Clara McGregor | Acting, Family and Serial Killers

Published Nov 15, 2023, 8:00 AM

Clara McGregor, of American Horror Story fame, is a rising star in the world of acting and modeling, and the daughter of renowned actor Ewan McGregor. Clara shares her journey into the arts, discussing how she has carved her own path while navigating the challenges and opportunities that come with having a famous parent. She opens up about her recent roles, her passion for photography and true crime, and her unique perspective on the entertainment industry. 

 

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Welcome back to Talking to Death. I'm your host, Payne Lindsay. Today we have a guest who is a very good friend of mine. Her name is Clara McGregor. She is a really talented actress and model does cool shit all over the world. I wish I was her sometimes because it just seems like it's a lot of fun. She asked me what I want to talk about on the show, and I said, I have no idea, and then we just started talking back and forth and we mentioned all kind of weird stuff about true crime and aliens, whatever, and we got to some really fun places in this interview, and I'm glad that she was having fun with it. It seemed like she's extremely hard working and is just a genuine person through and through, and I'm excited for you all to meet her. If you don't know who she is already This is episode two of Talking to Death with my good friend Clara McGregor. I want to talk to you about American horror story. First. Yeah, you're in the New York season, the NYC season. You crushed it, by the way. I really enjoyed your role. And I'm not gonna lie. You really look like you're from that time period. Know what that means exactly?

Well, it's a compliment to me, So it is it's supposed to be.

And yes, I don't know what that even means. It's just it's a look or something. But you pull off all the clothes from that time period and it's it's super cool. But what was that experience like being in some sort of I mean it was about a serial killer, yeah, in New York City. Yeah, And you know what was it like playing a horror series like that?

I mean, at first, it was just it was such a great experience. It was so much fun. And on a production like that, on Ryan Murphy's productions, the worlds that he creates are so real. As the actor who's standing there, even with a crew behind you, like you're looking down in New York Street and everything in your eyesight feels like that time period, So that was huge. And also what's funny is like I had gotten the audition, which was just like a one scene. There was no information about it at all, really.

No to give you a piece of paper.

They go, yeah, it wouldn't yeah, nothing about the you know, the season or the time period. And when I went in for my fitting, I still didn't know anything about it. And I did the whole fitting and I was like, yeah, so it's current day. We could probably keep some of my tattoos. And they're like, no, this is the late seventies, eighties, and I was like, oh my god, all that all that style has come back now. So it didn't even feel necessarily you know, there was so much of it which was which was of that time. And the other thing that was so cool about it, you know, once I learned more about it before going to start shooting, is it was very much based off of the movie Cruising with al Pacino and Paul Cervino from the eighties.

I want to say, I've never seen that movie.

It's great, and so that's really that's what that whole season is based off of. It's that this under this cop has to go on to cover into the kind of gay nightclub community of that started really up in New York in this late and like the leather clubs and all that, and to investigate the serial killer who's going around and killing gay men. And it's dark, and it was actually a pretty controversial film because it definitely portrays some extreme sides I think of that world, but ultimately it's this gritty, kind of great story. So I was a fan of that movie, and I I think we've also come a long way with with films about the gay community, but it was it was something kind of cool for its time. So it was really exciting to be able to step on set and there was a lot of like direct references to that movie, which was super cool. And then working with Sandra Bernhard, who's.

An icon, and like being an actor is hard, it maybe like what is it like really, is it exhausting or is it just is it I don't know, or is it energizing to you?

It's well to I think Olivia Holman said this about it feeling like the best legal high you can get, and there's such an.

Address that means, like what's that feeling?

Like? It's just adrenaline? And I don't know, being on a film set is incredible seeing all of the moving parts come together and every single person on that set having such a crucial part in getting the story told.

You know, when you're in a scene, are you like emulating the character? Are you feeling like that character in the moment, or are you projecting it? Or are you thinking about lines and movements or what's going through your head?

I think what I try to do the most is bring myself to the scene first, just living truthfully in that moment. Right so, I think I mean just in the sense of like, how would first of all, how would I be in this situation?

Okay, just me?

How am I? How would I react if which.

Would be a real human reaction that's believable for you.

And from there I start adding the layers of the character and a lot of that. I do it without writing anything down, but really in my mind kind of filling in all the blanks that the script doesn't give me, Like where was this character a year ago, two years ago, six years ago? Why is she saying this now? Like what led to that? And finding something within myself which I can connect to that and if I can't, then you know, something that will lead me close to it. Yeah, I think it's for me. It's really about trying to bring myself there first and just reacting.

Are you acting right now?

Maybe you'll never known so good. But also I have to say that like the culture on set and the way it is makes life for actors really easy. We are coddled on set little bit and everything is like, you know, don't lift a finger, everything's handed to you on a silver platter. You know, it's and in a way, especially if I'm producing a film, I'm not interested in that dynamic. I don't think it necessarily brings anything. It's a hard job to be an actor and to bring up those emotions and be on in those moments. You have to have a lot of focus. But you're you know, you're the warmest, most comfortable fed person on set at all times, hungry, never hungry, never cold, never too warm, like you know.

Is that a good thing? I mean, I guess on the right day, that's always a good thing, right.

Sure, But I think that, like I think that there's moments where you do need to be in your zone, and.

I think that mess with me. It's like a backstage.

At the same time, I think the mentality of this like of putting actors on this pedestal and this kind of almost fear around them is a is A is can be detrimental. I think that everyone on a set is incredibly valuable and the only reason that we can do our jobs well, look good on camera, have everything that we need to feel like we're in the world is because of every person there. So as a producer, when I'm want that, I don't love that. I think that, you know, everyone should kind of be in it together a little more.

Yeah. Yeah, with the plot being about a serial killer, did you ever look into other serial killers in real life? We seem to have a morbid fascination as a culture.

With total I mean I think, you know, I've always been a little squeamish or what's the right word, like fearful in general.

I mean that's probably a good thing. I think we should be a little bit.

Yeah, I think what with watching horror movies or anything scary, and especially like true crime stuff, I think even as it freaks me out a little bit, so it had it has to be in the right time. Mostly do it like some people are so yeah, my JamMan will just sit there and just yeah, listen to that as she falls asleep, and does it.

Scare you because it's real and it starts making you think about your real life and just yeah, possibilities and scenarios or something.

I have an anxious brain. I'm an anxious person already, and so yeah, my brain will go crazy. It's just it plays into that. And there's times where I do like scaring myself with it a little bit, and like, you know, thrill just as a thrill, and it's funny, like the horror films that I've watched, maybe the most have been like which are not always the best, but are like shark horror movies.

Really is that? Is that one of your fears?

My one of my biggest phobias and fears are sharks.

Are you around sharks a lot or something? No?

But no.

Also these days, like all the shark movies, they're like in the city and ship and.

Clearly I'm sane, but there's something about it that's like I can scare myself and I know, I'm like, I'm not near any stretch of water right now, i won't be going swimming before I go to bed, like I can.

That's like a human instinctual fear sharks will kill you.

Yeah, And I think I know that Jaws and movies like Jaws and especially Jaws, kicked that off. It's really created that fear, right, that's the foundation of our fear, really absolutely, And then you have movies like Blair Witch Project, which created the fear of nothing at all and just like the the you know, which led to paranormal activity, but just the dread of something being there that you can't see. And so it's funny how that can I think even with Birds with Hitchcock, you know, the flutter of a bird's feathers. After that, watching that movie becomes such a terrifying.

Here's one of the masters of the dread, right. It's the thing that I found is what's scariest to me and most people. I feel like, yeah, is everything that's leading up to what's around that corner.

It's the anticipation, Yeah, like once you.

See the monster, the gimmicks.

Up right, And that's also that's what made Jaws so good is their animatronic shark broke down the first week of filming and it was meant to be in the whole film, damn, and so they literally could not use it until the last three weeks of shooting. I didn't know that, Yeah, and it made the movie much better. Yeah, And Spilberg was really young when he made that, and they were all like, you know, the shark broke down and was like he's going to butcher this. But it made the film brilliant because you're just it's just that music and it's not seeing it and not knowing where it is.

And I mean, obviously I don't want to go in a shark cage or whatever. I don't want to swim with sharks. I don't want to be in some place where hey, there's a lot of sharks around here, but we're just all willy nilly in the ocean. But I'm not really scared of them because I'm just never going to find myself in that position. I know.

It's true, and it's funny like I'm I I scoop a dive. I learned how when I was young, and even want to do that. That doesn't scare me. The minute I'm down underneath, I'm good anything on the surface, like surfing, snorkeling, swimming on the surface, because I know like a lot and I have so much respect for sharks, and they also do fascinating.

Me, right, but I just know too much and maybe it's just it's game over.

Yeah, and the attack from below. So I don't like being on.

This I just I do have a fear of sharks. I was about to say that I don't ever want to go scuba diving either. I don't really want to be in this tank and like have to breathe through this apparatus and be like yeah, like underwater, like I'm not supposed to be here. I don't think.

I know.

It's funny. I haven't done it since I was a lot younger, and I wonder now if it would be.

I mean, it looks badass, I'll say, and like if I got over that fear, it's probably a bucket list thing, right, Yeah.

It's I think it's it's pretty amazing being down there. It kind of it gives you a different perspective, just like being very high up.

Does you know you ever gone skydiving? No?

I would love to, though It's like I have I have a fear of it, but I have more of a fear of regret of not ever doing it.

Does that makes sense. I've done it one time and I'll say it was absolutely terrifying, and if you've never done it, this is how it felt to me. Yeah, the person before me went and I don't know if it's just like cartoons or something that made me think this, but I just because there's clouds everywhere. I don't know. I didn't think you'd fall so fast and then you'd feel the I was like, oh my god, they're gone.

Does it feel like that when you jump out, Yes, it feels like.

I mean, most people, unless you've been skydiving, you've never felt that roller coaster, feeling that drop for more than like one maybe two seconds tops, right, And so it's about fifteen seconds that you free fall, which doesn't sound like a lot, but go count to fifteen and you'll be like, holy shit, it just doesn't end. And you're like, oh my god.

Yeah, I feel like the flight up to just the lead up, even the night before, would be so much anxiety.

Vegas two and one of my friends convinced us to do it at like three in the morning and we're all like yeah, then I'm like it's seven now, were going. I'm like, we're actually doing this for real. We're in this cab and I'm like, oh my god, guys.

I almost did it when I was in Australia. I was traveling this summer after my first year of college, and I was with a friend of mine who wasn't the nicest person, and she convinced me to just say yes. And then I just thought, I don't want to die with just you here, you know, like so far away from I didn't tell you that, but I didn't. No, I didn't do it. I pussied out. But I think at some point maybe.

So sharks scare you. You haven't been skydiving. I mean, I do it once. I'll scuba dive once. If you skydive once. I think it's the fair, right fair, let's do it. You go down, how much it sucks, and vice versa. So those things scare you. True crime kind of freaks you out.

Yeah, And there's been some things that I've really gotten into, you know, like some obviously great. I think Netflix kind of kicked off the true crime documentary style thing, like with Making a Murderer, which I thought was fascinating and once I started a really hard time kind of getting out of it.

Did you watch the Dahmer series Ryan Murphy Won on Netflix? I have not seen that yet No, I want it fascinating, which maybe is maybe that means unfucked up.

No, no, no, but I've I've that's something I would watch. I do find you know, we know a lot about Dahmer, but then there is something intriguing about watching it played out in a non documentary style way as well.

You know what, We're so obsessed with dark people like that.

I think it's like it's maybe part of human nature. It's the fact, like when you can't look away from a car crash, it's curiosity or curiosity an adrenaline rush. Fascination with with with the human mind and how twisted it can out and how can you Yeah, I trying to understand that how you could get there, or how someone could do something so badness, Yeah, because I think for most people, Yeah, I think it is such a foreign concept to be able to do some things so horrific or create pain. And then the fact that with a lot of serial killers you see a complete lack of empathy or regret or you know, which is there's sociopaths and psychopaths and stuff, and that disconnect is so unhuman that I think we're fascinated by it because it's it's foreign and it's so strange.

A lot of people idolize like serial killers and stuff. Not a lot of people, but some people, mean they'd write them letters in prison and stuff. But I think in real life, I think it's just the allure of this darkness that's so foreign that that's a way now that's never going to come get you now, right, Yeah, But I think they're all just losers. Man. They probably are just honestly, but like there, they were never anyone you would associate with anyways, right, No.

Probably not that you'd want to, which and maybe often you know, societal rejects, people that have been rejected by society, and.

Maybe that's a problem and that we should you know, I mean.

There's all these problems, and also.

Obviously kids, right like yeah, obviously, but.

And just the mental health crisis that we've always had, and especially in countries like America, with there's no mental health care and certainly no general health care, but that we don't acknowledge that in children as much, and that children don't get as much psychiatric help and because it's not available and not affordable, and so a lot goes ignored and so people end up that way, or some people are born that way. I mean, you know, it's like, how what creates a serial killer? I'm sure there's just a lot of reasons and a.

Lot of there's if your kids, you know, cutting up animals in the backyard, you know, maybe look into that. Yeah, it's like that doesn't happen every time, clearly, but in Dahmer's case, I think it did. It did, right, and so they definitely enabled.

And it was a different time where I think we were we.

Don't really know. No, there's a blueprint for looking at what could potentially go wrong to that degree like that.

No, and I think that's even more recent. Is also you know, studying children's psychology and finding the root of that and what builds empathy and is that something that you can build like grow if you're if you don't have that, or is there whatever that is or you see a lot of especially with men who have been rejected by.

Women, that seems to be a common threat.

It's such a common thread and whether on the small scale of domestic abuse and we're just.

The idea of that.

Yeah, and then you know all.

The way mom or something right, Yeah, a lot of.

Mommy issues or yeah, the being rejected and then being angry and angry, so insanely angry to a different scale that you want to take that out by harming you know, women or whatever.

That is, what's the scariest situation that you've ever been in? That?

Okay, Okay, Yeah, I've been very lucky, I have to say, because in that sense, I've never had to Fully, I haven't really had any extreme circumstances like that, but I did have a horrible ex boyfriend who was that unfortunately, was probably some of the scariest times in my life which I was young. I was like nineteen twenty and you know, you're still getting to know yourself at that age, and I didn't realize the manipulation that was going on. And then when it got physical, you know, that's when you know that that was Those were scary moments. Yeah, And honestly, like I look back on it now and it really it's the silver lining of it is that I can spot a lot of red flags.

That's good. Yeah, you know what I mean, right, But I think that was.

And again that's what you know, That's what we were just talking about, is that kind of it can start with something like that and so I think those were the most the kind of the times I feared for myself the most. But I've felt generally kind of very safe in the city and walking around. And I think as a woman, you do naturally think about that stuff more and you're more aware. But I have generally been very lucky.

Yeah, how have you grown since the Yeah? How have you grown?

I think in so many ways. I mean, I think it I had a fear of maybe being alone and not having a man by my side at that age, and it gave me a lot of strength. It also gave me because you just got used to it. Or yeah, I mean that's I have no idea, or is.

That like a I don't know. It stems from that off right? What was it like in the moment? And then it's so crazy.

I think with abusive relationships like that, it can feel like you are so broken down and you're made to feel like your world is so small and that person makes your life so small that you feel like you can't live without them, which looking back on it is so crazy.

You're like, dude, you should take the opposite.

Yeah, and it's completely the opposite, But it's so crazy how your mindset can be so warped, and I think that can happen to women at any agent. It has nothing to do with with how smart you are or what your awareness level is. But what it taught me, I think, was to yet to to build something within myself, to grow and to feel secure in my own skin and find things that are mine, like my career and my passion.

How'd you get there in your mind?

Well, firstly, I was very lucky that I could go see a psychiatrist and I got on lexipro.

Big is it the same thing? I don't know. I don't know either, but ye, is anything that helps serotonin up take inhibitor?

I should yeah, I should probably know.

I think it is. Yeah, like no, we did no, No, that's what I.

Don't know, but it works. And then I, you know again like had access to therapy and so and then talking about it with my friends and I think also just getting a little older.

Yeah, and.

Yeah, all of that really helped.

And then.

You know, I took my time more when I'm meeting people, and I kind of and keep this keeps. You know, I'm still in this process of and I think that will always carry on.

But which process of growing and do you think we ever stop? I mean I don't think we do, right, I don't think we do. I never like fully have figured it out.

No, And I think that's life. And also there's different stages and phases of.

Like I have to remind myself that, like, yeah, because you want it all figured out right, or.

What I'm starting to realize is in your twenties, you're like, Okay, great, I got to figure it all out, and then you're I'm in my later twenties down it's like, Okay, I don't need to have it all figured out. But what I do know is like the more I can, you know, do things for myself and like fuel myself by you know, reading or watching good movies and having really good friendships and doing things that are interesting and working hard, and that's what will carry me through. And I think that was also a learning curve that I had to figure out, is that was really well, it was important and not necessarily finding meaning or finding your identity and in a partner like that, Yeah, I don't know, it made me picky.

It's good picky, Okay, that's good. Yeah, I mean yeah, it's probably better than being like sure, come exactly.

Yeah, it's true, and I certainly never wanted it to define me, and it's something that I feel very like I can be very open about now I've worked through it. It doesn't like make me feel a certain type of way, but I just know what to void and I know, you know, you never know what can happen in life, but you can try to be as aware as you can, and that's all.

You know. What are your views on just life in general? I mean, we're sitting here on this big ass rock, flying around space, and every day we learn about how much bigger the universe apparently is, and how much older it is than we thought.

Yeah, and that the universe is expanding. But like I thought it was going. I thought it was infinite, So what is it expanding into?

I think it's becoming more and more infinite. We haven't found a wall yet, no, right, which.

Is weird because if there was a wall, maybe I just do But no, I definitely.

Need to wear a headspace when you do it for too long, because you feel real tiny.

But if you think about it for too long, it's it's crazy. But there's times where I think that it's like going out into nature and seeing something really beautiful. You are reminded of how small you are. But there's so and comforting in it. You know, like everything you try to control in life ends up controlling you. So when you see the vast amount of space, it's like, yeah, well listen, it's all just going to happen, Like there's nothing I can do anyway. Yeah, so there's some comfort in the weirdness of it. And yeah, I do like thinking about it, and I think that, you know, thinking about aliens and the fact that it would to me, there's just no way that the other life doesn't exist, you know.

Just from a scientific viewpoint, how can we We're at the tiny blip like most people are there now.

Yeah, I think especially now, you know, with there's been a much larger conversation about it and and the fact that I think what we've realized. I forget what show this was on. Maybe it was called it. It was a documentary called UFO or something.

Like. Yeah, when the one like a year ago.

But they were kind of talking about how the myth of the alien the little Green Man was really kind of created by governments to make it a myth so that we wouldn't think about it, and that it's like, no, these people are all crazy and all were you know, there was an incident I think maybe in Arizona, and the mayor of Arizona came out after in like a full blow up green.

Cost Arizona lights.

Yeah, exactly. And so when you see like, oh, well, maybe we've been made to think of things in this way. And I don't know that they are the aliens in the story books with aliens that we have, you know, the little green men. But there's something.

You're not religious, are you? No?

No, I'm Jewish and I feel Jewish, but I'm not you know that, observant or religious?

Now, how does one feel Jewish by being Jewish?

Like I've yeah, I'm proud of my Jewishness, and I think like culturally, I really feel Jewish in that sense, and I like the traditions and the stories, and I've you know, liked being raised Jewish, but I I was not raised religious or observant in that sense, but I think that.

Yeah. Do you know the term synchronicity the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related, yes, but have no discernible causal connection.

When something is synchronized.

Yeah, do you ever have experiences like the I feel like I do a lot. Yeah, yeah, And I don't know. I don't know if it's just I feel like you're.

I know, I think you do.

I do.

There has been moment I'm trying to think it's funny, I'm.

And sometimes they're just a blip. Yeah it's a moment, right, Sometimes you remember it forever, like that was so weird or that was so unique and special, or what are the odds coincidence beyond And maybe it's just me assigning meaning or you know, confirmation bias where I you know, you're looking for it, you're going to find it. If you think about a blue truck, you're gonna start seeing blue trucks down here. Yeah, but that's feels beyond that, yeah, right, totally, or just the odds are you know low and it was a positive thing and said, hey take it.

Yeah right, No, I think there's a lot of moments like that. And I don't know if this is exactly it. But living in a city like New York, you know, like the other day, I was walking down the street and I ran into one of my first ever friends I had in London that we used to walk to school together. I was tiny and she lives in Williamsburg now and so do I. And it was like we hadn't seen each other since we were so small, but we totally recognized each other.

That's pretty cool, you see the face. Yeah, so we just knew.

We just told Yeah.

Pretty wild her for sure.

And so there's moments like that, which are you know, you're like, oh my god, like life will bring you back around.

Yeah, I got I got a good one for you. And it involves your dad. Okay, okay, which is how I even know you.

Actually true, that's how I know you too, right, So this would.

Have been I think it was probably twenty nineteen. Yeah, I was working on the second season of Up and Vanish. Yeah, and I think it was in San Francisco at the time for some random interview. Oh and I checked my voicemail and this lady had called and said that you and McGregor wants you to go to set and meet with him and have lunch. This is funny.

I heard the flip side of.

This last night. Really Okay, well, how would I have his numbers? So and so I was like what and so I called back and then the next thing, you know, two days later, I'm driving in set and I walk in. I'm on the Doctor's sleep set and I'm just sitting here with your dad, and it's he's acting like we we know each other. Like he's like, how you been, and I'm like, what good?

I was like, cause he was listening.

I'm like looking around right, he felt like he knew me from the podcast. I was like okay, and then we kicked it off and we had a lot of fun. You show me around set. I like, this guy's pretty cool, and you know, got this like, okay, where are you staying at? Yeah? You know, he was staying at Ponstadi Market, which is like where I was living at the time, and his apartment was one up from mine, and I was like, come on what And next thing, you know, a couple of days later, I'm I'm drinking wine with him upstairs and I'm just friends with you, Dregon. I guess that's so funny. Then it gets it gets weirder, Okay. So then I think it was probably two weeks later. I think I think he had just wrapped the movie and he had left, and it was probably two or three. Two or three weeks later, I'm in New York City. I was with my friend Mike, and we were walking around some random park I don't even know which one it was. And I look over and like fifteen feet in front of me is your dad and he's walking around. He doesn't see me yet, and I'm like, dude, holy shit, there's you McGregor. And then I thought, I go, wait a minute, he's gonna think I'm stalking him or something like what are the odds that I'm just here again?

Like he was one stalking you though, dude, I'm telling.

You now, I'm piecing it together.

He knew that you were around.

He was on the set. Oh damn, okay, you can on me. Yeah. But I was like, man, he's probably gonna be like, yeah, we had a fun hang man, but like, what are you doing in the What are you doing in the park with me and my family? But no, it was cool. That's actually the last time I've seen your dad in person.

That's so funny.

But and then I got tattoos by your sister.

I have some too. Okay, So this was one of her first stick and pokes, this one, which is crazy.

I remember seeing that one on Instagram. Actually, yeah, that one.

And then she did this little face.

Oh yeah, and the ease.

That's cool, and my lemon and she's done a lot.

These are mine.

Which one did she do?

She did see the cassette?

No, yeah, ah h that and this oh nice?

Yeah, hell yeah, that's actually the I mean, I kind of I kind of screwed up, but I was trying to get a National Park stamp. What means what it is?

Right?

Yeah? And you know on on that stamp there's a date of when you get the stamp. Yeah, and I did, like my company Tenderfoot, and I in hindsight, I should have got the date of when the company started or something, but I just got the date that I got that tattoo. It was a real literal stamp.

So I know.

My first tattoo was given on August eighth. That was your first one, very first one. Wow. I flew up to New York City just to get it.

Esther gave you your first tat It was It was cool. Yeah, that's a proud older sister moment.

Yeah. It was dope. Yeah, And I've been wanting to get more ever since. But you know, I was hoping to do it this time. Next time, I'm doing it I'm gonna put on the books.

Yeah, on the books.

Yeah.

But no, my dad was telling me last night. He was that he was such a fan of your podcast and was listening to it all the time with Mary because I think you met Mary then too, and so they were just, you know, they felt like when he was like, and we got him to come to set, and my dad was like, and then you kind of realized, oh, fuck, you know, he must he doesn't.

Know me, Like, I know the moment your dad probably said I'm gonna reach out with this guy. He had to have been because I made a reference one time to a scene in big Fish.

Oh that got him. Yeah, he was like, I got an end.

And the guy who plays in that movie. Yeah, I'm glad he got the reference that it made sense in how I was describing. He was like, that's it.

I am big Fish and he called me, I am big Fish, I am Sunsetble. But he yeah, I mean listen, when he heard that we were doing this today, he was like, let me know when you're done. I'm coming by.

That's amazing. Yeah. One of my friends gonna be super jealous, and it's actually our mutual friend. He's like, whenever you see you and again I better be there, and I'm like, dude, I don't even know who it'll be like. And then sure enough it's today and it's his like childhood best friend. So yeah, sorry Austin, But sorry Austin next time. Next time, I wants to talk about motorcycles with your dad.

Yeah, boys and their toys.

Right, I mean, I don't. I'm too scared I'm gonna kill myself on a motorcycle. Well, I don't think I'm capable of not.

I know. That's what freaks me out with him riding too, or with anyone I know riding. I mean there's a part of me that also wants to ride.

I mean it's kind of bad assle to be real, but just it's just just.

Look I would look cool.

I know I would look cool on a bike, Okay, but intimidating rolling up as.

Bike community is gonna hate me for even suggesting that I just ride around to look cool. The biker community, you know, they're gonna hate you for what for wanting to ride a bike because I think I'll look cool?

Oh? Is that not cool? I feel like I guess you're probably you have to change the oil and have like hands.

Yeah, but I did that with my dad a bunch of center, not that too.

Yeah, there's people who do that for you. It's okay, it's like twenty bucks. I get. If you want to tinker with your stuff, that's fine, right, Yeah, I don't trust myself to do that. I'm not no with little assembling.

No again, I would like to fantasize that I would know how to do that, just like I'd like to fantasize that I know how to do all of my own stunts and that you know, if.

There was another version of yourself in a different dimension or like you know, what's the is it a cooler or way cooler, way cooler? Yeah, you're like the mid level version of yourself. It just barely potentially.

Yeah we could, Yeah, could do a lot cooler. And I don't even know what that is because otherwise I would be doing it now, right, but like yeah, yeah, no, it would Yeah, it'd be cool. It would be very badass.

I mean yeah, if you can write your script and just make it happen, right, what would you want to do for the rest of your life or what moments would you like to achieve or do you look at.

It like the or of course. I mean, I think with with acting and when you're starting out especially, there's always you know, things that you want to do. And what's cool I think about being an actor is do you can step into the shoes of so many different people and walks of life and kind of in a much different way of course, just kind of explore that or learn about it. And so that's always exciting when people are like, what's your dream role? That will always change. I want to do great projects. I mean, so does everyone.

Like I wanted to.

Great work. There's also a part of me that wants to do like a really cheesy action film, like I do want to be like.

Like fast and furious.

Yeah, but maybe okay, like ideally, like you know, like a born ultimatum kind of vibe, like it's cool, what would.

The next born be called? What would they're all born? McGregor, Damn, that's tight. They just swap out your dad. It's just me, Oh it's you. Yeah, that would be that'd be cooler. Yeah, it would be cool, so awesome, like uh, Trinity from the Matrix Ship.

Yeah, exactly what I mean, just like yeah, I think just you know, I know, I'm I'm definitely not pro gun at all, but in in the vein of an action e film, I want to have guns. I want to have like I want to get all fucked up and be fighting people.

Give me that thing in an action movie, let me go.

Yeah, I want to do stunts. I want to you know. But that's.

I mean, that's my classic Hollywood totally.

It's funny because it's not even necessarily like my favorite types of movies aren't movies necessarily or but I feel like I'd have a great time.

What's it like having a famous dad who that a lot of people admire and to them, he's this character in this movie and they're fans of that, and I mean growing up in that. I mean it's probably a question you can get asked a lot. But as someone who doesn't have a famous dad who people like, like, you know what I'm saying, what is that like? And how does that shape how you do things? Or has it or can you even realize it at all? I think that.

What my parents did, what my dad did, is they always kept his career and his work very separate from us. We weren't really in the limelight in that way. It was he was going to work. That was his job, and we you know, lived. I had a childhood that felt very separate from that. And you know what comes with that is, first of all, an immense amount of privilege. You know that I grew up in That was wealth privilege, but also the celebrity privilege of my dad. And so when people are like, is it hard to have a famous dad, I'm like, no, no, it's not.

Nuts.

First of all, I love my dad.

I think that he's a genuine good person. He's I think so too, and it's if you don't know him, yeah, he is a through and through So.

I've never wanted to distance myself from that. He is my dad. And like when it comes to, you know, the whole nepo baby thing, I get it. I get the frustration. I have had a lot more opportunities that have opened up because.

Of who he is.

That's undeniable.

And for those who don't know the term nepo baby, what does that mean?

You know, nepotism just doing what my father does. And I think that I absolutely get that, and it has there is a privilege to that and all.

That.

You know, what I want to do is that I love what I do. I love acting. I love being on a film set so much, and it has growing up around it definitely, you know, made me fall in love with it for sure. And all I really want to do is just be very good at what I do and keep getting better and better and do good work and be good. And yeah, I think a lot of things are made easier because you do have a famous parent.

And if you look at your dad's journey and think about your journey and how you navigate what you're doing.

I think any journey in any kind of creative industry, especially in Hollywood, it's like you just you can't compare. Things happen and so differently. My dad's career started for him very young, and everything is at a different pace. I think I admire a lot of his work, but it's definitely a different time now. There's different you know, and I'm yeah, I'm just it's it's definitely a different We've we've already had a very different career.

Right, TH's far so different world now.

Too, and it's a completely different world.

And so it's he's starting now in anything versus ten years old now, or it's a it's going to keep.

Changing completely and you know, I made a movie with him, which I produced just so cool, co wrote and got to act with him, and that was so fucking great.

I mean, whens come out likes it? When can we watch it? Soon?

We are closed distribution, We're just we're locking in some things right now. But we'll have a date very soon and it will be accessible. But yeah, that was something that you know, I got to build and I got to then do with him. And just as a person, getting to spend that much time with your dad as an adult is cool and it doesn't really happen often.

I love seeing that that can happen at all. Oh yeah, I mean in any situation where this could happen. Yeah, it's like, that's that's cool.

And it gave me a deeper exactly. Yeah, it gave me such a deeper appreciation for his work too. Just actually acting with him, I was like, oh shit, okay, you're you're really dropped in you're listening, you're.

Red Dad's zone.

He's in the zone. So that's those are all great and I feel I just feel I feel very lucky. And yeah, I mean he's at the end of the day, he's my pops, and I don't want to deny that or have to distance myself from that, and but I you know, it's definitely for me, has not been a hardship. I feel like he has also very much allowed me to be my own person. Like I said, I wasn't really in the public eye until I chose to be, which I think was super important, and that's allowed me to not yet I don't know, you have to stay yeah, grounded and like no, yes, stay rooted.

I think so does your dad's success as an actor make you feel like you want to create that on your own for yourself in your own way?

I feel like that's what I'm doing anyway. Yeah, and I think that's always been I mean, I've never felt like, oh god, I got to do this on my own.

But see what you would be doing in the first place, right, I think so?

And also yeah, I of course I want to do my own thing. But I also understand that people are going to make the reference and know who he is and he's.

Also people are just dumb dumbs, but as you know, make these connections. And because I hate it even bringing it up, so I don't want.

To, but I think it's it's always interesting again, all I want to do and all I care about is being the best I can be at work.

And I can tell from you that your self starter in that way.

And I love working, I just I really do. So for me, it's just about, yeah, just just being you know, professional and a good collaborator and just keep working on my craft and that, you know that I think is all that I that I can do and that I want to do, and like that carries you through, you know. But yeah, I mean, you know, my mom's a fantastic production designer. I hope to work with her too. This is Yeah, it's amazing, and so I feel very lucky that I grew up around artistic parents and that they showed me you know, filmmaking and all of that. So I just feel a lot of gratitude towards it.

When you and I inevitably lock it in right now, yeah, or I'm gonna will it into existence someday when we inevitably create some film or TV series together or the rest producers whatever, or yeah, what what's it gonna be?

What are we gonna do?

What's what's the vibe, what's the concept or what's the genre?

Well, you know what I you know what I I mean, I reached out to you about this audio into that the stuff that I got in radio rental was I was just like, what are you.

Doing with it?

Make it?

I mean, that would be a dream.

So that stuff is a dream. But I think, like, I don't know, man, You've always got your hands on such interesting stories, the way that you conduct your own research and like the investigative journalism aspect to it.

Well, thank you.

It is so interesting and so cool, and I think that translates so well to narrative, you know, to to making movies or TV shows about certain things.

Is making this up as a well you're fool in all of us? Yeah, I'm really calling you guys.

You know that makes the best stories. And translating that into a narrative format in that way is it's like acting something that scares me.

Like I look at what you do and think I couldn't do that, right. Yeah, maybe it's not necessarily completely true, but sure you could. Maybe I could play the joker. I would want to play like a crazy guy. That'd be wild, but I probably probably make me.

But I feel like, you know, I look at what you do, what so many other people do, and I'm just like, god, amazing. I mean, my best friend Lee is a is a senior year high school teacher in New York.

I could never do that. Yeah, my sister's a teacher. I could never do that. I would. I'm not smart enough to do that.

Firstly, I'm not smart enough. And the page in the sheer like goodness, I should.

Pay them more.

Seriously, supplies or something money.

Money, why by my sister's school supplies.

Yeah, seriously, guys, come on, come on. But you know that's those there's always that.

But what are you looking forward to the most in life? Right now? It would be tomorrow, ten years from.

Now, right now. Honestly, it's it's it's being on set, acting, producing, just working.

Just just working, being in the in the elements, just doing it.

I think, just doing it. I've you know, I think sometimes stay in that, yeah, I do. And also I think, you know, with this career, it's been there's been a lot of slow.

Yeah.

And also there was COVID and then the strike and there was like a little you know, so I haven't been that busy, which is okay, and like stuff happened. But now I like when people ask me what my dream job is to be on set and have another job booked well, just to know that I like going. So I'm really excited for that. I feel like what I'm doing with my production company, with my producer of your Boulders is always exciting. There's always new things that we're doing, and yeah, just getting out there. I don't know, I'm really also just enjoying my later twenties.

Yeah, I feel good. That's awesome, and yeah, just want to keep just keep moving forward and yeah doing that.

I you know, I want to learn Spanish. I need to do some.

I mean I wish I took like I mean it's high school, but I didn't learn. I didn't retain any of it.

I mean neither I speak French. So I figured, oh, I'll take Spanish and I'll learn Spanish just as easily as I learned French. But French was given I do, but I was given French. It was like my first language.

My mom French, and this, yeah, like my mom's would be awesome.

But I never had to think about it. It was something that I just grew up. Yeah, and so I I was too, I think, cocky about learning Spanish. And so I'm I can understand a lot of it, but I cannot speak it.

I just I mean my brain will not. I mean I could do it, but I'm like, h what is this. I'm confused. And I was like, that's so lazy man figured it out.

Well, before you turn twelve. Before the age of twelve, you can learn every language on earth. You're like a sponge. And then it becomes it's like twelve in one day. Yeah, I should have stuck with the piano, you know, all of these things.

I mean, we can really as far as we could have a whole band.

Yeah, we could have had a band.

In hindsight, that's been cool.

That would have been cool.

So the movie that you have with your dad, I'm not sure when this comes out yet, So in the event that it comes out around that time, if not, I'll cut this, but just some of the name of it and just kind of what the premise is.

It's called You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder. It's a movie about a father daughter who take a road trip through the desert. It's a family dramedy. It's there's comedic parts, there's dark parts. There's a slight backdrop of addiction, but it's really just a quirky, kind of slightly eccentric.

Road trip sounds fun.

Yeah, it was a lot of fun to make.

Did it feel like a road trip when you were making it? I feel like you were making a movie.

A bit of both, but so much of our driving stuff we were just driving on roads out there, and so yeah, a lot of it. We felt like we were really out on the road, which was very fun. Were in New Mexico.

Oh cool? Which is.

It's not like I know I wanted to we drove past it. But I love it there. I mean, the sky is like reforts of your frame all the time.

Wild, huge, and it feels different.

Feels like another planet there. So yeah, I love it.

And then you have very little oxygen to your brain, and yeah, you feel kind of loopy.

You start getting a little loopy.

I don't realize it to you. Go back home, you go, wow, that was really wild out there. How do they do this forever?

Now?

I know?

I kind of love it to you guys, And it's the perfect place to make a movie. You're you're kind of everyone is away from their normal life.

It's a different world, and.

So you're just in there with the cast, the crew and you're it was. It was a great time.

Well, this has been amazing. It's been so much fun. I did this?

Are you kidding? You should have seen the text I sent my friends When you asked me.

I was like, really, I'm going to be.

I am You're not exactly I mean my dad jealous. So it was a win all around. No, seriously, thank you so much.

Of course, we should do it again.

Soon anytime, anytime, and come to.

Atlanta, come hang out with us.

I'm going to come to Atlanta, Okay, cool, yeah.

Deal, deal right. She's awesome, She's amazing. I love her. Her dad actually did come after the interview. He had texted her. I was like, hey, it is it cool if if I come, it's okay if not, and she's like, Dad, it's fine. Also totally weird that it's you and McGregor we're talking about, but this this guy is so genuine. Her other sister, Esther, gave me a lot of the other tattoos I have on my arm. I just strangely have this organic connection with the McGregor family out of nowhere, but I'll take it. It's amazing. They're great people, and I'm just happy that they're in my life. What a low key flex too. I actually I'm just bad at returning phone calls. I'm a Texter, obviously, but I'm constantly on do not disturb. And some people were actually offended by that when they see the whole do not disturb thing on the I message, don't be offended. Everyone sees that, not just you. I checked my phone enough to where it's okay, I will see it pretty soon. I just don't like the anxiety of the thing. I just cannot can't do it. You and actually called me a few days ago whenever we met in the lobby after Clara's interview. He was like, yoh, what did you guys talk about? And She's like, yeah, we talked about this and that and UFOs and aliens. And then I kind of saw you AND's eyebrows go up a little bit, and I was like, hey, do you believe in extraterrestrials? And he kind of was like, yeah, maybe I don't know, And I'm like, okay, well, I have a show that I put out recently called High Strain, where I take a real objective, investigative approach to the topic of UFOs and aliens and what's true what isn't what the hell is really going on? And so I'll say, hey, you know, shameless plug, like, if you want to check out this show that I made, tell me what you think. And sure enough, he actually listened to it, unlike I do most of the time. I'm like, yeah, I got you, I got you, and I'm so sorry for everyone I've said that too, But he actually listened to it. And this is how nice this person is. And I just finish, Hi, strange, fantastic man. I really enjoyed it, and my mind's flown. I watched a couple of documentary about the subject. I never did enjoyed your.

Well done.

I'll take it. First of all, thanks for actually listening to it. And I almost want to pick you AND's brain about what he thinks, and he clearly went down the rabbit hole, said he watched other documentaries and shit, just a good human. If you ever get the chance to meet this person, he's just as real as it gets. I'm just a fan of him, and the fact that he's a fan of anything that I've ever done kind of hurts my head to think about. I don't really compute that, but I feel flattered as hell. So Clara Esther Ewen love you all. Stay tuned next week for a really exciting guest Next Wednesday, Cheers.

Talking to Death is a production of tenderfoot TV and iHeart podcast created and hosted by Payne Lindsay. For tenderfoot TV, executive producers are Payne Lindsay and Donald Albright. Co executive producer is Mike Rudey. For iHeart Podcasts, executive producers are Matt Frederick and Alex Williams. With original music by Makeup and Vanity Set. Additional production by Mike Rooney, Dylan Harrington, Sean Nerney, Dayton Cole, and Gustav Wilde for Cohedo. Production support by Tracy Kaplan, Mara Davis, and Trevor Young. Mixing and mastering by Cooper Skinner and Dayton Cole. Our cover art was created by Rob Sheridan. Check out our website Talking to Death podcast dot com.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Talking to Death. This series is released weekly absolutely free, but if you want ad free listening and exclusive bonuses, you can subscribe to tenderfoot Plus on Apple Podcasts or go to tenderfootplus dot com

Talking to Death with Payne Lindsey

Up and Vanished host and creator Payne Lindsey wants to talk you to death in his first “true crime”  
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