20th Anniversary Celebration with distinguished actors Claire Danes, Ethan Hawke, Nick Offerman, Kyra Sedgwick, and Josh Brolin
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this special twentieth anniversary episode of Design Matters, host Debbie Millman revisits conversations with five distinguished actors: Claire Danes, Ethan Hawke, Nick Offerman, Kyra Sedgwick, and Josh Brolin. The episode explores how these performers approach their craft, work with directors, and what it means to inhabit a role while sustaining a creative life. (04:03) Each actor shares insights from their early career struggles, breakthrough moments, and the circuitous paths they took to become acclaimed artists. • Main themes: The vulnerability required for acting, overcoming early career challenges, the importance of authenticity in performance, and how personal struggles often inform artistic expression.
Speakers
Claire Danes
Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her role as Carrie Mathison in Homeland, for which she received five Emmy nominations and won two. She began her professional acting career at age 13 and has been in therapy since age 6, crediting it as a helpful tool for self-reflection and insight.
Ethan Hawke
Acclaimed actor, director, and novelist who broke through with Dead Poets Society as a teenager. He has since become known for both independent films and mainstream projects, published three novels including A Bright Ray of Darkness, and starred in the Showtime limited series The Good Lord Bird as John Brown.
Nick Offerman
Actor and woodworker who found fame in his forties playing Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. He studied theater at the University of Illinois, toured Japan with a kabuki troupe, and founded the experimental Defiant Theater company in Chicago before transitioning to television comedy.
Kyra Sedgwick
Veteran actress who made her professional debut at 16 on the soap opera Another World in 1982. She has had a long career in television and film, and made her theatrical directing debut with Space Oddity, starring her husband Kevin Bacon.
Josh Brolin
Actor known for both indie films and blockbusters including his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He got his start in Steven Spielberg's The Goonies at age 17 and published his memoir From Under the Truck in 2024, detailing his rough childhood and acting career.
Key Takeaways
Embrace Your Authentic Self Instead of Trying to Fit a Mold
Nick Offerman's career transformation came when he stopped trying to be the "cool leather jacket" guy and embraced his authentic country persona. (27:04) After years of struggling to get cast, he realized his most valuable tool was simply being himself. As he put it, "I simply finally get it. Just act like yourself." This shift allowed him to build a successful career around his natural strengths rather than fighting against them. For professionals in any field, this demonstrates the power of authenticity over trying to conform to what you think others want.
Use Personal Struggles as Creative Fuel
Multiple actors in this episode transformed early trauma into artistic strength. Claire Danes channeled her childhood anxiety and vivid imagination into her acting, while Kyra Sedgwick used her hypervigilance from family divorce to become a keen observer of human nature. (37:45) Ethan Hawke noted that being raised through divorce gave him a "break" that "has opportunity to invite some wisdom into your life." Rather than being defeated by difficult circumstances, successful artists often transform their struggles into their greatest assets.
Maintain the Attitude of a Student Throughout Your Career
Nick Offerman emphasized the importance of continuous learning when he said, "That's the beautiful thing about life maintaining the attitude of a student is that I'm still on the same journey. Hopefully, the next play I do, I'll be better than the last play I did until my faculties give out." (31:31) This mindset helped him accept feedback from directors who told him he wasn't ready for lead roles yet, using that criticism to fuel improvement rather than defensiveness.
Take Advantage of Low-Stakes Opportunities
Claire Danes described how rollerblading between auditions as a teenager gave her a significant advantage: "the stakes were so low. I had a day job of being a kid and going to school... I didn't have to get the job." (13:12) Without the "smell of desperation," she could focus purely on the craft and joy of acting. This principle applies beyond acting - approaching opportunities with genuine curiosity rather than desperation often leads to better outcomes.
Develop Discipline Through Practical Structure
Josh Brolin found success in day trading because it required pure discipline and objectivity. His mentor told him "any instinct that you have in trading is meaningless... Look at the graph. It's all practical." (51:26) This systematic approach helped him develop the discipline needed for his acting career while providing financial stability. The lesson extends beyond entertainment - developing structured, objective approaches to decision-making can improve performance in any field.
Statistics & Facts
- Claire Danes started therapy at age 6 and has continued it into adulthood, crediting it as a helpful tool for self-reflection. (04:04) This early intervention helped her manage childhood anxieties including seeing ghosts and creatures.
- Kyra Sedgwick made her first professional television appearance on January 15, 1982, at age 16 on the soap opera Another World. (46:13) She played Julia Scherer, the troubled granddaughter of the show's matriarch.
- Nick Offerman didn't get into comedy until his mid-thirties despite being naturally funny, because he had to specifically seek out comedy work to get casting directors to view him as someone who could do comedy. (34:02) Within minutes of performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade, casting directors began calling for comedy roles.
