Did that feel as monumental for you in the moment as it does now looking back all these years later?

It really did.

And it wasn't just in Hollywood.

It was a cultural phenomenon.

And, you know, China Beach got to be a part of that responsibility taking, awareness of, you know, because there were so many feelings in the, you know, late 60s, early 70s about Vietnam and so many differing opinions.

And to have it was part of a national healing where you have to bring it all up and bring it out in order to begin to take stock and let things go and allow things to heal and come back together.

And China Beach and its approach, especially from the female point of view, you know, it was about nurses and donut dollies and USO performers.

Mm-hmm

Come on in, the water's fine

... [sniffs] you know, when we get to a certain age, it's inevitable that...

And, it, it, I think it's important that we begin to ask ourselves the question like, "What the hell is going on here? What are we here for? What's this about?" And what I think it's about is about just expanding, becoming more and more full and free and alive and present, uh, more able to enjoy life, not in some hedonistic fashion, but in some, uh, uh, experience of where we're using ourselves fully in service to something greater.

Uh, the whole of humanity, the whole of consciousness, the life itself, our fellows, our family, our, our community, our, our industry.

And that goes along, for me, with the idea that what's happening here is, uh, a oneness that I get to be a part of, that I am a part of, and that I'm an expression of, and that oneness is always looking to find a way to love itself more fully and come together with itself more fully.

And that when I feel right about my life, it's because I'm in service to that coming together, when I'm, uh, using myself to come fully present to whatever situation I'm in, whatever flow I'm in, and, and saying, "And, and what's next?" And, and, "Well, how can you love even with this?" And, and, and, uh, and, and, "How can I, how can I help?" And my life has become more and more about, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here, but I know it's not about me.

And all these ideas of if I just get this and this and this, I'll feel okay, I'll feel safe, I'll feel happy, that never works.

What if you hadn't found this career?

What was the pace of work there? Was it How compared to other single camera shows? Was it similar? Did they work faster? It

was it was it was it was so much smoother than most because they've, you know, they've perfected this thing.

If you watch that show, like I was part of a scene that they've got this whole.

the central hub, you know, built with all the rooms around the edges of it.

And they started a scene with a, you know, with a Steadicam all the way at one end.

And there's a walk and talk and then a scene takes place here and then a walk and a talk and a scene takes place here and then a walk and talk and I come up in a wheelchair and meet them here.

And they're doing that in a one-er.

Where do you think you know, between doing daytime and and movies in primetime? Where do you think your sweet spot is for takes?

Talk me through shooting that scene from your perspective.

Robbie could show that, so they could see that part of Robbie's struggle.

And I keep going back to the model of 12-step recovery, because I think it's really clear that Duke is someone who's been to hell, has done some really heinous stuff, and has found a way to live with that.

Maybe not comfortably, but fully and fully present.

And he recognizes a brother in Robbie who's at the bottom.

and uh and you know and and i i think it's essential in that moment for the person in duke's shoes to let himself be seen as i've been where you are and it's also essential for him to tell the truth of like stop the bullshit because you know if you're going to kill yourself then let's deal with that but uh let's put it out on the table.

I am an advocate for talking about death before it arrives to the consternation of certain of my family members.

And speaking of, for actors watching this, what would be a practical craft lesson of a role like Duke where you don't have endless screen time, but you do get to really make quite an impact and suggest a whole life in a few scenes rather than the whole episode?