Coming up next on Passion struck.

I think all storytelling is about change. Even when you go about writing a script, it's always the story of how a character changes. A character doesn't always get what they want, but they always seem to get what they need. All art, if it's deep enough and specific enough, has the power to change the person who's witnessing the art, viewing it, reading it, being an audience member, whatever it is. Like for me, I got sober in 1995, and I don't think it was any coincidence that the night before I was watching the Mike Lee film naked. And somehow I took from that this sort of idea that unless I get off this kind of roller coaster that I'm on, something bad is going to happen. And David Theulis's character is, he's circling the drain in that film. He's on a helter skelter going down, and it's like this rock bottom that he never quite hits. And it motivated me to change my life the next day.

Welcome to Passion Struck. Hi, I'm your host, John R. Miles, and on the show we decipher the secrets, tips and guidance of the world's most inspiring people and turn their wisdom into practical advice for you and those around you. Our mission is to help you unlock the power of intentionality so that you can become the best version of yourself. If you're new to the show, I offer advice and answer listener questions. On Fridays, we have long form interviews the rest of the week with guests ranging from astronauts to authors, CEO's, creators, innovators, scientists, military leaders, visionaries, and athletes. Now let's go out there and become passion struck.

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to episode 444, a passion struck. A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who return to the show every week, eager to listen, to learn, and and to discover new ways to live better, to be better, and to make a meaningful impact in the world. If you are new to the show, thank you so much for being here. Or you simply want to introduce this to a friend or a family member, and we so appreciate it when you do that. We have episode starter packs, which are collections of our fans favorite episodes that we organize into convenient playlists that give any new listener a great way to get acclimated to everything we do here on the show. Either go to passionstruck.com starter packs or Spotify to get started. In case you missed it, earlier this week we had two fantastic interviews with Gabby Bernstein and Bill Wehr, CNN's chief climate correspondent. Gabby shared the transformative wisdom from her latest book, Happy Days, where we tackle how to heal from the past, embrace the power of self love, step into a life of joy and peace, and unlock your happiest days yet.

And in my interview with Bill Weir, we delve deep into the heart of human connection, exploration, and the awe inspiring wonders of our world. From unraveling the mysteries of nature to igniting the flames of curiosity within us all, Bill's insights will leave you inspired and eager to embark on your own journey of discovery. I also wanted to say thank you for your ratings and reviews, and if you love today's episode or either of those others, we would appreciate you giving it a five star review and sharing it with your friends and families. I know we and our guests love to see comments from our listeners. Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to the incredibly talented actor Jason O'Meara. With a career that spans across stages in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, Jason's journey in the world of acting is nothing short of extraordinary. From his early experiences portraying Gratiano in William Shakespeare's the Merchant of Venice to his iconic roles in acclaimed television series like the man in the High Castle and Marvel's agents of S H I e l D, Jason has continually captivated audiences with his versatile performances and profound storytelling.

But Jason's story goes beyond the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. With a deep commitment to social causes, he's been a steadfast ambassador for Movember since 2015, advocating for men's health issues with unwavering dedication. Through thought provoking conversations and captivating anecdotes, Jason sheds light on the importance of destigmatizing mental health struggles and fostering open dialog within communities worldwide. As we delve into the depths of his illustrious career, Jason shares invaluable insights into the art of storytelling, the challenges of portraying complex characters, and the profound impact of his work on audiences around the globe. From voicing iconic superheroes to bringing mythical gods to life on the screen, his diverse repertoire is a testament to his unparalleled talent and versatility. So join me as we journey into the world of Jason O'Meara, a world filled with passion and purpose and the power to spark change. Thank you for choosing Passionstruck and choosing me to be your host and guide on your journey to creating an intentional life.

Now let that journey begin. I am absolutely thrilled and honored today to have Jason Amera on passion struck. Welcome, Jason.

Hi, how are you? John? Absolutely privileged to be here. Thank you so much.

I don't think you know this, but I have one of the top 20 podcasts in Ireland, so I am really excited to get this out to the irish audience.

I did not know that. That's amazing.

There you go. Well, speaking of Ireland, I thought we could start with your backstory. You've had a very diversified and successful career in acting from stage to screen, and it's started in Ireland, it's gone to the United Kingdom and finally the United States. What initially, though, sparked your interest and passion for acting? And how has that evolved over the years?

I think earlier on, I'd had a couple of stage experiences when I was very young, and they weren't particularly positive. It's funny, I just listened to his cultural life with Frank Aurbach, and he describes how mind numbingly boring most office jobs are. And he had that experience in London before he fully committed as an artist. And I think that's how I felt about school. I just was mind numbingly bored by most of what was being taught. Not everything, but most of it. And I found it hard. Academically, I found it hard. I did okay. I actually repeated a year my final year because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And in that year, I did the school play. I did it a few couple years in a row because it was only like an annual event. And even though I'd been playing rugby and getting a lot of fun out of that, and that gave me a sort of reason to be at school, it was the school play that really got me interested, and I thought, what sort of turns me on here? What gives me joy? And all I could see was getting on stage and doing this thing with my friends and rehearsing and then having an opening night and playing characters and making an audience laugh.

And that's what I want to be doing. Whatever that is, that's what I want to be doing. And it was really just groping. I was set to do science in Maynooth University in the Irish Midlands at one point, and that wouldn't have been my thing at all, but I so very nearly ended up there. So thank goodness I stumbled my way into theater and drama and all that stuff.

So you and I had the reverse experience. I stumbled my way. I still have no idea why I did it into the music man. I played a character in that, and it totally proved to me that I had no business being in any more musicals after that one was over. But the other thing I found interesting is we both have a passion for rugby. I ended up playing during my university years for the naval academy and rugby is just a sport that I absolutely loved and still love. I wish we played it more gracefully here in the States because every time I go to Ireland or England or France and get to watch them play there, it's amazing the talent that you have. And in Ireland, it's crazy. You guys pack 50,000 person stadiums to watch these matches. It's pretty amazing.

Yeah. Yeah, it is. And it wasn't always that way because Ireland could not get a win to save our lives in the nineties and solely evolved through academies and the fee paying schools and various programs that have been introduced. I think America's biggest problem is, well, number one is the competition from football, baseball, basketball and even soccer. So any good athletes who are leaning towards rugby gets lured away by money and college and living that athletes lifestyle. But if you do sneak through and there are some great american players, and I think the second challenge is the geography, the distance, like trying to pull from resources across the country, it's just you end up spread so thin. It doesn't lend itself to that. But I think it will hit a tipping point on that. The Rugby World cup is going to be in America as a 2030, 2031, something like that, and that's going to be a major event. I think that could change things. So I'm really excited about rugby's future in the USA year. Sevens program is incredible. Perry Baker. What an athlete.

No, it absolutely is. The other thing I think is interesting is I'm a big Philadelphia Eagles fan, so it's great to see a rugby player who is now starting on the team. But when I was in college, we had a number of people who were varsity football players or jv football players who went to the rugby pitch and every single one of them quit. But it is interesting when you see the rugby players go and are able to pick up football so amazingly well. I think the big difference is we absolutely do not tackle with our heads because that's not going to make you last very long in the sport of rugby.

No. In fact, you know, I also support Leinster, which is my. The region I grew up in in Ireland, the eastern sort of seaboard region. And there's a player who actually went to my school, St Michael's, called Luke McGrath. Great scrum half. And he was trying to make it try saving tackle and he led with his head. Unfortunately, I think he was trying to dislodge the ball. This was two weeks ago and he ended up concussing himself and he's still not fit it. It can happen and it's on you if that does happen. But they're trying to clean up the sport. They're trying to make it safer so that kids will be more attracted to it.

Yeah, absolutely. Well, one of the things I did want to ask you is, I know for me, playing sports was so invaluable in different life skills that it taught me at such a young age. Did you find the same thing and have they been beneficial to you in your acting career?

I think so, yeah. You always run the danger of using sports metaphors when you compare art and sport. Sometimes I think you can mix your metaphors and make some sense out of it. Ultimately, they're very different things, but I think you can make some comparisons. I think consistency is really important in both. I think routine is really important. Discipline, working well with others, collaboration, handling rejection and trying to perform under pressure, and trying to do the best for yourself, but also for the people around you. I think there are loads of similarities, and in that respect, yeah, I probably brought a lot of those values over into my career.

Yeah, I just always think about it, and I think about the difference between a great athlete and an elite athlete. And you look at someone like Tom Brady, for instance, or even Yovak Yokovic, and it's how intentional they are in every element of their preparation, which I think takes them to that different level. And how much work Djokovic, in fact, did on getting his head on because he knew he was on par with the others from a physical standpoint, but he realized that he wasn't there from a resilience and perseverance standpoint and how he works so hard to get over that. I think it's the same way you could say with Tom Brady and how he, from the other players I've talked to have played with them, kind of sets the standard for his work ethic, like Derek Jeter did, but also in how he treated his body to have the longevity that he wanted in the sport. So tons of things you can learn.

Yeah, totally. And I think that difference between the good and the great player, like the excellent player versus the elite player, or however you want to frame it, is that the elite player will perform best under pressure, is not risk averse in the most pressurized of situations. So wouldn't be afraid to throw that long pass, even though the Super bowl is on the line or whatever it is. And that's a wonderful, freeing thing to reflect on and bring into, well into your profession and career, but also into your art if you're that way inclined, because I think taking risks is really important.

Well, it certainly is. And I, and I've been doing a bunch of improv classes, and I can also tell you that what you're describing, that confident mind, is so important when you're doing improv or acting like you are, because if you're not confident, it's going to show right through in the people that you're acting with. And I saw just firsthand how much that and authenticity play into that. When you're on there in front of a stage of any type or form.

It'S about positive reinforcement leading on to the next thought. It's positive thought after positive thought. It's not. The only real improv is don't say no. So instead you say yes. And how can I build on that? And that's fantastic. I mean, that's where all positive things should come from.

Yeah, I've been lucky enough that in the classes I've been taking, and I'm now in more advanced ones, we have a few Hollywood actors who are in these courses. And what made me feel better about it, and I'm not doing long form, is that they mess up just as much as everyone else does. And it's because it's so much different from when you're acting. To have to be on the spot like we are when you're doing improvis.

Harsh, but you do learn life skills. You really do talk about working with others and performing under pressure and allowing thoughts and ideas to come through organically. That's what it's all about. And, yeah, I think everybody would benefit from improv classes, personally.

Well, one of the things about improv, which is going to lead me to this next question, is it's really caused me to have to learn how to get into character. But more important than that, the importance of listening to the other people that you're performing with, because they often gift you things similar to the way that you see actors naturally act out something that wasn't even in the script, because they're acting to perhaps a gift or a gesture that their scene partner gives them. How do you approach this process of getting into character? And what ends up motivating you to get into certain roles that you take?

Well, first of all, getting into character, what does that mean? I suppose it means dropping into something that you've already discovered or created. And so the question is then, what's that process? And honestly, the answer to that is that it varies with every project, with every character, in terms of how go about it, what's the first step. Sometimes it starts with the script, especially with a play, for example, theater. Sometimes it starts with research. It can be set in a world. Maybe it's a period world, or maybe it's an alternative universe, and you've got to go and research what kind of a world you're in just so you can begin to figure out where to start. Sometimes it can just be as a question of playing with body language, speech, dialect, how the character stands, walks, sits, talks. Those things can be really helpful. And that's when wardrobe, costume, props, all that stuff can help transform as well. I remember being a bit flummoxed as to how I was going to play George Washington in this History Channel mini series called Sons of Liberty. And it wasn't till the nose went on that I figured it out.

And so sometimes it's that I think, what is a character? Well, a character is a result of the work, the rehearsal and preparation you've done to try to find this human, because you're really reenacting life, and so you're reenacting or enacting this alternative version of yourself. And he might look a bit like you, he might talk a little bit like you, but he's not you. And I think when we talk about getting into character, I think that's what that means.

A big theme of this podcast really revolves around human behavior change and the power that intentionality plays in our lives. And just before you and I did this interview, I actually interviewed Bill Weir. I'm not sure if you know who that is, but he's the chief climate correspondent now for CNN. But he used to be the host of ABC's Nightline, and also he was on Good Morning America, and we were talking about storytelling because it was something that he used throughout his book to discuss climate change. How do you think storytelling through mediums like film, television can inspire and change and resonate with audiences on a deeper level, especially around important topics that you're trying to make people more aware of.

Well, I think all storytelling is about change. Even when you go about writing a script, it's always the story of how a character changes. Character doesn't always get what they want, but they always seem to get what they need. And so you could argue that storytelling is all about witnessing somebody change. So I think that part is self explanatory in a way, but in terms of, I think all art, if it's deep enough and specific enough, has the power to change the person who's witnessing the art, viewing it, reading it, being an audience member, whatever it is like, for me, I got sober in 1995, and I don't think it was any coincidence that the night before I was watching the Mike Lee film naked with David thewlis fantastic film about this man's sort of journey through London at night. And somehow I took from that this sort of idea that unless I get off this kind of rollercoaster that I'm on, something bad is going to happen. And David thewlis character is. He's circling the drain in that film. He's on a helter skelter going down, and it's like this rock bottom that he never quite hits.

It motivated me to changed my life the next day. So you can't plan. I think it's a mistake to be didactic and make something that you're hoping will change an audience in a certain way. I think that can be a mistake. I think the art, the intention of the art has to be pure. And if it affects the person who's viewing it and changes that person, then that's amazing. But I think to create art just in order to do that is a mistake and often fails. I think you know what those kinds of projects are like when you sit down to watch them and you think. You feel like you're being preached to. Whereas really good, as you say, intentional art, no matter what it is, if it goes deep enough and if it's executed with enough truth, then it will have an impact on you and could change you. I've been changed. Well, I gave you the example of a film that changed me, but I've been changed many times with art by books, art on canvas, music, if you think about it. So that would be my take on that.

And Jason, I just wanted to ask you about being sober just for a second, because there have been some well known celebrities who openly talk about how being sober has completely changed their life. When I think about it, I think of Bradley Cooper and Hathaway, Drew Barrymore recently, Dac Shepherd, Zac Efron, just Al Macpherson, just to bring up a few well known names. Looking back, do you think if you had not been sober over this time period that your life would be completely different? And if so, how?

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, if so, how? Look, the bottom line is, I don't know if I'd even be here. In fact, I'm convinced I wouldn't even be here. I've been blessed in that. I had hoped to live a life beyond my wildest dreams. Never thought it would be possible, and yet that's what happened. Almost in spite of myself. And I think that my sobriety was key to all of that. And along with my sobriety, I developed a conscious relationship with a higher power that's still with me today. I have this incredible support whenever I need it of men and women. And I approach major life decisions with some degree of clarity again, in spite of myself. And so it gives me a sort of a bottom line. It gives me a sort of guarantee that even if today gets crazy and things fall apart a bit, that I'm not going to take a drink by the end of it. And that means all sorts of things are possible. I'm on the playing field for wonderful things, and wonderful things have happened, and I still sometimes have to pinch myself. I'm just this kid from Sandy Cove and never thought I'd reach the places that I reached.

I still think it was divine intervention because I just feel like I just showed up to the next thing and whatever happened. And also there've been a lot of setbacks and there's been a lot of things that I didn't get that I wanted and rejection. And we know we'll get to all that. But, like, my sobriety has become a bottom line for myself and my behavior in my life and allows me to, no matter how overwhelmed I get, to just take things one day at a time. They all sound like cliches, but it's because they work.

Well, thank you for sharing that. And I wanted to go into a few of your projects, and I have to tell you, man, I loved the man in the high castle. I remember seeing the previews for this coming out and just the whole concept just gripped me before I even started watching it. And it's such an interesting way to think about how different the world could have looked had the allies not won the war in World War two. And I have to ask you, given the current political climate that we're in the United States, and I know you live here now, how do you equate your experience portraying Wyatt Price to what's going on now? And how does it shape your perspective around political resistance and the dangers when unchecked politics get out of hand?

Wow. I mean, it's a big question, and obviously I don't want to get too political here. I don't think it's the platform, but it's clear from that show that what our stance on fascism was and is, and I certainly didn't disagree with a lot of the things that my character was doing in that. I think resistance is, again, something like that is noble. I think we have to stand up and speak up against it. I think we must learn from history, lest we repeat it. And I think we can learn. There was. There were a few things on that. I started to do some research in, on Berlin in the thirties. Have you ever read up on that? It's wild, like the way things happened, and it was all quite benign, and some censorship came in and certain things were outlawed. There was control. It was scary, because you can see some parallels in the way society is now and the way America can be sometimes. Yeah. I don't think the message of that show will ever get old because I think we have to be ever vigilant for fascism and to speak up and resist it wherever it rears its ugly head.

Yeah.

I just think no matter what it is, there's such a fine line that once you start crossing it, it opens the door for more lines to be crossed, which opens more lines, and before you know it, you're in a completely different realm than where you started from, and that boundary keeps getting pushed. So to me, we just have to be ever cognizant of that and its impact.

Exactly.

So let's talk about another film project that you were in, which was your lucky day, which I thought was great. And I don't mean this in a bad way, but it surprised me how much I enjoyed it. In this show, you play Captain Rutledge, and you're a character who's tangled in dispute over a winning lottery ticket. And in this, all the characters are willing to go to great lengths for a chance at getting extreme wealth. And we've just seen this play out with a $1.3 billion Powerball ticket. How do you think this pursuit of wealth and success that the story talked about influences our human behavior, both what you saw on screen and how this projects itself off the screen.

Yeah. I mean, first of all, I'm glad you enjoyed the movie. It didn't cost 156 million, I can tell you that. Maybe 156,000. I don't know. But it was low budget. Anyone who enjoys it, I just get such a kick out of that because it just shows you that if you have the right talent, create something that can make an impact. It doesn't have to be a big budget thing. And Dan Brown, the director, is really talented, and he did such a good job, as did everybody on it. And I think the questions he's trying to ask is. Yeah, I mean, it's about corruption, isn't it? It's about choices we make as human beings. And ultimately, I think it's, are we willing to exchange our humanity for. It's the ultimate Mephistopheles act. Are we willing to exchange our humanity for unlimited success and gain and money? And everybody would like to say that, no, they would do the right thing in the moment. They would walk away from it. They would not kill. They would not behave in any other way than the way they would behave on a daily basis. I think the question Dan's positing is, no, because if you remember, the characters are very normal.

I mean, Captain Rutledge is probably the least normal character out of all of them, but they're very normal characters just trying to make their way in the world. Ultimately, they are corruptible, but some of them are still likable because you're putting yourself in their shoes going, okay, well, I'd do that, but I wouldn't do that, and so on. I mean, I'd like to think that behavior wouldn't change for 156 million, because the question becomes, how much is enough? What does success really mean? These are more interesting questions. How much is enough? Is 10 million enough? 100 million? How about a billion? How about 5 billion? Some of these multi billionaires out there, $127 billion? I don't even know how you would write that. I don't even know. I don't have a concept of that. So how do we measure wealth? And if we're measuring success with wealth, then I just feel like we're barking up the wrong tree. And just as humans, as society, I just feel like if we are willing to sacrifice ourselves and our humanity for something material, then we're just missing the point. And it's probably what gets us into trouble as a race in the first place or as a society in the first place.

We are corruptible.

Yeah, well, I want to touch on just this just for a second, because it interests me. I think it really depends on the person and how they came into their wealth. For one. For instance, I was a senior executive at Dell, and I spent a ton of time interacting with Michael Dell, and I found him to be one on one, one of the most approachable, humble, down to earth people ive ever met. While I lived in Austin, at the end of my street, there was a family who started off on the other side of tracks, and they won the lottery, and they had built this compound at the end of the street, gated, that had more toys in it, campers, all terrain vehicles, boats. I mean. I mean, you could have done a movie about it. And they were completely on the other spectrum when you would talk to them about how aloof they were about their money and everything else. So, to me, it was really interesting seeing those two different dimensions of wealth and how each person treated it completely different and how Michael gives so much of his away through his philanthropy, as well, to causes he thinks are worth pursuing.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I'd like to look. I mean, some people might look at me and go, you're like a Hollywood actor. What would you know about poverty or loss or whatever? I've had times in my life where I've had less than nothing, times where I've had plenty. And of. I'd like to think that, of course, you change. Your behavior changes slightly when depending on whether you have money or you don't. But I do think it's possible to remain the same person. And that kind of gives me hope for society and hope for us as a race, that ultimately, because that's really where the work is. Right. In terms of we're talking about evolving ourselves and changing and all the things that you talk about on your podcast. I think that's one of the ultimate kind of aspirations of a human being, is to not be corrupted by the material elements that we're surrounded by, that the answer is inside, or the answer is the connection with other human beings, or love, or whatever you want to call it that, actually. More money, more problems.

Yeah, well, absolutely. I mean, it's something that I talk about all the time with myself personally, is the more successful I got. I just wanted more titles, more money, more recognition, more this, more that. Yeah. And in the end, how much is enough? Yeah. It just creates inner turmoil. While the outside might look successful, the inside is the exact opposite.

Yeah.

So something I really wanted to explore with you is rejection, and this is something that we all experience as a newly published author. When I tell the story to people about how many times I was rejected on the. Along the way of trying to get this book into the world, I mean, I must have gone through 120 rejections. I never thought it was going to see the light of day. And this is a common experience in the acting profession from the actors that I talk to, who can't tell you how many auditions they tell me they go through and how many end up not culminating in anything. How have you coped with rejection, and what strategies do you employ to stay motivated and resilient in the face of setbacks that you face?

Well, yeah, it's true. If you're an actor, you have to learn how to live with rejection from day one, because you're not going to get every part that you audition for. Sometimes you'll get one in three. That's very good odds. Sometimes one in five, that's very good. But like one in ten, one in 20 is normal. So that's 90% failure rate. Plus, you just simply can't focus on that or you're just going to feel like a failure. Even if you end up on a big hit show or a huge hit movie, you cannot focus on the stuff that hasn't worked out for you. Actors tend to be quite philosophical as people because of this rejection. I believe because we live with it every day we use language like it wasn't meant to be. That was someone else's job. The right job will come along when it's supposed to, stuff like that. You have to find ways to cope with it. There are times when sometimes rejection is trying to tell you something, and there might be moments where you go, okay, maybe I need to change something. Maybe it's my appearance, maybe it's the way I'm approaching the work, playing the scene.

Maybe it's the parts I'm going up for, maybe it's my agent or my manager, blah blah, blah. But for the most part, you just have to move on. I still, having said all that, I still feel the pain of it. Still. I might get over it quicker than I used to, but I still feel that sting. When you realize they haven't called back or they tell you they've gone in a different direction, or you go to the movies and you see the role you auditioned for a year ago, and you go, oh, yeah, I guess that guy got it. Because sometimes that's how you find out. So it's a tricky one. But all the things you talk about, resilience and persistence and that kind of stuff is really important because you can't let that rejection or failure, quote unquote, affect the next thing. Because when the next audition comes in or the next job comes in, you've got to put all that aside and bring your confidence and your positivity and your application and your approach to the new work, to the actual. To the work. There are a lot of them. There are quite a few actors who talk about, I think Bryan Cranston and a couple other guys talk about how the audition is the job.

So go. Tom Hanks, I think, is another guy who talks about the audition is just show up, do your job, show them what you're great at, show them what you're going to do with this, and then just walk away. If they ask you back.

Terrific.

If not, moving on to the next job and so on.

And I also love to hear the stories of the actors who got the part, turned it down, and then you hear the person who took the role and turned it into something extraordinary.

How about Christopher Walken for Han Solo or Tom Selleck for Han Solo? Both those guys were in the picture at one point, and it's hard to even imagine. No, sorry. Selleck was in the picture for Indiana Jones. Walken was on the shortlist for Han Solo. And you just can't imagine those guys playing those roles. I mean, talk about Lucky. Harrison Ford had to wait until he was 35, but, wow, his boat really.

Came in and then it springboarded from there. Well, can you share maybe a role that you really wanted that you didn't get?

Oh, yeah. I mean, I could say all of them. There was a couple I like. There are funny ones that really stick to you sometimes that you just, no matter how much you let go, they still hurt. I really wanted to be in Black Hawk down, and I can barely remember the audition. I might have done two auditions for two different parts. And it was last week before the holidays in December. And I remember waiting. I was quite young, waiting to new year because I was convinced that I was going to get a callback or an offer for the part I'd auditioned for. January 1 came nothing. January 7 came nothing. Mid January comes end of February, and it's like, okay, I didn't get it. It's time to let go. And I still harbor that one. I still wanted to be in that movie. As it turns out, I ended up being in Band of brothers, so I wasn't too bad. But there was something about that movie that I really want. Maybe I just want to work with Ridley Scott. I don't know. But that one. Yeah, I just never let go of that one.

It's funny.

Yeah. And I love Band of Brothers as well. In fact, DVD's are going to out the window, but I have the whole box set because I thought it was such a well done series. But I actually am friends with Jeff Strucker, who was the lead Humvee driver during that battle. And he told me that the battle ended at Mogadishu. Yes, he won a silver star. And he tells me that almost the entire day he thought he was going to die because the type of fighting that they were in, it was point blank range. And, I mean, he lost his gunner in his Humvee. He had other things coming. And he said when they returned and the whole Humvee is just saturated with blood after they're washing out, being told you've got to go back in knowing that they were going to have to spend the night out. There he goes, I just had to question life at that point, but I knew I had a job to do, and there were injured people, brothers of mine that I had to go save, so I went back. But interestingly enough, he told me that he got to play a role as a consultant to the actors who were doing it.

And he said that it's probably one of the most real portrayals of what actually happened that he's ever seen in a combat movie.

So I think that's what's fascinating about playing some of these guys. I've done it a few times, a couple of times where you're playing, like, guys who really lived and really served and really had to live through those, I suppose you'd call them ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances. And would you be extraordinary like they had to be in order to survive, in order to do their jobs? Like, you'd hope so. You don't know. You don't know. You don't know if you would end up being the coward in saving Private Ryan, who just lies on the stairs and ineffectual, or would you rise to the occasion? And there is a fascination when it comes to those stories, both for the audience member and for the actor, like, to live in through these situations and put yourself in their shoes and what they went through. Yeah.

Especially those Delta force guys who put themselves down knowing that it was a suicide mission.

Yeah.

Jason, you have done some voice acting as well, playing a literal God, but also a superhero. You voice Batman. But I want to talk about Blood of Zeus, which has had some really significant success on Netflix and is now coming out with another season. What drew you to the role of Zeus and how in the world do you approach bringing a mythical character like that to life?

Yeah, it's a good question. And maybe it just sounds reductive or maybe it just sounds odd, but for me, it just started with physicality. I was like, how do I. And I actually auditioned for Zeus. I didn't audition for Batman, but I auditioned for Zeus and was actually in my car because my son was playing football. It was an away game. So I got to somewhere near, I don't know, Pasadena, some high school. And I was like, oh, God, I've got to get this. I got to get this voiceover audition in. And I recorded it on my phone, and the phones are so good now. Sometimes you can't tell the difference between professional or semi professional mic setup and a phone. That's how good they are. But I recorded on my phone and it must have sounded okay because I got the job, but I had to imagine his physicality, and I think physical is where I always start, actually, with every character, even if it's voice work. So you try and find that and then a voice that to match that. And then for Zeus, Jeremy Irons kept coming to mind and, well, not him as the actor, but some of the roles he's played.

And I don't know why that is because he doesn't sound like. I don't sound like Jeremy Irons, but it's just that kind of stoic, high status. He's very clear. He's in his power. He doesn't suffer fools. He's very kind of cut and dry, and that really helps with that voice. And then, of course, and what I like to do, if I'm permitted to in the character and in the story, is find strength and vulnerability in the character and try to commit to both of those, because I think that's. I mean, I try to show some degree of vulnerability in my own life, while I also realize it's important sometimes to be strong, but not in the way you'd think. So, yeah. Just trying to find some kind of depth and the voice somehow comes out of that. I don't know if that makes sense.

Well, thank you for sharing that. And I just wondering, is there anything more that you can share about this upcoming season, or are you sworn to secrecy?

I am sworn to secrecy, but the trailer's out. You can take a look at that. First season was received really well. The problem was that three years has gone by because it takes a long time to make these animated series. Yeah, we're just hoping everybody tunes in with the same enthusiasm as they tuned in for season one. Or even more people, hopefully, because over that intervening period, more people have discovered the show. So hopefully there'll be some growth there and we can keep making the series and maybe even get a season three. So, yeah, I can't share any specifics, but it looks fantastic from what I've seen in the trailer. Just looks gorgeous, as always. And production values are super high. The music, the art, the animation and the performances just sometimes just things align. It's really hard in animation to make things align because everything is so disparate and it takes such large amount of time, so many people involved. It's really a miracle when something comes together like that so. Well, yeah.

Jason thank you for sharing that. The last thing I just wanted you to talk about is just as passionate as you are about your acting. You're also passionate about your philanthropic work. And you've been an ambassador for an organization called Movember since 2015, and you've spoken passionately about their mission to address men's health issues and mental health. Can you share just a little bit for the audience what Movember is, what initially drew you to become involved, and why you continue to support the cause?

So Movember is global charity organization, which is committed to changing the face of men's health. How do they do that? Well, explain to me is threefold. There's prostate cancer in men. Obviously, there's a lot of messaging around that and a lot of research and resources going into that. There's mental health and suicide, which is another sort of aspect to it. And the third is it's a little more wide ranging. It's more about positivity, vulnerability in men, getting, talking again, connecting, communicating, trying to develop healthy habits and routines and stuff like that. I love all this messaging because I had, going into 2015, I just lost my stepfather to cancer. Not prostate, but still and pretty brutal witnessing that. And then a friend of mine lost his, close friend of mine lost his brother to suicide. It just seemed when this opportunity came along and I met some of the people at the organization, it just seemed like the right place to go, the right thing to be doing. I love the. And everyone there, by the way, is they're lovely people, great to get along with and steadfast in their mission and their approach, and I believe they're there for all the right reasons.

But I also love this idea of this. I think I mentioned it before this, that men can be vulnerable, and that can also be a sign of strength, that we are stronger when we connect. They say that the opposite of addiction is connection. And I love that. It's such an unexpected thing. But to me, rings true that the more we connect and communicate, men and women, the stronger we are. I think there's a sort of societal pressure that comes from subconscious, what's the word? I suppose messaging in our society that we hear things all the time, be a man, take it like a man. Be strong, don't give up. Just muscle through it and all that kind of stuff. And it's just B's. It's all just willpower. And a lot of men need help with this stuff. We can't do this alone. We need to reach out to our friends and say, hey, I'm having a hard time today. I need to talk. I need some connection. I need to hang out. I need to, whatever it is, process something. And we have to normalize this kind of language so that we stop using all this crap.

Be a man and all that stuff, all the pressure that comes with that doesn't help.

No, not at all. And for my time when I served in the military, we were just always told, you've got to suppress it all. You don't want to show any weakness. And for what I did with the super high security clearance I had, you didn't want anyone to know that you had mental health issues at all because you could lose your clearance. So there were a whole bunch of things that we've grown up with that really tell us to suppress instead of let it out and let it wash out of your system so you can deal with it by being vulnerable.

And military veterans of all people need that connection and need that support and need to be told that it's okay to talk about all of this stuff.

Absolutely. Jason, thank you so much for being on the show today. If someone wants to learn more about you, is there a good landing point for them to go to?

Yeah, sure. I'm on Instagram. Jason Omara official I'm on Twitter. I think it's Jason Omara or maybe officials in there, too. I'm on Facebook, so yeah, absolutely. Come on there. Please join and follow. I try to keep things engaging. I'm not the most routine about appearing on there, but when I do, I try to connect with as many people as possible.

Well, it's such an honor to have you today, Jason. Thank you so much for being on the show.

Thank you so much for having me, John. I'm very grateful. Appreciate it.

I thoroughly enjoyed that interview with Jason O'Mara, and I wanted to thank Jason and Amy Malin for the honor and privilege of having Jason appear on today's show. Links to all things Jason will be in the show. Notes@passionstruck.com dot videos are on YouTube at both our main channel at John R. Miles and our clips channel at passionstruck clips. Please go subscribe and join. Over a quarter million other subscribers, advertiser deals and discount codes are in one convenient place@passionstruck.com. Deals please consider supporting those who support the show. You can find me at Johnr Miles on all the social platforms where I post daily, and you can sign up for our weekly newsletter liveintentionally@passionstruck.com. And join over 30,000 subscribers. You're about to hear a preview of the Passionstruck podcast interview that I did with psychologist Emma Sapella. In our interview, we discuss her roadmap to psychological sovereignty, empowering you to break free from self destructive beliefs and to live life at its fullest.

Joan of Arc. We learn about her in school. I grew up in France, so she's sort of like a national hero. Saint, really. In the last couple years, while I was reading this book, really understood. Wait a second. So she was born, basically, you could think of it, into slavery as an uneducated peasant. Here she was, and the French were losing. Many of the soldiers were also born into slavery. So talk about no hope. And here she was. And she enlivened the spirit of an army of shoddy soldiers who had lost hope, and she got them to stop drinking, to stop whoring, to go to church, to follow her into battle and to win. If you think about that, she had the sovereignty in her. That kindled the sovereignty in a bunch of hooligans who weren't even expecting that they could win. Not just that. She had to go to the king, who was such a weak, disempowered guy, the french king who was sort of hiding out, and she brought him to the church to crown him. She gave the king his sovereignty because he himself was not claiming it. It's such an extraordinary story when you think about it.

And it goes to show how when one person has sovereignty kindled within them, they awaken the sovereignty in others, even if they are the most lowest rank there could possibly be.

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