Straw media. Hi, I'm Michael
Madson and welcome back to my podcast American

Badass. This episode's guest I'm really
excited about. I'm going to be speaking

with Tom Arnold. Tom's a comedian
and also great actor. He's done so

many movies and TV shows. You
probably know him from sons of anarchy and

true lies, happy endings and Roseanne, of course, and he's got some

funny stories. Let me tell you. Him and I were filming together in

Italy last year during Covid we shot
a Christmas movie together called Christmas thieves,

and Tom and I had pretty interesting
time, to say it least. So

why don't we just jump right in? Hey, Tommy, kid our the

year you met. That's getting better. There you are. Thank you,

Tommy, Tommy, thank you.
Thank you, Tommy. Thank you.

Have you seen the poster for our
picture? Is that? Was surprised.

They're usually pretty bad. I know
exactly how many bad posters have you been

on, because I've been on.
I've been on quite a few. The

WATZORI never posed right. It's serted, asserted, as said there, because

we're like yeah, we don't want
to pose of this. WHO PICKS THEM

OUT? Picks the I know it's
always the worst picture of me that I

can imagine. There it is on
the fucking poster all over the world.

Why don't you guys pick that one? You know. Yeah, I look

like I'm about to throw up or
something. It's yeah, why that one?

Yeah, so you gotta. You
got a great bike. How do

you like doing to podcast? Well, you're only my second. I did

Bruce Down and you're just you're the
set. You're the second guess. So

I love it turning. I'm honored
to follow Bruce. I love him.

I'm honored to have you tell me
here. We had a good time in

in Italy. It's wonderful to talk
to you again. Yeah, yeah,

the poster man. I was surprised. I said, where is the poster?

Please let me see it before it's
too late, and I was so

surprised. It looks great. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's not bad.

I think it's going to be pretty
funny. Yeah, it will be.

It hit plus, what with what
we know for being there, it's

gonna be very funny. We have
the inside information. Yeah, yeah,

we do. When is it coming
on? I'm sure the fall sud well,

I guess it's follow us. Yeah, I'm sure that. Yeah,

that's this will be very soon.
Christmas. I always want to be in

a Christmas movie. Yeah, some
of them are really good at they play

am over and over. So you're
definitely at your Christmas movie every year.

It'll be on it. Yeah,
Oh, yeah, it's great. Yeah.

Well, then we took a lot
of rides in the morning. We

took a lot of log rides in
the boarding for the VALADI are. Yeah,

yeah, let's talk about Italy.
Let's talk if you don't mind,

knows, Tom me. Sure.
Yeah, I mean, you know,

we get I get to lax and
I'm it's a confusing at La. She

know, it's November. It's covid
right, last November, and I see

a guy with the Lakers hat on
and he goes hey, you need anything?

And you pulled out a wad of
paperwork. Just what not organ I

had. I had a deep folder. Yeah, you all said, I

think I was good. They have
good and it really was. That set

the toad for our journey, which
was long. It was a seventeen hour

journey and for the minute we sat
next to each other and you know,

you had a glass of wide for
the for the flight, you know,

of course. Yeah, and then
you we just started telling me stories about

your life. We talked about our
lives and they were so amazing. I

mean it's you know, I did
realize that you don't, that you have

a documentary, because I remember saying
you got a document some of this shit,

because it was so excellent. You
know, family very honest to growing

up as to that, you know, all the way through your life.

And the funny thing is, as
the flight got longer, in first of

all, the flight a head is
loved you and kept bringing you wide it

little glasses about that big and yeah, you know, yeah, and I

would get up after let's say twelve
hour, ten hours and go party and

you know, and I'd come back
and then, you be, it still

in the story, but it'd be
at a perfect place, like, you

know, it wasn't like, Oh, I'm waiting on you, it's like,

okay, what do you get back? Will Continue. And and then

when you get to Amsterdam, which
is a terrible idea for Michael Bad said

a Tamarow to have a six hour
layover in Amsterdam. And you know,

for fortunately, you know, we
talked about should we leave the airport,

and I I said no, believe
it or not, you just was too

and so was a good aim.
Yeah, but here you have angels walking

with you. That's all I'm going
to tell you that. First of all,

you got to of the they give
you of you flight on, if

you fly on that airline, they
give you a little ceramic houses from yeah,

yeah, you know, from the
Nethers there. They're way one.

Right, you had to. They
gave ye to. I had three exits.

That, yeah, three, of
course. I've also help party and

then I we went to the VIP
lounge and and we're in there and you

kind of stretched out said I would
take a nap. I go listen,

fucker, we're not missing the flight, we're not. Please don't because I

don't want to be fucking stuck here. And you stretch right out, take

your hat off, ticking the NAP. And then at what point, he

was getting close to time to go, and I read two party and I

came out and you were gone and
I freaked. I went I looked at

both the parties, I looked everywhere. I was asking people, do you

know where Michael Bads it is,
and and they're like no, and I'm

like, Oh, you got to
be shit me and we were so far

away from our gate and we had
to go back through custom so Mary,

well, Ye, love me forever. Yeah, I thought I'm going without

him, I have to, and
I read and read and read. It

barely made it through customs, you
know, because there's always an issue.

And then I get to this place
where they're doing all the covid checks right

before board and there's a lot of
people and I thought he's never going to

make it because they want us to
fill up more paperwork. I'm fucking I

don't even know what I'm gonna say. And all Suday one of those cart

comes up. Yeah, basically to
scape position that you were up in the

VIPA, just stretched out, relaxed, and a woman has driven you up

there, and only that, she
filled out your paperwork. You're like,

yeah, she's us. What's your
address? You I don't know. You

know, but you had it all
done. You went right to the head

of the line in front of everybody, and I was like this guy is

so blast, you know, he's
got a age. I just thought there's

no ways going to make it and
I just run, you know, ran

down there right you're writing. You
know, and you're like what did you

leave me? I go why?
What I mean? I left you here,

but of the come in to your
vehicle. I just killed everybody.

Good, Tom Arnold, and they
gave me any I wanted. Dad,

I was afraid for us to go
through customs together. Just then they combination

of Hudo's. What has gone out
of our lives? Who? I was

like, well, let you got
to get one of us in there.

But we made it and we had
a great fun. We had a couple

here. You're a good list.
Well, I loved it and you know,

I kept saying this is this reminds
me of with Dale and I I

don't know if you ever saw that
movie. I kept saying that for you,

you know. And it's a great
movie with Richard Grant and about to,

you know, to friends center travel
and and it said, you know,

the chaos, but you know,
we get to the set, you

know which you know, you do
everything about the hotel, you know everything

about the town, you do everything
about everything. And and we get to

the set, which is like forty
five minutes outside of Rowe and you they

put an Elf costume on. Yeah, like with ties. It was nice

and I was sad, of course. Yeah, and we had a great

day, but then it you gotta
let me tell us all the way through.

Then you came there with a shoulder
injury, is what you told me,

right and absolutely and worse. So
the doctor came over to give you

a shot of hudo's Wat. Anyway, the next day you're like I'm feeling

a little rough and and that.
The people are like, well, are

we gonna? First of all,
they said, I said to these people,

he's taking a little just let him
relax for a minute. What the

fuck? You've seen this, because
they several of told me they worked with

Peter o'tool a bad day. They're
old enough that I go, you seen

this? They don't know. We've
never seen anything like but I said he's

got to be fine, because I
know you and I spent so much time

of you. You just ate a
little break. And at what D up

happened is later, when I was
helping you out of the hotel, I

got a look at your shoulder.
I I was grabbing on the shoulder that

was injured and you had bruises everywhere, because I was like maybe he's bullshitting

me about his shoulder. Oh No, he had. You had bruises everywhere,

and then from me grabbing you,
I was like, well, what

had happened is we're sitting there that
you're like, I don't trust these fuckers.

They like trying to stop the movie, which they were, you know,

and anyway gets covid and movies that
I need the buddy. So I'm

like, relax, take a minute
and I go you and I pointed to

a guy, really good, look
at young guys a mail bottle there,

who's brother finance the movie. I
say, put his clothes on. So

I took your clothe, your Elf
costume off. You put it on him

and I said we'll shoot from behind, Michael, just give us a few

hours. Will shoot from behind.
Give us a day. And I thought

the more we shoot with this kid, that more they're going to keep this

movie going, because this kid is
the brother of the finance here. Oh

he was very happy, Bud.
He had a big Roun on this.

Oh my God, he was so
happy. He was the best day of

his life. But he's also so
good looking. He had a rocket bodies

like twenty five, and so you
know. But then you came back and

we killed it dead. I got
to be crabby that I kind of lost

my shit. You said, yeah, you did, yeah, yeah,

but I let you ask because I
love you. You let you really did?

You really did? Is after all
that, I'm like, they had

a last day and then what happened
the last day's the best part, because

it's such a Michael Batsis story.
Yep, so, Jim I are off

to a good start. The movie
we were filming together. I had a

shoulder injury and wasn't feeling great,
and then there was Tom. Well,

we come back, we're we're going
to hear a bit more about what happened

to him. Tom had some problems
with is Santa Costume. I wasn't the

only one. I haven't a shitty
time. Had A pretty shitty time also,

but more about that after the break. And we're back. I welcome

back to American Badass this episode's guest
actor and Comedian Tom Arnold. And for

those of you just joining us,
Tom and I filmed the Christmas movie together

in Italy last year during the pandemic, and so things were already unusual,

to say the least. On top
of that, I had a shoulder injury

and we had a deal with the
bureaucracy of the pandemic, of course,

and it's a miracle that we made
it there in the first place. But

it even got better, or worse, I should say. Thank you for

Tom anyways. So you know,
we had a couple rough days in the

middle and we finally complete it and
we get the car. We're drive back

after our last date. I say
I got to tell you something bad.

This morning when I put on by
Sata suit, I shouted I shit it

and I said I went into that
bathroom with a butt downstairs there. There's

no luck on it. So I
had to fucking take off all my clothes.

I was biked up. I had
all that Shit and fucking put what

foot on the door and then take
a make my underwear a wash cloth,

cleaned them up and they've had to
clean myself. Fortunately, I had shit

all the way through to the to
the red said about it, but I

said I have been naked and my
pants fell down a lot that movie with.

Yeah, what's I got cleaned up? There's been. There's no underwear

there anymore. There did they to
cut that line and I thought I was

trying to tell you that story to
make you feel I go well, at

least you did shit your paths and
you go, you know, I was

a Christmas tree. went out to
get Christmas trees with a kid might side

and he's hate and I shit my
paths and said that you, but that's

not there the whole story. Then
your story goes and your son is shit

his pats. So I'm not sure
who shit at first, but you took

off your underwear for however you day
like that US here. I gave it

to him and then I should in
my head with no freaking up and very

awkward, and you're trying to get
a Christmas tree. And then I was

like, okay, you're story,
be me, and did you go.

And then it went back the next
year and I shit my pats again,

like it's is just having a Shitty
your pad. Story is a good for

Ed you, way you talk.
You're like yeah, I should. I

mean it was even a beat for
me telling. I go, I got

to tell you something, hubiliity.
This this one happened today. I was

in there. I Tell a hole's
breathless story and you go, yeah,

I was Christmas looking for a Christmas
trade and go, cut it out.

My son Shit is past Ay.
You know, felt bad. I gave

my anywhere, and then I should
my like your storious dad. I thought

I finally had a good, crazy
story for you, dude, very bad

off, and it's also sweet.
Your story is sweet because your going down

at chopping down a Christmas tree with
your kid and your kid shits is past

and you do what any good dad
would do. You give them your underwear,

you clean them up and then,
of course you shit your pants with

no underwear and your wife's like,
what the fuck is going and then happened

the next year. Yeah, exactly
the same situation, or twice in the

yeah, he's yours. Now he's
a sergeant. Now, for God's safe,

I know, tell self and bloss
it's crazy. Yeah, he's.

I didn't know if you were going
to tell the Shit Pad story, but

I'm glad you did because, yeah, I didn't want to preach on the

spot, but I thought it was
pretty funny because, yeah, Vid,

you, well, they're always dude. We were stuck downstairs in that basement,

having to change clothes and get ready
and all Christ in heaven, man.

Yeah, it was not. It
was not a great place to get

privacy. Yeah, yeah, well, what they also had our a trailer

so far away from yea, and
that why that few mouth we you did

the right thing. You're like,
this is fuck, you know, like

I'm not getting out of the car. And you weren't being a baby.

You're like this is so crazy far
for the set that that they just wanted

to keep us on the set at
all time, right even between set ups

and take downs and other people shooting, and so we were this little area

with all these people and you finally
said, well, this just is an

appropriate and it ended up and be
a great for me too, because we

got we got a little time in
our trailer. Yeah, and it's not

it's not like you were trying to
say, let's slow this shit down.

You're like, I will be here
when you call for me, but but

I don't want to be here when
you're not calling them, which is a

great thing. You were right there
with me the whole time, though.

I don't think I could have made
it through without you. Tell me,

you know, we had someone,
if you listen to me so well,

we we played off of each other. It kind of react the whole relationship

in the plot of that thing is
so ridiculous. But yeah, I can't

imagine anybody else getting away with it. No, no, and what's happened?

Is We really what I wanted?
Any said it, though. I

wanted. I wanted your outfit and
you're not wanting to know else. You

have a die self outfit was ridiculous, you know, you take it a

couple hours off. Was the best
thing that ever could have happened because,

yeah, then we shot all the
stuff behind you, but then we had

to change the characters to be and
then they're way more realistic, like originally

you were this sweet like uncle turned
out and I was the gangster, and

all of a sudden it changed it
to the way it should be. But

you also we had some amazing seeds
together. I have to tell you when

I was, you know, freaking
out, and you seriously, because your

way you play, because you're acting, is so fucking stellar that it's a

we you know, we also made
a different holiday movie. Yeah, it

was completely yeah, well, that
big merry Christmas at the end of where

singing in front of the house.
Yeah, wow, I had never read

that. I didn't realize we were
even going to do that. Yeah,

it was such a nice, sweet
way to end it up. Yeah,

Bruce Shoulder having pulled out of yours. Your show are pulled out of the

socket. Yeah, could play your
planey. Yeah, yeah, that was

fun. You don't want to be
in the hospital in Rome. No,

though, I get. Do you
remember this? The guys go, they

finance here the real rich guy.
He was like fat, you know.

They come out with her. We
take picture of my girlfriend. The next

day take a picture my girlfriend,
a different woman. He goes like this,

thank you for being so good with
with Michael, I go well,

of course, and he goes,
we'd like to do you a favor.

I'd like to send it doctor to
visit you. I go, oh,

that about. He goes like a
dermatologist, like that was the most insulting

they got ever heard you go that. I said, by dermatologist over to

you to take a look. It's
free favor for whatever he does your fuck

up face, but that's really what
he said to me. Yeah, that's

right. It was supply yea with
whatever I supposedly needed and literally, I

not know what the hell they were
buying. Know, you did it here.

He did have these, you know, have a box, take a

whole bug. Yeah, sure,
it was great, because I taken a

box of those in my life.
And I was like, Oh, here's

what's going to happen, and you
had it. You you were like,

I don't know what's going on,
I don't know what they gave me,

I don't know. I'm like,
Oh fuck, Oh, I've got to

be with you, because whatever you
do, I've done worse. I'm going

to tell you. Yeah, you
know, it was really long. You

were, you were it was so
good. Yeah, we boughted, so

you said. Well, we both
did. It went both ways, you

know, UK back and finally I
could be by Asshole self for a minute.

But no, it was really good
because we were, you know,

we're the only two guy. We're
there, nobody speaks English. We're making

this movie that we're kind of suspect
about, and we really bought it because,

you know, we both had each
other's backs. And you know what

day, you know this and that, but we were together all the time.

Yeah, to work, back from
work, at work, you know,

a very rarely does that happened.
And and but it was a it

was a good thing. I hope
the picture is funny as hell, and

I being that it's a Christmas picture
and with you, it just yeah,

remember looking forward to something I've done
coming out as much as I'm looking for

that one. I really it's good, you know. Yeah, hope what

we did, you know, shows
up in yeah, Ture. Well,

let me just say it's called the
Christmas thieves and we aren't really sad at

it Elf. We are port we're
thieves, the worst people. We're robbed

on Christmas Eve because we're like yeah, we can steal a lot of shit,

and we had to up writing for
the cops. End Up in this

house where the kids take got where
the babysitters, because maybe sitters dressed up

on Christmas Eve, and we're like, yeah, we are the baby since

sure we are. Yeah, WE'RE
gonna say here that, you know,

and there's some stories. Eventually gets
me and the kids. Bob is a

cop, of course, and that
there's a whole bunch of other story stuff.

But there's some real sweet stuff in
there too, and you were extra

sweet and you know, I see
you work with those little kids are the

way they're looking at you and responding
to you, you know, and it

was very it was wonderful. I
think they were scared to death of me

when we first started, but yeah, think you got over it because,

you after they saw me with the
fishing pole trying to get this out.

It's pretty good. Holy Cow.
The truth is you never know what goes

on behind the scenes of really any
film set, and it sounds like Christmas

thieves was a hell of a ride. Thank God Tom and Mike had each

other. Who shows what would have
happened otherwise. You definitely need a buddy

in a situation like that. We
had Straw hut. Hope you guys had

happy holidays and have already found the
motivation to hit the gym, even though,

what is it? July? I
know? If not, keep searching.

We believe in you. If you
haven't already, please rate and review

this episode and subscribe on Apple or
spotify or wherever you listen. Next Time

Tom and Mike will be talking about
their dream rolls, starting out as actors,

how to deal with unwelcome plot twists
and Mike's Documentary American Badass, a

Michael Madsen retrospective. Tune in here
on Strahud media.