Scratch That: Parenting & ReParenting Off Script

🎙️Good Bad Things with Danny Kurtzman & Steve Way

May 12, 2025

Join Danny Kurtzman, an actor and director known for his leading role in the film Good Bad Things, and Steve Way, a comedian and executive producer also seen on Hulu's Ramy, as they share their inspiring friendship. They dive into the challenges of growing up with disabilities and the internalized ableism they've faced. Discover how they rewrite disability narratives through their film, emphasizing authentic storytelling and the power of friendship. Their heartfelt discussion showcases resilience, mental health, and the need for genuine representation in media.

01:01:17

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Episode guests

Steve Way

Danny Kurtzman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The conversation highlights how transformative personal relationships can catalyze self-exploration and inspire individuals to confront their internalized ableism.

Their collaborative film, 'Good Bad Things,' aims to provide authentic representation of disabilities by focusing on universal themes rather than stereotypes.

Deep dives

Rewriting Personal Narratives

The journey of both guests highlights the power of revising personal stories and narratives. One guest reveals that he grew up without hope for a future, believing he wouldn't live long enough to pursue dreams, but a significant shift occurred after receiving a new diagnosis at 25. This newfound perspective pushed him to embrace life fully, leading to moments of self-discovery and the understanding that he could rewrite his future. The conversation underscores how personal relationships and friendship can play a crucial role in this transformative process.

Intro

3min

Journey of Growth and Resilience

8min

Transformative Journeys: Health, Growth, and Friendship

19min

Navigating Mental Health and Embracing Personal Narratives

5min

Challenging Disability Narratives

16min

Empowerment Through Authentic Storytelling

5min

Celebrating Creativity and Representation in Film

5min

Today on Scratch That we bring you the disabled bromance of your dreams – Danny Kurtzman and Steve Way. You might know Steve from his role on the Hulu series Ramy, and maybe you recognize Danny from his modeling days, but most recently, these two have been in creative collaboration as the leading man (Danny) and executive producer (Steve) of the recent (gorgeous) film Good Bad Things. These two live out the themes of this podcast, literally rewriting the scripts of disability storytelling as actors, screenwriters, producers, and directors. And as they share about their own creative journeys, it's very clear they have a powerful friendship.

Starting May 13th, you can stream Good Bad Things on Hulu! Here's a link with all the places you can listen, watch, purchase, and support💛 Let's show the powers that be with our plays, hearts, and downloads that this is the kind of storytelling we crave!

Tune in to hear:

🖤 Steve tell us what it was like to grow up thinking he wouldn't live to be an adult.

🫧 Danny describe the gifts and curses of the bubble he grew up in.

👤 The gnarly ways internalized ableism has shown up in both their stories, and the revising/rewiring/rewriting they continue to do.

👊 The potent power of friendship in rewriting our own scripts.

❓ Steve tell us the simplest, most effective question his friends asked him when he was in a dark place.

⚡️ Danny's hot take on "inspiration porn."

📺 All the deets on their new film, Good Bad Things, and how this movie wouldn't exist without Danny seeing Steve on TV first.

Mentioned In Today's Episode:

Steve's hilarious standup.

The coach we all love and adore, Carson Tueller.

The 5-minute film, We'll Meet Again, Danny and Steve made for the 2025 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. (Content warning – true to its prompt, this film is a genuine horror. As it looks at some of the darkest layers of ableism, it includes suggestions of suicide.)

NOT Mentioned In Today's Episode:

After we stopped recording, Danny reminded me that we try to ask all our guests to contribute a song to our collaborative Scratch That playlist, Songs That Have Held Us. Danny and Steve are both big fans of Mac Miller and our playlist now includes the song they chose – "Good News."

As Always:

Check out Caitlin and Rebekah's Book Shop! Here you can find every book mentioned in our episodes, as well as a few additional faves.

Use this link to get a 25% discount on a PokPok subcription! And if you haven't listened yet, check out our interview with PokPok creators, Esther and Melissa.

We would love to hear from you! Did you see yourself reflected in the stories you saw growing up? Have you seen disability representation changing meaningfully in recent years? What is your favorite (or least favorite!) example of disability representation in recent storytelling?

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