John C. Reilly was "despairing" at the state of the world. How he found a way out.

From "Step Brothers" to “Chicago,” John C. Reilly imbues every one of his roles with humor, empathy, and heart. In his latest project, a vaudeville stage show called "Mister Romantic," he searches for connection in a disconnected time. He talked to Rachel about his independent childhood on the south side of Chicago, and being open to endless possibilities. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 1:10 Being a middle kid and John’s discovery of theater as a child. Appreciation of American musical. 6:17 Experiencing beauty in art class as a kid. Gratitude toward the teachers that knew how to support him. 9:29 Mining wild childhood experiences for “Step Brothers.” Running off without supervision as kid. 13:33 "Mister Romantic" and finding connection through music. Feeling alarmed about lack of empathy in our culture and trying to address it. 22:28 Feelings of envy early in career and realization of how to move past. 26:26 Being highly empathetic. Not being as funny as Will Ferrell when swearing. 29:35 Rachel wishes she could be a good house host. John wishes he was more organized. 34:51 John likes to keep all possibilities open. 36:16 Beliefs about life after death. John’s story about having a dream about his Dad the night his Dad died. 41:25 Fighting despair through connection 44:00 John’s Memory Time Machine MORE WILD CARD EPISODES    • Wild Card with Rachel Martin   WHAT IS “WILD CARD?” Life’s too short for small talk. NPR's Rachel Martin gets right to the questions that matter most. Once a week, famous guests pull questions from a deck of cards and open up about the kind of stuff we all think about but rarely say out loud. Actors, authors and thinkers are prompted to talk about everything from their insecurities and dreams to grief and God. Named one of The New York Times’ 10 best podcasts of 2024, Wild Card stands out among celebrity interview podcasts. When modern life feels chaotic or overwhelming, listen to Wild Card for a joyful, grounding reminder of our shared humanity. You can reach out to us at [email protected]. We love it when you do. The NPR shows you love are possible thanks to your support. Donate today: https://www.npr.org/donations/support