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The Daily Show 2026 04 21 Noah Wyle
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00:03From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only source for news.
00:10This is The Daily Show with your host, Michael Kosta.
00:25Yeah, baby, welcome to The Daily Show.
00:28I'm Michael Kosta. We have got so much to talk about tonight.
00:31Cash Patel drunk-dials his lawyer, Jordan Klepper, talks to young Republicans,
00:36and the Labor Secretary resigns to spend more time with her very weird family.
00:40So let's get into it with another edition of The Worst Wing.
00:50What a bunch of losers.
00:54Let's begin with Cash Patel, FBI director and man who starts every day by looking in the mirror
01:00and saying, freeze, freeze, FBI, freeze.
01:05In his tenor as FBI director, he's almost solved dozens of cases.
01:10But this time, the case is about him.
01:14FBI Director Cash Patel is now suing for defamation over a bombshell new article.
01:19Sources told the magazine The Atlantic that Patel, quote,
01:22has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.
01:27He wants a quarter of a billion dollars in damages.
01:32A quarter of a billion dollars?
01:35Our cash Patel?
01:38Excessive drinking?
01:41I can't imagine such a thing.
01:43I mean, yeah, he does always have the look of a drunk guy trying to convince you he's sober.
01:52But I've never seen him actually drink.
01:54Although, hmm, now that I think about it, there was that one time.
02:11Ah, yes, I remember my first 10,000th beer.
02:17I guess in retrospect, if a room full of 21-year-old concussed hockey players thinks you're a good Hank,
02:23you probably shouldn't be in charge of the FBI.
02:26You probably shouldn't even be in charge of the rental skates at the rink.
02:30By the way, fun fact, Cash was already in there drinking.
02:34He didn't even know the Olympics were happening.
02:37That's why he was so happy when the hockey team showed up.
02:40But so what?
02:42The guy parties when Team USA wins a gold medal.
02:45That's not worth a quarter of a billion dollars.
02:47How bad are these accusations?
02:50On multiple occasions in the past year,
02:52members of Patel's security detail had difficulty waking him
02:56because he was seemingly intoxicated.
02:59At one point, the article claims even prompting a request for SWAT-style breaching equipment
03:04because the director had been unreachable behind locked doors.
03:08Okay, I mean, that sounds pretty bad.
03:12Look, I've been hungover, but I've never been so hungover
03:15they had to wake me up the same way they killed bin Laden.
03:22What else you got?
03:23During Patel's tenure as FBI director,
03:26the FBI has had to reschedule early meetings as a, quote,
03:29result of his alcohol-fueled nights,
03:32adding that Director Patel is often away or unreachable.
03:35The story also goes on to report Patel is a frequent guest of the Poodle Room
03:40at the Fountain Blue Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
03:43Okay.
03:45It is a little weird that a man whose job is in Washington, D.C.
03:49also frequently goes to something called the Poodle Room in Las Vegas.
03:54But I'm sure the Poodle Room is a distinguished, respectable, hypoallergenic social club
04:00where important men network and exchange ideas.
04:16Oh.
04:18So it's a coke den.
04:22Ladies.
04:25Ladies, if you want to get an STD on a circular waterbed,
04:29might I recommend meeting a gentleman at the Poodle Room?
04:33Imagine you're this guy at the Poodle Room just having a good time
04:36with your shirt unbuttoned all the way,
04:38and all of a sudden you're like,
04:39is that the FBI director throwing up on himself?
04:46And there's more in this article than just stories about cash drinking.
04:49There's also stories about him being stupid and a little high-strung.
04:52Back on April 10th, Patel had trouble logging on to an internal computer system.
04:58It was just a technical glitch,
05:00but Patel quickly became convinced he had been locked out,
05:04and he panicked, frantically calling aides and allies
05:07to announce he had been fired by the White House.
05:09Whoa.
05:10Whoa.
05:11Calm down, Cash.
05:14How paranoid are you if the moment you have trouble logging into your computer
05:17you think you got fired?
05:19Oh, no, they fired me.
05:20Get me on a plane to China.
05:21I'm going to tell them all my secrets.
05:22I hate this country and everybody in it.
05:24Oh, wait, I just had the caps lock on.
05:29Everything's cool.
05:32God, I need a drink.
05:37But it is concerning that the guy
05:38who's supposed to be the country's top investigator
05:41can't crack the case of logging into his own computer.
05:46No wonder he's pissed off.
05:48What else does he have to say about this article?
05:50We are not going to take this laying down.
05:52You want to attack my character?
05:53Come at me.
05:54Bring it on.
05:55Yeah, that's right.
05:57He's not going to take this laying down.
05:59Because then they'd have to get the SWAT team in to wake him up.
06:05Now, as a part of his lawsuit, Cash argues that under his leadership,
06:09the FBI has achieved historic law enforcement results,
06:12which, even if that were true, doesn't prove anything.
06:16People can accomplish incredible things when they're drunk.
06:19If Tiger Woods can successfully park in a ditch,
06:22then Cash Patel can be like,
06:24Hey, go arrest some bad guys.
06:26Hell, I'm a little drunk right now,
06:28and I think we all agree I'm nailing it.
06:31You see?
06:40Moving on.
06:41I'm really glad...
06:42I'm really glad you responded that way.
06:44It would have been awkward otherwise.
06:46Moving on.
06:47Let's say hello to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez de Reimer.
06:51She's one of the more obscure Cabinet secretaries,
06:53but it's never too late to get to know her.
06:56Lori Chavez de Reimer has resigned.
06:58Damn it!
07:01Not you too, Lori.
07:03It's always the ones you never heard of.
07:06But that's right.
07:08Secretary Lori has resigned over a scandal,
07:10and if you're wondering which scandal, the answer is yes.
07:13Her departure comes amid multiple scandals and investigations,
07:16including drinking on the job,
07:18allegedly taking staff to a strip club,
07:21and using department resources for personal trips.
07:24Chavez de Reimer is also accused of having an affair
07:27with a member of her security team.
07:29What the hell?
07:31Was she going through her workplace anti-harassment training
07:34like challenge accepted?
07:44But taking your staff to strip clubs, really?
07:48I can't think of a more inappropriate place
07:50for a government official to be spending their time.
07:56Well, maybe a strip club isn't so bad, after all.
07:59But before you jackals in the media
08:02go tearing Lori down just because she knows how to party,
08:05don't forget, this woman has a family.
08:08Have a little respect for what her husband is going through.
08:10Her husband, also in hot water.
08:13He was banned from the department's headquarters
08:15earlier this year
08:16after two women accused him of sexual misconduct.
08:20What?
08:22My boy was banned from his wife's office
08:24for sexual harassment?
08:27I've heard of men cheating
08:28while their wives were at work.
08:29I've never heard of a man cheating
08:31at his wife's work.
08:34This guy's unreal.
08:35And to do it all with resting,
08:37I'm-gonna-sniff-your-neck face?
08:39That's so impressive.
08:43Well, this cannot get worse for Lori.
08:47I can't imagine anything more embarrassing
08:49than your staff being sexually harassed
08:51at work by your husband.
08:53The New York Times reports
08:54that the secretary's husband, quote,
08:57exchanged text messages
08:58with young female staff members,
09:00as did her father.
09:02Holy shit!
09:05Her dad?
09:07They're saying her dad
09:09is trying to tag-team
09:10his daughter's staff
09:11with his son-in-law?
09:14Well, no wonder she's drinking at work.
09:19No, no, no.
09:23This must be a misunderstanding.
09:27In an April 2025 exchange,
09:29Richard Chavez wrote
09:30to a young female staff member, quote,
09:33hearing you are in town,
09:34wishing you would let me know
09:36I could have made some excuses
09:38to get out and show you around.
09:40Please keep this private.
09:44Don't worry, buddy.
09:45No one's ever gonna see this.
09:49Lori's probably like,
09:50God damn it, Dad,
09:51now you know how to use your phone?
09:55This is creepy and disgusting
09:56and also such a classic parent text.
09:59Even when they're being perverts,
10:00they're like,
10:01well, it would have been nice
10:02for you to give me a heads up
10:03you're coming to town.
10:05But this is crazy.
10:06There's no way Lori knew
10:08about her husband and her dad, right?
10:11Right?
10:13Right?
10:14Some of the young women
10:15were instructed
10:16by the labor secretary herself
10:19to, quote,
10:20pay attention
10:21to her husband and father.
10:23Wow.
10:24Wow.
10:25The labor secretary
10:26heard Kash Patel had a scandal
10:28and she's like,
10:29hold my beer.
10:31And my wine.
10:32And my stack of dollar bills.
10:34And my dad's penis.
10:40Now, look,
10:41I'm as surprised as you are
10:44that an upstanding businessman
10:45like Donald Trump
10:46only seems to hire
10:47corrupt perverts
10:48and messy drunks.
10:50But until more Americans
10:52come to realize
10:53that Donald Trump
10:54is the human equivalent
10:55of the poodle room,
10:57we're going to be stuck
10:58with this type of representation.
11:00And until then,
11:02the Department of Labor
11:03is going to need to make
11:04some big updates
11:04to their HR training video,
11:06which luckily,
11:07we have an advanced copy of.
11:10If you've reached
11:11this part of the video,
11:12then you've completed
11:13HR training.
11:14Congratulations,
11:15new cabinet secretary.
11:16And now,
11:18it's time,
11:19thanks to recent
11:19stupid f***ing events,
11:21to bring in your husband.
11:26Let's start with
11:27rule number one.
11:29No one wants to f*** you.
11:31No one's going
11:31to the cabinet job
11:32thinking,
11:33oh,
11:33you know what?
11:34I hope I see
11:34my boss's husband's
11:35gross dick today.
11:36If you can't help yourself,
11:38there are over
11:3820,000 bathrooms
11:40in federal buildings.
11:41Go jack off in the mint,
11:43you f***ing psycho.
11:44Okay?
11:44Now send in a father.
11:49Okay,
11:50fathers,
11:51rule number one.
11:53No one
11:54wants to f*** you.
11:55How much porn
11:56do you have to watch
11:57to think,
11:57oh yeah,
11:58I have a real shot
11:58at my daughter's co-workers.
12:00Maybe one of them
12:00will get stuck
12:01in the copy machine
12:01and need me to
12:02bang them out of it.
12:03Let's do some role play.
12:04I'm you
12:05at your daughter's office.
12:07Hi,
12:08nice to meet you.
12:09Wrong!
12:10You should not have even
12:11been there in the first place.
12:12Why are you at your daughter's office?
12:14Last time I checked,
12:14there's no
12:15take your horny father
12:16to work day.
12:16if you have to f*** off,
12:18do it at the mint
12:20with your son-in-law.
12:21Now please
12:23send in your pets.
12:28Who's a good boy?
12:29You're a good boy.
12:31But no one
12:31wants to f*** you.
12:37When we come back,
12:38Jordan Klepper
12:38hits the rally trail again.
12:40Don't go away.
12:54Welcome back to
12:55another show.
12:55Last week,
12:56President Trump
12:57hit the Turning Point USA
12:58conference
12:59to sell young voters
13:00on his wars
13:01with Iran
13:01and the Pope.
13:02So we sent
13:03Jordan Klepper
13:03to find out
13:04how it went.
13:12In the midst
13:12of an unpopular war
13:13with Iran
13:14and a heated
13:15Pope fight,
13:16President Trump
13:17dropped into
13:17a Turning Point
13:18rally in Phoenix
13:19and he brought
13:19his creepy
13:20uncle energy.
13:21So I traveled
13:22to the Grand Canyon State
13:23to see if the crowd
13:24outside was still
13:25on board
13:26the Trump train.
13:27What stuff has he done
13:28that you're proud of?
13:29Everything.
13:30Like,
13:30America's f***ing free.
13:32Right now,
13:33this is the best
13:33the country's ever been.
13:34Talk to me
13:35about the accomplishments.
13:36Venezuela, big.
13:37Big.
13:38Border, big.
13:39He originally brought
13:40gas prices down
13:41and he's gonna do that again.
13:43He gets to do it twice.
13:43Isn't that amazing?
13:44Yeah.
13:45Some goals have been achieved.
13:46Yeah, some have.
13:48Ballroom.
13:48Face on money.
13:50Well, the ballroom
13:51is something different
13:52and Obama put in
13:53a basketball court
13:54so who complained
13:55about that?
13:56Nobody.
13:56Which wing did Obama
13:57knock down
13:58to put up that basketball court?
13:59I don't know.
14:00Probably the east wing.
14:01Probably the east wing.
14:02He goes in,
14:03gets done
14:03what he says
14:04he's gonna do.
14:04And he does
14:05what he says.
14:06Promises made,
14:07promises kept.
14:07Absolutely.
14:08No new wars.
14:09Yes.
14:10Nobody wants to go to war.
14:11Nobody does.
14:12Yeah.
14:13What do you think
14:13about the war with Iran?
14:15I don't pay attention to it.
14:17Yeah, so still,
14:19no new wars.
14:19This particular rally
14:21was located
14:21at a megachurch
14:22in the heart
14:23of God's country
14:24and Trump's holiness
14:25and Trump's holiness
14:25was on everyone's mind.
14:26When Trump made
14:27his acceptance speech
14:28in 2015,
14:29I swear I saw
14:30the hand of God
14:31reach out and touch Trump.
14:32Was Trump touched
14:33sort of like this?
14:33Recently,
14:34Trump caused a stir
14:35when he posted
14:36this AI picture.
14:37The image appearing
14:38to depict the president
14:39as Jesus.
14:40Drawing backlash
14:41from many of his own supporters,
14:43some calling it blasphemy.
14:44I can see a lot of people
14:45being offended by Trump.
14:47Trump's not perfect.
14:48He's not perfect.
14:49He's just literally
14:49breaking the very
14:51first commandment.
14:53I don't think Trump
14:55thinks he's Jesus
14:56or anything like that.
14:57I think he posted it
14:58thinking it was
14:59a beautiful picture.
15:00Turns out Trump
15:01also denied
15:02the Jesus comparison.
15:03It was me.
15:04I did post it
15:06and I thought it was
15:06me as a doctor.
15:07He posted it
15:08because he thought
15:08he looked like a doctor.
15:09I see a healer.
15:10He's here to heal the sick.
15:12He's beautiful.
15:13He looks like a doctor.
15:14Look at him.
15:15He's got his magic.
15:15He's been sick for a long time.
15:17He's got his magic hand.
15:18Do doctors traditionally
15:19have magic hands?
15:21Well, to you and I, they do.
15:22Do you know how to carve
15:23somebody up in the stomach
15:24and cure whatever
15:25if they have like
15:25an intestinal ailment?
15:26Can you do that?
15:27I'm poor with a scalpel.
15:29You're correct.
15:30Fair enough.
15:30Point maga.
15:31But Trump's brush
15:32with organized religion
15:33didn't end there.
15:35POTUS versus the Pope.
15:36I'm not a big fan
15:37of Pope Leo.
15:38Blasting Leo
15:39for opposing America's
15:40war in Iran.
15:41Pope needs to stay
15:42just stay religion.
15:43Keep politics out.
15:44Pope should stay
15:44out of politics.
15:45I believe so, yeah.
15:46Should politics
15:47stay out of religion?
15:48Uh, yes.
15:49Should there be
15:49the Ten Commandments
15:50in schools?
15:51Yes.
15:52Mm-hmm.
15:53There should be
15:54Pledge of Allegiance
15:55in school.
15:56There should be...
15:57Prayer?
15:58There should be prayer.
15:59But going back
15:59to that whole thing
15:59about Pope,
16:00stay away from politics.
16:02Politics, yeah.
16:02Politics, stay away
16:03from religion.
16:03Yes.
16:04Ten Commandments,
16:04put it in school.
16:05Yes.
16:05Are you seeing
16:06what I'm seeing?
16:07Yes, I know what you're saying.
16:08Okay, just...
16:09I feel...
16:09I feel...
16:10I know what you're saying.
16:11It makes me feel crazy.
16:12So while they might not
16:13be devoted
16:14to the establishment clause,
16:15it was clear
16:16they remained faithful
16:17to Trump's
16:17America First policies.
16:19How do you feel
16:20about this war with Iran?
16:21I think if it needs
16:22to be done,
16:23it needs to be done
16:23and Trump will get it done.
16:25Do you think
16:25it needs to be done?
16:27If Trump does, I do.
16:28How do you feel
16:28about the war in Iran?
16:29I'd say bomb the shit
16:32out of them
16:32and get it over with.
16:35Wasn't the whole thing,
16:36though, no new wars?
16:38It's a conflict.
16:39It's not a war.
16:40Not a war.
16:41It's a conflict.
16:42Who says...
16:43I know Trump calls it a war.
16:45Well, they say
16:46it's a conflict
16:46because a war would be...
16:48You'd have to...
16:48You'd have to declare war.
16:52He was not...
16:53Declare war.
16:54Right, right, yes.
16:54It's a conflict.
16:55If you go illegally around it,
16:56you can have a war
16:57and call it a conflict.
16:58Exactly.
16:58I don't count this
16:59as a war.
17:00Even if you do count it,
17:01it's a necessary war.
17:02This is what...
17:04Skirmish.
17:04Taking out the trash.
17:06Have we won the war?
17:07Are we winning the war?
17:08Yes.
17:09Yes.
17:09Which one?
17:10The Iran war.
17:12You're confident
17:12about this war?
17:13I'm confident, yes.
17:14Once we win this war
17:15with Iran,
17:17where is Israel
17:18going to have us
17:18invade next?
17:19That I can't answer.
17:20I don't know that.
17:21But what Maga does know
17:23is that this war
17:24is actually
17:24very close to home.
17:26In fact,
17:27Iran might be up
17:28to no good
17:28even in suburban Phoenix.
17:31Those people
17:31standing right there,
17:33they're all getting paid
17:34from the Iranian regime.
17:37The protesters
17:38playing musical instruments
17:39out here
17:40are getting paid by Iran?
17:41They're getting paid
17:41by sources
17:43from Iranian regime.
17:45Look at them.
17:47You have to go
17:47look at them.
17:49They do not have teeth.
17:50They don't have
17:51the right dress
17:52on the welfare
17:53because they don't work.
17:54How does a toothless
17:55person get money
17:56from Iran?
17:58They have connection.
17:59Do they have a
17:59Venmo situation?
18:00Yes.
18:01These toothless
18:02Iranian sleeper cells
18:03were out in full force
18:05with their comfortable
18:06hokas
18:06and tasteful sun hats.
18:08But then,
18:09big news hit
18:10on the day
18:10of the rally.
18:11The Strait of Hormuz
18:12is fully open
18:14and ready for business.
18:15The Strait is open
18:16as of this morning.
18:17What do we have
18:18to thank for that?
18:18We have to thank
18:19President Trump for that.
18:20Joe Biden wasn't
18:21trying to open the Strait.
18:22Exactly.
18:22He had the balls
18:23to do this.
18:24To open the Strait.
18:25Yeah.
18:25I mean,
18:25to do all this,
18:26what other president
18:27would have done this?
18:28Nobody else before him
18:29has done it.
18:29Biden wouldn't open
18:30the Strait.
18:30No, Biden wouldn't.
18:31Well, Boba wouldn't
18:31open the Strait.
18:32He wouldn't do it.
18:32Clinton wouldn't
18:33open the Strait.
18:33Exactly.
18:34All because the Strait
18:35was already open
18:35until Donald Trump
18:36became president.
18:37So now...
18:38Is that the genius?
18:39That, like,
18:39you can't open the Strait
18:40unless you close the Strait,
18:42create global pandemonium,
18:44raise gas prices,
18:45and then open the Strait,
18:46and still,
18:47no one's talking
18:48about the Epstein files.
18:49Well, that is true.
18:51Sadly, the Strait
18:51was closed again
18:53just a few hours later.
18:54But hopefully,
18:55we're near the end
18:56of this terrible war.
18:58I mean,
18:59conflict.
19:01Thank you, Jordan.
19:02When we come back,
19:03Noah Wiley will be
19:04joining me on the show.
19:04Don't go away.
19:21Welcome back
19:22to The Daily Show.
19:23My guest tonight
19:23is an award-winning
19:24actor, writer,
19:25and director
19:26who stars in the
19:27HBO Max series
19:28The Pit.
19:29The most important things
19:31I've ever done in my life
19:32have been in this hospital.
19:35Nothing will ever matter
19:36more than what I've done
19:37in this hospital.
19:38But it is killing me.
19:42You know how they say
19:43that a part of you dies
19:44when you lose someone you love?
19:46I'm not convinced
19:47that a part of you
19:48doesn't die
19:48every time you see
19:49a fellow human pass.
19:50And I've seen
19:51so many people die
19:54that I feel like
19:56it's leeching something
19:56for my soul.
19:58Please welcome
19:59Noah Wiley.
20:16Wow, wow, wow, wow.
20:18Huh?
20:19Wow.
20:21Wow, wow, wow.
20:22Thank you, man.
20:23Thank you for coming.
20:24Thank you for making The Pit.
20:25It is, wow.
20:27I just, I feel everything.
20:29I feel everything
20:30when I watch this show
20:31and more than other shows.
20:34You know, there's a pit in my stomach
20:36and I can't think
20:36that's why you named it this.
20:39But that was the intention.
20:41Yeah?
20:41It was intended
20:43to hit you specifically
20:44in your heart.
20:45That's true.
20:46And you and you and you
20:47and hit everybody
20:48in their collective heart
20:49to show that
20:50we're not as different
20:51as we pretend to be sometimes
20:54and that we all end up
20:55in certain arenas
20:56like hospital emergency rooms
20:58where it really doesn't matter.
20:59Yeah.
21:00Those lines of division
21:01that we all play under
21:02outside that arena.
21:03Right then and there
21:04you just want someone
21:05to take care of you.
21:06And it is so true.
21:06When you're sick
21:07or injured or hurt
21:09that's all you can think about.
21:11And that is very true.
21:12It's a great point.
21:13One of the things I've noticed
21:15there's no music.
21:16No.
21:17We early on
21:18wanted this to feel
21:19as immersive as possible.
21:21So a couple things.
21:22Take the music out.
21:23Take all those cinematic
21:25artificial sort of techniques out.
21:28You know,
21:28we tried to not
21:29do any trick photography.
21:30Everything is shot
21:31from almost a human eye level.
21:33Yeah.
21:33Really to make you feel
21:34like you're a participant.
21:35That you're at the same
21:36vantage point as the characters.
21:38You don't have the objectivity
21:40of looking down on it
21:41from outside the pit.
21:42You're in it with us.
21:43I mean,
21:44I'm sometimes watching TV
21:45and I go to the kitchen
21:47and then I hear strings
21:49or drums
21:50and I go,
21:50oh,
21:50I better watch this scene.
21:52But when I watch the pit,
21:54don't go to the kitchen.
21:55No.
21:57No.
21:57Because you've got to watch.
21:58And even the phone,
21:59I'm like,
21:59this is pit time.
22:01Put the phone over there.
22:02And because it plays
22:03in real time
22:04over 15 hours,
22:05there's all sorts of
22:06little details
22:07embedded into the narrative
22:08to make it more
22:09rewarding viewing
22:10the more closely
22:11you pay attention.
22:13You can follow
22:14a whole storyline
22:14that's taking place
22:15just in the background of you.
22:17I feel like so many shows
22:18are dumbing it down for us
22:20and I feel
22:20one of the things
22:21I want to thank you
22:22and all the producers
22:23and writers for
22:24is you're actually honoring
22:25our viewers'
22:26intellectual capability.
22:27I think something
22:28changed after COVID.
22:29People started watching
22:30content differently,
22:31more intensely,
22:32and it started to have
22:33more relevance and meaning
22:34in their lives.
22:35And so, you know,
22:36that old adage of
22:38dumb it down
22:39doesn't apply anymore.
22:40People are extremely
22:40sophisticated in their
22:41viewing habits
22:42and in their tastes.
22:43And they really are.
22:44And that water cooler
22:44conversation is back.
22:46People are banding
22:47storyline ideas
22:48and plot twists around.
22:50It's cool.
22:50Anyone that watched
22:51my act one knows
22:53that we don't dumb it down.
22:54No.
22:55This is a particularly
22:56good episode, by the way.
22:58This thought did cross my mind.
23:00Forgive me if this
23:01is insulting,
23:02but is the pit good
23:03or is it just that
23:04I'm so happy to see
23:05people that are good
23:06at their jobs?
23:07You realize all day...
23:14All day I'm watching
23:15clips of our FBI director
23:17pound beers.
23:18So it's just...
23:19There is a beauty
23:21in watching
23:21competent professionals.
23:23I think that's true.
23:24I think it's both
23:25kind of a wish fulfillment
23:27exposure therapy.
23:28If you get there,
23:29you want to make sure
23:29that those guys
23:30are going to be good.
23:31But I think there's also
23:32an aspect of watching
23:33people do work
23:34that has real meaning
23:35and makes a difference
23:36in the world.
23:37You know, I think that's
23:38something we all
23:39kind of want
23:40in our lives
23:41is to know
23:41that the labor
23:42that we're doing
23:42is not irreplaceable,
23:45that it does have
23:46some meaning
23:47and the pit
23:48sort of identifies that.
23:49How do you balance
23:50the really awful,
23:52sad realities
23:53of what happens
23:54in an ER
23:54with the inspiring
23:55and hopeful things
23:56that happen in ER
23:57but also happen on TV?
23:58I mean, I, you know,
24:01I've seen some things
24:02in the pit
24:02that have had me
24:03take a second
24:04before clicking
24:05on the next episode.
24:06That's not good
24:07for TV business.
24:08But also, in ER,
24:10sad and bad shit
24:11happens sometimes.
24:12Yeah.
24:13Yeah, as do really
24:14amazingly heroic
24:16and comical things too.
24:18You find the whole
24:19human experience in there.
24:20And we try to take scenes
24:21positive, negative
24:22so it's not just
24:23a drumbeat of misery.
24:24We try to show
24:25those quirkier aspects
24:26and mostly
24:27those resilient aspects
24:28of the human character
24:29that refuse to take
24:31in and on
24:32everything that they're seeing
24:33and choose to sort of
24:34retain a sense of humor
24:36and a sense of humanity
24:37in the face of it.
24:39How did you approach
24:40playing Dr. Robbie this year?
24:42Because it's so clear
24:43that mental health
24:45was a major theme
24:46in this season
24:47and really
24:48who is helping
24:49the people
24:50who help people?
24:51And as it kind of went on
24:53you, Dr. Robbie,
24:55you know who I'm talking about, right?
24:56Your character.
24:57He's the guy with the beard.
24:58He's the guy with the beard, yeah.
24:59He's really good.
25:00He's really good.
25:01But he was being shittier
25:04to people
25:04as time went on.
25:06True, true story.
25:07You know,
25:08we don't always act
25:09in our most graceful
25:10when we're at our most desperate.
25:12Right.
25:12And we wanted to show
25:14what it looks like
25:15to go through
25:15a mental health crisis honestly.
25:17Yeah.
25:17And there are a lot
25:18of telltale signs
25:19and they're not all things
25:21that would immediately
25:22trigger your empathy.
25:23Sometimes they may
25:24trigger your curiosity
25:25and they may even
25:26trigger your distaste.
25:28But those are calls
25:29for help
25:29that just take
25:30a different form.
25:31And so, yeah,
25:32Robbie was going
25:33through a tough time
25:34even before we met him
25:35in season one.
25:36And it's sort of been
25:37a revealing process
25:38to himself
25:39that he is in trouble
25:41and that he needs
25:42to find some help.
25:43I also love the balance
25:45of the character Joy
25:47who leaves the ER
25:48and they say,
25:50well, what about
25:50your patients?
25:51And she goes,
25:52I'm gone.
25:52And in some ways,
25:55healthy people
25:56that don't just create
25:57but enforce boundaries.
25:59That was a very small detail
26:01that was given
26:02to that character
26:03and that little bit
26:04of self-care
26:05has resonated
26:06so loudly
26:07with people
26:07as they realize,
26:08no, it's okay
26:09to put a boundary up.
26:10It's okay
26:10to not have to
26:12give your all
26:12all the time
26:13to everybody
26:14but take a little
26:14back for yourself.
26:15I think that's healthy.
26:16I love riding motorcycles.
26:17I own a Triumph Bonneville.
26:19No, you don't.
26:19Your character
26:20has a Bonneville
26:21and so during
26:21this whole season
26:22you keep saying,
26:24oh, I got to go
26:25on the motorcycle trip.
26:26I'm sitting there going,
26:26go on your trip, man.
26:28The bike is rent.
26:30The bike wants you
26:30to ride it.
26:32Anyways.
26:33Fun bike.
26:34Fun bike.
26:35You were,
26:35do you ride motorcycles?
26:36I had to learn
26:37for a TV show
26:38I did up in Canada
26:39called Falling Skies
26:40where we were all
26:40riding dirt bikes
26:41around in the apocalypse.
26:42My mother was
26:43an orthopedic nurse
26:44so she raised us
26:45calling them donor cycles
26:46and forbade all of us
26:48ever to get on one
26:49so every time I ride
26:50I hear my mother's voice
26:52in my head
26:52saying, you know,
26:53I'm going to do
26:54a total hip on you.
26:55Were you,
26:55were you riding the bike
26:57in that first show?
26:59That was you.
27:00That was me.
27:00I had to take
27:01an actual training course
27:02to do that.
27:03Right.
27:03That four seconds of film
27:05was, uh,
27:06eight weeks
27:07of weekend courses
27:08in a parking lot
27:09with a lot of cones
27:10but it was super fun
27:11to learn
27:11and that bike
27:11is really fun.
27:12It's a fun bike.
27:14Wear a helmet everybody.
27:15Wear a helmet.
27:16I think one of the things
27:17that I'm responding
27:18to so much
27:19in the pit also
27:20is just so refreshing
27:21to see
27:22a big TV production.
27:2615 episodes?
27:2715 episodes.
27:28Elaborate cast,
27:30set,
27:30I mean,
27:31uh,
27:32it,
27:32you know,
27:33I'm just so thankful
27:34that it's being made
27:36and coming back
27:36on an annual,
27:37coming,
27:37now I have to wait
27:38two or three years
27:39between seasons.
27:40Uh,
27:40you're working already
27:41on season three.
27:42We're back to work
27:42in the writing room
27:43on season three.
27:44We start shooting it
27:44in June.
27:51You've been on two
27:52huge medical dramas,
27:53E.R.
27:54Yes, sir.
27:55Back in the 90s.
27:58Um,
27:59the pit now,
28:01how do you see audiences
28:04absorbing the shows
28:05differently?
28:06If,
28:06if you see them
28:07absorbing it differently
28:08or reacting to it differently
28:09all these years later?
28:10Uh,
28:11more of a fractured,
28:12sort of a siloed audience
28:14as opposed to
28:15the old network days
28:15when everybody was watching
28:16the same three channels.
28:17Yeah.
28:18More people were watching
28:19those channels then,
28:20but people watch
28:21more intensely now.
28:23I think that,
28:23uh,
28:23the fan bases is,
28:24it's,
28:25you know,
28:25the internet has tied
28:26what used to be
28:27a very small silo
28:28to the small silo
28:30in Italy
28:30and in Germany
28:31and the Philippines
28:31that also exists.
28:32So,
28:33now you can scale
28:34your club globally,
28:35which is very exciting.
28:37Right.
28:37But,
28:38uh,
28:39I'm just amazed
28:40that the show
28:40can still break through
28:42and still command
28:42popular attention
28:43because there's so many
28:44choices,
28:45there's so many channels
28:46that to be on something
28:47that really doesn't rely
28:48on a lot of special effects
28:49and it's a very human story,
28:50to have that connect
28:51right now
28:52feels extremely gratifying.
28:53Um,
28:53in ER,
28:54you play Dr. John Carter.
28:56Yes, sir.
28:57And, uh,
28:57here's a picture
28:58of Dr. John Carter.
28:59Oh, no.
29:00And, um,
29:01you know...
29:02Oh, no.
29:06What, um...
29:07Where is the little boy
29:10I knew?
29:13What's...
29:13What advice...
29:14A couple Fiddler fans
29:15out there.
29:16What would you say
29:18to that man now?
29:21Uh...
29:22What advice would you have?
29:23Shh!
29:25Talk less,
29:25listen more,
29:26worry less,
29:28uh,
29:29um,
29:30relax.
29:31It's gonna be okay.
29:32Oh, so much wasted energy
29:33worrying and obsessing
29:34about things
29:35that don't really matter.
29:36I've had a really
29:37incredible year,
29:38but I had some
29:38less than incredible years
29:40to give me a really
29:40healthy perspective
29:42on this year.
29:44And so,
29:44I'm just, uh,
29:45I look back at
29:46versions of myself
29:47that I just wanna go,
29:49it's okay.
29:50Like,
29:50where you are right now
29:51is good.
29:52You don't have to try so hard.
29:53Were you...
29:53Were you trying
29:55to advance your...
29:56You were younger then?
29:58Was it...
29:58Was that what you mean?
29:59Is, like,
30:00kind of an...
30:00Well, you just think...
30:01You're always thinking
30:02in terms of trajectory,
30:03and sometimes you don't
30:04really realize
30:05where you are
30:06is as good as it gets
30:07or is as good
30:08as it's gonna be
30:08for the next 30 years
30:10of your life.
30:11Uh, so...
30:12Uh, you wanna take time
30:14out and smell the roses.
30:15You also wanna appreciate
30:17something that's working
30:18when it's working
30:19and not necessarily
30:20wanna use it
30:20as a stepping stone
30:21to get to someplace else.
30:22Right.
30:23You know,
30:23I-I used an analogy
30:24with this ensemble
30:25when we first started.
30:27I said,
30:27don't think of this
30:27as a springboard,
30:28think of this
30:29as a surfboard.
30:30And if we stay
30:30on the board,
30:31this wave's gonna carry us
30:32as far as it possibly can.
30:34But if we jump off
30:35thinking that we could
30:35get higher or find better,
30:37we'll probably fall.
30:39And, uh...
30:39You shared that
30:39with the cast on The Pit.
30:41Yeah.
30:42That's amazing.
30:42Yeah.
30:43I mean...
30:43Does anybody listen to you?
30:44Because I-I...
30:45I mean,
30:46that's always the problem
30:47is you get hit
30:48with great advice
30:48and you don't always listen to it.
30:49But how do you have
30:50perspective unless
30:51you have the life experience?
30:52So it's, uh,
30:53you know,
30:53it's that old adage
30:54that, you know,
30:55youth is wasted
30:56on the young.
30:56You have to go
30:57through the road
30:58in order to appreciate
30:59the journey.
30:59And, you know,
31:00everybody's on this cast
31:02extremely emotionally mature
31:03for their age and experience.
31:04And they don't need
31:05a lot of advice from me.
31:06They're doing fine.
31:07But, um...
31:08I love that.
31:09I hope that they realize
31:09how special it is.
31:10I think they do.
31:11I think I'm gonna
31:13just think about that
31:14in my life
31:14as springboard
31:15versus surfboard.
31:16Let's go surfing.
31:17This is a pretty good gig
31:18you got here, man.
31:19Hey.
31:21Let's go surfing.
31:23Let's go surfing.
31:24You guys,
31:24all episodes of The Pit
31:25season two
31:26are streaming now
31:27on HBO Max.
31:28Noah Wiley
31:28with a quick break.
31:30We'll be right back
31:30after this.
31:31Thank you, honey.
31:32Thank you, Jack.
31:43That's our show
31:44for tonight.
31:44Now, here it is,
31:45your Moment of Zen.
31:46Professor,
31:46what's a sock puppet?
31:49I heard the reference
31:51from Senator Warren.
31:52Yeah, what is it?
31:52I'm not sure I know.
31:54I think it's that thing
31:55you stick your hand in.
31:56Yeah, kind of like this?
31:58Yes.
31:58Are you gonna be
31:59the president's
32:00human sock puppet?
32:01Uh, Senator,
32:03absolutely not.
32:05Sorry.
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