Kevin O'Leary Leverages Media Persona for Policy Influence and Cognitive Sharpness

Key Quotes

"The risk with this is you're going to shit the bed and when you do that you're going to cause a lot of damage to your business and ours so we're not loving this idea and I said wait a second how do you know I'm going to shit the bed where is that written that I'm going to shit the bed and as an actor because the thing that I've learned and this is it's a sort of a tangent and gentle statement is I've been an investor for decades and I work with a lot of CEOs and managers and I was once myself one the people that push themselves out of their comfort zone every day must they're basically they're forcing themselves to exercise the most important muscle in their body the brain you have to do that if you just sit there doing the same thing over and over again you stagnate you're not sharp anymore and so to me this was an opportunity to try something I'd never done definitely outside of my comfort zone."

Kevin O'Leary explains his initial hesitation and his lawyer's concerns about taking on a scripted acting role. He frames this as an opportunity to push his own boundaries, likening it to a mental workout that prevents stagnation. O'Leary believes that consistently stepping outside one's comfort zone is crucial for maintaining sharpness and growth.

"You have to do that if you just sit there doing the same thing over and over again you stagnate you're not sharp anymore and so to me this was an opportunity to try something I'd never done definitely outside of my comfort zone the example I use all the time you know some of the greatest watchmakers I buy a lot of watches I'm a huge watch collector some of the guys that I meet that make these pieces these unique piece uniques are fucking crazy like they're just crazy people one of them jumps off cliffs in Switzerland with a paraglider risks his life every day and that combination of yin and yang the arts with the discipline of business is what I'm interested in."

Kevin O'Leary elaborates on his philosophy of continuous learning and risk-taking. He uses the example of extreme watchmakers to illustrate the value of combining artistic passion with disciplined business acumen. O'Leary sees this blend as essential for innovation and personal development.

"By the time we started shooting it I had gone through multiple sessions with Ronnie Bronstein and uh Safdie those two guys wrote it together and this guy named Eli Bush the producer and I didn't know if they'd be open to this but I read the character Melton Rockwell and I said guys if I'm Melton Rockwell I wouldn't say that I'd say this and if I'm Melton Rockwell I'm not okay with this ending because this little fucker screwed me and that doesn't happen today for on with me or wouldn't have happened in 1952 this guy is not getting away with what he's doing to me here and they're saying okay we're all ears let's listen so they actually let me re craft some of it so that it was in my head in my way of who Melton Rockwell was and that's pretty smart on their part I think they're a very intuitive director here and writer because once you get that latitude you're the character you're the guy."

Kevin O'Leary describes his collaborative process with the film's directors and writers, highlighting how he was able to influence his character's dialogue and motivations. He emphasizes that this creative freedom allowed him to embody the character more authentically, making the performance feel less like acting and more like embodying the role. O'Leary credits the directors' intuition for allowing him this level of input.

"Most people obviously know you through your many many seasons on Shark Tank can you explain to the audience a little bit about the difference between being on camera for Shark Tank versus being on camera here what are the skills that were kind of transferable well that's a very good question because reality tv is not scripted people might think it is but it isn't and after 17 or 20 years whatever it's been of doing this I don't see the cameras I don't see anything I just see four competitors beside me that you know that I'm going to compete with to buy a deal that I want to buy as an investor which I do in real life anyways and so you know that is completely different than going into character in a scripted role obviously it was my first experience doing it and I didn't know what it was going to be like so I didn't know what the differences are but now I do."

Kevin O'Leary distinguishes between his experience on "Shark Tank" and his acting role in "Marty Supreme." He explains that "Shark Tank" is unscripted and he operates as his genuine self, focused on business deals. O'Leary contrasts this with scripted acting, which requires inhabiting a character, a new experience for him at the time of the interview.

"I don't think I'm an asshole I just simply tell the truth and you don't like it you're offended who cares it's still the truth what are you going to do about it it's going to bite you in the ass eventually if you have a shitty idea it's a stupid business and you're going to go to zero and wipe out your parents you know mortgage on their house or whatever and I think it serves me well I don't really care what people think of me the only people I care about are my immediate family and maybe 20 other friends of mine."

Kevin O'Leary addresses the perception of him being an "asshole," stating that he prioritizes truth and directness over popularity. He believes that honesty, even if it offends, is ultimately beneficial for business and personal integrity. O'Leary asserts that he is unconcerned with public opinion, focusing instead on his close circle and the truth of his statements.

"The important part of that answer is I don't show for politicians including Trump I show for their policy and so that's why there are times when I disagree with Trump's policy in aggregate though I care about policy that supports small business 72 percent of jobs in America created by companies 5 to 500 employees and that's where I spend the majority of my time as an investor and if you look at my 52 portfolio companies they all fit in that genre and they're in all 11 sectors of the economy so I care about policy and I'll give you an example when Trump's tax bill was being crafted a lot of people don't know this about how it works on the hill it's the staffers of the senators and the representatives it's the staffers that write that law you don't know anybody that read that bill but I did read it and I found some very disturbing aspects of it and I was very very fortunate to be able to and this is the great thing about why I do media when you have a narrative and you're known in the media and you're known for supporting job creation which is bipartisan you can go to Rick Scott