Actor, Writer and Traveler Mike White speaks to Marc Maron about Adventure

WTF with Marc Maron: Ep #364 Mike White

Marc Maron's WTF conversation with Writer/Traveler/Actor Mike White is resonating with me at the moment - WTF with Marc Maron Podcast: Episode 364 Mike White.

Mike White is probably best known for writing and starring in 'School of Rock' and HBO's recently cancelled 'Enlightened', a series informed by an on-the-job meltdown Mike suffered which mirrors the show's premise. White famously competed with his father twice on the reality Travel show 'The Amazing Race' when he was already well established in Hollywood.

Conversation and life Closing statements

MIKE WHITE: (1h 25m) ...If my parents died, its like at some point I could just walk into the ocean and maybe I will. Not because I'm suicidal, but its sort of I already know -- I feel like with my work I've already expressed myself, I've expressed myself in different forms. I've had my babies in a sense. I had a melanoma scare, it was one of those things where I had three surgeries and it was one of those things, this could be "IT". And I was like... at least I put it all out -- I ran the race. I ran the 'Amazing Race'.
MARON: I'm done
WHITE: I never won an Oscar but I was there. I won a prize, I've won prizes. I know what that's like. I know what its like to have a party and be the center of attention. I know what its like to be in a relationship. I know what its like to have great sex. I know what that's like. I also know what its like to be deprived of those things. And I don't know, what's left?
MARON: I don't know. What is?
WHITE: I don't know we'll figure it out.
MARON: Thanks Mike
WHITE: *coughing*
MARON: Are you alright?
WHITE: Yeah

Call to Adventure

MIKE WHITE: (29m mark) I'm kind of like a thrillseeker. I like a new adventure... and after a while even if you're doing exactly what you want to do, you're still driving to the set. It becomes a routine, it has a routine aspect to it and all making of things is painstaking, tedious - but when you're on the Amazing Race your adrenalin is pumping 24/7.

White on the tortured relationship of writing and living a reality

MARC MARON: (32m mark) Did you do anything when you were growing up to have that feeling?
MIKE WHITE: No! I don't like drudgery or routine. I mean I can do my homework but I like new experiences.
MARON: So what do you seek out?
WHITE: I dunno, just dark stuff (half joking)... I don't know, we all have different sides to ourselves. Its like I wanna be elsewhere, I wanna always be doing new things.
MARON: Its weird, when you have a computer and you're sitting at home, you have access to things. Part of you feels like you're doing new things and then eventually you realise I'm by myself and its gotten a little ridiculous
WHITE: Right, when you're a writer you spend a lot of time not living because you're putting your life, your thought and your effort into your writing so after a while you have a tortured relationship with the act of writing... there's this anger that builds up. Like I wanna live, me as an actor on the stage of life versus the writer...

On how short life is

MIKE WHITE: (34m 45s mark) The more you're in the zone where you're living it as you're writing it or in reverie. There's a rush to it. After a while you see yourself in a bird's eye view. How are you living your life? Its like you only have one life... I guess its a midlife crisis but after a while you start to see the finite amount of things that you're gonna be able to do and you just want to rage against it

And learning to let go

WHITE: (36m 20s mark) I've gone through this period where when I'm invited to do something random I just do it because I feel "I should do that". And after a while -- I recently read a book about fetishising, this thing we feel where we need to have experiences. Its a Buddhist-- at some point you can let go of "missing out on things". A healthy place. You don't need to have sex with every new person, you don't need to visit every corner of the universe

MARON: To be happy or feel like you've done something
WHITE: Which for many people, that doesn't even [register] but for some reason that's my [dilemma]...

Find other Marc Maron posts below:
- AV Club's Nathan Rabin talks about Podcast Culture on Marc Maron's 300th episode of WTF
- Actor, Writer and Traveler Mike White speaks to Marc Maron about Adventure
- Dan Harmon talks Television with Marc Maron on GT4: "Hamburger" Art and living in a "concrete, Orwellian Honeycomb"
- Is Andrew W.K a persona that has been played by multiple actors? Marc Maron in conversation with Andrew W.K.