The star of numerous TV series and movies tells MarketWatch, 'I'm kind of a miser. I don't have like an exotic car collection...I'm just waiting for the bottom to drop out.'
The comedic actor Danny McBride is known for playing some very wild and woolly characters. Think of the full-of-himself minor-league baseball pitcher Kenny Powers in the HBO (WBD) series "Eastbound and Down." Or the full-of-himself vice principal Neal Gamby in "Vice Principals," another HBO project.
But in real life, the 47-year-old McBride is not so wild. Or more accurately, he's a wildly talented individual who's built a multifaceted career incorporating acting, writing and producing. His projects have ranged from producing the latest round of "Halloween" slasher films ("Halloween," "Halloween Kills" "Halloween Ends") to serving as a goofball pitchman for the British bookmaker Coral.
He's also appeared opposite George Clooney in the 2009 film "Up in the Air," and was part of "Alien: Covenant," the 2017 Ridley Scott-directed picture that's part of the "Alien" franchise.
And for the latest twist, McBride, who's based in Charleston, S.C., has gone into the booze business. He's launched Tequila Don Gato, a brand he's supporting by creating an oddball character behind it - Don Gato, a feline-loving luchador (Mexican-style wrestler) - and then working himself and the character into a series of videos to promote the spirit. McBride knows he's entering a crowded field of celebrity-backed liquor brands, but he's determined to make a go of it in the same way he's been determined to bring his film and television projects to life.
MarketWatch caught up with McBride by phone last week to discuss his endeavors, as well as some of his approaches to handling money. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.
MarketWatch: Let's start with the tequila thing. We understand you're a serious tequila drinker, but what made you decide to launch a brand in a very crowded space?
McBride: It is definitely saturated with a lot of celebrities putting their names on tequila and because of that, I was kind of apprehensive about jumping into the space. Tequila, though, has always been something I've loved. My wife is Mexican and we've been together for over 20 years, and tequila has definitely been a part of our family traditions. And so, if there was ever a time to put some effort or some energy into a field outside of what I normally do, tequila felt like that would be the right fit.
I started looking at it like a creative endeavor - like creating a show or writing a movie. So the moment I started approaching it that way, it just seemed like a very fun thing to do - invent a brand and invent a spokesman [the Don Gato character] that's better than any celebrity because he's larger than life and he can kind of do anything he wants to or anything you need him to do. I've been in a ton of commercials myself as an actor and so I know how that world works. And I think that's what hooked me into it, trying to figure out how can I be a part of this thing other than just lending some sort of celebrity to it.
MarketWatch: What about the liquid itself? We're assuming you must have had a hand in choosing what to go with.
McBride: That was probably one of the most rewarding aspects about this, to see behind the curtain how tequila is made and what the process is. So my wife and I went down to Guadalajara [Mexico], and we got together with this great distiller. We were interested in creating something that tasted more natural and was additive-free. And so that was where the conversation started: How do we create a good sipping tequila that doesn't rely on tricks or flavoring? How do we just embrace some of the old methods and make something that feels pure and fun?
MarketWatch: How do you choose your film and television projects? You've done a lot of quirky stuff - some of it you've created, and some of it has been created for you. How do you decide what's a good fit?
McBride: I've always kind of gone by: What do I want to see? As a fan of movies for years and years before I was lucky enough to work in this industry, I had definite opinions about the kind I would want to see. Sometimes it can also just be: I want to see how this director works. I've always been a fan of the "Alien" films and to have the chance to be in one of those directed by Ridley Scott, how can you pass that up? So some of it is shameless fanboy [stuff] and some of is just because it feels like it's the right time or the right fit. And when it comes to stuff that I write myself or create myself, it's like you have a million ideas and one will just kind of nudge at you and not let you sleep at night. When that happens, I usually just kind of follow that until its end.
MarketWatch: You have really played some very memorable and very over-the-top characters. Is there any bit of them in you? Are you at all like Kenny Powers in real life?
McBride: Not really. All that stuff is definitely performances. But it's me as far as what I find funny. I grew up around guys like Kenny Powers in Fredericksburg, Va., so I just kind of found that personality and that type of machismo always a little funny. So, I inject things I've observed or things that I've responded to through life in there but they're not necessarily reflections on me.
MarketWatch: What's the best piece of financial advice you've ever received?
McBride: Don't buy a boat. I've been told that countless times. I didn't listen to it. I bought one when I moved here to Charleston and I sold it for less than I purchased it for. So it's good advice that I never listened to.
MarketWatch: We were going to ask about the biggest financial mistake you've made, but maybe that's also the boat?
McBride: The boat is probably it. Look, [the way] I grew up, I worked from the time I could and always had a job. So I've always been someone who's never rested on their laurels and was always trying to hustle. I'm kind of a miser. I don't have an exotic car collection. I don't have any massive indulgence. I'm just waiting for the bottom to drop out. I'm always stockpiling.
MarketWatch: That brings us to the next question: What's something you hate spending money on?
McBride: Haircuts. I think it's cause I have curly hair and most of the time I spend money on haircuts it comes out like s-t and I just end up looking like I'm a member of [the band] Wham! I just wait till I get cast in a movie and I'll let them cut my hair.
MarketWatch: What's something you like splurging on?
McBride: Travel is something that's important to me. Just taking my kids out in the world and having them see different places. Last year we took the kids to Europe for the first time. We went there for two months and it was pretty incredible. We went through Italy and France and England and Germany. It was just awesome to have those memories and to see it with them.
MarketWatch: What's a favorite possession of yours?
McBride: I have props from movies. I always try to find one object that kind of encapsulates that project. And so I did this movie, "Your Highness," which was like an R-rated stoner comedy made for 13-year-olds that didn't work at the box office. But I had an amazing time making that movie. And at one point my character in the movie chops a minotaur's privates off,and then wears it as a necklace. And so I have that in a box in my house.
MarketWatch: Do you think you'll ever retire?
McBride: I would hope that I could at some point. It's tough with what I do because I actually love what I do. It doesn't feel like a job. So the idea of stopping doing it ... well then what would I do? But maybe one day.
-Charles Passy
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