WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.060 Welcome to The Deep Dive. Today we are undertaking 00:00:03.060 --> 00:00:05.799 a really meticulous exploration, kind of a true 00:00:05.799 --> 00:00:08.800 unpacking of one of the most, well, successful 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:11.500 and resilient career paths in modern Hollywood, 00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:15.039 Jason Bateman. Our mission is to really analyze 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:16.960 the sources you've shared to understand how he 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:20.239 pulled off this complete professional metamorphosis. 00:00:20.260 --> 00:00:22.920 I mean, transforming from, you know, a beloved 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:26.449 1980s teen heartthrob into this Emmy -winning 00:00:26.449 --> 00:00:30.010 director, a major producer, and a critically 00:00:30.010 --> 00:00:33.909 acclaimed dramatic actor. Auteur even it really 00:00:33.909 --> 00:00:35.869 is an extraordinary study in sustained reinvention. 00:00:35.869 --> 00:00:38.630 I mean the path from child stardom It's notoriously 00:00:38.630 --> 00:00:41.609 tricky right full of cautionary tales yet Bateman 00:00:41.609 --> 00:00:43.549 didn't just survive it. He actually achieved 00:00:43.549 --> 00:00:46.090 this level of critical respect and creative control 00:00:46.090 --> 00:00:48.390 It's just far beyond what anyone would have predicted 00:00:48.390 --> 00:00:51.909 from his early fame He spent like decades perfecting 00:00:51.909 --> 00:00:54.670 the signature straight man persona, you know 00:00:54.670 --> 00:00:57.710 the grounded perpetuous sort of Exasperated anchor 00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:00.710 and all the chaos and that role it actually masked 00:01:00.710 --> 00:01:03.859 and then eventually kind of facilitated his really 00:01:03.859 --> 00:01:06.239 deep ambition to control the narrative from behind 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:09.000 the camera. I still find it hard to fully reconcile, 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:12.599 you know, the goofy, energetic Teen Wolf with 00:01:12.599 --> 00:01:15.540 the guy who directed those terrifyingly tense, 00:01:15.859 --> 00:01:18.280 tightly controlled episodes of Ozark. Exactly. 00:01:18.500 --> 00:01:20.659 The distance between those two points is just 00:01:20.659 --> 00:01:23.079 staggering. And that's precisely where the knowledge 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:25.439 lies, I think. We're going to distill the pivotal 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:29.400 moments, the strategic roles he took, the directorial 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:32.420 achievements that explain why Bateman remains 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:35.200 just utterly relevant and powerful across, what, 00:01:35.260 --> 00:01:37.900 five decades now. Yeah, easily. You'll hear about 00:01:37.900 --> 00:01:41.019 the deep financial anxiety that really underpinned 00:01:41.019 --> 00:01:44.439 his entire childhood, how he snagged this massive 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:46.599 Directors Guild of America record before he could 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:48.900 even legally drink, and how he turned all that 00:01:48.900 --> 00:01:52.140 chaos into, well, creative control. Precisely. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.659 So if you've ever wondered how the actor who... 00:01:54.599 --> 00:01:56.719 you know, made his name on the Hogan family, 00:01:57.180 --> 00:01:59.260 became this executive producer managing a whole 00:01:59.260 --> 00:02:02.760 multi -podcast media empire. Stick with us. We 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:05.599 really have to dive deep into his choices, especially 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:09.539 how he adapted that dry sort of analytical acting 00:02:09.539 --> 00:02:13.479 style. The Fixer 2 ultimately become a, you know, 00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:15.180 full -fledged filmmaker. Okay, so let's start 00:02:15.180 --> 00:02:17.819 with the basics, the foundational context. Jason 00:02:17.819 --> 00:02:20.520 Kent Bateman, born in Rye, New York, back in 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:23.469 1969. Uh -huh. The family moved west out to California 00:02:23.469 --> 00:02:25.750 when he was just four, though his heritage is 00:02:25.750 --> 00:02:28.750 kind of interesting, bit international. His mother, 00:02:29.030 --> 00:02:31.050 Victoria Elizabeth, she was a flight attendant 00:02:31.050 --> 00:02:33.669 from Shrewsbury over in the UK. Right. And his 00:02:33.669 --> 00:02:36.069 roots are definitely in the industry. His father, 00:02:36.270 --> 00:02:38.389 Kent Bateman, was already an American actor, 00:02:38.650 --> 00:02:41.469 writer, director. And of course, his older sister 00:02:41.469 --> 00:02:44.789 is the famous actress Justine Bateman. And that 00:02:44.789 --> 00:02:47.430 family dynamic, well, that's really the essential 00:02:47.430 --> 00:02:50.129 starting point, isn't it? for understanding Bateman's 00:02:50.129 --> 00:02:52.729 drive. The sources, they make it pretty starkly 00:02:52.729 --> 00:02:54.509 clear that the money, the substantial earnings 00:02:54.509 --> 00:02:56.210 that Jason and Justine were bringing in from 00:02:56.210 --> 00:02:59.490 their TV shows, it was described as a significant 00:02:59.490 --> 00:03:02.169 income source for the whole family. This wasn't, 00:03:02.169 --> 00:03:04.349 you know, the typical story of a kid with a hobby. 00:03:04.449 --> 00:03:06.389 This was fundamental. This was their livelihood. 00:03:07.099 --> 00:03:09.520 That context, it changes everything, doesn't 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:13.259 it? How we perceive his early career, that enthusiasm. 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:15.699 He wasn't just enjoying success. He was living 00:03:15.699 --> 00:03:18.560 under this immense pressure. Yeah, absolutely. 00:03:18.740 --> 00:03:21.020 From a really young age, Bateman carried this 00:03:21.020 --> 00:03:23.719 anxiety of keeping the family financially afloat, 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.439 which means he was just relentlessly driven to 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:28.740 book the next role, stay commercially viable. 00:03:28.900 --> 00:03:31.439 I mean, that is a heavy, heavy burden for a child. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.199 And that burden, it was coupled with a real lack 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:37.099 of personal autonomy. his father acted as his 00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:41.960 manager until Jason turned 20. So you got a decade 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:45.819 basically of intense professional pressure combined 00:03:45.819 --> 00:03:48.599 with this lack of agency, which is a crucial 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:51.360 detail because as we'll see later, it seems to 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:53.539 directly feed into his need for creative control 00:03:53.539 --> 00:03:56.270 as an adult director. That makes sense. It explains 00:03:56.270 --> 00:03:58.349 the hustle he had to maintain right from that 00:03:58.349 --> 00:04:00.710 very first Golden Grahams commercial back in 00:04:00.710 --> 00:04:03.969 1980. Wow Golden Grahams okay and that commercial 00:04:03.969 --> 00:04:06.689 led pretty directly into this rapid -fire success 00:04:06.689 --> 00:04:10.169 on the early 1980s television circuit. He landed 00:04:10.169 --> 00:04:12.550 on Little House on the Prairie from 81 to 82 00:04:12.550 --> 00:04:15.629 as James Cooper one of the orphan kids adopted 00:04:15.629 --> 00:04:18.000 by the Ingalls family. which, you know, that's 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.160 already a pretty high profile gig. Oh, absolutely. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:22.500 And that quickly transitioned into him playing 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:26.360 the cheeky sort of slightly older bad boyfriend, 00:04:26.819 --> 00:04:29.000 Derek Taylor, on the really popular sitcom Silver 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.319 Spoons from 82 to 84. Right. I remember him on 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:34.980 that. Yeah. And the sources highlight that. His 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:37.339 popularity in that specific role was just so 00:04:37.339 --> 00:04:40.439 high. He was charming funny very photogenic that 00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:42.800 it immediately led to them creating his own starring 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:46.100 vehicle the NBC sitcom It's your move that ran 00:04:46.100 --> 00:04:49.420 from 84 to 85 Hollywood saw the drawing power 00:04:49.420 --> 00:04:52.050 and just BAM responded instantly. And then the 00:04:52.050 --> 00:04:54.370 breakthrough role, the one that really solidified 00:04:54.370 --> 00:04:56.829 his status as one of those definitive mid -80s 00:04:56.829 --> 00:04:59.310 teen idols, David Hogan on the Hogan family, 00:04:59.670 --> 00:05:01.509 originally called Valerie, then Valerie's family. 00:05:02.009 --> 00:05:04.490 That series ran from 1986 right through 1991, 00:05:04.730 --> 00:05:06.750 basically spanning his entire adolescence on 00:05:06.750 --> 00:05:08.970 screen. He was truly a household name by, what, 00:05:09.029 --> 00:05:11.850 17? Absolutely. It's the kind of success that 00:05:11.850 --> 00:05:14.110 usually locks an actor into a very specific, 00:05:14.410 --> 00:05:17.149 often pretty limiting persona. But here's the 00:05:17.149 --> 00:05:19.350 jaw -dropping detail, the thing that really separates 00:05:19.350 --> 00:05:22.199 Bateman. from so many of his peers. Yeah. While 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:25.180 starring in that series, still a teen idol. Yeah. 00:05:25.579 --> 00:05:27.899 He directed three episodes of The Hogan Family. 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:31.040 At that age? Wow. And this wasn't just, like, 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:33.759 a fun side project. Not at all. He set a major 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.259 historical precedent. Directing those episodes 00:05:36.259 --> 00:05:38.819 at the age of 18 made him the youngest ever director 00:05:38.819 --> 00:05:41.519 granted entry into the prestigious Directors 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:45.110 Guild of America. The DGA. Right, 18. Which is, 00:05:45.470 --> 00:05:47.449 just to understand the magnitude of that, you 00:05:47.449 --> 00:05:50.430 have to recognize that DGA membership is, like, 00:05:50.529 --> 00:05:53.509 highly regulated. It traditionally requires years 00:05:53.509 --> 00:05:56.230 of accredited experience, mentorship. It's a 00:05:56.230 --> 00:05:58.910 serious union. Totally. The DGA essentially safeguards 00:05:58.910 --> 00:06:00.790 the whole profession. So for an 18 -year -old 00:06:00.790 --> 00:06:02.730 actor who's still legally considered a minor 00:06:02.730 --> 00:06:05.509 in many ways... to not only get a directorial 00:06:05.509 --> 00:06:08.050 assignment, but to actually receive the accreditation, 00:06:08.069 --> 00:06:11.649 it's virtually unprecedented. It speaks to either, 00:06:11.649 --> 00:06:14.009 you know, extraordinary pull from the network 00:06:14.009 --> 00:06:17.610 or maybe more likely just an astonishing display 00:06:17.610 --> 00:06:20.829 of maturity, command, and just inherent talent 00:06:20.829 --> 00:06:23.069 that convinced the union officials he was actually 00:06:23.069 --> 00:06:25.910 ready. It really shows that the need for control, 00:06:26.170 --> 00:06:28.550 that desire to be the manager, not just the managed, 00:06:29.009 --> 00:06:31.790 it was manifesting even before he was technically 00:06:31.790 --> 00:06:34.170 an adult. Exactly. He wasn't just waiting around 00:06:34.170 --> 00:06:35.949 for his lines. He was already thinking about 00:06:35.949 --> 00:06:38.629 shaping the entire production. Exactly. But, 00:06:38.670 --> 00:06:40.350 you know, there's a flip side to that intense 00:06:40.350 --> 00:06:42.810 focus, which is the classic child star dilemma. 00:06:44.019 --> 00:06:47.300 the education gap. Right. We know Bateman attended 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:49.480 Brighton Hall School, but he never actually completed 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:52.199 his formal education. He specifically failed 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:54.339 to finish his finals because he was busy filming. 00:06:54.779 --> 00:06:57.839 Well, the notorious 1987 sequel, Teen Wolf 2. 00:06:58.680 --> 00:07:01.920 Ah, yes, Teen Wolf 2. So he was choosing professional 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:04.779 necessity, the immediate work over that longer 00:07:04.779 --> 00:07:07.660 term education, likely driven again by that underlying 00:07:07.660 --> 00:07:09.790 financial pressure we talked about. Teen Wolf 00:07:09.790 --> 00:07:11.709 2, I mean, that feels like the culmination of 00:07:11.709 --> 00:07:14.370 the teen idol era for him. And as we're about 00:07:14.370 --> 00:07:16.769 to discuss, maybe the starting line for the beginning 00:07:16.769 --> 00:07:19.670 of his professional wilderness years. Yeah, if 00:07:19.670 --> 00:07:21.870 part one was that rapid ascent, largely fueled 00:07:21.870 --> 00:07:24.569 by external pressure, part two is kind of the 00:07:24.569 --> 00:07:28.370 inevitable correction and will crash. That post 00:07:28.370 --> 00:07:30.949 -teen idol slump, it's almost a predictable pitfall 00:07:30.949 --> 00:07:34.089 in Hollywood. For sure. Teen Wolf 2, it resulted 00:07:34.089 --> 00:07:36.569 in massive international recognition. I mean, 00:07:36.930 --> 00:07:39.250 everyone knew who he was, but the sources confirm 00:07:39.250 --> 00:07:42.050 it was just a critical and box office failure. 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:44.279 It essentially extinguished his cinematic teen 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:46.740 career almost before it really began. And that 00:07:46.740 --> 00:07:49.379 failure basically kicked off the turbulent 1990s, 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:51.439 which for Bateman, yeah, it was a professional 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:54.420 wilderness, just a string of these short -lived 00:07:54.420 --> 00:07:56.959 attempts to recapture the magic. He had a series 00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.259 of shows that just failed to connect with audiences. 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:04.120 Simon, Chicago Suns, George and Leo, some of 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:06.680 my best friends. None of those projects lasted 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:09.139 more than a single season. And this is the period 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:11.519 where that pressure must have truly, truly... 00:08:12.299 --> 00:08:14.980 He wasn't the guaranteed cash cow of the 80s 00:08:14.980 --> 00:08:17.720 anymore. He was computing in the very fickle 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:21.480 world of adult sitcoms. That early career anxiety, 00:08:21.899 --> 00:08:24.160 the need to always secure the next job for income, 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:27.839 was now just a full -blown professional reality. 00:08:28.120 --> 00:08:30.579 He was still taking the odd directing job, like 00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:33.419 he helmed an episode of Two of a Kind in 99. 00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:36.059 But the main focus of his acting career had really 00:08:36.059 --> 00:08:37.940 stalled out. And this professional collapse, 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:40.940 it coincided with, and maybe even fueled, deep 00:08:40.940 --> 00:08:43.720 personal struggles. The biographical material 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:45.620 is pretty candid detailing his struggle with 00:08:45.620 --> 00:08:48.320 alcohol and drugs throughout the entire 1990s. 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:51.360 That decade sounds like just chaos. Yeah, it 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:53.840 really does. It was a decade where maybe he threw 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:55.940 off the shackles of structure. I mean, after 00:08:55.940 --> 00:08:58.240 years of being managed by his dad, defined by 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:01.460 these very structured sitcom sets, this period 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:03.840 almost seems like a necessary, maybe destructive, 00:09:04.039 --> 00:09:07.279 but necessary attempt at self -definition. He 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:09.139 summed up that entire decade with that quote 00:09:09.139 --> 00:09:11.139 that became instantly famous, describing the 00:09:11.139 --> 00:09:13.340 period as, it was like risky business for 10 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:16.899 years. That's not just drinking a few wine coolers 00:09:16.899 --> 00:09:19.519 and being a bit wild. That sounds like sustained, 00:09:19.899 --> 00:09:22.559 reckless abandon, probably fueled by the stress 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:24.720 of that early success and then the subsequent 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:27.820 rejection. And this raises a really crucial question, 00:09:27.820 --> 00:09:32.470 I think, about his career architecture. Was that 00:09:32.470 --> 00:09:35.769 risky business decades simply a failure? Or was 00:09:35.769 --> 00:09:38.730 it maybe a necessary burnout that ultimately 00:09:38.730 --> 00:09:41.950 reset his career expectations? Interesting. It 00:09:41.950 --> 00:09:43.450 was the first time he wasn't being managed by 00:09:43.450 --> 00:09:45.210 someone else, right? And that lack of external 00:09:45.210 --> 00:09:48.269 control, yeah, it created chaos. But paradoxically, 00:09:48.750 --> 00:09:51.529 maybe it created the space for a new, more grounded 00:09:51.529 --> 00:09:53.710 persona to eventually emerge. He couldn't be 00:09:53.710 --> 00:09:55.509 the enthusiastic teenager anymore. He kind of 00:09:55.509 --> 00:09:58.429 had to become the exasperated adult. The professional 00:09:58.429 --> 00:10:00.470 pivot, it seems to have started around 2002. 00:10:00.779 --> 00:10:03.399 He came back to feature films, but more in a 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:06.000 supporting capacity, notably in The Sweetest 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.399 Thing, playing a sort of frisky sibling. It felt 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:10.700 like a step away from that leading man pressure 00:10:10.700 --> 00:10:13.340 back into just reliable character work. And that 00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:15.539 stability, well, it led directly to the role 00:10:15.539 --> 00:10:17.740 that would completely redefine him, Michael Bluth 00:10:17.740 --> 00:10:20.320 in Arrested Development. When he was cast in 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.899 2003, it was just a massive shift. Michael Bluth 00:10:23.899 --> 00:10:27.830 is like the quintessential competent adult. forced 00:10:27.830 --> 00:10:30.370 to navigate the financial and emotional mayhem 00:10:30.370 --> 00:10:32.730 of his unbelievably dysfunctional family. This 00:10:32.730 --> 00:10:34.950 role just became his specialty, didn't it? The 00:10:34.950 --> 00:10:37.610 anchor, the center of sanity. This feels like 00:10:37.610 --> 00:10:39.809 Bateman's first great attempt at career control 00:10:39.809 --> 00:10:42.129 but disguised as family management within the 00:10:42.129 --> 00:10:44.350 show. The show's unique style, you know, the 00:10:44.350 --> 00:10:46.669 fast cuts, the dense running jokes, the narration. 00:10:47.250 --> 00:10:49.730 It absolutely relied on his dead pen reaction 00:10:49.730 --> 00:10:52.529 shots, his dry timing. He really became the audience 00:10:52.529 --> 00:10:55.309 surrogate. And the show itself is such a fascinating 00:10:55.309 --> 00:10:58.009 paradox of success, isn't it? Critically, it 00:10:58.009 --> 00:11:00.509 was basically flawless. He won a Golden Globe 00:11:00.509 --> 00:11:03.090 for best actor in a TV series, musical or comedy 00:11:03.090 --> 00:11:06.750 in 2004, got an Emmy nomination in 2005. Huge 00:11:06.750 --> 00:11:10.309 accolades. Huge. Yet despite all that praise, 00:11:10.490 --> 00:11:12.490 the series never achieved high ratings during 00:11:12.490 --> 00:11:15.830 its original Fox run. It ended in 2006. It was 00:11:15.830 --> 00:11:18.490 just too dense, maybe too self -referential for 00:11:18.490 --> 00:11:20.730 mainstream network TV at that time. But it proved 00:11:20.730 --> 00:11:23.470 its value later, didn't it? the ultimate cult 00:11:23.470 --> 00:11:25.690 hit and it's Netflix revival. Well, that's a 00:11:25.690 --> 00:11:28.529 major cultural milestone. Oh, absolutely. When 00:11:28.529 --> 00:11:31.149 it came back in 2013 and then later for that 00:11:31.149 --> 00:11:33.470 fifth season in 2018, 2019 with the original 00:11:33.470 --> 00:11:36.830 cast, it just cemented his status as this critical 00:11:36.830 --> 00:11:39.690 darling and earned him another Emmy nomination 00:11:39.690 --> 00:11:42.950 for that new fourth season. It really truly was 00:11:42.950 --> 00:11:45.769 the job that gave him a new stable adult life 00:11:45.769 --> 00:11:47.590 back in the industry. Right. So once Bateman 00:11:47.590 --> 00:11:49.950 had solidified this new professional identity. 00:11:50.429 --> 00:11:52.389 with the critical respect he earned from Michael 00:11:52.389 --> 00:11:54.730 Bluth, he was perfectly positioned to transition 00:11:54.730 --> 00:11:57.549 back to the big screen. But this time, not really 00:11:57.549 --> 00:11:59.710 as a leading man, but as this sort of indispensable 00:11:59.710 --> 00:12:03.049 supporting player. He basically became the industry's 00:12:03.049 --> 00:12:05.769 comedy gold standard for exasperated realism. 00:12:06.070 --> 00:12:08.350 Yeah, if you needed a character who was, like, 00:12:08.570 --> 00:12:10.909 absurdly professional, stuck in an absurd situation, 00:12:11.009 --> 00:12:13.289 you hired Bateman. The best example just has 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:15.549 to be Pepper Brooks, right? Right. The ESPN8. 00:12:15.610 --> 00:12:18.289 the Ocho commentator and dog ball, a true underdog 00:12:18.289 --> 00:12:21.389 story, 2004. It's classic. It's a small role, 00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:23.929 but it's perfect. He delivers his professional 00:12:23.929 --> 00:12:26.250 sports commentary with just utter seriousness 00:12:26.250 --> 00:12:29.970 about a ridiculous low stakes game. The sources 00:12:29.970 --> 00:12:33.450 note that performance is constantly quoted, referenced. 00:12:33.970 --> 00:12:36.490 It just shows the huge impact his supportive 00:12:36.490 --> 00:12:38.730 character work could have. And this persona. 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:41.919 this controlled competence, it made him a constant 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:44.779 presence in those mid -2000s comedies. It led 00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:47.379 to professional partnerships, notably reuniting 00:12:47.379 --> 00:12:49.580 with Vince Vaughn in films like Starsky and Hutch, 00:12:49.659 --> 00:12:53.480 also 2004, and The Breakup in 2006. He was reliable, 00:12:53.539 --> 00:12:56.960 he was funny, and he knew exactly where the camera 00:12:56.960 --> 00:12:58.860 was. Exactly. What's crucial, though, I think, 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:00.659 is that he didn't let himself get pigeonholed 00:13:00.659 --> 00:13:02.919 only into those broad comedies. He was signaling 00:13:02.919 --> 00:13:05.679 his seriousness, his versatility. At the same 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:07.700 time, he was taking these key supporting roles 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:10.659 in highly - dramatic and indie films. You think 00:13:10.659 --> 00:13:14.259 about Juno in 2007, Hancock in 2008 alongside 00:13:14.259 --> 00:13:16.440 Will Smith and the critically acclaimed Best 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:18.980 Picture nominee up in the air in 2009. Right 00:13:18.980 --> 00:13:21.080 and those roles really demonstrated that the 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:23.980 deadpan analytical straight man worked just as 00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:26.100 well when he was delivering a sharp dramatic 00:13:26.100 --> 00:13:28.659 point as it did when he was setting up a punchline. 00:13:29.259 --> 00:13:32.720 His presence just adds this weight, this gravity. 00:13:32.889 --> 00:13:35.649 to any scene. It makes the audience listen, even 00:13:35.649 --> 00:13:37.970 if he's just delivering exposition. It's really 00:13:37.970 --> 00:13:40.710 a testament to how those years mastering reaction 00:13:40.710 --> 00:13:43.929 shots taught him how to occupy space effectively 00:13:43.929 --> 00:13:46.440 on screen. So by the 2010s, he'd successfully 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:48.700 pivoted again, right, from the indispensable 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:51.399 supporting player to actually headlining studio 00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:55.419 comedies. He anchored major box office successes 00:13:55.419 --> 00:13:58.539 like horrible bosses in 2011 and the sequel in 00:13:58.539 --> 00:14:02.259 2014, Identity Thief in 2013 with Melissa McCarthy 00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:05.639 and that fantastically executed ensemble thriller 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:08.320 Game Night in 2018. Yeah, Game Night is particularly 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.179 interesting because it really showcased his ability 00:14:10.179 --> 00:14:12.799 to carry a mainstream blockbuster comedy, but 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:16.080 without sacrificing the nuance of his very dry 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:18.639 performance style. Critics specifically singled 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:20.840 him out for that one. He earned nominations for 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:23.600 best performance by a comedic actor from the 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.179 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards and the 00:14:26.179 --> 00:14:29.480 Critics Choice Awards. He could lead, but he 00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:32.179 could lead by maintaining control, by never becoming 00:14:32.179 --> 00:14:35.919 excessively broad or cartoonish. And we shouldn't 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.320 skip over his voice acting either, which also 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.960 perfectly utilizes that controlled, intelligent 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:44.059 delivery. He voiced Nick Wilde, the charming 00:14:44.059 --> 00:14:47.179 con artist Fox, in Disney's massive hit Zootopia 00:14:47.179 --> 00:14:50.200 back in 2016. Oh yeah, great character. And that 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:52.860 role earned him an Annie Award for voice acting, 00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:55.759 another major accolade proving that his particular 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.299 delivery style translates across mediums really 00:14:58.299 --> 00:15:00.480 effectively. And while all this massive commercial 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:03.220 success was happening, the teenage director inside 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.480 him was clearly stirring again. We have to connect 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:07.830 this back to that DGA record. Definitely. Now 00:15:07.830 --> 00:15:09.590 that he had the financial stability, the industry 00:15:09.590 --> 00:15:12.370 clout, he started manufacturing his own directorial 00:15:12.370 --> 00:15:14.649 opportunities, really transitioning from being 00:15:14.649 --> 00:15:18.049 the hired actor to becoming the sort of self 00:15:18.049 --> 00:15:20.289 -appointed auteur. And he don't just ease into 00:15:20.289 --> 00:15:22.149 it, did he? He went straight into feature film 00:15:22.149 --> 00:15:25.129 directing. He made his feature debut directing 00:15:25.129 --> 00:15:28.190 and starring in that dark satire Bad Words in 00:15:28.190 --> 00:15:31.549 2013, which centered on an adult exploiting this 00:15:31.549 --> 00:15:33.870 loophole to compete in a children's spelling 00:15:33.870 --> 00:15:38.039 bee. Yeah. Very Bateman. Yes, very Bateman. And 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:41.080 the subject matter of bad words, you know, dark, 00:15:41.259 --> 00:15:43.220 a bit uncomfortable, highly controlled satire, 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:45.600 that feels like a very deliberate choice. It 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:49.009 signals his artistic ambition to avoid just broad, 00:15:49.350 --> 00:15:52.029 safe comedy. He followed that up by directing 00:15:52.029 --> 00:15:54.629 and starring in The Family Fang in 2015, which 00:15:54.629 --> 00:15:56.730 dealt with these complex performance artists 00:15:56.730 --> 00:15:59.470 and their dysfunctional adult children. Again, 00:15:59.490 --> 00:16:01.649 these were not generic comedies. They were small, 00:16:01.850 --> 00:16:04.289 respected kind of auteur projects where he was 00:16:04.289 --> 00:16:06.470 defining the visual grammar and the tone. These 00:16:06.470 --> 00:16:08.549 films feel like crucial testing grounds, don't 00:16:08.549 --> 00:16:11.350 they? Allowing him to practice his craft, gain 00:16:11.350 --> 00:16:14.649 confidence before taking on the massive career 00:16:14.649 --> 00:16:16.909 defining project that was about to follow. He 00:16:16.909 --> 00:16:18.600 wasn't waiting for someone else to green light 00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:20.779 his vision anymore, he was actively building 00:16:20.779 --> 00:16:23.960 it himself. Yet the shift that happens here is 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:27.070 it's almost unparalleled. Having spent a decade 00:16:27.070 --> 00:16:30.009 as the go -to comedy anchor, Bateman successfully 00:16:30.009 --> 00:16:32.450 shifted the entire narrative of his career again, 00:16:32.730 --> 00:16:35.490 transitioning fully into prestige drama and suspense. 00:16:35.529 --> 00:16:37.730 It was quite the turn. His roles in the 2012 00:16:37.730 --> 00:16:40.129 thriller Disconnect and then headlining Joel 00:16:40.129 --> 00:16:42.350 Edgerton's really critically acclaimed suspense 00:16:42.350 --> 00:16:46.230 thriller The Gift in 2015, those were clear signals 00:16:46.230 --> 00:16:49.029 of his intention. He was actively shedding that 00:16:49.029 --> 00:16:51.710 purely comedic label for good. And that pivot 00:16:51.710 --> 00:16:54.490 led directly to the Ozark phenomenon in 2017, 00:16:54.590 --> 00:16:57.019 which is arguably the most significant achievement 00:16:57.019 --> 00:16:59.100 of his entire adult career. I'd agree with that. 00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:02.320 He returned to television, but in this dual capacity. 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.960 Yeah. Actor and director for this incredibly 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:08.400 dark Netflix crime drama. And his portrayal of 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:11.210 Marty Bird. The calculated financial advisor 00:17:11.210 --> 00:17:13.549 who has to relocate his family to the Ozarks 00:17:13.549 --> 00:17:16.869 to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. It's 00:17:16.869 --> 00:17:18.710 the ultimate evolution of the straight man character, 00:17:18.730 --> 00:17:20.910 isn't it? Michael Bluth was controlling the chaos 00:17:20.910 --> 00:17:24.009 of his family's finances. Marty Byrd is controlling 00:17:24.009 --> 00:17:27.569 the chaos of life or death organized crime. Both 00:17:27.569 --> 00:17:30.990 characters are just masters of analytical composure 00:17:30.990 --> 00:17:34.369 right in the face of imminent disaster. The sources, 00:17:34.369 --> 00:17:37.740 they confirm the high praise he received. Drawing 00:17:37.740 --> 00:17:41.099 these direct positive comparisons to Bryan Cranston's 00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:43.380 iconic portrayal of Walter White in Breaking 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:46.259 Bad. Right, which is huge praise. Both ordinary 00:17:46.259 --> 00:17:49.279 men driven by financial necessity who find this 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:51.799 unexpected, highly specific talent in the world 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:54.680 of criminality. But Marty Bird's character, he's 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:57.200 defined by his internal control. Whereas Walter 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:58.880 White's character was more about his external 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:01.619 combustion, right? Marty is always, always trying 00:18:01.619 --> 00:18:03.299 to keep the lid on. That's a great distinction. 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:05.200 And this is where the directorial achievements 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:07.920 in Ozark truly shine. The most significant achievement 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:09.759 of the whole Ozark run wasn't just the acting, 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:12.119 which, you know, earned him multiple Screen Actors 00:18:12.119 --> 00:18:14.259 Guild awards for outstanding performance by a 00:18:14.259 --> 00:18:16.180 male actor in a drama series. Yeah, multiple 00:18:16.180 --> 00:18:20.259 wins. In 2018, 2020, and 2022. Yeah. It was the 00:18:20.259 --> 00:18:23.059 craft behind the camera. We absolutely have to 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:26.099 talk about the Emmy -winning work here. The sources... 00:18:25.930 --> 00:18:29.269 really highlight that teenage DGA record paying 00:18:29.269 --> 00:18:32.829 off big time decades later when Bateman won the 00:18:32.829 --> 00:18:35.150 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing 00:18:35.150 --> 00:18:38.990 for a Drama Series in 2019 for the Ozark episode, 00:18:38.990 --> 00:18:42.529 Reparations. Yeah, that specific win just cemented 00:18:42.529 --> 00:18:45.190 his status as a legitimate contemporary auteur. 00:18:45.589 --> 00:18:47.589 We know from analyzing the show that Bateman's 00:18:47.589 --> 00:18:50.109 visual grammar is incredibly controlled, often 00:18:50.109 --> 00:18:53.089 quite cold. Very distinct look. He favored these 00:18:53.089 --> 00:18:55.910 muted, desaturated, blue and gray color palettes, 00:18:56.170 --> 00:18:59.089 giving the show this distinct cinematic aesthetic 00:18:59.089 --> 00:19:01.170 that people often compare to directors like, 00:19:01.170 --> 00:19:04.109 say, David Fincher or Michael Mann. His camera 00:19:04.109 --> 00:19:06.630 work often uses these slow, deliberate tracking 00:19:06.630 --> 00:19:09.369 shots, which really force the audience to absorb 00:19:09.369 --> 00:19:12.250 the tension, the claustrophobia, perfectly mirroring 00:19:12.250 --> 00:19:14.500 Marty Bird's internal emotional state. So he 00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:17.000 wasn't just acting in the scene, he was meticulously 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:19.579 crafting the mood, the pace, the visual language 00:19:19.579 --> 00:19:22.240 of the entire show. That combination made him 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:25.220 a true dual threat, a powerhouse actor guiding 00:19:25.220 --> 00:19:27.359 the whole production with this sharp, disciplined 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:30.119 vision. And speaking of that vision, his acceptance 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:33.299 speech at the 2019 SAG Awards was actually incredibly 00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:35.960 powerful and really reflective of his own personal 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:38.259 journey. He dedicated it to the working actors, 00:19:38.859 --> 00:19:40.579 those who were perpetually in that wilderness 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:43.299 that he himself navigated back in the 90s. Right. 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.299 He delivered that incredibly memorable line. 00:19:45.819 --> 00:19:48.160 So I just want to say to the people that are 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:50.200 at home and not working as frequently as they 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:52.720 want, you're just one job away. You're plenty 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.700 talented. Hang in there. Yeah. That statement, 00:19:55.700 --> 00:19:57.740 I mean, coming from a guy who spent 10 years 00:19:57.740 --> 00:20:00.880 struggling and failed pilots, it was just laced 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.240 with personal empathy. It reinforced that he 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:06.740 really understands the grind, the necessity of 00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:09.480 persistence in what can be a brutal industry. 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.599 and his focus now seems overwhelmingly on generating 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:14.880 content, rather than just waiting for scripts 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:17.400 to come his way. His production company, Aggregate 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:19.079 Films, they've extended their lucrative deal 00:20:19.079 --> 00:20:21.200 with Universal, which means he's essentially 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.940 a media executor now, steering development across 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:27.490 both films and television. His directorial pipeline 00:20:27.490 --> 00:20:30.630 reflects this new status, too. He served as an 00:20:30.630 --> 00:20:33.069 executive producer for that survival competition 00:20:33.069 --> 00:20:35.869 series Outlast in 2023, kind of diversifying 00:20:35.869 --> 00:20:38.589 his portfolio. And looking ahead, he's tapped 00:20:38.589 --> 00:20:42.309 to direct Netflix's high -profile film Darkwire 00:20:42.309 --> 00:20:46.490 and also the Pinkerton for Warner Bros. and Bad 00:20:46.490 --> 00:20:49.230 Robot. I mean, these are major studio projects 00:20:49.230 --> 00:20:53.509 that demand a proven, powerful director. And 00:20:53.509 --> 00:20:56.069 what's equally important, I think, and reinforces 00:20:56.069 --> 00:20:58.369 that deep commitment to creative control, or 00:20:58.369 --> 00:21:00.529 the projects he has actively walked away from. 00:21:00.569 --> 00:21:02.609 Good point. He backed out of directing the clear 00:21:02.609 --> 00:21:05.329 remake, citing scheduling conflicts with Ozark, 00:21:05.670 --> 00:21:08.089 prioritizing his existing commitments, and furthermore, 00:21:08.210 --> 00:21:09.970 he famously departed Project Artemis, citing 00:21:09.970 --> 00:21:12.619 creative differences. Right. That's the ultimate 00:21:12.619 --> 00:21:14.819 sign of independence, isn't it? Moving past just 00:21:14.819 --> 00:21:17.339 taking any job to pay the bills and only engaging 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:19.299 with projects where he feels he can execute his 00:21:19.299 --> 00:21:21.160 precise vision. It's fascinating, though, while 00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:24.279 he's directing these intense, dark dramas, he 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:26.599 simultaneously launched this massively successful, 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:29.099 completely different kind of empire back in 2020. 00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:32.099 the Smartless podcast. Yeah, it's kind of a genius 00:21:32.099 --> 00:21:34.859 move, really, leveraging those existing friendships 00:21:34.859 --> 00:21:37.640 and that natural chemistry with his Arrested 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:39.980 Development co -star Will Arnett and Sean Hayes. 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:42.720 Great chemistry between them. Totally. Launched 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:45.700 in July 2020, Smartless is built around the simple 00:21:45.700 --> 00:21:49.039 high concept format. Each week, one of them surprises 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:51.279 the other two with a mystery celebrity guest. 00:21:51.529 --> 00:21:54.750 And that format just allows his dry analytical 00:21:54.750 --> 00:21:58.450 wit to thrive in a completely unscripted environment. 00:21:58.789 --> 00:22:00.630 The sources highlight its massive commercial 00:22:00.630 --> 00:22:03.509 reach, too. Apple revealed SmartList was the 00:22:03.509 --> 00:22:06.369 number four top show of the year in 2023. Wow, 00:22:06.369 --> 00:22:08.970 number four. Yeah. And that success quickly led 00:22:08.970 --> 00:22:11.890 to them forming SmartList Media in 2022, specifically 00:22:11.890 --> 00:22:15.089 to develop four additional podcasts. He successfully 00:22:15.089 --> 00:22:17.369 converted personal chemistry into this stable, 00:22:17.670 --> 00:22:19.769 diversified media platform. It's just another 00:22:19.769 --> 00:22:22.279 manifestation of that recurring theme of controlled 00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:24.940 output, isn't it? He's not just selling his likeness 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:27.500 anymore. He's owning the content, the production, 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:30.799 the distribution, creating multiple reliable 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:33.740 revenue streams. He really moved from being managed 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:36.460 to being the content generator himself to now 00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:39.279 becoming the media executive managing multiple 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:41.839 platforms. Beyond his professional work, his 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:43.960 personal life seems to provide a lot of stability. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:46.539 He married the actress Amanda Anka, who's the 00:22:46.539 --> 00:22:48.960 daughter of singer Paul Anka way back in 2001. 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:51.640 They have two daughters. And the industry clearly 00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:54.339 recognizes his status. He was honored as the 00:22:54.339 --> 00:22:57.039 hasty pudding man of the year in 2022, which 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.039 is kind of a sign that he's viewed as this durable, 00:22:59.339 --> 00:23:02.000 reliable Hollywood staple now. Big Dodgers fan 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.619 too, apparently. Right. However, you know, a 00:23:04.619 --> 00:23:06.599 genuine deep dive requires acknowledging that 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:09.160 moment of really intense public scrutiny. The 00:23:09.160 --> 00:23:12.019 May 2018 New York Times interview surrounding 00:23:12.019 --> 00:23:15.880 Arrested Development. Ah, yes. That was... That 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:18.559 was a challenging moment. During that interview, 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:22.059 Bateman, David Cross, and Tony Hale, they were 00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:24.599 criticized pretty heavily for appearing to defend 00:23:24.599 --> 00:23:27.160 Jeffrey Cambor's volatile behavior on set towards 00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:30.519 Jessica Walter, who was clearly visibly distressed 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:32.880 during the conversation. Yeah, it was uncomfortable 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:35.700 to read. The audience, particularly people who 00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:38.579 follow issues of workplace dynamics, reacted 00:23:38.579 --> 00:23:41.319 very swiftly and negatively. And the sources 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:44.630 seem to indicate that Bateman... Maybe in attempting 00:23:44.630 --> 00:23:46.930 to manage the escalating tension of the interview 00:23:46.930 --> 00:23:49.930 itself, tried to analyze the cause of Tambor's 00:23:49.930 --> 00:23:52.750 behavior in this professional, almost diagnostic 00:23:52.750 --> 00:23:55.490 manner, which is a classic fixer reaction, right? 00:23:55.769 --> 00:23:58.109 Interesting take. But that move just backfired 00:23:58.109 --> 00:24:00.750 spectacularly because it seemed to minimize Walter's 00:24:00.750 --> 00:24:02.869 actual emotional experience in that moment. The 00:24:02.869 --> 00:24:05.190 response, though, it was rapid and professional. 00:24:05.490 --> 00:24:07.869 Bateman, Cross, and Hale all issued apologies 00:24:07.869 --> 00:24:10.789 within days of the interview's publication, demonstrating 00:24:10.789 --> 00:24:13.750 pretty swift accountability and, frankly, Yeah, 00:24:14.170 --> 00:24:16.309 they did. And later, Bateman offered a retrospective 00:24:16.309 --> 00:24:18.789 assessment, acknowledging that he had overreached 00:24:18.789 --> 00:24:21.609 in his attempt to analyze the situation. This 00:24:21.609 --> 00:24:24.670 public misstep, it perfectly illustrates that 00:24:24.670 --> 00:24:27.289 inherent tension maybe in his personality, that 00:24:27.289 --> 00:24:29.269 analytical impulse that makes him a phenomenal 00:24:29.269 --> 00:24:31.589 director and a great Marty Bird that need to 00:24:31.589 --> 00:24:33.750 diagnose the system, sometimes gets in the way 00:24:33.750 --> 00:24:36.150 when maybe simple human empathy is what's required. 00:24:36.309 --> 00:24:38.369 It's a very public, probably painful lesson, 00:24:38.630 --> 00:24:41.630 but one he navigated relatively quickly, confirming 00:24:41.630 --> 00:24:43.880 his... commitment to, you know, self -correction 00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:47.720 when needed. Hashtag tag tag outro. So, looking 00:24:47.720 --> 00:24:50.440 back across this entire career, the journey of 00:24:50.440 --> 00:24:53.039 Jason Bateman is really one of the most remarkable 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:55.160 professional survival stories in Hollywood, I 00:24:55.160 --> 00:24:57.900 think. He navigated that treacherous shift from 00:24:57.900 --> 00:25:00.880 child star -fueled by that early financial anxiety 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:04.160 and getting that massive DGA record through a 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:06.720 truly chaotic decade of addiction and professional 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:09.640 turbulence to emerge not just as a reliable actor, 00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:13.059 but as a genuine powerhouse director, producer, 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:17.059 and, well, media executive. Our synthesis of 00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:19.440 this journey, really, is that he successfully 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:21.500 moved from being managed by his father until 00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:24.480 he was 20 to becoming the absolute manager of 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:26.859 his own creative output and his business interests. 00:25:27.619 --> 00:25:30.619 We see that incredible need for control reflected 00:25:30.619 --> 00:25:33.660 everywhere in the high stakes, dramatic complexity 00:25:33.660 --> 00:25:37.359 he directs in Ozark and in the grounded analytical 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:40.099 straight man persona he perfected on screen as 00:25:40.099 --> 00:25:42.509 Michael Bluth and Marty Bird. He lived through 00:25:42.509 --> 00:25:44.910 the chaos, and now he seems perpetually driven 00:25:44.910 --> 00:25:47.529 to control it. He is the ultimate fixer. He fixed 00:25:47.529 --> 00:25:50.309 the Bluth family's finances, he fixed the cartel's 00:25:50.309 --> 00:25:52.250 books, and ultimately he fixed his own career 00:25:52.250 --> 00:25:54.710 by taking the directorial chair. Which brings 00:25:54.710 --> 00:25:56.509 us to our final thought for you, the listener, 00:25:56.750 --> 00:25:59.710 to maybe chew on. We see Jason Bateman consistently 00:25:59.710 --> 00:26:02.130 seeking out these roles of the fixer, the man 00:26:02.130 --> 00:26:04.890 who brings analytical order to existential chaos. 00:26:05.470 --> 00:26:08.680 Does his profound early career anxiety... That 00:26:08.680 --> 00:26:10.819 intense pressure to constantly secure the next 00:26:10.819 --> 00:26:13.380 job for his family's income. The pressure that 00:26:13.380 --> 00:26:15.420 literally made him abandon his high school finals. 00:26:15.779 --> 00:26:18.630 Does that explain his deep decades -long commitment 00:26:18.630 --> 00:26:21.210 to control, not just over his acting roles, but 00:26:21.210 --> 00:26:23.130 over the entire production, the directing, the 00:26:23.130 --> 00:26:26.470 business process. He truly moved from being managed 00:26:26.470 --> 00:26:29.390 to becoming the ultimate manager. And maybe that 00:26:29.390 --> 00:26:31.470 deep -seated need for control, possibly born 00:26:31.470 --> 00:26:34.190 of that early financial fear, is the undeniable 00:26:34.190 --> 00:26:37.230 fuel that continues to drive his sustained, constantly 00:26:37.230 --> 00:26:38.490 reinvented success today.