Speaker
Timothy Olyphant
Appearances over time
1 episodes
Episodes
1
Podcasts
Quotes & moments
Timothy Olyphant revealed he and his wife are celebrating 35 years of marriage this summer, joking that only 7 of those were really good ones.
Timothy Olyphant was arrested by police in college after drunkenly stealing a turkey sandwich from a convenience store called White Hen.
Eric Roberts told Timothy Olyphant on the set of Justified that he had been arrested a number of times in the double digits, qualifying that half were before he turned 18.
Timothy Olyphant completed 4 years of a fine arts degree at USC but didn't officially receive his degree until about 32 years later, finishing it during COVID or a strike.
Timothy Olyphant spent approximately 3 years on Deadwood and 6 years on Justified, both of which shot in LA, allowing him to stay close to his family.
David Fincher shot a single scene with Timothy Olyphant for a day and a half on Adventures of Cliff Booth, with the actor doing up to 30 takes.
Timothy Olyphant worked with Steven Soderbergh for 3 months and received essentially one performance note — a 7 or 8 out of 10 rating said once in a car.
Director Larry Kasdan told Timothy Olyphant there was a joke in the scene but no one would know it because Olyphant kept messing it up.
Timothy Olyphant was arrested in college for stealing a turkey sandwich while drunk, taken to the police station, and had to wait for a stranger to pay $100 to bail him out. He spent the ride in the squad car arguing to the cop that surely a worse crime was happening on campus.
Timothy Olyphant asked Eric Roberts how many times he'd been arrested while filming Justified. Roberts said double digits, then clarified that half were before 18. When Olyphant said he'd never been arrested, Roberts simply said: 'Pussy.'
Jason Bateman was arrested in Monaco for drunk and disorderly behavior after a casino night, wearing a leopard print outfit and fueled by cheap champagne. The arrest story is so vivid that Olyphant immediately declared it the title of Bateman's biography.
Olyphant asked for London over Bangkok for Alien: Earth Season 2 — then the moment he got it, complained he'd have to leave LA. This perfectly illustrates what he calls 'a complaint of actors': the universal dissatisfaction of a working actor with wherever they are.
Olyphant is celebrating 35 years of marriage this summer and is now an empty nester. He jokes that only 7 of those years were really good ones — but the casual delivery lands harder than any complaint.
Shooting for a day and a half on a single scene for David Fincher, Olyphant describes the surreal psychological effect of doing 30 takes: you start to doubt even the great ones. Fincher's strategy is to run actors out of tricks so they just say the lines — and that bare authenticity is what he's after.
After working with Steven Soderbergh for 3 months, Olyphant received essentially one performance rating in a car: '7, maybe an 8 out of 10.' No other notes. The contrast with Fincher's hyper-detailed approach reveals two polar-opposite directorial philosophies.
Olyphant's core acting philosophy: the best dramatic actors always knew they were being funny. De Niro's 'you talkin' to me' in Taxi Driver is comedic timing. The through line isn't drama or comedy — it's commitment.
After some rumblings on set about a child actor's reps, Deadwood creator David Milch appeared at Olyphant's trailer and announced: 'We're gonna kill the kid.' He immediately spun it as great for Olyphant, great for the kid, and great for the season — classic Milch.
Sitting next to Margo Martindale at the Emmys when her name was called, Olyphant describes the involuntary hand-squeeze she gave him — so hard it could have bruised. That grip made him understand, for the first time, what awards truly mean to actors.
Olyphant chose USC as a fine arts major because he loved drawing and 'couldn't believe they let me do it.' After graduating, he pursued stand-up, acting, and music to cross things off his list before a midlife crisis hit. Acting wasn't a plan — it was a hunch.
As a kid of about 10 or 11, Will Arnett stole a 25-cent bag of chips from a crowded convenience store. The guilt was so overwhelming that he went back the next day and left a quarter on the counter. Timothy Olyphant immediately dubbed him 'Willie, our Nat' — a natural.
To appear on SmartLess, Olyphant had to dig out an old desktop, discovered it had only USB ports, and ended up using a manager's office instead. He doesn't own a laptop. He admits he reads SmartLess transcripts rather than listening to the show.
Director Larry Kasdan walked up to Olyphant after multiple takes and said: 'Tim, there's a joke there, but we wouldn't know it 'cause you keep fucking it up.' Blunt, useful, and — as Olyphant concedes — completely accurate.
After completing his first run-through of a one-man show in New York, Sean Hayes told director Leigh Silverman he felt like he was 'just saying words.' Her response: 'Yeah. It looks like that.' Devastating — but exactly the kick he needed.
Analysis
What they talk about
- TV & Film 64%
- Arts 18%
- Society & Culture 18%
Connections
Shows they appear on and people they share episodes with. Drag to explore.
