Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso)

Jeremy Swift is an actor and musician. He is best known for his role as Higgins on Ted Lasso, for which he was nominated for an Emmy.  He has also been interested in music since he was a kid and just released a new album.  We discuss Ted Lasso, his music, seeing the Sex Pistols with Sid Vicious live, the actor’s strike and more! Fun episode!

00:00 - Intro
00:44 - Playing Different Instruments
01:58 - New Album Sound & Influences
03:30 - Early Musical & Acting Upbringing
06:17 - Producer Issues
08:08 - The Song "History of Love"
11:48 - Others Songs on Album
13:35 - Goal of Album
14:20 - Live Shows
16:28 - Seeing the Sex Pistols Live
23:17 - Music Business Greed
26:00 - Ted Lasso Becomes a Hit
30:50 - Auditioning, Role Offers & Emmy's
32:56 - Why Some Shows Hit & Some Don't
34:53 - Jason Sudekis
36:15 - Downton Abbey
37:58 - Different Acting Roles
39:02 - Fred Claus
41:35 - Movie Premieres
42:15 - Actor's Strike, Residuals, & A.I.
45:47 - Actor's Union in U.K. Vs. U.S.A.
47:11 - Jeremy's Recommendations
49:03 - Dealing with Trolls & Critics
50:15 - New Album & Physical Copies
51:45 - Safety Curtain
52:48 - Outro

Jeremy Swift Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jeremy.swift.68/?hl=en

SafetyCurtain website:
https://www.safetycurtain.org.uk/

Chuck Shute website:
https://www.chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

Well, I don't often get Emmy nominated actors from hit shows on my program. So this was very exciting for me. Jeremy Swift is here you've seen him as Higgins on TED lasso. He's also been on Downton Abbey and the Oscar winning movie, Gosford Park and tons more. And he also does music. So he's here today to promote his new album Songs of escape and Endless Night. He's got great stories about music, seeing the Sex Pistols with Sid Vicious acting, shows that he's watching himself and so much more. He had me cracking up, check it out how many instruments do you play?

Jeremy Swift: 0:47

Well, I tinker around and a lot of things, really. The main one is really the double bass and the keyboards but you know, I was taught the piano and the violin when I was a kid. And you know, I play a bit of guitar and I've got an E kit over the, which I can get a few rhythms on. But I don't play that often. And my wife says, you know, that takes up so much room when you play it like once every three months. We're gonna take it to the dump.

Chuck Shute: 1:21

Oh, because on this new record, I noticed I heard a saxophone I think I heard like a some sort of flute that those are those you are no.

Jeremy Swift: 1:29

Oh, there is a there is a fantastic sax player. John Sheehan, who plays on a couple of tracks. Yeah, that's the only musician apart from myself. You know, it's mostly sort of, it's a lot of keyboards and a lot of programming to be honest. And but I play the double bass on one track. It's mostly it's mostly keyboard playing and singing.

Chuck Shute: 1:58

Yeah, no, it's great. I love that like sound that 80s synth pop stuff. And so especially the song Wonderland and who is this? Those two especially have that ad sound? I think it sounds like to me.

Jeremy Swift: 2:09

Cool. Okay, that's it. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 2:13

You have other influences, too, though.

Jeremy Swift: 2:16

I do. I listened to all those daddy thing. I mean, I am Blimey, it just depends. There's two stations in the UK. Basically, there's the BBC stations, there's radio three, which plays you know, 80% of the time classical. But then on a weekend, it plays contemporary jazz. And, you know, more offbeat, modern kind of classical music. And there's six music, which similarly plays a lot of indie. But then on the weekend, there play Brazilian stuff and jazz and all sorts of stuff. Yeah. So, you know, I Shazam things constantly like, and, yeah, there's not one genre that I like to mix it up basically. I love I love 20th century classical music I love 16th 17th century Morbark handle. I love jazz. Tronic. Bebop, jazz, electronic funk, of course. Disco. Wow.

Chuck Shute: 3:28

That's very eclectic. Was there? Was there a point in time though, where you really? Like when did you start playing music? When did you really fall in love with it? Was there something that like a sound or a song that really hit you?

Jeremy Swift: 3:40

Gosh, no one. My parents were music teachers. So there was music. And when I was a kid, it was more what I didn't like, really is like, I don't like that Mozart is stuffy. You know, which I do now, you know, of course. But yeah, there were musical instruments around the house. And also, my dad was a sort of tng era and sort of was always putting things together. So they would bite instead of buying an acoustic guitar, he got one and made it from a kit. You know, it was the early 70s That's what people think. And and he used to subscribe to these magazines called practical electronics and practical wireless and you could send away at the back for these kits have basically oscillators. So you would you would get a sort of kit of you know, transistors and capacitors and all that kind of thing and you'd put together you know, a very basic you know, square wave oscillator or something like that, or a ring modulator, you know, the voice that's used for the distorting the you know, the dialects and Doctor Who really well and, and so, so I got into that as well. Looking back, I realized as a kid as much as playing instruments, you know,

Chuck Shute: 5:08

yeah. Because and then when did you get into acting was it kind of around the same time

Jeremy Swift: 5:15

I, my mom took me, there was an art center opened in my sort of very out of the way town in the Northeast of England, Stockton on tees. And, you know, there hadn't been anything like that before, and we went to join it. And I was the first member of DEF CON Art Center. And I used to go to improv acting classes every week. It wasn't like, you know, it's not like how we think of improv comedy. Whoa, I'm an owl. You know, it was, we'd have scenarios and we'd have somebody to kind of like, uh, you know, kind of teach you sort of put stuff together. So I did that from the age of 11. At the same time, you know, it was an extra curricular school stuff, you know, as well as sort of learning the piano and the violin.

Chuck Shute: 6:10

You just always kind of been into music and acting simultaneously.

Jeremy Swift: 6:14

Pretty much. Yeah, yeah.

Chuck Shute: 6:17

Wow. Yeah. So this new record. Talk about? I heard you talking about the producer, how you had to get another producer, there was a problem with the first one or something?

Jeremy Swift: 6:26

Oh, you heard that? Oh, yes. I've gotta be careful.

Chuck Shute: 6:30

You said the first producer was nuts. If I if I quote you accurately, I think,

Jeremy Swift: 6:35

yeah, he got this, this laptop actually, which because about four years ago, I lost a lot of songs, and they just sort of disappeared. So. And I didn't have an external hard drive. So I need a massive memory on my laptop. And so so I'd got this one made up this MacBook, which is got a huge I think it's two terabytes. So what is it for? I can't remember. Anyway, it cost me like three and a half 1000 pounds. And he and he got frustrated with it and started thumping. It was like, You can't do that. You can't do that. So I and then my wife said, why don't we go because we sort of knew this other producer, because he worked on the film Mary Poppins returns, which I did about six years ago. And what a godsend. He is. It's called Mark Wallman. And he's, he worked with Scott Walker and some of the later more difficult to listen to Scott Walker albums. But but which were really sophisticated, sound wise, and be and yeah, so he was great to bounce stuff off, you know, because I did the first album I did by myself. And I have got to admit some of those songs. I'm very pleased with a lot of it, but some of them are a bit lacking in sound quality. But he is, yeah, he's been a Marvel really, really enjoyed working with him.

Chuck Shute: 8:07

Yeah, it's cool. I want to ask you about the song. History of love. Because that one's really dark, like no one else by my side, it's time to hide. No one could survive it. Why mean? No history of love nothing up above. I'm like, listening to this going, Okay, this is dark. Is this a fictional story? Or is this a real life inspired event?

Jeremy Swift: 8:26

This, it is. It is a story, fictional story. It's, you know, it's basically it's essentially you wonder how you end up doing this kind of stuff, but it's essentially a kind of child abuse and impending child murder, kind of story. And, you know, I was very, very horrified. I think when I first came up with the concept of the song, it was about it was about four years, five years ago, there was, you know, as a kid, who was missing for a while and was murdered by a neighbor, and it was, you know, and I had kids and I just thought, it just tears your heart out, you know, and, and, and I started to, I started with something that was really romantic. And I thought, I don't think I can go down this romantic route. And then I came up with a title history of love. And I thought, oh, that sounds like history of violence. You know, and so that's why I turned it into no history of love. And I turned it into this dark. six minute. Yeah, very tortured sort of song. You know, it's one of those things that sort of, once you start down an avenue sort of thing. This might be very uncomfortable for some people to listen to. But, you know, I don't think anybody has done this or approach this. Possibly. Morrissey. I'm very early on when he wrote the Mooers murders. I don't know whether you've heard of the murders, murders with two people in the 60s He killed them. About seven kids in in the near to Manchester. They kind of horrific legends. But but you know it's not it's not something that's really written so I thought it'd be interesting to write it from the point of view of somebody who is that's good bad to happen to so it's from the child's perspective really.

Chuck Shute: 10:27

Wow, that's, that's interesting No, but that's, I mean, it's a good topic to bring up. But yeah, I just saw that sound of freedom movie and it was the same kind of thing. It's like, it's hard to watch like something about I can see any horror movie, people getting head chopped off. I'm fine. Anything to do with kids or animals. I get really uncomfortable. I just cannot watch those things. kids or animals being hurt. It's just it's too. Yeah. So that's, that's intro. I didn't know what that song was. That's what it was about. So wow, that's powerful.

Jeremy Swift: 11:00

Yeah. I mean, if it reaches people in different ways, you know, then that's fine, too. But that's fundamentally where that song is coming from. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 11:11

Is it cathartic to write a song like that? And, you know, because when you have those thoughts, and then you get it out, and musically, it's got to be kind of emotionally cathartic. I would think

Jeremy Swift: 11:22

it is. I mean, you know, I sort of, it's not something I've really done before, or possibly they do it get in, but see your partner. I just, I sort of feel that I hope I'm not putting a burden on anybody. Do you know what I mean? When something is so you know, that you're putting something out there? That that's that quite that dark?

Chuck Shute: 11:46

Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I think that's the, that's life. That's what I like about this album. I mean, it's, there's that song and then there's the other one, I think, is called after Sylvia that was kind of a little bit slower. Seems a little darker. But then there's like the happy stuff like the more 80s synth pop sounding and then the single is this going to be the single Can't stop doing it. That's it. That seems more like a fun song.

Jeremy Swift: 12:07

It is it is, although it is it's got a dark side as well, because it's about as I like to mix the sweet with the sour. It's kind of about compulsive behavior. And, you know, and reveling in it really, you know, and then feeling sort of shame about it. However, the, what I find, I thought, well, that's interesting, because you've done something written something about compulsive behavior and sort of addictive behavior and, and it's a kind of ear worm song, it's very, very sort of self generating, kinda, you know, it keeps playing in your head. But yeah, I that screened out to be a single, ostensibly, you know, and much more so than any of the other tracks and, and I had a couple of guys who put together a really cool, crazy video for it as well. So there's a lot of fun to put together.

Chuck Shute: 13:07

Oh, I don't know if I saw the video yet. The video?

Jeremy Swift: 13:11

Yeah, there's a video for Wonderland as well. They're both by the same couple of guys called the Hadley brothers. The DP camera operator, if you will. Malcolm he's worked with Tim Burton a lot. And, and Tom, the director and editor, they, they work with very arty sort of off the wall kind of people. So yeah.

Chuck Shute: 13:34

So yeah. So what is the goal? When you when you put out a record like this? I mean, obviously, you're doing press, so you want to promote it? Is there a specific, like, you want to get on playlists and stuff? Because I feel like radio is not even that big of a thing. It's all about the Spotify playlist or whatever.

Jeremy Swift: 13:48

I know, I know, I just hope that people just, it seems self defeating to work on something for a long time, and then not let try and let people so what I mean, I don't know, you know, I don't have I just have PR, I don't have a manager or a record label or anything like that, you know, it's just a self motivated project that I can sort of put together and be creative. And when I'm not doing my acting projects, you know,

Chuck Shute: 14:17

yeah, now, would you obviously, you're gonna you could try to maybe get some of the songs in movies and TV, would you? Would you try to perform some of these songs live? And would you go on tour do a small tour or something or one offs? Like,

Jeremy Swift: 14:28

if I got some backing, I would love to do that. At the moment. I have quite a few things in the pipeline, although there is a strike and pending. So I don't know quite how they're going to all work out now. But I think when there is more of a momentum and people are a little bit more aware of me musically, then that might happen. I would love to. I would love to put something visually together. Performance wise.

Chuck Shute: 14:57

Oh, yeah, that's a good idea. That's a huge part of like seeing a show, I think when there's some sort of special effects or

Jeremy Swift: 15:05

isn't it? I think you have to have, you have to have a visual vibe and having what I've never been to Glastonbury, but I watch it every year on TV. It's a big thing in the UK, you know, it's so you can they, you know, on the catch up, you can watch all sorts of different acts dozens and dozens of them. And I'm noticing more and more that people have a really compelling, visual, you know, message going, going out that it's not just turning up with a bit of a light show, there is the stuff going on, you know, whether it's costumes or routines or just a character, you know, yeah. Did you see that? I'm not.

Chuck Shute: 15:48

I've never seen Taylor Swift fly, but I just saw the clip. Have you seen that thing where she jumps into the pool? And she swims, it looks like she's swimming in a pool on stage. It's the most amazing, visually looking thing and whether you're like her music or not, that stunt was amazing.

Jeremy Swift: 16:03

Oh, wow. You haven't seen it? I haven't seen it. No. You have to google that. I will. Writing it down.

Chuck Shute: 16:11

Have you? Do you see a lot of concerts? Do you go to a lot of shows?

Jeremy Swift: 16:15

When I can. It's probably not as much as you. You know, I would like to see I mean, when I was a kid, I used to go to a school to see punk bands. You know, I'm that old. I used to see punk bands.

Chuck Shute: 16:27

Really? Wait, tell me about this watch punk bands.

Jeremy Swift: 16:31

Oh, I saw I saw the Sex Pistols. And they? Yeah, they only played about 57 gigs ever. I saw the clash, I think three times. So the Shem ultravox with John Fox. Yeah, all sorts of people. Patti Smith in 78. That was great. What was that? What were

Chuck Shute: 16:58

the Sex Pistols like live? I've never met anyone that seen him live.

Jeremy Swift: 17:04

His distillery? Oh, yes. They were they were kind of banned. Right? Can you believe that they were banned from playing so they played under pseudonyms. So I saw in the local newspaper that there was going to be an act called acne rebel. Now this was a play on on another band UK band called cockney rebel. And I thought, acne rebel. That's the Sex Pistols. So we went down, got tickets. We waited something like four hours. And then retrospectively I can I know why this happened. Four hours for them to come on stage. Or because when they came on stage, Sid Vicious, was completely out of it. And they clearly been looking round. In the north in the you know, scabby Northeast where I'm from, for a smack dealer. So he's his base was actually turned off. But the sound that the rest of the band made, which was phenomenal, and it was so exciting to see them. And when they came on stage, suddenly welling up that when they came on stage, they were grinning. And you know, we'd set you'd seen pictures of them for a year going.

Chuck Shute: 18:24

That was a good six missiles impersonation,

Jeremy Swift: 18:27

you know? And they just came out, and then they just, they were happy to see us and play and we were happy. And they were absolutely stunning. I did see them again, when they were like 40. And they played Finsbury Park, and that was in about 94 or something like that. And they were still great. They were still fantastic. No Sid Vicious. No, symbolische vicious. They got Glen Matlock. Original. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 18:55

yeah. So why don't you remind me again, why they were banned? Was it just straight from the music? Or was it the stage antics or

Jeremy Swift: 19:04

they just got a really bad rap. They went to the web, or the first thing was this is this. I think this was in the TV show about them, which I didn't watch because it didn't look very good. They went on to TV about fine. It was like a sort of chat show about five o'clock in the afternoon. And I don't think I can swear on your

Chuck Shute: 19:30

show camera. You can fucking swear and shit.

Jeremy Swift: 19:32

Oh, yeah. All right. Well, well, basically, they'd all been they're all been to the hospitality suite and they all had a bit of a drink. And in the background, there was like Susie Sue as well. And this grumpy old fart presenter. I think John Lydon said something and then said, Oh, that's that's bloody rubbish or something like that. And he said, Oh, what was that? That and John Lennon said nothing that a bit school did. He said nothing. This is all on YouTube. Nothing a rude word. Carry on. He said, Oh no, go on swear. And then Steve Jones who was sat there with a fagot of his hand away. You Oh, that's right. And the Suzy Sue was behind him. He said, Oh, I might see you later. And then Steve Jones when you do a fucking Ra. I went, Oh, very cool. Man who Oh, well done and they all laughed and everything. It was front pages all over the press. A guy you know, one guy shoved a crowbar through his Telly because his daughter was watching her telly. You know, and they were then they lost contracts. They signed they went from EMI to ANM to Richard Branson's Virgin. Yeah, and then one of the and then the site they went to sign when they did got around about the time they did God Save the Queen, they went to sign the new record in front of Buckingham Palace. And Saint vicious was sort of sick in front of them, you know, so there was a press where they're watching this stuff all the time. So they they were it was on the television that would debate on the television with you know, gray suited. Chip faced right wingers you know, all going Yeah, this isn't right for Christian people and all this kind of thing. So

Chuck Shute: 21:35

I guess I thought Europe was a little bit more socially liberal. Like that's what my for I've never been there. But that's what I thought you guys have like nudity and commercials and things like that. Or

Jeremy Swift: 21:46

nudity and commercials.

Chuck Shute: 21:47

I thought that was in maybe not in maybe not in your country, but maybe in other European countries. I feel like is that a thing?

Jeremy Swift: 21:56

You want everything in Sweden in the 70s or something? I don't really know. But, but you know, it was a long time ago. It's nearly 40 Probably longer. I don't know I've lost track of time. I'm so old myself. But you know, it was a when you look back at this footage, you think, oh my god, what a stay. No wonder Pope came along. We were rotting to death under this hideous, tedious lifestyle that we had, you know, everything was and you know, and also hippies had become which it was right to go against hippies because hippies have become, you know, moneymakers, and, and sort of exploiters of like the music business. And there were there were big things like The Rolling Stones would were it was complained about because they would play huge venues. Like at Earls Court in West London, where people couldn't see there were lots of pillars that it wasn't a it was a place made for exhibitions, not for VET not for music, then, you know, so there was all kinds of stuff going on and people what that's why people wanted to see it was got too big music, the music business, it got too big and too, you know, and it was ripping people off.

Chuck Shute: 23:20

Yeah, it's like Woodstock two or whatever it was. Yeah, I think it's Woodstock to where they got. I think that was the one the movie they just made on Netflix about how they how greedy it was and how bad they you know, they change that they'd read nickel and diming everybody and just I think that's getting gotten really common in the music business.

Jeremy Swift: 23:36

Oh, yeah. Yeah, well,

Chuck Shute: 23:40

ticket Well, that's just one piece of it, though. I feel like I mean, out of the venue's I hear from bands that now the venue's take a cut of the merch that the band sells. I did not know. That's very common. Yeah.

Jeremy Swift: 23:55

Yeah. Well, I went to a gig recently, and a favorite Manchester band of mine called Dutch uncles who were kind of, they play kind of systems mixed with prog mixed with funk, and really quite special. And I went to see them. And I thought, this is exactly the same as going to you know, now I'm 63. And this is the same as when I was going to 17 going to somewhere that's like your feet stick to the floor because of all the spilt beer. And you know, a woman sort of said, right, you've got to have a stamp on your end. And I said, why should you have to? I said, make me

Chuck Shute: 24:40

wait, this was recently?

Jeremy Swift: 24:42

Yeah, yes. It's about six months ago. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 24:45

You don't say like, Don't you know who I am? You don't pull that card. You won't get a VIP treatment or anything. Oh,

Jeremy Swift: 24:51

I'm not quite as known here. As I am in the US. It has to be said but yeah, well. No, no, it's not. It's not it's not on the same scale. But no, I wish not that I would have done that anyway, but I just thought just to, you know, treat people with some humanity, please this is and don't you know, I'm not having a I really don't like having a little rubber thing around my wrist or yeah, if you go out, you can come back in fuck off.

Chuck Shute: 25:21

I agree. I hate all those fucking rules of this and, and you're right, yeah, he's just there's crowds. It's like I want the VIP treatment when I go to a concert. I mean, I'd never get it. But I, you know, I would pay extra I think I feel like it's worth it to get like, if I could afford it. I'd get like the VIP tables that some places offer and things like that.

Jeremy Swift: 25:39

Yeah, I've never seen that.

Chuck Shute: 25:43

Depends on the venue kind of show. But also, sometimes you want to be like, right up on stage and you want to. And so that's, you know, like, you're not going to have a table or whatever, if you want to be right close up to the stage. So yeah, depends on how big of a fan of the band you are, I guess.

Jeremy Swift: 26:00

Yeah, absolutely.

Chuck Shute: 26:01

So you've been doing music and acting since like age 11. So when did you like feel like you've officially made it an acting because I think I heard you say you did like 90 commercials. You've got like, what is it like 80 or 90 TV shows and movies that you've done? Was there a point where you're like, Alright, I've arrived.

Jeremy Swift: 26:21

I guess I didn't ever think that really until the thing I thought was, oh, that's different. And that's when, you know, the pandemic was still sort of on a bid. And we are just, we came to LA to we couldn't really do any PR for the first season. But we came to LA for a screening of the first two episodes of season two, and foot at Lhasa. Yeah, sorry. Yes. And, yeah, we were, I was the first to get to get there. Cuz I said, Is there a car ready, let's get this out of the way because there was a red carpet. And, and I was a little bit nervous about it, to be honest. And then when I when it pulled up, I went was there was a grandstand of about 500 people, mostly sorts of quite young people. And when I, when I got out the car, they all went nuts. And there's literally a switch in my brain that went right thing. This is very, very different. This has not happened before ever. Something is going on now. So you knew that

Chuck Shute: 27:36

it was at that point, you knew that show was huge, did you you didn't predict that at a point when you were filming or when you read the script or when you saw who was involved.

Jeremy Swift: 27:46

I thought it was great. And you know, it felt really great on set. But I've been in things that have felt good before and the public haven't taken to them. You know, or the critics haven't. And then it's been trounced in one way but so so when the first season came, dropped, and people started tweeting, I'm not on Twitter anymore, but when people started tweeting about it, they they were all crazy about it. And I did I doubted it at first because I thought it's it just because I meant something and then I'm looking at this and I don't know. So um, you know, because I've been in so many things that have like, people have gone, this is going to be huge, isn't it? And we all go and then it comes out? Oh, God did one season. Okay, bye, bye. See you again sometime. You know, I've gotten quite cynical about it. So it takes a lot of evidence for me to really, really, you know, buy into the fact that I'm in something massive, but I still shake my head about the show. I mean, it's just so massive. I can't quite believe it sometimes. Yeah, it's gonna

Chuck Shute: 29:03

go. And I don't like soccer. And so that's why I hesitated to watch took me a while to watch. I know you don't like soccer either. So it took me a while to watch it. I'm like, Oh, this is great. You don't need to like soccer to enjoy

Jeremy Swift: 29:15

the show. Yeah, absolutely. And I really thought quite often, I get jobs that I that I feel an affinity with anyway, you know, like I've been, I've actually been in a soap opera. I've done three episodes, called EastEnders in the UK. And I have to say, I like it. It's a bit trashy for me. It's I don't, I've never really followed it. But I thought, well, I'll keep doing it. But of course, I didn't because there wasn't really and so. So when my agent said, Oh, it's about soccer. I went, Oh, no, forget it. And that's gonna be oh now. But you're absolutely right. It wasn't really about foot Well, it was about a community. It's about a group of people.

Chuck Shute: 30:04

So you initially said no to it, then how do you know? I

Jeremy Swift: 30:07

know, I just I just felt despair. I just thought, okay, I get that. It's not going to be for me, you know,

Chuck Shute: 30:15

and you still had to try out and it was like you are going up against other people. Right?

Jeremy Swift: 30:21

I did. I just went up for I just went, you know, I had one casting. And I subsequently, you may know this. I subsequently found out that Nick Muhammad went up for Higgins. Phil Dunster read for Higgins. I think somebody else did as well. But yeah, but ya know, it was it was just so exciting to get and then and then do that. Is there?

Chuck Shute: 30:50

Is there a lot of like, what is your body? Now I don't know if you know that expression, like for American with a baseball bat. And every time you hit the ball, you get, you know, it's like a bat percentage, like how many things you try out for that you actually get the roll, because there's an enacting, there's a lot of rejection, even with really good actors such as yourself. Yes.

Jeremy Swift: 31:08

It's difficult to say. I went up for things at the end of last year, I went up for about three things. And I didn't get them. But they were they were. They were very nice projects. But at the same time, I can't really talk about these, but I've been offered a bunch of films. But I don't know when they're going to happen. Because of the strike. And I've got a green card now. So I can work in America. And two of them are shooting in in America. So and they were just offers. So

Chuck Shute: 31:43

like you don't have to try out but they just say hey, we want you want this roll. It's yours. Yeah. Yeah, that's see that's when you know, you made it right.

Jeremy Swift: 31:51

I guess Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 31:53

That's pretty good. And you got nominated. I know, you guys just recently got nominated for 21 Emmys. But you you were nominated. 21 yourself personally as Best Supporting Actor, right? That's right. Yeah. It seems like they're just kind of like trading places every year, they're going to because they can't nominate everybody. So like, You're all great. So they're just kind of it's taking turns and nominate different people, right?

Jeremy Swift: 32:15

Yeah, there are a few hardcore, like Brett and Hannah and Gina, who have been nominated every year and Jennison. Of course, you know, rightly so. But yes, I mean, this year. Yeah, it's fantastic. It's not just about, you know, for the actors, that there's real spread on the the talent that brings the show together, and production and hair and editing. And so that's really cool. I'm really pleased, because, you know, the editing is great, the music is great, you know, it's a, it's an all rounded, fabulous piece of work.

Chuck Shute: 32:53

So you mentioned that some of the stuff that you've done was, you know, you thought it was going to be a big head, and then it just didn't hit and why is that because I know like Apple TV. I'm sure they have boatloads of cash. They pumped in the they tried to get the best of the best people. But like I just saw the new Indiana Jones which cost like, I don't know, three or 4 million to make. I didn't think was that great. Like, I think that happens a lot where they pumping a lot of money to a movie or TV show. And the magic just isn't there. Why is the magic there in shows like Ted last or not other things.

Jeremy Swift: 33:23

I think the show was very fresh. It's a very progressive sort of mindset that the creatives have on the show. And Jason is a great sort of kind, funny leader. And he's great at finessing things, because he comes from that world of improv comedy and writing. Anyway, he can finesse things on the floor, and he can do that till the cows come home, I've got to say, and that what makes it really fresh, you know, when you when you're at if you're at a comedy gig and some things just hit you and it's like that's in the moment that really really counted. He can do that he can bring that to the set. But also he he pieces together the story and the narratives so well. And it's and it's multi textured, it's not just onpoint comedy, which is great. Anyway, it's got this other stuff going on let's look at you know toxic masculinity and anxiety and panic attacks and divorce in a very interesting way and you know, and makes you feel tender about it and then gives you pay off laughs It's it's, it works. All that stuff works.

Chuck Shute: 34:50

Yeah, well, I heard you say that Jason Sudeikis is actually kind of shy in person which is, I guess somewhat surprising but somewhat not because I think if you talk to a lot actors, it's like that right?

Jeremy Swift: 35:01

I wouldn't say maybe I wasn't, I might have been a little bit inaccurate about saying he's shy, but he's not as he's not as upland sunny as, as Ted is, but, but he is really fun in life in real life. And, and he's got it, but he's got a serious side as well, you know. And he's very, very thoughtful a very well read guy and, you know, aware of lots of things in sport in, you know, social politics, mental health, and music. You know, he loves so much music. Yeah, he's

Chuck Shute: 35:46

got the same music or what kind of music does he like?

Jeremy Swift: 35:49

He likes a little bit more hip hop, or 90s Hip Hop than, than I wouldn't go down the road to like, you know, a little bit of rap that I might think. Yeah. That's a little bit dark for me. But yeah, he likes he likes all sorts of stuff. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 36:12

Oh, that's interesting. And then you did? I didn't watch the show. My girlfriend was a big fan of Downton Abbey. Are you? Is your character coming back on that one? Or is that? Are you done with that show?

Jeremy Swift: 36:23

Oh, you mean in the new because they were supposed to be doing it again. Is that? Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 36:28

I don't know. Oh, right. Yeah. I don't watch it. But I just know you were in that. That's one of them.

Jeremy Swift: 36:33

I was in that. No, I didn't commit. I hadn't watched it and myself until I was in it. To be honest. It was really, at the time when it came out, which was quite a while ago, about 13 years ago, I think. I think I was binging the wire or something or the Sopranos. But I didn't come into it. To like season four. I was just offered one episode and I thought, I don't know. Okay. It's very big show. And then they kept on bringing me back. And but what was cool that I was doing, I was working opposite Maggie Smith. And the idea was from the director that brought me into it, who I've known and worked with about six times. He said that quite often the the butler's are like an avatar of the people they work for. So, so the guy who played Jim the guy who played Jim Cartwright, who played he Bonnevilles Butler was was warm, and you know, a good a good patrician. And but as Maggie Smith was go to Serbia, they wanted a kind of bitchy catty. Butler. So that was that was a really, really took to that idea that really sort of pulled me into the show, you know?

Chuck Shute: 37:57

Is it more fun playing like, like a TED last? Oh, kind of funny, silly character or do you like paint playing the bad guys? Or do you ever get to play like a serial killer or like a murderer or anything like that?

Jeremy Swift: 38:10

Not really, very much. And I did play the I did play a very bad guy in something on telly here ages ago, and then he got murdered. Which really upset my mother at the time. I couldn't watch that. But no, generally no, generally not. But uh, you know, I think I think it would be quite creepy, you know, with my daughter of chubby cheeked greeny face to suddenly be a serial killer. quite disturbing. quite upset.

Chuck Shute: 38:50

So brilliant than so original, is it? Nobody would see it coming. Who done it? Then? You were the killer. That would be

Jeremy Swift: 38:57

good. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 39:00

That's funny. Hey, nobody ever I bet not a lot of people asked about this movie. But tell me about working on Fred Claus. Because that's all star cast. Vince Vaughn, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins. Kathy Bates. Kevin Spacey. That's insane.

Jeremy Swift: 39:16

Yes, I know. Yes, it was insane. Because they had a bunch of small people who were all Russian. Actually. I think they were all from the same town. Bizarrely, I had a guy who who for a lot of it played my body. Right. And then then they met they stuck my head on to his body in post production. And for some of the seeds and then some of the things they didn't do that and and it's this sounds awful, but I was I'd be on my knees. Okay. So I was the right size. And I'd have to, there was one scene where I had to kind of run off in a bad mood, and I just have to shuffle off of my knees as fast as

Chuck Shute: 40:15

I could see the unedited version of that sounds like

Jeremy Swift: 40:19

she Yeah. The guy, the guy who I tried to communicate with the guy who played my body, but he was who was called Alexei, but he was very grumpy. And he was always on his phone. So sometimes it'd be an interpreter and, uh, you know, I try and say, because, you know, in fairness to him, it probably hadn't had much experience, but he was quite a bad actor. So, you know, he would do gestures like this. Can he pull it down a bit, you know, because that's my that's me. That's my pegs going on that board. So, could you be a bit more subtle about it? But yeah, it didn't always get over to. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 41:09

That's interesting. When you I know, I don't think you were in this scene. But I think one of my favorite scenes of that movie is the brothers anonymous group. Did you see that? Semester Salones. Brother, Bill Clinton's brother and Alec Baldwin's brother. I'm like, This is so clever. Like, I thought that was so funny.

Jeremy Swift: 41:29

I agree. I thought it was Yeah. Therapists. Yeah. What an idea. And they really pulled it off. Yeah, it was great. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 41:36

Yeah. Do you go to the premieres of these movies? I mean, so is that the first time you see it? Or?

Jeremy Swift: 41:44

Yeah, you usually it is. Yeah, I'm trying to think. I don't think there was a very big premiere for for it in the UK, actually. But, you know, I have been, you know, Mary Poppins returns. And yeah, that was a that was a huge thing. I went to the world premiere in LA, and then the European premiere. In London. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 42:12

Yeah, that's, that's really cool. So tell me I mean, I don't know. Can you even talk about this with the actors strike? Is that officially happening? I just saw something about it today. And then you've obviously mentioned a little bit.

Jeremy Swift: 42:22

It seems that is going to happen. Yeah. They've I mean, they had a kind of mediator. A federal mediator. I think they said, interesting. So and that is broken down? I believe. So. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 42:38

But is it just because they're backing with the writers? Or is it they have different negotiations for the for the actors as well?

Jeremy Swift: 42:47

They do have different negotiations with the studios, which they come around every three years, apparently about the same time. So the I think the the the writers, the WGA. Was that was a month before sag AFTRA I believe. And, and yeah, they didn't. Yeah, they're ostensibly the same issues, which are about residuals, and about the use of AI. And I suppose what we'll hear, yeah, I suppose what we'll hear when the strike is announced, is I hope that we'll hear what where that where everything fell down in the negotiation. Because that's, that's what I'd like to know. What what what what would the studio's not agreeing to extend, you know?

Chuck Shute: 43:38

Yeah, the AI thing is weird. So because like they could use your likeness, after you're dead in a commercial or something like, didn't they do that with John Wayne, or some vacuuming or something like that? They kind of remember that one.

Jeremy Swift: 43:51

I don't know. If he's, I don't know. I would love to see that. Vacuuming.

Chuck Shute: 43:54

I thought it was something crazy, like something weird like that, or Yeah, it was like some weird thing. I don't think it was AI. But somehow they superimpose that or whatever. And, yeah, it's an ethical question. Because do you pay you got to pay them? Right? I mean, they're using their likeness.

Jeremy Swift: 44:09

I know, I did talk to my daughter recently. I said, I wonder if it'll come to a point where I have to copyright my image for you to get residuals after I'm dead.

Chuck Shute: 44:23

Seriously, I don't know.

Jeremy Swift: 44:25

I mean, that's quite possible, isn't it? I mean,

Chuck Shute: 44:29

yeah. Or like, like, what is the even permission like even if you so if you copyrighted then they wouldn't be able to do it without permission. But then like, if you're dead, then is it like your children gonna have to get permission or is it just like, you have, you know, your will and testimony says, Don't ever use my likeness? It's over. I'm dead. Leave me alone. I don't know. Yeah, that's a crazy thought. That's that makes sense that they're negotiating all that stuff, then.

Jeremy Swift: 44:53

Yes. I think particularly about residuals for streaming, which is what it is, and the writers I think As you know, the studio's make a lot of money from this stuff. And and the same thing happened in the rights of went on strike in 1980. When videos came out, I don't know whether you knew that. And that was a whole new market, which they were kind of making what they made the old theaters and cinemas again. You know, they were they were they were doubling that a little bit, and the writers weren't getting the benefit of it. So it's, yeah, these

Chuck Shute: 45:30

things, Chris. So what is the rule now? Like if you I mean, like with your with Ted last on, the whole thing is on streaming, so, but how does that work? Like, if it's a movie like Fred Claus plays on streaming? That's something you made in 2007, you get a residual for that?

Jeremy Swift: 45:44

I do get it. I have got the odd bit. But the actors union in the UK is much weaker than sag AFTRA. If I had if I'd had a SAG AFTRA contract on that film, I would still probably be getting money for it. That I mean, this is why I gotta tell you, that, you know, this is why I've got my green card and want to get money in the States because the the difference is enormous. You get what you get for one episode. In the States, what you would get for a series in the UK.

Chuck Shute: 46:21

So what you're saying is America is better is

Jeremy Swift: 46:26

America, it pays better because yeah, because they've done all the contracts. You are you are, you're legally the force in the world, you know, I mean, that's what America does. It tries to get legality about everything and copyright and blah, blah, blah.

Chuck Shute: 46:44

Yeah, for sure. I mean, there's so much money being made. And I think the writers and the actors just want a little bit bigger peace. I don't think that's unreasonable. I'm sure you guys will get get it. I'm sure I'll get worked out. I hope so. Yeah. Because they need you. They can't. Well, then again with the AI.

Jeremy Swift: 47:03

Yeah, Mike. Come on. Come on robots. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 47:08

That's some scary shit. Have you? Is there anything that you've been now that you're gonna have some maybe some time off? Are you gonna Is there anything that you've been watching recently, or binging? Or?

Jeremy Swift: 47:19

I've only just watched The Last of Us, which I thought was fantastic. I was a little bit skeptical because I don't really do zombies. And I always find them. When when one appears, I always think dance workshop. They've been to, they've gone to a contemporary dance, and they've got people going. So shoulder, wiggle, wiggle, loose and spin and turn. So I always say, oh, no, I can't. But you know, it's the characters were fantastic. And and the Jeopardy was was was was really good. I like that in the crowded room with Tom Holland. We're watching on airport, which is really powerful. It's devastating thing.

Chuck Shute: 48:04

I don't know if I've seen that one. I we just finished silo. Have you seen that?

Jeremy Swift: 48:09

Yes, I did see silo. I liked it very much. Yeah, it was thrown out. I don't know. Please. Please go outside a bit earlier. And just let's discover more things. Let's, you know. Oh, and severance of course, which is also an apple that that is fantastic. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 48:31

I'm not familiar. I've checked that out.

Jeremy Swift: 48:34

And do you guys have Colin from accounts? The comedy college Australian comedy? No, I don't think so. Oh, because I've talked to some people in LA. who have watched that but

Chuck Shute: 48:48

must be on something. You know what streaming is on?

Jeremy Swift: 48:51

I don't I mean, some of the BBC in it. Okay. But that. That is very charming. It's very unusual. It's great.

Chuck Shute: 48:59

Okay, I'll check that out. So what are you I was gonna ask you to, what do you think of? Because most people obviously love to lasso. But do you ever get you must get bad reviews? Some of the time for some of the work you've done? Or trolls online? How do you how do you deal with that stuff?

Jeremy Swift: 49:18

Well, I, I came off Twitter, because there was some times as the odd person will make a comment. And I think oh, don't do that. I'm genuinely, I'm genuinely not out there to stir things up. You know, I usually am just posting stuff about the show. I don't really post things about my family because I'm quite protective about that. But ya know, I do find it. I do find it can be upsetting, but I don't generally genuinely try and avoid it. As I said it came off Twitter. I yeah, I just found it. Got it. It just got Bit too toxic. I'd find myself scrolling through stuff and just getting annoyed for that. What are we doing? This is pointless. absolutely pointless. Go and play some music. Do something creative, you know?

Chuck Shute: 50:12

Yeah. Well, there you go. And the new album is out now. It's called Songs of escape and Endless Night. Right? I think that's got that right.

Jeremy Swift: 50:20

You have it completely right. Yeah, it's

Chuck Shute: 50:22

on all the streaming. It's can people get a physical copy if they want?

Jeremy Swift: 50:27

They can't I haven't done that. I'll tell you why. Because when I got pulled out my single I was working on Mary Poppins returns when I bought single called Stossel, which is on my first album, and I got I got loads of copies of it. And I gave it to people when it came out. And like one of the runners on the on the field went, Oh, thank you so much. I didn't know what I'm gonna play this on. Oh, nobody. Oh, that was just that was just when CD players were just becoming like, you know, they weren't incorporated into into into laptops. Or discs, you know, so. Oh, really? What? Yeah, so that's, that's why I haven't really bothered for vinyls,

Chuck Shute: 51:13

that's that's making a comeback. There's a lot of musicians that they sell their stuff on vinyl, it's like a collector's for certain people, they really like that. I don't personally, other people. But I just like to listen on streaming. So it's on that's on Spotify. It's great. It's good. People should definitely check it out. Of course, Ted lassos. Not that we need to promote that. But that's on Apple TV. Anything else to promote?

Jeremy Swift: 51:39

That'll do for now. That's that's quite enough about me.

Chuck Shute: 51:43

Okay. Well, I always in promoting a charity, is there a charity that you want to promote or that you've worked with before?

Jeremy Swift: 51:50

My wife helps run a charity called safety curtain, which is online, which helps out people in the entertainment business in war torn countries. So you know, for example, there was a children's puppeteer who was in Syria, you know, and there was a you know, heartbreaking photograph online of him actually doing it, you know, on a certain kind of a destroyed house, you know, pile of rubble, doing a kid's with it in a puppet. So that that that is a great chance.

Chuck Shute: 52:31

That sounds amazing. I love what's it called? safety, safety curtain. Safety curtains. Okay, yeah, I'll put that in the show notes, along with a link to your music and appreciate you doing this. Thank you so much.

Jeremy Swift: 52:43

Thank you. Great to

Chuck Shute: 52:44

hear you too. I'll talk to you later. Bye. Cheers. Jeremy swift such a fun guy to chat with great stories and so funny. He's so funny on TED Lascaux, but also funny in interviews as well. So what a neat guy check out his music. It's free on streaming, if you like that kind of synth pop New Wave, Morrissey, Radiohead David Bowie. It's really great, catchy songs. And of course, watch him on TED lasso as well. Follow him on Instagram. He's still got that even though he deleted his Twitter. And if you want to support the show, you can follow us on social media and your likes, shares and comments will help the post show up in other people's news feed. Make sure that you're also subscribe to the show wherever you listen. And if you're on a platform that has a rating or review like Apple podcasts or Spotify, I'd love to see some positive feedback. You got some trolls so you know a couple of good reviews would help. Thank you for watching. Have a great rest of your day and shoot for the moon.