Transcript

STAYING ALIVE: Will Arnett, Part 1!

From SmartLess · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 42 min · 8,455 words · 182 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "STAYING ALIVE: Will Arnett, Part 1!", an episode of SmartLess published February 26, 2026 (42 min, about 8,455 words). It mentions 25 people, works and ideas, including Staying Alive, Will Arnett, Resa Pali, John Gabris, health and wellness.

What this episode is about

Will Arnett discusses staying healthy as you age, covering topics like diet, fitness, sugar, and personal wellness strategies, with insights from his experiences and approach to living well. He emphasizes practical tips and a straightforward mindset for maintaining health.

Key takeaways

  • Fringe podfather energy: Will Arnett anchors chaos with charm, yet doors stay open to raw, honest moments.
  • Tattoo take sparks debate but reveals a meta truth: online reactions outrun intent, not the other way.
  • Staying alive lens: humor offsets vanity, turning self-critique into practical, bite-sized wellness insights.
  • Celebrity chat reveals a paradox: high performers obsess over health but normalize the grind behind slick humor.
  • Self-aware chaos: casual riffs about injury, weight, and tattoos expose how media magnifies noise over nuance.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Staying Alive, tattoos, Will Arnett, health and wellness
  2. – 10:00: Staying Alive, Resa Pali, tattoos, nutritionist
  3. – 15:00: fitness, tattoos, nutrition, sugar
  4. – 20:00: alcohol, tattoos, Tom Hanks
  5. – 25:00: Comedy, Acting
  6. – 30:00: Comedy, Bradley Cooper
  7. – 35:00: Comedy, Upright Citizens Brigade
  8. – 40:00: Bradley Cooper, Acting, Comedy, Pedro Pascal
  9. – 42:14: Staying Alive, Will Arnett, SmartLess, John Gabris

Notable quotes from "STAYING ALIVE: Will Arnett, Part 1!"

  • Hey smartless listeners, it's John Gabris, one of the hosts of Staying Alive, a health and wellness podcast hosted by the unhealthy and unwell.
    about Staying Alive · at
  • Controversial position. I said there's a direct relation tattoos.
    about tattoos · at
  • I'll just work out and then you just get massive. So I was like what do I do? So, I went to see this guy and he helped me look at the stuff I was eating. and he was Okay. And you tell him, he's How what do you, you tell.
    about nutrition · at
  • Ended up cutting out basically sugar. which is my number one I think my number one addiction. cuz I won't cuz I'm not addicted to cigarettes and they're addicted to me.
    about sugar · at
  • You let it killer. It's it's trash. And it's for a lot of different reasons. And yeah, I'm I don't drink. I'm so happy that I don't for myriad reasons, but one of them is that…
    about alcohol · at
  • I love it when people do say to me sometimes they're Do you ever think about doing like a drama like changing up? always Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
    about Acting · at
  • But a lot of those things you got to go and look, the movie we made this movie is this thing on that Bradley and Mark Chavelin and I wrote and we worked on for it took like…
    about Bradley Cooper · at
  • Yeah. That's what I mean. Comedy is not comedy is inherently like you want to undercut yourself and undercut the situation so frequently.
    about Comedy · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Will Arnett — Person · Main guest · 4 mentions · first at
    He is interviewed about health changes (diet, sugar, exercise), podcast culture, and making/pressing the film 'Is This Thing On' with Bradley Cooper.
    That's Adam Pali and I. And we've got Will Arnett on our pod today. We got to spend some QT interviewing our podfather. And we went deep with him about is this thing on, Bradley Cooper,.
  • Resa Pali — Person · Host / interviewer · 3 mentions · first at
    He co-hosts the interview, shares his own health context, and engages Will Arnett on diet, alcohol, nicotine, and exercise routines.
    That's Adam Pali and I. And we've got Will Arnett on our pod today. We got to spend some QT interviewing our podfather. And we went deep with him about is this thing on, Bradley Cooper,.
  • John Gabris — Person · Host / interviewer · 2 mentions · first at
    He introduces the episode, co-hosts the interview, and steers questions toward health, diet, and fitness aligned with the podcast’s theme.
    Hey smartless listeners, it's John Gabris, one of the hosts of Staying Alive, a health and wellness podcast hosted by the unhealthy and unwell.
  • Bradley Cooper — Person · Referenced collaborator · 4 mentions · first at
    Will Arnett describes co-writing and making 'Is This Thing On' with him and highlights Cooper’s directing style and influence on Arnett’s performance.
  • Romesh Ranganathan — Person · Referenced podcaster/interviewer · 2 mentions · first at
    Will Arnett references doing a UK podcast with him where the tattoos bit originated and then spread online.
    It's it's I did this podcast with this guy in the UK. He's so it was I forget how long ago. It was like whatever. A couple months ago.
  • Tom Hanks — Person · Referenced actor · 1 mention · first at
    Used as a benchmark for career range and longevity, comparing comedy-to-drama transitions and prolific output.
    It does make you think. It does make you think about Tom Hanks. God, he's done so many different things. It's un the dude's kind of unreal. I was just thinking about his run the other day.
  • Rex Gilroy — Person · Referenced collaborator · 1 mention · first at
    Will Arnett mentions finishing a project with him, signaling Arnett’s move into more dramatic/prestige work.
    And so it's been cool. Yeah. And it has been different. I just finished this thing with Tony Gilroy, which was pretty dope.
  • Pedro Pascal — Person · Referenced co-star · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as part of the Tony Gilroy project, indicating the caliber of collaborators in Arnett’s recent work.
  • Bruce Springsteen — Person · Referenced musician (joke) · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned humorously as intro music and as a metaphor for Will Arnett being 'the boss'/'podfather'.
    Oh, okay. It would be cool if it would be cool if today we could play something from Bruce Springsteen because the boss is here.
  • Oscar Wild — Person · Referenced collaborator · 1 mention · first at
    Named among the cast/participants in the Tony Gilroy project; details are not expanded in this excerpt.
    And Livy Wild and a bunch. It was pretty dope. and so ju just a small little thing but like really cool to be able to kind of do some different stuff. So that's yeah I'm pretty I'm.

Companies & orgs

  • Smartless Media — Company · Production company (credited) · 1 mention · first at
    Credited as the production entity behind 'Staying Alive' and ties Will Arnett to the broader SmartLess podcast network.
    You have been listening to Staying Alive with John Gabris and Adam Pali, a smartless media production in association with SiriusXM.
  • Upright Citizens Brigade — Organization · Referenced training institution · 1 mention · first at
    Cited as the improv training background for the hosts (and their community), contrasting improv comfort with stand-up/film acting demands.
    Like there is that is a different thing like we you know we we had all this training at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York. so much stage time so much crossover where you're Oh, I can get on stage. I You're I can get on.
  • SiriusXM — Company · Distribution/production partner (credited) · 1 mention · first at
    Credited as the association partner for the production of 'Staying Alive' in the outro.
    You have been listening to Staying Alive with John Gabris and Adam Pali, a smartless media production in association with SiriusXM.

Concepts & topics

  • health and wellness — Concept · Core topic · 2 mentions · first at
    The show’s premise is staying healthy as they age; the interview focuses on diet, exercise, sleep, and substance use.
    Hey smartless listeners, it's John Gabris, one of the hosts of Staying Alive, a health and wellness podcast hosted by the unhealthy and unwell.
  • sugar — Concept · Core health topic · 1 mention · first at
    Will Arnett describes cutting out sugar as a major lifestyle change and frames it as his primary addiction affecting weight and health.
  • nutrition — Concept · Core topic · 1 mention · first at
    Will Arnett details a structured eating plan (cutting sugar/carbs, protein/veg focus, cheat meal) guided by a nutritionist-like doctor.
  • Comedy — Concept · Core professional theme · 8 mentions · first at
    They contrast comedic instincts (undercutting, bits) with the seriousness required for awards press and dramatic acting work.
  • fitness — Concept · Core topic · 3 mentions · first at
    They discuss exercise routines (boxing cardio program, walks/hikes, kettlebells) as part of staying healthy over 50.
    Podfather. And we went deep with him about is this thing on, Bradley Cooper, eating right, fitness, sugar, all the stuff we cover on our show. So please enjoy the first part of…
  • alcohol — Concept · Core health topic · 2 mentions · first at
    Will Arnett and the hosts discuss alcohol as harmful to health, aging effects, and the relief Arnett feels from not drinking.
  • Acting — Concept · Core topic · 2 mentions · first at
    Will Arnett discusses shifting between comedy and drama, the demands of awards press, and a vulnerable performance process with Bradley Cooper.
  • tattoos — Concept · Recurring bit / discussion topic · 7 mentions · first at
    A controversial joke about tattoos and boredom is discussed as an example of how podcast bits get taken seriously and amplified.
  • nutritionist — Concept · Referenced expert role · 1 mention · first at
    Will Arnett credits a doctor 'basically like a nutritionist' for helping him change diet and manage sugar/carbs.
    I'll just work out and then you just get massive. So I was like what do I do? So, I went to see this guy and he helped me look at the stuff I was eating. and he was Okay. And you tell him, he's How what do you, you tell.
  • street fighting — Concept · Joke / comedic aside · 1 mention · first at
    Used humorously when asked about exercise, reinforcing the comedic tone within a health-focused conversation.
    I just do, street fighting mainly. A lot of street fighting.

Media & podcasts

  • Staying Alive — Podcast · Primary show / setting · 6 mentions · first at
    The transcript is from 'Staying Alive' and frames the discussion around health and wellness habits as the hosts interview Will Arnett.
  • SmartLess — Podcast · Referenced podcast / affiliation · 3 mentions · first at
    Referenced as a platform where podcast clips become news and as part of Will Arnett’s ongoing work with co-hosts Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.
    And all that kind of stuff. So, it's got to be something that feels valuable. I get to screw around like you guys do on with Jason and Sean all the time. So, that scratches a lot of itch, oddly enough, right? Yeah. That's actually kind of.

Full transcript with timestamps

Hey smartless listeners, it's John Gabris, one of the hosts of Staying Alive, a health and wellness podcast hosted by the unhealthy and unwell. That's Adam Pali and I. And we've got Will Arnett on our pod today. We got to spend some QT interviewing our podfather. And we went deep with him about is this thing on, Bradley Cooper, eating right, fitness, sugar, all the stuff we cover on our show. So please enjoy the first part of the interview with Will. And if you like what you hear, come on over to Staying Alive and hear the second half. Hit subscribe or follow while you're there.

Hey Will, thanks for thanks for doing this. Whoa, dude. Thank you so much, Jents. How you doing, dude? You look you look awesome. Look at that facial hair. Really? Oh, thanks.

Yeah, you got some you got dark son. Yeah, you got some sun and you got some Iron Man [ __ ] uh

Yeah, I was just shipwrecked. You don't hear about it that often anymore about people being shipwrecked. It's [ __ ] old school. But I knew I had to do staying alive. So I paddled to shore to make sure I did this stupid [ __ ] podcast with

I hope that the intro Are we allowed to play other artists intro music or it just has to be ours?

I think we should keep it to be just ours. Oh, okay. It would be cool if it would be cool if today we could play something from Bruce Springsteen because the boss is here.

Yes, our boss is here. He does not like we we will learn that he does not like to be called the boss, but he is our pod father.

He is the boss. Will Arnette on the podcast today. Big guest, so we're not going to go into a long cold open because we don't want to turn off anyone who's here to hear Will and not understand that.

It's it's for anyone new. Welcome. We hope that you uh you can learn a little something about what it takes to stay alive as you get older and you don't necessarily play by the rules all the time.

Yeah. Well, without further ado, I'm learning French. Will Arnette, is that your next duallingingo?

Triolingo. Oh, the podcast lately. Oh, I I've been feeling a little podcast burn lately. I'm just stuck.

Oh, you have? No, of course not. Advertisers, we love it. But it's so I made a joke.

Working your ass off. I mean, it's it's I I did this podcast with this guy in the UK. He's so I mean, it was I forget how long ago. It was like uh whatever. A couple months ago. And uh do you know this dude Romesh?

Yeah. He's he's so funny. He's really really funny. So his podcast and he asked me and I told him this like I have this controversial position. I said there's a direct relation

tattoos. Yeah. And I said the more feed the more tattoos you are the more you have the more boring you are. Now here I was very clear a it's something that I've said to my friends with I don't have any that I've said to my friends with tattoos for years and I and it's and it's basically a bit right.

Yeah. But I say it with the people are freaking out in the comments and the thing and then I'm like what a boring response. If you're if you're insulted by it then you're proving my point. But the truth is I don't have a point. I didn't even mean it cuz I have a million friends who are covered with tattoos and people are insulted by it. It's insanity man.

Yeah. It's crazy when you realize that [ __ ] is news. Like also you're like Will Arnett says they did have a a guy on smart list that they didn't air or whatever. This goes everywhere and you're like who who is who does this matter to?

What does it EVEN MATTER TO WILL? HAVE YOU have you it doesn't matter to me at all.

But it matters to podcast. Most of them are bits. Most of them are just to [ __ ] around in the moment. Right. And then you're like and then you hold it up. Let's read this back in court. So, your theory on tattoo, it was not a theory. It's a bit

You said you like you love to go swimming with bow-legged women. Is that correct? It's like I was calling a [ __ ] movie or something.

Anytime you get like even do this is all a net loss. Like this can only hurt. This can only hurt.

That's why we are so thankful that you're coming on our podcast cuz it's only loss. It's just a [ __ ] minefield of like

that's a very loose Yeah. Well, if you're not our boss, that means Rich is our boss and that is a problem.

That is You're right, by the way. That's a problem for everybody. If you prefer the term podfather, we could do that, too.

Oh, I like that. I like that. You know what I wanted to ask you? Will like uh please be about tattoos. Please be about tattoos.

No, it's not. You're talking to guys who have matching tattoos. We are we are wildly boring.

I can give a [ __ ] about. When I saw that he was like, "You know what? He's kind of right. I am a drag. I goes instantly to cuz now you're like a dramatic leading man." Um is to what like do you feel how are you thin? How how are you looking like this?

Oh oh oh physically and phys Oh yeah. Like how because because the our show is about staying alive like cuz we're too out of shape or better in shape now. We're

Yeah, we're doing pretty good. I don't know if it's the show or like dark medical revelations in our lives.

You guys look good. You guys look good. You guys look better. better place. I'm like down 20 lb. Uh wild. Yeah, I'm under 300 for the first time in like 10 years. It feels amazing.

I might have to start buying new budgy smugglers. Uh but like so what are you what are you doing to stay alive? Like are you because I have a text exchange

that you and I have that I found on my phone today from over the summer that I could read to you.

Uh that we might have to edit. I don't think we do. It's pretty I don't think we do. Okay.

It's pretty It's pretty bass and it heads into the question. Starts with uh Long Island, baby. Where you at? Headed to Ruby Rosa to eat my weight in red sauce. What are you doing? No can do on pizza, but let's hang out this week. Then I wrote back, "What are you doing to keep that Walton Gogggins physique?" And then you wrote back,

you wrote back, "I start by not eating, then I smoke a couple butts. Repeat every day."

And as always, we are not doctors on this show. Do not take any someone who struggles who struggles with everything, including the smoking.

Yeah. Uh, I'm blood typeight marinara at this point. So, I get it. I get I I'm Yeah. It's it's that old school diet, man, of just right. I look I look I think a lot of people I look like that dude who like now that I'm looking on the thing here. I look like that dude who's like kind of tan and smokes butts and and drinks coffee.

I became drinks coffee plays plays chess. I became the guy that I used to go to my buddies, hey, look at that guy, right?

We all do. That's who I aspire to be. Look at me. I look like [ __ ] Mark Maron drowned in a pool. Yeah, I look like an offensive lineman in court for a [ __ ] DUI.

I UH LOCK THE GATES. HOW COME YOU DIDN'T LOCK THE GATES? I DROWNED in the pool.

Jesus Christ. Jesus. Um, I you know what the truth is? About what are we uh about 18 months ago? Um, one of my agents was like, "Hey, you should go talk to this doctor." Like out of the blue,

not out of the out of the blue for you. That's something that was on the agent's mind.

Nothing is ever out of the blue, man. So meanwhile like the CIA had a a morning meeting about my weight and and they go and he goes you you should go see this dude who's basically like a nutritionist and talk he's like what so I was so and that's a true story and and I was like uh you know I think I always was able to stay thin and then I got over 50 and as you know like it just it gets hard when you're over 50 it's just and you're like so like I'm going to eat what I want but I'll just work out and then you just get massive. So so so I was like what do I do? So, I went to see this guy and he helped me look at the stuff I was eating. Uh, and he was like, "Okay." And like, you know, you tell him, he's like, "How what do you, you know, you you tell him like, "It's not that bad." And then you tell him, he's like, "Wow, that's terrible." And you're like, "Oh, shit."

Really? Right. The worst with those kind of situations is when you downplay what you're doing and they still say it's bad. You're like, "Yeah, I have like two beers like a couple of nights a week and they're like, "That's really bad." I'm like, "Oh, I was lying already. That's a good

I did that once years ago when I used to drink and this guy said I went to this doctor and I I could tell and I go this is like early 90s and he goes uh how much do you drink and I said and I'm thinking like when it's going to be I go probably six drinks a week. He's like that's a lot. And I'm thinking [ __ ] that's before I go out I have six drinks like

that's a a day. Yeah. So Adam and I are very adjusted to telling a doctor not cigarettes whenever they ask you smoke. I don't want to do that anymore. I've regressed. I've regressed. So, I can't even do that anymore. Now I'm lying about cigarettes to a doctor in New Zealand who's like filling out a physical. I'm like sitting at like the in order to get to set. They're like, "A doctor's going to come in. Hey, you all right with that?" I'm like, "Yeah, whatever." Guy comes in. He's like says he uh uh uh three to five drinks a day.

I was like, "I don't know. I don't know. I don't I don't know. I didn't even fill that out. Somebody else wrote that. I didn't

guess that when they saw me. Well, it's met it's metric down here, right? So, yeah. It's not actually the same amount.

Yeah. And a day. You mean tomorrow? Cuz tomorrow is is our yesterday. So, so I'm Yeah. Oh, we're not doing time zones. Okay.

Next thing I know, he's like writing like psychopathic conversation. Borderline personality disorder.

Yeah. Borderline. Um, I I And so the truth is actually so I I uh I I cut I ended up cutting out basically sugar. Uh which is my number one I think my number one addiction. Um cuz I won't cuz I'm not addicted to cigarettes and um they're addicted to me.

Well, you cigarettes and I are synergistic. We help each other. They've never let me down. They've never lied to me. They always told me what they were going to do.

Meanwhile, they're like lying to you from the moment you I know. I know. Um I uh I I was going to say like sugar. When you say no sugar, like how strict are we talking? Are we talking like no like su You go out to sushi, you're doing sushimi.

Yeah. Basically, when I'm really doing it in uh so I go I eat Oh god, it's so boring. But I

Not on this podcast. I know. I know. Also, we kind of live in the boring world. So don't let it don't Got a bunch of tattoos, man. This is the [ __ ] I'm into. You're

right. You're right. It's so good. It's so good. You're like, I hated that this blurb went around and we've brought it up 11 times in one interview.

No, I I love it cuz it's so dumb because it was so meaningless. Uh Romesh is laughing.

Meanwhile, you know what I took from that clip is like Ro Romesh is like uh he's like, "I have a lot of tattoos. Am I boring?" And I wanted to be like, "No, but the Apple Watch is making you bored.

We should be tattoos are fine. It's the Apple Watch." So you you you cut out. So So I basic I basically like I

Was that difficult? Like do you have any h anything that you did for yourself like any uh substitutes or anything like that that were like

Dude, dude I'm I'm addicted to ice cream. I I [ __ ] love ice cream. Like my favorite sweet. It's my [ __ ] favorite. So I'm like a like every day for me is like a nine-year-old's birthday party leading up to this when I every day you'd be like what what are you doing? And so so I had to like go so I had to go to answer your question I couldn't I didn't even go for sushi because I couldn't I was too nervous that I wanted to eat the rice. Right. So then I just so every day I'd wake up and and event I started I was doing like I would do like uh a little bit of oats and then some berries and whatever and then like a little snack and then lunch I have a salad with chicken and then at dinner I have to have like 18 ounces of protein fish or or meat and some veggies and then actually there's a crazy thing here. So I did that and then eventually he and I could have a cup of rice with lunch. Then he got and then like 45 days

into it, he's like, "Now you got to cut all the carbs." So now I have none. And I don't have a cheat day. I have a cheat meal once a week. Every seven days I have one cheat meal.

Jesus. And Yeah. And he's like, "Don't go downtown on your go uptown." Meaning like don't eat a bunch of crap on your cheat meal. Don't go to like Taco Bell and McDonald's.

Have a nice Yeah. Have a nice dessert that doesn't have like a bunch of preservatives in it.

And so I've kind of stayed to that for the last year and a half. And I've had a couple times where I haven't been able to, but for the most part, I I've I've stuck with it and exercised at the same time and and it's been pretty good. Here's a cool kind of taught me.

What kind of exercise are we doing? I just I just do, you know, street fighting mainly. A lot of street fighting.

Your Kimbo slice in the backyards of Florida. It's hard to find a good gym. It's hard to find a good gym.

It's easy to find a street fight. I'm doing, you know, I do I pretty light with in in terms of the gym. Pretty light. I was doing this thing where I was like uh and I do it uh uh I don't do it as much anymore just because of uh time or whatever, but I was doing this boxing thing called Fight Camp and uh Thor Theorough turned me on to it and it's like you get like a it's almost like Pelaton for for boxing. I look like the loserest boxer of all time.

I'm the worst in there. I'm the worst in there. But the cardio of it was really great. So, so I do that a couple days a week. I do these like sort of uh long walks and/or hikes and then I do stuff with like kettle bell. Pretty light stuff. Um just

You got a trainer. You're doing this on your own? No, I do it on my own. I'm pretty consistent.

That's cool. Yeah. And and uh and so that that's been good. He taught me this really cool thing which is he's like 40 minutes before you go to bed, before you're going to go to sleep, eat like a cup of berries or a sorbet. And he gave me a couple brands uh so that you get that that spike of natural sugar and then you'll crash and you'll have a you'll go into a sleep better and you'll sleep better. And he god damn it, he was right. Oh, and and there's probably the psychological element of like now I get to have my treat and then it's like and a little treat and then you're going to bed and like oh that's a real interesting wind down.

Pretty insane. Pretty insane. My version of that is I switched from a joint and a bourbon to a joint and a chamomile tea.

And that has been and I'm out on my balcony sipping tea and having an indica and I'm like I'm going to sleep like a baby. And it it's so much better for me than two two fingers of [ __ ] uh Basil Haydens.

Two fingers. Well, I mean much like much like my only fans, I prefer a little more than two fingers.

Well, I mean, alcohol is the big alcohol is the big thing that like uh I mean it's a sabotur of your health. It's like you let it killer. It's it's trash. And it's for a lot of different reasons. And yeah, I'm I don't drink. I'm so happy that I don't for for myriad reasons, but one of them is that, you know, the every time there's a new study that comes out, which is like every four hours,

every four hours, Huberman's making a [ __ ] proclamation about I can't believe we ever drank alcohol. You're like, "Oh, come on, man."

Yeah. And I'm I just think, "Oh, thank God I don't." And I do I do feel better as a result of it. And you can't do it as you get older, too. Like, you just can't like your body can't do it.

It's harder. It's it takes more and more of a toll on you every year. Like I want to quit smoking butts. I really do. And uh and I and and I don't smoke as much as I used to.

Are you z? Yeah. I mean I just put one out. I just stubbed one out. That's that's that that's the level I I have a problem zinning. I can't do it. I can't

So many of my friends are zinning. So my friends are zinning and still blasting sigs, which is like I'm like

Yeah, that's me. I don't do it at the same time. at the same time. SO, SOMEONE I'VE got people who are telling me that nicotine is actually like a neutropic and it's like it's like a performance enhancer.

It is. Well, we just we did we actually just had Huberman on on the podcast and I got to say he was pretty great and I ended up being fascinated with everything he was saying and I didn't want it to end and I was like and then what if I do this and what if I like I was like the little kid, you know?

Yeah. And he talked about nicotine and how great it is. Yeah. I just look like I have nine Zins in my mouth at all times.

Will's Will's hitting the five millie uh what do they call them? The the uh five mil lip pillow or whatever.

Is that what they I'm on the I'm on the three right now, but I I go back and forth between the three and the sixes.

And then And then And what does it do? It's just like a pouch like a baseball player or is it like uh where you swallow it or like

No, you just put it you just put it between your lip and your teeth. It takes a second to get used to. It was like these little pouches like this.

And we I know for a fact based on our experience that Adam can't handle just packing a lip with something. We we did we did recreational ketamine together and you're supposed to just put it in your lip and Adam's like I chewed it and swallowed it. I was like what the [ __ ]

You can't leave it there. It's like a little kid. I played baseball in high school. I've been like swallowing sunflower instantly. As soon as that [ __ ] started like as soon as you go from sunflower seeds to like the first kid brings in chewing tobacco. I was just like Like I can't I could never pack a lip in high school. I can't do it.

I I have a weird That's funny you saying that. I have a weird time of off half the time when I would go to get it out of my lip, I start to gag.

There's something about that that place. It's also I can't I also gag when I put my contact lenses.

Well, I think you're supposed to put them in your eyes, not not the back of your

I have no gag reflex again. I'm sorry. I I that's for my only fans. Clip that. Clip that for my only fans.

[ __ ] That's a great clip on its own. That's going to be the clip that I mean I it get somehow gets credited to Will unfortunately. It's like Will on

Willette says tattoos tattoos are bad again. Never. It does make you think. It does make you think about Tom Hanks. God, he's done so many different things. It's un the dude's kind of unreal. I was just thinking about his run the other day. Like,

it's unreal. Right. His run his run from like uh Joe versus the Volcano maybe even. I mean, Splash is the original, but like he made a few clunkers.

I mean, they didn't they never stuck. They never stuck to him. Yeah. Like clunker for time.

Yeah. Yeah. But he he made like 60 movies and he he made like 30 really good movies. So like

yeah half of that I'm going to let him have I mean mine is I made only clunkers you know

dude I was going to say like do you know my if you looked at my IMDP like my average I'm batting 164 in the minor dude

Hanks also did like 10 years of dominating comedy and then switched to drama and then was the go-to drama guy for like another decade like that's

similar to you will you're a little late but a little late brother Solomon Man, I don't I don't think I'm dominating anything.

Oh, I was going to say I don't know, dude. I think it depends on how you look at it. Like this is your turn to Hank's run it just a couple years later than he did.

We're just doing a few more terminals. I decided to wait till I was 55 cuz I didn't want to embarrass anybody.

I love it when people people do say to me sometimes they're like, "Do you ever think about doing like a a drama like changing up?" always like,

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm trying to do comedy. I'll do it all the time." Yeah. What you got?

Yeah. They're like, "You know what you got to do? You got to work with really good directors."

Okay. Yeah. Great. I'm done. I'm available. I would love that. Have you showed them my extensive 20-year television career?

Yeah. Cuz I have You could Google me and You got a number on them? Let me just You got a number on them? It's like, "Oh, it' be so cool if you worked with Wes Anderson." YOU'RE LIKE, "FUCK YEAH, IT WOULD. It would be [ __ ] awesome."

That That's the real like grown-up version of your aunt saying like, "Have you you should do the Conan O'Brien show. You should do what he does, you know?" And you're like, "Yeah, I would love to,

right? I should I should get on SNL at 44. I could speedun my [ __ ] uh speedball death." I was going to ask you about this press run that you that you've been doing because

it's a dream of of mine as someone who's worked, you know, in comedy the way you have for a long time to see you doing the like a like Academy Award press tour where you're like in cool clothes and like you know what I mean? And there's like pictures of you in a swimming pool with clothes on

and you know and there's like sitting sitting cross-legged in like the W lobby with like a with a bourbon or something

and like and then there's like an interview with you and Odessa Zion together. You're like you're doing it, you know, like

how does that feel? Like do you ever does the comedian part of you ever cuz I consider you like a comedian. you are one of the the you're a comedian like do you does that side of your brain ever click on while you're doing while while you're doing it all while you're like wow this is new a gazillion% and so what the difference is

how do you do that well I I spent a long long time you know doing stuff and [ __ ] around and what happens is by the end like when you do something with as part of that when you go and you do something like with rumish and I'm [ __ ] around. It's so fun because then I just get to dick around. Which is why I say a bunch of stupid [ __ ] that I don't mean

because you're just you're just having fun, right? Yeah. But a lot of those things you got to go and you know, look, the the movie we made this this movie is this thing on that that Bradley and Mark Chavelin and I wrote and we worked on for it took like from the time that we decided to start doing it until the time that it came out was uh like seven and a half years or something, right?

Jesus. Yeah. And so, so like we took it really seriously and we did it and it's a and we spent a lot of time on it obviously and a lot of care and so you come out with it and then when they start to, you know, start thinking like, hey, maybe this has a chance for people to recognize it for X, Y, and Z, you want to give it the you you you you're you're doing a bunch of different stuff. And so you you you you want to speak very it's tough because you don't want for me I feel like man it's hard for me to be that earnest in a way.

Yeah. That's what I mean. Comedy is not comedy is inherently like you want to undercut yourself and undercut the situation so frequently.

Yeah. But then you but it's but you know what the same rules apply in that you just got to read the room which is these are people here who are appreciating it and so that you you do take it seriously and I did take seriously doing the the project it itself and I do really like it and I am really proud of it. So then but there were times when yeah where you just kind of like you you you [ __ ] around but but a lot of the time you know the questions are different too. The questions are like what you know why why did you do this or what is the message or you know what was the process like and you're like

well actually the process was pretty serious uh yeah it took a lot of preparation uh yeah to do those scenes took a lot of uh we workshop for a long time and you find yourself down this road and I did have a few times that there were some really cool interviewers who were like I see that you're struggling with take talking about it in this serious way. Yeah.

Well, there's like the there's another layer to it, too, that you're a comedy guy doing serious interviews about a serious movie about comedy. It's like it's like a quadruple 4D cake or some [ __ ] man. That's a thing.

Yeah, it's it's complicated. and and uh and then but but at the same time and then what happens is it's very alluring because people do respond to it and they're like, "Hey, we really liked it and and we thought it was a great story and you're like you're kind of forced to put your guard down." It was tough for me to kind of talk about me and or it in this way that that didn't feel like I kept trying to I was like catching myself. I didn't want to seem like I was being self arandizing. Do you know what I mean? This is the most understandable like headsp space to be. My therapist one time said to me, do you ever use positive selft talk with yourself? I was like I was like no why that would be corny. He's like no that is something you need to like and I'm like oh [ __ ] I never like it's so easy to just downplay everything but then when you're part of something larger like a piece of art that you're involved with other

creatives that you're like I can't go out here and downplay this because I I worked hard other people worked hard. I my instinct is to like undercut myself for the sake of comedy and to not come across as like a guy who is too serious.

What what made it easy was in certain ways was that the the people I worked with, you know, a Bradley, you know, he's he's uh

I got a billion questions. Yeah, he's an incredible he he he's an incredible filmmaker, right? I mean, and I've known him a long time. He his his capacity for all of it is so insane and his and his concentration and his focus is so intense in the best way. And Laura Durn who's one of our greats, you know, and she's just she's just incredible.

And so you kind of you you you you start to get in that, you know, I heard but what's what's interesting is so so that part of it made it really easy. And then when you listen to that and the way they talk about you're like okay yeah I can talk about this thing and and I did take it seriously you know what's what's weird is you know pal you were saying that like you go and you you're you're doing these like screenings for the academy and stuff and of course we didn't get any nominations for anything for our film

about that I know but what's what's weird is they you you get put in this place where you've got to go and do that and then and then you're disappointed and then you're I heard Ben Affleck talking about it I think on Kimmel maybe or something recently and he he he was much more articulate than I was but about this idea that people are like oh man sorry it didn't get the thing and you're like I didn't even when we made it it's not like I was thinking like wow we're going to get we're going to make this Academy Award winning

right thing when you get drafted in the NFL you're not like uh [ __ ] if I don't win the Super Bowl this exact exactly

and that was it. We just wanted to make something good. So, played a great game.

So, it's confusing. And I remember my 15-year-old said to me, and he's such a great kid, and you want to talk about this kid is so funny. He's absolute bit machine. It's

It's unreal. It's It's unreal. It's in the jeans. Do not introduce him to my son. I do not want I don't need two of that. My son is a nightmare pit machine.

It's insane. and and uh we were driving home and we I was driving him home somewhere. I was out here in California and I said uh and we found out like that we something came out. We didn't get we didn't get recognized and he goes uh and I hung up and I go, "Yeah." He goes, "What?" I go, "Yeah, it's a bit of a bummer." And he goes, "Don't let the fact that that happened ruin what you think about this great movie that you made, Dad." And I was like, "You're right. You're absolutely right." It was so dope. It was so dope. And like it took my 15-year-old to give me the perspective.

Yeah. The clarity comes from the most the wildest places sometimes. Uh you work you you worked with our mutual friend. Oh, real quick. My buddy Bob Castone. Uh you guys Yeah.

Dude, Bob Bobby Castone is one of the all-time funny dudes. Yeah. One of the best. I I I met him when I was a PA at best week ever like 20 something years ago when I graduated college and we've been tight ever since.

I mean, you want to talk you want to talk about Bit Machine? Bob Castro. So, Bob came with us when we were doing cuz as you know, he used to be a standup back in the day.

Yeah. And so when I started doing standup and was going to the the seller when I was living

Were you using your name? Were you using like would they say ladies and gentlemen, Will Arnette?

No, no, no. I was using the name of the character which which was Yeah. And some [ __ ] uh [ __ ]

Well, I was doing Yeah. I think people were like, "Is he doing like some like low rent Andy Kaufman ripoff?"

Daniel D. Lewis over here. Daniel Dwight. Everyone call me Will. I'm living the life.

All right. Everyone treat me like Will. Okay. A standup comic. He's going through a divorce. All right.

Yeah. So, so I would I would go down and so Bob Bob came with me and because we we wrote all the standup uh you know that's in the film that kind of tracks where this character Alex is going and stuff. And so I wanted to have that experience truly what it was like to be this dude. I'm and I'm not a stand-up so I'd never done it before but I wanted to understand what that experience was going down and being that dude. And so really what I got to do is kind of rehearse for 6 weeks and going to the comedy cellar every night and walking downstairs and being introduced as Alex Novak. And people did like kind of when I get up there they'd sort of snicker and think like I was losing my mind or whatever.

And poor Will. He's going going through it. Sorry Alex. I joked I joked I did joke though. I did joke that people, you know, like a uh uh you know, so I'm getting divorced and stuff that people are googling like this [ __ ] got married again. Like what?

And you were doing a super high-pitched voice, right? With no gravel. I was doing like this,

dude. And the worst part of that was lugging that prop bin up and down those stairs though right?

I'm glad you guys did the rewrite to make the guy make Alex not a prop comic. I think that was a smart move.

It was so It was such a I'm glad we dropped that because it was it was hard to get the [ __ ] up and down the stairs. It is. So,

the art department was furious that they were so happy. I mean, everything, the plunger, the chicken, the glass, all of it.

You got to be careful with it. You can't just throw it down. You have to There's an anvil in there. You can't throw it down. Anvil That's going to ruin the chicken. We come from improv as you know and so like there is that is a different thing like we you know we we we we had all this training at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York. so much stage time so much crossover

where you're like, "Oh, I can get on stage." I You're like, "I can get on stage with no material in front of however many people and feel feel comfortable." And then you're like, "But that doesn't mean anything. That's not currency. That's not, you know, it's not music. It It's It's like shitty jazz, you know, in a way. It's like

Well, what you know what was interesting was So So when I was Yeah. So when I'd go down there, the first time that I did it at the cellar, we walked down the stairs and I was there with Bob Castron and and uh Bradley and we're standing there by the doorway, you know, downstairs there at the the main room there and and um I'm about to they're about to call me up and Bradley knows me and he knows that I'm going to if I get up there that because I didn't come up through through improv. I wish I had. I wish I'd known about it. I wish it existed in that way when I was coming.

You're pretty adjacent. I mean you you I'm adjacent. I'm adjacent. We've hung out at McManus enough for you to be considered an improviser.

Yes. But but but like I wish I just wish that that was kind of around more when I was when I first moved to New York in 1990. Like it just wasn't. So, but but I but he knows that my instinct is that if I get up if I walk down there, get on stage

that I'll try to figure out a way to make to to to squeeze out a laugh somehow to make it like you say no to make it work to do something and whatever. And and he the first time he stopped me and he puts his hand and he he leans in and he goes, "We're doing something different." And basically was saying, "You're not doing that. We're here to do this. This is the job. And so go out there and do the material as Alex and do Alex's material that we do from the film, which is what I did. And that was really

The impulse would be to be like, "Yeah, I know how to impress this crowd. I'm a funny guy. I give me a mic."

Yeah. Just lean on my sweaty bits. You know what I mean? Yeah. The tattoo thing.

Let me try something out here. from everything you said the the the I mean I've had a director that that I've really loved working with that I trust you know what I mean but I never had a like a friend who is also my director who's like it it must have been really bonding where you're doing this stuff you guys are like going undercover writing the movie as it as it's forming you know what I mean like

that's pretty special to have a friend that's like hey man don't do your [ __ ] tonight and then but trust but trust me that I'm going to have your back and make you look good.

Uh 100%. And it was and it was, you know again because I do I got to see sort of under the hood over the last couple years as we were working on developing it. What an incredible mind he has for this kind of thing and and for making movies and and so I trusted that in that moment and it did help us be you're absolutely right in terms of weeks later when we actually start shooting. I do that trust is just built built built in such a strong thing and then and then actually was you know coming to those moments where we had these really insanely vulnerable moments in the film and I've got to trust him and he's you know I'm b I I I've never done anything like this on film in this way and I had to kind of you know we talked about it and he'd be like you got to trust me that that you have to there's there can be no [ __ ] here. There's no acting.

There's no [ __ ] You have to And we got to go deep. And he would like pull the camera off. He's operating, too. So, that was the crazy style. It's like,

yeah. Yeah. He And well, that's also where's he going to sit? There's no freaking chairs.

There's There's no chairs, by the way. There's There's no chairs. There's no video village, right?

Everything's intense. From the moment you show up from call time to to rap, there's never a break. There's never sitting around.

I wish for that. It's amazing. So, you're always engaged and he's right there. He's a foot from me with the camera in my face and he's talking to me as we're rolling

and he's like, "Here we go. Here we go, man. Here we go." And then you go like, "We got to go. We got to go deep on this. We got to go. You got to [ __ ] throw it all away." All this kind of [ __ ] It was dope, man. It was scary as [ __ ]

That is amazing. Can you introduce us to Bradley? I'm not ready. I don't want I'm not ready to hang out with Bradley yet. I needed a couple more years. I'm not ready. not concerned that he's ready to make a movie.

You guys should work with Bradley. I didn't say movie. I don't want to hang out. I'm not ready to hang out with Bradley yet. I need a couple more years cuz like there are people like that in my life who who who like I feel like I'm going to meet Bradley Cooper and I would be like I got to get more like Bradley Cooper and you know what I mean? And like right now right now I just got to

I can't handle that identity. I can't handle that. I can't handle that right now. I got to just figure out me.

He's crazy inspiring. I mean, again, like it it our whole thing, our whole relationship went into a totally different gear and he really inspired me in so many ways. It was pretty sick. And And

are you going to do it again? Are you going to I mean, are you going to obviously the material you're you're getting a different look now, right? Like there's got to be cooler stuff.

Yeah. I mean, or a more d more variety of things in front of you that you can uh do next. Yeah, for sure. That's that's the exciting that's the exciting part. And and I'm not what's funny is again uh I think because maybe I'm because I'm 55, I'm not I'm not precious about it. I'm not like, "Hey, now this is what I do." Uh but I had these like really sort of very um what should be obvious realizations, but but but it's taken me a long time where I go like I only want to do stuff that I that I respond to. Wow. Like

I haven't had that revelation. Like what? And like Yeah. I want to do And so so it's been cool. Yeah. And it has been different. You know, I just finished this thing um um with Tony Gilroy, which was pretty dope.

Yeah. Yeah. And with with with Pedro Pascal. And that was that was really awesome. And Livy Wild and a bunch. It was pretty dope. and and so ju just a small little thing but but like really cool to be able to kind of do do some different stuff. So that's uh yeah I'm pretty I'm pretty psyched about it.

Are you are you looking to downshift and to do a comedy again and be like oh [ __ ] like safety I feel like a lot like you know what I mean like you're like okay like Yeah. Yeah. Or or is it

that Clydesale out of the gate? Did you get a did you get a taste? Did you get a taste and you're like, I got to I want to [ __ ] you know, let's let's see what else is in there. Let me keep digging.

You know what? I I think it's more I I don't think that I uh I mean, that's always that's always alluring, right? Just because you cuz if you read something really funny, you're like, that'd be really fun to go [ __ ] around, do that,

right? But at the same time, I think that it is much more about like uh I I I just and if it if it ends up being something that's funny, that's great. I just want to do something that feels, as you know, it takes, you know, it takes time away from your life and your kids and all that kind of stuff. So, it's got to be something that feels valuable. I get to screw around like you guys do on with with Jason and and Sean all the time. So, that scratches a lot of itch, oddly enough,

right? Yeah. That's actually kind of cool when your quote unquote day job is like riffing with other talented funny friends. It's like it's a little spoils you a little where you're like a little bit.

I don't need to chase this high elsewhere. I think a little bit. Yeah. I hope you've been enjoying the interview with Will Arnett as much as we enjoyed doing it. So, if you want to hear the second half where we get into Will's morning routine, his kids dunking on him, an extended conversation about Benio Del Toro, then you got to go over to the Staying Alive feed. Anywhere you get your podcast, hit subscribe or follow while you're there. Uh we've got other great conversations with people you'll know and love like Manzuk, Mark Marou, Scott Arian, Casey Wilson, Ego Wodm, Eric Andre, etc., etc. Come listen to a very funny people telling us what they do to stay alive.

You have been listening to Staying Alive with John Gabris and Adam Pali, a smartless media production in association with SiriusXM. Executive producers are John Gabri, ooh me, Adam Pi, ooh you, Will Arnett, Jason Baitman, Shawn Hayes, Richard Corson, and Bernie Kaminsky.

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Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "STAYING ALIVE: Will Arnett, Part 1!"?

John Gabris (Host), Adam Pali (Host), Will Arnett (Host).

What is "STAYING ALIVE: Will Arnett, Part 1!" about?

Will Arnett discusses staying healthy as you age, covering topics like diet, fitness, sugar, and personal wellness strategies, with insights from his experiences and approach to living well. He emphasizes practical tips and a straightforward mindset for maintaining health.

What is mentioned in this SmartLess episode?

25 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Staying Alive, Will Arnett, Resa Pali, John Gabris, health and wellness, sugar. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "STAYING ALIVE: Will Arnett, Part 1!"?

The episode runs 42 min; the transcript is about 8,455 words in 182 timestamped sections.

More from SmartLess

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated October 29, 2026.