The best Hollywood 'bromance': Jason Bateman and Will Arnett

It all began with 'Arrested Development'

They played brothers on the absurd comedy

Jason Bateman began acting when he was a child

Bateman has received multiple awards for his acting and directing

Will Arnett is a writer, actor, and producer

From individual accomplishments to shared successes

They celebrate each other's accomplishments

They guest star on each other's projects

The three actors have enjoyed a 25 year friendship

During the COVID pandemic, they collaborated on a podcast

The popularity of the podcast grew quickly

The three friends took the podcast on the road

It all began with 'Arrested Development'

Jason Bateman and Will Arnett met when they co-starred on the successful series which began in 2003.

They played brothers on the absurd comedy

The actors portrayed two of the three Bluth brothers. Bateman played 'Michael' the only responsible member of the family while Arnett played 'Gob,' a struggling professional magician.

Jason Bateman began acting when he was a child

Some of Bateman's early roles were on popular 1980s shows 'Little House on the Prairie' and 'Silver Spoons.'

Bateman has received multiple awards for his acting and directing

From 2017 to 2022, he portrayed Marty Byrde on the Netflix drama, 'Ozark.' Bateman was also a director and producer for the series and won an Emmy award for direction and three Screen Actors Guild awards for acting.

Will Arnett is a writer, actor, and producer

Arnett was born in Canada and began acting in the 1990s. He is recognized by his distinct baritone voice that lends itself so well to voice acting.

Will Arnett as ‘Lego Batman’

He has played the role of Batman in three 'Lego' movies. He is also known for his voice-over work on 'Bojack Horseman.'

From individual accomplishments to shared successes

In 2010, Bateman and Arnett created 'DumbDumb,' a production company that focuses on comedy content creation and marketing.

They celebrate each other's accomplishments

When Jason Bateman received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in July 2017, Will Arnett was there to celebrate his good friend’s accomplishments and help with the unveiling of the star.

They have shared the screen many times

In 2021, Bateman and Arnett guest starred on the Emmy-winning series, ‘Live In Front of a Studio Audience.’ In the episode, the actors participated in a reenactment of an episode of the 1980s show 'The Facts of Life.'

They guest star on each other's projects

In 2022, Bateman appeared on an episode of Arnett's improv comedy show, 'Murderville.' Bateman appeared on the show as himself and was tasked with helping the team solve the episode's murder.

Image: Netflix is a joke and Will Arnett / Instagram

They share their friendships

In 2004, Will Arnett met actor Sean Hayes on the set of the popular sitcom, ‘Will and Grace.’ At the same time, Arnett was working with Bateman on ‘Arrested Development.’ Through Arnett, Bateman met Hayes and they expanded their friendship from two to three.

Image: Sean Hayes / Instagram

The three actors have enjoyed a 25 year friendship

The actors speak fondly of their strong friendship bond and eventually found a project to collaborate on.

Image: Sean Hayes / Instagram

During the COVID pandemic, they collaborated on a podcast

In 2020, when the world was trying to cope with isolation due to the pandemic, Bateman, Arnett, and Hayes started the 'SmartLess' podcast.

Image: SmartLess / Instagram

The popularity of the podcast grew quickly

Within the first year, the 'SmartLess' podcast had millions of listeners tuning in to enjoy the comedic banter of good friends as they discuss a variety of topics and interview big celebrity guests.

Image: SmartLess and Will Arnett / Instagram

The three friends took the podcast on the road

Following the success of the podcast, the actors began work on a docuseries, 'SmartLess: On The Road.' The show premiered in 2023 and chronicled the friends as they traveled across the United States to present their live podcast show.

Image: Will Arnett / Instagram

The power of friendship

In January 2024, the friends accepted a three-year deal to move their ‘SmartLess’ podcast from Amazon to SiriusXM satellite radio for an astounding $100 million dollars. Anything is possible if you can find someone who looks at you like Jason Bateman looks at Will Arnett.

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