Miles Heizer of Boots

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Listen to "What Are We Even Doing?" on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, welcome to I've Never Said This Before, with me, Tommy DiDario. There are so many great shows to watch at any given time, right? But sometimes a really special one comes along that you can't stop thinking about. Today's guest, he is in what I am calling one of the best shows of the year, and his performance will make you laugh and cry and all of the amazing things in between. The brilliant Miles Heiser joins my show today, who you know and love from Parenthood, 13 Reasons Why, Love Simon, and now the very binge-worthy series Boots, which is coming out on Netflix on October 9th. So in Boots, Miles plays Cameron Cope. He is a bullied, gay, high school student who, with his best friend, kind of on a win, joins the Marines to find some direction in his life. The problem is, he joined the Marines in the 90s when it was illegal to be gay in the Marines. So the series is based off a very powerful true story, and it explores so many themes. I mean, friendship, resilience, finding your place in a very difficult world. I am calling it now. Boots is going to soar to number one within 24 hours of it being released. I'm even surprised words are coming out of my mouth, to be honest, because I don't know. I feel quite speechless when I think of how powerful Miles' performance was in this incredible story. So let's let him find the words for me and let's see if today we can get Miles to say something that he has never said before. Miles, how are you doing today? I am good. I'm a little nervous, but I'm doing well. Don't be nervous, although you did tell me it's your first podcast. It is, yes. I'm worried I'll say something unforgivable, but I'm curious to find out what it is that I'm going to say. Yeah, me too. Do podcasts freak you out? Like, does long form generally freak you out? Yeah, I think it's the long form of it. That being said, I love podcasts. It's like all I listen to. So there's a thrill to being on one as well. Well, I am very honored you chose this one. Yes, thank you for having me. I am so psyched to have you. I was telling you, I'm such a fan of Boots. I got to see it, I guess now six weeks ago I watched it. So it's been terrible because I haven't been able to talk about it with anybody. Honestly, same. I think I saw it for the first time like six weeks ago and yeah, I have no one to tell. I'm like, it exists. I swear it's coming out soon. It's unbelievable. It is such a special project. I've been telling everybody like when you see it, it's it's going to be one of your favorite shows of the year. Oh my gosh. Well, I hope that's true. I'm we're all so excited. We started like it's been almost three years now since we started. So it's very surreal that it's like it's actually coming out like I'm so, so excited. And I've seen it too. And it's I'm just so proud of it and excited to see what the reaction is. And your character, man, he's he's so much fun to watch his evolution. Right. So you play Cameron, AKA cope. Yes. And he enlists in the Marines with his best friend. That's true. He has a secret. Right. He's gay. Yes. And you can't be gay in the 90s in the Marines. It's illegal. Right. That is true. So it's a very interesting story. And you are, I mean, you are the face of this series. Like how does it all feel? We're a few days ahead of the release and it's your baby. I mean, is it a wild feeling? Yeah, it's it's very, very crazy. I've been acting since I was 10, you know, 20 years now. And I'm very comfortable in all the roles I've played before. I'm usually like a smaller character. There's this sort of disconnection where you're like, there's not as much pressure on you because I'm like, if people like it or they don't, like, I'm such a small part of this thing that it's, I don't feel that that stress about the reaction to it. And this is definitely a very different experience. I'm like praying that someone will like it. I'm like, it feels very, very precious to me. But to all of us, it's sort of a weird, weird show where typically everyone has scenes separate from each other. And so you have days where you're not working, you're not there all the time. And the show is like, if you don't see us, you can guarantee we were still there. It was like every scene, we were all there no matter what. So we just spent so much time on it and so much time together. So I think it just feels very close to all of us. And we hope people enjoy it. Do you spiral ahead of something like this? Like, are you up at night? Do you have anxiety? Are you able to be like, it will be what it will be? I am Namaste and calm. You know, I'll be honest. Typically I'm like super calm and not anxious. And this is definitely the first time for me where I'm like genuinely anxious about it. But sort of in a fun way, I since I saw the show, I'm like, I love it so much. And I think that people will really like it if they watch it. And so there's like a sense of calm there. It's more excitement where I'm like, I'm so excited for people to see it because I think that it's the show when you watch it is is very different than it reads on paper, like it's it's very light and fun and heartwarming. And I think that's sort of a different take on the classic like bootcamp or military story. So I hope that people give it a chance and will like end up really liking it and feeling uplifted by the end. And yeah, it's a really different kind of coming of age story, right? And all the different characters in it are going through their own journeys of trying to figure out who they are in a really difficult world. And I think that's something we all want. And I imagine doing a role like this and playing this character as someone who went through your own journey and is sitting here as an out game man today, maybe was cathartic or healing in a way. Like, did it feel like that? Yeah, I mean, I feel like for for queer people, it's growing up for a lot of us, at least myself included. It's like your entire youth is spent like obsessing over this thing and this fear of people finding out and how people are going to react. And it's like, it's such a part of our lives and our psyches that it's like, it's very easy to go back to that as someone that sort of passed that phase because it's just drilled into my brain. So there is something very cathartic about going back and sort of re-portraying that because it is still such a huge part of me. I think the thing that I love about Cameron and this show is that his journey is not really about discovering his sexuality. I think that's something that he's, he knows and is comfortable with and has his best friend who supports him. And ultimately his arc is really about sort of growing and discovering new things about himself. But obviously there's this conundrum of the price of that is sort of hiding this other part of himself, which I think is really interesting and not something we see too often. And I think there's something really interesting about your character and worrying about feeling exposed in a group of these like macho dudes, right, in Marine boot camp. Like that's something that I think a lot of people who go through their own journey discovering who they are can experience. I remember being in high school and I did all the plays and I was in theater and also an athlete. So it was a really weird balance to strike between the two groups. But I remember in our theater, like I would be rehearsing and I used to do hip hop and dance and teaching my cosars or my castmates how to dance and the football team would come in and start training and doing runs up and down the steps of our theater gym. And I'm like, there I am, like teaching a dance to people. Like I feel so exposed and I wasn't even out then, you know, like it's just I felt a lot of those moments in this. Yeah, I think that's something I really connect with growing up. I I was like raised by women at a single mother, a sister. My grandmother was I was sort of surrounded by women. And I think I developed this sort of anxiety around boys because I was afraid that they were going to make fun of me or see something in me that was different and therefore sort of other me. And I think that I I really avoided a lot of like male friendships growing up because of that. And I think a lot of a lot of queer people have that that same experience. I think that's what's so interesting. Sort of about this show is that Cameron is put in this place where he suddenly that has to go away because all these barriers and walls he's built up to protect himself are just out the window. It's like, you're here, you have to do these things. You have to fail. And I think that in the process of that, he ends up actually discovering all these things about himself and things that he didn't know he was capable of. And in some weird way, I like sort of had that while we were filming with this group of boys. Like we all come from literally like different parts of the country, very different backgrounds and people that I think maybe I wouldn't have thought that I would connect with necessarily. And it was like such a beautiful experience, the way we all came together and bonded so closely and sort of put aside all these all these preconceived notions about each other and our backgrounds and sort of just connected on a human level. And I feel like that's really the message of the show as well. And you have now an entire fraternity of brothers. I do, yes. That's a big group of guys. And one sister, Angus O'Brien, my bestie. Everybody is so good in this. I mean, there's so much I want to say, but I'm not saying. Oh, right. We can't talk about it. But here's something for you. What was the scariest part of doing a show like this? You know, this is this is easy for me to answer as sort of a spoiler. But there's like an element of boot camp that involves being high up in the air. And I have like an extreme fear of heights, not like acute. Like I can't do it like a full, like Maury Povich running through the hallway phobia. Yes, like very scared. And so we had to do this. And I talked to someone ahead of time and they're like, we'll we'll build like a miniature. We can like fake it with the angles. Like do not worry about it. And of course I get there. There's no miniature. It's a full size. Like I actually have a bone to pick with production because on camera, it looks like, oh, it's yeah, it's kind of high up. Like in person, it was so tall and it was it was very scary. Unfortunately, we had a stunt coordinator, Jade, who did like Cirque du Soleil, was a tightrope walker and he like seriously walked me through it. We had a rehearsal day where I was like, I literally can't do it. And he was like, we're going to do it. And we sure enough, like he got me there and I was able to do it. On the day that was definitely the scariest part for me. And I knew in advance, I was dreading that the whole time. I'm like, I can't believe I have to climb this thing. But you did it. I did it. Yeah, it was very sweet. The boys were like, they were all there at the rehearsal and cheering me on. It was very, very much mirrored the show. That's really cool. Yeah. And good on you. Not only do you have to like act to make it look really believable, but you're doing things that genuinely freak you the hell out. Yeah, that's like my number one off limits. Cannot do it, but I did it. So you're ready in your next role to skydive. I'm not. Oh, yeah, I'm not going to do it, but, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm at peace with where, what I did and where I'm at now. Good for you. Good for you. What surprised you the most about playing this role and doing the show? Like, was there any point during filming where you were just like, wow, that was not what I expected or I feel a certain way and expect to feel or anything like that? Yeah. I mean, there's so, so many aspects of it. Honestly, getting there, I, when we first arrived in New Orleans where we filmed, I had like pretty extreme imposter syndrome. I'm like, I don't belong here. I'm scared. Like Vera Farmiga is probably somewhere nearby. I should not be anywhere near her. Um, and I think through the process, um, I think we all had this again because we were all there all day, every day. I, I didn't think I would be able to, to work that much and to be, to not have a complete breakdown. And it was like, that was something I learned was like, wow, I can actually do this thing that I, I've never done before and never thought that I could do. Um, and another thing that was, was really cool for me is we had, uh, three military advisors on set with us the whole time. Um, and they were sort of, they helped us train a little bit before we started. And then each week, like, or not week, but each episode, um, whatever we were doing in the forthcoming episode, we like have a day with them or they walked us through it and, and trained us. And then they were there on set every single day to like, to watch and make sure that every, there's, it's, the Marines are so meticulous. There's like the belt has to be in a certain place. And there, there are all these things that they're like, they were there to, to monitor. Um, but that being said, I think, especially for like a gay kid, I have these perceptions about, um, sort of masculine worlds. I think for me, when I think of the military, it feels sort of hyper masculine in some type of way. And I think you just, without knowing, sort of develop a perception of, of that world, and it was, it was so enlightening to have spent so much time with them and to really connect with them and see like all these things that I might have thought, um, about Marines was so not true. And I think we, we both sort of had this learning experience from each other where like we come from such different worlds and we're able to come together and, and learn a lot from each other and about each other. And it was really a very powerful experience for me. And you got yelled at quite a bit in the show. We did. It's funny watching it. I'm like, Oh, it's funny, like hearing them scream at us. But yeah, when we were there pretty quickly, it was like, Oh boy, there's, yeah, more screaming. Did you go home and like heard that in your dreams, just being yelled at? I'm sure I was checking out when I went home. We would have like two hours before you had to be asleep. I was watching rock of love. That's how checked out. I was right. I don't know what that is. Well, that's on you. Oh man. Do I need to Google it? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It's like an early, I guess early 2000s MTV dating show with Brett Michaels. And it's, it's just, it's a disaster. Okay. Yeah. But one that you go back to over and over. I was just watching it. I'm like, I don't know what I'm doing. I would order pizza, watch rock of love, go to sleep. Why not something maybe a little more current, like Love Island or, you know, why that's a good question. I'm a huge reality TV fan. Like I watch, I watch a lot of them. I did just watch Love Island. Um, but I don't know. For some reason I had started rock of love before getting to New Orleans. And so I just, I kept, kept kicking on that. Okay. So you're a big like housewives fan. I'm not, believe it or not. I love like the competition reality show specifically. I never watched real housewives, but I did watch Love Island. But did you like the competition shows before you did a show about being in the Marines? Oh yeah. Oh, okay. Oh my gosh. Yeah. This is, this is deep, deep in my, my history. I started watching big brother when I was like 10 or something. And yeah, I've always been very into reality competition shows. I like that. Yeah. I like that. Well, maybe one day you'll be on one. Trust me, I have this, this horrible little fantasy of being on big brother one day, but I'm like, I can't, I can't do it like nope. Nope. Like three, what is it? Is it three months? Yeah. And you're leading a show on Netflix. You're, you're, you're okay right now. You're a little busy. Like let's settle down. I can't lead for three months. Yeah. We're good. We'll work that out later. In the new podcast, Hell in Heaven, two young Americans moved to the Costa Rican jungle to start over, but one will end up dead. The other tried for murder, not once. People weren't wild. Not twice stunned, but three times. John and Anne Bender are rich and attractive and they're devoted to each other. They create a nature reserve and build a spectacular circular home high on the top of a hill, but little by little. Their dream starts to crumble and our couple retreat from reality. They lose it. They actually lose it. They sort of went nuts until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the I heart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The crying wolf podcast is the story of two men bound by injustice. Of a city haunted by its secrets and the quest for redemption, no matter the price. 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Listen and subscribe to Here We Go Again with Cal Penn on the I heart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What I love about this show, too, is and so many shows right now, there's like a rise in inclusive content, right? Like Heartstopper and overcompensating and this and you're just seeing more and more of it, which I think is so great because the stories are great. Like it all begins with a great story for sure. And I love that we're getting quality content more and more and more. Do you feel like as an actor, as an artist that the industry is kinder to you in this day and age, being an out gay man and being a person who deserves and wants to seat at the table, do you feel like the change home? I mean, I feel it sort of night and day. I mean, I started acting when I was 10. And, you know, as I I was aware, I was gay, like so early. And I think growing up, I seeing the industry and seeing how the the landscape above it was sort of like if you're gay, like you need to move somewhere else. You're never going to work again, et cetera. So growing up, I had such fear surrounding this room, like it's going to hit a point where it's like I'm very clockable as a gay person and they're going to start being like we can't hire him. And I remember having conversations of like even playing gay characters. There was this sort of trope of like once you do it, like that's it. Like you're sort of in this box where like you can only play gay characters and there aren't a lot of gay projects. Or a lot of times there's like not not funding behind them. And it's like it's so crazy to be in a time where there's like high quality, good content about gay people. Like for me to be on this show is just so crazy. Thinking back, like I was so afraid of being like an out gay person in the entertainment industry. And to have an opportunity like this is like really not wasted on me. I know how wild it is and what a special opportunity it is. I'm just very grateful. Obviously, like there's still plenty of progress to be made. But yeah, as of now, I'm like it is it's exciting that there there seem to be more and more opportunities for people. I think that's really cool. I don't know about you, but over the course of my career. I sometimes felt like I had to work harder than some of my peers to prove myself because I'm a gay man and like I needed to be looked at in the same way and I didn't want to be overlooked or not looked at because of that. Did you feel that coming up? You know, it's. You know, in a way, yes, in a way, no, I think like. A big part of it was like trying to be perceived as straight or someone that they could buy as a straight person on a TV show or in a movie or something. But I think deep down I like whether it was right or wrong. I sort of never felt like that was an option for me. I mean, at a certain point, it's like everyone is going to know and they're not I'm not going to be right for those types of parts and stuff. So I feel like I had a good disconnection from that where I'm like, I was a little at peace just knowing like I'm not going to be Jennifer Lawrence's husband and something like it's no one's buying it. It's not going to happen. And more developed like peace with that. But again, like to be in a world now where there there's a show like Boots for that I could be on, that's that's just insane. Yeah, but so so needed, right? Like so needed. Oh, I was when I got the audition for it. I read the pilot and I was like, I can't believe this show is being made, let alone by Netflix. It was like I connected with it so, so intensely. And it was one where when I read it, I'm like, all right, I'm going to really give it my all. Like I'm going to try as hard as I possibly can on this one. And here we are. And opportunities like this don't come up a lot. They just don't. So did that, did that make you just hold on to it extra tight? Like, did it consume you? Like, I have to book this role. Like, how do you even go into something like this one? It's, I mean, such an epic moment in your career that could happen. Yeah, I mean, honestly, I did my first audition and I didn't hear anything back for truly like three months. So I just sort of like let it go. I'm like, I mean, I felt the connection, but it's like for a first audition, I've learned at this point, like just do your best and just forget about it afterward is truly like 99% of the time you don't hear a word back. And that just is what it is. And when I got the callback, I was like, oh my God, this is, wow, yes. Like I'm, I assumed I had no shot at that because it's been three months. But then, yeah, it was a pretty quick, but intense audition experience after that callback and I was getting very attached to the whole thing. I'm like, after doing, you know, 40 pages of auditions and stuff. Yeah, I was like really, really attached to it. It's also funny there's a, and I sent this to like our producers after after I booked the job, but there's a song Hold On by Wilson Phillips that sort of plays a part in the show. And I've like have this very long history of like loving that song. This is obviously humiliating, but I have like a video of myself singing it in a CVS when I'm like 18, I think. And it's like very strange. My, I don't know why, but like once a year, basically my agent will like send me that and be like, I still love this video of you. Ha, ha, it's like been this recurring thing in my life. And when this happened, I'm like, there's some, some weird universe thing happening where they're, I'm like, I need to be a part of this. So yeah, it was, it was, it was tough not to get attached, but it worked out. So I will 100% have to see that video. I'll show you. I'm wearing a really sad, like shirt with flowers on it. Like I look unwell. I have blonde hair. Yeah, it's a bad look. Oh my God, that's amazing. It was meant to be. I mean, I don't believe in coincidence. I just don't. I think that was somehow things aligning and, you know, what, what are the chances that song that you sang in CVS is suddenly a big part of this show? Come on. It does make you, make you wonder. It definitely does. If there were to be a theme song to your life, what would it be? Oh my God. We're in this era of your life right now. What would you say? That is, that's like the hardest question I've ever heard. I have some like classics that sort of stick with me that are like very important to me. There's a song called Zurich is Stained by Pavement that I like for whatever reason. I'm like, this is like just my song. I just connect with it. I feel like it's like it's something that I'm like this sort of sounds like my personality or something. And I have some Tegan and Sarah songs that are like core, core. You know, me discovering my identity. Like there's a song called 19 by Tegan and Sarah. That's like my forever song. It was sort of like the first thing that I heard and latched on to in a very toxic way where I was like, this is my personality. I have asymmetrical hair. Like I'm Alts. I'm Indy. And it was like a huge part of my, my growing up. So maybe those two, I like those. They're both like depressing. So, but you know what, they're good songs. Yes. They're good. Good artists, good songs. I love that. Do you have an answer? Do I have an answer? Oh, God, a song, an anthem for this moment in my life right now. Oh, God, it is a hard one. It is because there are songs I love, right? And I mean, OK, wow, there are songs I love, but it doesn't mean they would define me right now. You know what I mean? Of course. I can't think about that. Yeah, I'll think about it. I'll send you a real answer later because those are both like not fun or uplifting songs. So well, you got me thinking. You send me the CVS video, I'll send you my answer later. It's a deal. We're going to make it happen. But you're right. Music is a big part of the show, and I love the music in the show so much. When I saw it, I'm like, they, they spend some money on these songs. It is like very good, very good music sort of like becomes a character in the show. Again, there's so many moments that while we were filming, they truly felt like so intense and hard and it felt so serious. And then watching the show, I'm like, oh, that was like there. It's a joke, like they're super light and funny. And a lot of that is sort of music based. Like they they play these songs and it like adds this sort of comedic layer to the whole thing. Yeah. Unfortunately, we didn't know was happening when we were filming. I think all of us collectively, when we saw the show, we're like, whoa, it's like the tone is so different than what we thought we were making. Which is really fun for us. Like I think you have these expectations of what you're working on. And when you see it and it's so different, it's like there's some sort of relief to that. You're like, oh, my God, this is like a totally different show. And it's like so fun and easy to watch and not what we thought we were making. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of pleasant surprises throughout the entire show. You you have so many scenes that are funny and light and and. Gross at some point, I'm not going to reveal what that is. But there are a couple. There's some interesting things going on. But there's also a lot of powerful and, you know, raw and these moments that just like, oh, they just like strike something inside of you. Was there a moment during the filming of this show where even you got emotional? Like it just kind of something hit you hard or. Oh, yeah. I mean, unfortunately, I guess I can't give spoilers, but there are definitely moments in the show where reading the scene, I'm like, I didn't. It doesn't necessarily play out in the show the way that it's it's written just because for whatever reason in that moment, you get sort of like carried away or it's yeah, strike some sort of cord for you. I had a lot of those moments, actually. Yeah. And when we finished, I was I remember when we wrapped. It was our last day. And again, we just worked so hard. And the show took like almost two years to finish because there was a writer strike and we're in New Orleans and it's like it's hot and we all work every day. And I think we're sort of like seeing that finish line. It seemed like I was going to be such a relief. And I remember when they they started wrapping people on the last day and I was the only one I just started like hysterically crying. I never cry like it's just once I feel myself starting to cry. It's like I shut off. I'm like, wow, I'm this is so embarrassing. I'm crying. And then I just stopped crying, but I was I was weeping. That was probably the most intense, like emotional reaction I had. It's because like such a such a huge experience for all of us and for it to be finishing was like it really hit home for me. How badly do you want to season two? I will do anything I'm telling you. I will I'll do what needs to be done. Yeah, I'm hoping it's going to happen. That's what I'm telling myself. It's going to happen for sure. Are there things you're thinking about that you want to see for yourself in season two? I mean, sure, there are like things I'm like, oh, that would be fun. Yeah, that's one of them. Well, see, it's going to it's going to be spoilers. OK. My OK, my dream would I think would be like super cool would be if they just did a full 180 and made it like zombies. And they're like now that you've gone through bootcamp, like you're prepared and there's like a zombie outbreak and we need the Marines to like help us with the zombies. Oh, we're going supernatural. Yes, OK, but it's never going to happen. I'm here for it. I'm here for it all. Who would be a dream guest star for you? Oh, my God, you know what? Someone asked me this and I never answered like anyone that could pop in for an episode. Yeah, I was told I can't say Meryl Streep. And I'm like, that would be why can't you say Meryl Streep? Well, they told me I could and obviously that would be incredible. Yeah, you know, May Whitman, my best friend. I'd love to see her hop on there. From Parenthood. Yes. Yes, that would be pretty epic. That would be a fun reunion. I know, I need to think. Let me think about that. Maybe I'll send that along with the CVS video. OK, so you have a lot to send me. I know. So there's too many people I can't I can't choose. OK, fair enough, fair enough. You I mean, you've done so much already in your career between Parenthood. I just mentioned in 13 reasons why and this and, you know, other amazing credits. Did you ever think you'd be right here where you are at this point in your life? Like, you've had what people would consider a dream career. Yeah, I will say I'm extremely lucky. I think that I felt very comfortable sort of playing smaller parts in things. And that is what I've always done. And I think to be like the lead of a show like this was something that I never saw for myself. And I was very comfortable with that. I'm like, it just doesn't, you know, I've done it long enough. It's never happened. And I'm like, it seems nerve wracking and stressful. And I'm like, I'm sort of at peace with with where I'm at. But when this happened, again, major imposter syndrome, but was like a huge learning experience for me. And ultimately, no, I cannot believe that I'm here. Like doing any of the doing an interview about this show. Like it's it's pretty it's pretty wild. Like I'm some random gay kid from Kentucky, literally. So, yeah, I had to throw a random in there. You're random. Oh my God. Yeah, extremely. There's like I'm any other person sitting there in Kentucky. So yeah, to be here is pretty, pretty crazy. So is there something when you think about the next 10 years of your career as genre projects, a franchise that you would be like, God, that'd be so cool to be a part of. Yeah. I mean, I think by. Well, one thing was like to be on Drag Race, which I did a while ago. That was like the sort of my pinnacle career aspiration outside of that. I have this desire to be in like a cool, good horror movie. Like for me, nothing like hits as hard as just like a good, suspenseful horror movie. Yeah. And it's like, I feel like there's like one or two a year that are like really good. And I would love to be in one just for fun. Are you a huge horror fan? I am. Yeah. But I also acknowledge like the majority of it is is unwatchable. Yeah. But like when it's when there's a really good one, like nothing gets me more excited. I feel like you need to be in a scream. Listen, your your lips, what do they say to God's ears? Yeah, I'll do it because they take all of these really relevant pop culture people and the show is going to be huge. And I feel like once that comes out, especially you got to be in scream. I would love what are we on eight? Scream, sevens coming out. Yeah, you got to be in Scream, so make it happen. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you so much. One of my co stars from 13 reasons why he did that. He went from our show and did a screen movie. What? Who remind me? His name is Dylan Manette. He's now like a rock star. Yeah. So yeah, it can happen. Even if it's the opening kill, that's pretty iconic. That's even that's like the ultimate gift. I mean, you could be the next three Barrymore opening kill. Listen, I'll once again, I'll take it. We're making a lot happen today. I know, it's true. I feel really good about it. I feel really good about it. In the new podcast, Helen Heaven, two young Americans moved to the Costa Rican jungle to start over, but one will end up dead. The other tried for murder, not once. People went wild, not twice. Stunned, but three times. John and Ann Bender are rich and attractive and they're devoted to each other. They create a nature reserve and build a spectacular, circular home high on the top of a hill. But little by little, their dream starts to crumble and our couple retreat from reality. They'd lose it. They actually lose it. They sort of went nuts. Until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Helen Heaven on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The Crying Wolf podcast is the story of two men bound by injustice of a city haunted by its secrets and the quest for redemption, no matter the price. White victim, female, pretty, wealthy, black defendants. Chicago, a white woman's murder, a black man behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. I had 90 years for killing somebody I have never seen. He says the police are his friends and then that's it. They turn on him. A corrupt detective. How he was interrogated the techniques. That's crazy. A snitch and a life stolen. They got the wrong guy. But on the inside, Lee Harris finds an ally in his celly, Robert, who swears to tell the truth about what happened to Lee and free his friend. And if you're with me or your goals, I'll take care of you. I've got to be with you. You stuck with me for life. Listen to the Crying Wolf podcast starting on October 22nd on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The forces shaping the world's economies and financial markets can be hard to spot. Even though they are such a powerful player in finance, you wouldn't really know that you are interacting with them. 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And on my new podcast, Here We Go Again, we'll take today's trends and headlines and ask, why does history keep repeating itself? You may know me as the second hottest actor from the Harold and Kumar movies, but I'm also an author, a White House staffer. And as of like 15 seconds ago, a podcast host. Along the way, I've made some friends who are experts in science, politics and pop culture. And each week, one of them will be joining me to answer my burning questions. Like, are we heading towards another financial crash like in '08? Is non monogamy back in style? And how come there's never a gate ready for your flight when it lands like two minutes early? We've got guests like Pete Buttigieg, Stacy Abrams, Lily Singh and Bill Nye. When you start weaponizing outer space, things can potentially go really wrong. Look, the world can seem pretty scary right now because it is. But my goal here is for you to listen and feel a little better about the future. Listen and subscribe to Here We Go Again with Cal Penn on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Miles, I know what I got out of the show, but being so close to it, like, what is one message you hope people walk away from, you know, after watching Boots? Yeah, I mean, I sort of touched on this already. But I think the core of the show is sort of about people coming together from from different places and sort of letting their walls down and finding a middle ground where they can connect as people. And again, I already kind of said this, but I think that the show is like it's sort of viewed through a queer lens, but ultimately like the story is really not about Cameron's sexuality or him being gay. It's like really about self-discovery. And there's a part in the first episode, sort of a spoiler, but where there's a line about Cameron's like, I'm the only one who has to hide. And the response is like, you think you're the only person here who's hiding something. And I think that everyone there has something that they're scared of people finding out about them and scared of how they'll be perceived or if they'll be sort of put in some sort of box or othered. And I think that that's like a really powerful message that the show sort of touches on is like, we all have something like that. And when that's taken away, especially in a place like boot camp where you're being taught, like you only have each other. It's it's literally life or death at a certain point, sort of putting all those things aside and being like, all right, we're people. We all want the same thing, which is like to be OK and to sit at home and watch TV or whatever and just have a nice life. And I think the show does a really good job of sort of portraying that like people just coming together and seeing each other as people as opposed to any of our our beliefs or our sexuality or any of these other things. Yeah, yeah, I think that's one really powerful message for sure. And there's there's so many more. And that's one of the many reasons why I love this show. I think people can get so much out of it, no matter what walk of life you come from, which is a really powerful thing when you can relate to what you're watching in some sort of way. So I I couldn't love that more. All right, Miles, as we wrap up the name of the show. Right. It's called I've Never Said This Before. So you can see here on the cup. I clocked that on the. And I started this this show on that question because I do a lot of red carpets and sit downs with people in junkets, which, you know, you're no stranger to and they're so quick. So I like bringing people on and having more of a real conversation where we can learn more about you and where artists have the chance to say something that's different or special to them or personal or whatever that question means to them. So is there anything today that you can think of that you've never said before that you want to share? All right. Well, I thought about this. Mine is like not meaningful or anything whatsoever. I'll start with something that I have said before, which is that this happened like five days ago. I woke up at like 7 30 in the morning to to banging on my front door. My dogs are screaming and I like go to the front door and there's a cop at my door and I open it and he's like, I'm a detective from the LAPD. I'm assuming my sister's been murdered or my mom. I'm like, I don't know why they would be here. And he's like, oh, are you the owner of this type of car? I'm like, yeah. And he's like, we found it like at an abandoned house. And I look on the street and I'm like, yeah, the car, it's not there. And he's like, yeah, we someone robbed a store and we tracked them on ring cameras to this house. And this car was in the driveway and we ran the plates and it came back to you. And I'm like, yeah, that's that is my car. Like I what do we do? And they're like, well, we can just take you over to get the car. Like if you have the key. So I'm I'm truly frazzled. I like I'm like, I need a moment. The cop tells me to wash my face. He was like, you take you can wash your face, do what you need to do. Like, all right. So I go inside, put like clothes on and go over and and pick up my car. And sure enough, it was just sitting in this this driveway. And it was empty. Like they had stolen everything out of the car. But I had the car, which is all I cared about. And I guess the thing that I've never said before is that I some part of me is grateful because the car has truly never been so clean. It's like immaculate, like they took everything. And it's like, I thought I would feel like scared knowing someone had been in it and I'm like, I couldn't be happier. It's it's spotless in there. So are you inviting people to steal more of your thing? Sure. Yeah. It's the classic thing where I'm like, wow, I like didn't care about anything in the car. Like, I literally don't care that any of it's gone. Huh. And I guess that's the thing I've never said before is I'm grateful that it was taken and returned. OK. Yes. You know, you could clean up from a car wash. It's true. I've now learned I'm like, I will never put anything in this car because it feels so much better being empty. Good for you. What an eyeopening, life changing experience. With the final detail, I will say is that it actually wasn't empty because like a few hours later I was parked and I sort of leaned over and I saw like something glinting from the passenger seat and I looked down and the robber had left their cell phone and a receipt from Smart and Final where they bought beer. And so, yeah, I've literally I've been like calling the police being trying to tell them that I have evidence, but they won't answer. But I have their phone and a receipt and a clean car and a very clean car. Yes, it is your year. Good for you. Thank you. Good for you. Oh, my God, Miles. I cannot have enjoyed this conversation more. Same. Thank you for having me. Thank you for hanging out. Thank you for the show. Everybody watch it October 9th. Yes, October 9th on Netflix. Boots. Here we go. Let's go. All right, my man. Until next time. All right. Well, thank you. I've never said this before is hosted by me. Tommy Diderio. This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at I Heart Radio and by me, Tommy, with editing by Joshua Kolodny. I've never said this before is part of the Elvis Duran podcast network on I Heart Podcasts. For more, rate, review and subscribe to our show. And if you like this episode, tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Diderio. Hello, America's sweetheart. Johnny Knoxville here. I want to tell you about my new true crime podcast, Crime List, Hillbilly Heist from Smart List Media, Campside Media and Big Money Players. It's a wild tale about a gang of high functioning nitwits who somehow pulled off America's third largest cash heist. Kind of like Robin Hood, except for the part where he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. I'm not that generous. It's a damn near inspiring true story for anyone out there who's ever shot for the moon, then just totally muffed up the landing. They stole $17 million and had not bought a ticket to help them escape. So we're saying like, oh, God, what do we do? What do we do? That was dumb. People do not follow my example. Listen to Crime List, Hillbilly Heist on the I Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts are wherever you get your podcast. Two rich young Americans moved to the Costa Rican jungle to start over, but one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream and nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it. They actually lose it. They sort of went nuts until one night. Everything spins out of control. Listen to Helen Heben on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Big Take podcast from Bloomberg News keeps you on top of the biggest stories of the day. My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. Stories that move markets. Chair Powell opened the door to this first interest rate cut. Impact politics. Change businesses. This is a really stunning development for the AI world and how you think about your bottom line. Listen to the Big Take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Kal Penn. And on my new podcast, Here We Go Again, we'll take today's trends and headlines and ask, why does history keep repeating itself? Each week, I'm calling up my friends like Bill Nye, Lily Singh and Pete Buttigieg to talk about everything from the space race to movie remakes to psychedelics. Put another way, are you high? Look, the world can seem pretty scary right now. But my goal here is for you to listen and feel a little better about the future. Listen and subscribe to Here We Go Again with Kal Penn on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I Heart Podcast.