Oscar Isaac finally made it onto Hot Ones, but the actor said the appearance happened for a deeply personal reason. During the April 3 episode of the First We Feast series, Isaac revealed that his late cousin, Ed, had spent years urging him to take on the show’s infamous lineup of hot sauces.
While discussing a T-shirt he wore during the interview, Isaac explained that it came from Hidden Temple Toys, the collectibles shop Ed owned with his wife in Selma, North Carolina. Isaac shared that his cousin died in a car accident last month and said the episode became a way to honor him.
“He was always like, ‘Oscar, you got to do Hot Ones. You got to do Hot Ones, man,’” Isaac said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know, man. I don’t know if I can handle it.’” According to Isaac, his cousin kept pushing until he finally agreed. “I was like, ‘All right, I’m taking it with me, Ed.’”
The emotional moment arrived during an episode that otherwise focused on Isaac’s upcoming projects and long Hollywood career. The Golden Globe winner appeared on the show ahead of the second season of Beef, which premieres on Netflix on April 16.
Isaac described del Toro’s Victor as a man driven by rage, grief, and unresolved family trauma. He said he approached the character almost like an addict, explaining that Victor’s defiance and need for control shaped every scene.
Isaac also revisited some of that work during Hot Ones, revealing that he spent the day of Victor Frankenstein’s deathbed scene listening to sad music and looking through photos of people he had lost.
Even after filming, he said he remained unsure about the performance until del Toro unexpectedly asked him to do another take. That second attempt, Isaac said, ultimately made it into the movie.
The actor also used the interview to reflect on his broader career, including stories from Star Wars, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Inside Llewyn Davis. He joked that TIE fighters were more comfortable than X-wings and recalled spending so much time in Apocalypse’s costume that he had to sit in a cooling tent between takes.
