(audience applauding)
Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Theo Rossi!
(audience cheering) (Theo chuckling)
Theo, we had a story in the news today
about "SNL's" Pete Davidson and Colin Jost
buying the new boat to go back and forth from Staten Island,
and entertain, and comedy, and party, and drink
and like have the best time ever.
But you're from Staten island.
Yes.
And is it true that you didn't like,
grow up necessarily around a bunch of arty people
and did not see this as your future?
Have you spent a lot of time in Staten island?
(audience laughs)
Not enough, but I'm getting on that boat.
And you're never getting off it.
That's true.
I'll go back and forth and then go.
Staten Island is its own world.
It's a part of New York city,
but it's not part of New York city.
It's just a different kind of place, and a different...
It's an amazing place to grow up
because it was kind of like a throwback,
especially for me, 80s, 90s,
kinda being outside all the time
and doing whatever neighborhoods and all that.
And then you still had access to the city.
But no, I had never met anyone.
My mom's a dressmaker, she went to FIT.
Really?
Yeah, yeah.
That's so cool.
Yeah, my mom was like a total...
She's a beast.
She's like the most powerful woman on the planet.
Like, you know, in every single way.
That was the only thing that kept me around art.
Okay, I love the way you speak about your mother,
but I also fell in love with the way
you speak about your father and your parenting style.
Will you talk to us about that?
Yeah, I mean, listen, you know,
my father left when I was...
Probably really left when I was eight, you know?
And now as a much older person can look back and say,
it's the best thing that ever happened to me.
When I was young, it didn't feel like it,
but the reason I say it's the best thing
is I would never be the father I am to my two sons
if he didn't.
I would never be able...
I wouldn't be sitting here with you because the truth is,
him leaving and potentially that longing for a figure
had made me a better artist.
How do you know how to be a great parent
if you don't come from bad parenting?
Okay, in a very platonic
your wife first kind of a way, I love you.
I'm so moved by that.
Now you're from Staten Island,
but is it true now You live in Austin, Texas?
I do, yeah, we live on a ranch.
Yeah, it's amazing.
And you kinda just disappear once you get in
and the kids are like wildlings.
You know, it's like "Lord of the Flies" with these two boys.
I mean, their hair's down to here
and they're just like covered in mud.
Like, you know, at night you're just trying to get
a decent amount of mud off them when they're in the bath.
And they're just, yeah, they're wild.
They're wild.
I love them so much.
I always tell my kids,
I'm like, if you're dirty, it was a good day.
Yeah.
I mean, I left to fly here, you know, last night
and I was still putting up the zip line like that.
We're doing this a hundred foot zip line.
Yeah, there we grow all our own food and yeah, it's crazy.
Yeah, it really is "Lord of the Flies"
and it's, you know, I'm just so happy
with how they are able to just get out there.
And in a world that's gotten, it's gotten so big, right?
The world has gotten so big, but yet so small, right?
They could dive into an iPad and get lost or whatever.
They're out there, you know, picking up worms
and learning about how to work the garden.
And we go out on our walks all day with the dogs.
We're about to adopt a bunch of donkeys,
and, chickens, and goats.
And they're just kinda like in it, and I love that.
Is it true your wife wants to have
maybe have one more child?
Well, that's up to her.
That has nothing to do with me.
I'm just an innocent bystander and all that.
(audience laughs)
How would you feel if you had another?
Like, if you had another boy,
what would that journey be?
If you had a girl,
what would that journey be? I would love
to have a girl.
I'm raised by women, I would love to have a girl.
I mean, if girls got all together,
they would just take over the world anyway.
So I might as well just add another one.
(audience applauds)
I mean,
Theo, do you just get people to fall in love with you
everywhere you go?
You're such an amazing person.
Oh, well, yeah.
Tell my wife that.
Keep telling her that.
She needs to hear it at all times.
I have a feeling she knows that.
She wants to keep nesting, and trust me that's a good sign.
(upbeat bright music)