Spencer Breslin: Zoom, The Kid, and Other Children's Classics

Actor Spencer Breslin dips his toes into the Fisch Bowl, talking about movies, music, relationships with other costars, and roles he played that continue to be a part of many childhoods including The Cat in the Hat, Zoom, Disney's The Kid, and more!

Transcript

Welcome To The Fishbowl

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Attention, all you dishes in the sea.

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to the fishbowl. The Sabbath.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Spencer Breslin on the fishbowl. Welcome.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Absolutely. Thank you for taking the time to swim in the bowl with me.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

I hope the temperature is just right.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

The temperature is good.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Awesome. Awesome. Well, first off, I got a couple years on you, but I've I've been following you since I was, I guess we're both kids. Yeah. So I'm a huge, definitely a big, big fan. And I got we'll see how much ground we can cover in 15 minutes.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Hey, one up. Let's give it a shot.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

All right. Awesome. Awesome.

How Acting Started At Age Three

SPEAKER_00 0:44

My first question for you is what got you interested in film?

SPEAKER_02 0:50

So I mean, I started I started acting when I was three. So at the time, it wasn't really that I was like seeking out a profession. I just did a couple of commercial auditions for fun and enjoyed it and kind of kept going with it, I guess. And then you know, over time I you know became more aware of what was going on, and just kind of I guess the passion just developed over time.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

At some point, I figured out that I really like doing it, and it stopped being just fun hobby as like a five-year-old kid or whatever, to being something I wanted to do.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Right, right. Awesome, awesome.

The Kid And Working With Bruce Willis

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Now, the the first question I had for you is obviously Disney's the kid. And now I guess with Bruce Willis retiring and everything, I'm definitely curious to hear what your overall experience was working on that film and being a part of it and having it kind of be like such an iconic Disney film for you know kids that are people that are our age that are introducing it to, you know, their kids now and everything.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

Yeah, that's sort of that's sort of been a a weird thing, is uh, you know, the the kids who are my age who are seeing those movies now, like you said, they're having their own kids, which is kind of a trip that you know, a lot of these you know movies, whether it's the Santa Claus ones or the cat and the hat and stuff like that, have become kind of classics that our generation showing to their kids. You know, it's it's it's pretty weird. With the kid, that one I think is aged really well because it's not really a kid's movie, even though they marketed it as Disney's the kid. It's it's kind of a movie with more, you know, I guess not, I guess adult themes or whatever. I think it's something that probably probably resonates now more with with I'm trying to figure out how to phrase it, with people who are our age now than when we were kids watching it. I think a lot of those themes uh probably you don't pick up on as much when you're nine or ten, but right in your 30s, it's it has a deeper meaning, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Well, it's it's kind of like like hook, you know. You see you see hook as a little kid, and you're more like you don't understand all like the underlying themes that that are a big part of that that film that that are a lot of adult themes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:25

I think and I think that's what makes a good movie is something that can you can resonate on all that can appeal to you, and then you watch it 10 years later, and it's still you're finding new uh layers to it, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Um and it speaks to the writing of the movie and and all that. It was you know, really good script from Audrey Wells and great directing from John Turtletab, and you know, obviously Bruce, who's a legend, you know.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

Right, right. I mean Bruce is is one of is one of my all-time all-time favorite actors. I mean, you know, I basically I'm basically like you know, the the whole the whole expendables cast is is like my my my top my is like my favorite like genre of actors, but I'm I'm like I'm like into everything.

SPEAKER_02 4:12

Yeah, I mean that those guys

Action Icons And Van Damme Stories

SPEAKER_02 4:14

are I mean in insane, you know. I I just I was lucky enough to just finish up another movie from the same director's murder anyone, uh Jean-Claude Van Damme movie called Darkness of Man, and that was for me like felt like I was an eight-year-old kid again. If you had told me at eight or nine years old that I'd be doing an action movie with Van Dam, and I'd probably tell you you're crazy.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Right, right. That's pretty awesome. Yeah, that's very cool, actually.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

It's super, super cool. I was I was pretty nervous on the first day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

With with Van Dam and Seagal, I always I always like Van Dam a little bit more than Seagal. Seagull had his his his good stuff, but I I didn't I guess you know, he's always like invincible in his movies, and Van Dam was more realistic because it's like you know, he'd get his ass whooped and then he likes to find find the the courage and strength to come back and and kill all the bad guys.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

He's he's kind of like I don't know if you're a pro wrestling fan, but he doesn't need to put himself over for the entire movie to use wrestling jargon, like he'll job it to to sell the story, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:28

You know, right?

SPEAKER_02 5:28

He gets it, and he's a super nice guy. I mean, he's the muscles from Brussels.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Come on, right, right, right. My my I think my my top favorite Van Damme movie has to be split between Time Cop and uh the Universal Soldier. Classics, yeah, yeah. I'm also a big fan of Death Warrant because I've actually interviewed the guy who plays the Sandman in the movie. But yeah, yeah, all good stuff.

Tim Allen On Set And Comedy Legends

SPEAKER_00 5:57

I was wondering about your relationship with Tim Allen since since you've worked on him with like three different movies.

SPEAKER_02 6:04

Yeah, we did we did four. We did four or four, that's right. Yeah, we did the Santa Claus 2-3, Zoom, and Shaggy Doug. Tim is maybe the funniest person I've ever met in real life because you work with a lot of comedians and they're pretty reserved when the camera's not rolling and kind of quiet. A lot of them are anyway. And Tim is the opposite, he's like even funnier when the cameras aren't rolling, and he's just super nice guy, generous actor, very smart. And those, yeah, I mean, those movies are a pretty big part of my like early adolescence, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

They've they've been four years with the guy.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Right, right. They they've been out playing Zoom on one of them, I think HBO.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

I mean, I've been rewatching it, and Zoom is like the types of like kids' movies that I still really enjoy as as an adult because they're like goofy, but you can they still again have like kind of like underlying adult themes that yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

I mean, and Zoom in particular is a pretty ridiculous movie. But looking back on that one, it's um I don't know, it's just it's pretty wild the cast, you know. You look at that cast between Courtney Cox, and then you're like, Oh, cool, Chevy Chase and Rip Torn.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Like it's right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 7:34

Pretty, pretty crazy cast. I've been pretty fortunate to work with a lot of in particular comedic legends, you know. It's it's it's cool watching those guys work and you know, seeing their process.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

Yeah, definitely, definitely.

Punk Roots And New Psych Dance Music

SPEAKER_00 7:51

I wanted to also mention that I started following you Twitter, Instagram, I apologize, and I also started following your uh your music uh stuff. Uh oh, cool. My podcast actually focuses a lot on music, specifically like heavy metal and psychedelic rock.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Okay, right on. Right on. Well, we uh me and uh my partner are working on a record right now that's pretty different than a lot of the, you know, because I spend a lot of time playing in punk bands and stuff like that. And this is kind of a more psych-influenced dance kind of music with a lot with a lot of still heavy rock influence, but it's definitely something different. So I'll to talk to you about it when that record comes out.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Yeah, yeah, I would love to do a uh a longer, uh in-depth interview to yeah, I'm gonna talk uh more and everything. I'm I'm big, big fan, and I I think it's awesome that uh you've been in all these films and are branching out into music and everything.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

So just trying to stay busy, you know?

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Yeah, yeah, definitely. I actually uh I'm a I'm a screenwriter as well, and I do the podcast stuff, so you know, mutual, mutual interests. But my last questions for you, because I think we're just about out of time, is uh what are some of your favorite films and bands? And and then the last question is if you have any other upcoming projects to promote.

Upcoming Projects Plus Favorite Films

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Well, for the projects right now, we got murder anyone that's out on video and on demand, and on Amazon, I believe. I've got Darkness of Man with uh Van Damme Cristano Logan Sticky Fingers coming out later this year, I believe. Another small drama called a small independent drama film called Four, that's really close one to me that'll be out also, I believe, later this year. Terms of favorite bands and movies, I mean uh 2001's my favorite movie. It's a tough question. Very stoked about the new Indiana Jones one. I saw the trailer during the Super Bowl, that was sick. Uh terms of music, Blue Reed, The Clash, Bad Breens, Johnny Cash, you know, Queens of the Stone. It goes on and on. Yeah, it's it's an impossible question to answer. Springsteen, Z Von, and what was the other question? Films, films, film, films and uh 2001 of Space Odyssey is my favorite, but I mean Blade Runner. I like from Dust Till Dawn a lot. I see the poster behind you.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

Oh awesome. Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

Yeah, I mean, it's it's tough to say because the the list can go on and on. We'll be here for three hours if I'm gonna go down that rabbit hole.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Yeah, awesome. Well, we'll we'll save it for uh for the longer round round too.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

The long forum interview, yep.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Yeah, awesome, awesome. Well, Spencer, it's been a pleasure talking with you. Thank you again for taking the time to swim in the bowl with me.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Absolutely happy to take a dip.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

All right, thank you, brother.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Have a good one.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

You too, take care.

Merch Partnership And How To Support

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Hey there, all my fishes in the sea. Thanks for tuning in to today's episode and for being a subscriber. Your continued listenership and support means the most and helps keep the show growing to deeper and deeper depths. I want to let all my guppies in the sea know the fishbowl has now officially partnered with fastcustomshirts.com, where they're now selling custom fishbowl t-shirts under their podcast and website section. Every t-shirt that's purchased helps and goes a long way to keep the show growing to deeper and deeper in higher, higher depths. I also now have custom hats, beanies, handbags, pens, mouse pads, everything to make you look like the coolest looking fish in the sea, which you can DM me directly on Instagram at theFishbowl88 or on Facebook at just the fishbowl, or you can friend request me, Samfish, directly and get yours today. Your continued listenership and support again means the most. It's the most important fishes that flock together. We are a school of fish and we keep the unit going. Let's all keep swimming upstream.