How Jason Segal Prepared to Play David Foster Wallace

Aug. 10 -- Actor Jason Segal discusses his part in the new David Foster Wallace biopic “The End of the Tour” on “With All Due Respect.”

[@adamfitz22]

Jason Segel is so awesome. He's trying to communicate the depth of this amazing writer and his work via such a shallow platform and Segel knows it but he keeps his cool. Good movie, great actor.

[@devin168]

Yeah, they keep asking stupid questions about his diet and rumors and he continues to pull it back toward the interesting content of DFW and the film without getting frustrated - really impressed by his cool

[@TitusCheshire]

You can tell Jason wants to talk about how deep DFW but these guys are throwing common softball movie questions.

[@magneto44]

MetrazolElectricity Moby Dick is highly overrated

[@ethanmizer4787]

Magneto Rex "Hark ye yet again, the little lower layer. All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event - in the living act, the undoubted deed - there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall?" Do you know a better example in the American canon of a piece of work more closely approximating Shakespearean style or composition? Or is Shakespeare also overrated? Is the whole body of English literature overrated? What a critic you must be, if you think that. By the way, Wallace is under-read and underrated, in my opinion. Maybe you're right and so many others are wrong, or maybe you think a little too much of your own ability to engage with certain kinds of writing. In his own time, almost all felt about Melville's book how you appear to feel now. He effectively lost his livelihood because of it. Very thankfully, he refused to take the opinions of such people to heart, and attempted repeatedly to hurl something against them counterposed to their desires.

[@magneto44]

Tolkien > Shakespeare

[@ethanmizer4787]

Magneto Rex Ha. OK. Nevermind.

[@sjin8896]

Yeah, they’re fuckheads.

[@johne.nobody2946]

4:36 that “tennis” reference went right over so many heads.

[@jakeholman7279]

I came into this video with the idea that Segel is just another actor who portrayed someone he knew little about. I'm pleasantly surprised at how genuinely interested and dedicated he is to DFW. Much respect for this man.

[@djinntoy]

"My series is a life of really uncomfortable moments" haha so good

[@GodsNode]

Sounds like Russell Brand. My life is a series of embarrassing moments, strung together by other embarrassing moments.

[@austinbowersock2944]

Its so refreshing to hear an actor use his own to talents to respect another's talents. Much love to Jason and DFW

[@shannonmooney1978]

I'm glad that Segal read Infinite Jest and in a guided group. That is really the best way to read that book. Like overcoming alcoholism, you can't do it alone. That's why I love that book -- it's extremely aware of itself without being cheesy.

[@swaginthebanklefty]

Shannon Mooney I disagree, infinite jest is a fantastic book to read by yourself, the characters and the world are so real- such a welcome respite from the true heaviness of the world

[@divelostmind]

kind of genius actually, make your book about loneliness so hard to read that it forces people to read it together, thereby overcoming their loneliness in the first place.

[@omekafalconburn9202]

He was great in the movie, nailed it.

[@jodawgsup]

No.. no. He did not.

[@mattthecat03]

yeah yeah he most certainly did

[@jodawgsup]

matt thecat Not quite!

[@mattthecat03]

betterthan most and very close

[@jodawgsup]

matt thecat "betterthan most", indeed, not quite great. Besides, who are the "most" you reference to?

[@enshroudedcloud]

"Do you love the hot pocket?"

[@JamesAlexanderinternet]

very good interview and an excellent performance in the end of the tour

[@HappyPandaP]

Jason's performance in this movie is one of the best I've seen in the last decade. He really surprised me. Amazing depth in his portrayal...the edge, the intelligence and a real sweetness.

[@OrnamentValleyFilms]

jesus christ. segel is speaking openly and genuinely from the heart and they stare blankly leaning towards him like vultures jumping to their next question the millisecond he’s done speaking.

[@Dracula-br4hc]

Yeah, political pundits are the worst. There are certainly worse people that have lived like Ted Bundy or Pablo Escobar, but somehow these media hosts are less likeable.

[@tonywalton1052]

The dumming down begins at 3:15 Dip doodle head starts talking about getting fat, hot pockets - luckily it was saved.

[@Voodoochil111111]

Tony Walton Yep. When he starts talking about the themes of the book, I could see the drool forming on their mouths.

[@philipgardiner2003]

The irony of his inane, dopy questions and snarky demeanor is that he represents an archetype DFW knows all too well and both despises and covets in its' pure simple-mindedness.

[@DiogenesNephew]

Yet I bet that chick never even tried to read it. Anyone who reads this comment that's had an issue with finishing IJ (or even starting it), I'd recommend you embrace not necessarily understanding all the references and all the symbolism and push through. It becomes incredibly enjoyable if you don't allow yourself to get bogged down. Not to mention, most people quit before they get used to his style. It honestly gets to feel completely natural reading his prose after maybe 100-200 pages (for me anyway)! That's when I was 100% hooked. Can't wait to read it a second time.

[@xtinkerbellax3]

Yea I found it got a lot easier after the first 200ish pages.

[@antiirony]

I read IJ four times and I'm not even a heavy reader. I just liked it!

[@El-up1ri]

Segel is a legend after The end of Tour.

[@12inchvertical]

i think Segal did an awesome job of being completely inside a character. I don't think that character was a facsimile of the real DFW, i think it was like DFW sanded down a bit to make him less twitchy and more certain of things, and more spiritually at peace. maybe that was Segal's decision, or the directors... but in any case you have to admire the professionalism and execution of what Segal did. it made me interested in the man and his work, that's for sure.

[@bishalgurung2757]

Monkey clever balls damage.

[@7kurisu]

wow. i cringed at the idea of a DFW movie, then at the idea of a comic soap actor playing him, then i watched the interview and was amazed that he actually read the book, and actually got it, and was really quite charming. i especially loved when he didnt go with the fat joke angle that the presenters tried to steer him into, instead talking about the reality of being overweight...fantastic. even though i think HIMYM is one of the most square, white sentimental shows that ever made it to TV, i take my hat off to you jason segel

[@Davesky19]

+7kurisu -- So have you seen the movie? It was my favorite movie of the year (although Fury Road was close).

[@toefurniture]

If he really read and comprehended the book he wouldn't have done the movie, in fact he would've boycotted it.

[@KevinWidesouls]

Christopher Daniels The movie is more about the journalistic angle. It just so happened to be that David Foster Wallace was the subject. Realistically though, they could’ve used any interesting celebrity as the subject and the movie would’ve been similar anyways. For instance, the recent Mr. Rogers movie was just like it. Has DFW ever expressed whether he was for or against a movie about himself? If not, then it’s really no one’s place to speak for him on the matter.

[@jonscr6499]

Can you explain "square, white sentimental". English is not my native language, but i would like to understand what u mean.

[@7kurisu]

@@jonscr6499 square: for mass consumption, unoriginal, generic. White: caucasian settler colonial culture, see above. Sentimental: sickly sweet and conservative

[@MrDomination92]

The Obama story tho. Amazing. Story aside, Jason Segel seems like quite a sharp and eloquent guy.

[@tekkenchampion832]

That presenter furthest away from him was kinda douchey when suggesting that the story didn't happen, lmao.

[@CelestialWriter01]

I love the end of the tour.. I’ve watched a few times. I also have read Infinite Jest... only once tho lol

[@mrhanky5851]

I think it’s kind of wrong to make a movie about DFW, and it seems there’s no proper way of capturing him through the means they attempted to utilize. BUT, listening to Segel it appears he’s one of the only people who ‘got’ IJ/DFW. He seems like a solid guy.

[@jamesconkle9158]

I love that guy on the left.

[@PatrickBateman1987]

he was surprisingly good in that movie

[@johnnyscarlotti4566]

good movie

[@raoulmaul]

0:53 i took that personally

[@moeezS]

That Obama story was brilliant.

[@jmcfoonster6081]

4:04 I've had that moment several times. It sucks. Where does that leave you?

[@EASTNSIM9454]

he was fantastic

[@briandressel1344]

Funny to hear this because I’ve read David’s family didn’t want this movie made.

[@ladystoneheart8155]

Yeah. You’re right. That’s why I had mixed feelings going into the movie. They’re allowed their feelings, but I thought it was a great movie and glad it was made.

[@oniongummy8969]

A seagull once called my name from the sky

[@Misserbi]

He portrayed an intensely complicated person who most likely did not enjoy the pains of his efforts and when it came time to feel the accolades -- they were non-existent. I can relate in a Dostoevskian fashion that to his favor he did capture the process of the pained writer to the tee.

[@bmoneybby]

I really like the movie actually.

[@daylonball566]

Segel*

[@marcopervo]

The conversations in the movie were inane and circular compared to Wallace during interviews.

[@matthias1948]

David Foster Wallace would rotate in his grave. Had he only known they would make a movie about his commentary on the shallowness of media-entertainment of his era.

[@magneto44]

Matze _ he was a movie fan

[@lilpontoon6022]

Magneto Rex He was specific, obviously. He was huge David Lynch fan. Huge.

[@magneto44]

LIl Pontoon as we all should be! one of the few directors who is a true artist

[@copsarebastards]

Yeah the whole pomo curls of this in particular would drive him nuts.

[@paulfroelich1024]

Yeah, but He could also laugh.

[@Epiousios18]

"You just feel terrible, all the time" found that to be hilarious. Not quite sure why.

[@cobaltfalcon9458]

JASON SEGEL’S NEW WHAT???

[@roycedot]

He sounds move like DFW in his regular speaking tone than the acting tone (pretty monotonic) he took in the movie

[@ManfromuncoolBlogspotstars]

so, yeah I put a bandana on my head...

[@bmoneybby]

2:35

[@rr7firefly]

Who is the bozo sitting on the left end of this onstage trio? As soon as he opened his mouth to talk about weight gain and Hot Pockets the interview shifted to the style of "Entertainment Tonight"-- the producers of this show probably tell their TV personnel to keep it light, keep it fun.

[@pandalilpig]

nice. hey now, come listen to some of my improv stuff. bye for now.

[@ecolobrodu]

0:07 Uh, "Consider the Lobster" wasn't funny...?

[@mayatan5386]

It was definitely funny at parts! Near the beginning, he says something like the traffic near the festival can be described only as indescribable. The imagery of cooks running out of the room until the lobsters stopped banging on the pot, it was good!

[@jackedgrampaproductions9155]

"The traffic was, as you can imagine, unimaginable." Lol

[@konniem.6709]

A Supposedly Funny Thing I'll Never Do Again is a title not his commentary.

[@philipgardiner2003]

Snarky know-it-all interviewer on the left. Envious much or rather oblivious. I listened to it again and loved how Jason handled this with humor, sensitivitty and professionlism.

[@CalebKepleyMusic]

I'm smarter than David foster wallace

[@jeanbirch431]

David Foster Wallace is a corpse. I hope you feel accomplished.

[@lilpontoon6022]

Eisenberg plays the same character all of the time. A neurotic jew

[@PJonston]

Hahahahaha

[@PatrickBateman1987]

that's redundant

[@nasershahkarami7828]

The way he imitates him is a disgrace

[@ShindlersFiist]

These two white guys..fail. Jason was amazing though.

[@redryan20000]

I don't get it. Jason is white. Why bring up their skin color?

[@Dracula-br4hc]

​@@redryan20000Probably because it's fun to clown on unlikeable white people and Jason Segel is not unlikeable at all.

[@jefftaylor8782]

Terrible performance

[@kevinkeelan354]

Bad casting

[@skytime88]

I was going to tweet this out till the need for a head pat from Hillary and Obama was revealed. It tells me that though Jason is a talented performer, he lacks discernment of social and political reality that has been negatively shaping this culture and world events.

[@HeyBudLetsParty69]

Well that interview sucked!

[@SwampyWilkinson]

The movie fucking sucked.

[@ralphintheshadowrealm7002]

Swampy Wilkinson very insightful analysis of the film there bud

[@somethinghhh6005]

The movie was horrible...

[@MisiFu7]

Segel*

[@lilpontoon6022]

Eisenberg plays the same character all of the time. A neurotic jew

[@jeffreyconrad5873]

LIl Pontoon love your enemy

[@skytime88]

I was going to tweet this out till the need for a head pat from Hillary and Obama was revealed. It tells me that though Jason is a talented performer, he lacks discernment of social and political reality that has been negatively shaping this culture and world events.

[@magneto44]

KillRockStars 88 you sound like a joy to be around 🙄

[@palbo4]

You voted for Trump right?