Jonah Hill is back — and he came with some seriously wild stories. On Saturday, April 25, 2026, Outcome star Jonah Hill showed up as the surprise guest at THR’s SiriusXM’s Smartless LIVE event, held at the famous Palladium in Hollywood. It was his first big solo public interview in years, and fans were excited to hear from him.
Speaking with Smartless hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, Hill opened up about his life, his career, and some jaw-dropping moments from his early days in Hollywood.
Hill did not hold back when the conversation turned to director David O. Russell and the filming of I Heart Huckabees back in 2004. “David O. was f***ing nuts at the time,” Hill said during the live show. He quickly added that he considers Russell a close friend and one of the greatest directors ever — pointing to films like Flirting With Disaster and Three Kings as proof of his talent.
But on that particular set, things were clearly out of control.
Hill shared that on his very first day of filming, he walked onto the set and immediately witnessed a physical fight between Russell and K.K. Barrett, the film’s production designer. What started as playful wrestling between the two quickly turned into a real brawl — all while the crew was setting up Hill’s very first acting scene.
“I was like, Hollywood is so tight,” Hill joked, looking back at the moment.
The production of I Heart Huckabees also made headlines at the time after leaked audio revealed Russell screaming at legendary actress Lily Tomlin in front of the entire crew. Tomlin later told The Hollywood Reporter that she stayed strong through the experience and that things eventually calmed down. Russell himself later spoke to IndieWire about the production, calling it mostly like “a party” — except for that one explosive day. He admitted it was a tough period, saying it was “six years of losing my way a little bit,” but that it ultimately made him a better filmmaker.
Hill also took a moment to clear up something people have said about him online. He laughed off the idea that he is a nepo baby, joking that his father, Richard Feldstein, is “a f***ing accountant” — though Feldstein is well known as a business manager for major bands like Guns N’ Roses and Maroon 5.
However, Hill did admit that it was actually his friend Jake Hoffman who helped him get into the industry. Jake’s father, the legendary Dustin Hoffman, encouraged the young Hill to pursue comedy and personally got him an audition for I Heart Huckabees. That audition landed him a real role in the film, which featured a star-studded cast including Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, Isabelle Huppert, and Jean Smart.
Fast forward to today, and Hill has come a long way from that chaotic first set. He recently released his Apple TV+ film Outcome, which he also wrote and directed. In a full-circle moment, he hired K.K. Barrett — yes, the same man he watched fight with Russell on day one — to serve as production designer on Outcome. “Full circle, 20 years later. The greatest production designer ever,” Hill said proudly.
He also revealed that he brought legendary director Martin Scorsese in for a cameo in Outcome. The two had previously worked together on The Wolf of Wall Street. Hill described the experience of directing Scorsese as “so psychedelic” — almost like a dream. He even joked that working with Scorsese as an actor spoils you forever, because no other director can quite match that experience.
Looking ahead, Hill has an exciting summer project on the way. His new film Cut Off — which he wrote, directed, and stars in — is set to hit screens this summer alongside Kristen Wiig.
Meanwhile, David O. Russell also has a new film coming before the end of the year. The movie is called Madden and features an all-star cast including Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale, Shane Gillis, Will Ferrell, Sienna Miller, and Kathryn Hahn.
New episodes of SiriusXM’s Smartless drop every Monday.
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