Paul Thomas Anderson Asked Don Cheadle To Do Nothing In Boogie Nights | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you're this this person who has done so. many different types of roles you've. occupied so many different spaces that I. don't think of you in one way I just and. I think that would be the ultimate goal. of any actor what do you get when people. see you on the street well it it depends. yeah you know I used to play like you. know I used to try to profile them and. go like wait a minute how old you what's. your age where are you from what kind of. thing and I would try to guess the thing. they would and a lot of times I would be. right because it is is generational now.

for some you know doing this for 40. years like you can tell when someone's. going to be a Marvel fan mostly and. they'll know you from you know Iron Man. so they'll that I would think would be. clearer to know but then you've. done uh well House of Lies there a lot. of consultant people that come up to me. and if they're coming they're in a suit. and certain Cadence I'm like I know. which one you love you. know yeah you made us look like fools. they're usually saying thank you so much.

you're like oo but um you know and I get. mouse a lot from you know I know people. that come up and go Devil in a blue. dress I know somebody like just like. Mouse you know what I mean so it depends. but I but yeah I'm very fortunate in. that way that I've gotten to do a lot of. different kinds of things and that's. always what I wanted to do as an actor. and that was always what was really. exciting to me not to just play one. thing over and over but to you know I. came up doing theater and we had to do. everything so I just wanted to keep. doing that again I can't settle on one. but the first time I you really popped.

for me was in Boogie Nights and when. you're at that famous party wearing that. insane get up yeah I don't even know. what to call that getup it's like. earthwind and fire meets Rick. James yeah Egyptian Su God yes but yes. you're sad yeah it's really a beautiful. piece of acting because you're sitting. there and you're not connecting with. anybody and to be wearing that get up.

and be sad at a party was to me uh like. a beautiful thing but what's so funny. about that moment and we talked about it. a little bit was that what people. imprint on that moment because really I. was being nothing because that was what. I was told by Paul to be which I was. trying to figure out what what that. meant he was like in this moment I just. want nothing and I was like okay so I. kind of did it and then he came back. he's like okay uh you were doing you.

were doing nothing I was. like I thought you wanted he's like no I. want I want I want nothing I don't want. you to do nothing I want nothing right. so I was sitting there trying to figure. out like what is I want what does that. mean and he walked over and went okay we. got. it so he had been rolling he was rolling. on you basically digesting lunch and. thinking yeah yeah that's why I think. Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the. greats just probably all the great shots. were he didn't tell people he just let.

the camera roll uh most of the acting is. people digesting I just there's there's. a book that I think. that's that's and that's another kind of. acting method yeah have a big. lunch just before you do your role yeah. yeah um it's interesting because I was. remembering that you serious musician. growing up studying Jazz and then. there's this fork in the road where it's.

is it going to be jazz or is it going to. be acting and you had to make the choice. mhm I think you blew it I did too I do. too looking back except I may have been. a horrible horrible musician know think. of the money you'd be raking in with. jazz yeah you're right you're right. different people recognizing you for. different kinds of jazz different. licks I like. your yeah oh thanks man.

I I really had you pinned more as. a you just never know you never know man. uh takes all kinds do you still play now. I kind of play the bass more than I I. came up playing Sachs right and um. thought I was going to do that for a. minute and came up singing you know. doing vocal Jazz and I thought that one. of those two things or what I was going. to do but then I really was enamored of. people who could really really do it and.

I was kind of intimidated by the music. and it's you know it's not it's not easy. and I knew that I was going to be going. away you know for school then I wasn't. going to be woodshedding I wasn't going. to be spending 12 hours on you know. scales and and you know when I grew up. and later and talked to a lot of these. musicians who are now amazing musicians. I said did you used to have to beg your. parents to practice or did they used to. have to beg you to do something else and. he goes they would you know all of the. great ones are like oh no they had to. they had to pull me away from the piano.

or they had to pull me away from my. trumpet it's like that's all they wanted. to do I was like yeah I'm not driven. like that but I want to be that good so. I can't do it this I have to be a. recreational musician because to get. there you have to be you already have to. be kind of wired like that I keep coming. back to there's so much that we do in. our careers it's compulsion I don't know. another word to say it. but um we do the things that we end up. that eventually we were compelled to do.

I agree and uh and I always come back to. I can't take credit for that I didn't. make a conscious decision whatever this. thing is I'm doing I was compelled to do. and uh which is why I think murderers. should not be put in jail oh they were. just compelled hot take yeah well sorry. hot take that a lot like just dead left. turn like I'm sorry yeah but if a. murderer is compelled it's not his fault. that also sounds like a backdoor. confession to me we'll get to that we'll. get to that later we'll get to that.

later okay or you you wanted to be a. lawyer when you were growing up and now. you just went into this I wanted to be a. murderer but I just knew the hours you. have to put in you can't Woodshed. murderers I mean in a way all better. would shed your murderer oh yeah you. better put it. somewhere all the supplies you have to. buy no it's a lot the you could be a. recreational murderer I've tried OB I've. tried it then real murderers come along. and I'm like man that's the real.

thing yeah you're no really you're. really doing it did you I'm curious. because wow I'm sorry Don I I enjoyed. every moment of it let me just say that. Don let me say you knew better than to. come here I did we've encountered each. other you did the L so many times you've. been here you knew not to come you're. right but when your publicist said what. about Conan you were compelled I was. compelled. compel I know in your acting career and.

producing career you had the opportunity. and the desire to do something about. Miles Davis did that give. you uh sort of an insight into him as a. musician by getting to do that I mean. you know researching him and meeting. people that you know his family that. were very instrumental and no pun. intended uh getting that thing done um. and being with you know people that he. played with and knew him and you know. absolutely yeah yeah 100% um and again.

he's like on the you know Mount Rushmore. he's one two on it so it's it's seeing. all of the people that he influenced and. all the careers that he influenced and. all the music that he influenced and the. coolest thing about when I would meet. people and told them that I was doing. this is there were people that three. different distinct people kind of like. when you're saying how do they recognize. you there are people that don't know. anything about miles before he was. electric they never started listening to. him to him before Brew or you.

know any of those electric super Rock. now you listen to it like all the heavy. metal dudes know all that Miles music. but there were other people who had. never listened to him they were just. traditionalist Jazz and soon as he went. electric stopped listening to him right. and then there was this other whole. generation that only knew him when he. started doing covers of like scy PID and. and you know uh Time After Time and. human nature it's like that's when they. knew who he was so he generationally. affect Ed all these different musicians.

that did not cross-pollinate in their. you know genres so I was like that's. that's a testament how many musicians do. that I heard of Miles Davis story. recently because we always talk about. this in the podcast that we want to. start ruling right away because. sometimes people come in and before they. even sit down they start saying this. amazing stuff and you're like God you. know yeah were we rolling on that well. no they hadn't sat down yet I was. relating that to someone it was Jack. Black and he said that Miles Davis used.

to say start rolling when I'm in the. parking lot outside like I hit play when. I'm when I'm still parking my car. outside the recording studio I want I. want you recording on my my feet walking. in opening the door me biting into the. cheese sandwich everything before the. music even starts because we need to. capture it all because you never know. his album of just cheese sandwich which. many people think what you going to say.

you're going to try to tear that album. up it's no ham on R sandwich album I beg. I beg to differ.