00:00I know you didn't grow up watching The Lost Boys, but have you come to love the cult classic since
00:06working on the book for the musical?
00:07The process of writing a musical can take, I mean, the average time can take up to seven years.
00:13So anytime you're looking at a project, you know, TV is a much shorter window, which I usually work in
00:18TV.
00:18But so I really had to ask myself, is this something that I feel I can be added to, dive
00:28into, plumb in, you know, and the depths of it and we can sing about it.
00:34So, yes, I have. I've like I've understood it now from what the story offers, which is you start looking
00:42at it from those eyes,
00:43which is it's a story of a family that is in crisis and moves away and is trying to start
00:50a new life.
00:50And and you have the story of a 17 year old. You have the story of a 14 year old
00:55boy.
00:55You have the story of a single mom. And and so I appreciate it now for like even the story
01:01elements it's exploring.
01:02And I definitely appreciate the fans. You speak of a seven year timeline.
01:06Yeah. And I know you and Chris Hawk started conceiving this project back in covid times.
01:12And he actually moved in with you. You know, how did living together help the creative process?
01:19Yeah. Chris Hoke and I are college roommates. We actually met in high school of all places,
01:24like when we were competing in drama tournaments. So he's from Chicago. I'm from Houston.
01:28So we sort of have an Oscar Felix dynamic. And I'll let you figure out which one's which.
01:35But so, yeah, he moved in with my wife and kids for eight months as we worked in L.A.
01:41with this band who the rescues, who did the music and it was it's intense.
01:47I mean, it is an all income working on a musical is an all encompassing.
01:51It's sort of all hands on deck. It's a really collaborative art form.
01:55And it was it was super fun, super challenging at times, you know, when you're collaborative
02:00and having my old roommate live with me is brought up
02:04a lot of old issues. But it was it was great fun.
02:07It's clear that the team made great efforts to pay tribute to the original while adapting
02:12the story for 2026 audience.
02:14You know, how difficult was it to find that balance?
02:17I mean, the interesting thing about the Lost Boys is the tone of it, which I think makes
02:21it really unique. It made it unique at the time.
02:24I think it was culturally, it was this it was this thing that was sort of shocking to people.
02:29The it was it was both sexy and funny and felt relatable and, you know, as opposed to a Dracula,
02:36which is more classic, you know, this is a vampire story that that felt accessible.
02:40And so we talked a lot about tone and, you know, you're mixing humor.
02:46You're mixing the seriousness and the life and death of vampires that you want people to take
02:50seriously and feel scared by and feel seduced by.
02:53So tone, I think, is it was crucial for us and talking about that.
02:59And that's something we always had to be mindful of.
03:02Is there a new storyline you're particularly proud of?
03:05I think Sam's queerness and accepting that is really going to impact young audiences.
03:10Yeah, I think that's hopefully that speaks to a young audience.
03:13I think, you know, that there was in the DNA of the of the movie in a way.
03:20Certainly, I mean, this is a kid that had a Rob Lowe poster and a and, you know, some of
03:24his fashion choices,
03:25I think, were were ways to that Joel Schumacher was layering in like, hey, this this kid is his own
03:30unique person.
03:32And so I think we wanted to bring that forward.
03:35And also, you know, it's a theme of family chosen family.
03:39You know, do you do you have to choose your family, even your, you know, your own family?
03:43Like, who do you find in this life that you choose?
03:46We're always trying to expand the story, but hopefully stay true to, you know, what what the tone of the
03:52film was.
03:53I was very glad to hear that you included some of the film's most iconic lines in the book.
03:58Did you have a list of the ones that were most important to you?
04:01When you work in a musical, again, you have, you know, director, a band, composers, producer, you know, yourselves.
04:09And along the way, everyone has their own threshold of what they think is like, well, this one's iconic.
04:14So there was always great debate about what and things have gone in and out or we've moved things around.
04:20But I think that the question I do get asked most is, do you have the shirtless sax player, the
04:27greased up sax player?
04:34There's certainly some fan service, but I think it's it's really just to to to honor the the film.
04:42But I don't think we're we're doing it in a way that feels like, oh, and we're just slap that
04:48on to it.
04:49You know, I mean, the sax player is what makes it iconic, but hopefully we do a little twist for
04:54each thing.
04:54So it feels it feels sort of particular to this production.
04:57Right. I mean, you have the sax man. You mentioned you have the Rob Lowe poster.
05:02That's right.
05:02You know, why were those Easter eggs so important to include?
05:07I think I think some of those are just guideposts for fans, certainly.
05:11And at some point you you have this property, this intellectual property that you're adapting that, you know, you want
05:19to take liberties with and expand.
05:20But you also want to I mean, if I'm a fan of the movie, I want to I want to
05:24know that I'm in good hands and with people that understand it.
05:27And if you understand it, you understand you have to have the sax player.
05:29You understand you have to have Rob Lowe and we can all take that farther.
05:33We tried to expand and and stay loyal where where it felt like it mattered.
05:37I've never seen a Broadway musical with a post curtain call scene.
05:41What was the thought process behind that?
05:44Yeah, Michael Arden is, you know, has a great vision for for the theater.
05:48And I think that is just, you know, sort of a throw forward to something that it's surprising.
05:56It's fun. It makes it more experiential.
05:58That helps encapsulate what we're trying to do, which is do something both familiar that we all love, hopefully elevate
06:06it and surprise you.
06:08And that felt like another way to surprise fans.
06:11You know, I mean, that is this this Marvel Cinematic Universe that's created the throw forward at the end of
06:16the credits.
06:17It felt like we were adapting and updating a little bit to today's audience and thought it might be a
06:23nice surprise at the end.
06:24We talked a little bit about Kiefer Sutherland earlier.
06:27But have there been any other members of the original cast you've heard from?
06:32No, I'm excited to see, you know, if there's any engagement.
06:36Kiefer came and saw.
06:37I spoke to him at one of our workshops and came on to the production.
06:43But any vote of confidence from him or anyone a part of the production means a lot.
06:52And I know Warner Brothers is producing it and Lauren Shuler Donner, Richard Donner's wife, she's been a part of
07:02the show and fostering it and making sure it comes to stage in a way that we're all proud of.
07:06Obviously, you have a very fruitful creative partnership with Rob, starting with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
07:13I've always wondered whose idea was it to turn Father Matthew slash Rickety Cricket into what he's now become?
07:21Oh, that's funny.
07:21Well, yeah, I mean, you know, I've been with Always Sunny for before it was even a thing.
07:27It was just, hey, will you film this with us and playing Mac originally, you know?
07:33But so when when it became a thing, meaning like when we had, you know, the first season and they
07:39were working on it, you know, I always remember I was hanging out with Charlie Day at his house and
07:43he was having a party or something.
07:45And he said, you know, we may have something for you.
07:47It's not a great part, but do you do you want to do it or do you want to hold
07:51up for something better?
07:51I'm not sure.
07:52And I was like, let's hold up for something better.
07:54You know, tell me when you got something you're excited for.
07:56So then the next season is like, we have something for you.
07:58I think you're going to like it.
07:59And so that's that's how it started.
08:01And now it's just a theme of characters I play in the Rob Mac, Charlie Day, you know, Glenn Howerton
08:07world of of just degraded, emasculated men on camera.
08:12So it's a specialty.
08:14Got a really exciting project coming up.
08:16You're starring opposite Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon in Netflix upcoming sports comedy series The Hawk.
08:22What can you tease about your role?
08:24Oh, well, first off, I can tease that, you know, Will Ferrell is just the nicest, most genuine guy.
08:31And so that was that was just such a joy to work with him and Molly Shannon, who's hilarious.
08:37But, yeah, I play Molly Shannon's attache partner, sort of a moneyed man of the country club of the country
08:49club scene, southern country club scene, who's with her in her time of need.
08:54She's recently, you know, separated from from Will Ferrell.
08:57And I'm her her partner of sorts.
09:01But it was a it was a character, you know, it's a it's a character.
09:04And it was fun to play something different for me.
09:06And and there's you know, we got to improv.
09:09We got to have some fun.
09:10And so that was and I got to work with actually David Gordon Green directed some of them.
09:15So I got to work with him again.
09:16So it was I'm excited for people to see it.
09:18It seems fun.
09:18Jimmy Tatro is hilarious.
09:19I mean, Caitlin Tarver, you know, it was a good group of people.
09:24I know you're married to Bones star Emily Deschanel.
09:27As you know, Bones is never out of the cultural zeitgeist.
09:31And it was an obsession of a character featured in the latest season of Jury Duty.
09:36Have you ever seen the TV show Bones?
09:39OK, well, I think you should watch an episode of Bones before you die.
09:45I'll watch Bones with you if you want.
09:46Really? Yeah.
09:47Everyone should come.
09:48What are your thoughts on that tribute?
09:51You know, I have not seen that.
09:53I was I was told about that and I want to.
09:55Yeah, Bones, Bones just keeps on giving.
09:58I mean, it is I've I've seen references to it on other shows.
10:02I think 30 Rock other, you know, this show I hear there's a lot.
10:07I mean, I love it.
10:08I mean, I think it's if you can listen, if you can be a part of something,
10:13create something, whatever it is that speaks to people and connects with people.
10:17And is a cultural reference point.
10:20I mean, I think, you know, my wife, myself feel very lucky to be a part of anything like that.
10:26And but yeah, I it's it's just a show that keeps on giving.
10:29And much like Lost Boys, it's one of those shows that are, you know, pieces of entertainment
10:34that you can turn on the TV and it's it seems to somehow always be fun.
10:38It's sort of inescapable in all ways.
10:40So I think that's also a part of it.
10:41It's just everywhere.
10:42And it's omnipresent.
10:44And but so we love it.
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