1 00:00:06,302 --> 00:00:07,344 Do you like spaghetti? 2 00:00:07,636 --> 00:00:09,305 - I do. - Great. 3 00:00:12,474 --> 00:00:14,768 When you were young, did you ever hate one of your parents? 4 00:00:16,353 --> 00:00:17,479 I don't think so. 5 00:00:18,731 --> 00:00:21,817 - No? I did. I hated my dad. - Really? 6 00:00:21,901 --> 00:00:24,904 I was very angry at him because he wasn't there. 7 00:00:25,487 --> 00:00:27,781 I put my parents through hell. 8 00:00:28,782 --> 00:00:31,327 - I drank like a fish. - What did you drink? 9 00:00:31,702 --> 00:00:35,205 Vodka, tequila. I did drugs. 10 00:00:36,165 --> 00:00:37,291 Marijuana… 11 00:00:38,709 --> 00:00:40,961 - Acid. - You did acid? 12 00:00:41,587 --> 00:00:42,671 Yep. 13 00:00:43,505 --> 00:00:44,840 - What? - Cocaine. 14 00:00:44,924 --> 00:00:46,592 - You did cocaine? - Yep. 15 00:00:49,553 --> 00:00:52,598 And that sent me into a lot of destructive behaviors. 16 00:00:59,521 --> 00:01:01,190 What are you doing with the noodles there? 17 00:01:01,523 --> 00:01:02,691 I'm seeing how done they are. 18 00:01:02,775 --> 00:01:03,859 - Okay. - Yeah. 19 00:01:08,781 --> 00:01:11,033 It's beautiful in rural Oregon. 20 00:01:11,450 --> 00:01:13,160 And the town of Eagle Creek, 21 00:01:13,243 --> 00:01:16,914 my home base for this project, definitely has a lot to offer. 22 00:01:18,415 --> 00:01:22,252 But if what you need is a consistent supply of professional actors 23 00:01:22,336 --> 00:01:24,213 for all the rehearsals you have in the works… 24 00:01:24,296 --> 00:01:25,547 - Bye. - Bye. See you later. 25 00:01:25,631 --> 00:01:28,801 …you need to take regular trips to a big city. 26 00:01:29,343 --> 00:01:31,887 You need to go where the actors are. 27 00:01:34,348 --> 00:01:38,936 During this process, I've discovered that an actor's sense of authenticity 28 00:01:39,019 --> 00:01:41,522 can vary vastly from one to another. 29 00:01:42,147 --> 00:01:45,609 And I wanted a way to create a standard for the level of realism 30 00:01:45,943 --> 00:01:47,736 I needed for this project. 31 00:01:49,446 --> 00:01:51,990 I had recently launched The Fielder Method Studio 32 00:01:52,074 --> 00:01:56,078 in LA's NoHo Arts District as a recruitment camp of sorts, 33 00:01:56,703 --> 00:01:59,123 to find and train up-and-coming actors 34 00:01:59,206 --> 00:02:02,042 in the specific techniques needed for this show. 35 00:02:02,501 --> 00:02:07,297 Unlike a normal role where the worst thing that can happen 36 00:02:07,381 --> 00:02:11,552 is someone changes the channel if they don't like your performance, 37 00:02:11,635 --> 00:02:14,179 you know what I mean. Like, with this show, 38 00:02:14,263 --> 00:02:17,099 if your performance isn't accurate, you could ruin someone's life. 39 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,104 Preparing an actor for a rehearsal is sort of like a spy mission. 40 00:02:22,479 --> 00:02:24,982 And I wanted them to learn how to do it themselves, 41 00:02:25,065 --> 00:02:28,277 as well as improve on mistakes we had made in the past. 42 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,489 So, is your method based upon, like, literally a slice of life with this person 43 00:02:32,573 --> 00:02:35,242 and then creating reenactments based off this one experience? 44 00:02:35,325 --> 00:02:37,452 My point is that this didn't go far enough. 45 00:02:37,536 --> 00:02:38,579 Okay. 46 00:02:38,662 --> 00:02:41,290 Sounds like we're going to secretly follow somebody around for a while. 47 00:02:41,373 --> 00:02:44,376 - Stalking? - Yes. You guys… 48 00:02:44,459 --> 00:02:46,628 Okay, you guys are getting ahead of this. Good. 49 00:02:47,004 --> 00:02:50,549 But I often find myself intimidated by actors. 50 00:02:50,966 --> 00:02:55,179 Stella Adler says, "you can be representational, which is action based." 51 00:02:55,762 --> 00:02:59,433 "Or you could be representational, which is behavior based." 52 00:03:00,142 --> 00:03:02,895 - Stella Adler. - Stella Adler. 53 00:03:02,978 --> 00:03:04,980 - And then, yeah. - What is her thing? 54 00:03:05,856 --> 00:03:08,442 They have a way of channeling other people's emotions 55 00:03:08,525 --> 00:03:10,527 that I don't fully understand. 56 00:03:11,111 --> 00:03:13,739 The most playful chakra is your third eye, right? 57 00:03:13,822 --> 00:03:16,867 It's your creative mind as an actor. That's where we want to live. 58 00:03:16,950 --> 00:03:18,702 Just in hearing you talk about this, 59 00:03:19,494 --> 00:03:21,914 it's like the Suzuki Method which is physical… 60 00:03:21,997 --> 00:03:24,249 - Suzuki? - Yeah, and it's about filling the form. 61 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,669 Okay. And what's the best way to fill in the form? 62 00:03:28,003 --> 00:03:29,087 Just do the action. 63 00:03:29,546 --> 00:03:31,131 - Do the action. - Yeah. 64 00:03:31,214 --> 00:03:33,133 Like in the deep reality of the action. 65 00:03:33,216 --> 00:03:34,468 - Sure. - Yeah. 66 00:03:35,135 --> 00:03:37,971 And by the time I gave them their first assignment, 67 00:03:38,055 --> 00:03:40,390 I was feeling a little insecure. 68 00:03:42,517 --> 00:03:47,189 Okay. So now we're going to put some of what you guys learned today into action. 69 00:03:47,272 --> 00:03:49,274 You're going to go out into the real world 70 00:03:49,775 --> 00:03:53,779 and pick a real person to become your primary. 71 00:03:54,237 --> 00:03:57,199 And you're going to secretly observe and interact with them, 72 00:03:57,282 --> 00:03:59,493 and find out as much as you can about them. 73 00:04:00,118 --> 00:04:04,414 And then, you're going to come back tomorrow dressed like them. Okay? 74 00:04:06,041 --> 00:04:08,001 Any other questions or… 75 00:04:09,503 --> 00:04:12,881 - Okay, cool. See you later. - Bye. 76 00:04:12,964 --> 00:04:14,758 After spending time with people, 77 00:04:14,841 --> 00:04:18,470 I'm often left wondering what they actually think of me. 78 00:04:18,804 --> 00:04:22,808 So, once the class was gone, I tried a little experiment. 79 00:04:23,558 --> 00:04:29,022 I decided to recreate the class using different actors to portray each person, 80 00:04:29,398 --> 00:04:32,984 so I could relive the day from a student's perspective. 81 00:04:34,194 --> 00:04:38,323 My hope was to gain insight into how each lesson made them feel, 82 00:04:38,407 --> 00:04:40,158 so I could improve it for tomorrow. 83 00:04:40,742 --> 00:04:41,785 With this show… 84 00:04:42,953 --> 00:04:45,163 if your performance isn't accurate… 85 00:04:45,580 --> 00:04:47,457 you could ruin a person's life. 86 00:04:47,916 --> 00:04:50,210 I picked a random student to inhabit. 87 00:04:50,544 --> 00:04:53,964 An actor named Thomas, who was sitting on the side of the room. 88 00:04:54,423 --> 00:04:56,383 Putting myself in his headspace, 89 00:04:56,466 --> 00:05:00,137 I noticed this teacher wasn't very good at connecting with us. 90 00:05:00,637 --> 00:05:04,307 Your character research needs to be sourced through real-world interactions 91 00:05:04,391 --> 00:05:06,059 with the person you're portraying. 92 00:05:06,143 --> 00:05:09,604 It didn't seem like he had ever taught an acting class before. 93 00:05:09,688 --> 00:05:10,981 Is it weird… 94 00:05:11,398 --> 00:05:13,400 to put my name, like, in a method? 95 00:05:13,483 --> 00:05:14,496 - Or… - No. 96 00:05:14,526 --> 00:05:16,027 - Everyone does that, yeah. - No? All right. 97 00:05:16,361 --> 00:05:19,322 I wondered if my fellow students felt the same way. 98 00:05:19,739 --> 00:05:24,035 But I couldn't really see their faces well because of how the chairs were arranged. 99 00:05:24,703 --> 00:05:26,580 We were all facing forwards. 100 00:05:27,247 --> 00:05:31,042 And this formal environment made the whole class a little less fun. 101 00:05:31,501 --> 00:05:33,295 So your assignment for the rest of the day is, 102 00:05:33,628 --> 00:05:37,132 you're going to go out into the real world and secretly observe your primary. 103 00:05:37,591 --> 00:05:40,594 But it felt like the method itself made sense. 104 00:05:41,094 --> 00:05:45,640 Nathan explained it all clearly and it was actually sort of intriguing. 105 00:05:45,724 --> 00:05:48,101 Maybe there was something to it. 106 00:05:48,185 --> 00:05:51,271 I guess I'd have to keep taking the class to find out. 107 00:05:59,738 --> 00:06:01,656 - Hey. - Hey. 108 00:06:01,740 --> 00:06:04,701 - We're circling. That's cool. - Yeah, circle today. 109 00:06:05,035 --> 00:06:07,245 - Hang out. Have a seat. How's it going? - It's great. 110 00:06:07,329 --> 00:06:09,206 It's good to see you. Hello. 111 00:06:13,376 --> 00:06:15,045 I asked her how her day was going, 112 00:06:15,128 --> 00:06:17,297 how long was her shift. She's working till midnight. 113 00:06:17,380 --> 00:06:22,219 She's really tired. I found her Instagram through geotags. 114 00:06:22,302 --> 00:06:25,263 Then I found her Twitter and I found her TikTok. 115 00:06:25,347 --> 00:06:28,975 She's having a breast reduction soon. Her name is Amanda. 116 00:06:29,059 --> 00:06:31,937 I felt way more in sync with the actors today. 117 00:06:32,312 --> 00:06:34,731 The vibe in the room felt so much better. 118 00:06:34,814 --> 00:06:37,859 Yeah. So, my primary's name is Henry. He is a barber. 119 00:06:37,943 --> 00:06:39,527 - You had to get your hair cut then? - He was a barber. Yeah, I did. 120 00:06:39,611 --> 00:06:41,488 - You got a haircut? - So, I got my hair cut and I… 121 00:06:41,571 --> 00:06:43,114 Yeah, it was nice. Yeah. 122 00:06:43,531 --> 00:06:45,367 - So, it was good and like… - Okay, cool. Good. 123 00:06:45,742 --> 00:06:48,536 But I noticed some students were struggling with the assignment. 124 00:06:48,870 --> 00:06:50,664 Thomas, what about you? 125 00:06:52,374 --> 00:06:55,335 - Well, I went to an Acai Place. - Acai? 126 00:06:55,418 --> 00:06:57,003 - It's kinda like a smoothie bowl. - Okay. 127 00:06:57,462 --> 00:06:59,381 And I thought this would be a good opportunity 128 00:06:59,464 --> 00:07:01,841 to show them I knew what I was doing. 129 00:07:01,925 --> 00:07:04,177 I noticed you didn't get as much… 130 00:07:04,719 --> 00:07:07,597 personal information about your primary as some of the others. 131 00:07:08,264 --> 00:07:10,475 Is there a reason or… 132 00:07:10,934 --> 00:07:14,938 The environment kind of begs for you to go through the line and then leave. 133 00:07:15,021 --> 00:07:16,064 Right. 134 00:07:16,147 --> 00:07:18,650 The physical space is asking you not to be there. 135 00:07:18,984 --> 00:07:21,403 Yeah. When you got your order, 136 00:07:21,486 --> 00:07:24,447 maybe spill it on the counter and he would come to your aid, 137 00:07:24,531 --> 00:07:27,075 and that would break down some of those social barriers 138 00:07:27,158 --> 00:07:28,743 that you're afraid to cross. 139 00:07:29,119 --> 00:07:31,371 - Just disrupt the situation? - Yeah. 140 00:07:31,454 --> 00:07:35,333 And then maybe it might lead to a more personal conversation perhaps. 141 00:07:35,417 --> 00:07:37,127 Okay. Got you. 142 00:07:38,086 --> 00:07:41,089 When I relived the day from Thomas's perspective, 143 00:07:41,172 --> 00:07:43,591 it proved my instincts to be right. 144 00:07:43,967 --> 00:07:45,677 Thomas, what about you? 145 00:07:46,302 --> 00:07:49,472 So my primary was at an acai bowl place. 146 00:07:49,973 --> 00:07:52,767 - Acai bowl? - Acai bowl, kind of like a smoothie. 147 00:07:52,851 --> 00:07:56,146 The circle felt just as good from a student's perspective 148 00:07:56,229 --> 00:07:57,897 as it was from the teacher's. 149 00:07:58,231 --> 00:08:00,942 And I felt really special when Nathan pulled me aside 150 00:08:01,359 --> 00:08:03,987 to give me one-on-one guidance after class. 151 00:08:04,070 --> 00:08:06,573 And that'll help break down some of the social barriers 152 00:08:06,656 --> 00:08:07,866 that you're afraid to cross. 153 00:08:08,324 --> 00:08:10,118 - Thank you. Yeah. - All right? Good luck. Good luck. 154 00:08:10,493 --> 00:08:11,536 - Thank you. - Okay. Great. 155 00:08:11,995 --> 00:08:16,082 After reliving day two, I basically found no issues. 156 00:08:16,708 --> 00:08:19,878 I felt Nathan gave every student a lot of attention 157 00:08:19,961 --> 00:08:23,131 and made us feel comfortable in the process. 158 00:08:23,923 --> 00:08:27,510 Maybe I had nothing to worry about after all. 159 00:08:38,354 --> 00:08:40,148 It was nice to be back in LA… 160 00:08:41,316 --> 00:08:42,734 back in my real home. 161 00:08:44,903 --> 00:08:47,780 Once in a while, I would try to check in with Angela. 162 00:08:58,666 --> 00:09:01,961 One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. 163 00:09:02,045 --> 00:09:07,425 One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two. One. One. One. One 164 00:09:08,426 --> 00:09:10,428 - All right. - Oh, my God. 165 00:09:10,512 --> 00:09:14,390 Now that the actors had studied their primaries for two days… 166 00:09:15,391 --> 00:09:18,269 it was time to physically embody them. 167 00:09:24,067 --> 00:09:26,236 You use tape and string, is that… 168 00:09:27,737 --> 00:09:29,405 - I don't know. - You don't know? Okay. 169 00:09:29,489 --> 00:09:31,241 - I don't know if it works. - What's that tool here? 170 00:09:31,324 --> 00:09:34,619 But over here, I got a couple things going. This is a… 171 00:09:38,706 --> 00:09:39,749 tie iron. 172 00:09:39,832 --> 00:09:41,292 - Tie iron? - Tie iron, yeah. 173 00:09:41,376 --> 00:09:42,961 - T-I-E? - I believe so. 174 00:09:43,795 --> 00:09:45,255 Bananas under the cans. 175 00:09:47,131 --> 00:09:49,842 But I now knew that to take on the mind of a stranger, 176 00:09:50,260 --> 00:09:52,387 it wasn't enough to just talk to them. 177 00:09:52,929 --> 00:09:55,390 The level of immersion had to be deeper. 178 00:09:55,890 --> 00:09:58,935 I am in the process of arranging for all of you 179 00:09:59,018 --> 00:10:01,854 to work in the actual jobs of your primary. 180 00:10:03,022 --> 00:10:05,608 Or, at least, as close as we can get. 181 00:10:07,277 --> 00:10:08,861 - Is that cool, pretty… - Yeah. 182 00:10:08,945 --> 00:10:10,655 - …or is that dumb? - Yeah. 183 00:10:10,989 --> 00:10:12,657 I don't want to work. 184 00:10:15,868 --> 00:10:18,871 I was noticing the more extreme my method became, 185 00:10:19,205 --> 00:10:21,791 the more these actors seemed to respect me. 186 00:10:21,874 --> 00:10:24,460 If I'm not going to go all the way and get out of my comfort zone, 187 00:10:24,544 --> 00:10:26,587 how am I going to know where I can go? 188 00:10:27,255 --> 00:10:30,591 So, yeah, thank you for just the space. 189 00:10:30,675 --> 00:10:33,886 But when I caught up with Thomas, something felt off. 190 00:10:33,970 --> 00:10:35,930 Yeah, so, how did it go? Yeah, what happened? 191 00:10:36,014 --> 00:10:37,682 - It was… - Did you get personal? Did you? 192 00:10:37,765 --> 00:10:40,059 Yeah. The deeper conversation was hard to accomplish. 193 00:10:40,476 --> 00:10:42,645 Did you spill your bowl or anything? Or… 194 00:10:42,729 --> 00:10:44,605 - Did not spill the bowl. - Okay, yeah. 195 00:10:44,689 --> 00:10:47,942 But I instead went with… 196 00:10:48,484 --> 00:10:52,030 telling him that I lost my lucky guitar pick that I got from my dad. 197 00:10:52,113 --> 00:10:53,156 - Okay. - And then… 198 00:10:53,239 --> 00:10:54,699 - Is that true? - No, that was a lie. 199 00:10:54,782 --> 00:10:55,950 - Okay, okay, got it. - Yeah. 200 00:10:56,034 --> 00:10:58,244 I don't really like lying to people, in general. 201 00:10:58,911 --> 00:11:00,913 - Yeah, neither do I. - Yeah. 202 00:11:04,375 --> 00:11:06,836 Yeah, I don't know. It's weird, but… 203 00:11:08,004 --> 00:11:11,215 this is all so fascinating, so, what are you going to do? 204 00:11:11,632 --> 00:11:12,645 Right. 205 00:11:12,675 --> 00:11:16,137 Thomas's ambiguous emotions were hard for me to read, 206 00:11:16,220 --> 00:11:19,307 but then I got the sense he had been uncomfortable with this method 207 00:11:19,390 --> 00:11:20,975 since the very first day. 208 00:11:21,517 --> 00:11:24,020 So, yeah. That's what makes me feel kinda weird about it sometimes. 209 00:11:24,437 --> 00:11:26,314 About doing these… This… 210 00:11:26,898 --> 00:11:30,860 …specific kind of stalking thing. The Fielder Method. 211 00:11:31,235 --> 00:11:35,531 Which was interesting because I had not felt that when I was him. 212 00:11:40,328 --> 00:11:42,955 So rather than recreating today's lesson, 213 00:11:43,039 --> 00:11:46,042 I decided to experience that first day again 214 00:11:46,667 --> 00:11:48,711 to see if I had missed something. 215 00:11:49,045 --> 00:11:50,421 - Hey, I'm Nathan. - Thomas. 216 00:11:50,505 --> 00:11:52,882 - Thomas? Good to meet you. - Yeah. Good to meet you. 217 00:11:52,965 --> 00:11:54,342 - Yeah, have a seat. - Sure, yeah. 218 00:11:54,425 --> 00:11:56,177 - And, just hang out. - Okay, great. 219 00:11:56,761 --> 00:12:00,598 This time I was focused on really getting into his mindset. 220 00:12:01,015 --> 00:12:03,434 So I just kept saying to myself in my head, 221 00:12:04,143 --> 00:12:06,854 "Your name is Thomas and you're an actor." 222 00:12:07,188 --> 00:12:08,689 "How do you feel?" 223 00:12:08,773 --> 00:12:12,652 I have a show that requires a specific type of performance. 224 00:12:13,277 --> 00:12:17,198 Almost immediately, I felt a rush of excitement come over me 225 00:12:17,615 --> 00:12:21,077 when I remembered there were cameras filming me. 226 00:12:21,786 --> 00:12:23,120 HBO cameras. 227 00:12:24,205 --> 00:12:25,748 I love being on camera. 228 00:12:26,207 --> 00:12:30,044 But I wanted to play it cool, like I didn't care that much. 229 00:12:30,503 --> 00:12:34,423 With this show, if your performance isn't accurate… 230 00:12:35,841 --> 00:12:37,593 you could ruin someone's life. 231 00:12:37,927 --> 00:12:40,179 Wait, what is this show? 232 00:12:41,430 --> 00:12:44,100 Is this a show about an acting class? 233 00:12:44,183 --> 00:12:48,020 Am I supposed to be acting? Something doesn't make sense. 234 00:12:48,437 --> 00:12:53,359 If you're training actors for a show, why would you be filming the training? 235 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,697 I wanted to ask, but I was worried it would seem rude. 236 00:12:58,364 --> 00:13:02,743 I didn't want to stand out. I wanted to impress Nathan. 237 00:13:03,202 --> 00:13:04,620 "Fielder Method" on three. 238 00:13:05,579 --> 00:13:08,165 - One, two, three. - Fielder Method! 239 00:13:08,958 --> 00:13:11,544 All right, thank you guys. All right. 240 00:13:13,254 --> 00:13:15,256 Hi, thank you for coming to the first day of the Fielder Method, 241 00:13:15,339 --> 00:13:17,800 we're so excited to have you. If you want to participate in the show, 242 00:13:17,883 --> 00:13:19,677 you just need to sign this appearance release. 243 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:21,053 - Okay. - Thank you. 244 00:13:21,762 --> 00:13:23,806 There are so many pages! 245 00:13:24,598 --> 00:13:27,226 I don't know any of these legal terms. 246 00:13:28,894 --> 00:13:31,022 This would take me hours to read. 247 00:13:31,355 --> 00:13:32,398 Thank you so much. 248 00:13:33,190 --> 00:13:36,610 But everyone else is signing it, so it must be all right. 249 00:13:37,236 --> 00:13:40,281 It's all standard. Signature is on the fourth page. 250 00:13:40,364 --> 00:13:42,158 - Right. Sorry, yeah. Okay. - Yeah, no problem. 251 00:13:42,241 --> 00:13:44,243 - Great, we'll see you tomorrow. - Yeah. 252 00:13:44,660 --> 00:13:47,538 Reliving the day again as Thomas made me realize 253 00:13:47,621 --> 00:13:51,417 there was a whole other layer to his experience I hadn't considered. 254 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:52,710 - Thank you so much. - Thanks again for today. 255 00:13:52,793 --> 00:13:55,087 - Yeah. Thank you. - I'll see you. Yeah. 256 00:13:55,463 --> 00:13:58,340 And I wondered if was going far enough. 257 00:14:05,014 --> 00:14:09,810 I had just sent these actors off to work for an entire week as someone else. 258 00:14:12,396 --> 00:14:13,898 But how much is enough? 259 00:14:16,150 --> 00:14:19,570 How do you ever know you truly understand someone? 260 00:14:23,115 --> 00:14:27,203 So I started visiting Thomas working at the acai bowl place. 261 00:14:27,870 --> 00:14:29,497 - Hey! - Hey! How you doing? 262 00:14:29,580 --> 00:14:33,626 Going through the exact experience he had with his primary. 263 00:14:34,084 --> 00:14:36,378 - How many siblings do you have? - Pardon me? 264 00:14:36,462 --> 00:14:38,380 - How many siblings? - Brother, two sisters. 265 00:14:38,464 --> 00:14:39,715 - Brother, two sisters? - Yeah. 266 00:14:39,799 --> 00:14:41,425 Do you want Nutella, peanut butter, almond butter? 267 00:14:41,509 --> 00:14:45,513 And returned to class the next morning to live the second day again. 268 00:14:45,930 --> 00:14:50,226 I'm a dog walker for this dog walking app and my primary was this director 269 00:14:50,684 --> 00:14:52,853 and I… I actually got into his house. 270 00:14:52,937 --> 00:14:55,064 But this time, it felt different. 271 00:14:55,523 --> 00:14:58,108 I think you're the first person in the history of this project 272 00:14:58,192 --> 00:15:00,986 to actually get inside their primary's home. 273 00:15:01,570 --> 00:15:02,988 It's amazing. 274 00:15:03,072 --> 00:15:05,991 I think that deserves a round of applause. Yeah. 275 00:15:08,619 --> 00:15:12,957 And I began to question the tactics this teacher was encouraging. 276 00:15:13,332 --> 00:15:17,711 You spill your bowl on the counter and… see how he responds to that. 277 00:15:20,089 --> 00:15:23,676 But every night when I went home, it was still my house. 278 00:15:24,885 --> 00:15:26,512 My marble coffee table. 279 00:15:27,555 --> 00:15:28,681 My TV. 280 00:15:29,848 --> 00:15:31,725 My black and white toilet. 281 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:34,436 The illusion was shattered. 282 00:15:35,896 --> 00:15:38,774 So, I suggested to Thomas that he move into an apartment 283 00:15:38,857 --> 00:15:43,862 that reflects the living situation of his primary, to immerse himself fully. 284 00:15:44,405 --> 00:15:46,615 Did you find out his living situation? 285 00:15:46,699 --> 00:15:49,577 Yeah. I found out that he lives with the couple of his bandmates, 286 00:15:49,660 --> 00:15:52,913 actually, pretty close to here. Sherman Oaks area. 287 00:15:53,414 --> 00:15:54,498 Okay. 288 00:15:54,999 --> 00:15:56,584 Cool. How soon can you move? 289 00:15:57,876 --> 00:15:58,961 As soon as I have to. 290 00:15:59,295 --> 00:16:04,258 So I rented him a similar place and hired two actors to play his roommates. 291 00:16:04,341 --> 00:16:06,135 All right. So this is… 292 00:16:06,218 --> 00:16:07,511 - Tex and Matt. - Sup, man? 293 00:16:07,594 --> 00:16:08,804 - They'll be your new roommates. - Hey. 294 00:16:08,887 --> 00:16:11,056 I told him I would collect his mail for him 295 00:16:11,140 --> 00:16:13,267 and water his plants while he was away. 296 00:16:13,350 --> 00:16:14,768 Plant in my bathroom. 297 00:16:14,852 --> 00:16:16,270 - Just a little bit. - Okay. 298 00:16:16,645 --> 00:16:19,940 And be careful 'cause it'll overflow the little water catch dish. 299 00:16:20,024 --> 00:16:21,150 All right, sure. Great. 300 00:16:21,483 --> 00:16:22,735 - All right. Have fun. - Okay. See you. 301 00:16:23,193 --> 00:16:24,236 See you. 302 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,739 But I really wanted to do more than that. 303 00:16:27,072 --> 00:16:30,951 So while Thomas was going deeper into his character… 304 00:16:31,952 --> 00:16:34,079 I would go deeper into mine. 305 00:17:04,026 --> 00:17:06,195 I began living in his home… 306 00:17:07,946 --> 00:17:09,823 eating what he eats… 307 00:17:13,035 --> 00:17:14,912 playing what he plays… 308 00:17:17,456 --> 00:17:19,750 using the weapons he uses… 309 00:17:22,002 --> 00:17:23,670 reading what he reads… 310 00:17:29,051 --> 00:17:31,261 sleeping where he sleeps. 311 00:17:33,222 --> 00:17:35,891 I was now Thomas 24/7. 312 00:17:37,643 --> 00:17:42,815 I continued following the lesson plan until I was working at an Ubatuba also. 313 00:17:43,899 --> 00:17:46,485 A different one from Thomas, so he wouldn't know. 314 00:17:47,611 --> 00:17:51,782 He… He lives with a… a couple of his bandmates in Sherman Oaks… 315 00:17:51,865 --> 00:17:53,242 in, like, an apartment. 316 00:17:53,325 --> 00:17:54,493 Okay. Cool. 317 00:17:55,786 --> 00:17:56,995 How soon can you move? 318 00:17:57,079 --> 00:18:01,124 It was beginning to dawn on me how much I was asking of these students… 319 00:18:01,208 --> 00:18:02,918 This is Tex. And this is Matt. 320 00:18:03,669 --> 00:18:05,003 - Hey. - They'll be playing your roommates. 321 00:18:05,087 --> 00:18:06,255 - Nice to meet you. - How are you? 322 00:18:06,338 --> 00:18:09,967 …and the sacrifices they're willing to make in pursuit of their dreams. 323 00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:12,302 Maybe I could get your keys. 324 00:18:14,596 --> 00:18:16,014 Why… Why do you need my keys? 325 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,060 - I can look after your plants. - Sure. Yeah. 326 00:18:20,143 --> 00:18:21,979 Or get your mail while you're here. 327 00:18:22,437 --> 00:18:24,815 But no matter how deep I went, 328 00:18:24,898 --> 00:18:28,861 there were still parts of Thomas that were a mystery to me. 329 00:18:29,444 --> 00:18:32,239 But maybe that's as close as you can get. 330 00:18:33,073 --> 00:18:37,869 And that last step in understanding someone is always just a guess. 331 00:18:54,011 --> 00:18:55,637 All right, Ashley. 332 00:18:57,472 --> 00:18:59,182 When they finished their week of work, 333 00:18:59,266 --> 00:19:02,644 I had all the actors return for a final showcase. 334 00:19:10,902 --> 00:19:13,113 That looks like two inches. 335 00:19:22,331 --> 00:19:25,042 All right. Sam. 336 00:19:37,220 --> 00:19:41,641 It's hard to know what exactly is hidden beneath the smile of an actor. 337 00:19:43,352 --> 00:19:45,896 - Would you like your bowl, sir? - Thomas. 338 00:19:47,397 --> 00:19:51,943 But once in a while, it's nice to just pretend that everything's okay. 339 00:19:55,530 --> 00:19:58,492 - "Fielder Method" on three. - One, two, three. 340 00:19:58,575 --> 00:20:00,035 Fielder Method! 341 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,633 I was in L.A. longer than I had planned to be, 342 00:20:15,092 --> 00:20:18,345 and I was sort of nervous to return home again… 343 00:20:18,678 --> 00:20:23,391 to get back into family life. I wasn't sure how it would feel. 344 00:20:33,151 --> 00:20:34,778 - Hey, Dad. - Hey! 345 00:20:35,237 --> 00:20:38,406 - Hi. - Is Angela here? 346 00:20:42,035 --> 00:20:45,413 - Hug? Can I get a hug? - Yeah, yeah. 'Course. Hey. 347 00:20:46,289 --> 00:20:48,208 - Good to see you. - Yeah, how are you? 348 00:20:48,291 --> 00:20:49,501 Good… 349 00:20:50,460 --> 00:20:53,588 - Just going to put my stuff upstairs. - Okay. 350 00:20:55,048 --> 00:20:56,216 Yeah. 351 00:21:02,597 --> 00:21:07,143 - Maybe I can. Maybe I can show up. - It could be fun! It could be fun! 352 00:21:07,686 --> 00:21:11,773 Everyone was being so warm and welcoming, making me feel at home. 353 00:21:12,607 --> 00:21:14,985 But for some reason, that felt wrong. 354 00:21:15,068 --> 00:21:18,697 I was telling him that he's more mainstream and I'm more underground. 355 00:21:18,780 --> 00:21:21,825 Like, I like to find eclectic underground artists. 356 00:21:21,908 --> 00:21:26,204 Adam was 15 now. I had been gone for nine years. 357 00:21:27,581 --> 00:21:30,083 Was this really how he would see me? 358 00:21:31,376 --> 00:21:34,379 Maybe I needed to make some adjustments. 359 00:21:36,047 --> 00:21:37,215 - Hey. - Hey. 360 00:21:38,008 --> 00:21:39,551 - What's up, Dad? - Mind if I come in? 361 00:21:39,634 --> 00:21:41,636 Yeah, no problem. What's up? 362 00:21:42,637 --> 00:21:44,764 - How's it going? - Just… 363 00:21:45,974 --> 00:21:47,100 Trying to write some songs, sorta. 364 00:21:47,183 --> 00:21:48,435 - Oh, yeah. Cool. - Yeah. 365 00:21:48,977 --> 00:21:51,813 Do you mind if I talk to you for a sec as you? 366 00:21:52,355 --> 00:21:53,899 What's your name again? 367 00:21:54,816 --> 00:21:55,829 Adam. 368 00:21:55,859 --> 00:21:58,403 No, no, like, could I talk to you as the actor? 369 00:21:58,486 --> 00:21:59,613 What's your real name? 370 00:22:00,196 --> 00:22:03,074 - Joshua. Joshua, yeah. Joshua. - Josh. Josh. All right, Josh. 371 00:22:03,158 --> 00:22:06,328 Sorry, yeah. I know we talked about never breaking character but… 372 00:22:06,828 --> 00:22:09,789 Okay, okay. So, just… Okay, so, we're in… 373 00:22:09,873 --> 00:22:11,750 Yeah, just you for a moment. 374 00:22:12,751 --> 00:22:16,963 I guess… Okay, so your dad comes home after being gone for nine years. 375 00:22:17,339 --> 00:22:19,507 How do you think you'd really feel? 376 00:22:21,593 --> 00:22:23,970 Maybe resentment to him. 377 00:22:24,679 --> 00:22:28,266 Maybe a little bit. Just as me personally. Especially if… 378 00:22:29,476 --> 00:22:31,519 he comes home and it's almost like… 379 00:22:32,020 --> 00:22:34,564 "Hey, what's up? You doing good?" 380 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,193 That… That would be… I wouldn't like that at all. 381 00:22:38,610 --> 00:22:41,071 I think I… I think 'cause then, it's still your dad, but it's just like… 382 00:22:41,154 --> 00:22:42,197 It's like this guy like… 383 00:22:43,073 --> 00:22:45,617 - "You didn't take care of me." - Yeah, yeah, yeah. 384 00:22:45,700 --> 00:22:47,494 So, you know, it's like that sort of thing. 385 00:22:48,536 --> 00:22:52,207 Do you mind if we try me coming home again, but using that? 386 00:22:53,583 --> 00:22:56,044 - Like that feeling? Yeah, totally, - Yeah. 387 00:22:56,127 --> 00:22:58,713 - I don't… Yeah, 100%. - Okay. Okay, cool. 388 00:23:12,268 --> 00:23:13,603 Hey! 389 00:23:18,024 --> 00:23:20,110 Look who decided to show up. 390 00:23:31,788 --> 00:23:32,997 Good. 391 00:23:39,212 --> 00:23:41,339 Do you know anyone or any friends of yours 392 00:23:41,422 --> 00:23:43,591 who have been through anything similar to this? 393 00:23:43,675 --> 00:23:46,845 Like, dad not around situation or… 394 00:23:47,887 --> 00:23:51,766 - Yeah, I… I know a couple people. - Do you think you'd be able to just… 395 00:23:52,142 --> 00:23:56,479 Maybe spend time with one of them or the friend and take it in, or… 396 00:23:56,563 --> 00:23:58,314 Yeah. I… 397 00:23:59,107 --> 00:24:02,068 I think that's actually a great idea. I think I can definitely do that. 398 00:24:03,862 --> 00:24:04,904 Hey. 399 00:24:06,114 --> 00:24:07,407 How you doing? 400 00:24:09,951 --> 00:24:12,787 You want to see a card trick or something, like a magic trick? 401 00:24:13,121 --> 00:24:14,998 No, Dad. I'm not five. 402 00:24:15,790 --> 00:24:19,460 Yeah, he's been like in and out of jail a lot. Juvenile. Juvie. 403 00:24:19,878 --> 00:24:22,005 I think he actually has a kid on the way. 404 00:24:22,088 --> 00:24:24,007 - He has a kid? - Just with like someone.. Yeah. 405 00:24:24,090 --> 00:24:25,425 So what age was he having sex? 406 00:24:25,508 --> 00:24:27,886 - Like 13, probably, like 12. - He was having sex at 13? 407 00:24:27,969 --> 00:24:32,056 I'm sure of it. Yeah, most likely. If not 13, at least 14. 408 00:24:32,432 --> 00:24:33,516 Hey! 409 00:24:34,809 --> 00:24:35,935 Are you leaving? 410 00:24:36,311 --> 00:24:39,439 Yeah, I'm going to hang out with some friends. 411 00:24:39,522 --> 00:24:41,983 Okay. Where are you going? Where… What friends? 412 00:24:42,650 --> 00:24:44,777 My friends. We're probably going to go drinking. 413 00:24:45,111 --> 00:24:46,446 You're going to go drinking? 414 00:24:46,529 --> 00:24:48,281 What type of drinks will you have, do you think? 415 00:24:48,364 --> 00:24:50,742 Tequila, vodka. Just some stuff like that. 416 00:24:50,825 --> 00:24:52,118 - Tequila, okay. - Tequila. 417 00:24:52,201 --> 00:24:54,537 You can't go drinking. You're only 15. 418 00:24:54,621 --> 00:24:56,122 What do you mean I can't go drinking? 419 00:24:56,539 --> 00:24:58,249 I need to make sure you come home safe. 420 00:24:58,666 --> 00:25:01,794 You're the one to talk about coming home? 421 00:25:02,295 --> 00:25:03,880 Okay, come on. Hey! 422 00:25:05,048 --> 00:25:07,133 You can't… You can't just go… 423 00:25:08,176 --> 00:25:09,260 Adam? 424 00:25:13,973 --> 00:25:15,391 What's going on? 425 00:25:18,686 --> 00:25:23,066 I just think he's upset that I haven't been there most of his life. 426 00:25:25,985 --> 00:25:27,070 Okay. 427 00:25:28,237 --> 00:25:29,530 But… 428 00:25:30,073 --> 00:25:31,115 I'm going to fix it. 429 00:25:33,451 --> 00:25:34,702 Good. 430 00:25:46,047 --> 00:25:47,215 Hey, buddy… 431 00:25:47,965 --> 00:25:51,678 you don't have to come out or answer me. I just got you… 432 00:25:53,096 --> 00:25:56,849 a little something. It's a guitar pedal. I know you like them. 433 00:25:57,642 --> 00:25:59,727 I'm not sure what they do. So… 434 00:26:01,354 --> 00:26:03,147 I guess they make the guitar sound cool. 435 00:26:03,231 --> 00:26:05,525 Maybe one day you could show me how it works. 436 00:26:12,490 --> 00:26:14,158 Like, I think drugs is, like, the next level. 437 00:26:14,492 --> 00:26:16,577 - Yeah. - Drugs, you name it. 438 00:26:16,661 --> 00:26:18,538 He's done it probably. 439 00:26:22,583 --> 00:26:26,003 You know, like, cocaine or like, you know, Molly and that stuff. 440 00:26:26,087 --> 00:26:28,798 And that's all 'cause his dad situation? 441 00:26:29,590 --> 00:26:31,592 - I mean, yeah. I think so. - Okay. 442 00:26:32,718 --> 00:26:33,845 I think it is. 443 00:26:33,928 --> 00:26:39,016 You're not a dad! Okay? You weren't then and you're not now! 444 00:26:39,100 --> 00:26:43,479 Your anger is not going to go away if you numb it with drugs and alcohol. 445 00:26:44,021 --> 00:26:47,316 Okay, this was the problem I had. I… I hated my dad. 446 00:26:47,775 --> 00:26:50,486 I hated my dad and I went to drugs and alcohol. 447 00:26:50,862 --> 00:26:53,114 I wish I would've been spared. 448 00:26:53,197 --> 00:26:54,782 I wish my parents would have sat me down 449 00:26:54,866 --> 00:26:56,617 and talked to me like we're talking to you now. 450 00:26:56,701 --> 00:27:00,580 They didn't. They didn't know how! I'm not going to let that happen to you. 451 00:27:01,205 --> 00:27:03,332 - What drugs are you doing? - What do you mean what drugs am I… 452 00:27:03,416 --> 00:27:05,084 - Why would I fucking tell you? - I… I heard you… 453 00:27:05,168 --> 00:27:07,837 What? Are you going to go to the fucking cops? 454 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:09,380 And that's why I'm talking to you about it now. 455 00:27:09,463 --> 00:27:11,132 - Adam… - I'm not a snitch. 456 00:27:11,215 --> 00:27:13,551 You're a fucking disaster, my guy. 457 00:27:13,926 --> 00:27:16,220 All right! Now… 458 00:27:16,762 --> 00:27:20,433 can we end this fucking conversation now? 459 00:27:38,910 --> 00:27:41,078 - Hello, Angela? - Hello. 460 00:27:41,412 --> 00:27:45,917 Just a thought, how would you feel about going back to age six? 461 00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:47,543 I guess… 462 00:27:47,877 --> 00:27:52,089 Could you help me understand what the purpose would be of going back? 463 00:27:53,174 --> 00:27:54,759 - Just because… - What were you thinking? 464 00:27:54,842 --> 00:27:58,930 …I feel like I didn't get the experience of seeing him grow. Like… 465 00:27:59,722 --> 00:28:00,848 I'm willing to do that. 466 00:28:01,349 --> 00:28:05,186 Whatever you think is needed for the show, that's fine. 467 00:28:06,187 --> 00:28:09,398 - Okay, cool. I'll talk to you in a bit. - Okay. See you. 468 00:28:42,306 --> 00:28:43,474 Adam? 469 00:28:44,767 --> 00:28:45,935 Adam? 470 00:28:48,437 --> 00:28:50,106 Adam, Adam, you okay? 471 00:28:50,481 --> 00:28:53,317 Are you okay? Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. 472 00:28:56,987 --> 00:28:59,949 - Angela! Angela! - What? 473 00:29:00,908 --> 00:29:05,246 Adam, stay with me, are you okay? Are you okay, Adam? Adam… 474 00:29:05,579 --> 00:29:06,831 What's going on? 475 00:29:07,707 --> 00:29:09,291 Okay, it's all right. 476 00:29:10,167 --> 00:29:11,627 I don't know what's happening. 477 00:29:11,711 --> 00:29:14,547 I don't know what's happening to him. I don't know. 478 00:29:14,630 --> 00:29:16,966 I don't know what's happening. 479 00:29:17,049 --> 00:29:19,385 I don't know what's happening with him. 480 00:29:20,010 --> 00:29:24,181 I don't know. I don't know. 481 00:29:25,307 --> 00:29:27,518 He's got pinpointed pupils, hyperventilation. 482 00:29:27,601 --> 00:29:29,603 High end-tidal. Looks like an opioid overdose. 483 00:29:29,979 --> 00:29:32,857 Okay, with hypertension we need to consider benzo involvement. 484 00:29:32,940 --> 00:29:35,025 I agree. We'll start by assisting his breathing. 485 00:29:35,109 --> 00:29:36,735 - Okay. - Hit him up with some Narcan. 486 00:29:36,819 --> 00:29:39,780 Blood pressure 96 over 50. Respiration, six. 487 00:29:39,864 --> 00:29:42,575 - O2 stat, 86. - How are you feeling? You good? 488 00:29:42,658 --> 00:29:43,742 You okay? 489 00:29:44,368 --> 00:29:46,996 What are you doing? Don't. No. Stay, stay. You're safe, Adam. 490 00:29:47,079 --> 00:29:48,831 - What's happening? - Hey! 491 00:29:58,883 --> 00:30:00,926 Have you seen a 15-year-old boy around here? 492 00:30:01,302 --> 00:30:04,263 No, I haven't. I've seen an older man walking around over there. 493 00:30:04,346 --> 00:30:08,058 An older man? No, no. That wouldn't be him. Okay, thank you. 494 00:30:09,518 --> 00:30:10,561 Adam? 495 00:30:12,146 --> 00:30:13,689 Sorry. Sorry. 496 00:30:18,777 --> 00:30:22,823 It's easy to assume that others think the worst of you… 497 00:30:25,367 --> 00:30:27,244 but when you assume what others think, 498 00:30:27,620 --> 00:30:31,165 maybe all you're doing is turning them into a character 499 00:30:31,248 --> 00:30:33,584 that only exists in your mind. 500 00:30:40,007 --> 00:30:45,054 The nice thing is, sometimes all it takes is a change in perspective 501 00:30:45,137 --> 00:30:47,431 to make the world feel brand-new. 502 00:30:52,228 --> 00:30:54,772 All right, Adam. Let's go home. 503 00:31:18,170 --> 00:31:19,213 Is that it?