Show Notes
Jeff Kober has spent more than four decades disappearing into some of television’s most unforgettable characters, from China Beach and The Walking Dead to Sons of Anarchy, General Hospital and now The Pitt.
Today, Kober joins Steve Kmetko with something remarkable to celebrate, Emmy recognition for both The Pitt and General Hospital.
Kober reveals how a last-minute self-tape nearly went completely wrong before helping land him his role on The Pitt, what it is really like working opposite Noah Wyle, and why the acclaimed medical drama feels different from almost anything else he has done.
But this conversation goes far beyond Hollywood.
Kober opens up about the anxiety and darkness he experienced earlier in his life, the unusual path that led him from Montana to acting in Los Angeles, his relationship with his son, the transformative role meditation has played in his life, and why, after decades of playing dangerous and troubled men, he finally feels comfortable being himself.
Plus, memories of China Beach, Dana Delany, Andrew Lincoln and The Walking Dead, the brutal pace of General Hospital, and why The Pitt allowed Kober to let himself be seen in a way he never had before.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Jeff Kober Has Two Emmy Nominations 01:11 Joining The Pitt 02:09 What Noah Wyle Is Really Like 04:20 The Audition Disaster That Landed The Pitt 05:37 The Truth About Self-Tape Auditions 07:40 Why Jeff Initially Avoided Watching The Pitt 09:40 What Makes The Pitt Different 12:08 Why Jeff Connected With His Pitt Character 16:10 Does Jeff Kober Want to Win the Emmy? 18:12 How Jeff Kober Accidentally Became an Actor 19:40 Finding His Way Out of an Emotional Mess 23:53 China Beach and Dana Delany 25:14 The Walking Dead and Andrew Lincoln 26:30 Bringing Darkness Into the Light 29:51 General Hospital and the Brutal Pace of Daytime TV 33:40 The Most Fulfilling Role of His Career 35:30 What Jeff Kober Still Wants to Play 37:15 Life, Purpose and Finding Meaning 40:02 How Meditation Changed His Life 41:43 Is Jeff Happier Today? 42:40 Why Acting Gave His Darkness Value 44:44 The Fear He Finally Let Go 45:17 Why He Still Loves Walking Onto a Set 47:34 Was Jeff Kober a Good Father? 49:03 Would He Ever Revisit China Beach? 50:12 Jeff Kober Is Writing a Memoir
More from Still Here Hollywood
Before millions of Americans knew Denise Nicholas as Liz McIntyre on the groundbreaking television series Room 222, she was living through history.
Anson Williams became a television icon as Potsie Weber on Happy Days, but his Hollywood story goes far beyond Arnold’s Drive-In.
Linda Purl has spent more than five decades building an extraordinary career across television, film, Broadway and music. In this episode of Still Here Hollywood, Linda joins Steve Kmetko for a funny, candid and surprisingly personal conversation about Happy Days, Matlock, The Office, Andy Griffith, Garry Marshall, aging in Hollywood and the unexpected love story that brought her and Dallas star Patrick Duffy together. Linda reveals what The Office was really like behind the scenes, why Happy Days had only one bathroom for the cast and crew, and the remarkable story Andy Griffith told her about fighting for his role in A Face in the Crowd. She also opens up about reconnecting with Patrick Duffy during COVID, their nightly Zoom conversations and the moment he finally drove from Oregon to Colorado to see if their friendship could become something more. Plus, Linda talks about returning to the stage, her lifelong love of music, handling criticism, getting older without “giving up,” and how she and Patrick turned a 70-year-old family sourdough starter into Duffy's Dough and a mission to help fight food insecurity. It's Linda Purl, still working, still laughing, still singing and very much Still Here.
Elisa Donovan became forever recognizable as Amber, Cher Horowitz's fabulously overdressed rival in the 1995 classic Clueless. But behind one of the most memorable characters of the '90s is an actress, writer and mother whose life took turns she never could have imagined. Elisa joins Steve Kmetko for a candid conversation about landing Clueless, creating Amber from the mean girls she knew growing up, working with Alicia Silverstone, and the Clueless joke she didn't even understand when she delivered it. She also opens up about Brittany Murphy, sharing a hilarious memory from the Clueless set and revealing the troubling signs she says she witnessed the last time she saw Brittany before her death. Elisa talks about nearly landing the lead in Showgirls, climbing into bed with Jason Priestley on her first day of Beverly Hills, 90210, her frustration during Sabrina the Teenage Witch, losing her father to cancer, and the extraordinary dreams that changed the way she thinks about grief and death. Plus, Elisa explains why she believes Hollywood is losing the kinds of movies that once gave actors and storytellers room to take chances. This is Still Here Hollywood. I'm Steve Kmetko. Join us with today's guest, from Clueless, actor Elisa Donovan.
Emmy and Golden Globe winner Michael Chiklis joins Steve Kmetko for a remarkably candid conversation about The Shield, Fantastic Four, The Commish, Hollywood, artificial intelligence, reinvention, family, failure, and the future of the entertainment business.