>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SHOW, IT'S GREAT.
>> THANKS, STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE
YOU NEVER WATCH IT.
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
I DO NOT WATCH THE SHOW.
>> Stephen: WHY NOT?
IT'S REALLY GOOD.
YOU WOULD ENJOY IT.
>> I AM SO SELF-CONSCIOUS THAT IF I WATCH IT, I JUST-- I'M A
WRITHING MESS.
SO I DON'T WATCH IT.
FOR ALL I KNOW IT'S A TERRIBLE SHOW.
>> Stephen: IT'S NOT.
IT'S A VERY GOOD SHOW.
WHAT ARE YOU SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT?
ARE YOU AFRAID YOU WON'T BE GOOD IN IT?
>> YEAH, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF THAT BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU
WATCH YOURSELF ON TV YOU'RE CONFRONTED WITH THE FULL
WEIRDNESS OF YOUR OWN FACE.
EVEN NOW, I JUST LOOKED AT ONE OF THESE MONITORS AND FELT LIKE
AN ICE CUBE MELTING IN MY CHEST.
>> Stephen: ACTUALLY, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY TRANSCENDENTLY
NORMAL-LOOKING PERSON.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: OH, YEAH, THAT GUY.
>> I THINK IT'S PARTLY BECAUSE MATT BOMER WAS JUST HERE AND
HE'S, LIKE AIR, DIFFERENT SPECIES THAN ME.
>> Stephen: HE IS, HE IS A MAGICAL, LIKE, ELVIN WOODLAND
CREATURE.
>> HIS EYES ARE LIKE GLACIERS.
>> Stephen: THEY ARE.
IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO CRAWL OUT OF THEM.
I SHARED A CUPCAKE WITH HIM.
>> OOO"H"!
>> Stephen: YEAH, INCREDIBLE.
DO YOU WANT A CUPCAKE?
>> I COULDN'T POSSIBLY.
>> Stephen: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, JAROD DUNN.
>IS HE BASED ON ANYBODY?
>> HE'S THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THE COMPANY.
>> Stephen: THE NORMAL SIDE.
>> YEAH, THE NORMAL SIDE, THE LESS-- HE'S SORT OF A MATERNAL
PRESENCE IN THE HOUSE AND I SORT OF BASED HIM ON MY MOM.
>> Stephen: THAT'S SWEET.
DOES SHE KNOW THIS?
>> SHE DOES KNOW IT.
>> Stephen: IS SHE HAPPY ABOUT IT?
>> SHE HAS MIXED FEELINGS.
I THINK SHE'S PSYCHED ABOUT IT.
MY MOM IS SELF-AGGREGATING AND WILL GIVE UP ANY COMFORT FOR
OTHER PEOPLE AND I TOOK THAT BEHAVIOR TO HER AND EXAGGERATED
IT TO PROBLEMATIC EXTREMES.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER AT ANY POINT THINK YOU MIGHT BE IN
TECH OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
OR BEING COMEDIAN OR AN ACTOR AND A COMED ARNG ALL YOU EVER
WANTED TO BE?
>> NO, I'M TERRIFIED OF TECH.
BUT I DID BRIEFLY WANT TO BE A MUSICIAN WHEN I GREW UP.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR INSTRUMENT?
>> I PLAYED TRUMPET.
AND I LOVED IT.
AND-- YEAH!
( LAUGHTER ) BUT THEN I GOT BRACES AND I
COULDN'T PLAY ANYMORE.
IT MESSED EVERYTHING UP.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG DID YOU HAVE THE BRACES ON?
>> I HAD THE BRACES FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BUT THAT WAS ENOUGH
THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW-- >> Stephen: IT MESSES IT UP.
>> I USED TO GET-- THIS IS A VERY GRUESOME DETAIL TO DIVULGE,
BUT I USED TO TAKE PLYERS AND TAKE OUT THE BRACES BECAUSE I
WAS SO FRUSTRATED BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THEM BACK ON.
THEY'RE NOT JUST LIKE, OKAY, YOU'RE GOOD.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOUR PARENTS FIND OUT?
WERE YOU GOING, "I'M FINE.
GREAT."
WOW, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AGONIZING?
>> YEAH, IT WASN'T GREAT.
>> Stephen: HOW, SO OKAY, I'M NOT GOING TO BE A TRUMPETER
ANYMORE.
THEN WHAT?
WHAT WAS NEXT?
>> THEN I HAD ALL THIS FREE TIME WHEN I USED TO PRACTICE TRUMPET
AND I HEARD ABOUT THE BRIGADE THEATER.
>> Stephen: HERE IN NEW YORK, THOSE GUYS ARE GREAT.
>> I SAID I GUESS I'LL TAKE CLASSES THERE.
I WOULD TAKE THE TRAIN FROM PENNSYLVANIA WHERE I GREW UP TO
NEW YORK AND STARTED DOING IMPROV.
YOU WEREN'T LIVING LIVING LIVING IN NEW YORK--
>> I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
>> Stephen: WHERE IN PENNSYLVANIA?
>> OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A LONG WAY.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: IS THIS ON WEEKENDS?
>> NO, IT WAS DURING THE WEEK.
>> Stephen: ON A SCHOOL NIGHT?
YOU WOULD COME UP TO NEW YORK TO GO TO U.C.B.?
>> YEAH, I WOULD BE UP HERE AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING.
>> Stephen: YOUR PARENTS UPON COOL WITH THAT.
THEY WEREN'T LIKE, "LET'S HAVE THEM PULL THE BRAISS OFF WITH
PLIERS INSTEAD?" >> THEY WERE FINE.
IN RETROSPECT, I WONDER IF THEY WERE ANGRY WITH ME IN SOME
UNEXPRESSED WAY BECAUSE I WAS IN NEW YORK AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING
ALL THE TIME WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOUR MOTHER IS VERY SELF-SACRIFICING.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH, I'D COME BACK AND THEN GO TO SCHOOL.
AND IT WAS FUN, BUT, ALSO, I PROBABLY AGED LIKE A NUMBER OF
YEARS IN THAT SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME.
>> Stephen: YOU REALLY LOVED IMPROVISATION.
HAVE YOU EVER TAUGHT IT?
>> YEAH, I USED TO TEACH WHEN I-- I USED TO LIVE IN NEW YORK
AND I TAUGHT.
>> Stephen: WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
>> I LIVE IN LOS ANGELES.
>> Stephen: OH, DO YOU LIKE IT OUT THERE, BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO
MAIN PLACES TO LIVE FOR SHOW BUSINESS.
THERE'S HERE AND LOS ANGELES, AND--
>> I LIKE IT OKAY.
I'VE COME TO LIKE IT A LOT.
I'M PRETTY SCARED OF EARTHQUAKES.
AND RIGHT AFTER I MOVED THERE, I WAS IN A HOTEL, AND THERE WAS
A-- WHEN I FOUND OUT AFTER THE FACT, THERE WAS A SMALL
EARTHQUAKE.
BUT IN MY HOTEL ROOM I WAS, LIKE, THIS IS IT.
THIS IS THE END.
( LAUGHTER ) SO I WENT OUT INTO THE HALLWAY.
THERE WAS ANOTHER GUY IN THE HALLWAY, AND HE WAS LIKE, WHAT
SHOULD WE DO IN?
AND I'M LIKE, "I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE."
I SAID,"I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE."
AND HE SAID, "I'M GOING TO STAY."
AND IN MY HEAD I THOUGHT, "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN BUT I DON'T
HAVE TIME TO CONVINCE YOU."
I RAN DOWN THE STEPS AND I CALLED MY MOM AND I WAS LIKE,
MOM, I KNOW I BITCH A LOT BUT I'VE HAD A BEAUTIFUL LIFE.
IT'S BEEN SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME ON THIS EARTH."
AND I GOT INTO THE LOBBY AND THERE WERE LITERALLY CHILDREN
NAPPING IN THE HOTEL LOBBY.
NO ONE CARED.
BUT IN MY HEAD IT WAS THE END OF DAYS.
>> Stephen: BEFORE YOU GO, WE HAVE A TRUMPET FOR YOU HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A TRUMPET FOR YOU HERE.
I DON'T PLAY THE TRUMPET BUT I PLAY THE MOUTH TRUMPET.
>> SAME DIFFERENCE.
>> Stephen: I DO THIS WITH THE BAND SOMETIMES.
I'D LOVE TO PLAY SOMETHING WITH YOU.
YOU START AND I'LL TRY TO MATCH WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND IF I CAN'T, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE THIS A TRY.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: "SILICON VALLEY"
AIRS SUNDAYS ON HBO.
ZACH WOODS.