Timothy Olyphant’s appearance on SmartLess required an unusual amount of preparation for a podcast interview. He first had to find a working computer.
The Justified star surprised Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett by revealing that he does not own a personal laptop or desktop computer.
His family retrieved an old desktop stored at home, but the machine and its connections proved too outdated for the remote recording.
Olyphant eventually found an office with a computer he could use to join the hosts.
His Family Dug an Old Desktop Out of Storage
Olyphant made the admission during the July 20 episode of SmartLess. “I needed a computer,” he said. “I guess you can’t do your show if you don’t own a computer.” The revelation immediately confused the hosts, particularly Bateman, who struggled to understand how the actor managed his personal and professional life without one.
Olyphant clarified that his household was not completely computer-free. His family found an old desktop, plugged it in and attempted to prepare it for the interview. “They were all USB things, and I was like, ‘I don’t think I can, it won’t work,’” he recalled.
With the home computer unable to handle the podcast setup, Olyphant traveled to an office and used a machine there instead. “There’s a lot of sacrifices that went into this, guys,” he joked. “And don’t get me wrong, I’m super honored, and it is a pleasure to be here.”
His Phone Handles Most of His Digital Life
Arnett appeared impressed by Olyphant’s low-tech routine, while Bateman remained skeptical that he owned no laptop or tablet. “I got like a, you know, I got a phone and I got a thing,” Olyphant replied without identifying the second device. “That’s all you gotta do.”
Bateman asked whether he at least owned an iPad with a stylus or felt tempted to purchase a computer to explore artificial intelligence and the wider online world. Olyphant saw no reason to add another device. “You can do all that on the little phones,” he said.
He Claimed to Read ‘SmartLess’ Instead of Listening
Olyphant extended the joke by telling Bateman, Hayes and Arnett that he was already a devoted fan of their podcast despite not listening to it. “I read the transcripts,” he said. “And the show’s very good. The chemistry comes across in written print.”