Summary
- The SmartLess podcast features interviews with a mystery guest, and only one of the hosts knows the guest's identity beforehand.
- Jason Bateman, one of the hosts, experienced technical issues with his laptop during an interview with Matthew McConaughey.
- Without knowing it was McConaughey, Bateman grew frustrated and slammed his laptop shut, mistaking the laughter in the background for his co-hosts instead of McConaughey.
Those who are close to Jason Bateman know him for his true self. Among the many roles that he has taken, he has a solid camaraderie with individuals throughout Hollywood. After years of acting, Bateman and his friends Will Arnett and Sean Hayes decided to embark on a new venture, a podcast called SmartLess.
While the interviews that take place on SmartLess are lighthearted and fun, there have been a few times when things don't go according to plan. Although everything gets figured out and the show goes on, the circumstances allow for some humorous stories. A specific situation between host Jason Bateman and celebrity guest Matthew McConaughey is one that the hosts are still laughing about as time goes on.
The SmartLess Podcast Centers Around A Mystery Guest
When Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Jason Bateman came together to create a podcast, they decided to do so with a unique premise. Instead of all three hosts knowing the special guest's identity ahead of time, only one would select who would be interviewed, and the other two would be in the dark.
To pull this off, the special guest, whom the hosts often refer to as a mystery guest, will be on and ready but waiting in the theoretical wings for their interview to start. With this layout, their identity is private until the big reveal occurs.
On the day in question, one of the hosts had set up an interview with Matthew McConaughey as the mystery guest. While Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Matthew McConaughey were ready to go, Jason Bateman was struggling on his end.
What happened next was something that would go down in the SmartLess history books, sitting at the top of the most humorous memories the hosts have together during their podcast recording.
Jason Bateman Was Having Technical Issues Which Caused A Delay
There are many movie and television titles that Jason Bateman has soared in, bringing delight to audiences everywhere. As one of the hosts of SmartLess, he often gets more than he bargained for in several different ways. One of those is problems with technology.
As it is, podcasts require the use of computers and multiple different technological components to pull them off in a quality way. Some of these aspects are complex and can be a struggle to align appropriately if they aren't operating correctly.
On this day in particular, Jason Bateman was having a problem with his laptop. When his computer wouldn't work right, he switched to his daughter's to try to get the interview started.
Unfortunately, he was having difficulty with that device also. In footage that Will Arnett later shared, viewers can hear Bateman in the background growing increasingly frustrated as he's trying to work with producers to get everything in motion.
During this time, the team was careful to keep the guest's identity under wraps, and Matthew McConaughey would remain silent when necessary. All of this worked swimmingly until Jason Bateman's reactions became too much for the movie actor McConaughey to handle.
In what would become an iconic moment for the hosts, Jason's frustration got the best of him, and a case of incorrect identity led to him taking it out on the wrong person.
Not Knowing It Was McConaughey, Bateman Slammed His Laptop Shut
While Matthew McConaughey has a portfolio of diverse roles under his belt, he could not play the part of a silent observer when it came to Jason Bateman's outburst of distress and irritation at his computer not working.
After hearing Bateman's string of expletives and anger at being unable to get his technology to work as needed, McConaughey couldn't help but laugh in the background. What started as quiet began to get louder as the star couldn't keep the sound contained any longer.
At that time, Jason wasn't aware of who the mystery guest was, nor did he realize that this person was currently on the line and waiting for the interview to start. When he heard Matthew McConaughey's laughter, he immediately assumed it was either Will Arnett or Sean Hayes, as he knew them to be on the broadcast.
Growing increasingly annoyed by what was happening and the laughter that ensued adding fuel to the fire, Bateman snapped. After telling his co-hosts, who he assumed were the ones laughing, that they weren't being helpful, he slammed his laptop shut.
When his friends clued him in later on what had happened, Jason Bateman disclosed that he felt horrible and hated that he had reacted in such a way. Thankfully, everyone quickly moved past the event and didn't see it as a serious problem.
When McConaughey was able to reschedule his interview and come back on, Will Arnett replayed the prior outburst so they could all laugh about it again, despite the groans that came from Jason Bateman being exposed in that way.
