David Berry | Stories from Starz’s “Outlander” | Presto & Bezza

00:00 David Berry joins Story & Craft

00:00 David Berry: Well, I'll give you a nickname, too, then. We'll call you, uh, Presty. How's that? Pre- There's your Australian nickname. Presto. Presto. Actually, Presto's better. There you go.

00:09 Announcer: Welcome to Story and Craft. Now, here's your host, Marc Preston.

00:13 Marc Preston: All right, here we go once again, back for another episode of Story and Craft.

00:18 Marc Preston: Uh, how you doing? Uh, if this is your first episode, my name is Marc. Glad to have you. Uh, if you've been here before, thank you for stopping back by. Uh, today, uh, we're sitting down with an Aussie. Always great to get guests from Australia. This one was a fun one. Sat down with actor David Berry. He plays Lord John Grey on the Starz series Outlander, and the, uh, series finale is tonight on Starz.

00:42 Marc Preston: Talked about a lot of things, his career, what it was like shooting Outlander. I always enjoy sitting down with, uh, folks from Australia. Got my very first Australian nickname. Uh, that's right. You know, folks in Australia- And if you're in Australia, you, you know this. Like to shorten things up. Nicknames for just everything including nicknames for your friends, and, uh, he called me...

01:02 The origin of Marc’s new Aussie nickname

01:02 Marc Preston: Well, you know what? I'm not gonna give you the nickname he gave me. It's, uh, towards the end of the episode. But I got a nickname now. I got an Aussie nickname. I'm all proud of myself. Uh, hey, do me a favor if you would. Grab your podcast app, make sure to follow Story and Craft. That way you get a notification every time a new episode comes out.

01:18 Marc Preston: Uh, if you like the show, if you leave a review, if you leave stars, whatever have you, whatever podcast app you use, guess what? It helps people find the show, and I greatly appreciate that. Also, storyandcraftpod.com. Everything about the show and past guests, just head there. It's all right there. Of course, when you're on the website, make sure to sign up for the newsletter.

01:40 Marc Preston: It's the easiest way to stay in touch and get notified when we have new episodes and, you know, the other mischief we have going on. All right, so I tell you what, let's get after it, uh, because today we're going down under. It's David Berry day right here on Story and Craft. The background reminds me of those school pictures we took.

01:58 Marc Preston: I don't know if you did that in Australia, where you had, uh, those annual school pictures. It was always the same background. Yeah.

02:03 David Berry: Look, it's an occupational hazard of talking to an actor that they probably have somewhere in their house a, a backdrop- Oh, yeah ... which is just, uh, lifting the, the hood on, uh, all the BTS stuff of actors have to do, and their, their like self-tapes and what-

02:15 Marc Preston: Oh.

02:15 Marc Preston: You know, COVID threw f- uh, fuel on that fire. Everybody had to have a backdrop, you know. I think I, I had my standard white one. You know, really m- I was really boring. Where, where are you right- Yeah, yeah. You

02:24 David Berry: blur out the Zoom background and you, you put yourself in a fish tank or space or whatever. I think those were options on-

02:30 David Berry: in, in Zoom, wasn't it?

02:31 Marc Preston: I should do something like that because I live right on the beach here. So I should have some kind of something, but no, it's just a street behind me here. Uh, but no, where, where are you at today? I'm not in a gray box. I, I'm at home. I'm in Sydney, Australia. You know, I haven't had an Australian on in, in quite a while.

02:45 Marc Preston: Y'all are always, uh, always a lot of fun to have on. I have a good friend here on, uh, in Texas on the island I live. He, uh, introduced me to the concept of the sausage sizzle. I didn't... We call them barbecues here, but he's like, "No, we're doing a sausage, sausage sizzle." And so one of the things I love, uh, as somebody who talks for a living, is the innate sense that Australians have to shorten everything into a nickname or like the, like a one syllable thing if they can get away with it.

03:08 Marc Preston: Is that universal? Is that just kind of a cultural thing, Aus- Aussies love to, uh, come up with nicknames for everything, or is that just kind of what I've picked up on?

03:16 Exploring the cultural habit of Australian “shortenings”

03:16 David Berry: No, I think you've picked up on a, a def- definitely a, a, a cultural, um, habit. Um, my nickname in, in high school was, um, was Bezza. Um, that's B-E-Z-Z-A.

03:30 David Berry: Everyone gets a nickname. If you don't have a nickname, there's probably something wrong with you. Um, and yeah, there's many little colloquialisms and, and yeah, shortenings of words. Don't know what that's about. I think we're just a very kind of laid back, egalitarian culture as well. We like to, you know, treat everyone with w- you know, the same level of, uh, not deference, but indifference.

03:52 David Berry: Is that a word? But if it isn't, then I'll- Oh, we'll call it one. Yeah ... I'll coin it.

03:55 Marc Preston: Yeah, I mean, I, I completely understand that. We could- I

03:57 David Berry: could shorten it to

03:58 Marc Preston: indeffy. Yeah. I think what's, uh, really cool is that you have a, uh, as a culture it's i- i- ribbing people, but also taking it. It's tot- I think there's similarities to, you know, like the Irish culture to some degree from what I understand.

04:11 Marc Preston: They call it the craic or whatever. You like to give it and take it at the same time, you know? So, uh, but no, I, I- Yeah, I think it's- ... did notice... Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

04:18 David Berry: No, I was just gonna say, I think it's sort of, um, a, a common cultural thread in, in most colonial, um, places. You know, even like Scotland, Ireland, absolutely Canada.

04:28 Defining the “larrikin” attitude toward authority

04:28 David Berry: We're all countries that have been under the, you know, the rule of a foreign or, or a, a, a greater power. So we have that, what in Australia we call that larrikin attitude of, uh, a kind of a, a disrespect or a, a, a, uh, to- towards authority. We have a certain attitude towards authority.

04:45 Marc Preston: You're kinda like carving out your own space, you know, in a way.

04:47 Marc Preston: It's like this is gonna be our thing. I've never traveled to Australia. Always wanted to. Some of my favorite people I've had on the show are, are from Australia. Also, I spoke with Graham McTavish, oh, God, uh, it was prob- a year or two ago. I don't remember when exactly, but he's, he's Scottish if I'm correct, right?

05:02 Marc Preston: Graham's a Scottish guy, right? As far as I...

05:04 David Berry: Yeah. He's a very British sounding Scottish man. Oh. I hope he doesn't hear this. Now offended. Um, but yeah, I, as far as I understand, he, he's Scottish. He, um, yeah, I think so. Yeah. The, I mean, there's him, Sam obviously, Richard. Um, there's been so many people on the show obviously Scottish have worked in Scotland for the past eight years, so lots- Yeah

05:23 David Berry: of Scots on that show. Well, it's- And, and they have a real great simpatico with the Australian culture You too

05:28 Marc Preston: You know, I've always wanted to travel there. I just discovered, uh, I think right before I spoke with Graham, I did that 23andMe. And, you know, I'm a Jewish kid from, uh, Texas whose family's from Ukraine.

05:39 Marc Preston: Found out, though, that I'm one quarter U- uh, Scottish. I mean, really solid one quarter. I mean, I did the whole down the line thing. I was like, "Wow, okay." Even found out my family had a, uh, castle at one point in time, and they financed the Mayflower. They- Oh, my goodness ... I forgot what the name of... I was sitting there going, "Wait, I thought my, my family got here in 1907."

05:55 Marc Preston: I got a little bit, you know, it dives deeper. Nothing like marriage to kind of blend people up there. But you said you've been doing this for eight years. Is it, is it something that, um, you know, for people that have done shows for a while, that have b- it's been a part of your life, you know, is it hard to kind of set it down whenever you're not shooting?

06:12 The challenges of transitioning out of a long-running series

06:12 Marc Preston: That, uh, you know, to kind of step into another project?

06:14 David Berry: Yeah. Uh, uh, it's, it is tough. Uh, I mean, it's great to have, as an actor, you know, that security of employment and to be on a show, to, um, have that continuity of character, and to get to explore a character in, in really great depth. And, you know, like so often in this industry, you, you might play a role for, you know, be on set for only a day, um, and h- you know, have a guest appearance or something.

06:40 David Berry: But to have that privilege to really, you know, have that longevity is a, is a real gift. At the same time, it can make transitions in and out of that very tough because this also is an industry that is kind of defined by its in, you know, uncertainty, and that one job doesn't necessarily lead to another.

06:58 David Berry: And, you know, you have peaks and troughs in your career. So stepping, transitioning through, uh, you know, the end of a long-running show is, is a hard thing, not just from, uh, w- certainly from an identity point of view, but sort of a work habit thing. Um- Mm-hmm ... you know, it's, it's a, it's, it's an unusual situation to be on a show that, that lasts this length of time.

07:18 Marc Preston: It's a blessing, but I, I don't know. It's, you did, uh, work in Australia, you know. And I, I'm trying to think, what's it, th- that one show that everybody... N- not Neighbors, but what's it, there's another show, um- "Home and Away"? Oh. Yeah. Home- it was "Home and Away." Yeah, that's, that's... If I remember, I did see that. I think, I think I discovered it on Netflix.

07:35 Marc Preston: Uh, that's- Isn't that like some ladies who inherit, uh, like a ranch or something? Am I vaguely- ... kind of in the same ballpark there on that?

07:45 David Berry: No,

07:45 Marc Preston: I think that's McLeod's Daughters. Oh, McLeod. Um- Okay, never mind. Never mind. You're right. Okay. So I s- well, I was thinking of an Australian show, but I was listening to Keith Urban, uh, in an interview- Uh-huh

07:54 Marc Preston: not too long ago, and he made a really interesting point that, you know, in Australia, you, you eventually you hit a ceiling. You know, the population's only so big. Y- you get to a point you're just kinda going in a circuit. Did you feel that itch? You know, I- I've done stuff here, I need to kind of break out it and tap into the US market or another market.

08:11 Marc Preston: Uh, did you feel the same way about the, your ascent, uh, you know, into acting? Or into your career rather?

08:17 David Berry: Yeah. I, I, I'm an actor who's really benefited from the ground that's been forged by some tremendous Australian actors that have, you know, really broke ground, the career aspirations of s- of young Australian actors.

08:31 David Berry: We're talking like Cate Blanchett, we're talking Geoffrey Rush, we're talking Mel Gibson, Chris Hemsworth. There's so- Margot Robbie is another one. Like Jacob Elordi now is like making huge waves. And is it so many actors now, Australian actors that have been able to expand their careers beyond Australia.

08:51 David Berry: At the same time, I think as an Australian, we just wanna tell stories and, and it would be great to tell more Australian stories. Uh, e- even more names are coming up now, like Sam Worthington and Hugo Weaving. Although we are a comparatively a very small nation compared to the US, we, we ha- we kind of, you know, punch above our weight in terms of the, the talent that we export.

09:12 David Berry: I think that sort of tells the story that there is, there's such an abundance of talent here, but sort of, I guess to your point, what Keith, Keith Urban was saying, there's just not enough work. It- it's really great when we do get that opportunity to work on projects that aren't just Australian stories, although those are important.

09:29 David Berry: And it was always a surprise to me to work on this show. I took a lot of pride, in fact, of sort of the reverse colonialism to bring that back again, the idea of colonialism, of being an Australian speaking in a British accent. Um, that sort of felt like I'm reclaiming something that probably belongs to s- uh, or that-

09:47 David Berry: probably should belong to someone from

09:48 The logistical hurdle of auditioning for global shows from Australia

09:48 Marc Preston: the UK. The, the fact you were in Australia, how did this come along? Was this the regular old-fashioned au- audition, or was this somebody who's like, "Hey, you know, we saw, uh, this guy David's work. We think he's gonna work on this show." How, how did it come to you?

10:00 David Berry: It was just an audition, a regular old, old audition.

10:04 David Berry: Um, but, uh, yeah, the, the... I was in Australia at the time. Um, the casting brief came through. Um, and we don't always get the, like, big sh- shows don't always cast their, the net out as wide as Australia. Um, but you know, when they do that, you know, the- They're really invested in looking for the right person for the role.

10:24 David Berry: Mm-hmm. Um, um, so yeah, Outlander didn't really put any geographical restrictions on, you know, finding the perfect person. And I know that they were looking for a long time for Lord John before they eventually decided, "Okay, well, maybe we'll reach out to Australia." And it was, it was a logistical kind of challenge to have me over there and to accommodate me, and for me to make that journey every time to film.

10:51 David Berry: It was a huge, like, challenge in, uh, uh, in my life, like having to travel all that way. And also for them to, to, as I said, to make those accommodations to have an Australian, um, on set. Yeah, it, it, it was, it was... Yeah, I'm v- I'm very grateful for that opportunity.

11:07 Marc Preston: Do you have a family in tow when you're making that trip, or do you, you have f- family you're leaving back in, uh, Australia while you're gone?

11:12 Marc Preston: How- Look, a 25-hour

11:14 David Berry: flight is something that I would try to save anyone from doing.

11:17 Marc Preston: Yeah.

11:18 David Berry: Um, it's not a, it's not a nice thing. Doesn't matter what class you're in. You know, 25 hours on a plane is, is never a nice thing. So it's something that I was, um, very set that I wasn't gonna put anyone else but my- myself through it.

11:32 Navigating the 25-hour commute between Sydney and Scotland

11:32 David Berry: It's too destabilizing and it's, um, too uncertain. So that made the journey, or being awa- you know, doing the show very challenging for me because it meant that w- it meant time away from family- Yeah, yeah ... and of course, loved ones. Um, that's not specific to, like, this job in particular. I know, uh, in this career, uh, you know, actors spend a lot of time away from home.

11:54 David Berry: But having that extra distance made it, I, I don't know, I guess for me a little bit more, even more challenging.

11:59 Marc Preston: The actor's life is a very interesting one. I've found everybody I've spoken with, uh, the traveling can be an exciting, just fun, memorable thing, but it, it can also be a bummer at times, you know?

12:10 Marc Preston: So y- I'm assuming y'all do shoot in Scotland, correct?

12:13 How the Scottish landscape becomes its own character on screen

12:13 David Berry: Yeah. Yeah. Um, so, uh, Scotland is, of course, one of the other major appealing factors of the show. It, it has its own character in the show. It has its dramatic landscapes and moody, I'm being poetic, moody moors and gray skies and all that kind of stuff.

12:29 David Berry: It, it's, it's a so, such a vivid dreamlike environment to be in, especially those highlands. Yeah. Um, and the energy of even Glasgow and all that kind of stuff, um, just infuses itself- In- into the, the work on screen. But of course, like we do shoot, uh, Scotland for North Carolina, um, which funnily enough is, is a fairly good analog.

12:52 David Berry: I've been to North Carolina myself and it, it, it kinda tracks. Uh, so yeah, it's, it's, it's funny that Scotland can also be a stand in, um, for, for other parts of the world.

13:03 Marc Preston: I definitely wanna go there. I wanna... You know, I'm a big fan of, uh, getting to places I've never been and eating, you know, and I'm kinda curious about some of...

13:10 Marc Preston: The Scottish food seems very hearty, you know. You know, is there any, any, any favorite thing you've found that you like to eat when- whenever you land in Scotland that is kind of like your jam?

13:19 David Berry: Yeah. F- food is a, is a tough one, um, for me i- in Scotland. I think there couldn't be any two cultures more opposed than...

13:30 David Berry: Or, uh, well, Sydney, as a Sydney boy, Sydney and, and, um, this isn't just my observation. I've had other people visit and, and say the same thing. It- it's, it's a, it's a lifestyle. It's a healthy, active lifestyle. Mm-hmm. And, and probably too much so. Like, people are obsessive about, much like California in many, in many ways.

13:48 David Berry: It's an outdoor lifestyle. You have, like, Bondi Beach, and people are eating salads and, you know, finding any ways to, you know, like, hack their, their health and all that kind of stuff. Uh, you go to Scotland and it's, it's the complete opposite. People want to, you know, have hearty comfort food. You can find a fried version of practically anything you can think of.

14:10 Comparing the healthy Sydney lifestyle to Scottish comfort food

14:10 David Berry: We're talking pizza. We're talking Mars bars. We're talking haggis. I saw

14:14 Marc Preston: something called- What's that? ... king's rib, uh, that doesn't really- King's rib ... nobody, nobody really knows what it is, but it's, it's, uh, some kind of fried meat of some, somewhere, you know. But I definitely wanna go there. I just, I... There's something about Scotland I think- Yeah

14:26 Marc Preston: would just be, make for a wonderful trip. Just be able to look out and see that much green, you know. That'd be pretty cool.

14:37 Marc Preston: But, you know, speaking of food, one of the things I always like to do whenever I speak- Yeah ... with folks, something I call my seven questions, a little extra get to know you. Uh, and speaking of food, I always talk about it at least once, but what is your favorite comfort food? You know, that thing that if you're having a wonderful day it adds to it, or if you're having a crappy day it kind of, you know, kind of softens the rough edges.

14:56 Marc Preston: What would that be for you?

14:58 David Berry: Yeah, absolutely. That's a great question. Um, it's a burger. I love a burger. And in fact, you know, filming Outlander, um, there were many times that I smashed a burger. Um- ... after a, a really tough scene I would reward myself with one of the burgers. I will say that, um, yeah- If you, if you want a good burger, Scotland is a great place for, for burgers.

15:00 The reward of a perfect burger after a difficult scene

15:22 David Berry: Um, so I had my fair share of those.

15:23 Marc Preston: Very good. Very good. Next question. If you're gonna sit down, uh, with three people, you're gonna talk story for a few hours, uh, living or not, who would those three people be that you would like to sit down and spend an afternoon just chatting with? Uh, just three people and you, who would that be?

15:37 David Berry: Yeah, that's a, that's a tough one. Um, I, I don't know. It, it, it changes. Um, let's see. I don't know why. I'm just gonna just shoot off the, off the cuff. Louis Theroux come, comes to mind. I don't know, I find that guy really charming and, and, and fascinating and intelligent and very erudite, and I think his... I love his curiosity about the world.

15:58 David Berry: I think we share a similar kind of curiosity about the world. Um, I spend a lot of time listening to podcasts, um, and I did study politics, um, at university, so I don't know if this is a deep cut for anyone, but I, I do love listening to Ezra Klein. So he's- Uh-huh ... also someone that, um, political, like, analysis and stuff I'd love to, like, listen to and talk to him about.

16:24 David Berry: And then I'm, uh, I'm guessing this table's sounding a bit dry at the moment, so I think I need to liven it up somehow. I dunno who, who's a good third person that's gonna bring a bit of, you know, pizzazz or flair to it. Um, I don't know. I cannot, I can't... I need, like, a comedian or, or something to, to, um- Oh, yeah.

16:45 David Berry: We

16:45 Marc Preston: think- ... liven up the atmosphere ... uh, you know, we

16:46 David Berry: can,

16:47 Marc Preston: we can contemplate that for a, for a, for a moment and come back to it certainly, 'cause, uh- Okay ... you know, a comedian, yeah, 'cause you, you gotta have a table that's balanced 'cause you gotta watch them talking amongst each other. That's what makes it fun also, you know.

16:57 Marc Preston: Um- Yeah ... now the next question, if we go back when you were a kid, very first celebrity crush.

17:03 David Berry: Hmm.

17:04 Marc Preston: Uh, I

17:05 David Berry: think... Yeah. Oh, yeah, that's right. Mariah Carey. Sounds weird, but I remember when that Daydream album came out, and there were, like, posters of it around, like- Oh, yeah. I, I- ... in British Columbia record shops.

17:17 Marc Preston: I

17:17 David Berry: would- I know exactly

17:18 Marc Preston: what you're talking about.

17:19 David Berry: Okay, great. I would stare at it, and I was probably, like, eight years old at the time, and I guess I wasn't aware of what was going through my head or through my body. But I would say, say to Mum, "I, I wanna, I wanna listen to that album," uh, even though I had no interest in her

17:36 Marc Preston: music. I will, I will say one of mine is Olivia Newton-John.

17:39 Marc Preston: So, you know, my Aussie- Okay ... connection goes pretty far back. Um- Yeah ... now if you're gonna be on an island for a year, a beautiful island, somewhere you wanna be at. It's exotic, it's nice, but no streaming, okay? So if you wanna listen to music, uh, you can only bring one album or a box set, and, uh, you're allowed to bring one DVD, but music you, uh, you listen to over and over, and a s- movie you can watch over and over for the entire year.

18:00 The Seven Questions

18:00 Marc Preston: What would that CD and DVD be? I hate picking favorites. Um, but

18:05 David Berry: I guess I just have to go with what I listen to a lot and, and if I, uh, I guess if I pull up my phone now, I could probably tell you my most played- Um, I, I know that... God, I hate picking favorites. I listen to a lot of John Mayer. Okay. I love his music, so I think he's, he's a great artist.

18:25 David Berry: Um, and then in terms of movies, like a movie that I've watched which is a perfect movie and I've watched time and time again, um, and I know that this sounds really weird, but, um, is Predator. I love that movie. I think it's just one of the most perfect movies.

18:40 Marc Preston: It's, it's a, it's quintessential '80s action movie, you know?

18:44 Marc Preston: It's muscles, guns, you know, some kind of... It would just... It was all there, yeah. Yeah. The next question, if you were to define for yourself a perfect day, from the time you get up to the time you go to bed, what would be the ingredients, the component parts for you to go, "God, that was a perfect day for me"?

19:00 David Berry: Um, well, I, uh, I'm not a person who likes to plan very much.

19:05 David Berry: I like, I really like spontaneity. Um, so, um, I guess it would be a day that kind of just magically works itself out. It would involve probably being, you know, in the company of family and loved ones definitely. Uh, it would probably involve a burger, and, um, it would definitely involve, like a, a, a nice long walk and, like, uh, maybe a movie, maybe just being outside.

19:34 David Berry: S- I sound terribly boring, but I really am. Like, that's pretty much it. Um-

19:38 Marc Preston: No, I th- y- you know, and I think as we find our peace, we find that thing that br- that we're comforted by, that just feels right for us. It's like a- Yeah ... that broken-in pair of blue jeans you've got or tennis shoes. It just, it's just right for you, you know?

19:49 Marc Preston: I'm the same way. Yeah. I don't require a lot. I do have to ask you, though. You s- when you're saying the burger, I just wanna know, is it mustard, ketchup? What is the condiment you put on your burger? And what is absolutely not allowed on your burger?

20:00 David Berry: Don't like to make rules. Um, but, uh, I, you know, th- th- there's a kind of time-honored combo that just do- doesn't fail, which is, uh, tomato, lettuce, uh, onion, pickle, mustard definitely, and, um, ketchup.

20:17 David Berry: That's, that's pretty much, like, that's the holy

20:20 Marc Preston: combo I think. Ver- ver- you know, that's very good, very good. I appreciate that, you know, 'cause it w- your... Burgers are not a l- supposed to be, like pizza, not supposed to be fancy, and everybody tries to fancy them up over here. It's like a good old-fashioned, just good burger.

20:32 Marc Preston: It's a little bit messy. That's the way to go. See, and now I'm hungry now. Uh, it's dinner time over here. Um, now last two questions, if you weren't doing this for a living, if somebody said, "You know what, uh, David, no acting for you. No creative. No nothing else in this ecosystem is gonna be available to you," what would be your next vocation you would choose?

20:51 David Berry: Uh, yeah, I dunno. I really dunno. I started out studying as, to do law, and then I started out stu- then I went into journalism for a bit. I even st- you know, uh, dabbled in a little bit of a, a sales role for two minutes before I got fired. I'm just not sure if I'm cut out for anything. Yes. You know,

21:12 Marc Preston: I, I, you know, I hear that a lot.

21:13 Marc Preston: That's it. That's it. It's like if you can imagine yourself doing something else, maybe this isn't the thing for you. I hear that a lot, you know, where people are like, "No, this is just my thing," you know? Go- and by the way, sales, ugh, couldn't do that. 'Cause I've, I've tried throughout the years- Oh, well- You know, I was in my younger years

21:26 Marc Preston: neither could I.

21:28 David Berry: Neither could I. No. But I'm very, I'm very lucky to have a job where, you know, it's a, it's like a vocational kind of thing. Um, and, uh, you know, people, there's nothing wrong with those other jobs, and I'm su- and I have worked other jobs just for money. And there's this, the, you know, the dignity of just earning money is, is a great thing.

21:44 David Berry: But I'm, I'm, I'm very lucky so far that it's worked out that I, you know, have a

21:48 Marc Preston: career in acting. But, but we'll, we'll see. Very good. Well, the last question I got for you, uh, if you could jump in that DeLorean, and you can go back to when you were 16 years old, and you got a piece of advice for yourself to make that moment a little bit better or maybe get you on a little bit different trajectory, what would the, the advice to 16-year-old you be?

22:07 David Berry: Gosh. Um, well, I loved the Back to the Future reference. Um, one of my favorite films that could easily replace Predator as the perfect desert island film. Um, 16-year-old me probably wouldn't listen to, to 42-year-old me. But it would just, just... God, again, it's so hard to say anything that doesn't slip into cliche.

22:28 David Berry: Just relax. I was a very kind of anxious 16-year-old. Wasn't sure if things were gonna work out. Um, but you know, take your time and relax.

22:40 Marc Preston: You've got time, I guess. Very nice. That's within the same box of some- something I hear often. Go easy on yourself. Take it easy. Breathe. It's, you know, I hear that a lot.

22:50 Marc Preston: I think- Definitely ... so it must be just in the, the actor DNA. But my friend, thank you so much for spending some time with me. I know this has been kind of a, a, um... It's a, it's a long day, so, you know, I, I appreciate you spending time. And, uh, Outlander, you, now y'all have wrapped for the season, correct?

23:04 Marc Preston: Wrapped for the, the series. Series. Series wrapped. Well, well, one last question, what's next on your agenda? What's next up for you?

23:10 David Berry: Well, I don't know, but I have a whole, I have the freedom to kind of breathe and I guess take it easy on myself and give myself time. The advice I'd give my 16-year-old self is the advice I give myself now.

23:22 David Berry: We'll see. Well, a- Wait and see

23:23 Marc Preston: what this- Well, well, think of me fondly next time you're chowing down on one of those burgers. Hopefully there's a proper beer.

23:28 David Berry: Yeah. Well, I'll give you a nickname, too, then. We'll call you, uh, Presti. How's that? Pre- There's your Australian nickname. Presto. Presto. Actually, Presto's better.

23:36 Marc Preston: Presto.

23:36 David Berry: There you go.

23:37 Marc Preston: I- I'm not one for getting a tattoo- Your nickname ... but if I do, it will be Presto, and I will get your people to give you a picture of it wherever it happens to be. And I'll like... But you take care, my friend, and, uh, hopefully we'll catch up down the line. Thanks, mate. Thanks so much. Yeah.

23:50 Marc Preston: All right. There you go. David Berry, or Bezza as he is, uh, known. And me, I'm Presto. Okay. Finally got my Australian nickname. I cannot begin to tell you how overjoyed I am. I finally have a nick- I, I don't think I've ever had a nickname But I got an Australian one. For this Texas kid, that's kind of cool.

24:10 Marc Preston: I'll tell you what, I would really love for you to just grab your podcast app right now. Whichever one you're using, make sure to follow the show, get notifications. New episode, you'll find out right then. Also leave a review, uh, stars, uh, you know, like the show, whatever podcast app you use. Uh, that little interaction helps people to find the show and that is greatly appreciated.

24:30 Marc Preston: Also, storyandcraftpod.com, the website, sign up for the newsletter. That way you get notified when new episodes come out and, uh, all other kind of good stuff that we have going on. Uh, great episodes to come. We're, we're really, uh, pushing into two episodes per week. Such cool guests coming up. We, we got a constellation of folks and, uh, we're heading into the summer movie season.

24:53 Marc Preston: So all kinds of great stuff to come. Tell you what, I'm going to get on out of here, but before I do, I wanted to thank you as I always do for making what I got going on here part of whatever you've got going on. It means a lot to me, uh, every time you pop by. So thank you. Uh, have a great rest of your day or evening or whatever you got going on.

25:09 Marc Preston: Be safe, take good care of yourself, and I'll see you next time on the next episode of Story and Craft. Take care.

25:16 Announcer: That's it for this episode of Story and Craft. Join Marc next week for more conversation right here on Story and Craft. Story and Craft is a presentation of Marc Preston Productions, LLC.

25:28 Announcer: Executive producer is Marc Preston. Associate producer is Zachary Holden. Please rate and review Story and Craft on Apple Podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. You can subscribe to show updates and stay in the know. Just head to storyandcraftpod.com and sign up for the newsletter.

25:52 Announcer: I'm Emma Dylan. See you next time, and remember, keep telling your story.