You may knowMartin Starras the acerbic engineer Bertram Gilfoyle fromSilicon Valley.
Or the judgemental screenwriter Roman DeBeers inParty Down.
Hes used to it by now.
“Metal is fun!” says Starr, who’s been making knives for about eight years.DINA LITOVSKY FOR ROLLING STONE
More often than not, I just get the look of familiarity without specificity, says Starr, 42.
Flying under the radar has kept him humble.
Well get into all of that later, but first, theres business to attend to.
(It just spoke to me, he says.)
But I was also raised Buddhist, so maybe its just ingrained in me.
He prepares for action.
But instead of a clapperboard, were facing an insanely hot forge.
This might be weird, he asks our instructor.
But how much rebar do you have?
It felt like a bit much.
Decorating each handle is a small penis, which he created with a 3D printer.
In the forging, as youre creating that metal, this little piece [the dick] just evaporates.
But thats also part of the process.
Its a trippy conversation, as if Bill Haverchuck had quit AV club and joined shop class.
All three of the actors are into ceramics.
As actors, you get immersed in tastes of crafts and skills and other forms of expression.
We had a bonsai period.
We used to paint together.
Our instructor, Jacob, recognizing Starrs expertise, steps back to let him spin up the show.
Youre hitting the same place every time, he says.
Let the hammer fall and do its job.
Soon enough, Starr hands me a six-inch wall hook, delicately curled at the top.
Its not your first rodeo, I see, the shops owner says.
Starr looks up from the forge and delivers a predictably self-deprecating response: Im not that good at it.
Starr plays Bodhi, a cannabis dispensary owner who Dwight strong-arms into a partnership.
With his signature sarcasm, Starr is the perfect comic foil for Stallones gruff gangster bravado.
Sometimes I pinch myself, Starr says of working with the Hollywood icon.
Like, How the hell did I end up here?
Appearing in Stallones 2022 superhero movie,Samaritan, Starr concedes, probably helped.
Still, he thought, Theres no way this guy knows anything Ive done.
Somebody must have told him that I was good at comedy.
Then one day on set, to Starrs surprise, Stallone started asking him behind-the-scenes questions aboutSilicon Valley.
Hes always been so respectful to me, Starr says.
Starr says Stallone even has some comedic chops of his own.
He recalls the first day of shooting Season One, when Stallone wasnt needed on set.
It was just me and him and one of the grips.
He got quiet for a second and I was like, How are you feeling, Sly?
And he just said, Superior.
Me and the grip just laughed.
What a funny response to this question he must know how funny he is.
But I can see why he feels superior.
Hes got every right to at this point in his life.
Well see how long this ride lasts, he says.
But for the sake of his co-star he kind of hopes things slow down.
I think Stallone should probably enjoy some time off, Starr muses.
He doesnt seem to be able to.
Maybe its just his engine.
Maybe he… Starr pauses.
I dont know why Im giving advice to Sylvester Stallone.
Ive got no place to do that.
Theres a monstrous piece of art on the table an insect made of metal which neither of us acknowledge.
Starr had worn a Sonic Youth shirt for an appearance on Fox 5sGood Day New Yorkearlier this morning.
But he decided to change before our interview.
Given the history of this magazine, he was going to rock a band T-shirt, he says.
[But] youll see through the facade of musical awareness that doesnt exist here.
I dont really put weight on a lot of things in my life, even jobs, he says.
I feel grateful for everything that Ive been fortunate enough to have in life.
But I recognize a lot of that is circumstance.
And whatever talent I have is also circumstantial.
The only thing I can truly be proud of is the hard work that I put into things.
But it only seems to grow in popularity with each passing year.
Why didnt they care when we were on the fucking air?
If succeeding were too easy, wed probably all be crackheads right now.
Its impossible to discuss the show without a certain moment coming up.
There are no lines.
Just the Whos Im One playing as Bill has this private, poignant moment in his living room.
The scene is nowconsidered iconic.
He stole that whole show, Rogen says of Starr.
He seemed to embody the tone of the show perfectly.
He created an entire character, and within that character he could do anything.
It was unbelievably impressive to watch.
Thats my favorite character on the show, Hagan adds.
Whenever he would come onscreen, you couldnt keep your eyes off of what he was doing.
I was feeling like I belonged somewhere, Starr says, reflecting on his time on the show.
I got to flourish and find appreciation from people older than me who could guide me.
That was such an incredibly fortunate place to be at 16.
Starr thinks theres a simple reasonFreaks and Geekscontinues to resonate.
Every one of those stories comes from someones real life, he says.
Its so true and honest.
Starr is referring to James Franco, who wasaccused of sexual misconductin 2018.
But,like Rogen, Starr is no longer in contact with the actor.
Franco was a weirdo back then, too, Starr says.
He was hiding some secrets.
One evening, Rogen came home and found a drunken Starr passed out on the kitchen floor.
It was really hot, and the oven door was open, he says.
He passed out mid-tater tot endeavor.
We werent talking a lot at that time and I didnt feel that connected to him, Starr says.
But the day of the ceremony, Rogen asked Starr if he would come do a reading.
I was adamant that he participated in my wedding, Rogen says.
To me, hes like a close cousin.
I grew up with him.
I wouldnt be the same person if I hadnt known Martin.
It was stressful, honestly, Rogen says.
I misplace things a lot.
I was worried about that.
The years followingFreaks and Geekswere not easy for Starr.
I struggled so much with what I looked like and who I wanted to be, he says.
In the American dream of looks, I was not dealt the hand that I wanted.
During this lost period, Starr worked as a barista for a single day.
It didnt go well.
I left with two dollars from the tip jar, he says.
In my mind I was like, Ill probably be coming back tomorrow.
Knocked Uppulled me out of that hole, Starr says.
I was like, Great.
I might not have to retire.
…That period of my life forced me to do things that werent comfortable.
And I got to be a barista for a couple hours.
Starrs driver drops us off in the neighborhood of Dumbo, so we can get some matcha lattes.
Starr stares at the pastry case inside the cafe.
He orders a matcha chai latte, which the baristas remake after mistakenly serving it iced.
When a fly lands inside the rim, its hard not to laugh at his luck.
But Starr is unfazed.
He has an idea for a new show he recently pitched to Adam McKay.
I need some convincing.
The title?Martins Optimistic.But Im not optimistic, he says.
Therein lies the rub.
Thank you for making me laugh, Martin, the man says.
Hey, Starr says.
Starr has to pick up a piece of pottery he made last time he was in town.
He looks out onto the street as he waits for his driver, and turns to me.
you could cut out the part where I talk about myself.
