00:00Back now with two-time Emmy Award-winning actor Bobby Cannavale in the new film Ezra Bobby.
00:06He's starring as a struggling comedian who unexpectedly embarks on this life-changing
00:12cross-country road trip with his 11-year-old autistic son named Ezra. Take a look.
00:19Turns out Jimmy Kimmel wants me to be on his show in Los Angeles.
00:23That's far.
00:24Yeah, it is far.
00:27Did you get the part about Jimmy Kimmel wanting me to be a guest on his show?
00:31Yeah.
00:33So, you got anything for me? Any advice for your day?
00:38Be polite.
00:39Be polite.
00:42Anything else?
00:44Nope, no stop asking me.
00:46Okay.
00:48Where am I going to get my mojo for?
00:51Mojo, Mom!
00:52That's right.
00:54Oh, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby.
00:56Welcome back.
00:57Nice to be here.
00:58You know, I was just telling you, I watched the film over the weekend, and I don't want
01:02to give away too much because we want people to actually go and see it, but it's about more
01:07than just your relationship with your son who's neurodiverse, who's autistic.
01:12It's about a lot more than that.
01:14What's the film about for folks who are watching and listening?
01:16You know, I think it's about, like you said, it's not just about a neurodivergent child who's
01:22coming of age, but it is a coming of age story, and it's, you know, it's, you know, what does
01:27it take, what does one need to do to become their best self?
01:31I think it's true for the adults in the movie and for the kids.
01:34And I think we're used to seeing coming of age stories from the kids' perspective.
01:39And in this story, you know, the child and his, in this case, a child with special needs,
01:45really sort of points the way for his parents and for the adults around him to be much
01:50more accepting of the world that we're all expected to live in.
01:55You know, I think, I think there was a time when these kinds of stories weren't told.
01:59Yes.
01:59We didn't hear stories about neurodiverse people, much less children.
02:03And so I think it's a pretty special story, and we have a special actor in William Fitzgerald.
02:08William Fitzgerald, this kid from, from Jersey that you guys cast in sort of this main role.
02:14And there are a couple scenes, no offense to you, Bobby, he steals them.
02:17And there's a scene in the woods.
02:18I'm like, oh, I got a little choked up.
02:21Yeah, he's amazing.
02:21What was it like working with him?
02:23It was truly wonderful.
02:24You know, it took us a long time to find this, this, this boy.
02:28We were very committed to finding a child who was on the autism spectrum.
02:32And, and we found him right across the river in New Jersey.
02:35And as soon as he came in, I knew I could spend a lot of time with him.
02:38He was very comfortable with me.
02:39He's extremely comfortable with Bob De Niro.
02:41Calls him De Niro to his face.
02:44And he's not, he's not overly impressed with Bob's, you know, work, with Bob's history,
02:49let's say.
02:49So he's very comfortable on set.
02:51I don't know where he gets that from.
02:52He's got two great parents, you know, Dave and Laura Fitzgerald.
02:55And they've just raised a really wonderful, wonderful young man.
02:58Speaking of, speaking of, of De Niro, I know he's an idol of yours and you worked with him
03:03once before.
03:05What's it like working, working with a hero?
03:08What's it, what's that dynamic like?
03:09He plays your father in this film.
03:10He does.
03:11He plays my dad in this, you know, like working with these guys.
03:13You just have to, you have to, in a sense, throw, ignore all of that.
03:17Or otherwise, they'll just eat you up on the screen.
03:19You know, I've worked with Al Pacino and now Bob for a second time.
03:22And you just have to be really prepared.
03:24You know, the one thing that Bob brings to this game, aside from his great talent, is his
03:27ability to focus and concentrate on set.
03:30And, you know, when you're with a huge star like that, it's very easy to be able to just
03:33to sit there and watch them work.
03:36Yeah.
03:36And I, I can't do that.
03:37I have to be in the scene with him.
03:39And, um, and so that's the hardest part for me is to really be able to focus being on
03:43set with this character rather than the actor.
03:46Your, your, uh, your real life partner, Rose Byrne, she's also in this, in this film.
03:50This is like the eighth or ninth time.
03:52I think you guys have worked together based on what I saw.
03:55What's, what's that like?
03:57How do you, how do you balance working on screen with someone?
04:01And in this particular role, she plays your ex-wife, which I found somewhat amusing.
04:05How do you balance that, the work and then going home?
04:09Well, the nice thing about this is like we shot it here in New York and New Jersey.
04:13And, you know, the kids know where we are at all times when we're working together.
04:16So that's nice.
04:17And, you know, our life is really just like, aside from raising the kids, it's just scheduling.
04:22Everything is scheduling.
04:23And so we try our best to really stay together.
04:25We always say we got to keep the band together.
04:27So we take the kids with us wherever we go and we try to work here as much as we
04:30can.
04:31And so whenever there's an opportunity to work together, we know that we're going to have
04:33the kids close by and sort of all revolves around that.
04:36But it's always a good time working with Rose.
04:38She makes me laugh like no one else.
04:39Good answer.
04:40Good answer.
04:41By the way, I read that she gave an interview last year where she said the wedding's in
04:46it's imminent.
04:47It's going to happen.
04:47Well, she said that she did.
04:49I didn't see that.
04:50You didn't want me to read it to you?
04:51No, that's all right.
04:51Okay.
04:54Absolutely.
04:54We're good.
04:55Yeah.
04:56No, you know what?
04:57Yeah, sure.
04:57Okay.
04:58All right.
04:59Film looks great.
05:00Again, Bobby.
05:01Bobby Cannavada.
05:01Always a pleasure.
05:02Good to see you.
05:03Thanks, man.
05:03Bobby, thank you.
05:05Ezra hits theaters this Friday.
05:07Good to see you.
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