The Man Behind the Wheel and in Front of the Camera

But they were trying to do like a guerrilla style filmmaking. They dropped me off in Skid Row, downtown LA. But I'm walking the streets down there while they're filming secretly from the car. But then once people found out, they saw a camera, everyone started getting up and walking and literally punching the car, spitting on the car, like, get out of here! And I'm there, and I'm in a mid-on, so I just had to blend in. Get out of here! Kick in the car, go! Who are these people? Our guest today is Dennis Hall, a Hollywood actor. You might recognize him from the movie that won Best Picture Oscar, the 91st Academy Awards in 2019, Green Book, where he played Max, a wise guy, alongside Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. But Dennis' story goes far beyond the big screen. He started his career sneaking onto movie sets and built a life in Hollywood that includes everything from working with Oscar winners to running a limo service with longtime clients like Mike Tyson. What does it take to make it to Hollywood? What really happens behind the scenes? Stay with us to find out. This is Bay Area Innovators, and I'm your host, Steve Esparza. Dennis, welcome to our program. Thanks for having me. Well, great to have you here. So I want to start with what I think is probably the most, probably the biggest thing you've done because it's a movie that won three Oscars, right? Green Book. Yes. So 2019, Green Book won three Oscars, and you were part of it. Tell us, how did you get in it? How did you get the part? And tell us what happened. Probably because of my wife, actually. My wife worked with the Farrelly brothers doing Hall Pass, the movie Hall Pass, back in 2010, 2011. She played Aunt Meg. And then I met my wife afterwards, and then just got to meet Peter Farrelly, who I love, him and his wife. And he's the producer. He's the, he wrote the movie. One of the writers, he directed it, produced it. So we just clicked, me and him, we just clicked. We would go up to their house once in a while for, you know, stay for the weekend. We just really hit it off. They're just amazing, down to earth, awesome people. And he was just like, hey, I want you, you know, I got this great little movie you'd be great for. And yeah, just, you know, different part. And then he was like, also, he's like, well, you can speak Italian, right? And I'm like, no. I said, we went to Italy on our honeymoon, I'm learning. So he sent me the script, I had to learn Italian. I had like about three weeks. So the role I wanted, but I didn't get that. I got the other mob guy. Which one, which role did you want? I wanted the guy that was my partner in the movie. I wanted that role, but it was great. So I got Mags, they called me, which actually Viggo gave me my name in the movie. Because I think I was like mob guy number one or number two. And Viggo was like, no, Dennis needs a name. So we went through names real quick, and he came up with Mags. So that's how I'm Mags in Green Book. No, it was phenomenal. One of the best. What was the film, New Orleans? Yeah, shot in New Orleans. So we went down, I went down twice. Went down, shot right before Christmas in New Orleans. That was fantastic. It was all done up for Christmas down there. And then came back home, and then went back down again after New Year's and shot. And it was weird because they have scenes, I don't know if you've seen the movie, they have a big, you know, a winter scene. And he's trying to get back home to New York. So they're driving through the snow. It was a freak, like hardly ever happens down there. They had a huge snowstorm in New Orleans. So they literally shot all those. In real life. While we were filming the movie down there. So they literally, so if you see Viggo driving in the snow, that's really shot in New Orleans. They were, you know, instead of having to wait and go to New York and shoot in New York, which they were gonna have to, it was this rare winter storm came, and they actually had tons of snow in New Orleans that year. So really weird, but phenomenal. It was just a great experience. So what did you feel like when you saw the movie getting all these awards? Was it rewarding? I mean, obviously not the lead role, but still. Well, literally the second I read the script. Literally, people always said that. But I literally, the second I read the script, I'm like, oh my God, I wanna be a part of this. This is gonna be, it was just a great moving story. And it's a true story. A lot of people don't realize it's totally true. And those two guys, Dr. Shirley and Viggo's character, they were friends. They'd be Dr. Shirley and Tony Lip, the two characters. You know, real true life guys. And they became friends, and they remained friends their whole life. And I think they died like six months apart, I believe. And so that was really surreal. People don't realize that. They see the movie, but then to find out it was an actual true story, and they remained friends. And yeah, it was really moving, especially for back then. You know, it was very political. It was the 60s, which they even have Robert Kennedy in there. There's a great little scene where you, but just very moving, especially back then, the racial dynamics back then. So to have two people from opposite ends of the world, well, you know, two different spectra. Here's this Dr. Shirley, classical pianist, very educated, well-spoken. And then you got like Tony Lip, this bouncer kind of hard knock guy. And for them to, it was just, and they both learned from each other, which was really wonderful to see. You start watching, they learn from each other different aspects of life, and just, yeah, really, it's a beautiful story, you know? What do they feel like in real life, the actors, the, you know, Viggo? They were amazing. You know, I didn't spend a lot of time, because I didn't have a really big part in the movie. But what I did, you know, Viggo was amazing, just a great person to be, and Mahershala, just down to earth, no egos whatsoever. And it was not, I wanted to bring a gift for everyone, so I had all these like hundreds of old postcards. So I went to all these postcards, and put packages together, everyone. So basically, all the cities that they drove through on their trip, I had all these old postcards. I put together little thank yous for everyone. And everyone was just so humble and sweet, and you know, I just, I would love to work with them again. I had a chance to work with Peter again in Greatest Beer Run Ever. I was cut out, I got cut out of it, unfortunately. That's the business. But my wife is in it, and she has two great scenes with Zac Efron, really moving. But the scene in there with you in Green Book, it's really funny, I think, it's great. Yeah, we're like these two rough mob guys from New York down collecting debts, you know. Kind of, you know, the muscle end of it. And we run into Viggo down, and we're like, what are you doing down here? Especially with this guy, like this African American, you know, what are you doing here, you know? And, but no, it was great, and it was, you know, it was just a great experience to film a location somewhere. And just then to be a part of an Oscar-winning movie. I mean, actors, there's so many actors that never have that opportunity in their life that wish, you know, to just be a part of something so fantastic. Tell us, how did you get into acting? You grew up on the East Coast, and what was the story? How did you? I grew up from Neptune, which, the same town as Jack Nicholson. Danny DeVito is the next town over. And my mom was always a singer. My mom sang when she was a little kid. So I got all these old programs of hers, and she used to go to hospitals, entertain people in the hospitals. And she says, oh, we sing and perform. And I really didn't realize till I got older that I started finding all the programs and going through stuff. So she was like, you know, a ham. She loved entertaining. And I think just built in, it gave me, I just had the bug. It was so weird, because even as a, like a teenager, I knew stuff about film. You know, I would come out like, oh, that's, what's his name? My mom would be like, what, how do you know that? And so, I don't know, I just always, I think, liked film. But it was definitely from my mom. She was a performer. And then my dad, you know, he was just so well-rounded. He did heating and air conditioning. I worked for him pretty much my whole life, you know. Crawl spaces, attics. And, but he was like, you know, so we'd work all day, and then we'd stop, pick up flowers on the way home. And he'd plant flowers in the flower boxes when we got home. He would cook, he'd garden. You know, just so well-rounded. And I just, you know, if it wasn't, I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for that. You know, I just learned so much of who I am is because of my dad, you know, and my mom. And where did you start? Where did you have your first break? So, just, I don't know, I just got the bug, you know. Because back then, like now, you go on the internet. There's so much. Yes. Back then, it was like, I don't know, how do you become an actor? You don't know anyone in the business. So, you would get the trade papers from, like, New York, backstage. And it was the trade, and you would look for, you know, auditions and stuff like that. So, I started with this older, divorced couple, Tony and Maria Greco, their name. They had this class up in New York City. So, I started commuting. I would get off work early, drive to, like, Hoboken, take the PATH train over to New York, go to class, and just got the bug, you know. So, I started taking classes, getting familiar with the whole business. And then, Mickey Roar came to town. Next to where I grew up in Neptune is Asbury Park, famous seaside beach resort. And so, he came to town and directed his very first movie, Homeboy. Okay. He was a boxer. And so, I snuck on the boardwalk. He was getting his makeup done, hair and makeup, and you couldn't even get near him. So, I went between the buildings and walked up to him and the makeup guy's like, you gotta go, you can't be here. He's like, no, leave him, leave him. So, I sat down and just talked to him. I said, hey, man, I just started acting, you know, being a pain in the ass. And so, no, he was just really open. And he's like, hey, well, you should look into the actor's studio in New York, stuff like that. I'm like, okay, great. So, you ended up talking to him and getting his advice. Yeah, I sat and talked with him while he was getting his makeup done and then actually walked with him back to his trailer and said, okay, well, thank you, bye, take care. And I flew, ran back home and put a suit on. I got dressed. I saw what all the extras were wearing. Drove back down to Asbury Park. I'd live maybe 25 minutes away. And walked right on set. Just walked on and I'm there, like, hey, what's up? And so, I was like, hey, do you got your voucher? I'm like, oh, no, I don't know where it's at. So, I still got my original voucher, too. I have it put away. I still say Bon Bon Entertainment, I remember. And so, it was wild. So, here I am now and Christopher Walken was in the movie. So, it was like, great. While we were on breaks, he's doing song and dance and dancing for everyone. And it was just amazing. So, you ended up being a part of that. So, I was an extra. Just, you know, we had a background walk around. But then they had to bus all the extras back to New York. It was running late and Mickey started freaking out. And he's like, oh my God, what am I gonna do? I'm like, well, I'll stay all night. I don't care. He's like, what do you mean? I'm like, I'm not with them. I live here. And he's like, okay, change. You're the bartender now. So, I got changed and I became the bartender. So, no lines or anything extra. But you see me. You see me in the film. There's Christopher Walken, Mickey. So, that really got the bug going for me. And I'm like, okay, I gotta do something. And then that same week, Danny DeVito came back to town and they had the big premiere at Paramount Theater, which is on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. And they had the premiere of Bo Mama from the Train, which was his first movie he directed. So, I was there. I didn't go to the movie, but I was there outside watching the whole, you know, all the cameras and everyone there for the premiere. So, that was like the bug. You know, it's like, okay, I gotta. How tall is Danny DeVito? Oh God, five three maybe? I don't know. Well, so great. I got to work with him on Always Sunny in Philadelphia TV show. I think maybe 10 years ago, maybe. I got the chance to work with him as in actually acting with a part. So, it was great. So, then on break for lunch, you know, it was just me, Danny, and Charlie Day, the other actor of the show. And we just sat there eating lunch and talking about where we grew up, Shark River Hills. My grandmother used to get her hair cut. His mother or sister owned a beauty parlor in Neptune City. And he actually cut hair at one point before he became an actor really. So, my grandmother used to get her hair cut there all the time. So, we sat and talked about that and fishing in Shark River Hills where we grew up. So, it was just, you know, amazing. And then later you got all kinds of roles, but many roles have to, you know, we are wise guy, right, in some of the roles. So, how did that work out? How did that? Well, so, it's great with me. I don't know. I always got into, I like theater actors. So, you know, I started at Lee Strausberg Theater Institute in New York. That's where he taught like Marilyn Monroe. I think Pacino did a little studying there. So, that's what I wanted. It's a whole different business these days, you know? Back then it was like, wow, you know? All these great theater actors, Duvall, you know, Pacino, De Niro, Gene Hackman who just passed. And just, so that's what I wanted, that, you know, to be that quality actor, you know, studying. So, but it just didn't click with me. Strausberg Institute, I just felt like an outsider, you know, just like a fraud. Like, what am I doing here? Oh my God, they're gonna realize I don't know what the hell I'm doing, you know? And it was good, but I was commuting, you know? So, I would drive to Hoboken. You know, I'd work with my dad all day, get off work, drive right up to Hoboken, take the PATH train over to New York, walk across Manhattan in class till like 11.30, 12 o'clock at night. And then back, you know, cross walking, freezing Manhattan, standing there at midnight in the PATH station. But it was like, wow, this is what I wanna do, you know? So, I had to tell my dad, okay, I'm walking away from the business. I was gonna take over heating and air conditioning, and that was gonna be my life. And I'm like, God, I don't wanna look back 20 years from now and say, what if? You know, wonder what if? And so, I just, I said, I gotta make the move. And he was great. He wasn't, you know, most father-son relationships, working is tough, you know? And he could be, what are you, an idiot, an act? And he wasn't. He was always like, well, you always have something to fall back on. God, I got choked up by that. Yeah, just very, you know, it was just great. It was like, wow, okay. And I walked away. Wasn't it great to get that kind of support, especially, you know? Well, I think my mom, she was a ham. My mom was like, you know, like I said, always with the singing, and I think she always wanted to be an actress. You know, just never, you know, she got married, had family, and just never, so. I think she was really happy that I did that, I think, you know? I know, I know. What reminds me now is when you talk, we talked earlier about Don Rickles and how you actually met him. Don Rickles. And Don Rickles would always talk about his mom. He'd always have all this respect, you know, for his parents, but especially about his mom. So I think it's so important to have this kind of level of connection. If you watch a lot of interviews with actors, a lot of them have issues with their parents. Yes, you know, I'm very blessed. People say, I love my mom. I'm just unfortunate my wife didn't get to meet them. You know, they, because my wife is so much like my mom, just quality work, great, you know, and just, yeah. So I'm very blessed in that. And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that. Like, my mom and dad were both creative, both talented, with crafts, it's just with everything, you know? And I think that's where I get it from, you know, just. Tell us about some of your favorite roles that you felt like it was you, you did what you wanted to do in film. Well, the main one was the, it was a great short film called The Cross. And I met my wife on that. So my life is totally different now. I don't know where I would be without, so that alone. But it was great. It was my first lead role. And it was like, wait, I can do this. And then I thought I was pretty goddamn good, you know? It's like, wow, and gritty. It was really gritty. And I think I told you, like, they dropped me off in Skid Row, downtown LA, which is a, quite a nice place. You don't want to be there for too long. And, but they were trying to do like a guerrilla style filmmaking. So they just dropped me off and I'm walking the streets down there while they're filming secretly in the car. And I'm just, you know, and then, but then once people found out, they saw a camera, everyone started getting up and walking and literally punching the car, spitting on the car, like, get out of here. And I'm like, holy, I'm there. And I'm in a mid-on, so I just had to blend, get out of here, kicking the car, ow, who are these? And the whole time, like, oh my God, please come back. You know? And they leave and I'm like, oh, who are those? I just keep walking with the tough guy, like, come on guys. And then I turn the corner and they come, get me in the car, I'm like, let's get the hell out of here. I guess they want to make it more authentic. It was, it was so gritty and it was just fun. It just, yeah, it looked really good. It was gritty. And just like I said, I met my wife on it. It just changed my whole life. It just, so you just don't know. You get, you know, you start a project, you don't know what's, it might, which happens all the time. You think it's gonna be the greatest thing in your life. Yes. And it's like the mis, most worst, the terrible thing of you. You're like, God, that was disappointing. And then things that you think, oh, this is this little short film thing. And it turns into being one of the greatest things of your life, you know? Exactly. And you and your wife, Kristen Carey, now you've been married for almost 10 years. Yeah, coming up on 10 years. And you guys are doing great relationships. Yeah, we met too. For Hollywood standards. That's like dog years. We're almost 40, almost what? 40 or 50 years? Congratulations on that. Yeah, I know. That's awesome, that's awesome. No, it was great. What would you say? She couldn't stand me after the table read. We met and then couldn't stand me after the table read. Then we worked together like three days straight from like three in the morning to like three in the afternoon in this real seedy bar downtown LA. And we just clicked, you know? And it just, yeah. And then we moved in together, got engaged and just, yeah. And what's the secret of your success with her or the relationship to keep it going, you know? Again, for Hollywood standards, that's a... I just say yes, no, yes, no. No, it's rough like any marriage, especially in Hollywood and in the business. But it's, I mean, we're pretty down to earth, you know? We just click, yin and yang, you know? She's very grounded and spiritual. I'm raving lunatic and she keeps me grounded and, you know, bring it down, bring it down. Now you had a movie, Chasing Bullet, that was Steve McQueen, it's his story, right? That was another good one too, because I really liked that. I played Freddy Fields, which was a real, he was Steve McQueen's manager. And it's so hard because like, you know, to play someone real, especially if there's no footage of them, you know? So you try to do your best interpretation as you can. And I've had, you know, some people are like, oh, that was great, but then I think I heard someone, oh, Freddy wasn't like that. I'm like, well, great, I don't know. There's nothing to look at to see. It's just my interpretation. But it was really good. And the guy that played Steve McQueen, Andre Brooks, he looks like Steve McQueen a lot. Yeah, he does. He actually does. And he did such a great job. And it was fun. That was just a gritty, and that's really low independent film. I think that was shot on such a small budget, you know, but it looks really good. Is that a true story? And it looks like the 70s. It looks like how it was shot, really grainy and 70s. No, I don't think it's a true story. It's just a sort of what was going on in his life at that moment when he was trying to make the movie Le Mans and all that stuff. And everything that was falling apart around him, his whole life at that time. And, but no, it was cool. Great little, like I said, some of these little independent films are a better experience than on a major Hollywood feature film production, you know? And now you have a side business or a side gig that you have a limo company, right? We all have our go-to jobs when you're not, you know. Yeah, I own a limo company. So I started, you know, when I moved to Los Angeles, waitering, did the bartending, house painting, you know, everything. And then I was, yeah, bartending, waitering, and then I got in with a limo company and just, you know, morning, noon, and night. And then she became like my second mom, actually, and retired, and then I bought her out back in like 2004. And yeah, so many crazy stories, you know, like Mike Tyson's one of my clients forever. Yeah, you told me that before. So what is it like? So you're driving him around and, you know, what is it like? You talk to him? I've done a trip through the desert with the whole thing of pigeons going across the desert, just Mike and the pigeons. His pigeon has pigeons? Yeah, he's into pigeons for years. Like he flies? What does he do with them? No, he's like up a couple hundred, I think, on the rooftop in New York. Ever since he's a teenager, he raises pigeons. Just a great guy, him, his wife, the kids, mother-in-law, father-in-law. So he was recently in a fight, like after a long time, he had a fight, and then he did okay, but what most people don't know is that he was pretty injured before that, right? Yeah, he had problems, he was in the hospital. I don't know much about that, but he did great. I mean, he's 60. I mean, he's like 58. You give him a hug, he's solid, man. So what is he like as a person? Is he friendly? Is it a tough guy? I think, I mean, to me, they're fantastic. Everyone, everywhere we go, people love him. They respect him. He's respectful to everyone. I mean, everyone loves him, from every race, religion. I mean, Muslim, everyone. I mean, just everywhere he goes, he's loved. I mean, he's such a legend, right? Oh, he's fantastic. So I'm just, you know, I'm blessed, I'm honored, and you know, that they, you know, like me. So that's, you know, it's just been interesting. Tell us about other stories or other film sets that you were on that were significant to you, something that meant, you know, something. Well, it's so funny, like you get in, and you get to, like, you know, like the career, obviously, doesn't always go how you wish it was, you know? Am I where I wanna be? No. Am I doing what I wanna do? Yes, very fortunate. I'm glad I walked away from my dad's business. I'm glad I'm an actor. I'm gonna die being an actor. It's just, it's great, because you just learn, like here, I'm here with you. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here right now. You meet so many great different people, and learn, especially if you're doing a role, you, you know, you learn that road, that you become that, try to become that character. So you learn so, so many things that you would never learn as, in your normal life, you know? So you learn, like, say, play the violin, maybe, or you learn about the violin. You learn about shooting guns, you know? All this, I just love it. You're always, always learning. And like I said, so we, my, actually, my wife and I, you get depressed also, because you're like, ah, my career's going nowhere, or, you know, you get frustrated. And then all of a sudden, you get this little gem that, wow, reawakens your whole being. You're like, wow, this is why I was an actor. So we did this great film, The Bountress. It was just, it was like a modern bounty hunter. So I was like a, it was like a modern, kind of Western bounty hunter. So I was the main guy they were looking for, me and a partner, and we were like on the ATV. And it was just, it was just fantastic. Low budget film, but they flew us back to New York. We shot in New York State. And just, it just felt great, you know? It was just a wonderful, all-female crew, basically. The director was female, the AD, everyone. And it was just a wonderful, wonderful experience. And it was like, wow, okay. Where literally the week before that, I'm like, that's just it, I'm done. Let's go do this, let's go shoot this, I'm done. I'm giving up acting, I'm just done with it. And then we shot that, and it's like, oh my God, okay. It's a comeback. Yeah, I'm back now. So yeah, you just, you don't know. You know, but then like I said, then you get, oh my God, my big break is coming, this is it. And it's like the worst situation ever, you know? You're just like, ah, that was disappointing. You just don't know. But you wake up every day, and literally, you wake up in the morning, by the end of the day, your life could be totally different. And that's what I liked about it, you know? You have no idea. Like for, I think I was driving, like airport, dropping someone off at the airport. Looked on the phone, it's Peter Farrelly. Hey, I want you in my next movie. So you're like, whoa. So my day started like this, and here it is at the end of the day. That's pretty amazing. You know, you just don't know. And like I said, I met my wife. I was never married. I never even dreamed about being married. I didn't want to be married. And I met my wife, and here we are now. And now almost 10 years, and it's just, you know. And that's what's so great, too, because it's so, people say, you know, it's hard if you're in this business together, being an actor, jealousy, and it's not. It's like, great, I'll sit home and paint. It's fine, I hope you get a great series, awesome. I hope I get a great series. But if not, so it's not the competition, it's not jealousy with us, it's great, which a lot of people, they have that, you know? Competition, yes. Like, honey, go, you deserve it. She's more talented than I am, and you deserve it, and great, get a big show, I'll sit home and paint. Carnivale, this is a series that you made. That's a carnival, yeah, on HBO. Tell us about that. Was it one of your first breaks in Hollywood? Yeah, Carnival is actually my first break, got me my SAG card. So it was all non-union stuff before that. What's a SAG card? So that's your Screen Actors Guild. So you get your SAG card, your Screen Actors Guild card. So, but it's the old Catch-22. Growing up, okay, I wanna get my SAG card, but you can't get your SAG card until you have a part, a SAG role, but you can't get a SAG role unless you have your SAG card. So it's a Catch-22, you're like, okay, well. So what they do is they have, it's called Taft-Hartley. So if you don't have your SAG card and they want you, it's called Taft-Hartley. So you sign, you're eligible, you can do the thing, but you don't have to sign up for the union yet. But your next project, then you have to sign up before you can do your next project. So I got that, I got my, on Carnival, which is, I think, one of HBO's first series? They did, like, Sopranos was one of the first, but Carnival was one of the first five series I think they did, original, you know? Let me get back to that for a second. So you're telling me that you cannot actually be in a role without the SAG card? You can't, yeah, you can't be in a SAG role unless you have a SAG card, unless you're a SAG member, you're part of the union. But you can't get your union card unless you have a SAG part. So it's like a Catch-22, well, how do I do this, you know? So yeah, so like I said, so I got that. So actually, I auditioned for Carnival, it was on HBO. It's like the Depression Era, it was about, like the 40s, I'm sorry, the 20s. So it was like that, late 20s, Depression Era. Yeah, so I went in, I auditioned. Another thing about being an actor, if you wanna get a part, book an airline ticket to go away somewhere, and you'll probably get an audition. And that's how it always turns out. So no, I had the audition for Carnival, I went in, I read for the casting director, director, producer, and then literally, once it was over, I left, got in the car, and went right to the airport. Because I had a ticket, I went to see my mom, my dad, and my grandmother in Florida. And literally, I got off the plane, got in the car, and we went right to dinner. And I got a call at dinner from my manager. Okay, hey, it's between you and like two other people. And I'm like, well, I'm not gonna get it, because I don't have my SAG card. But she was like, no, I told them all about you, how long you've been busting your butt, you know, this, where you studied, you studied with Stella Adler, all this stuff. And I'm like, okay, well, let me know. Hung up, we finished dinner, started heading to my parents' house, didn't even get there, got another call from my manager. Okay, you booked it, so you gotta fly back tomorrow. So as I said, if you wanna, as an actor, book a ticket to go away somewhere, and you'll probably get an audition. It's like with the umbrella, right? If you wanna make sure it doesn't rain, it brings the umbrella with you. Exactly, so I had to fly all the way back home. So it was great, I got my first break. And it was great, because I got to work with Amy Madigan, great actress, I love her and her husband's Ed Harris, another great actor, and Clancy Brown. So that was just a great experience. And it was surreal, too, because my older brother, I had an older brother, he passed away in 95 brain aneurysm. So I had his ashes with me. And it was so weird, because this was my first break, my first screen, sag film, or series. And so I brought his ashes with me to spread on the set. I think I just threw them just for a kick. So I had no idea, but we were filming at this old church. And so I'm like, oh, there's bushes. I just dumped his ashes in the bushes, just doing it. So then later on, we did the scene to go shoot somewhere in front of the church, where I dumped his ashes. So in the scene, it's me and Amy Madigan. And then we turn, and we're talking to Clancy Brown. And right next to Clancy is this bush where I dumped my brother's ashes. So it's like me and Amy, and then Clancy and my brother. It was just kind of a surreal moment. Is there the place where you saw someone that looked just like your brother? No, that was different. That was after he passed away. I went to, with the limo, I used to drive to Vegas. I used to take people to Vegas, drop them off a lot, and then come back home, and then go back, get them at the end of the week or something. And my brother used to go out there all the time, too. And we'd go do the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Sands, the Rat Pack, the old Sands Hotel. And then go play, have the all-you-can-eat buffet, and then go play blackjack. I think they still have those, right? But it's just different. Yeah, so I would do that, too. So then right after he passed away, I had to take people out there. And I dropped them, and I, oh, let me go to the Sands. I had the buffet. And I went and I sat down at the poker table. And literally sat down, and as I start playing, I turn, this guy sits next to me, and I turn and look. I was like, he looked exactly like my brother. I'm talking exactly like my brother. It freaked me out so much. I just was like, kept looking at him. And I'm like, sorry. I was like, I'm so sorry, man. I said, but you look so much like my brother. And my brother's name was Tom. And so I said, I'm so sorry. I said, but you look so much like my brother. It's freaking me out. I said, he just passed away. I said, I'm Dennis. He's like, oh, I'm Tom, nice to meet you. Whoa, I was like, are you kidding me? It was so surreal. I started literally tearing up. And I got up and I walked away. And I was like, so freaked out. I was like, wow, that was surreal. I was like, wait, I gotta go back. I turned around to go back, he was gone. So it was surreal. It wasn't a ghost. I don't know, man. It was just so bizarre. But it was one of those, like, I got goosebumps now, just telling you about it. But yeah, it was just so surreal, you know? A lot of weird stuff like that in my life. So your limo, your limo driving, you know, that also brought a lot of interesting stories, right? Well, especially like, yeah, because I started driving and it was so great. And so Freddy DeCordova, he was the producer of the Johnny Carson show. He was one of my clients. The guy that was driving, when I started with this company, he had a regular driver for years. But that guy started doing a lot of blow. They got rid of him. For our audience, if they don't know, Johnny Carson has been on The Tonight Show probably the longest, right? Oh, God, what was he, like 35 years or something, I think? Yeah, he's amazing. So I would pick him up every morning, Freddy DeCordova, the producer, and I would take him to the studio, NBC, drop him off in the morning, and then I'd go get him back in the afternoon. And he would always hang around and he would leave right after Johnny would do the monologue. So I'm like, oh my God, I'm going early. So I would get there early and literally be hanging out behind the curtain. So like Johnny would be where you are looking out towards the audience. I'm standing there like, well, it's just surreal. As a young, you know, an actor, a young actor, it's like, whoa. Just, yeah, it was mind-blowing. And then I would take Freddy home, but then I would take them to dinner also, him and his wife. So, you know, I'd have her on my arm and they would go to Spago all the time, which is a big Hollywood celebrity restaurant. In Beverly Hills. Wolfgang Puck, yeah, the original. So yeah, I would take them and they would have dinner all the time. His best friends were Bob Newhart and his wife, Don Rickles and his wife. So it was like the six of them all the time. Yeah, they'd dinner like constantly. These are absolute legends. And so for me, as a young actor, it was just, you know, to see all these legends, it was just so amazing, you know? And then like I did, I took them one night to the Bloomingdale Mansion. That's the Bloomingdale's in the mansion. So I had Mrs. DeCordova on my arm, Freddy on, you know, next to me, ring the doorbell and the door opens, it's Nancy Reagan. I'm like, no way, you know? You're like, what? So I got Nancy on one arm, Mrs. DeCordova, you know, walking through the Bloomingdale Mansion. Well, that's what you get for being in the business. Yeah, and then you go to the backyard and there's Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, you know, there's like barbecue out back. You're just like, wow, this is so surreal. But like I said, as a young actor, and it was great and I had a script I wrote. I was trying to get made and I gave it to Freddy. He actually read it and loved it. I was like, wow, you took the time to read it? That was just so, God, really lovely of you, thank you. Then he passed away a little bit after that. And yeah, he was just a great man, you know? I went to Jimmy Stewart's funeral, his wife's funeral. And then we had Spago, the big, after the funeral, they had the big thing at Spago. So he introduced me to Sinatra at Spago. So yeah, just to meet all these Hollywood legends, just surreal, you know? Would you trade that life for working at 9to5, or even your dad's company, but the 9to5 job where you go in every day and you do the same thing every day? How would you compare that? Would you ever trade that in? Oh, where I'm at now? Yeah. No, I'd love, look, like I said, am I where I want to be in my career? No. Will I ever be there? I don't know. But I'm happy, I love my life. I'm an actor, I wanted to be an actor. And now I turn, like I said, when I walked away from my dad's business, I didn't want to turn around 20 years and say, God, what if? What if I went to LA? What if I tried? And you know, at least I don't have that now. And I'm glad, and then I met my wife, you know? Yes, yes. Would I dream I'd be here? No. And like I said, every day's a new experience, you know? If she gets something wonderful, well, that means I'm with her, you know? I meet more, these wonderful people. And same thing, I get something really cool. She's meeting great people. And you're just always growing, you know? You just never know what's around the corner. Like my wife, she's on this great new show, Paradise, that just came out. You know, you just don't know. And it's just a great experience, you know? I'm sure she wished she had a better part. We all do. You know, bigger parts. My mom would always say, well, my mom was like, oh my God, you were great in that. But how come your part's that big? Or it's like, yeah, I know, really? Hey, wow, I didn't think of that. Thank you. I wonder, yeah, God, yeah, I wish. But no, you just don't know. And then, like I said, out of the blue, you don't expect something. You're like, oh, this is just, let's bang this out. All of a sudden, it turns out to be like one of the greatest things of your life, you know? Like I said, this movie, The Cross. It was a wonderful experience. Loved the director, still friends with him. But I met my wife from it. Never dreamed of that. And now it's just, you know, so things are just great. It's funny. Well, I gotta ask you, how do you balance the rough life that exists in Hollywood, even though, you know, sometimes you break. But how do you balance that? What does you do? Oh my God. You talk about painting, right? Well, my God, yeah. You're always frustrated. You're like, oh, I'm not working. And when's the audition coming? I don't know. So when pandemic happened, right before that, my wife bought me this great little art kit. Like just generic, a little box. So it had little watercolor paint, oil paints, acrylics, brushes, all that stuff. All the different pencils. And didn't really do much with it. But then pandemic started. And I started drawing a little bit with that. But then I started baking a lot. Which everyone, I think, did during pandemic. So I had my baguettes down. I learned how to do baguettes. I was doing pizza. Jersey style pizza. Calzones. And then I got into, I pulled the art kit out. I was like, huh, I got this idea for some, I started baking pies. Artwork pies, I called them. But they were like, I did Starry Night, Van Gogh's Starry Night. I did Salvador Dali, Persistence of Memory. So I would make the pie dough, roll it all out, cut all the pieces by hand, shape them by hand, and then color everything. Food coloring. The actual pie. And then bake the pie. So the pie tops were that. So I did like, I think, eight, seven different pies or something. And we got tired of eating pie. So then like after the fourth one, I just made the pie tops. And that's all I wanted to do was just create and do these different artwork. You know, I did like the Great War. Magritte. I did a good pie of that. The Flower Gatherer. Diego Rivera. I did that pie. And then I was like, okay, great. What am I gonna do with these? So I just froze them in the freezer. And they were in there for like a year. And then I got the idea. I encased them in polyurethane each one. So you can actually hang them up. But I was like, this is ridiculous. I want to leave something behind. So that's why I got into actual painting. Started then actual painting. Acrylics. I didn't know anything really about painting. Just from my little art kit my wife got me. That's how you just learned the first thing. Yeah, and I never, I mean, I always liked art growing up. And like in school and stuff, in art class and stuff. But never beyond that. So it was nice. And then I started learning about acrylic. I'd go on YouTube, learn about acrylic, oil paintings and all that. Because I wanted to leave something behind. Like we'd all have kids. And the acting is great, but how many people know who Jimmy Stewart is right now? Like how many 20 year olds? How many know who Marlon Brando is? Not a lot, and that's what I'm saying. So you leave that behind, but I'm gonna leave something behind. Like, you know, so I started painting. And that was my thing. I'm gonna leave something behind for maybe a couple hundred years from now it'll be around. So I started painting with acrylics and then I learned how to do oil painting basically. Let's bring a couple of your paintings here and you can tell us about it. Yeah, so now I just here, I just started out with that. That's just on a panel. Didn't really know what the hell I'm doing really. That's just a watercolor paint. And I actually started that before pandemic and then just left it. And then picked it back up again when I really like, I want to start painting. So that's just, but the like thousands of dots, thousands, it's like pointillism almost. So it's thousands and thousands of dots, this thing. So that was my, that was just watercolor. I'm like, okay, I have no idea what I'm doing. And then I just, and then I moved on to, and then this is, that's a. Oh, that's a nice one, incredible. Where I grew up, I went back from my high school reunion. So I took a photo, that's actually in Spring, it's called, that's actually Spring Lake in Spring Lake, New Jersey. That's actually fantastic. So I shot a photo and then I painted it acrylic. Yeah, same thing with that, almost like pointillism. So all the thousands of, I would wear my glasses with a magnifying headset and the 20-odd brush, which is the smallest brush they make, and just thousands and thousands of dots. But I'm thrilled with that. It turned out, but just a lot of. How long did it take you to do this? I don't know, 100 hours or more, I don't know. A long time, it just kept going. But not knowing what the hell I'm doing, you know, just playing by ear and just going. So did you have any feelings about this? Like there was a reason why you did this? You like the setting, the lighting? I like where we were staying. That was literally, we went back from our reunion. We were staying, so we walked through the park there and took that picture. And just, and my wife loves it too. It turns out she's an aunt, just like a couple towns over from where I grew up. That was surreal, even if she's from Santa Rosa, but she's an aunt in Avon, New Jersey, you know? So no, it's just, I don't know, because I always liked Spring Lake, so that just, I don't know, I just wanted to try it. Yes. You know, I have no idea, just going, I'd sit on the couch and just do it. So I'm really happy with that. It's just a lot of hours. But then I was like, I don't know, something different. And then I just did, I'm into Van Gogh. So this is like my little ode to Van Gogh. That's our, actually our balcony at our house. But then I added the irises, a little, just my homage to Van Gogh. And, but just like I said, just growing. So these are all acrylics, you know? How about the hotel? I want to see the hotel. Oh, well, then I did this one first. That's based on an 1800 photo. Oh, wow. An old black and white photo I did. Just, you know, doing different stuff. But then I got into, so then I went to learn oil painting. Didn't know anything about oil painting, how to do what, you know, I was always scared. Like, what is this, you know? And then, but YouTube, just learning. And one of my, I really like Edward Hopper. I don't know if you're familiar, he did Nighthawks is one of his famous paintings, which is like a loneliness. It's the diner at night with the three people sitting at the counter, the guys behind the counter. And it's basically about loneliness, really. But it's called Nighthawks. So I just liked that. And then, yeah, I just wanted to start painting oil. And, but I really didn't know what I was doing or even what I wanted to paint. But I wanted, so what it was, driving limo. I was heading home, this was about five years ago, and it stuck with me. They have these pet hotels that are around, like these kennels that are, they call them hotels now. Pet hotels, really luxury. So I was driving home and it was like five in the morning. It was still dark out. I dropped people at the airport and I was heading home. And as I'm driving home, there's this beautiful pet hotel. And I'm like, oh my God, look at that. And as I'm driving by, there's a homeless guy sleeping on the side of the pet hotel. And I'm like, that is so surreal. Here's this beautiful hotel with the pets, but a homeless guy outside. So that's, this was my first oil painting ever, which took me about eight months or nine months. And I call it Pet Hotel, and it's basically, yeah. That's impressive. So to draw, it took a while to draw it out architectural-wise, get the right dimension, you know. But yeah, it's just the woman feeding the dog. The other dog's sleeping. You got the cats on the, and there's the homeless guy. Sleeping on the side of the building. And I, look, I get goosebumps. It still stuck with me. So wait, so you saw this, and then you drew this from memory, or you took a picture? No, I just, this isn't what the place looks like. This is something totally just. Just from your imagination. Well, I just, I would just then look through pictures of buildings. I'm like, oh, I like that. I'll use like that kind of style. I see. But then I still, like when I was going to school back in high school, I think right after high school, I took like a drafting class for architecture. Yeah. I still have all my tool, all my architecture tools. So I finally brought those out after like 20 some years. I still have them, all my drafting tools. And then started working on this, the perspective, laying it out. Yeah. It's too much time with all the windowsills. But no, I like it. It's just the meaning, you know. It's like I said, it really stuck with me. It's like these beautiful hotels for pets. Yes. But yet we have human beings sleeping outside That's actually a very good observation, how it's such a good contrast, right? We care more for pets than we care for humans. Yeah. And then you got a little like the heart, a little symbolism of a heart of love kind of over there. You've got the North Star over here, which is sort of like religious kind of thing like that. So no, I just, and then I would say, I mean, painting, and I like just doing whatever, but then I just started like, I don't know, things that kind of make people think a little bit. Dennis, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate talking to you about your experiences. If you can't tell, I don't like talking about myself. So you made it kind of easy. Well, it's awesome to get your input on what Hollywood is like, what's behind the scenes and what life is there and how you enjoy what you're doing. I think that's the most important. Thank you so much for your time. Hey, thank you so much. Awesome. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you for watching another episode of Bay Area Innovators. If you enjoyed this episode and you know someone who should be on our show, please send us an email at sfbay at epochtimes.com. We would love to hear from you. Thank you and see you next week.