"My first guest tonight is the winner of Best Actor at Cannes, a writer and producer. His new film Good Will Hunting opens tomorrow…" Jimmy Kimmel began, looking out toward the audience.
He didn't even get to finish the sentence.
The applause came early, rising all at once.
"Let's welcome the filmmaker of the moment… Owen Ashford!"
The name dropped and the reaction jumped another level, louder applause, a few scattered cheers from different parts of the theater.
Owen appeared from the side of the stage with a restrained smile. He walked calmly, raising a hand in greeting, acknowledging the welcome without overdoing it.
He had arrived just over an hour earlier at the El Capitan Theatre. A historic theater right on Hollywood Boulevard, adapted for television. It wasn't a closed studio like other late-night shows, it had an energy closer to a live performance.
The show was recorded that same day. No delay. It would air that very night on ABC at 11:35.
The audience wasn't small, over two hundred people. Free tickets, yes, but with prior registration and waiting lists that could take months.
As he walked, Owen scanned the theater. He recognized familiar faces in the front rows.
His parents. His sister. His brother and sister-in-law.
And Jenna.
They were well seated, almost impossible to miss.
When their eyes met, Jenna smiled immediately, more openly than the rest, raising her hand to greet him.
That drew a slightly more genuine smile from Owen, subtle but noticeable, just before reaching Jimmy's desk.
On the right side of the stage sat Jimmy's desk: dark wood, clean lines, his nameplate on the front with a few papers and cue cards resting on top. Behind it, the typical backdrop, a nighttime view of Los Angeles, city lights glowing beneath a dark sky dotted with artificial stars.
In front of the desk, slightly angled, were the guest seat. A band was set further back, playing as he made his entrance.
It was only the second late-night appearance Owen had done. But this time felt different.
He wasn't the second guest.
This time, he was the main one.
Kimmel had already done his monologue, about ten minutes, followed by a short sketch. All of it had warmed up the audience. Now it was his moment.
"Pleasure to have you here, indie genius!" Kimmel greeted him, standing up from his chair.
The audience reacted with almost automatic laughter at the nickname. It was well known Owen didn't like it, though it had become a running joke.
Owen gave a small smile and shook his hand. "The pleasure's mine. Thanks for having me."
They both sat down in their respective spots. The murmur of the audience gradually faded into an attentive silence as Jimmy leaned slightly forward, looking at Owen with a wide smile.
"I don't even know where to start with you, man," he said, with a kind of honesty that drew a few soft laughs from the crowd. "So much has happened around you since your interview with the other Jimmy."
Owen nodded slightly. "Yeah… it's been crazy," he replied calmly. "But in a good way."
"Good?" Kimmel said, widening his eyes and tilting his head with an exaggerated gesture. "That's an understatement. First, the Oscar. Congratulations on that."
He turned toward the audience and the cameras, pointing at Owen with one hand.
"The youngest winner in history in the short film category, alongside his friend, director Matt Rogers!"
The audience erupted into applause.
In the front rows, Edward, Owen's father, was clapping with a broad smile, unusual for him. James, more reserved, clapped as well, with a quiet pride that didn't need exaggeration.
Kimmel continued without letting the energy drop.
"After that, another film of yours opens with you as the lead, The Spectacular Now. Then your other film gets into Cannes, just like you predicted… you go to the Met Gala and confirm your relationship with Jenna Ortega," he paused briefly, "who, by the way, was here last year and gave one of the best interviews we've had…"
The audience reacted with some laughter and applause, but Kimmel kept going, almost stringing everything together.
"You start another project now, a TV series, you go to Cannes, win two awards, and now you're here, one day before the worldwide release of your film."
He leaned in slightly. "Was that all?"
"Pretty much," Owen replied, giving a small shrug, as if none of it were particularly extraordinary.
The simplicity of the answer sparked another wave of laughter and applause from the audience.
"I love how calm this guy is," Kimmel said, shaking his head. "I just hope you don't take my job in a few years."
There had already been plenty of comments saying that, with his composure and humor, Owen could easily host a show like this.
Owen let out a brief smile. "Relax. I just want to be one of the best actors. I'm not aiming to be a host."
More laughter followed, and Owen added, "And you said Jenna's interview was one of the best… this one's going to be better."
The audience reacted instantly.
Kimmel widened his eyes and looked straight at the camera. "A competitive couple!"
As the theater kept laughing, one of the cameras turned toward Jenna. She shook her head with a small smile, then, looking at Owen, made a quick gesture with her fists, flicking them toward him.
It was subtle and fast, not everyone noticed it. But Kimmel did. His expression shifted into genuine confusion mixed with curiosity.
"Wait a second," he said, raising a hand. "What was that? That gesture your girlfriend just made?"
He looked at Owen for an explanation, then tried to imitate it so the audience could understand. "Something like…"
Owen smiled, clearly amused. "It's a way I came up with of giving someone the finger without actually having to do it."
There were murmurs across the audience. Some people started copying the gesture, trying it out while laughing.
"I created it when I used to fight with my sister," he added, "so my mom wouldn't notice. Although… well, she knows now."
"Wow, that's creative!" Kimmel said, repeating the gesture once more. "An elegant way to tell someone off. Teenagers are going to use this to insult adults without them having a clue."
The theater burst into laughter again.
Kimmel settled back into his chair without missing a beat. "Speaking of you two," he added, pointing at Owen and then toward the audience where Jenna was seated, "you're one of the most talked-about couples right now. The internet loves you, I see a clip of you together every ten seconds when I open Twitter."
The audience responded enthusiastically, clear applause of support. Jenna smiled from her seat, slightly embarrassed.
When the noise settled, Kimmel continued, "And on top of that, your first film together, The Spectacular Now, just left theaters a few days ago, closing at sixty-eight million dollars at the box office."
He paused, exaggerating the reaction, though it was, in a way, true. "That's insane! And it only cost four!"
The audience applauded again.
Owen nodded, acknowledging the moment, but with the same calm demeanor. "Yes…" he said. "It's a shame I sold the script."
Kimmel laughed. "You're greedy!"
Owen shrugged, unfazed. "I need the money to make more films."
Kimmel looked at him for a second, then nodded, his tone turning more serious, more respectful. "Fair point."
It was well known that Owen had financed Good Will Hunting with his own money, a film with a budget of over ten million dollars. He had built capital through previous projects, box office returns, and IP sales, and reinvested it into the same thing: making films on his own terms. Even in Hollywood, that kind of decision commanded respect.
Kimmel let a brief silence sit before shifting slightly into more personal territory.
"Speaking of personal things… you and Jenna," he said, with a half-smile. "Everyone seems very interested in that lately. What are you actually like?"
A small murmur rippled through the audience, expectant.
Owen didn't hesitate. "We're actually pretty boring," he said, and the laughs came immediately.
"I mean… normal. We like watching movies, cooking together…" Owen continued. "She wins more arguments than I'd like to admit. Something I'm not entirely used to."
The audience reacted with a collective oh, mixed with laughter and soft applause.
In the front row, Elizabeth smiled with a mix of pride and tenderness. Sarah looked a bit surprised, her brother wasn't usually the type to admit something like that.
Emily leaned toward James. "Even your brother falls in love," she whispered, amused.
James shook his head, amused.
From her seat, Jenna lowered her gaze for a moment, a smile she didn't fully try to hide.
Kimmel laughed, resting an elbow on the desk. "That I didn't expect."
"I read somewhere that you're both working as producers on a TV series…" he added, narrowing his eyes with curiosity.
Owen nodded. "Black Mirror. My first TV series script."
"Interesting… television," Kimmel repeated. "How did that come about? And how did you end up producing it with Jenna?"
The audience stayed quiet, watching expectantly.
"Jenna got me to watch The Twilight Zone," Owen replied. "A full marathon. It's one of her favorite shows."
He turned his head slightly toward Kimmel. "You know it?"
Kimmel put on an exaggeratedly offended expression. "Of course I do. It's a classic."
A soft laugh spread through the audience.
Owen continued, choosing his words calmly. "Watching that show is what led me to write this. Black Mirror is an anthology series… a modern, more technological version. It's very focused on techno-paranoia and the darker consequences of excessive technology use."
Kimmel's eyes widened, interested. "Okay… now I want to watch it."
Some voices in the audience agreed, with light laughter and murmurs of approval.
Owen gave a slight smile. "The first episode is almost done. It was directed by Uta Briesewitz and stars Chelsea Hale. Two very talented people."
"When does it come out?" Kimmel asked, leaning forward.
Owen shook his head slightly. "There are still five more episodes to go. Best case… a year, a year and a half to have the full season ready," he replied. "And, of course, we still need to find a platform that wants to distribute it."
It wasn't an exact timeline. He knew it could move faster. But at that point, he preferred not to promise something that could later work against him.
"With your track record, and that concept… I think several streaming platforms are going to fight over exclusivity," Kimmel said with a smile.
"Hopefully," Owen replied. "And with Jenna… I offered her a producer role because I know how she works. I needed someone I trust, and I also knew how much she loves The Twilight Zone, which is where the core idea came from."
"Makes sense," Kimmel nodded. Then he shifted slightly, as if turning the page. "Moving on to another topic… YouTube," he said, stretching the word.
"Your vlogs are insane, man. Forty, fifty, sixty million views," he added after a moment, shaking his head, still impressed. "Legendary cameos. Martin Scorsese himself showing up in a bathroom like it's nothing, along with other celebrities. It's kind of absurd, but incredibly fun to watch."
"And of course, the short films," he added. "Though it's been a while since you uploaded one."
That had been the beginning of everything.
"Thanks," Owen said. "And yeah, the growth was pretty fast."
Kimmel brought a hand to his chin, putting on a thoughtful expression, as if doing the math. "I remember when you came on the other Jimmy's show, you were about to hit two million subscribers… that was in November," he paused, "and now, six, seven months later… you're at almost eight million."
"That's insane!" he exclaimed, looking forward.
The audience burst into applause. Owen raised a hand in thanks, still maintaining his characteristic calm.
Kimmel turned to look at him. "I have to ask: why the name Second Take Films? It's your brand and your production company too," he said curiously.
Owen let out a small laugh. "It's actually pretty cheesy," he admitted.
"The idea was something like… a second chance. A second take. After you mess up, after you do something wrong… having the chance to do it better," he explained.
Kimmel nodded, attentive.
"In my case…" Owen continued, "I was coming off a pretty low point. I'd been expelled from college, my parents stopped giving me money, so I took it as that, starting over."
He paused briefly, then added with a half-smile, "Although I don't want to sell it as some super inspirational story. I had a BMW to sell."
The audience laughed immediately.
His story wasn't that of someone completely broke, with nothing, arriving in Hollywood with a suitcase and ambition alone. He hadn't spent nights sleeping on couches or had to choose between eating and paying rent.
He came from a well-off family. He wasn't going to pretend otherwise.
Kimmel rested a hand on the desk, amused. "That's the part people usually leave out in motivational speeches."
"Yes, that's how the name came about. It sounds good, and it reminds me of that," Owen finished.
Kimmel nodded again, this time more sincerely. "I like it. And I like that you don't try to make it more epic than it is."
Owen didn't say anything else. He didn't mention that the name Second Take was actually a reference to this being his second life. There was no way to explain it without sounding like a lunatic.
"So… any upcoming short film or YouTube video?" Kimmel asked. "I'm sure people are waiting for you to drop something out of nowhere."
The audience responded with an expectant murmur.
Owen shook his head. "Nothing for now… the closest thing would be the next festival where we'll premiere Lights Out. But that's for September or October, still a while to go."
A few murmurs of mild disappointment could be heard.
Kimmel clicked his tongue. "That's a shame, but let's talk about that. Lights Out. Your most viral short turned into a feature film. Is it coming out on Halloween?"
"Yes," Owen nodded. "That's the date we have in mind. Though before that it'll probably go through a horror festival."
"That sounds great," Kimmel continued, interested. "And I read that your mother and your sister act in the film."
Owen smiled slightly. "You heard right. They're here, and it'll be their first movie."
He pointed toward the audience.
The cameras reacted instantly, focusing on Elizabeth and Sarah. The theater's attention shifted toward them.
Kimmel pointed at them as well. "Let's hear it for Elizabeth and Sarah Ashford!"
The theater erupted into applause. Both of them raised their hands slightly, with shy smiles, a bit overwhelmed by the attention.
As the noise began to settle, Owen added, completely serious, "I'm taking nepotism to another level."
The laughter was immediate.
Kimmel looked at him with an amused, slightly surprised expression at how direct the comment was. "I didn't want to be the one to say it…"
Casting his mother and sister in a film of that scale was exactly the kind of decision some people, looking for controversy, would quickly label as "nepotism."
Owen let the laughter die down a bit before continuing, this time in a more serious tone, though just as calm. "Joking aside… it's not really nepotism."
The audience settled, attentive to the shift.
"There are no public funds involved," he explained. "It's a project I wrote, that I'm financing myself, and producing myself."
He paused briefly, still composed. "I understand it can raise comments, of course. But my mom has always supported me in this. From the beginning. And she's acted before. She likes it, and she's very good."
The cameras instinctively cut to Elizabeth. She smiled, visibly moved, placing a hand on her chest, unsure how to react to being the center of it all.
"She's the best mom in the world, and I'll give her whatever roles she wants in my films," Owen added.
The audience responded with applause, warmer this time, but still strong.
'So cheesy!' Sarah thought, glancing between her mother, who looked like she might melt from affection, and Owen, who had said it all with a completely straight face.
Jenna watched him with a smile, clapping along.
Kimmel nodded slowly, processing the answer. His expression shifted slightly, there was more respect in it now, beyond the humor.
"You're a good son," he said.
Then he made a small gesture with his hand, as if brushing that more intimate moment aside.
"Now let's talk about Good Will Hunting and Cannes!"
The murmur in the theater instantly grew.
"Two awards at Cannes! Something that hasn't happened since 2016," he continued, raising the energy. "And you won Best Actor! A historic achievement… being the second youngest to ever do it."
The audience erupted into applause again, with whistles and cheers mixing into the noise.
Owen shook his head slightly. "Top two…" he repeated, as if it didn't quite sit right with him.
The sound dipped a little, expectant.
"Damn Yūya Yagira," Owen added.
The laughter was immediate, from both Kimmel and the audience.
Yagira had won that same award at just fourteen years old in 2004, a well-known fact, repeated in nearly every headline now that Owen had won.
At twenty-one, Owen was second on the list, and the next names were already well into their thirties.
"Well," Kimmel picked back up, still smiling, "it's still an incredible achievement to win it at twenty-one."
"It is," Owen admitted. He just would've liked to be number one, who wouldn't?
"Did you expect the double win? How did it feel?" Kimmel asked.
Owen shook his head. "Not at all. You can see it in my reaction when we won the Jury Prize," he replied. "I felt happy… the film deserved it. For the work the whole team put in."
Kimmel rested a hand on the desk, shifting the direction of the conversation. "In the vlogs, there was incredible chemistry with the cast. Who was the funniest on set?"
Owen didn't hesitate for a second. "Emma Watson."
Kimmel raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That was fast."
Owen let out a laugh. "She's something else," he said. "Very funny, but also a bit of a troll."
The audience laughed along.
He started recalling some moments from the shoot: constant jokes between takes, unexpected scares when you least expected them, and scripts mysteriously disappearing from dressing rooms.
It wasn't just Emma, Gaten, Caleb, and even Jacob joined in on the chaos. And he wasn't exactly innocent either.
Of course, all of that came with consequences.
Every now and then, there'd be a reprimand, always more playful than serious, from Ethan Hawke, who tried to keep some order in the middle of it all.
Kimmel shook his head, amused. "Ethan was like the strict teacher of the group. And that explains the confidence you all had in the vlog."
The audience laughed again, picturing the dynamic.
They talked a bit more until Kimmel turned toward the camera. "Good Will Hunting opens tomorrow. I'll be at the premiere, by the way, I wouldn't miss it. Owen Ashford, ladies and gentlemen!"
The audience burst into applause.
Kimmel stood up, and Owen did the same. They shook hands first, professional, then Kimmel pulled him in for a half-hug, more relaxed.
"Congratulations on everything. See you tomorrow," he said, already off-mic.
"Thanks," Owen replied with a smile.
They separated, and Owen raised his hand to the audience one more time before walking toward the side exit of the stage, still accompanied by applause.
The house band swelled in volume.
Kimmel returned to his desk as the show moved on to its second guest.
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