Summary
Overview
Dax Shepard and Monica Padman sit down with Australian actor Joel Edgerton for a wide-ranging conversation covering masculinity, family dynamics, career highlights, and his latest film Train Dreams. Joel opens up about his relationship with his stuntman brother Nash, his marriage to Australian Vogue editor Christine Centenera, and working alongside Hollywood legends. The conversation explores themes of male intimacy, fear, and what it means to live an ordinary yet meaningful life.
Fashion, Watches, and Meeting Christine
Joel arrives in a stylish Ralph Lauren outfit that Dax immediately recognizes, sparking a conversation about men's fashion and shopping habits. Joel shares that his wife Christine bought him his vintage 1974 watch and has significantly elevated his clothing game since they got together. The conversation reveals how Joel and Christine knew each other for decades through Sydney's interconnected social scene before finally becoming a couple in 2018, after she ended a long-term relationship and Joel navigated through several complicated ones.
- Joel's outfit is double RL (Ralph Lauren), which Dax correctly identifies from Instagram
- Christine Centenera, Joel's wife, is the editor-in-chief of Australia Vogue
- Joel and Christine knew each other since the late 90s but didn't get together until 2018
- Joel's brother Nash and his wife were friends with Christine and would critique Joel's relationship choices at dinners
- When people suggested Joel and Christine get together, her initial reaction was 'no way' due to his reputation
" I'll start the story by saying he kept asking me what I was wearing and he asked me if I could have a look at the tag. And three days after one of these moments, he turned up on set wearing the jacket that I had bought and that I'd been wearing three days earlier. "
" I often look back on those relationships and go, you have to make sure that you acknowledge that it takes two to tango. You can't just blame someone else for being terrible to you. "
Fear, Rage, and Male Violence
The conversation explores the primal nature of male rage and violence, examining how fight-or-flight responses get triggered by trivial modern inconveniences. Joel discusses his fascination with 'middle-class rage' and how fear underlies most aggressive behavior. They reference Chimp Empire to discuss alpha male dynamics and the pressure to maintain constant fierceness while suppressing tenderness.
- Joel observes that men's rage is often triggered by benign things like being late or traffic because we live such safe lives
- Rage is loaded up by compression of financial stress, marital issues, and other pressures, then someone hits the hair trigger
- At the core of all rage is deep, deep fear—it's about protectiveness and mistrust
- In Chimp Empire, alpha males can only receive grooming, never give it, and must be fierce at all times despite wanting to be tender
" It's crazy watching what I call middle-class rage. We live very safe lives. So fight or flight gets triggered by the most benign things, being late to a meeting or somebody cutting you off in the traffic. "
" That's the heartbreak of this role. It's like he wants to groom and be emotional and be tender and nurture. And his role just doesn't allow for it. "
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