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He had a successful career as a ballplayer and this was a big transition for him.
The challenge for an athlete is that you are retired at a relatively young age.
That is very relatable, and its an unpleasant emotional space.
Pat Riley has written several wonderful books that were very helpful for me.
The doors werent open for him.
It was an interesting thing to discover about Pat Riley.
I knew of his past as a ballplayer, but I didnt put my feet in his shoes.
Theres a level of self-deprecation that surprised me.
Theres humor in defeat and tragedy.
The line between them is very thin.I just took a big fall yesterday, and I was in agony.
I was laughing at the absurdity of it.
Theyre very talented, Max Borenstein and Rodney Barnes; theyre wonderful writers.
You just have to look around and see how commonplace human suffering is, and obstacles for everyone.
Its daunting, but theres a sense that were all in this together, right?
I read a quote of yours that said Theres no swagger without damage.
Im wondering how you applied that to your portrayal of Pat Riley.
You have to earn it.
To be successful, you do have to have a self-determination and a belief.
If youre not gonna believe that, why would anybody else?
Thats what was really interesting to me about Pats garage.
Its full of these reminders of past successes.
Can you talk about the filming of that?
How much did you actually destroy?Oh yeah, I destroyed a lot of it.
As much as they let me.
A lot of that is the past staring at you.
Your past achievements dont hold you up, necessarily, if youre still craving to achieve more in life.
How long did the destruction of the garage take?They had to dismantle portions safely.
I did clip myself a few times and was smashing into things.
Those roots were very resilient.
You would hit it just right, and it would bounce back.
They were trying to start it; it was an old-fashioned chain saw with a two-stroke, really-difficult-to-pull start.
I was like, I got it, I got it halfway pulling myself off the rooftop.
Was there a specific moment where it felt like you inhabited Pat?
I know when Im emotionally connected and I know when Im not.
Certain things definitely help.
I am just used to kicking into gear.
I know how to rile myself up.
But I dont know what it is in particular.
Im not really a huge fan of brown two-tone ties, very wide ties, and lapels.
Very wide and very short.Well, they were two-tone.
You commuted to set every day becauseWinning Timewas filming in Los Angeles.
But it was usually very early.
If I have a bit of dialogue, Im just running lines in my head as I go.
Then Ill make a tea to go, grab a piece of toast or something, and drive.
Try not to wake up the neighbors with my loud exhaust system.
That was my morning ritual.
At least youre not driving Patsflame-covered van.No, but Im that crazy.
I did a pilot years ago and the character lived in Venice, California.
I just tend to go for it.
