Going Deep with Method Actors
Cast & Characters (4)
Bits & Timeline (14)
The Stanislavski Method Intro
The hosts introduce the episode's theme of method acting, encouraging listeners to 'Stanislavski and listen in' while setting the stage for a deep dive into the psychological commitment of the craft.
The Microphone as a Biological Growth
The panel discusses the inorganic nature of microphones. Robert De Niro suggests imagining the mic as a biological growth of the hand, while Cassandra reveals she needs one because she stayed in method after playing Jerry Seinfeld.
"I always imagine that it's some sort of growth."
"When I played Jerry Seinfeld I was in method for that role and so I developed a permanent need to hold a microphone."
Robert De Niro's Lucid Moment
Robert De Niro explains he is currently in method playing a hipster named Roderick McDavid. He describes having a 'lucid moment' where he can speak as himself while remaining within the skin of his character.
"I am talking like myself but I'm within a skin."
"I have two passports: one as Roderick and one as Robert De Niro."
Channelling the Director and the Character
Cassandra O'Connell explains her complex method of channelling both the character and a director to instruct the character. She demonstrates by channelling Shakespeare to direct her performance as Margaret Thatcher making eggs.
"I channel a director to direct the character."
"I have 145 characters in my head that I cycle through and it's like Pokemon cards."
The Muppet Soul of Edward Bouüf
Edward Bouüf introduces himself and explains that his voice is permanently altered because the soul of his last character—a Muppet named Heraldine—is still lingering within him.
"Sometimes the soul lingers around."
"They invented a new Muppet called Heraldine and that's who I was playing."
Method Acting in 30-Second Commercials
Jewel Saucing discusses her history of bringing high-level method acting to commercials, specifically her iconic role as the 'Lint Licker' in a gum ad and the Education Connection girl.
"Who are you calling a cootie queen, you lint licker?"
"I was one of the first I think to bring method acting to commercials."
Robert De Niro's AI Boycott and Bumble Journey
Robert De Niro explains his stance against AI and his method process for 'Dirty Grandpa'. He reveals that his character Rodrick is currently exploring his sexuality on Bumble, leading to a discussion about large font sizes on iPhones.
"Bobby D is not going to support AI from now on."
"Rodrick's on the apps and he just switched his Bumble to be interested in men and women."
"The pictures are not even as big as the font and so it gets confusing."
The 30-Second Seance and the Biopic Carousel
Cassandra O'Connell demonstrates her rapid method acting system involving newspaper clippings and candles. She cycles through impressions of Barbara Corcoran, Sir Laurence Olivier, Dolly Parton, and Jerry Seinfeld.
"I've slowed that process down to a quick 30-second Seance."
"What's the deal about how you brush your teeth? You're going at it like a jackhammer."
"It legally becomes an electric toothbrush at that point."
Crocs 3 and the Crocodile Method
Jewel Saucing discusses her role in 'Crocs 3', where she lived in an Echo Park pond to become a crocodile. The group debates the physics of a crocodile sleeping 'face down' and the lack of method commitment in 'Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile'.
"I was in character as a crocodile for that."
"What's facing down for a crocodile? Is it on its back?"
"Devastating Shawn Mendes didn't go full method for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile."
The Muppet Human and Call Sheet Hierarchy
Edward Bouüf reveals he played a human in a Muppets movie but insisted on being treated like a Muppet. Cassandra argues that actors below number five on the call sheet should be legally barred from using method acting.
"The world only made sense if I was a Muppet."
"I was 18 on the call sheet."
"You cannot be method if you are lower than five on the call sheet."
Commercial Method and the Mucinex Money Shot
The actors discuss their past in commercial acting, including the 'Orbit Gum' lady and the 'Mucinex Germ Blob'. Jewel reveals she spent three months in prosthetics for a half-day shoot as the germ.
"I was in prosthetics for 3 months... for a half day of shooting."
"Mucinex? Well that's the money shot baby, that's number one."
"I did at least 50 spots in that one half day."
"I was meant for more than just a man in a hand."
Cassandra's Masked Husband and Sinead O'Connor
Cassandra O'Connell describes her bizarre sex life involving a masked husband named Danaher O'Connor, leading to a frantic clarification that his name is not a slight against Sinead O'Connor.
"My husband wears a blindfold and a cape and a mask."
"I'm not saying anything about Sinead O'Connor."
The Non-Profit Militia Inheritance
Edward Bouüf reveals he is funded by his father's 'non-profit' military complex, which operates as a pro-bono militia for anyone needing soldiers.
"My dad runs a military complex."
"It's a non-profit militia. I'm very proud of that."
The Rapid-Fire Character Purge
As the episode ends, Cassandra O'Connell's psyche fractures, leading to a rapid-fire succession of impressions including Joe Biden, Ariana Grande, and Lisa Barlow.
"I'm Ariana Grande and I'm in a little sweatshirt."
"I'm Lisa Barlow from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."