#13: How a Hollywood Legend Got Fit at 60 | Brian Koppelman

What does it take to get genuinely strong, healthy, and creatively alive in your late 50s — while having one of the most demanding jobs in Hollywood?

Brian Koppelman is the writer behind Rounders, Ocean’s 13, and the seven-season hit show Billions. He also helped discover and promote the singer songwriter Tracy Chapman. At 57, he walked off a tennis court mid-match, certain he was about to faint, and decided to completely rebuild his body. Three years later he’s deadlifting 300 pounds, racing up seven flights of stairs with a weighted pack, and producing some of the sharpest creative work of his career.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. This episode was edited by Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Chapters:
00:00 Cold Open
02:39 Turning 60 and Racing Up 7 Flights With a Pack
05:50 Tufts, Tracy Chapman, and Trusting Yourself Over Experts
10:45 Poker, Harvard Kids, and Reading the Room
15:55 Rounders Rejection and How to Be Wrong On Purpose
20:05 Tribalism, the Turkish Get-Up, and Good-Faith Arguments
25:44 Ocean’s 13, a 5% Shot, and How to Prepare Like You Mean It
31:51 Writer’s Block, The Artist’s Way, and Beating Resistance
38:00 ADHD, Adderall, and the Morality of Medication
43:30 Screenwriter Overhears: Curiosity as a Creative System
46:42 Billions, Hedge Funds, and Studying Worlds You Don’t Belong To
50:46 The Polygamist Hitchhike and Finding Common Ground
53:05 TM Meditation with Bob Roth
57:12 The Tennis Court Crisis Point
1:02:18 The Doctor Visit, GLP-1, and Committing to Lift Weights
1:06:43 From 65 lb Deadlifts to 300 lbs at 60
1:09:46 Comfort Crisis, the Hailstorm Bike Ride, and Readiness
1:13:29 Reaching Out, Generosity, and the Long Game
1:16:50 Lightning Round
1:20:31 Outro

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