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  • -Our next guest is a very talented actor and comedian.

  • Comedian -- he's one of the best comedians.

  • He's the host of the "WTF" podcast

  • and stars in the new film "Stardust,"

  • which is in theaters and on demand starting November 25th.

  • Here is Marc Maron.

  • Marc, look at you. -How are you, man?

  • -You look great. -I'm outside, Jimmy.

  • I'm outside. -That's what I'm talking about.

  • You're outside. All right, all right.

  • -All right, already. What are we doing?

  • -I love that you're outside. -...doing outside?

  • I got the trees here. -I would do the same thing.

  • I would do the same thing.

  • -I'll tell you, I miss something, though,

  • about being in this --

  • I don't know how you're handling this,

  • but one of the things I used to enjoy about doing the show

  • is in the dressing room you had the nice cookies

  • and maybe a t-shirt. Now are they being sent to me?

  • Because that's one of the reasons --

  • it's not the only reason I do it,

  • but am I getting the cookies?

  • -Of course you are. -Thank you.

  • Because I don't know how this is going to go without the cookies.

  • I like to be jammed on sugar every time I talk to you

  • so I can keep up.

  • -Well, Marc, it's been a long week for everybody.

  • But you -- -Oh my God, thank God!

  • Right? I mean, jeez.

  • I thought I was going to have to leave the country,

  • and that's not easy now. I had a big plan.

  • But if you want to get out, you can't. You know why?

  • Because, we're plague-infected pig people

  • who can't behave like responsible adults.

  • You can't even go to another country.

  • It's like, "I'm from America,

  • I'd like to spend a year in Ireland."

  • "Sorry, you plague-infected pig person

  • who can't act like a responsible grown-up."

  • "But I have my mask." "Well, tell that to the other

  • pig people that live in your country.

  • You plague ridden monster." [ Laughter ]

  • "Look at you, you plague- infected pig person."

  • [ Laughter ]

  • So, I'm glad that I can stay in the country

  • because I would've had to, like, you know, mail myself somewhere.

  • Just for a little while. -But you got out.

  • You said, "I'm not watching this.

  • I got to get away somewhere."

  • -Oh, I did, yeah, for the actual election, I'm like,

  • "What's the point of maps and numbers for three days

  • that aren't going to go anywhere, but sit there

  • and make you go like, 'Oh, my God!

  • Is he going to win?'" -Yeah.

  • -So, I went to up to Big Sur, and I went to a hotel

  • where there was spotty wi-fi, spotty cell coverage,

  • just me alone with my thoughts,

  • and it was nice to really experience

  • the pure existential panic and fear

  • without being interrupted by

  • televised existential panic and fear.

  • It was surprising.

  • The small amount of information I was getting

  • was enough for me to freak out without any input whatsoever.

  • So, I was there looking at the ocean,

  • just sitting there going like, "Oh, man, we're in trouble, man.

  • This is not going well, but it's pretty.

  • Look at the birds." -Yeah.

  • -So a couple of sweaty nights of panic but no TV.

  • And I got home right in time yesterday to catch

  • what was the turning point, which was very exciting.

  • And, I guess they voted out COVID too,

  • no more COVID, which is nice.

  • That's a relief, because I was getting tired of that.

  • -Next thing they have to vote out

  • is quarantine sourdough bread.

  • -Dude, I think that's over.

  • I saw that kind of trickle away within three months.

  • You got these like, hipster dads and cute young moms like,

  • "Look at the bread I made."

  • But now they're just like, "Where I bury my family?"

  • "I couldn't -- I -- [ Laughter ]

  • The bread didn't hold me back.

  • Enough with the bread, what do I do with the bodies?"

  • -That was all fake. [ Laughing ]

  • It was covering up, yeah, something deep.

  • -Yeah. Oh, yeah. Just fury.

  • Just like, "This will be fun. Look, dad's making bread."

  • Three months later, "Dad's a monster."

  • -Dad's getting a divorce. -"Make some more bread."

  • "The bread's over. Give me some candy."

  • -So, I take it you haven't done any baking, then?

  • -Well, you know, I do enjoy cooking.

  • I'm shucking my own oysters.

  • And that's not code. Well, I guess it is,

  • 'cause I'm doing that too. But I'm actually --

  • [ Laughter ]

  • I'm actually -- -Oh, my gosh.

  • -I'm actually -- -Are you really?

  • -I buy oysters and I shuck them.

  • I learned how to shuck them for the -- you know,

  • I'm going to need to know that in the future.

  • -Do you wear a chain glove?

  • -No, no, no. I watched a video. I'm getting better at it.

  • But I like to eat the oysters.

  • I do baking. I enjoy -- like I got it

  • in my head last week -- a couple weeks ago,

  • I'm going to make this cake.

  • 'Cause I have the "New York Times" cooking app,

  • or the Instagram for "New York Times" cooking,

  • and cakes will come through.

  • And one day, I'm just sort of like, "Aw, man, life sucks.

  • I'm going to make that cake, and I put a lot of work into it.

  • Got it -- You need a Bundt pan,

  • and you've got to poke holes in it to pour the butter into.

  • It was a complicated bit of business,

  • and I screwed up the last step. And I knew it --

  • -Yep. -As I did it, like,

  • I screwed up the cake.

  • But I'm like, it's probably still okay, I'll just --

  • it's going to come out of the pan, and I turn over

  • the Bundt pan to take the cake out,

  • and it's stuck in the Bundt pan. So now I'm just like livid.

  • I'm furious, and I'm like, [bleep] it,

  • I'm throwing it away.

  • So I start ripping the cake with my hands.

  • Hot cake, with my hands, out of the Bundt pan

  • and throw it in the garbage.

  • But I took a fistful of it.

  • Like, it's equivalent to maybe a piece or two,

  • and just start shoving it in my mouth,

  • and they're throwing the rest away,

  • shoving the hot cake in my mouth, which was terrific.

  • So -- But the problem was, I got all the food shame

  • without the pride.

  • I screwed up the cake,

  • and was just angry at myself, and I was eating it

  • by the handful, which made me feel like a pig.

  • And so there was no joy. Very little joy.

  • -Yeah. No. -Just shame and fury.

  • But, a week later, I nailed it.

  • Made the cake, and it came out perfect.

  • But then, the other problem is,

  • I was like very proud of my cake, but I live alone.

  • So, now I got to figure out how to unload the cake.

  • So, I'm out in the street with my mask on.

  • My neighbor's cleaning his car, I'm like, "Troy, you want cake?

  • How about some cake?" And Troy's like, "Yeah."

  • So, I go in the house, I bring Troy some cake,

  • and then I give it to him, and that puts you

  • in a weird situation, 'cause two hours later

  • I'm kind of hanging around outside looking for Troy, like,

  • "Hey, how was the cake? Cake pretty good?"

  • And then he's like, "It's a little sweet."

  • And I'm like, "What the [bleep] do you want?

  • It was free cake." I didn't say that part out loud.

  • But that's what I was thinking about it.

  • -Don't judge. You just say it was good

  • and you go back inside.

  • -But then he said as I'm walking away, he goes,

  • "You should open a bakery."

  • So I guess this is the announcement.

  • I'm opening a bakery. -This is not true.

  • Before we get into your bakery,

  • I want to talk about "Stardust."

  • Because I'm very excited about this.

  • I'm very, very excited about this.

  • I love David Bowie. -Yeah.

  • -And this is a story -- a very specific time in bowie's life.

  • -Right, this is getting --

  • People are going, like, "It's a biopic."

  • It's not a biopic. Yeah, it's very --

  • It's a -- Why am I holding a piece of paper towel

  • on national television? Because I'm outside my house!

  • [ Laughter ]

  • There's no mystery to this anymore, Jimmy.

  • -No! -I saw your couch last week.

  • You had to go back to the studio because your wife was like,

  • "Can we not do this in the house anymore?

  • Does this have to be done in the house, Jimmy?

  • I can't keep the kids quiet for an hour, Jimmy."

  • -"Get back to work."

  • Yeah, exactly right, buddy.

  • -I'm making a bread, Jimmy! -Exactly right.

  • -But this -- I like this -- -Okay, so anyways --

  • -I like this because you're the publicist for Mercury Records.

  • -Right. Ron Oberman was kind of a down-and-out publicist

  • for Mercury Records.

  • And the time period, it's before Bowie's a star.

  • He had a hit with "Space Oddity,"

  • But no one knew whether he was a novelty act or a one-time thing.

  • And he made "The Man Who Sold the World" and it got --

  • People didn't know what to do with it.

  • It was a dark record. -Yeah.

  • -So they kind of send him to America.

  • In the movie, he doesn't have the right papers.

  • I'm the only guy that's going to champion him.

  • The label doesn't know what to do with it.

  • He's about to lose his deal, but I think he's a genius.

  • So it's sort of -- My part of the movie is him and I --

  • I I'm trying to get him little gigs

  • to play or be on the radio without the proper paperwork

  • for him to play, so we spend a lot of time driving

  • in the car across country.

  • He sort of doesn't know who he's going to be

  • or what he wants to be.

  • And there's all these conversations about music

  • and about whether he believes in himself.

  • And there's a back story about his stepbrother

  • who had mental problems, and he was worried

  • he was going to have mental problems.

  • So it's a very small slice of a young Bowie's life.

  • -I love that. I know you love music.

  • So I go -- -Love it.

  • -Marc is perfect for this because we always discuss music.

  • I know you're a giant Stones fan.

  • Me as well. We just love --

  • -Yeah. -I mean, just mu--

  • Do you remember the first time you heard Bowie?

  • -The first time I heard Bowie

  • I think was at a 7th grade dance.

  • The song "Fame" was a big hit. -Whew, wow.

  • -And I remember this because there was a local AM deejay

  • named Bobby Box, and you know, when you're a kid,

  • you listen to the radio all the time

  • and Bobby Box was the guy.

  • And Bobby Box was coming to our school to host the dance,

  • so we're all excited to see Bobby Box.

  • Turns out, he's basically a dwarf

  • and he was just like a giant head in a strange plaid suit...

  • -Yep. -And we are like,

  • "Oh, man, this is sad."

  • -That was real deejays back then.

  • -Right, real guys. But then "Fame" comes on,

  • and you know that part, like, "Fame, fame, fame, fame..."?

  • -Yeah, John Lennon. -Did you know -- Yeah.

  • I found out John Lennon was part of that crew.

  • And it's always weird when you find that out

  • 'cause then you're listening for the John Lennon,

  • for the one John Lennon "fame."

  • That's John! -Yeah, or it's like this,

  • like, "The song isn't about him 'cause he's going,

  • 'Is it about you?' He's harmon--

  • So the song is not -- Yeah, I love finding that stuff out.

  • -Do remember like Velvet -- like Lou Reed,

  • "Satellite of Love"? -Yeah.

  • -Listen to that. It's Bowie in the back.

  • Like, 'cause he produced it.

  • So, "uh-hoo!" -Yes.

  • -It's like, that's Bowie!

  • You didn't know that, Jimmy. -I didn't know that, dude.

  • -You didn't know it. -You just saw that.

  • -And I just told it to you, and now you're gonna know it.

  • -Wow! -Now you know,

  • "Satellite of Love" by Lou Reed --

  • listen to it, it's on "Transformer."

  • -Bowie's back there. -You keep giving me --

  • Oh, "Transformer," that's unbelievable.

  • No way. You just -- -Yeah.

  • -You keep giving me gifts. -Go listen to it now.

  • -You keep giving me gifts. -I know.

  • -The next thing I want is cake.

  • -I'll give you cake. Oh, my God.

  • -Dude, stay safe, thank you so much for coming back

  • to our show. I want to show a clip.

  • Here is Marc Maron in "Stardust." Take a look.

  • -Jeez, Tom, I have been calling for weeks,

  • looking all over for you.

  • Did you get that album, the David Bowie album?

  • Did you listen to it? -Yeah, yeah.

  • -Great. -I listened to it.

  • -Great, when can I get you two to sit down

  • for an interview together?

  • -Look, I'm -- Listen, I'm really busy right now.

  • -No, no, you listen, okay, and listen good, okay?

  • You don't want to miss out on this, man.

  • I mean, this guy's going to be big.

  • -Oh, yeah? How big is big? -Big.

  • -What, like Jerry Reed big or Todd Rundgren big,

  • or what are we -- -No, I'm talking like Dylan big.

  • -[Bleep], come on. -Serious.

  • This guy's like the English Bob Dylan

  • with avant garde outrage all wrapped together.

  • -What are you, reading this off the [bleep] press release?

  • Marc Maron, everybody. "Stardust" is in theaters

  • and on demand November 25th.

  • Marc, thank you so much again for coming on.

  • It's always a pleasure, buddy. -Thank you for having me.

  • It was the easiest "Tonight Show,"

  • I did my own hair and makeup, wore my own --

  • -I'll get you those cookies. I promise.

  • -Thank you, I'm counting on it.

-Our next guest is a very talented actor and comedian.

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