The Sterling Affairs: Lets Talk Clipped Episode Four
Reporter: As for Mr. Sterling’s ownership interest in the Clippers, I will urge the board of governors to force this sale. (MURMURING)
Jacki Weaver (as Shelly Sterling): Wait, wait, wait, wait. What did he say? He’s gonna make Donald sell?
Reporter: — to ensure that that happens.
Jacki Weaver (as Shelly Sterling): Go– go back. Go back.
Ed O’Neill (as Donald Sterling): I can’t– I can’t go back. It’s– it’s live.
Jacki Weaver (as Shelly Sterling): How can this be legal? You can’t make someone sell something they own.
Ed O’Neill (as Donald Sterling): Whatever they can do to Don. You’re 50% owner of the team. And you did nothing wrong.
Ramona Shelburne: Hi. I’m Ramona Shelburne. And you’re listening to Let’s Talked Clipped. Today, we’re talking about the fifth episode of Clipped, “The Best Words”. In episode five, fallout from the Sterling tapes continues. Doc Rivers and Chris Paul consider boycotting game five, until Commissioner Adam Silver bans Donald Sterling from the NBA for life and forces him to sell the team.
Meanwhile, he does an interview with Barbara Walters. And Shelly fights to save her stake in the Clippers. Our guests today are Jacki Weaver, who plays Shelly Sterling, and Ed O’Neill, who plays Donald Sterling. Jacki, Ed, welcome to the show.
Ed O’Neill: Thank you.
Jacki Weaver: Thanks, Ramona. Good to see you.
Ramona Shelburne: Do you know your lines, still?
Jacki Weaver: Oh, god. No.
Ed O’Neill: Just a couple. (LAUGH) I didn’t know them, then, when we shot it. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: But you guys are getting along way too well, for an old, married couple, right?
Ed O’Neill: Oh. (LAUGH) We get along, great. We really did. I mean, it– for me, I knew her work from, you know, the stuff that she did before. I– I was, like, thrilled.
Jacki Weaver: And I adore him. To know him (LAUGH) is to adore him.
Ramona Shelburne: Did you know each other before you were both cast in these roles?
Ed O’Neill: No. I– I just knew of her, that’s all. I knew of her work, yeah. Well, I call her, “The Meryl Streep of Australia.”
Jacki Weaver: Get out. Thank you.
Ramona Shelburne: All right. We’ll start with Ed. When you– when you first were approached with this project, who came to you and said, “How would you feel about playing Donald Sterling”?
Ed O’Neill: Nobody. They just sent me the script. I have fairly new agents. And so they just said this project and– who wrote it, Gina Welch. And so that piqued my interest, you know?
Ramona Shelburne: And when you read the script and you thought about playing this guy, what was your reaction to the idea of transforming into a guy who’s embroiled in a scandal and had– go– (LAUGH) a bit of a– louse-like behavior?
Ed O’Neill: Well, the f– at first, I thought, you know, “Why would they want me to do this? I can’t imagine me doing this role.” And then, I just said, “I’ll just try it.” I read it, another time. And I thought, “Oh, I can– think I can do something here and there.” You know, just, it’s weird. There’s no set way.
Ed O’Neill: It just somehow then– I was having lunch with Gina. And I was on my way over in the car. And I was making up my speech of why I’m not doing it. And then, halfway (LAUGH) through the lunch, she was so charming, you know? And I sort of fell in love with her, in a way. And I– I– near the end of the lunch, I said, “Yeah. I’ll do it.” (LAUGH) And she said, “Oh. I thought you were doing it.” “Oh. Well, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s– we’ll have fun. I’ll do it.”
Ramona Shelburne: This is quite a challenging role. You talked about, in this article that you did with the LA Times, about wanting to challenge yourself as an actor, that you’ve had a long career, playing Al Bundy or Modern Family. But this is a role that you could really sink your teeth into.
Ed O’Neill: Well, yeah. I mean, I think, really, if I were being honest, I– I thought, you know, for years, I’ve played so many comedy roles and I was– sort of identified with certain roles. I started out in the theatre and I did a lot of different kinds of roles in New York, for a long time. And I just thought, “You know, let me do something. And the– maybe, they’ll think, ‘Wow. It– where’d that come from?’” So I thought, “Well, let me do something that’s– might turn a different light on.”
Ramona Shelburne: Jacki, so the same question to you. When did this project come across your desk? And what did you think of the role of Shelly Sterling, when it was first presented to you?
Jacki Weaver: Well, I can’t tell you exactly when. I think it was, at least, two years ago. I knew about the case. I’m a news junkie. I read about eight newspapers a day. And so I knew a lot about the case. And I thought, as soon as I heard, “It would be interesting.”
Jacki Weaver: And then, like Ed, I met Gina Welch and fell in love with her. And I just thought, “I would, you know, walk to Timbuktu for this woman. She could be my daughter.” I think she’s brilliant. The first reading of the script, I just thought the dialogue was fantastic.
Jacki Weaver: And I– I want to make a point here. I find that playing real people can be fraught with hazard. And that’s why I keep saying, “This is not a documentary. It’s not a documentary. It’s a piece of fiction based on actual events.” I’ve played real people before, in Australia. And they never like it.
Jacki Weaver: I’ve even lost a friend over it. I had her mother in law come up to me in the supermarket and say, “Why did you have to make her so ugly?” (LAUGH) So I’m very cautious about playing (LAUGH) real people. And I accept that the real people involved in this will probably not like it.
Ramona Shelburne: What was the process like for you guys, physically turning into your characters? I know, Ed, you had to get a hair piece made, right, and do a spray tan, (LAUGH) all that–
Ed O’Neill: Yeah.
Ramona Shelburne: What was that physical transformation like, for both of you?
Ed O’Neill: It wasn’t too hard. I mean, you know, the makeup people and the hair people are so good, we just sit there, you know? I barely look. I mean, at the end, I look at said, “Oh. That looks great.” So that’s about it.
Ramona Shelburne: Did you have fun with the spray tan?
Ed O’Neill: Yes and no. I– I– my skin– probably ’cause I’m older– didn’t take to the spray tan, too well. Towards the end, I started to get– some sort of reaction to it ’cause it was a whole-body tan. But it really only affected my face and my eyes. So, for a while, that was a little annoying. But thankfully, it was right at the end of– of that.
Ramona Shelburne: So it was a full-body spray tan because a couple of scenes in this show, (LAUGH) you had to bare it all. And we got to see the full extend of that spray tan. How were those scenes? (LAUGH)
Ed O’Neill: Well, at this point in my life, it doesn’t matter what I do. (LAUGH) I mean, nobody’s looking at me in any sort of lascivious way. (LAUGH) It’s just some old–
Jacki Weaver: Well, I don’t know (LAUGH) (UNINTEL).
Ed O’Neill: I don’t think so, Shelly. Thank you. I just– I just laid there, you know, like a beached whale or something, you know? But it– it’s just– (LAUGH) you know, I said, “It’s kind of amusing,” (LAUGH) you know? I mean, I– it’s a long way from when I was a lifeguard, when I was 16. So you just get used to it.
Ramona Shelburne: Do you realize you called her, “Shelly”?
Ed O’Neill: Oh, my god. I called her, “Shelly.” Yeah. Jacki, of course. (LAUGH)
Jacki Weaver: That’s okay. I don’t (UNINTEL).
Ed O’Neill: Yeah. (LAUGH) I do call her, “Shelly,” sometimes, to other people.
Ramona Shelburne: So, Jacki, I think, you know, Ed slipped by calling you, “Shelly,” there, which is a testament to how well you transformed into Shelly Sterling. What was the process like for you to get the hair and makeup right, the clothing right, and also the voice?
Jacki Weaver (As Shelly): You’re a son to him. Look at the life you have because of Donald. Look at the size of your office. It’s not the corner office, but it’s in a corner.
Jacki Weaver: No. We had a brilliant hair and makeup team. I mean, they are absolutely brilliant. I was wearing a fantastic wig that looked exactly like Shelly’s hair. The makeup was equally good and so was wardrobe. I thought they did a great job with reproducing the look. So, like Ed said, I hardly had to do anything, with regards to appearance.
I listened to your podcast on my phone and other recordings of Shelly talking. And I just kept repeating and repeating– things that she’d said. And in my trailer, every morning before I went on set, I would listen to her speaking and go over and over. I’m a bit husky, today, but normally I have a very light, high voice. Shelly has– more of a chest voice and a little husky. And so sometimes, if I wasn’t sounding husky enough, I’d drink some half and half.
Ramona Shelburne: Just straight half and half? (LAUGH) That’s awesome. So by the time we reach episode five, Shelly is fed up with Donald’s antics. And she’s hesitant to say anything negative about him in public. For better or for worse, they’ve been through a lot together. How would you describe the dynamic between Shelly and Donald Sterling?
Jacki Weaver: I think she’s furious with him, I mean, in our story. I can’t talk for the real Shelly and Donald, but rightly so. I had no problem with being furious with his character because he humiliates and he does it with this terrible, gold-digging girl.
There’s humiliation piled onto humiliation. And so it wasn’t difficult to imagine being furious with him. And also, in the eyes of others, in the eyes of her friends and– she just got sick of being made a fool, I think. And it was pretty easy to be able to announce that she would going to file for divorce.
Ed O’Neill: Yeah. I knew they were childhood sweethearts. She worked and put him through law school. And– they changed their name together. They picked, “Sterling,” together to assimilate. And all those kinds of decisions, young, told me that they were very close for many, many years.
Jacki Weaver: Yeah. I don’t– I don’t think the story would have been as good, if we hadn’t shown some affection for each other. I think there was bound to be affection there, for it to– she can’t let go, really, even though she tries to look strong and say she’s going to get rid of him. She still loves him, I think.
Ramona Shelburne: You know, my mom used to tell me that, “You never know what’s inside somebody else’s marriage.”
Ed O’Neill: Yes.
Ramona Shelburne: And I think that is– (LAUGH) like, you– you know, you see two people together and you go, “How the hell did they ever get together, in the first place?” But– especially after 60 years, you really don’t remember.
Ed O’Neill: And what people will– will put up with, you know, at the end of the day, sometimes it’s just, maybe, easier just to stay, you know, and then–
Jacki Weaver: Yeah. The heart has its reasons that reason does not know.
Ed O’Neill: That’s– that’s– that’s– (LAUGH)
Jacki Weaver: Who said that? I just did. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: That was great. I didn’t want to step on your line. That should have been–
Ed O’Neill: That’s a good one. That’s good. Yeah. That says it. That says it. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: In episode five, one of the s– key scenes is when the TV shows have been sending women outside of Donald’s door, trying to get him to agree to an interview.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald): Talk shows, Larry King, the old bird’s on in the morning, they send girls to book people too stupid to see them coming.
Male Voice: You don’t want to be interviewed, you know, tell your side of the story?
Ed O’Neill (As Donald): Not everyone who wants to look inside my ass has your good intentions. (LAUGH)
Male Voice: Okay.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald): Why don’t you find a way to contribute to society, you blood suckers in training? Learn a trade. (DOOR SLAM)
Ramona Shelburne: But Donald obviously holds out, for most of this episode. He doesn’t think he needs to talk or he’s not sure what he has to say. What, in your mind, Ed, was Donald’s media strategy, for most of this episode?
Ed O’Neill: You know, I think he was trying to figure it out. And I think he was trying to wait to see which way the wind was blowing because, as he says earlier in one of the scenes with– with Jacki, “People forget. And people throw their newspapers away.” And I think he was hoping, really, against hope, that it would go away. It was naïve, but I think he thought, “The longer I hold out and stay out of sight, it’ll go away.”
Ramona Shelburne: I– I think– covering it in real time, I think you’re exactly right. He was kind of alone. But I think he was– as– as you say, I think he was– you know, just thought it would go away, right, didn’t realize how big it was?
Ed O’Neill: Well, the fact, too, that he was a lawyer, himself. And I think his ego was that he knew more than he did and that he knew more about the situation. And I– I just think that his ego showed a little bit, there, you know, the fact that everybody turned on him, at that point, and I think he just realized it was over.
Ramona Shelburne: In this episode, Jacki, there is a scene with you and Andy Roeser, where you’re trying to help Donald with his image. You’re trying to get Andy to plant a story. You’re trying to still fight the fight for Donald, even though he’s not really responding.
Kelly AuCoin (As Andy Roeser): I did something.
Jacki Weaver (As Shelly Sterling): You did nothing.
Kelly AuCoin (As Andy Roeser): I took it to Donald. And he told me to do nothing.
Jacki Weaver (As Shelly Sterling): Well, I’m asking you to do something, now. This team is his life blood. What will he live for? He’ll die.
Ramona Shelburne: What was that scene with Kelly like, where you’re talking to Andy and– and trying to get him to plant the stories of– of– just to stand up for Donald?
Jacki Weaver: Well, he’s a brilliant actor, Kelly. I loved him. He’s one of those actors incapable of an inauthentic moment. There, he was great to– to play– to play with.
Ed O’Neill: Yeah. I– I loved working with him. You know, I– be– before we go any further with that, I have to compliment everyone in the show. I mean, there was– there’s nobody– (LAUGH) I was– I was blown away. And– and– and to start with, for the– the players, you know? I– I just think the players were so good. I thought it was just wonderful, how good they were.
Jacki Weaver: Wasn’t the choreography fascinating of the basketball shots?
Ed O’Neill: Oh, yeah.
Jacki Weaver: They would do the– the same plays, over, and over, and again for different camera angles. It was so incredible. It was like ballet.
Ed O’Neill: Yeah. And of course, Laurence, you know, but I would– I– I hesitate — you don’t need to even mention Laurence, really, but we should. He was so great. So, you know, he said a very funny thing to me. You know, I know Laurence from before. I know Laurence from New York City. And he said to me, “You know, I feel– a little insecure about the role.” And I said, “Why?”
And he said, “Well, I never played basketball. As a kid, I was acting. At 14, I was doing movies in the Philippines, when I was 14. And I never played basketball.” I said, “So, because of that, you feel insecure?” He said, “Yeah. I just– you know, I don’t have that experience.”
I said, “Well, I’ve seen you in a lot of movies where you’re killing people. Did you ever kill anybody, Laurence?” (LAUGH) And he started laughing. You know, he said, “You– no. I never thought of that.” And I– I– I don’t think that helped him, any. I think– just think he felt– it was amusing.
Ramona Shelburne: Well, I mean, he’s Morpheus in The Matrix, (LAUGH) right? I don’t think anybody’s ever had that background, there. I remember when– when I met him, he was very disarming. He– he actually was one of the actors who kind of wanted some notes, like, from the real guy.
Like, we did a press conferen– that was my cameo, my big, exciting cameo. And– he goes, “What’s Doc like in a press conference?” And I go, “Doc is like a college football coach who learns your name and runs the room. And afterwards, you know, he’s so charming. And he runs the press conference. The press conference doesn’t run him,” right?
Ed O’Neill: Yeah. Yeah. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: And he was like, “Oh. Yeah. Thank–” oh, and then he just nailed it, like, one take. I’m like, “You don’t need to know basketball. (LAUGH) Like, you already know how to run that, you know?” Well, Jacki, I think that scene with Kelly as Andy is– is one of the pivotal scenes for Shelly’s character because it marks the break where she stops defending Donald and starts sticking up for herself. And in– you know, you probably have some thoughts about why she stopped defending him and why she made that switch. But I was curious what you were thinking in those scenes in it– at that point in the story of where Shelly’s head was.
Jacki Weaver: Yeah. I think it was an accumulation. It was a cumulative effect that she got sick of being humiliated with his dalliances and also his money situation. She was worried, maybe, by then, that it was all going to tank the– owning a team, and the– and she’s very canny, financially, and– probably thought it was time to– arm herself, I think.
Ramona Shelburne: Donald has his own convincing, in this episode, when he confronts V. before her interview with Barbara Walters. And it goes a little haywire, right? He– he tries to convince her to– say she made it all up or she– this wasn’t her, she doctored the tape.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald Sterling): We were trying to make a point. You used some special software.
Cleopatra Coleman (As V. Stiviano): But I didn’t.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald Sterling): It doesn’t matter. I know you didn’t want to make it go this far. You d– you didn’t want to ruin my life, did you, honey, get me banned?
Cleopatra Coleman (As V. Stiviano): No. I just want you to realize that the way you grew up is wrong, that people of all color–
Ed O’Neill (As Donald Sterling): No. Don’t start with that. I’m trying to do something for you, okay? If you say you made it up, when Shelly gets her settlement from her court case, I’ll take care of it.
Ramona Shelburne: There’s a desperation in that scene, that I– I know it took a couple shots to get this right. But how did– how did you finally get there, to where you captured how desperate Donald was before that interview?
Ed O’Neill: Well, you– you know, and Gina helped me, a great deal, in that scene. She said, “You really need to be frantic because everything is collapsing now. Magic Johnson’s bailed out on you and so forth. And you know that you need some help.” And I think he probably had had a few drinks ’cause he’s very disheveled, you know? He hadn’t shaved in– so, yeah, he was frantic. I mean, I think he was– desperate, in that scene. And that– that’s how I tried to play it.
Ramona Shelburne: Gina had told me that, at one point, you– they kept up– opening the buttons on your shirt (LAUGH) to make you seem kinda disheveled.
Ed O’Neill: Yeah.
Ramona Shelburne: But, at one point, she said to you, “Maybe, he’s out of breath.”
Ed O’Neill: Yes. It’s the– the slightest little nudge, one way or the other, that makes the– a lot of difference. And– that was one of those times, for me. I said, “Oh. Out of breath,” you know, with the gout, he had the gout, walking down those hallways with the gout, in a hurry, in pain, and out of breath. I thought, “Well, that’ll get me into the scene.” And then– then, it went from there.
Ramona Shelburne: So Jacki’s drinking half and half and you’re running up and down hallways? I like it. (LAUGH)
Ed O’Neill: That’s how it works, you know, I mean it.
Ramona Shelburne: One of the fun, little details from this is where V.’s with her lawyer, Mac Nehoray in the show. And you have– they get into a fight and you’re trying to convince her to– to– to lie for you, to change her story. And he tries to step in, as her lawyer, and shut you down. And you throw a salad at him.
Jack Topalian (As Mac Nehoray): V. has given a statement to the NBA.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald Sterling): I’m talking to somebody here. (NOISE)
Jack Topalian (As Mac Nehoray): Ouch.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald Sterling): It’s a salad.
Jack Topalian (As Mac Nehoray): The croutons sting. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: How did you guys get that– choreography? How many– how many salads did you throw? Did you have dressing on it? I know it was dressed in real life.
Ed O’Neill: No. It was– I think it was dry, pretty dry. I think it was. (LAUGH) But it– there were several tosses at him, you know? He was also very good. That guy is–
Ramona Shelburne: Yeah. Jack Topalian, yeah.
Ed O’Neill: Oh, yeah. I really enjoyed him, too. Yeah. He didn’t have anything else to throw. He could have thrown that– the metal container, but, (LAUGH) you know, he– he– he’s a lawyer, too, you know, so, yeah, he didn’t.
Ramona Shelburne: That’s smart. (LAUGH) I think– one of the best scenes in– in– it really is straight from real life– is the interview that Shelly does with Barbara Walters.
Carolyn Mignini (As Barbara Walters): Do you like your husband?
Jacki Weaver (As Shelly Sterling): Do I like him or do I love him? I don’t love him. I pity him. I feel sorry for him.
Ramona Shelburne: How did you prepare for this scene with Barbara, Jacki? And how did it play out within the filming?
Jacki Weaver: Maybe, I did see the interview. Yeah. I think– I think I did. I think Gina sent it to me, yeah, yeah. But– I don’t think it’s just an impersonation. So I don’t think I would have needed to have seen the interview to know it because– it was all there in the text. I’m a great believer in text, knowing the script.
Ed O’Neill: Yeah. Me, too.
Ramona Shelburne: Justine is often the voice of reason around Shelly. What do you think Shelly’s relationship was with Justine, who’s played by Harriet Sansom Harris in this show?
Jacki Weaver: Well, and– and here, again, we must emphasize Justine was not a real person. She is an amalgamation of different friends that were probably in the real Shelly Sterling’s life. I– I thought she was a great creation, that character, totally believable and wonderfully played by Harriet. Harriet was just fantastic.
Jacki Weaver (As Shelly Sterling):You tried to get me to confront all of this, years, ago. And I pushed you away. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed.
Harriet Sansom Harris (As Justine): I’m still here. (SNIFF) (SIGH) You know, Gandhi said, “If I didn’t laugh, I would have committed suicide.” (SNIFF) He also drank a pint of his urine, every morning. (LAUGH)
Jacki Weaver: I always got the impression that Justine was a little in love with Shelly and was jealous, envious like a lot of close friends are, about Shelly’s situation. And I thought all of our scenes were so well-written. They were a dream to play, really, especially with Harriet.
Ramona Shelburne: Ed, obviously, you had some of your first scenes in the show, right off the top of filming, are with Cleo playing V. Stiviano. And you have to read the scenes where he says all the racist things that are caught on tape and, (LAUGH) like– like, really, right at the beginning of filming, right? How did– how did you and Cleo establish rapport and then get into your– your roles?
Ed O’Neill: I mean, I don’t think we did. It was the first day of filming, we did that scene. And, you know, that scene was difficult because it had to be letter-perfect, you know? It had to be, the commas, the dots, the periods as it was in the tape. So we had to shoot that way.
I thought she was great in that scene. You know, you can rehearse something– to use the word, “Prepare–” you can prepare something in the mirror in your bathroom, 10,000 times. And when you get on the set and the other actor says the first line to you, (LAUGH) suddenly it has to change, all that preparing. So I think it– it’s just a matter of listening to the other actor, if you’re working with one other actor, and go from there, wherever it takes you.
Ramona Shelburne: Jacki, in the show, obviously, Shelly Sterling and V. are at odds, both personally and legally. But on set, Cleo is an Australian, a fellow Aussie. She had– she had quite an admiration for you, walking onto the set. And– and I think it– she said– it sounded like you guys had become pretty good friends, throughout the filming of this. What was it like, working with Cleo in that role, throughout this project?
Jacki Weaver: I’m so proud of Cleo. I think she’s so accomplished, so talented. I’ve just– I love saying that we both came from the same country. That staggering beauty, as well as– she’s a really good actor, I loved her. And she stood her ground. She had such a– not gravitas, exactly, but she was accomplished. She really seized her moment. There was nothing cowering about her. When we had our confrontation scene, she knocked it out of the park.
Ed O’Neill: There– there used to be– a theatre expression, “Aesthetic weight.” She had a lot of that.
Jacki Weaver: Yes. Absolutely. Yes.
Ramona Shelburne: Now, at the end of this episode, Shelly and Donald have a scene together, where they discuss selling the team.
Jacki Weaver (As Shelly Sterling): The NBA has given us ten days to find a buyer. We have no choice. This allows me to receive offers for the team.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald Sterling): I’ve never sold anything. And to be forced–
Jacki Weaver (As Shelly Sterling): We can’t go to the games, anyway.
Ed O’Neill (As Donald Sterling): What did I say? What did I say? I was just talking about the way the world works.
Ramona Shelburne: What were you both thinking about for your characters, in that moment, when Shelly, obviously, has made the decision, “We’ve gotta sell the team or they’re gonna take it from us,” and Donald is still holding on until the end?
Ed O’Neill: I can’t remember, exactly, when I had the conversation with Gina. I felt like I needed the– a scene where he talks to Shelly to justify himself, somewhat, to say, you know, “I’m not really–” without saying it, “I’m not really a bad guy. It’s the way the world works and its perception. And there are rules that we have to follow to live in this world. And that’s all I’m doing,” you know?
It was sort of like bad in– the idea that he changed his name. And that goes with that, I just think was his way of trying to– say, “I’m not a bad guy. If you want to swim with sharks, you better be a shark.” And I think that’s– that was his take on a lot of things.
Ramona Shelburne: I thought the writing on that was brilliant. I thought the fact that it exists was– absolutely necessary. It was a good note that you had.
Ed O’Neill: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Ramona Shelburne: And I thought, also, “This is the part where–” one of my favorite lines, it’s– remember, from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where the woman says, you know, “The– the– the man may be the head, but the woman is the neck. And the neck can turn the head.” (LAUGH)
To me, that is Shelly Sterling in this scene. This is where Shelly has already made the business decision to sell the team, to say, “Well, if we don’t sell, they’re gonna take it from us. And we won’t be able to control this.” So now, her job, as the businesswoman in this equation, is to convince her very proud husband that this is the best choice. Jacki, how did you play that side of Shelly Sterling?
Jacki Weaver: Well, I think she had grit, and strength, and determination, all the way through, even when she was very quiet and demure. But now, necessity– has made her show her strong core, as it were. And, yeah, this is where she becomes top dog, really. She’s this small, quietly-spoken, lady-like woman, suddenly outsmarts everyone. And I thought it was– very fitting and very satisfying. I’d like to also mention our directors, Kevin and Francesca.
Ed O’Neill: Oh, yeah, yeah.
Jacki Weaver: I thought they were so good. I trusted both of them, implicitly. And I thought– and the camera crew, I always get a crush on the camera crew, especially the DP. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: Okay. Before we wrap, we’re gonna do a quick lightning round. These are just short, pithy, little answers– meant to have a little fun with. Both of you guys are, you know, all over the place, but you do have homes in Los Angeles. What is your favorite restaurant in Los Angeles?
Jacki Weaver: Dante.
Ed O’Neill: Mine used to be Drago, on 26th and Wilshire. But now, that’s gone. So now, it’s probably Il Forno, which is a restaurant I’ve eaten in, a long, long time.
Ramona Shelburne: I like Drago Centro, in Downtown. You know that–
Ed O’Neill: Oh, that’s– that’s a good one.
Ramona Shelburne: That’s a good one. What is a– piece of advice that you give young actors?
Jacki Weaver: Know your lines. Hit your marks. And be punctual. (LAUGH)
Ed O’Neill: Right. Yeah. Listen.
Ramona Shelburne: I like that. What’s a topic you randomly know a little about?
Jacki Weaver: I watch Jeopardy, every night. Do you do Jeopardy? We even keep score, my husband and I.
Ramona Shelburne: Really?
Jacki Weaver: We figure it might be good for our elderly brains. (LAUGH) Sometimes, we do better than the contestants.
Ramona Shelburne: Do you answer in the form of a question?
Jacki Weaver: Not always. Sometimes, we shout out the answer without doing a form of a question. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: And what– what do you randomly know a lot about?
Ed O’Neill: Probably moves. Yeah.
Jacki Weaver: Plays and plays.
Ed O’Neill: Plays. Yeah.
Ramona Shelburne: Who is another actor or comedian you would like to co-star with?
Jacki Weaver: Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Ed O’Neill: Oh. There’s so many, for me.
Jacki Weaver: Yeah. I’ve got 100.
Ed O’Neill: Can I name a dead actor? (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: Well, Jacki just went right for it, you know?
Ed O’Neill: If there was– pr– probably someone like– Fredric March, I would love the have worked with.
Ramona Shelburne: Okay. Last one. If you could be a pro-athlete in any sport, what would it be?
Jacki Weaver: Sex. (LAUGH)
Ramona Shelburne: Oh, my gosh. (LAUGH)
Ed O’Neill: You know, I mean, of course I should say football. But the answer would– I– I– I wouldn’t say football.
Jacki Weaver: But you’re a black belt.
Ed O’Neill: That– yeah. I’m– I– I would p– probably say– yes. Okay. I’ll have to say Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Jacki Weaver: And I would say Scrabble.
Ramona Shelburne: Ed, Jacki, thank you so much for joining us on the Clipped podcast.
Ed O’Neill: My pleasure.
Jacki Weaver: Thank you.
Narrator: This episode was hosted by Ramona Shelburne and produced by Meghan Coyle. Our associate producer is Gus Navarro. Our line producer is Cath Sankey. Sound design by Ryan Ross Smith and original music by Hannis Brown. Preeti Varathan is our head of audio. Our head of development is Kati Fernandez. Our head of talent relations is Chantre Camack. Our executive producers for 30 for 30 and ESPN Films are Marsha Cooke, Brian Lockhart, Burke Magnus, and Heather Anderson. Our ESPN audio team includes Megan Judge and Devon McGowan. Special thanks to Roslyn Bibby at FX and Greg Bergman at ESPN LA Radio. As always, thank you for listening. Episodes of Let’s Talk Clipped drop every Tuesday until July 2nd.
