David Marchese

There are all these urban legend stories that I'm sure you're familiar with of, you know, you showing up and playing kickball with people on Roosevelt Island or, you know, commandeering a golf cart in Scandinavia somewhere. There's the one where...

There are all these urban legend stories that I'm sure you're familiar with of, you know, you showing up and playing kickball with people on Roosevelt Island or, you know, commandeering a golf cart in Scandinavia somewhere. There's the one where...

People said you would come up behind them on the street, put your hands over their eyes, and then when they turn around, you tell them no one will ever believe you. And I realized in preparing for this interview that those stories don't seem to pop up anymore. And I wondered if you... Did you stop doing that sort of stuff? Did you change your behavior?

People said you would come up behind them on the street, put your hands over their eyes, and then when they turn around, you tell them no one will ever believe you. And I realized in preparing for this interview that those stories don't seem to pop up anymore. And I wondered if you... Did you stop doing that sort of stuff? Did you change your behavior?

Did the world change and it felt less fun to do? Did it start to become the expected thing?

Did the world change and it felt less fun to do? Did it start to become the expected thing?

What sort of memories kicked up for you in Tokyo?

What sort of memories kicked up for you in Tokyo?

From the old days? Yeah, you obviously went back there to feel something.

From the old days? Yeah, you obviously went back there to feel something.

Wait, I want to ask you a couple more questions about The Friend, but before I do, I want to tell you a quick story. You're a co-star in The Friend. She's really the star of the film Naomi Watts. Ten years ago, I was supposed to do an interview with her, and I got off the train because I was going in to do the interview, and my phone buzzed, and it was my wife, and she had gone into labor once.

Wait, I want to ask you a couple more questions about The Friend, but before I do, I want to tell you a quick story. You're a co-star in The Friend. She's really the star of the film Naomi Watts. Ten years ago, I was supposed to do an interview with her, and I got off the train because I was going in to do the interview, and my phone buzzed, and it was my wife, and she had gone into labor once.

With our first child. So, of course, I got back on the subway, went back home, furiously getting our go bag ready. And then my phone rings. It's a number I don't recognize. And I think, oh, maybe it's a doctor or something. I pick it up. And I say, like, agitatedly, hello? Hello? And I hear, hi, this is Naomi. I don't know a Naomi. Who— Who are you? And she said, I'm Naomi.

With our first child. So, of course, I got back on the subway, went back home, furiously getting our go bag ready. And then my phone rings. It's a number I don't recognize. And I think, oh, maybe it's a doctor or something. I pick it up. And I say, like, agitatedly, hello? Hello? And I hear, hi, this is Naomi. I don't know a Naomi. Who— Who are you? And she said, I'm Naomi.

I think we're supposed to do an interview now. And I said, oh, God, I'm so sorry. And then she was so nice. It was like, no, no, go. Just hang up immediately and go. And then we named our daughter Naomi. Oh. Well. The last part's not true, but everything up to that is true.

I think we're supposed to do an interview now. And I said, oh, God, I'm so sorry. And then she was so nice. It was like, no, no, go. Just hang up immediately and go. And then we named our daughter Naomi. Oh. Well. The last part's not true, but everything up to that is true.

Yeah, she was very sweet about it.

Yeah, she was very sweet about it.

Oh, no. A colleague of mine pinch-hit for me and did the interview. So The Friend, it's a beautiful novel. It's about a woman played by Naomi Watts who's sort of a pivotal figure in her life, Walter, played by you, dies from suicide. This all happens in the first couple minutes of the movie, so I'm not giving anything away.

Oh, no. A colleague of mine pinch-hit for me and did the interview. So The Friend, it's a beautiful novel. It's about a woman played by Naomi Watts who's sort of a pivotal figure in her life, Walter, played by you, dies from suicide. This all happens in the first couple minutes of the movie, so I'm not giving anything away.