Adam Savage (Twitter: @donttrythis Instagram: @therealadamsavage Facebook: /therealadamsavage) has spent his life gathering skills that allow him to take what's in his brain and make it real. In 1993, Adam began working in the special-effects industry, honing his making skills through more than 100 television commercials and a dozen feature films, including Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Galaxy Quest, and the Matrix sequels. A decade later, Adam was chosen along with Jamie Hyneman to host MythBusters, which premiered on Discovery Channel in January 2003. 14 years, 1,015 myths, 2,950 experiments, eight Emmy nominations, and 83 miles of duct tape later, that version of the series ended in March 2016. Today, Adam hosts and executive produces MythBusters Jr. and Savage Builds. He also stars in and produces content for Tested.com, including behind-the-scenes dives into multiple blockbuster films (including Alien Covenant, Mortal Combat, and Blade Runner). In addition, after a lifetime of hunting for the perfect bag, Adam launched Savage Industries and began manufacturing his own along with MAFIA BAGS. The current line (available at AdamSavage.com) includes two sizes of the EDC ("Everyday Carry") and pouches, with more product both available on the site and on the way. Finally, in 2019 Adam wrote his first book. Every Tool's a Hammer, which is, in Adam's words, "a chronicle of my life as a maker. It's an exploration of making and of my own productive obsessions, but it's also a permission slip of sorts from me to you. Permission to grab hold of the things you're interested in, that fascinate you, and to dive deeper into them to see where they lead you." More information about the book is available at https://AdamSavageBook.com. This podcast is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, "If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?" My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you'll get a free 20-count travel pack (valued at $79) with your first order at https://AthleticGreens.com/tim. Intro [00:00] Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away [00:15] Building two suits of armor in high school [05:06] On being a generalist and the great thing about San Francisco [09:29] How Adam found his focus [13:28] Theater as a force multiplier and Adam's family ethos [16:13] What would have made Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up a better audiobook? [20:37] Adam’s quirky Maltese Falcon presentation at the 2008 Entertainment Gathering [21:33] The highest possible achievement Adam feels can be attained on stage [29:40] The origin of “Failure is always an option” [30:26] Favorite failures that led to later successes [33:21] Authors, thinkers, and philosophers who have had an impact on Adam [37:16] How Adam used the perspective of a screenwriter to de-escalate an argument [40:38] Where did Adam’s “watching the watcher” habit originate? [42:19] Projects for inexperienced makers [44:32] The point when a maker goes from gear-switching mode to entirely mental mode [48:01] The practical side of obsession [50:25] The last notable object Adam had to make [51:18] The materials one might use to build their own miniature scale home [53:10] A documentary about the artist David Hockney I highly recommend [54:33] Can a movie set tell a story? [56:27] Adam’s rumored egg-making prowess [57:49] A few of my own egg secrets [1:02:18] Is Jacques Pepin a Jedi master? [1:03:18] The Jacques Pepin and Julia Child way of finishing scrambled eggs [1:04:17] Musings on universal suffering and coping with defeating self-talk [1:05:17] The one thing Adam would tell his younger self if he could go back in time [1:13:33] How Adam’s book may be more of a stegosaurus he found than the tyrannosaurus rex he was in search of [1:16:22] What Adam and his wife can expect from the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo [1:19:26] “Take no cure for your dignity.” [1:20:26] Parting thoughts [1:23:39] SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/1dSzTkW Connect with Tim Ferriss: Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/ Visit the Tim Ferriss PODCAST: https://tim.blog/podcast/ Visit the Tim Ferriss BLOG: https://tim.blog/ Follow Tim Ferriss on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/tferriss/ Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/ Like Tim Ferriss on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/