Bill sits down with award-buzzed actor Joel Edgerton for a sharp, funny, and moving conversation that jumps from Hollywood absurdities to deeply personal truths. They dig into Edgerton’s career-defining performance in Train Dreams, and why stories about ordinary people, loss, and resilience can hit harder than any superhero spectacle. Edgerton opens up about early struggles and the love that carried him through, while Maher shares a bizarre first “job” as an unqualified bodyguard for a South African diplomat’s kids. Along the way, they talk about how Australian actors seem to be quietly running Hollywood—and that most American accents these days were probably learned in Sydney watching Leave It to Beaver. #billmaher #joeledgerton #hollywood #acting #movies Subscribe to the Club Random YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/clubrandompodcast?sub_confirmation=1 Watch episodes ad-free – subscribe to Bill Maher’s Substack: https://billmaher.substack.com Subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you listen: ⁠https://bit.ly/ClubRandom Support our Advertisers: -Head to https://www.squarespace.com/CLUBRANDOM to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CLUBRANDOM. -Get 50% off your first box plus free breakfast for 1 year at https://www.factormeals.com/random50off Buy Club Random Merch: https://clubrandom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices ABOUT CLUB RANDOM In Club Random, Bill Maher unleashes his comedic wit on an unpredictable lineup – from Bill Burr and Jerry Seinfeld to Quentin Tarantino and Neil deGrasse Tyson – digging into everything but politics. It’s Maher in his familiar element: one-on-one vibes, unfiltered laughs, and the kind of freewheeling banter only he can deliver. For advertising opportunities please email: PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com ABOUT BILL MAHER Bill Maher was the host of “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC) from 1993-2002, and for the last 23 years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 41 Emmy nominations. Maher won his first Emmy in 2014 as executive producer for the HBO series, “VICE.” In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher’s uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, “Religulous.” Maher has written six bestsellers: “True Story,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? Politically Incorrect’s Greatest Hits,” “When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden,” “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer,” “The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody But Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass", and most recently "What This Comedian Said Will Shock You". 00:01:32 Intro 00:02:40 Australians “taking over” Hollywood (Hemsworth + sharks) 00:03:32 Growing up on American TV: Happy Days, Skippy vs Flipper 00:06:39 Why Aussies nail the American accent (kids sound “Valley”) 00:07:48 Train Dreams hype: Golden Globes, career timing, “the one” 00:09:38 The casting wars: quotas, appropriation, and who “gets to” play what 00:10:04 Elvis and cultural “stealing” vs cultural sharing 00:10:47 Bradley Cooper as Bernstein: “the nose” backlash 00:11:10 “Only Danish princes can play Hamlet” (casting insanity) 00:13:21 When authentic casting works: CODA and deaf actors 00:16:09 Fatherhood changes everything: Train Dreams hits harder 00:28:41 Bill’s environmental heartbreak: trees, PETA, and “a tree is a miracle” 00:31:54 Humans as destroyers: evolution, extinction, and big brains 00:42:54 Bill’s worst gig: diplomat kids, no vetting, no training 00:46:17 Safety culture overload: smart cars, Waymo, and “safety-ism” 00:48:27 Addiction lines: cigarettes vs weed… then opium 00:57:33 Cate Blanchett rehab dream + fame anxiety (and social media fear) 01:03:56 Twins + parenting reality: “I’m not leaving them with Bill” 01:21:35 Are there movie stars anymore? the post-star era argument 01:26:37 Awards psychology: voting for “the right movie” 01:31:18 Wrap-up: Globes luck + goodbye FOLLOW CLUB RANDOM https://www.clubrandom.com https://www.facebook.com/Club-Random-101776489118185 https://twitter.com/clubrandom_ https://www.instagram.com/clubrandompodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@clubrandompodcast FOLLOW BILL MAHER https://www.billmaher.com https://twitter.com/billmaher https://www.instagram.com/billmaher