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When I think about who I want to talk to for these episodes, it’s always a question of curiosity. Which is to say, am I intrigued about the person and think they are really interesting.
… But also, are they a curious mind who will be willing to forego the comfortable routine of hearing the same old predictable questions and go somewhere new and unexpected?
With Tim Blake Nelson, the answer to both is a resounding yes!
Nelson is known as a character actor, and made his name with his hilarious breakout performance in the Coen Brothers’ O Brother Where Art Thou back in 2000 and has since been in a slew of notable movies such as The Good Girl, Minority Report, Holes, Syriana, Lincoln, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Old Henry and Nightmare Alley, just to name a few. He’s an egoless performer who disappears into the characters he plays, and who you know will be great even if the movie isn’t.
Nelson is currently starring in the taut, vividly sketched drama Bang Bang, playing an aging ex-boxer who gets back in the game by training his grandson as a way of keeping him out of trouble. Nelson is outstanding and it’s heartening to see him in a lead role that allows him to really flex his muscles — both literally and figuratively!
Nelson is very far from just an actor, though. He’s written and directed six features – The Eyes of God, O, The Grey Zone, Leaves of Grass, Anesthesia and the forthcoming The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd. He wrote the 2023 novel City of Blows and has another book, Superhero, coming out in December. And he’s also a playwright – his latest play, And Then We Were No More, starring Elizabeth Marvel, just started at La Mama in New York City a few days ago.
So, yeah. Prolific, multi-talented. Somebody who’s truly committed to the work.
In a conversation that was personal, profound and often surprising, we talked about everything from his morning routine to his recurring dreams, from his earliest childhood memories – some of which are truly remarkable – to a pivot point in his life that was transformative.
I went in wanting to understand what makes Tim Blake Nelson tick, and came away feeling like I understood him with a clarity I had not anticipated.
Bang Bang is out now in theaters and Nelson’s new play, And Then We Were No More, runs at La MaMa in New York City until November 2.
This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan and the theme music is by The Range.
If you haven’t already, please rate, review and subscribe to the Talkhouse Podcast, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for upcoming episodes of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, as there’s lots more good stuff in the works … most immediately an amazing conversation with the legendary Crispin Hellion Glover next week.
