Matthew Rhys Rode A 1933 Harley-Davidson For “Perry Mason” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

one of the things that I can I I do feel. uh that we have some things in common. which is. one of the things I love about my career. which is very different from yours but I. love that I get to do things. I get put in situations where I get to. do something I'd never get to do. otherwise right and I know that actors. ex have experienced that a lot and I. love. whenever I get to. um be put in some situation I've been.

shooting a travel some travel pieces. recently and I find myself. you know kickboxing in Thailand and I. think how could this have happened yeah. you know I come from Boston. Massachusetts yeah. um my parents were nothing near show. business I love that part of it and I. know that. you know for example uh for the second. season of of Perry Mason which I adore. you got to ride a vintage motorcycle is. that right yes yeah are you are you a.

motorcycle guy this will color the way I. answer this question okay I'll tell you. this yeah I do have a motorcycle uh I. don't I have all these rules about when. I ride it because I I want my kids to. yes I want to meet my grandchildren yes. but. um I recently was in a very exotic. location and they found a a. motorcycle for me to ride for this one. shot and it was a 1956 BMW.

in Bangkok and I just was looking at. this thing it's one of the most. beautiful things I've ever seen in my. life and then you ride it and you think. [Music]. I really like the improvements they've. made yes I like the look of this thing. oh the I love the look yes but what did. you get to ride so it was a 19 the 1933. Harley-Davidson right. um and and it took a course very quickly. so they said they said uh we were.

talking about what what we're going to. do with Mason and they said what do you. like dream scenario what would you get. to do in this and I said look I I do. love being on a horse I've always loved. horses if you can find your way until. everything find Mason under a horse. that'd be great but in a courtroom scene. yes I was like now there's your. challenge yes that's what I've noticed. about the new season that threw me a bit. is you're often on Horseback in the. courtroom yes exactly. yes there was a lot of objections it.

takes me out of the I know everyone said. that. um. so so one of the writers one of the. writers was in is is an enormous you. know motorbike fan so he said I'm gonna. you know we have we're gonna Mason on a. motorbike bro great so then they the. stunt coordinated calls Memphis can you. ride a motorbike I said it can I said. I've had to ride a vintage one before. they said great come down we're going to. do a test day you know weeks before okay. great let's go down producers there. everyone's there and there's the Bali.

guy and he's like Okay so. you hold this and then pull that in now. stay obviously well obviously you'll. have pumped this first and I'm like. right then then you go for the right now. now the kickstarter as that's Kickstart. timing time right turn that turn turn. turn I was like this will never work. can't you get me something that looks. like this but it just has an on off. switch yes and uh and it has an. automatic transmission. so so that was established very quickly. I did so they got the stunt man to ride.

it uh for a second uh and no one could. hear anything everyone's going I can't. hear over the noise of this thing right. this time I said oh this whoa this is. tricky right. yeah right oh this is dangerous yeah I. would I wouldn't want to ride this thing. yeah so the producers very quickly went. turn to the action vehicle team and went. how much would it cost no how long would. it take to turn this into an electric. bike. there were audible gasps from certain.

male members of this yes yes you've been. emasculated oh so they took it away and. they turned it into an e-bike. so very often out on set it was it was. still this beautiful night night this. shell of a thing 1933 Harley that had. all these all these batteries you know. squirreled away about it. and very often we were on location in. various places around L.A and I'd be on. the thing kind of warming you know doing. little laps and stuff like that and.

gentlemen of usually a certain age would. come up and go whoa whoa whoa what what. is that and I was like well it's it's a. it's a 1933 Harley Davidson and they go. yeah but it's not an original they. wouldn't have done that to an original. and I went. yes they have. because I asked them yes and some it was. met with a very great mix of reverence. for the for the engineering that would. have gone into turning into an e-bike an. abject disgust to the butchering of some. American history the uh I'm also.

thinking of you know most people want. the Harley. in any era because of that distinctive. Harley sound and I imagine this thing. sounded like. and little bubbles came out yes it was. like it was like. and then warning battery low yes. embarrassing sounds come out of it yeah. yeah and it would tell you when you. needed you know another coffee or. something or something like that so it. was it was it was good and both bad yeah.

and then the other the flip side of that. was when they said we're gonna write. we're gonna write this uh we're gonna. write this scene where you're in Santa. Ana race track on a thoroughbred and I. was like why are you doing what though. and they went well you're Galloping. around the track and I said yeah yes but. I I won't get to Gallup that'll be a. stunt man they won't allow me to do that. and they went. oh sorry well we've written it so cut. two is me on the most this is probably. one of the most humiliating moments they. kind of got me this. it was used in Seabiscuit but it's.

basically like an adult rocking horse. that's attached to the back of a pickup. and yeah so there's a stuntman riding a. horse it looks amazing and then they cut. in for the tight shot of Perry Mason yes. and um you're on basically uh a carpet. yeah a horse-colored carpet has been. laid over a fake horse back yeah and. that's it and it rocks a little bit yes. and they and they sort of and then the. horse ranking team kind of sit with you.

while you they try and talk you through. how you should be looking on this adult. hobby horse it was that was a that was a. bat that was a bad day. I didn't enjoy that date but then you. asked could I have this please yes and. they said yes of course take it we call. it biscuit because if they do it was. built for Sea Biscuit I'd like to uh I. like riding but it feels a little. dangerous now and so yes big love you. know what I love it if you just went out. in the country so and and you know. Carrie and the family are on the truck. and you're just in the back yes.

pretending to pretending to Gallery Oh I. thought this is what I genuinely wanted. I said I would pay if if this was. allowed I would pay good money to go up. and down Hollywood Boulevard in this. pickup and I'm just on the back giving. it the full. and they didn't even answer they just. looked at me yeah.