds really actory I'm sorry, but it's that's how it works.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:46

I'm waiting for acting.

Spencer Garrett 29:48

Yeah. We got jet. Wait, where's John?

Jeff Dwoskin 29:52

For anyone who hasn't seen the episode? Spencer is a Romulan, passing him off as a Vulcan So I mentioned that because he is wearing the ears with leads me to my next question did you get to save those ears?

Spencer Garrett 30:03

Still I save them, I have them in a box, they this is now 30 years or something. They let me keep one pair of ears because I was on the show for two weeks. So every day was a fresh pair of ears that they would glue, you know, and incorporated into my own ears. So I did get to walk away with a pair of ears. They're now kind of like crumbly little pieces of rubber. They look like deteriorating erasers at this point. But I do have them in the little case, it's sometime if things get really, really rough, I will put them up on

Jeff Dwoskin 30:35

eBay, you can probably you could probably make a lot of money. I bring

Spencer Garrett 30:39

them to you. I've done a couple of the Star Trek conventions in Las Vegas, and I bring them with me I it just people get a kick out of it. I open up a little box in my little, my little my crusty little rubber ears are in this little box, and people Ooh, and ah, yeah, that's I kept that I actually kept a couple of the badges, the communicator badge off of my off of my uniform. So I've got several of those. So I mean, I did and I also did Voyager as well, a couple years ago. So a couple years later, so I got to keep a couple of things from that as well. He and I think I played a hologram and that one and I didn't have any real. I looked like me for the most part. So but I did I got to keep my uniform. Don't tell anybody but it's it's in my closet behind it sounds

Jeff Dwoskin 31:21

like you're all sad if if this acting thing ever doesn't work out. You could just

Spencer Garrett 31:25

or I could be I could be a professional feed because I keep stealing things for my kids.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:29

But you've stolen the right things you show on

Spencer Garrett 31:32

the right thing? Yeah. Well, on the right things. I've also I've also, you know, I've learned early on, you make friends with the costume designer. So when the gig is over, you could say what's going to happen to that hat when this is all over and sometimes they'll say what hat and you put the hat in the bag and you slip out.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:48

Get a nice out of your dress nice.

Spencer Garrett 31:51

I've got I've got a lot of hats. Your audience can't see this. But you could see a fraction of my rather extensive hat collection.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:00

So I think the lesson here is if Spencer Garrett is on your set, hide the valuables?

Unknown Speaker 32:07

Yes, totally.

Jeff Dwoskin 32:08

I can't see my ears. I'm wearing headphones. I have big ears. If I was on Star Trek, they probably like oh, you can be a Volcom we don't even have to put anything on your nose. Yeah, just have big ears. Yeah, it's just it's just a thing. You could play Prince Charles. So alright, so that's cool. All right. So you do the you do the conventions? Right so that Star Trek that's the Star Trek portion of the show. MCU it says uncredited but you are in Captain America The First Avenger and Iron Man three

Spencer Garrett 32:35

can confirm. Yes. Captain America was just a voiceover I did a I did a several invoices for Captain America. I did like a movie new. I'd like a 1940s newsreel guy. You know the guys that talk like this, you know, Captain America flying across the land. I mean, I did some of that stuff. And so that made it into the picture wasn't actually in the movie. But I did that. It's interesting that ended up on IMDb. I'll take that credit. Iron Man three. Yeah, I was actually was originally cast as the president great, big, fat juicy role. And about a week before we were supposed to start filming, some of the suits at Marvel decided that I look too young to be the president. And I was bags were packed and ready to go off to Wilmington and start shooting. And they changed their mind because they felt like I looked too baby faced. And so they did a recast, which was a bummer. And Shane Black, who's the director and an old pal, he said, Come to Wilmington, we're going to we're going to find something for you to do anyway. And I've been having that very cool scene with Stephanie show stack in the bar where she puts her hand through my chest and grabs the gun of the sheriff and shoots me and all of that. So I was there for two months in Wilmington worked one or two days that ended up in the film. So I was happy about that. Because the residuals are lovely. And it's a very memorable scene. So it would have been fun to be the president but maybe sometime down the road. I'm still I played so many senators and congressmen and governmental pricks in suits over the years. I have yet to play the President so I'm still waiting to get that role as president that's something that I need. That's a feather in my cap that I need to get at some All right,

Jeff Dwoskin 34:12

well, I think it's gonna happen. I think it's gonna happen. Oh, wait, if they just use your voice, is that like a different? I don't know how to even ask this question. Like if you're on screen and don't have a don't have a line or you're on screen and have a line or it's just your voice, but no physical appearance, like is that like a different level of pay? And I'm not asking what you got paid, but like, you know, is it doesn't matter?

Spencer Garrett 34:32

Is it a different level of pay? I? Yes. It's a different level of pay. I was actually in I think when Captain America was being filmed or post production. I was in Baltimore, doing some Baltimore doing House of Cards, the Netflix show House of Cards, and I got a call and they said, hey, they I do a lot of those voices. And I did a lot of it in public enemies as well. And so they said, We know you do this kind of 1930s 1940s newsreel old Jaime voice, we do it for Captain America. And I had not done. I hadn't done Iron Man three at that point, I don't think yet. So they negotiate a certain price for you because I don't get paid as much as I would be on camera, but there's a certain rate for voice actors. And that's been another kind of a side gig for me for for a long time doing doing commercials and trailers and promos and things like that. So I love doing stuff like that. So I was, I was happy to be a part of it. I mean, I when the movie was on a couple of months ago, when I was sort of flipping around, and I went, Oh, and like, literally, within moments of my turning on the TV, I heard my voice and of course, being an insecure actor. I thought, God, I could

Jeff Dwoskin 35:37

have done that better. Which What did you hear that I

Spencer Garrett 35:40

heard? I hear certain inflections, and I wish I had kit certain notes differently. But that that's what I do. I do that with every damn thing I'm on. I mean, if I, I tend to try to not watch stuff that I'm in because if I do, I will end up disappointing myself. I've been watching winning time because I'm fascinated by the the makeup transformation. And I want to see how that plays on screen. So and I'm also just like a fan of the show. And I love the show and seeing how everybody is transformed seeing how John see an Adrian, I mean, whether you see Sally Field in this thing, too. I saw her she was amazing. He's incredible waiting, but there's her storyline down the line. And she's just, she's just amazing. I wish I'd had some scenes with her, I got to spend some time chatting with her in the makeup trailer. And you know, you just like as an actor, you just pinch yourself every day showing up to work and you go, Oh my God, there's Sally Field. It was really it was an embarrassment of riches in terms of the quality of actors on this show. And so it definitely shows up on the screen

Jeff Dwoskin 36:41

was another pinch yourself moment, getting the call from Quentin Tarantino to be in Once Upon a Time at Hollywood.

Spencer Garrett 36:47

Yes, yeah, definitely a sub moment. That was an audition that I felt like I walked out of the room. And I thought, god damn, that went really well, this would really be such a sweet gig. It was just the one scene I didn't, I didn't know where, because I wasn't allowed to read the script, because it's quite an so I didn't know where in the context of the movie that scene fit in. But I just knew I didn't know that it was the opening scene of the movie. But I thought, wow, that would be really a lot of fun. I knew it was going to be with Brad and Leo. And I didn't hear anything for six months. And I thought, well, that's gone away. And that didn't happen. And I called my manager one day and I said, Can you can you just check with the casting director and see if we're still in the in the running for that for that film. And he called me and he called me back an hour later, he said, I called Victoria Thomas, who's the great casting director who does all acquittance films. He said, Yeah, I just called her he said, as a matter of fact, I think you're going to get it. And I think the offers coming in today. And I think you have a fitting tomorrow like it all. After six months of not hearing anything. All of a sudden, I found out that I was not only going to be getting the offer that day, but my fitting was the next morning or the day after. And then a couple months after that I was I was on set. So things like that fall into your lap in a weird sort of way. That was a total thrill. And then showing up on set. I did an audition for Quentin, I put myself on tape with Victoria, the casting director. And then when I showed up on set and met Quentin for the first time, he knew everything about me. He knew everything seemingly that I've ever done or been in It was wild. He knew who my mom was. My mom is an actor. She was on an old series called The Real McCoys and president of the Screen Actors Guild. He knew everything about me. So it was walking out of the set. He's a what is a walking encyclopedia of pop culture knowledge, as I'm sure we all know by now. So that was really kind of thrilling. And then to see the final product at the premiere and see that the movie that the scene was the opening. The opening of the film was pretty effing thrilling.

Jeff Dwoskin 38:47

Kathleen Nolan. See I know everything about you too. There you go. You do everything about it. Awesome. Yeah, Dan, I know you got you're a third generation actor pretty cool. So you probably you grew up around all this so this was this was gonna be in your blood no matter why.

Spencer Garrett 39:02

Yeah, I think so. I think so. I mean, if I had the sense God gave a doughnut when I was younger, I would have gotten a real job. You know, it's it's a roller coaster road, right? Is it you know, as an actor, you go up and down and up and down. I've been really lucky. I've been I've been very fortunate that I've, you know, still in the ball game, and then you know, and then you get a gig like this and it's just it's just like, you get invited to sit at the grown ups table with people like this with McKay and and John C. And this filmmaking team. It's like making a feature film when we were shooting the thing over six months. In the summer it's literally like going to work every day on a feature film. It has that quality it's not just it's like oh, we're making a little TV show we're not doing law and order this is like we're making a movie every day. Each episode is you know is an hour long feature film that's what's cool to be a part of

Jeff Dwoskin 39:48

that is awesome. So alright, so must have been really cool hanging out with Brad and Leo. Do you mind if I call him Bradley? Certainly can call him Brad and Leo I do because you get to hang out with Margot Robbie cuz you also did bombshell with her where you are Sean Hannity.

Spencer Garrett 40:02

We didn't we didn't get to hang out. I did. I did that both of those films in the same year. We didn't have any scenes together. I did see Margo on the set. One day Jay Roach is somebody that I've worked for a few times who I adore. I'm Jay Roach, another guy who graduated from doing kind of silly comedies like Mackay into more serious political fair. We did game change. He went from comedies to recount about the about the Florida recount, you know that the hanging chads and all that and then we did game change about 12 years ago, maybe a little bit earlier than that. I worked with Jay on Game Change. And I guess I was sort of in his mind when he was putting together the cast for for bombshell and he called me up and said, Would you like to play Sean Hannity and I was like, Oh, my God, are you kidding me? That would be delicious. That was a trip to get it to get into that guy's head. But yeah, Margo, I met Margo on bombshell. And then again on in the makeup trailer, we spent I spent a lot of time in makeup trailers. So I met Margo, Brad and Leo, the best thing about being being with Brad and Leo on the set of once upon a time, I have to say was, at one point when we were we, right before we were about to roll, Brad Pitt said to me, he said, I know I, I've seen you in a million things. I said, Yeah, my tombstone is gonna say your lies that guy from that thing. He said, I've seen you in a million thing is, have we ever worked together before? And I said, Well, you don't remember this. But you and I were on the last three episodes of Dallas together the TV show Dallas in the late, you know, in the, in the 80s. He's like, Oh, my God. That's right. We didn't we never had any scenes together. But he was like a 1920 year old kid fresh off the bus from Missouri. And it was one of my first things as well. And DiCaprio turned to him. And he said, You're on Dallas. And Brad said, yeah, and DiCaprio was like I did a Falcon Crest. I did a dynasty I did. And all of a sudden, I'm talking to the two biggest movie stars in the world. And they're talking about how they made their bones, doing guest shots on, you know, on episodic television when they first started out, like we all did. So it put me at ease and made me feel comfortable. Like, oh, you can be the biggest movie star in the world. But we all have to start out somewhere. And we all put our pants on one leg at a time. And we you know, we've all had to do an episode of Matlock at some point or other

Jeff Dwoskin 42:17

or Murder She Wrote or Murder She Wrote

Spencer Garrett 42:19

two times. Thank you. I'll

Jeff Dwoskin 42:21

come. So you also with Jay Roach did all the way that without us Johnson. I'm Bryan Cranston, right? Yeah. And that you played Walter Phillip router. So you played a few I mean, you just made me besides check that we've talked a lot about and Sean Hannity and the Walter, you've played a lot of real people do do you ever feel a different pressure when you're playing a real person versus you know, just a made up character for it depends

Spencer Garrett 42:45

on I mean, yeah, Walter Ruth, their iconic head of the UAW not a lot of people know who he was. But I felt an obligation to to get him right to get the look and the there wasn't a lot of film on him. So it was hard to do the research, but somebody like that you want to kind of play him as him I have a little bit more latitude with somebody like chick her and when you're covered in prosthetics, or, or Hannity, who I just regard is kind of a cartoon character. Kind of an evil one of that. But Joe McCarthy, the red baiting, you know, anti communists from the 1950s. So another guy like you have to leave your judgment outside the door when you play a lot of these guys. But then when you're playing somebody, like when you play somebody like Ruth or somebody like a Bob Woodward, in the front runner, I want to get them right. I want to get I want to get them as right as possible. Sometimes I play around a little bit and put my own spin on the ball with them. And sometimes, sometimes you play them as them as best you can. But with check that he's such a larger than life character. I have to I didn't want to just do a straight up impression. I wanted to bring my own, you know, bring my own stuff to the party.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:56

Very cool. And you did you're awesome. I can't wait to see the whole series play out. It's very, very enjoyable. Thank you. You're welcome. I did I met Bob Woodward once. Did you? Yeah, I got it. I don't have a picture. I got an autograph on like the he spoke at an event I was at. It was before like cameras, not before cameras. But you know, like now you have your IDs on your phone. But like, yeah, so it was interesting. Anyways, you nailed it. Thank you. Very cool. This was awesome. I can't thank you enough for hanging out with me. Thank you, man.

Spencer Garrett 44:23

This is a blast. I could you know I could talk forever get an actor to talk about themselves and you know, you'll never you'll never get off the phone.

Jeff Dwoskin 44:31

Well, thank you so much. I'm excited to continue to watch winning time and see that play out and see more chick. This is great. I loved all your stories. Thank you so much.

Spencer Garrett 44:41

Thank you buddy. I appreciate it very much. Anytime I'll come back anytime and chat some more maybe down the line when the show is you know when you when you get to see more chick in the in the announcer's booth because the show just gets better and better and better. So you're going to dig it so hopefully people are tuning in Sunday nights at nine o'clock Eastern on HBO

Jeff Dwoskin 44:57

sounds amazing. Thank you so much.

Spencer Garrett 45:01

Cheers brother. See you soon all right.

Jeff Dwoskin 45:03

Oh amazing was Spencer Garrett. I told you right I hiked it but it paid off I think it paid off big time. If you're watching winning time right now I know you have loved him as Chick Hearn and if you haven't yet jump in you'll love him his check her and his entire amazing cast that he works with on winning time. I know we discussed a bunch of them are amazing. I don't know about you, but I really want to see those years. Those Star Trek ears. I'm considering getting a star map of the home and stalking Spencer. I'm kidding. I do not condone such behavior. Do not do that. Go to a Star Trek convention like a normal person.

Jeff Dwoskin 45:41

Well with the interview over I can only mean one thing. That's right. It's time for another trending hashtag in the family of hashtags at hashtag round. Follow us on Twitter at hashtag ground up grab the free always free doesn't cost a penny app at the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Download the app get notified every time a game starts. tweet along with us and one day one of your tweets may show up on an episode of live from Detroit the Jeff Dwoskin show fame and fortune. Oh wait you this week's hashtag of course inspired by my conversation with Spencer Garrett by more specifically inspired by winning time and Lakers dynasty. We have a hashtag from Way your tags a weekly Game On hashtag round up the hashtag #BasketballAMovieOrTVShow. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, the ultimate basketball movie or TV show. Mash Up. It's a basketball you take a movie and mash them together. You take basketball, you take a TV show you mash them together and what happens? hilarity. hilarity occurs. That's right. All right. So let's get ready for some #BasketballAMovieOrTVShow tweets. Larry Bird on a Wire dances with Timberwolves. Honey, I dunk the kids men in backcourt Gulliver's traveling, is there some amazing hashtag basketball movie or TV show tweets the ultimate basketball movie TV show mashup pun game young Sheldon Hooper, Star Trek The trouble with dribbles, free Throw Momma From The Train. Half nikecourt Free throw Willie. full court press your luck. Everybody Loves Raymond. There's something about Larry and our final #BasketballAMovieOrTVShow tweet he man can't jump. Oh, all right. As always, all these tweets are retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter. I invite you to tweet your own hashtag basketball movie or TV show tweet tag me on Twitter. I'll show you some love.

Jeff Dwoskin 47:48

In the meantime, upon self reflection, I realize the interviews over now the hashtag games over that can only mean one thing. Episode 117 has come to a close can't believe it. The Time just flies, doesn't it? I want to thank my very special guest Spencer Garrett check out his show winning time the rise of the Lakers dynasty where he's rocking it as Chick Hearn every Sunday on HBO. I also want to thank all of you for coming back week after week. It means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

Announcer 48:21

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Jeff Dwoskin show with your host Jeff Dwoskin. Now go repeat everything you've heard and sound like a genius. Catch us online at the Jeff Dwoskin show.com or follow us on Twitter at Jeff Dwoskin show and we'll see you next time.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai