Go Pluck Yourself: The Actor’s Pursuit

Ep 11: Viral Memes to Silver Screens with David Daradan

• Chris Gun • Season 2 • Episode 11

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Get tickets to A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Dave: https://butterflytheatre.net/next-production/


Check out his IMDb: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm9621041/

This week I’m joined by actor, writer and director David Daradan. Yes, that David Daradan. We talk about how a ridiculous HBO credit, the Vigorous Hand Job Guy, unexpectedly turned him into a viral meme, and how he’s since gone on to create Liability, a hilarious and heartfelt short film premiering at the Adelaide Film Festival.


It’s a chat full of laughs, behind the scenes stories and sharp insights about acting, directing and collaboration. David’s one of those people who somehow balances humour, humility and hard work, and it really shines through here.


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SPEAKER_00:

Hi, my name is David Zaradan and you should go pluck yourself.

SPEAKER_02:

Hello and welcome to Go Pluck Yourself, The Actor's Pursuit. We're back, guys. Thanks for your patience. I've had a couple of weeks off because my well, it's been a really busy couple of weeks, and there's been a lot going on lately and really good things. The Adelaide Film Festival has been on, which has been heaps of fun. I only got to see a couple of films, well a few films, but it's been really sweet catching up with all these amazing actors and filmmakers in Adelaide and get getting to see some really amazing work. A lot of the guests that have been on the show already, um, some of their films have been in the Adelaide Film Festival this week, which is really awesome. Um I've been busy with a few auditions. I'm auditioning for this musical theatre thing at the moment, which is kind of crazy and terrifying. But you know what? I'm all for getting out of my comfort zone. And so this weekend I've got to record two songs and a scene uh for that, which is totally terrifying. But you know what? Maybe this will be the catalyst to get me back into my singing. Who knows? Uh what else is happening? Oh, we shot more of this short film, Mind Awake, Body Asleep, which is a Buja Brothers production. It's looking really cool. I can't wait to see what those guys do with that one. Uh what else? I shot an ad two weeks ago. I was still talking and juggling, so you know, those skills have finally come in handy. It's only taken 30 years for to be paid to do that. Anyway, it's been a busy time, and um, but we're we're 10 episodes in, and I figured 10 episodes is a season, right? So I I thought why don't we why don't we have a break and let's call this season two. So welcome to season two. Sure. But among all that, I've been busy recording episodes, and I've got some really cool guests coming up, so stick around. I can't wait to share these episodes with you guys. Um, if you are new here, welcome. This show is called Go Pluck Yourself uh because no one's gonna pluck you from the crowd, you have to pluck yourself. It's a pun and it's very funny and clever. Anyway, it's an acting podcast about acting by me, an actor. And it's available to watch on YouTube or listen on all those audio platforms, so make sure you hit the subscribe or follow button wherever you're listening or watching uh so that you can stay up to date. Also, follow the show on Instagram at GoPluckYourselfpod. Share this episode on your story and give us a tag and say hello. David Daradan is on the show today. Dave is a very old friend of mine. I've known him for about 15 years, I reckon. He's an incredible actor, writer, and director. In fact, he's just had his directorial debut with his short film Liability, which has been playing this past week at the Adelaide Film Festival and has been nominated for a bunch of awards at the Sassa Awards, the South Australian Screen Awards. So you can watch Liability in a cinema along with a bunch of other incredible short films by grabbing yourself a ticket to the Sassa Awards or one of the Sassa nomination screenings at the Mercury Cinema on the 11th of November. I'll chuck a link in the bio. So check out Liability by David Darridan. It's really funny. It's starring some of our friends from the podcast, including Benji Grenuwigan, who is just such a lovely guy. Uh, David Darridan is the vigorous handjob guy. That's right. If you're wondering why that name is so familiar, you may know Dave uh from one of the most memorable credits in TV history, the vigorous handjob guy in HBO's The Leftovers. That's right, it's that David Darodan from the internet. And he goes into some really in-depth detail about the story behind that role and how he landed it and his experience on set as the vigorous handjob guy and how he dealt with the internet blowback and you know becoming a meme and all that stuff. It's pretty excellent. But Dave is way more than just the vigorous handjob guy. He's an excellent friend and an amazing actor and filmmaker, and this is just really lovely and funny chat. So chuck in your noise cancellators, slip on your runners, and enjoy this hilarious chat with the very funny and talented David Darridan.

SPEAKER_00:

Can you hear me, Emma? Is this like I can bring it in a bit closer? Let's have it like just come a little bit closer.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Hear what I have to say. Is that Kiss the Girl? No, that was uh Harvest Moon by Neil Young. Oh, okay. We're not gonna talk about it. I'm more Disney. You're more Disney.

SPEAKER_02:

I thought it was uh, you know, Sebastian from Little Mermaid.

SPEAKER_00:

They stole it from Neil Young. They would have, eh? They would have. Yeah. What's going on? Um Fatherhood is going on. Uh I've got a four-month-old now, um, and that's been uh a beautiful roller coaster ride. It's like yeah, it's it's amazing. I just met a little Lola. Little Lola. What a sweetie. Yeah, she's beautiful. How's fatherhood going though? It's it's amazing. Um it's nowhere near as scary as the internet makes it out to be. Yeah. Um having a girl has made me even more of a softie than what I already was. And um no, it's great. It has it obviously it has its challenges, but I was prepared for that, you know. Um, going into parenthood, well aware of the challenges that would come along. And yeah, yeah, it it we go on through them sometimes, but it's it's great. Yeah, we forget it's e like it you forget about it in an instant.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_00:

And and it's it hasn't, you know, I still have flexibility in my life to be able to like pursue my acting work and to to to write and you know do my day job. I can still make it happen.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And I do. So I'm you know, I'm rehearsing a play at the moment, you know. So Yeah, nice. That's can you can you say what that is? Yeah, yeah. I'm uh I'm doing a streetcar named Desire. Very cool. Yeah, very cool play. I'm doing that with Butterfly Theatre.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um where And who are you playing? I'm playing Stanley Kowalski. He is the uh the main I would call him the antagonist. Yeah, it's been a very interesting play to explore. It's one I've always wanted to do.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um and I think now that the opportunity has come my way, I I figured it's probably my last chance that I'll ever get to play Stanley because I will be far too old after that. Oh, I see. Yeah, if I just let it be. Oh, look, a few Botox injections maybe, you know, can can get him back.

SPEAKER_02:

You still got your hair.

SPEAKER_00:

I do, thankfully. Um, yeah. Um but you know, Stanley can be bold. There's no reason why.

SPEAKER_02:

Well well, I hope so, because I mean maybe I could play him one day. We'd have to do the wig. You'd be a great Stanley. Yeah, thanks. Yeah I don't I don't know the story very well.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yeah, so you know, it's sister-in-law moves in, you know, just creating an absolute ruckus.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, you know, you know I know how that is, man. Muskone is so hard to live with.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, well, you know, this one in particular um is uh you know, is coming from hardships and is bringing all those hardships into the household and uh causes a lot of tension and friction uh within yeah, the whole uh I guess the dynamic between Stanley and his wife Stella. And Stanley wants to do everything in his power to make that problem disappear. Ah well, when's it um showing? When's it playing? It will be showing uh early November, so opening night will be November the 9th, funnily enough, lands on a Sunday.

SPEAKER_03:

Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

And then the following week, Friday the 14th, Saturday the 15th, and Sunday the 16th. So four days in total, there will be five shows. Yep. And it'll be performed at uh Millage's distillation in Port Adelaide. Right. So yeah, at a gin distillery, and the space itself is set up perfectly for the staging of Street Card Name Desire. Yeah, the staging of the play is that there's like a there's like a stairway which leads to like the upper level of you know their neighbour's apartment, and there's like a little mezzanine where you can play out a lot of the upstairs stuff as well. So it overlooks the whole space. So you know the the ground floor is kind of be is is being staged as like Stanley and Stella's house, and then when you go up, you know, up in the mezzanine level will be Eunice and uh Steve's. But yeah, so it's set up perfectly and it's not gonna be it's like it's gonna be a quite an atypical experience. I mean it's gonna be very much traditional in the sense of like it's a it's a play that everyone's going to see. Yeah. But the way that the audience will be set up, there it won't be just you know like rows of seating, there'll be tables, yeah. Um you can do gin tastings because if it's at a gin distillery. Sweet, yeah, yeah. Um there'll be music playing, there's you know, it's gonna be yeah, quite a sensory experience for the audience. Oh, that sounds awesome. So I feel like you know they'll be very much a part of the play and not necessarily just watching it. So yeah, it should be very interesting.

SPEAKER_02:

How good. Yeah, and that's butterfly theatre. Butterfly theatre, yeah. Yeah. I I'm excited to see it, man. I I'll think I'll be in I'll be back from Sydney. I'm going to Sydney to see Oasis in November. Yes. But I'll be back.

SPEAKER_00:

You're gonna see yourself on stage? Yeah, it's gonna be what?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I don't it's weird because they haven't told me about any rehearsals or anything. I'm just I guess I'll just wing it. Just rock the shit. Hey guys, I'm just here to rock the shit.

SPEAKER_00:

Don't even give me a paycheck, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. I don't do this for the money. Yeah. I do this for the attention.

SPEAKER_02:

Correct. Yeah, no, but I'll be back. I'll be back in um in mid-November. Well, I'll be able to see a play. Yes, is the point I'm giving. When do you leave? I think we're there from the 5th until the 10th of November. Okay, cool, cool. So I'll be back. Cool. And then I'm shooting a short film. I can't say what that is, I think. I should keep that. Anyway, but speaking of short films, uh, let's I've got a little photo here. Yes, you do. Some friends of mine. Oh, yes. Friends of the podcast. Oh man, look at that. Let's have a look. There you go. What an amazing Benji and Jazzy, JJ. Those guys. Class, all class. All class. Love those guys to bits.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh and that was on the set of liability. On the set of liability. Tell us all about it, man.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh so yeah, I wrote Liability uh initially in 2021. I wrote it as a series, and uh it was like a 30-page pilot that I quickly put together because there was a development grant that was up for grabs through SAFC with Stan. And um I had this idea uh for this short, um, but I'd kind of like half written it. Hold on. Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

I think you're dipping.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm dipping.

SPEAKER_02:

Just sit up right.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's it. That's better.

unknown:

Alright.

SPEAKER_02:

You're just gonna get lower and lower. Yeah, I'm just gonna go. Next thing you know, my my head is just at the bottom of the frame.

SPEAKER_00:

Um yeah, so there was a there was a a grant you going, is that right, for I had a 30-page pilot that I had to write because there was a development grant uh grant up for grabs for TV series, uh, and that was through the S SAFC and Stan. Yep. So I quickly just like went crazy at writing this pilot. Yeah, it was the first draft. Oh, really? And I submitted it, and so I it just it obviously wasn't developed enough to get further development. But what kind of pushed me to to write it was um uh watching an episode of You Can't Ask That. It's on the ABC.

SPEAKER_03:

Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I guess for those that aren't familiar with the concept of the show, is that there's a a panel of you know people from different um I guess different groups, and uh they get sent anonymous questions that people wouldn't really ask them uh to their face, or they wouldn't have the guts to ask them to their face. And then yeah, they just have a you know honest and open discussion about it and they answer them and it's you know it's a lot of fun. Sometimes it gets very deep.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And uh watching this episode um yeah, it completely inspired me and opened my eyes to a lot. You know, because I was writing in very unfamiliar territory, I don't have any personal experience of anyone that lives lives with that's lived with Down syndrome, especially up until that point. Yeah, and I know that you know the the common um I guess the common advice is you know, write what you know. Yeah, um, I I kind of went against that, yeah. Um, but I'm glad that I did because um it opened up my imagination a little bit more and um it forced me to learn more and you know the whole process and the whole experience kind of helped me grow as a person and to understand more. So, you know, I ended up writing what I wanted to know about, not necessarily what I did know. But you know, I felt like I inserted myself in every character. But uh yeah, anywho, I had it written, didn't get the grant, obviously. Yeah, um, and then at that point I realised I'm weighing over my head, coming, you know, like this is my first film that I've that I've written. Yeah. Um, so if I'm gonna step into directing, then uh I need to kind of learn those skills properly first and in a shorter form rather than like, you know, serious run before I can crawl sort of thing. Totally, yeah. So I bridged it, made a short film version of it. Felt really nice. I initially wrote the film to cast myself. Yeah, yeah. Um as we do. As we do. Well, you know, as as as actors There's no shame in that, man. No, I mean it's really hard being an actor, it's hard work. Yeah, yeah. Um, you can't, it's it, you know, getting roles, you know I mean, especially living in Adelaide, yeah, a dime a dozen. Yeah. So I wrote this to, you know, with you know, the idea that I'd be playing the lead in it. Yeah. And then as I kept writing it and and kind of editing it and going through it, it the more I was doing that, the more I realized that I'm not the right fit for this character. Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

And uh Is this so this would would be for like Benji's role?

SPEAKER_00:

Benji's role, that's right. And also I felt like again, the fact that it was my first film as a writer-director, I needed to respect that process and not again, even writing, directing, acting. Yeah, it's possible, it can be done, obviously. A lot of people have done it, yeah, but I wanted to really focus and hone in on just those skills before I start to like cast myself. Yeah. So, you know, I really wanted to understand that process a lot more. And so I um got in touch with uh a friend of mine who's ended up being my DP, uh Joseph Clark. Um, you know, he and I worked together quite a bit in in the past and we had a good rapport, and I um handed him the short short film script and I said, What do you think? You know, would you like to shoot this with me? And he said, Absolutely. So he seemed he seemed to really like it, and um and I told him I was looking for a producer. Yeah. Because I didn't know anyone, I'd you know, um, I knew actors, yeah. Um and I knew some crew, but I didn't, you know, I knew a lot of directors, but I didn't really know any producers. So uh Joe he suggested JJ and he reached out to JJ about the project and uh she ghosted me for two months.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, well she plays hard to get. She really does.

SPEAKER_00:

You gotta earn it, man. I I mean I I I did, you know. I I was but eventually, uh after a little little nudge, uh yeah, she um yeah, she got in touch and she yeah, she read the script, loved it, wanted to be a part of it. So uh we got together and came up with a plan. Um Quicksilver was coming up, so let's let's um let's write a pitch for this. Let's see if we can get some money to get it made. As lovely as it would be to um pay your own way to make a film, it's a big investment, it's a lot of money, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like thousands of dollars. And I don't have thousands of dollars in my pocket that I can just be like, oh yeah, I'm gonna make my own film here, yeah, yeah. So we really leaned on the hope of getting this funding from Quicksilver. Yeah. But I'm also skipping ahead because because once we got together, we're like, we've got to find our actors as well. We've got to find our team. Yeah. We had to find our Kyle, who was our Down syndrome actor, uh, the character of the Down syndrome. So um we uh reached out to Access to Arts. There was a couple of actors there that I'd looked at looked up their profiles, they'll you know, they seemed quite interesting and wanted to find out more about them. And um one of them wasn't initially available, so they said no. Um, but there was this other actor um who ended up being our lead, Josh Campton. We actually reached out to him yeah, through Access to Arts, they gave us his details. We got in touch with his mum, and um she was I think they were initially skeptical of doing the project because it's quite you know it it plays with very uh controversial themes. Right, okay. She suggested though that we reach out to Tuti Arts, um, which we did, and I'm so glad we did because the film wouldn't be what it is without their collaboration. It was awesome. So So what what's Tootti Arts? Tootti Arts, so they're uh they're an arts school, um, I believe. They they um they provide arts education um from uh for people that live with uh with disabilities with a wide, you know, a varying range of disabilities. Yeah and uh a part of that is they have an acting class. Oh cool. Um they have art classes, they do music, dance, all sorts. But this particular one was was the the acting class. They invited us. Um you know, they we we showed them the script. They they also enjoyed it at Tootie, and um they invited us over to observe a couple of their sessions, see how their actors work, and um, and then the the idea was is that we were going to um workshop some of the script and some of the scene with the group, with the class group, and uh we would kind of cast based off of you know who we feel was the best fit. Yeah, nice. And but for me, Josh was always the guy. Yeah, it was clear to me when we were in in the classroom. I mean, they were all very gifted, they like all the actors in there brought so much to the character. Um but the qualities that Josh possessed were was the were the was the perfect fit and the perfect match for for my Kyle.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice.

SPEAKER_00:

So we cast Josh, uh, who funnily enough was a guest on that episode if you can't ask that. Really? Yeah. Oh, that's crazy. It's crazy. I don't know. I call it serendipity, so call it coincidence, but it was meant to be.

SPEAKER_02:

So that's amazing.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so he was partly the reason why I wrote he was well, he was the reason why I wrote the script and he ended up being in the film.

SPEAKER_02:

That's amazing. Wow, what a that's a that's like IMDB trivia.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, and yeah, we just uh and then we just worked on it together and uh we yeah, obviously leaned a lot on Turi Arts, yeah. Um, you know, to discuss the script, discuss you know their lived experience and how I can implement a lot of that into uh into the script. And um you know, we found some other actors that we were able to use as well from Turi Arts as well. So um yeah, it was it was it was great. And then we just shot the thing and here we are. Got selected at Adelaide Film Festival.

SPEAKER_02:

I know, how cool.

SPEAKER_00:

It was the first festival that we submitted to. Really? After we'd finished editing it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

What a cool story. And yeah, and so serendipitous about you know, you can ask that and and Josh, uh not Josh, um yeah, Josh, yeah, Josh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I'm super proud of the film.

SPEAKER_02:

Have you got it in any other festivals? Like, have you did you submit to any other ones?

SPEAKER_00:

We have submitted to other film festivals, so we'll uh we'll wait and see what happens with those. Uh it is um it is a contender for the actor awards as well. So um but uh the voting has closed the for the for actor members, so fingers crossed.

SPEAKER_02:

Um what'd you what what do you got for?

SPEAKER_00:

Like a short film, yeah. Um but there is you know there are a lot of amazing films from across the country, and there's a lot of essay films the two, which is amazing. So good. Uh a lot of Quicksilver films too, yeah. Um so yeah, it's promising. It's promising for South Australia, I think.

SPEAKER_02:

So first time director and first time writer, yes. I mean, have have had you written much before, or is this literally the first dabbled?

SPEAKER_00:

Dabbled, I dabbled. Um I've explored a lot of things. Um but um when I started to take writing a little bit more seriously, I I signed up to masterclass.com.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

It honestly it's the best. I I highly recommend it for anyone. I did Judd Apertour's masterclass. Yeah, nice. He's one of my favourite filmmakers of all time. Yeah, just the the the knowledge he shared and just the ideas that um, you know, with regards to like writing is was is inval it was amazing. Like I definitely leaned a lot on what Judd Apatow did. Yeah, for sure. They're great. Uh I mean you've got Martin Scorsese there, you've got uh Samuel L. Jackson, you know, if you want to, you know, learn you know if you want to hone your acting skills, you learn from the best. You know, um it's really good.

SPEAKER_02:

So how was the experience directing for the first time?

SPEAKER_00:

It was great, I loved it. I mean, I I I had a feeling that directing was something that would kind of fall naturally to me because I was t I did teach acting classes. Yeah, and in those acting classes, my students would work on scenes which I would direct. Yeah. And I noticed a pattern of you know an actor's performance improving after direction.

SPEAKER_02:

Why do you think that is? Like, do you think it's because it's a it's about becoming comfortable, uh the actor becoming comfortable with like the direction they're going? Like when you when you first perform a scene and then and then you you know you you kind of have this idea that you're trying to get it right, right? Yes. And you've got the director there watching you, and you're opening up that conversation with your director and the actor um and letting it evolve.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think the director's there to kind of assure the actor to try and not not worry about getting it right.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes, you know, and that that must be something that you've really learned. And you you only had that perspective because you are an act, you were an actor first, right?

SPEAKER_00:

And I understand um the insecurities that come with being an actor. Yeah. Um, you know, most of my acting journey was about me wanting to be liked.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00:

Honestly, it's that's that's what most of my journey was as being an actor. Um and uh and then obviously it with time and the amount of rejections you get from auditions, you start to kind of have a bit more of an understanding of uh, you know, that you know it's not personal. Um it doesn't matter whether they like you or they don't.

SPEAKER_02:

Um in fact it that that's probably not going through their mind at all.

SPEAKER_00:

No, no. Oh, it you know, but it's what's gone was gone through my mind.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, exactly, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh so you know, for the longest time I got in my own way as an actor. And I I can recognise that in other actors too. Yeah. Um, because they're so, you know, uh, you know, it's a very freeing kind of sensory experience being an actor, isn't it? Yeah, you know, um you kind of just it's not it, I wouldn't I mean initially for me it was therapeutic, but once you kind of respect the craft a little bit more, um you become a lot more intuitive with your own body, and yeah, there's a there's a certain sense of freedom that comes with that.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, like in time letting go and and trusting yeah, trusting yourself, but also trusting the people that you're working with. Correct. Knowing that they actually want to help you do your best work and they're not thinking about whether they like you or not. No, it doesn't really matter.

SPEAKER_00:

No, it doesn't, no. But you know, I I I feel like as a you know, as a director, um, you know, my job is to you know take care of the actors. Yes, take care of them, take care of them, take care of them, take care of them. Um don't put any unnecessary pressure on them because uh you know if you can take care of your actors, they'll take care of your film. Yeah, that's great, man. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, like trust their instincts, trust their choices. Um and you know, if there is a direction you want to make, don't try and take their choices away, add to their choices. Yeah, nice. You know, give them something to add to their performance, not take away.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, without making them feel like you're shutting their ideas down because it closes them off to being creative then. Totally, totally.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah. So it's always uh adding more, adding more. How can we layer this further? Let's let's let's keep testing this out, you know? Yeah, uh, and sometimes it end up reverting back to, you know, what we had, you know, in previous first take. Yeah, yeah. You know, um, and you know, I've I've found with liability, like there were there were some, I mean I think the most takes we did was in a in like a particular shot would be like seven takes. I think that's the most we did. Yeah, everything else was like three, four at most. Yeah. There was a and uh and the reason why the other one was seven is because there were like it was camera issues. Yeah. You know, usually it'll be perfect on the second take, usually. And then there's just options. Then there's options, correct. And that and that's that's ultimately and well yeah, I mean I I I trust in the the the you know the second take that that's the safety.

SPEAKER_02:

The rest are all yeah, but I mean like technical safety is a good thing. Of course.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, um I won't uh that there are some uh Easter eggs in in the film. Um yeah, well there are like technical issues. Right, or like or or like continuity issues, but the performance made you forget about it.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, but that dude, that happens in like Scorsese's films.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, totally. Oh yeah, I mean the clear example is from Goodfellas, yeah. Exactly, yeah, yeah. With the cigar.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, if the scene, if the performance works, like you know, you can forego some of those. Oh, totally, you know, but yeah, and it it makes for good lore, you know, about about the film and about it's I mean performance always comes first, especially in the editing room.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, um, you know, unless like the technical issue is like just way too distracting. Yeah, that it that it takes away from the performance. Yeah, then obviously you've got to go for another option. But um, but yeah, we we've used takes where there were technical issues, um lighting issues, yeah. Um that made the cut. And um, but it was because Benji was just so damn brilliant, you know, and Josh is so brilliant.

SPEAKER_02:

How can you cut that out?

SPEAKER_00:

That you can't. Yeah, there were so many amazing learning experiences that I had as a first-time director.

SPEAKER_02:

Sounds so much fun, man. Yeah do you find with giving direction, because I um uh try to word this without throwing people under the bus, but I'll so I'll go from my own experience as a as a a teacher, right? There's a clear difference between directing and teaching. Yes. Right? And but I sometimes I I I I think that some people th muddy them. Yeah. And they think that like um offering direction means teaching someone how to act.

SPEAKER_00:

Sure.

SPEAKER_02:

So how do you find that if an actor is asking, uh clearly asking for something where they're just not sure how to do something or or where to go or how to, you know, do you mind having those conversations where it's sort of you can actually start to discuss craft and technique a little bit?

SPEAKER_00:

Or no, I I uh as a when I'm directing something, I do steer clear of that. Yeah, I I we talk about the story. Yeah, you know, we find it by discussing the story. Yeah, beautiful. I couldn't think of a worse thing to do as a as a director than to try and teach an actor how to act uh whilst on set or talk about it.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm so glad to hear that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

But you know, I I can understand seeing, yeah, when you're teaching in when you're in a classroom setting, obviously it's very different because you're teaching them techniques and um, you know, as you know, from an actor's perspective, yeah. Um, you know, when I was teaching classes, I was very much the same. There'd be a class where I would teach, you know, talk about techniques and yeah, but then there are if we're doing scene work, I would talk to them as a director, yeah, because it would be all about the scene and the story. Yeah. You know, and and challenging the actor to um discover what they need to kind of better help their like let help them live in those imaginary circumstances.

SPEAKER_02:

And just have discussions about like comprehension of the story and and collaboration and um understanding where each party's coming from, like director and actor, they're actually coming from and try to find some middle ground. And yeah, nice. I I've I've had experiences where like directors have just flat out just been teaching me how to act. And and I and now I teach my students. I'm like, if a director ever says this to you, yeah, you tell them where to go. No, I'm like, don't tell me how to do how to do the job. Like, we that's that's not what we're doing here. I completely agree.

SPEAKER_00:

Like, if if that was the problem there's then the then the issue is their casting.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yeah. Well it shows that you don't trust your actors.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah. Do you know what I mean? 100%. And you you don't want your actor to shut off, no, especially on a set. Yeah, that's that would be disastrous.

SPEAKER_02:

But that but it comes with the territory of doing um student films and and like amateur theatre. Like it in those settings you have to also remember that like everybody here is learning. Yes. And it and you and there are gonna be directors that are figuring that out too.

SPEAKER_00:

So, you know, everyone's gonna sort of have make mistakes and and have these little I think for a lot of those people, I think the temptation, you know, to teach, you know, a certain physicality or move or whatever it is, you know, whatever whatever it is they want you to do, yeah, is they're inserting themselves into your character. But they but they're they've um you know they've haven't been able to let go of you know their interpretation of what this character should be. Yes. And uh, you know, that's that's a dangerous, that's dangerous territory to be in because then ego starts to take starts to like to become a part of the process. And that that's the last thing you need. Yeah, you know, it's a it, you know, I mean, especially like making film, it's a it's a completely collaborative experience across, you know, in front of the camera, behind the camera, lighting ideas, shots, yeah. Um, you know, to like what props go up, you know, like you know, are we gonna place this microphone here? Or is it gonna be a different kind of microphone? You know, every choice that's made is a very um deliberate choice. Yeah, and it's from someone of in a in a different department. So it'd be tiring. I mean, I could just it would be so tiring to just you know. try and insert yourself.

SPEAKER_02:

Try to control every everything. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You gotta you gotta trust who's who's who you've hired. Put your aces in their places is what I say. You know so you know thankfully you know I had aces in all my places for liability.

SPEAKER_02:

Well it sounds like it was a really positive experience. And it sounds like you'd you know with the team that you you brought in like you guys curated a really positive and and collaborative team.

SPEAKER_00:

Totally. And it's gonna make for really good work.

SPEAKER_02:

I think really good art and a good movie.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah absolutely it's not to say that the the the whole process was perfect. It's like we know we you know I made m I made many mistakes along the way. Well of course you know there are other people in other departments that made mistakes along the way but you know that's that's kind of how it happens you know what I mean like that's a that's a part of the process that um can't shy away from because you know um these these are challenges that will come from day-to-day life you know um you know in on on set offset um you know uh and you've got to learn to deal with those yeah yeah and there there's there's such beautiful lessons to take yeah um you know when you move on to your next project you're kind of better equipped for the next one and yeah and then after and once you finish that project there'll be you know pro you know lessons along among those ones that you'll take onto the next and you just keep growing and growing and growing and growing.

SPEAKER_02:

So that's it hey yeah yeah of course you can't put anyone or yourself on a pedestal and just expect to never make mistakes. No exactly what would be the point of that exactly but just not learning anything yeah in any any given process.

SPEAKER_00:

100% so yeah so I I I did lean a lot on um you know Joseph my DOP with you know with um ideas for shots you know I I had I had a couple of shots that I contributed you know like a couple of ideas for shots that I contributed towards but you know that was you know that Joe really like kind of led led the way you know um with executing it and yeah lighting as well so yeah yeah yeah it's been something that people have brought up on here before and you know something that I've I've always believed like actors make really good directors.

SPEAKER_02:

Totally and directors can always benefit from you know understanding the craft of acting or getting some experience in acting you know just even doing a a class or I'm surprised more actors aren't directors if I'm honest. I'm surprised well I I I feel like most of us have an urge to sort of lean towards that. I mean I I really want to but I I wanted to be a director before I was an actor yeah but but then I just fell in love with acting yeah but yeah I think I think it's all in us because I don't know we kind of maybe we we get the sense that we get directed by someone and then we're like I could do that better.

SPEAKER_00:

I can make this a really lovely set you know well we're storytellers as well so you know um you know actors have close relationships with the writer who also have close relationships with the director and it's all kind of this you know this triangle of um creativity you know where the everyone just bounces off each other. Yeah the writer will bounce off the director who will bounce off the actor the actor will bounce off the writer and all it's it's just this and it's really really fun. It's a lot of fun it's so much fun.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah yeah I'm so happy for you man um and it's really funny because you and I have known each other for a really long time. We have a very long time it was uh I think we initially met I would say 2011 I think yeah yeah do you know I mean you would have known my mum and Nick how did you like how did how did you know those guys?

SPEAKER_00:

So uh what happened? So it's when I moved back to Australia I lived in the UK for a bit right and when I moved back to Australia I uh I joined the agency and their agency and I was repped by them back when it was triple A talent. Back when it was triple A correct yeah and then uh and then we would have met at uh the uh remember the Christmas dos they used to do they they used to then then um I'll never forget like you know you would play you know you'd you'd play your guitar and sing for us and um yeah just I would I was the guy with the acoustic guitar at the party.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah but I but you the difference was I was really damn good.

SPEAKER_00:

You dude I I'll I'll never and and I'm not even bullshitting you there was uh I remember you I specifically remember you playing at uh I think it was the first one that I when I met you you played Major Tom yeah yes um and I loved your version of it man it's it's stuck in my head I can't I fucking miss playing that shit I miss that so much yeah oh man so that that would have been right back when like Mum and Nick first started the agency like that was right at the beginning yeah it was right at the beginning yeah yeah literally like the first year I think yeah were you act were you acting in the UK oh not really um I wanted to but circumstances of you know living in London yeah uh working as a a bartender earning seven pounds an hour yeah uh made that difficult yeah it made it even difficult for me to travel if I'm honest so um yeah I was just trying to get home yeah that was my day to day um so you know it was an amazing life experience yeah uh which I think has made me a better actor as well so uh you went to LA recently yeah I did yeah yeah let's talk about it yeah I got cast in a film uh feature film over there called White Belt nice uh written by a dear friend of mine Kit Dale who's uh he's also a uh jujitsu uh athlete who's two time world champion and um big staunch dude big staunch dude we connected uh when I lived in Melbourne um through Andy McVeigh who was a coach of both of ours at the time and um Kit and I just started doing scenes together practicing our craft together and um and then yeah we just kind of just started hanging out and uh we were shooting skits together and having a bit of fun. He got me into jujitsu and I did for it like did it for like five minutes. Realised it wasn't for me. But Kit ended up getting cast in a feature film while we were hanging out at the time for uh I think the film was called Iron Sky. Right okay so it was a big feature film. He was you know he was travelling over to Europe to film it and um I was helping him prepare for it. Yeah. And um so we were hanging out every day and he had to like bulk up and um get in shape. So I was hanging out with him every day. We were gone to the gym together like you know once a day then we'd go do jujitsu training we'd go on walks yeah uh I'd eat exactly what he was eating because we were just hanging out all the time. I got in the best shape of my entire life in three months. Yeah I'd never seen a six pack of my body before and then out of nowhere I see abs I'm like oh shit and then he left and then I stacked it all back on so um but yeah story of my life like anytime I get fit I'm like cool good cool I can I can stop now yeah I can stop I can I can maintain this I can eat these Oreos so yeah he he ended up moving to LA and I stayed in uh in Australia we stayed in touch you know we stay in touch all the time um yeah then he reached out to me with uh with this script and he you know I I I got to read drafts of it because he was obviously still developing it at the time when he told me about it and um and then uh he asked me if I wanted to be a part of it and I said hell yeah man let's do it and then uh yeah flew my ass over to Los Angeles and uh spent about a week there and um I had a you know small role but it was uh it was a very fun role it was it was a lot of fun and I got to help out behind the camera and yeah because Kit was writer director and actor yeah um when his backup director wasn't available on the day I would step in and um help direct his scenes and that was that was that was amazing. That was that was a beautiful experience. I also had uh well and during my time there I had the uh the premium academy experien award experience without going to the Academy Awards. Oh well uh tell me more about that so um a dear friend of mine uh you and I both know um uh Morale uh oh yeah yeah dear friend of mine so he uh he was very generous enough to kind of uh get me in touch with Philip Noyce yes noise yeah yeah and um who he's with right now yeah they're shooting or they're getting ready to shoot uh a film in Saudi Arabia together yeah he mentioned my name to Philip and uh Philip invited me over his house for you know morning coffee and pastries and uh he gave me he sent me the address and I walked over there because it was about a 25 minute walk yeah and it was a nice day in LA as every other day is in LA so I walked over to his house um and I definitely s had like saw like the what the Hollywood mansions are all about. Oh yeah man uh these houses were something else like this whole street was just like mansion after mansion after mansion it was incredible and I reach his address and I'm seeing this enormous home it was beautiful it was a gorgeous home and we sat down had a bit of a chat he was uh very intense and direct to begin with oh yeah but like he was very it was friendly yeah very friendly but like um it was um I think he was vibe checking me to be honest. Oh okay and I I think it's fair you know when you're in a yeah when you're in that man's position you're gonna get all sorts of weirdos wanting to Morale sending another friend some other freakazoid you know like you know you know one trying to get into the circle sort of thing. Yeah um but you know you know it was it was a lovely chat we had in the morning and uh we had a really good time and then he said right David uh you know I get these invitations to these uh these academy screenings films being considered for academy awards you know I'm an I'm an academy member I'm like yes absolutely he goes well there's a film being sh uh being screened today at the um you know uh uh the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre which is very prestigious theatre yeah and um yeah it was an academy screening an official academy screening yeah which is um you know reserved only for Academy members yeah but uh he gets a plus one and I happen to be his plus one on the day no way that's and uh it was yeah it was amazing yeah so before we got there he suggested that I go check out the um uh the Academy Museum yeah and I'm so glad that he did if you're an actor and you spent some time in Los Angeles put aside at least a half of your day yeah to going to the Academy Museum because it's the the most phenomenal museum um and it'll just inspire you so much. Yeah yeah um it was incredible I'd realised I'd spent too much time there and then the screen was coming a screening was coming up I'm like oh fuck. So um I checked on my GPS how far Phillip because it was on the same road yeah it was had like two miles down the road yeah or no one and a half miles. So I I started walking and um I literally made it on the like right in that moment like in when when I was supposed to meet him the write on time. Yeah yeah and uh so yeah we we go and he's like right David let's go let's go try and sit front row I'm like hell yeah let's go so we go down go to front row and uh we sit down and like yeah the the the theatre's starting to fill out we somehow got a uh a seat at the at the front nice and then he introduces me to a couple of guys um and then uh you know a couple of friends of his one was an incredible composer um and uh and and a producer himself and then behind uh next to him was another guy uh his name's uh Owen Renfro and I'm like oh okay I'm like so I'm having this conversation with him he's like oh yeah so we're from like oh I've traveled over from Australia and this and that I'm like oh so you know you're friends with Philip he's like yeah yeah we're neighbours I'm like oh yeah cool cool I'm like so what you are you you're in the industry yourself what do you reckon and he's like he's like uh yeah yeah you could say that I'm like oh yeah what are you doing like good yeah I'm like I'm like I'm like some people need to be humbled man so I'm like yeah so what do you uh so what do you do it's like oh you know I've um I've been uh I'm a direct I've been a director for the series Young and the restless for the last 15 years and I'm like okay isn't and I looked him up he's he's an Emmy award winning director I'm like fuck um so I'm whatever whatever you know um but it was it was amazing like chatting to him because I mean he was telling he was kind of explaining he the last week that he had had like you know they'd shot 300 pages of scenes in a week my god like that's that was like I that was my taste of like Hollywood level like yeah yeah like you know TV making like that is 300 pages in a week in a week and he's been doing like 16 to eight like 16 to 18 hour days wow seven days and they got it all like done so he was he was at the cinema for a nap yeah that's essentially what he's saying is I I'm I'm just unwinding now you know and I'm like Sunny's yeah just fall asleep um anyway so that was cool so that happened and then I'm like oh and then I had chatted to him and I sat around like moved around to the corner and then noticed someone just kept walking in front of me like just up and down I'm like I'm looking up who the hell is that and I'm like oh fuck that's Dakota Fanning so she's like literally like you're in her seat so she's walking right past and she's like looking up in the stands she's trying to find someone I mean her sister Elle Fanning's in the film and I'm like yeah of course so I'm like oh yeah of course you're here yeah um and then uh the you know we see the film beautiful amazing film yeah um and uh and then there was a QA so you've got James Mangle the director yeah yeah Timothy Charlemagne Elle Fanning Edward Norton they're just and I'm in the front row these guys are looking at me but they're yeah but it was incredible just and then they like it was they got to talk about the film and you know um they there was some beautiful questions being asked and um just understanding their process was was incredible like Timothy Charlemagne for that role like it was yeah because that film was supposed to be made like in 2019. Yeah then there was a delay and then there was COVID and then there were other delays yeah so throughout all these delays it gave him more opportunity to learn the guitar more yeah to learn the guitar and to learn to sing and uh that's what he did through between projects like between doing shooting June and all that sort of stuff he was that's insane practicing guitar um all day every day and don't you hate that then he put together this incredible performance took me years yeah yeah that that was that was a surreal experience for me so cool man thank you Morale for that that was that was lovely and then Philip invited me over to his house afterwards we drank wine had a laugh what a trip man yeah cool yeah so that was pretty cool would you go back I would go back I wouldn't live there yeah um I mean because of the family and everything but like as a place to live in in itself like I can imagine it's just something we're just so not used to yeah I think so I think um it's a yeah I I I loved LA I I really did yeah um a lot of people don't have a very good experience of Los Angeles the city yeah um but I I guess when you're eating pastries with Philip Noyce yeah it's all right actually makes it okay yeah if you I I can imagine if you're not doing that it'd suck. Well just do that then just do that just do that yeah go meet some aliens come on Morale come on man like yeah I mean I'd I would definitely go back yeah um yeah you know obviously if there was an opportunity if the opportunity yeah came came along I would definitely go um I'm gonna give it a crack in a few years I think yeah do it right not now yeah I'm too scared right now you're too scared why because of old mate I might just wait yeah fair enough fair enough yeah hang around nah dude that sounds so cool man what an amazing experience yeah such cool stuff that's one I'll carry with me for for the rest of my days yeah yeah um can you tell me about Vigorous Handjob Guy I'm glad that you've asked the question like just so directly and I'm glad you did um I would love to talk to you about Vigorous Handjust because you're kind of you're kind of famous uh well yeah your name is yeah internet famous yeah yeah uh I am the guy with probably the best credit or worst depending on how you see it uh best worst credit in TV film history. Yes this is when I was living in Melbourne uh there was a TV series being shot um an HBO series being shot in Melbourne a Damon Lindloff series called The Leftovers right now Damon Lindelof did um Lost did Watchmen um incredible incredible um TV series and yeah the Leftovers was um no exception um you know had an incredible cast um and um I got an audition uh and uh the way that my agent at the time pitched it to me is like well this is uh an interesting character it's a short it's a small character um it's it's a short role but uh you know it's damn Lindelof you know yeah and I'm like fair enough so I had a look at it vigorous handjob guy I'm like I didn't actually I wasn't certain that that was the credit like at the time when I saw the audition but I saw it was like it was just some guy jacking off and uh jacking off another guy and whatever in the scene and I was like oh okay uh yeah this this could be a fun audition anyway so anyway this could be have a bit of a laugh with it so my uh my sister was visiting Melbourne at the time yeah and I had to record this audition overnight and um so it was my sister myself and it was my my ex partner at the time yeah where it we're at my sister's hotel room so I'm like Deanna can you please just turn around like don't watch me do this audition because you're gonna you're gonna laugh you're gonna gross out just don't watch me please and I didn't have a tripod or anything because it was like very last minute audition tape. So yeah I got my ex-partner at the time to to hold the camera for me and record the audition and I'm just sitting there like doing this audition like and I say an incredible audition. Yeah yeah well I mean if that I've never seen such you're gonna have to take my word for it you know um well you know it's kind of like Jack Black when he sings you know the the song tribute yeah that I mean that wasn't this was just a tribute that was just that was just a tribute this wasn't to the greatest hand job in the right to the so I recorded the audition sent it off and you know when you just have a feeling you're like out of all roles that I audition for all the training that I've done I'm gonna get this role I guarantee I'm I'm getting this county that's probably where you've had the most training true true um I won't deny that nor confirm that um yeah I I got the call that uh I'd been cast and I was like okay cool yeah and look it's exciting you know I got I finally got cast yeah in something it's you know it it's hard enough getting auditions as it is right let alone get cast and stuff so I get cast in this thing they you know send me the script they send me the sides getting ready for the day and I'll I'm looking at the call sheet who's there uh Christopher Eccleston's there uh Amy Brenner's there um Jo Vana Depo's there some just like phenomenal actors that I'm gonna be sharing a set with yeah uh and the director is Nicole Castle as well who is yeah um just such a phenomenal director like she's done some incredible work especially since leftovers so I arrive on the set I have my own uh what are they called caravans yeah trailer there it's been that long I don't even know what they're called anymore yeah I was in my own trailer yeah um I'm like oh this is fancy just but I'm thinking this is gonna be interesting then I got there's so many jokes I want to make yeah I can't you can I can't well it's my show and I I'm I this is I'm choosing how I censor it.

SPEAKER_02:

Fair enough. So you had your own trailer?

SPEAKER_00:

I had my own trailer then I got sent to wardrobe they tried different t-shirts on me just t-shirts just t-shirts um there were pants but not let's be honest no one's gonna see them they were contemplating whether or not I'd actually be in a t-shirt at all you know and then they gave me uh what they call a uh a modesty pouch yeah um they basically a little g banger like uh yeah in the streets we call it a cocksok right yeah yeah yeah oh yeah yeah yeah you know that brings me back yeah so I had to wear one of those no intimacy intimacy coordinator on set to be seen no it was just like you know you know what you're doing yeah um so I I I finally I go into makeup and um it was actually quite a traumatizing experience being in makeup because that they were trying to get me on set in a hurry. For some reason it was they were taking way too long with me and there was a lot of time pressure to get me on set. They're like can you just hurry up and get this guy on set yeah and they like put this wig on me with this huge mane like just you know just kind of like fluffy and just crazy they put this face paint on me and then they had contact lenses right red contact lenses and they're like have you ever put contact lenses on before I'm like they're like well all you do is you know like you just put it on your your finger and you just kind of put it in your eye and I'm like okay and I couldn't do it I didn't know what to do. Yeah so they're like let us do it oh my god so they're trying to like help me through it and I'm like I've got a God and I'm like I'm tearing up and I'm freaking out because I've got my finger near my eye yeah so eventually got it on again you know I had red eyes and all that sort of stuff and then they finally like just shoot me off to set. Yeah and I arrive and then I see Christopher Eccleston charging at me and just gives me this big old bear hug. Are you wearing the cogsock at this point? No I had pants on uh thankfully at the time I was wearing uh pants but he yeah but he came in and he was like oh it's a you know we've we've all been really been meaning to meet you we want to know everything like how did you get here like how did this happen and uh and we you know it was it was yeah super friendly and they were they were all very lovely and then uh you're just like I'll do anything I'm like yeah I'll do whatever and uh so we got to like there was a like a featured extra as well yeah who was going to be my uh my fellow gentleman right uh the idea of the scene is that in it you know there's this very intense kind of dramatic scene happening with all the lead cast yeah and it's a very like a huge pivotal turning point of the story and then once that once that scene reaches its reaches its crescendo yeah it cuts to two blokes just jerking each other off in in plain sight in public and then I turn and look at them and they're staring at me and I'm like what like like you want to turn like and then they're like no I'm like these weirdos like they don't want to you know so that they I I treat them as if they're the weird ones. Yeah yeah yeah yeah right so we're running like we'd do like doing like running the scene you know like rehearsals like line rehearsals this that and the other yeah um and I was so nervous on set because I have these amazing people around me and we're running through the the the scene and like I didn't know who to direct my line toward and then we did a rehearsed kind of reading of it but then they were like you're saying it to him and I'm like sorry or one of the act it was one of the other actors that he was like hey man just need you to understand this this is a big scene and um you know um just you know this is just read it to him you know I'm like I'm like okay it was one of the other cast and um anyway we run through another reading of the scene and like it was just like a line rehearsal but I still felt compelled to do like the hand motion right just to get me into the scene. Yeah off the corner of my eye I see Amy Brennan yeah yeah right yeah and off the corner of my eye I see Amy Brennerman just like cackling just off the because he's not she's not in the scene but she's in the scene before I enter the scene. Yeah yeah so she once she finishes a bit she steps off and then she and I notice her just cackling and I'm like is she laughing at me does she think I'm stupid yeah what do you think she's laughing at yeah what are you laughing at what's so funny there's nothing funny about what I'm doing this is serious this is really I've trained for this exactly um I did a master class that's right studied Stanislavski Stella Adler exactly um so we get to shooting the scene and we did the scene it was great it was a lot of fun yeah um and then I just forgot about it because obviously once you've done done the gig it's gone it's behind you right and it's and you don't hear anything it's not like it's an easy one to remember or anything well like any role you move on you move on to like a few months go by yeah you know a few months go by you don't hear nothing of it you're like oh yeah cool let's just keep moving on yeah and then out of the blue I start getting my my my my DMs just start flooding with messages from random people like I'm like who's the who's this person? They're like you made it bro you did it I'm like who are you like what who are you like and they're like you this is you right you're are you the vigorous hand job guy I'm like what and then he that's they all sent me like screen grabs yeah of like the credit I'm like I'm like oh yeah yeah that's yeah that's me and I was like god I hope I pulled it off and then and then someone screen grabbed that response yeah they posted it online and then suddenly I'm getting flooded with messages from all sorts of people I mean like it was only for 15 minutes as they say but like I'm like oh this is what it's like yeah being on the other side yeah and hey any publicity is good public yeah so um so that kind of started happening I'm like oh okay this is interesting I'm getting all this attention suddenly my IMDB rating goes to like 4000 right from like a million yeah to like I'm suddenly in the top 4000 in IMDB I'm like shit yeah um and then my agent calls me and they're like oh Empire magazine want to do an interview with you um I'm like why um but so they had wait what about the other guy yeah so the unfortunate thing the other guy it was a featured extra he wasn't even he didn't have a credit he didn't get other vigorous handjob guy recipient he was he wasn't even didn't even get recipient he was just he was a featured extra unfortunately so but he told me he was a fan big fan of the show and he was just he was willing to do whatever he traveled he flew over he lived in Perth he flew over from Perth just to be in the series as an extra oh my god um and he said he'd done like other scenes like there was like a big orgy scene um oh okay yeah there was also yeah and he was he was said he was like an extra in that yeah as well and other bits and pieces. My godness yeah so I started getting flooded with all these messages Empire magazine wanted to have a um you know do an interview slate um magazine they want to do an interview you know I've never done an interview in my entire life yeah so I took the advice from my agent at the time which was the worst advice now you've got to take this you know be really serious about this you know like you know oh yes make sure you mention these names and you know make sure that you know this was a this was a this was a great opportunity thank you to you know Nikki Barrett casting and this and great you know obviously you know it was there's truth to that of course yeah um but like he kind of advised me to kind of try and be hmm I'm gonna be serious actor serious actor Dave yeah who just got cast as vigorous handjob guy I mean that is comically tragic uh like tragic it's great man so but so during the interviews they're asking me all these like questions like about you know the experience and like just you know like they wanted to they wanted it to be a fun interview I'm sure yeah but I'm thinking about my agent at the time who was like serious and blah blah blah blah blah so I completely bomb these fucking these interviews it just makes for such like the comedy of the whole situation is even better now that you you play it so serious as well that's brilliant yeah right yeah so they're like this guy's a genius yeah he created he actually came up with the credit himself he suggested yeah yeah yeah yeah that that should be the credit they just had a regular name before that's right what about vigorous handjob they just had handjob guy but what if it was vigorous handjob was a hand job yeah bring some visceral life into this what about some adjectives yes adjectives we need descriptions um I think the article for the Empire um they had a they've got a segment called no small parts or whatever no small parts no short parts small parts or whatever the hell it was called I can't remember but but yeah so they have a segment for those that have like yeah like minimal minimal roles um but they have that have a big impact you know small roles big impact and then as time went by the I mean well it very quickly happened but then the memes stuff this is where meme culture really started to take off and uh yeah there were a lot of memes that came out with like someone you know like person saying you'll never make it to Hollywood David Daradan and then David with the credit yeah you know look who's laughing now sort of thing so you know there were you know there are a lot of those memes you know that were that were kind of and jokes that were mad at my expense which you know obviously now I'm I'm you know I'm grateful for them you know I'll be honest with you it was I I had a A turbulent experience. Excuse me.

SPEAKER_02:

Like I think I would freak out if if that happened.

SPEAKER_00:

I was worried that I would never get hired again. Yeah. That this was the end of my career. That I'm just a joke. You know, all that stuff started to creep in. And it it it did. There was a there was a period where it took its toll on my mental health, actually. I actually tried to get I actually tried to get the credit unlisted off of IMDB. Really? But couldn't you can't do it.

SPEAKER_02:

Really?

SPEAKER_00:

You can't because it's it's it's a you know it's a factual role. No, they couldn't even do that. So they can't change the name of the character, they can't do any because they've got to put it as it was. Yeah, yeah. And and and honestly, like if I were in the producer's shoes, why the fuck would I? Yeah, well, it's getting it's it's it is publicity. It's publicity and it's getting you know, it does get eyes onto the show. Um I'm glad you can laugh about it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, totally. It's so excellent. Yeah, uh, look. And honestly, I did not know I up until today, yeah, this whole time, yeah, I just thought it was a coincidence. You thought there was another David Darridan. I didn't know he did that. I thought there was I thought there was literally just some guy in LA called David Daredan, yeah, and and he had that role. And and I almost this whole time I just thought, ah, that's unfortunate for Dave. Yeah, no, it wasn't what that there's another David Daredan out there?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, I know. You're gonna have to get a stage. And he's getting these roles, yeah. Yeah, maybe imagine there was another David Darridan out there, and that was his stage name, not even his real name.

SPEAKER_02:

And then he got roles before I his stage name was Vigorous Handjob Guy. That's my stage name. Yeah, it's a beautiful story.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah. Um, but you know, and and throughout all those memes, you know, um, you know, I I actually have a lot of fun with them now. You know, um there's Reddit threads out there about me. Um the memes are out there. I I would go and comment on them and just have a bit of fun. Yeah, I guess because you know, why not? You know, why not have fun with it?

SPEAKER_02:

Um it's one of those things where you have you can't take yourself too seriously. No, you can't, you can't.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, yeah, I I'm a person that I don't take myself too seriously. Sometimes I'll take my work seriously, but at the same time, not too seriously, because you know, I'm gonna die one day and no one's gonna remember that. Who gives a fuck, right? Um put on your gray, yeah, but put on a vigorous headshot guy. David Daritan, aka. The artist formerly known as Damon Damon Lindloff had my back on what yeah, on one of the uh um one of the memes that were now I can't even remember the name of the account, but the account has like millions of followers. So obviously it got a lot of attention, the meme itself. And then Damon Lindloff posted on there, he said, I cast that dude, and it was the best move of my career. Hell yeah. And uh yeah, and that's exactly what I thought. I'm like, fuck yeah. Even though I look, of course, that's he doesn't, you know, obviously there's other actors that his his made better career moves than cast the vigorous handjob guy. But um, but I'm glad he had my back, you know what I mean? Uh and that was that was really nice to see. So um, yeah, so that was that was my experience. Yeah, yeah, man. So it's yeah, this this this acting world is uh is a crazy thing, you never know what's gonna come. Um Justin Thoreau, who's the leader of the Leftovers, yeah, um was once a character on Sex of the City who is a premature ejaculating character, right? Right, oh right. He moved on, yeah. Right. So vigorous handelab guy. Who knows what the future might hold.

SPEAKER_02:

I mate, honestly, what I think once, and you and I'm glad you have, yeah, you've got to the point where you can see the funny side of it because everyone else, trust me, everyone else is going, that's awesome. Yeah, yeah. That's hilarious, and that's awesome. No one's laughing at you, they're going, yeah, this is the way TV and film works. Like, you don't really get a choice a lot of the time.

SPEAKER_00:

No, no, and you yeah, you don't get a choice as to how the audience are gonna respond to your work.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's not like you made a choice to be like, I think I'll play like a role where I'm like wanking someone off.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah. It's like, no, you you are trying to get work as an actor and you just take what you get. 100%. Yeah, and if I get a chance to be on a set of an HBO series, I'm not gonna turn that down.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and honestly, it's gonna be one of those things that as your career progresses, it'll always come up. Yeah. And it'll in and not in an embarrassing way. I think it'll be like, yeah, this is really funny. Like, isn't this industry and this career hilarious? Like it's it's just part of it, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

I actually I actually used that to pitch liability. Really? So we did a um we uh we did a crowdfunding campaign through the Australian Cultural Fund. Yeah, but I felt it wasn't enough to just write a pitch. We I thought let's let's shoot something that's gonna show the audience the tone of what we're making. Yeah, right. So got Josh and JJ together. The three of us acted a little, we I wrote a little scene pitching liability as a as a as a short to to gain some more funding. Yeah. And um we do this funny little sketch, and then I ask who who wrote the the the script.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And then Josh says, the vigorous handjob guy.

SPEAKER_02:

And I'm like, Oh, I think I saw that, eh? And then I'm like, who?

SPEAKER_00:

And he's like, oh, you know, the guy from the memes. And I'm like, oh no, you mean David Daran, the uh the actor that was on the uh the world famous TV series uh The Leftovers with an award-winning cast and crew, yeah, and then he says, Well, I don't know about that, but it's just the the guy from the internet, the handjob guy from the internet.

SPEAKER_02:

So yeah, dude, that's it. You have to lean on those things. It's part of the story now. It's it is part of your lore, it's great, man. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I'm proud of it. I'm damn proud of it. Good. I'm glad you are.

SPEAKER_02:

I think it's I think it's excellent. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Because like we we really don't have control. I mean, I one of the an ad that came out yesterday. Well, I know I found it yesterday in one of the ads I did recently, and like it's hilarious, and like maybe 10 years ago I would I would be like, oh, like I look so funny and stuff, but like I'm really I'm like, this is great, yeah. This is hilarious, man. Like it's it's and I'm really proud of the ad and everything. It was it was a cool, really cool ad, but like you know, I'm like sniffing salami. Do you know what I mean? And it's hilarious, and I'm like, that's amazing, that's brilliant. Find a man that looks at you the way that Chris looks at salami. I'm a vegetarian, yeah. I mean, how many people though can you know But you have to laugh at yourself, eh?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, you have to. You have to laugh at yourself. Um, and yeah, like if you're not enjoying it, then why the f why are you doing it?

SPEAKER_02:

Why are you doing that?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, if if you're doing it just for validation, you're in it for the wrong reasons. You know, you're gonna get bad reviews, you're gonna get good reviews. Um that's that's a that's a part of the experience of being an actor. And it's all subjective and it's all subjective.

SPEAKER_02:

Um but really like you know, we're just we're just here for a laugh.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, essentially, even in the most tragic films, yeah, we're just here for a laugh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh well, that was a great chat. It was a great chat. Do you want to bring Lola in? Is she gonna let you cry?

SPEAKER_00:

No, that's pretty cute. She's a part of the show now. She's a part of the episode. She was like, What I hear that!

unknown:

Come here. Here we go.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, my goodness.

SPEAKER_00:

You have something you want to say?

SPEAKER_02:

So this is Lola. This is Lola. And um she's your driver, yeah?

SPEAKER_00:

She yeah, she's uh she's my agent. Oh, great, yeah. She she gets me all the all the jobs. Yeah. Does she take much commission? So she takes uh 100% commission of uh my brain space. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Um that's not a bad deal.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah. Um it does explain a lot. Yes, uh, she gets plenty of um breast milk. Great. And uh hard to come by. It is, yes, yes. Um I know a guy. Okay, yeah, we'll talk after. She uh provides me with poopy pants and and pee-pee pants. A lot of uh lot of rolling around and uh oh so she's quite busy. She's busy, yeah, yeah. She she does, yeah, yeah. I mean she works all day, all night, really. Wow. Works right through the night. We can all take a leaf out of that book. We can yeah, we can, can't we? Yeah. So in a few words. Maybe the future, maybe the the future face of huggies. Right there. Yeah. Future face of huggies.

SPEAKER_02:

This is a plug if uh anyone's casting babies. Yep, yeah. Thanks for coming, Lola.

unknown:

Yeah, thanks, Lola.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, um, can we see uh can we find you on Instagram?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you can uh catch me on at David Daradan. Yep. Um and uh it's really just pictures of Lola and uh my dog Pina and my wife. Uh you'll find some stuff about you know what I've been up to and Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Well I can't wait to see what else you what else you do, man. Yeah, yeah. Alright, Lola, get out of here, kid. Yeah, that's the one, bro. Last spoke, man.

SPEAKER_03:

That was sweet so much.

unknown:

It was a lot of fun, man.

SPEAKER_02:

There you have it, folks. The legend himself. That was a lot of fun, man. Thanks for coming in, Dave. Um, if you enjoyed today's episode and you feel like buying me a hypothetical beer, you can do so by signing up to the Patreon at patreon.com slash go pluck yourself pod and contributing as little as five dollars a month towards the show. And don't worry, it definitely won't be going towards beer. If you know me, you know why. But it will help keep this show going because look, it's a lot of work and um it I'd it would be amazing to be able to sort of pay myself to do this for just a couple of days a week so I can keep up. So to those that have signed up already, thank you very much for your support. It means the world. Uh, two things to remember with Patreon. Number one, if you're on an iPhone, don't use the Patreon app. Apple are greedy bastards, as we know, and 30% of your contribution will be stolen by Apple just for using their app. So you can avoid that by using uh a web browser like Chrome or Safari when you sign up to the Patreon. And number two, when you go into Patreon, you have to click see membership options. Don't press join for free. If you press join for free, it doesn't do anything but gives Patreon your data. It doesn't benefit you or me. If you want to sign up to my Patreon, you have to click see membership options so that you can contribute as little as$5 a month towards the show. And by the way, guys, I have some really exciting guests coming up in the next few episodes, which I'm really, really excited to share with you. So uh make sure you subscribe and follow wherever you're listening or watching to find out who I have in store for all of y'all. Alright, theme music by my amazing cousin Nick Gunn. He's a genius. If you're into hip hop, check out his work, or you just appreciate music in general, check out his work. He's really awesome. Uh soundcloud.com slash nick gun. Gun with one N, just like my name. Thank you for watching, guys. I'll see you next week. My name is Chris Gunn, and hey, go pluck yourself.