Angus T. Jones_ How Chuck Lorre Got Him OUT of Retirement! (Exclusive)
Angus T. Jones_ How Chuck Lorre Got Him OUT of Retirement! (Exclusive)
Transcript
00:00 When we were talking about that poker scene,
00:02 we both at about the same time said,
00:05 you know, there was a poker scene
00:06 in the pilot of Two and a Half Men,
00:08 and Angus was eight years old in pajamas,
00:12 annoying the guys playing poker.
00:15 What if we recreate that scene in this episode of Bookie?
00:19 And I called Angus, and he's--
00:23 - You got Angus out of a seven year retirement.
00:26 - And 50.
00:28 - Someone's feeling lucky.
00:29 I don't need luck to beat you.
00:31 - So he had walked away from acting,
00:32 and he was not necessarily going,
00:34 oh boy, I'm gonna act again,
00:36 but he was game, and he was great.
00:38 - Oh wow.
00:39 - You know, he was great at eight,
00:41 and he was great at 28.
00:42 - Yeah.
00:43 - And sitting there, almost to the day,
00:45 20 years after we shot the pilot of Two and a Half Men,
00:47 we shot that scene with the two guys playing poker,
00:51 and the other guys at the table
00:52 were in the pilot as well of Two and a Half Men.
00:55 - Oh my God, that had to have been
00:56 like a surreal out of body experience.
00:58 - It really was.
00:59 - Was it?
01:00 - It really was.
01:01 It was an extraordinary day.
01:02 - You pulled Angus out of retirement.
01:04 We adore him.
01:05 I respect that he has chosen to live a light,
01:07 not in front of the cameras.
01:08 Do you think there's a part of him,
01:10 after being on a set that felt seemingly
01:13 as magical as Bookie,
01:14 that maybe you helped reignite a spark?
01:17 That maybe he'll come back,
01:18 maybe do another appearance on Bookie?
01:20 - My conversations with Angus would lead me to say,
01:24 no, he's done.
01:25 - He's done?
01:26 - He's done.
01:27 He has other goals in mind,
01:28 and yeah, I'd love it.
01:31 - Yeah, so would we.
01:33 - He is one of those few people you meet
01:35 who it was in his DNA, you know?
01:39 And it was there when we did that scene, you know?
01:42 - Get off of this kid.
01:44 He used to be so cute.
01:45 - He's gruesome.
01:46 (laughing)
01:48 - I thought it was so interesting
01:49 that you cast Charlie in a role
01:51 where he's supposed to be a degenerate,
01:53 but I really appreciated that this is a character
01:56 who makes it very clear.
01:57 - I am clean as a whistle.
01:59 I just run a game here.
02:00 - What were those conversations you had with him
02:02 about him playing himself,
02:04 but still an updated, modernized version of who he is?
02:07 - The early version of the script was he was in the rehab.
02:10 - Okay, up to his old antics.
02:12 - Yeah, and he said,
02:13 "Can we not do the drug-addled Charlie?"
02:15 And I went, "Yeah, let's think about it
02:20 "and figure out another way for this to go."
02:22 And we came up with that he hosts a poker game in a rehab.
02:26 - So you were okay with making those tweaks
02:28 that he requested? - Oh yeah.
02:29 I didn't wanna do anything hurtful,
02:31 but he was doing us a huge favor by doing this
02:34 to play himself.
02:35 And if it was uncomfortable for him,
02:37 I don't want him to be uncomfortable.
02:39 - For sure.
02:40 He seemed like he was having the time of his life.
02:40 - Oh, he had a great thing.
02:41 It was his throwaway line where he says,
02:44 "Oh, I've gotten sober here many times."
02:46 "What's it cost to get the cure here?"
02:47 "Last time I got a nudge from the judge
02:49 "about 75 grand a month."
02:51 And if you know anything about drug and alcohol,
02:53 addiction and recovery,
02:55 I've been here several times,
02:56 it's not a good thing.
02:58 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:59 - The revolving door is not victory.
03:02 - Right.
03:03 Another wonderful nod to "Two and a Half Men,"
03:05 there is a line about John Cryer in that scene.
03:08 - You talking to John Cryer much?
03:10 - Not for a long time, no.
03:12 - He was a hoot.
03:12 - My favorite.
03:16 - He was really more an ensemble show.
03:19 - That was just an opportunity for the Danny character
03:23 to stick it to a whole other level.
03:25 - So we've got Charlie, we've got Angus.
03:28 Is a call out to John Cryer
03:29 to maybe do an appearance on the show?
03:31 - If we get a second season, I'd love that.
03:33 - Okay, second season.
03:34 - So let's call HBO and Max or whoever
03:38 and put in the good word for a second season.
03:41 We'll see.
03:42 - Okay, and how about a one Ashton Kutcher?
03:44 - Oh, I'd love to work with Ashton again.
03:47 That was fun.
03:47 What a lovely man.
03:50 - Oh, he's on.
03:51 (audience laughing)
03:53 - 2024 marks 40 years of your professional career.
03:58 - How do you know that?
04:00 - Because I do my research.
04:02 In 1984, your first credit was on an animated comedy
04:05 called "The Littles".
04:07 In the spirit of bookie, in the spirit of betting,
04:10 how long do you bet that you will continue
04:13 doing what you love, making entertainment?
04:15 - Well, this strike gave me a peek at retirement.
04:19 - Yeah, and how did it make you feel?
04:20 - I didn't like what I saw.
04:22 I was not comfortable with retirement.
04:25 I think my career ends when they roll me out of my office
04:30 in a body bag, you know?
04:32 - You'll be there to that last fighting day.
04:34 - Yeah, I can't help but be grateful
04:37 the opportunity to sit with wonderfully talented people,
04:42 make stuff up, and then see it become real
04:46 in front of cameras and microphones
04:49 and great actors and the entire crew that makes it real.
04:54 How cool is that?
04:56 - The coolest. - Yeah.
04:57 (upbeat music)
05:00 (chimes)
05:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]