Hilary Burton-Morgan here, and I'm excited to tell you about a new series I'm launching. It is the companion podcast to Sundance TV's True Crime Story. It couldn't happen here. Now on the TV show, we focus on small towns and the crimes that can rip them apart. And on this podcast, we will go even deeper into our cases and give you a unique insider perspective on how these stories are told. Come join us as we get curious and get involved. Listen to True Crime Story. It couldn't happen here on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Walter Isaacson set out to write about a world-changing genius in Elon Musk and found a man addicted to chaos and conspiracy.

I'm thinking it's idiotic to buy Twitter because he doesn't have a fingertips feel for social, emotional networks.

The book launched a thousand hot takes, so I sat down with Isaacson to try to get past the noise.

I like the fact that people who say, I'm not as tough on Musk as I should be, are always using anecdotes from my book to show why we should be tough on Musk.

Join me, Evan Ratliff, for On Musk with Walter Isaacson. Listen on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tune in to the new podcast, Stories from the Village of Nothing Much. Like easy listening, but for fiction. If you've overdosed on bad news, we invite you into a world where the glimmers of goodness in everyday life are all around you. I'm Katherine Nicolai, and I'm an architect of cozy. Come spend some time where everyone is welcome and the default is kindness. Listen, relax, enjoy. Listen to stories from The Village of Nothing Much on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the industry, is there a stigma about doing Hallmark Christmas movies? I don't know. When I watch one that I like, it's got Log Cabin. It has to have the small town. I don't want anything magical. I don't want a prince of a fake country. I fucking hate that. Immediately, am I mad at this. I'll watch it still.

Tasho. Tasho. Tasho, John. Welcome to Toshoe's 16th annual Christmas special. We are extremely excited today because we have former celebrity Tim Allen with us. Santa is here. Santa, I don't want anything for Christmas this year. You've been very kind to me. You've been very generous. I have everything I could ever want. The only thing I'm curious about is who's on your list.

Daniel, that.

Information is top secret.

Or Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunas on your naughtly list for writing a letter to have a judge go easy on their Scientologist, rapist friend. What about Elon Musk? Do people with Asperger's get a pass? Is Jim Harbar on your naughtily list for sign stealing? And would he be able to get off the list if he were to beat nick Saban in the Who's a bigger liar and asshole bowl sponsored by Couldn't Cut It in the NFL?

Be.

Honest. In week three, you thought the Colorado hype was real, didn't you? Were you all in on Prime Time? Or were we idiots for getting excited? Can Elves make toes in Santa's workshop? Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey. Naughty or nice. The name Chiefs, where are you eye on that? Also, you look like Andy Reed. Wait a minute. Is expelled congressman George Santos on your naughtiness for using campaign funds on OnlyFans or for wearing too many layers? Oh, he's got a button-up, a sweater, and a blazer? What about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas? He must be a really good guy since he's always accepting so many gifts. What's Hunter Biden's deal? Naked selfies, a handgun, cocaine in the White House? Does being fun put you on the naughtiest list? I know neither actually celebrate Christmas, but Israel, Palestine. Who's naughty? Who's nice? Be careful how you respond. Remember you're being recorded.

What's.

On Ukraine's wish list? More aid from the US? When you're flying your sleigh over North America, if you happen to see a Chinese spy balloon, what's the move? You seem like a Second Amendment guy. Could you take care of this for us? Can I trade every gift you would ever give my two kids for the Miami Dolphins winning the Super Bowl this year? Do you believe in ghosts?

No.

I knew it. All right, Santa. You'll appreciate that my guest today has spent years spreading Christmas cheer to every household in America with basic cable. And since starring in a Hallmark Christmas movie automatically makes you not a celebrity, I am not breaking the show's rich, long-standing tradition. Enjoy.

When Walter Isaacson set out to write his biography of Elon Musk, he believed he was taking on a.

World-changing figure. That night, he was deciding whether or not to allow Starlink to be enabled to allow a sneak attack on Crimea.

What he got was a subject who also sowed chaos and conspiracy.

I'm thinking it's idiotic to buy Twitter because he doesn't have a fingertips feel for social, emotional networks.

And when I sat down with Isaacson five weeks ago, he told me how he.

Captured it all. They have cans of spray paint, and they're just putting big X's on machines. And it's almost like kids playing on the playground. Just chews them up left, right and center. And then like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, he doesn't even remember it. Getting the bars doesn't excuse being a total, but I want the reader to see it in action.

My name is Evan Ratliff, and this is Ayn Musk with Walter Isaacson. Join us in this four-part series as Isaacson breaks down how he captured a vivid portrait of a polarizing genius. Listen to Ayn Musk on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tune in to the new podcast, Stories from the Village of Nothing Much, like easy listening but for fiction. If you've overdosed on bad news, we invite you into a world where the glimmers of goodness in everyday life are all around you. I'm Katherine Nicolai, and you might know me from the Bedtime Story podcast. Nothing Much Happens. I'm an architect of cozy, and I invite you to come spend some time where everyone is welcome and kindness is the default. When you tune in, you'll hear stories about bakeries and walks in the woods, a favorite booth at the diner on a blustery autumn day, cats and dogs and rescued goats and donkeys, old houses, bookshops, beaches where kites fly and pretty stones are found. I have so many stories to tell you, and they are all designed to help you feel good and feel connected to what is good in the world. Listen, relax, enjoy. Listen to stories from The Village of Nothing Much on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hilary Burton-Morgan here, and I am excited to share with you a new series I'm launching, a companion podcast to my passion project, Sundance TV's true crime story, it couldn't happen here. Now on the show, we focus on small towns and the crimes that can rip them apart. The cases we've covered have confused me, and they have made me deeply question our judicial system. What got me so excited about doing this podcast is that we have more time to really dig in. So you're going to hear more information on these cases as well as never before heard interviews. And you'll get to go behind the scenes with me and the team and learn what it's like to make a show like this. Come join us as we get curious and get involved. Listen to True Crime's story. It couldn't happen here on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Tasha.

Now, I said I wouldn't have celebrities on my show, but I'm making an exception for today's guest because he starred in 16 of my favorite Hallmark Christmas flicks. Please welcome Luke McFarland. Luke.

Thank you so much for having me. When I was asked to do this, I was like, Is he really a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies? I got word that you are, in fact, a watcher of.

Hallmark Christmas movies. If I was honest about how much I love them, everyone would assume I'm doing.

A bit. I would freak them out.

Yeah. I don't even care if it'd freak them out, but they wouldn't take me seriously. I almost need you to know that I'm being honest or it's meaningless. But yes, I've loved Hallmark movies way before it was ever fun to watch them and laugh at some of the silliness of it. For some reason, my mom, she also loves them, and that's more on brand for what they were doing. But my mom and I, we watched them separately, and then we both found out that we love them. Now it's a thing. My wife, when she watches them now with me, and she's a hip, cool comedy writer. At first, she was just mocking it, but then you get past that part of it.

Yeah, it's not a unfamiliar story, the one you've described. I've been doing it for so long that I saw that change too, when they came into the zeitgeist with the drinking games and the whole thing. But when I first started doing them, it wasn't really on people's radars. So it's been interesting to watch evolution and also Hallmark change as well. They are also trying to redefine themselves in the space, and they don't want to be a joke, and they also want to be popular, and they want to be accepting, and they want to be inclusive. They're going on... It's strange in this town to do anything as long as I've done Hallmark films and just watch everything change around it, just the people that watch them and the way they make them and how to make a movie in 14 days.

That makes sense. That's how long it takes them to make them, 14 days.

Generally speaking, I've done some that are a little longer, a snow budget. This is a big part of the Hallmark movie. This is how much money they're going to spend on snow. So if there's a bigger budget, you might get 16.

Here's what I like about them. When I watch one that I like, it's got Log Cabin. It has to have the small town. I don't want anything magical. I don't want a prince of a fake country. I fucking hate that. Immediately, I'm mad at this. I'll watch it still. I also think it's great that the woman always will choose the small town over her great career. At the end, I always like her like, Oh, I can have it both ways. And it's like, No, you can't. Just once I wanted to fucking stay. But anyway.

It's either me or.

Christmas, Melanie. I don't like faith-based. That gets me angry. They do those sometimes. And whatever, that one group that they have, When Calls the heart, I get- Hearties. Fuck, I get mad at those. First of all, who comes up with the title When calls the heart? Those are just words put together.

It's a complicated title. They're famous for complicated titles. I did Sense and Sensibility and Snow Men.

Well, that's at least cute. No, it doesn't make any sense. No, I don't care. It has the word snowman, and I'm happy.

Snow Men wasn't even really a part.

Of it. Are you guys competitive with each other?

Kind of. The more I do it, it's like, What times did you get?

What do you mean times? They only premiere on Sunday, just two of them back to back.

Yeah, but it's leading up to Christmas. It's the distance you are out. The one that comes right after Halloween feels.

Like-guess when I start watching. -right after Halloween. Right after Halloween. That's when I accept it.

It's a little early for a lot of viewers. I think they're still shaking off of Halloween.

A week of Christmas, I'm not watching them anymore.

Right. So the prime spot is Thanksgiving. Because the family's together, they got to find something everybody can watch.

They shoot them all in the summer. They shoot most of.

Them in Canada. A lot of them. I have done one in Utah, which was lovely, actually. It was lovely.

To shoot in Utah. -sure, Utah is pretty, but you have to wrap your head around the people.

Well, no, they were actually wonderful.

No, we had great-I love Mormons, but I'm fascinated by them. -it is an interesting culture. -because it's insanity. How many Netflix short documentaries do you have to watch? What are you like?

You're like, no. Or scripted series. You know what was really impressive was the background is always a big part of these movies. And people were like, Oh, I'm in a movie. They were like, silent and so obedient. -that's obedient though. -that sounds about right. I did use the word obedient.

What's the term from that one movie? Keep Sweet. Keep Sweet. That's what they always said. But anyway. -so you're.

Fromyou're not Mormon.

Are you Mormon? No. But I did grow up Christian really strong. I got a dad that was a pastor. Really? I was born in Germany because-Army? No, missionaries. Because they hadn't heard of the Bible over there. In Germany? Right. I don't understand why my parents, who didn't speak German, felt the need to go over to Germany.

Saving souls.

Right. Yeah. Have you ever experienced a Christmas miracle? Nope. This is the first question I ask all my guests. Okay. Do you believe in ghosts? No. All right. Your parents, were they supportive of your career wanting to do this?

Yeah. I mean, we don't come from an acting family at all. My dad was a doctor and my mom was a nurse, and music was a big part of our lives. I played the cello, I still do play the cello, so lessons and understood performance and the discipline around the arts. My older sister is a wonderful violinist, and she wanted to study violin at Juilliard. I remember when she got the Perspectives book, they mailed it to our house, and I saw that they also had acting. I was like, I think I.

Could do that. You're an overachieving family. Yeah. You're good looking and you're overachieving. You play instruments, multiple instruments, probably, I'm assuming.

Yeah, badly. But cello is the primary instrument. But my family also just let us do whatever we want. They were too. That wasn't the focus. It was like, Be good, be kind, take care of people.

That's all I want from my kids. They were good. I just want to be nice. I'm like, I don't care if you ever achieve anything in life. I don't want to pay for.

My daughter.

You don't want.

To what? Pay for when she's old, though. Why? I want her to have a life where she can-No. Really? She wants it all the way through.

Until my death.

You're just going to pay for everything.

Everything. As long as you're just-You're rich. -in my life.

Okay, maybe. I don't want to do that. Okay.

Yeah, to answer your question, yes, I'm rich.

How.

Much does Juilliard cost?

I was lucky enough to get a scholarship. Most people there get a scholarship.

Do you want your daughter to go to Juilliard, too?

I want her to do whatever she wants.

To do. You want her to play the cello?

I would be into that. I'm just going to try to-You play the piano, too?

A little bit. Of course, you do.

Yeah, a little bit.

I got to learn to play.

The piano. Do you have a piano in the house? No. Do you have a kid's room? Just put it in the kid's room. And I.

Guarantee you'll be-Well, he's got a little tiny piano in there.

But like a shitty plastic.

One, right? No, this is like a baby grand tiny one. It looks like a little miniature John Legend, but we can't have him do that. Are you serious?

Okay, so whatever. Fuck off. You're rich. But that sounds very fancy. Okay.

That was a gift. I didn't buy it. I guarantee.

Some- From John Legend.

No, it was not from John Legend. By the way, speaking of Juilliard, what was your audition?

I did two monologs. One from King Lear. I did Edmund, The bastard's Son from King Lear, and I did a Canadian playwright.

Is it anything like Save the Last Dance?

I haven't.

Seen that. Wait, are you serious? It's about getting into Juilliard and it doesn't hold up. Oh, really? It's so racist. Oh, really? Because the way that she ends up, she's like, I think she's a ballerina. I forget. Now I'm going to try to go from memory. But then she meets a black guy, and he teaches her how to do hip hop dance. And it's Julia Stiles, who is just the epitome of not hip hop. And she's doing this audition for Juilliard with a chair, and she's sitting in it, and they're like, Oh, wow. And they're blown away. This is the greatest dancing we've ever seen.

Anyway. The precursor to Save the Last Dance is fame. When she's the welder and she auditions for Juilliard, and they have all the professors there at the Juilliard thing, and I love it because one of them is wearing his glasses. Then when she does something a little too sexy because they've got it wrong because Juilliard actually doesn't have a ballet program, but she's auditioning for ballet. Then when she does something not ballet, the one guy takes his glasses off and he goes like... He looks at her. It's like very like he's sexualizing her. It's like he's going to be a bad teacher for sure.

Did you ever have a crush on Luke Perry?

Never did.

The scar and the eyebrow?

No, he wasn't for me. I was Mark Wallberg.

A racist? What's wrong with you? He had a hate crime under his belt. I don't ever let people forget that.

It's totally true.

I always think about that. I'm like, Yeah. You know who didn't do that when they were in college? Me. A lot of people. A lot of people. When did you come out to your parents?

My second year of college. Came back for Christmas and told them, bringing us to Christmas.

Were they receptive to it?

Yes. And again, to my father's credit, and I didn't learn this for some time, but it's hard when your kid is gay, I think. He felt like, Did I know you? And did you feel safe? And all those things. But he never made my problem.

By the way, were your parents supportive of your cello playing? Because that, to me, is way worse as a father. Because I can't imagine having to lug that thing around to all the practices and concerts.

Yeah, my dad played the cello, too.

Yeah. So you had two cellos in the truck?

We had two in the truck. In the pickup truck.

What could you fit that thing in?

A cello isn't as big as the double bass. So if you're not grateful, we didn't have a double bass family. A family that plays base.

Is there a family of Double Bays players?

And they're probably on Instagram.

You grew up outside of Toronto?

I grew up actually in a town called London, Ontario. Okay, I know London.

No. Really? I performed there. Have you performed there?

I performed there. Yeah, it's like the Michigan State of Canada.

Okay. I hate Toronto. I do, too. I've never liked it. One of my least favorite Canadian cities. I don't know why people get into it. I'm like, This is shittier.

Than Detroit. But I will say I filmed there in the winter for five years, and it's like, sad, and dirty, sidewalks with cigarette butts. That's what I think of when I think of travel.

I just am like, This doesn't have any soul.

That's my thing. I think it does in the summer. I don't know.

When you were there. Whatever. Let them cheer for their stupid basketball team. In the industry, is there a stigma about doing Hallmark Christmas movies?

I don't know. I will say that when I get these offers, Itry to ask my representation. I'm like, Guys, is this? And I get assurances from them. They're like, No, not at all. It doesn't hurt. They're not on people's radars. And I'm like.

They are. Now there's a small group of you that make these, a.

Lot of them-The theater company.

Do you know these people? Are you have relationships with them? Are you friends with them? I don't think.

I've worked with the same female lead more than once.

What about that, Candace Cameron-Bruy? Does she stick her nose up at everybody?

I will admit that I was like, nervous to work with her, but she could not have me more lively.

She probably doesn't approve of your lifestyle.

We never talked about it. We never.

Just-we talked about it. I wouldn't talk about it immediately.

She has a lot of gay friends.

Does she? Yes. I hope so. Do you actually like Chris Christmas? And before you answer, know that this is my absolute favorite holiday. So please answer this correctly, Luke.

Yes, I do. I do like Christmas. I like Christmas very much. And I remember getting very sad after Christmas as a kid, like when all the decorations came down and the house felt empty. I don't know what that.

Was about. Here's what bothers me about Taylor Swift. I love everything about her, her business savvy, all of it. I think she's a genius. She's a billionaire. You know how she used to write songs about her exes? If this one, this Travis Kelsey fucks her over, she can buy the Kansas City Chiefs and fucking move them to London, Canada if she wanted to. She could do anything. That's beside the point. Did you just think of that right now? I did. That's great. But what I wanted to say was her song, that one song where she goes, We can leave the Christmas lights up till January. I'm like, That's only fucking five days after Christmas. That's not a big deal. Yeah. That line blows my mind. Five days after Christmas is not worthy of a lyric. We can leave. Can you believe it? They left their Christmas lights up until January second. You've done some other besides Homework Christmas movies. Yes. Hallmark does other holidays. Yes. Those are garbage.

But it's part of when you're in the stable. You got to pay your dues. You got to.

Do- You got.

To do Valentine's. You got to do Valentine's. You got to do the seasonality of Homework is really... I think I've hit all the.

Other seasons. The ones I didn't like, I'll be honest with you, shoe attic Christmas. Time travel. Fucking stupid. She puts on new shoes and she time travels, guys. Because it's a shoe attic Christmas. I didn't know that one. That one made me angry.

But Jean Smart. I mean, Jean Smart was in that.

I don't care.

She was so good in that. She really was. Attic is a tough word to use in a hallmark film.

Chateau Christmas, loved it. Setting Tahoe. I live in Tahoe, so I always get excited. Also, randomly, George Lopez was in that one. Was he? I think he was like a bellman or a dork.

He definitely wasn't. George Lopez.

Is in one of these as a hotel person. He's just like, Why is he in this hallmark movie? And it's such a.

Small role. That is the fascinating thing. They get some like, I've worked with some really interesting people.

One of those twins from the Home Builders.

-oh, yes.

-was in one of them, didn't want that.

-yeah, he.

Was acting? Yeah, he was like a big city rep or something in one of them.

-he wasn't playing like a home builder.

-but let's get back to Chateau. You play the.

Cello in that one. I do. Oh, that's exciting. It was exciting. I got to tell you, when I first got the script, I played the violin, and I was like, Change it to the cello, please. And they did.

Okay, so you.

Do have pull. Oh, huge.

All right, well, good. Then here's what I want done. I have two notes that if you could do this, because I don't care if you fucking studied at Juilliard or... Anyway, no actor can pull this off.

Playing a fake instrument, a strange instrument.

No, that's not what I'm going to say. Okay. Holding a cup of hot cocoa or coffee that's empty and me believing that there's something in it. Your arms don't move the right way. It's too fucking light. You put water in it every time it's infuriating.

Daniel, we are learning. We are learning. And this feedback has been given a lot.

Just put something in every... I can tell that there's nothing in it. Second note, put some fucking bricks in the luggage. I can tell when they're hitting the curb that it's empty. It's like just put bricks in there and be done with it, you idiots.

Can I tell you my first Christmas movie? I was a Christmas tree farmer, and I had a pickup truck.

Was it Red?

I don't remember. It's Red. I don't remember. And this is the one we filmed in Utah. Again, it was my first Christmasactually, I wasn't like, it was like, You shoot a lot. I remember I was coming from the hardware store, of course, and I just loaded loosely my shit into the back of the pickup truck. I'm a pickup truck owner. You can't just put a can of paint in the back of the pickup truck. It's just going to bounce all over the place. That's insane. I was really embarrassed when I saw that. Then, of course, someone sent me a tweet where they're like, Of course, Luke just loads things loosely in the back of his pickup truck. I was really embarrassed. And now I do, because people do watch them with a eye for that detail.

They're just great movies. They're just fun to watch. I just love them.

And did you watch it before.

Your wife? Oh, way before my wife. I wasn't even married. My wife was barely born when I started watching these. She's young. Oh, my God. She's a child. She's 13 years younger than me, I guess. Oh, okay. I'm 48. She's 30. No, I don't know how old she is. Is she 36? Huh, interesting.

Higg's younger than me, too. That's why he can do.

Things like that. Are you better looking?

He's a very good.

Looking guy. But are you.

Better looking? I don't know. I'm not saying. What do you mean? He does say to our daughter, this is your handsome dad. I'm like, No. No. Handsome father. That's not true.

Your partner is an American Alpine skier. Yes, he is. Named Higg, which seems perfect for my Hallmark Christmas movie idea. Bring me some Higgie pudding. No? Do you.

Snow ski? I can now because of my partnership with Higg. He's obviously an incredible skier.

Why do you say partnership?

I don't know, because.

We're not married. Boyfriend? I guess.

I could say boyfriend. It feels different now because we're raising a kid together. We'll get married one day. I don't.

Feel-i don't care if you get married. If you want to get to heaven, you'll do.

The right thing. You better do that right before you die. I'm sure we will at some point. But he's an amazing skier. And it's been crazy for a guy that I did not... We had a garbage hill in my town, an old garbage hill that became the ski hill. I skied there. And with Higg, I've skied in Zermatt and Chemenee.

Have you ever seen him take a bad spill?

I've.

Seen on film or.

Something like that. Yeah, he was famous on... You know how sports center plays? The biggest moments. And there's this one of him at a World Cup coming down, getting so pissed off and breaking his poles over his leg.

That's cool, though.

Yeah, that was cool.

It's so crazy because anybody can stand on the top of a hill and just lean forward and go down. It's absurd how every... When they say like, Oh, the amount of people that die every year, I'm like, It should be a.

Thousand times higher. It's also the ice that you and I are used to skiing on in Tahoe. This is ice. They like, it's ice. You can hit it with a hammer.

It's crazy. You came out in 2008 to Hollywood.

I had my first job in television, right after I graduated from college and I was working on this military show.

Did you straighten it up? Did you straighten up for no reason?

I do remember very clearly when I booked this show, I was talking to one of the representatives I worked with at the time, and they were like, This is a really good part for you. And the implication was- Oh, shit.

I know what that.

Implication is. Straight military dude. It didn't feel so good.

Do you feel that coming out affected your career?

I don't know. I truly don't know.

You think had you not, you would have been Wolvaryn? Was? No. Or the greatest showman? I'm not saying anything.

About anything.

Oh, I know. Oh, I know that you're not. I'm just saying...

I have no idea. I have no idea. But I can't imagine who I would be if I hadn't.

Here's what I think, though, back to the point when we were talking about if coming out has kept you from something, because I'm sure whether it's happened to you, it certainly happened to others. I would be fine with, as a retribution of sort that only gay people were allowed to be in anything. I would be fine with that. I would be like, Okay, let's do this for 30 years, and then-And.

Then we'll invite.

Straight people. -and then we'll invite, or maybe we're allowed to keep five straights now we get to vote on it. I'll take Christian Bale. Okay. I don't know.

My list is there. Thanks for walking.

No, fuck. He's too old.

Who cares?

But anyway, that's my list. -christian Bell is the only straight actor I would be like, All right, keep him. Also, I get annoyed when somebody comes out and you hear people, they're like, Oh, we don't care. Nobody cares anymore. It's like, Hold on, everybody cares. They do. It's interesting. We care. We want to talk about it.

I mean, the big thing now is if Luke's allowed to play straight, should he not be allowed to play straight? If only gay people are allowed to play gay characters.

But I have the easiest answer for this. It's just like, no, he can do it. He can play straight. Anybody that's ever been marginalized gets to do everything. There's my stance.

I appreciate that. I don't know if I was ever limited. I don't know if things were ever helpful to me, but, I mean, network testing for a television show is like a big deal. You got all these people there. They're curious, they're afraid, they're just afraid. They're afraid they're spending all this money on it. It's not going to make money. And there's famous stories of things that tested really badly and did really well. Bro is the movie I just did, it tested really, really, really well. I remember going to one of the screenings with Judd, Apatow, and him saying, This is tested better than any movie I've ever done.

I saw the movie. I paid to see the movie. Thank you very much. I felt like sometimes it was trying to be raunchy funny. Sometimes it was trying to be heartfelt, and there was a balance there that wasn't perfect. That's coming from an idiot.

Yeah, no, Billy is a really big fan of the movies from the 90s, the You Got Male, The Nodding Hill. I think his sensibility is much more of the big, open-hearted romcom. Judd and nick are jokes. Jokes are really important. I thought it was a really successful hybrid of those two things. I think he did what he wanted.

To do. Are you in the spitting on the hand scene?

Yes. There was a whole scene in Brothers where they had made a great expense. I remember the director calling me. He was like, Luke, I just want to know if we spend $30,000 making a fake butt of Billy, and would you be comfortable eating that fake butt?

Way more comfortable than eating real ass on camera.

Okay, right. And I said, Sure. And they made this fake butt, and I did that, and it never ended up in the movie.

But do you have the butt?

I think Billy does, actually. $30,000 to make that.

That's another thing I always think is bizarre. I had a show where we would do little comedy bits, and giving notes to real actors is impossible. I would only just use my writers as actors. Okay. I would never-So.

You just tell them what you want them.

To do. I'd be like, Hey, be gay, or? Right. Right. And let's end that dumb conversation.

You can't do that.

No, I understand.

I understand. That would get me.

In trouble. Right, I get it. That's not my thing. But it sure would cut through some conversations that are so stupid.

It's also hard to receive a note. No actor is like, Because they just want to think what they just did was great. It's about massaging. You're like, That was really good. Why don't we try this?

I'm always like, Do you want it louder or faster? Those are my.

Two-the more confident I get as an actor, that's generally what I want.

Just direct. Do you need it faster? I'll give you one more faster.

Totally. And angry and like, Go up at the end. I can do that. Okay. Yeah.

You were in a Netflix Christmas movie.

I was, yes.

Was the paycheck bigger? Smaller. Did homework say, Hey, knock it off.

I've had overall deals with them. I'm going to commit to five Christmas movies or five movies, but I can't work for any other network, and they name all the other networks, and they can't be holiday-related movies. I was able to do that because I was outside of my deal.

With them. Do Homework movies pay?

Mm-hmm.

They pay you well, and your rate goes up, I assume, every time. That's a nice thing.

It is a nice thing.

I don't know if I knew that they paid. They do. Are Hallmark Christmas scripts written by the same people that write the cards?

No, not at all. They're actually two separate companies. Crown Media is what does it. And I'm not quite sure what the licensing deal is with the.

Hulk, the card. What about residuals? You're doing okay in residuals with Hallmark movies?

They have to air a certain amount of time before you start getting, because as you know, they air them a lot. So if you end up doing one of the ones that hits and it's popular, it gets aired more and more. So you.

Eventually get residuals. How about that shoe one? Is that one airing a lot?

I don't know if I've gotten residuals for shoe addicts Christmas.

I one time had my wife go, I want you to write a Hallmark Christmas movie. And she's like, All right, done. She went and took the meeting and like, Oh, we're going to-Oh, really?

Who did you pitch to?

A older Jewish woman. It was really nice. They gave us the do's and the don'ts.

Yeah, I'm so curious about this.

Okay, we always, always, always have written caps, we like a strong female lead, early to mid-30s, and she needs to have a romance. This is always our A-story. Our audience is women, 25 to 54, and we don't like to stray from what we do. It's if it ain't broke, don't fix it mentality. We are family-friendly, PGG in nature. A rule of thumb when watching our movies is you want to be able to watch them with your 80-year-old grandmother and your eight-year-old niece. Hc, Hallmark channel. By the way, I don't give a fuck about movies and mystery. Don't even tell me about your.

Resume there. You really do.

Those are so stupid. I don't want any extra drama. It's just a warm feeling when it's on in the background.

It's hard when there's a mystery and there's a body with no blood. There's never blood on the body.

Typically light romantic comedies with a heartwarming ending. All right, let's get to the do's. Okay. Want establishers at the top of the movie to set up the city or town. We want lots of coverage when shooting and any inserts when necessary. Please stay away from killing off family members. There tends to be a lot of dead father, mother, wife, husbands in our movies, and we're trying to get away from that. How about this? No bullying.

No.

I didn't. Fucking note. There's a note. No bullying. Our content is not sexual in nature at all. A kiss is enough to show the romance in our movies. And we usually save this moment for the end when leads get her fairy tale ending. By the way, you guys have broken that. Now they're doing kisses and acts like five or six. All the way through it. Oh, my goodness.

Make.

Out sessions. Does your partner, does he prefer that you kiss women over men in an acting role?

I don't think he's really bothered by either way. I mean, he's seen me both kiss men and women in various projects.

Do you have a preference?

I don't know. It's acting. It's not that weird. I don't find it that uncomfortable. The most uncomfortable I ever got was right before the kissing scene when my female lead asked me. She's like, Do you get the feeling in your tummy when you kiss a woman? What? I was like, Yeah.

What the fuck does that mean? I had.

No feeling in my tummy. I think she was feeling anxious because I think she gets the feeling, and she wanted to know that I got the feeling.

You.

Just tell her to shut up. It was a little irky. It was a little uncomfortable.

I always give anybody that comes on my show gifts, but I don't buy them anything. I just take stuff from my house and give them to me because I can't stand things in my house. I don't like it. So I get rid of stuff always. I am the exact same way. I'm going to give you a gift.

I hope it's like a baby associated.

It's all baby associated. It's baby associated and Christmas associated. Because you have a little girl now. I have a nine-month-old girl now. Oh, wow. I have a four-year-old boy, but I have a nine-month-old girl. So and you're Canadian, so anything that was Canadian related.

Oh, it's a reins deer.

I get little.

Hugs for her for Christmas. Oh, come on.

It's all hand me downs.

This is quality.

I know. No, that's really good.

We're going to New York next week, too.

And if you ever want her to look like Handmaid's Tale, like if they did a Christmas movie, I don't know what... If somebody gave us this, this is fucking horrible. Oh, my gosh. This is adorable. It's not.

That's not adorable. Put on your little jacket.

-they're.

Canadian. -oh, this is good. This is great. Oh, come on.

This is too generous. No, what are you talking about? There's more in here. Oh, wow. Just put that over there.

That's so good. I was going to ask you.

Just throw it all in there. You're a citizen now of America.

Of America. I became a citizen in, I'd actually don't know the date. Maybe I want to say 2018.

Was that test hard?

Not really. But it'd be actually fun to do it with like, Well, can I ask you a couple of questions?

No. Really? No, I'm big on not letting people know how dumb I am.

I don't. I think you would know. Who was the President during the First.

World War? The First World War? Yeah, that's the thing.

Jefferson.

Wash, Jefferson? Who was the President of the First.

World War?

Woodrow Wilson. Woodrow, I would have never in a million years got that. You have to know that?

They give you all the questions, so you basically just have to memorize them.

Were you ever a model?

No, never. Never? No, never. Was that one of your questions? No. Okay. No, never. I actually find it really hard to take pictures. It's a totally different-It's the worst. It's very different.

I despise them still. And I won't hold a prop. They always try to get you for pressed photos to hold something. And I'm like, I'm not fucking putting anything in my hands. Because one time I did a promo photo like this, and it's used on every review of anything that says I have a new special or something. I'm just like...

Yeah. We do a lot of promo for Hallmark makes like the classic movies, and they're usually holding an associated prop. So for Shoe Attacks Christmas, I think Candace was holding.

A shoe. I bet Candace had her cross front and center. I think she.

Did wear a cross in that movie.

Oh, I'm sure she did. What's your favorite Christmas movie? It doesn't have to.

Be Hallmark. You know, everyone was saying for a long time, diehard, man.

What? Diehard is Christmas. Who the fuck.

Says that? People are saying that.

You're.

Hanging out, douchebag. Yeah, but it's not. My favorite Christmas movie is Miracol.

34th Street. I don't.

Like that either. No, I don't know. What are your favorite Christmas movies?

I'm not an Elf person, but I think Elf is genuinely good. And I like National Lampoon's Christmas vacation.

It's great. He throws some crazy faces in that movie. He is like the king of like... He does weird faces in that movie.

Yeah. All right. Thank you, Luke, for being on the show. I appreciate it very much. Pleasure, man. Pleasure to be able to- All the best.

Thank you for being a fan and thank you for the gifts.

Merry.

Christmas. Thank you.

When Walter Isaacson set out to write his biography of Elon Musk, he believed he was taking on a world-changing figure.

That night, he was deciding whether or not to allow Starlink to be enabled to allow a sneak attack on Crimea.

What he got was a subject who also sowed chaos and conspiracy.

I'm thinking it's idiotic to buy Twitter because he doesn't have a fingertips feel for social, emotional networks.

And when I sat down with Isaacson five weeks ago, he told me how he.

Captured it all. They have cans of spray paint, and they're just putting big X's on machines. And it's almost like kids playing on the playground. Just choose them up left, right and center. And then like, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, he doesn't even remember it. Getting to bars, done an excuse, being a total, but I want the reader to see it in action.

My name is Evan Ratliff, and this is On Musk with Walter Isaacson. Join us in this four-part series as Isaacson breaks down how he captured a vivid portrait of a polarizing genius. Listen to Ayn Musk on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tune in to the new podcast, Stories from the Village of Nothing Much, like easy listening but for fiction. If you've overdosed on bad news, we invite you into a world where the glimmers of goodness in everyday life are all around you. I'm Katherine Nicolai, and you might know me from the Bedtime Story podcast, Nothing Much Happens. I'm an architect of COSE, and I invite you to come spend some time where everyone is welcome and kindness is the default. When you tune in, you'll hear stories about bakeries and the walks in the woods, a favorite booth at the diner on a blustery autumn day, cats and dogs and rescued goats and donkeys, old houses, bookshops, beaches where kites fly and pretty stones are found. I have so many stories to tell you, and they are all designed to help you feel good and feel connected to what is good in the world. Listen, relax, enjoy. Listen to stories from The Village of Nothing Much on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hilary Burton-Morgan here, and I am excited to share with you a new series I'm launching, a companion podcast to my passion project, Sundance TV's true crime story. It couldn't happen here. Now on the show, we focus on small towns and the crimes that can rip them apart. The cases we've covered have confused me, and they have made me deeply question our judicial system. What got me so excited about doing this podcast is that we have more time to really dig in. You're going to hear more information on these cases as well as never before I've heard interviews, and you'll get to go behind the scenes with me and the team and learn what it's like to make a show like this. Come join us as we get curious and get involved. Listen to True Crime's story. It couldn't happen here on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tasha. Hey, Carl. Carl, hey. This is exactly why we can't interview actors because I have to pretend like I liked their project. I'm going to be honest with you. I love Luke. I've made that very clear. But Catch Me If You Claw was a disaster. This is not my a Hallmark Christmas movie. I told him that. I told him what I don't like, and he led me blindly into this. First of all, it had magic. Spoiler alert. He's Santa Claus's son, and he gets caught in a house where this woman who's trying to become a reporter, but her mom's a famous reporter, but she can't do it or can't hack it, and she's just not getting the opportunity. They say, Why don't you try to dress slutty and show your boobs, and then maybe you'll get on camera. I think that's part of the plot. But then she's like, Oh, my goodness, I caught this burglar in my house, but it's Santa Claus's son, and he knows everything about everybody. They end up going to some cool gay bar while the cops are chasing them. And there's kidnapping because there is a real Santa burglar on the loose.

It's just nonsense. It's not a cute town. Town is garbage, if you ask me. I want a quaint town. I want a cute story, the end. This story was complicated. I had no idea what was going on, and my mom hated it. But that being said, I loved Luke. I loved Luke. Great job, Luke. Thank you for being on the show. All right, what else is going on? Oh, it's time for the Covetid comment of the year. Eddie, who we got?

All right, Prime logic 5562 says, Generally love the border, but please get rid of the show.

Loves the border, says, Get rid of the show. I mean, come on. What do I have to plug? The Goat. It's a reality show that I'm hosting, comes out next year. Boys Wear Pink, the charitable clothing line that I started for my son. Make sure you place your order before the holiday, and I'll probably get that to you early first quarter. Tickets on sale for my show in Los Angeles for the Netflix is a joke. It will be May fourth at the Dolby Theater. That's where they shoot the Oscars, where the violence takes place on stage. I might do a reenactment. Will Smith, I'll comp you two tickets at the door for you and your unfaithful wife. Before we go, I have one final gift, a bedtime story from my three-year-old son. So on behalf of Karl and I, happy holidays, which means Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. That's it. You're great too, Muslims. All right, we'll be back with new episodes January ninth, taking two weeks off. Happy New Year. Okay, it's Christmas. Go ahead and tell me a story.

Once upon a time, there were two little trains. All they wanted to do is to explain ways that they couldn't.

They're.

Building the train train train trains. The little boys were building.

The train train.

And then the.

Trains.

The.

Two little trains.

Rolled on it. And then one of them rolled and then they twins.

And sits at it.

But then back.

I did. All right, Bay.

Hilary Burton Morgan here, and I'm excited to tell you about a new series I'm launching. It is the companion podcast to Sundance TV's True Crime Story. It couldn't happen here. Now on the TV show, we focus on small towns and the crimes that can rip them apart. And on this podcast, we will go even deeper into our cases and give you a unique insider perspective on how these stories are told. Come join us as we get curious and get involved. Listen to True Crime Story. It couldn't happen here on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Walter Isaacson set out to write about a world-changing genius in Elon Musk and found a man addicted to chaos and conspiracy.

I'm thinking it's idiotic to buy Twitter because he doesn't have a fingertips feel for social, emotional networks.

The book launched 1,000 hot takes, so I sat down with Isaacson to try to get past the noise.

I like the fact that people who say I'm not as tough on Musk as I should be are always using anecdotes from my book to show why we should be tough on Musk.

Join me, Evan Ratliff, for On Musk with Walter Isaacson. Listen on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tune in to the new podcast, stories from the Village of Nothing Much, like Easy Listening, but for fiction. If you've overdosed on bad news, we invite you into a world where the glimmers of goodness in everyday life are all around you. I'm Katherine Nicolai, and I'm an architect of cozy. Come spend some time where everyone is welcome and the default is kindness. Listen, relax, enjoy. Listen to stories from The Village of Nothing Much on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.