1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing. 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: Judith Light maybe among the world's most versatile actors. Her 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: big break was Ibsen on Broadway, but she got famous 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: as a housewife prostitute on One Life to Live. Shixes 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: and Zionists, victims and villains, had a gabbler and Who's 6 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: the Boss. Light is a living lesson in following the 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: work wherever it takes you. She's got two featured actress 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: Tony's and eighteen credits in made for TV movies. There 9 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: was one period of her life when she couldn't multitask 10 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: on One Life to Live. She was churning out an 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,599 Speaker 1: hour of melodrama every single day, and her life was 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: the set and her fellow actors. That's how my husband 13 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: Robert and I met. They saw the chemistry between us 14 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: and they wrote he was on the show thirty seven 15 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: years later, we're still here. Yeah. I know you went 16 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: to Carnegie Yeah, and and and and before you got 17 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: on One Life Till if you did a bunch of 18 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: other things prior to One Life theater, right, and so 19 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: when you and you said to your agent, no sub 20 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,479 Speaker 1: snow sitcom. That's right, and you had a multi year 21 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: both I'm not a person work and you want to 22 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: hit sitcom. Yeah, that's the way it happened. But what 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: what what happened was I realized that I was really 24 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: being very part judicial about those two forms of work. 25 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: You want one life for how long? Five years? And 26 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: and how would you describe those five years? Well, you know, 27 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 1: it takes up your whole life. And that's what it did. 28 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: It took up my whole life. And because I had 29 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: a big story a lot, it took up a lot 30 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: of my life. And the script in my pocket going 31 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: out and that's right, that's right on the subway next 32 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: to some guy who probably had a gun in his pocket, 33 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: and sure going I love you, Gret God, great, I 34 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: love you. I love you. Don't you know how much 35 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: I love you? And some guy next to me was like, 36 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: you know, you better shut up. I stab you. This 37 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: writing is terrible. I might tell me about it, but 38 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: they started to write. I mean, you know, that's an 39 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: hour of programming every day. How do you mean? People 40 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: told me be gentle with them, but it's the toughest 41 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: job in show. There's no question and daytime acting. If 42 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: you're in a lot and also you know for directors too, 43 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, you don't have you don't have 44 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:18,839 Speaker 1: a life. So the five years was basically no life. 45 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: And finally Robert said to me, he said, you have 46 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: to leave. He said, if you don't leave, and he 47 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: had been out in California. He said, if you don't leave, 48 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: you're going to be here forever. And I said, I 49 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: don't want to leave. I love my part, I love 50 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: this show, I love these people, I love New York. 51 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: I want to be in New York. And it's like, 52 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 1: he said, you're going to be here forever. He said, 53 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: you've got to get up the got so when the 54 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: soap is over and you decide you're gonna move to 55 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: California right away? Right? Whose decision was that? Well if 56 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: ultimately became mine. I mean, Robert really was the point 57 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: person for getting me to get that it was time 58 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: to go, and that he know he had been on 59 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: the show, went to l A, did a couple of 60 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: pilots and then he said, you know, you really need 61 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: to be out there and I said, why why do I? He? 62 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: I said, here, I can do theater, I can do 63 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: this show. He said, you'll work out there and I said, okay, 64 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: so we go. So it was really him kind of 65 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 1: before he worked well. I did a movie of the 66 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: week first, and what was that? So awful? In this 67 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: this is probably one of the worst things I ever did. 68 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 1: It was called Intimate Agony. Stop stop leaving at me, 69 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: Intimate Agony, the Herpies story. I'm telling you that was you. 70 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: I remember that it was intimate. They were going to 71 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: call it Love Sick, but Dudley Morre's movie had come 72 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: out and we couldn't call it Love Sick. It was 73 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: I had to tell somebody who I was about to 74 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: sleep with, I think that I had herpies? Can you 75 00:03:52,120 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: recreate that? Now? I cannot? I cannot steve so anyway, 76 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, I did that, and then I did Saying Elsewhere. 77 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: I did an episode of Staying Elsewhere. I played a very, 78 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: very pregnant woman who went into the operating room to 79 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: shoot the doctor who was supposed to have given my 80 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: husband a vastsect to me because I ended up pregnant. 81 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: Were you about to break so? Well, I guess the 82 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: idea was you molded over and you didn't want the 83 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: baby to know this. I don't want the baby to 84 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: see this. This was my back story. This is very good. No, 85 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: that was not the back story. But what happened after 86 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: that was I didn't get work for a long time. 87 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: My agents called me and said, oh, they want you 88 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: for this pilot for this series. And then they called 89 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: me back five minutes later and said, oh, we called 90 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: the wrong person. Good times. So I was like, okay, 91 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: it's like my mom bought me a snow globe and 92 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: I'm home and someone walked up and pulled up in 93 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: a car, came into my house, grabbed my snow globe 94 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: and smashed and on the floor. Does that sounds well? 95 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: But it's those things that hurt in that way. I 96 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: always wonder how people, in particular people now of your 97 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: stature and everybody's like everybody wants you that there's this 98 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: place where we go to where you got to get 99 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: rid of that stuff quickly. You can't let it best. 100 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: You have to let it well. Now you know, you 101 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: have a family of other things that you you focus on, 102 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: but there's some there's some way in which it's really 103 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: important to let go of it and not hang onto it. 104 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: I find I always want to know from people who 105 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: are really successful, how how of course they have those 106 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: things happened to them, and how do they let it go? Well, 107 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,799 Speaker 1: it's like it's like years ago networks and movies, they 108 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: everyone really knew where they were going to go. They 109 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: sit there and say, we're gonna make this movie, whether 110 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 1: the movie was worth it, whether it was good, whether 111 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: it was going to succeed. They called you up and 112 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: say we're gonna pay you this fee. And here's the 113 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: dates that we all went. It's not like the independent 114 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: world now where people line everybody up and then we 115 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: go if we can get the money, and if we 116 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: don't get the money, sorry, And so you don't really 117 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: know what you're gonna do. And I've talked to people now. 118 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say anticipating problems, but I would be talking 119 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: to somebody these days and I'd say, and listen, Bob, 120 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: if you're financing the film and you find out that 121 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: someone else comes along, who's better for you to obey 122 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: his money than me, don't worry about it, like just 123 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,559 Speaker 1: I'll walk away. And if I do the movie, great, 124 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: And if I don't do the movie, I couldn't care less. 125 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: That's really kind of you. I don't get attached to 126 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: any of the projects and know that that's the that's 127 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: I think the larger point about our business in life 128 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: is that once you're attached to something, there's this sense 129 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: in which we hold on the things and we don't 130 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: let them go. This is a business for that. It's 131 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: a really bad business for that, and I have to 132 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: It's sort of like, if you're in it, find a 133 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: new context, find another way of operating within it, because 134 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: that's a really gorgeous gesture that you make. And I 135 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: think it's really wise people to know that that there 136 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: are people of your stature who are willing to say 137 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 1: that to somebody. It's like if you could give that 138 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: information to people who are young and starting out. It's like, 139 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: I think from this mind, because it spend a lot 140 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: of time, waste a lot of time. I think, I 141 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: know I did just sort of wanting it and needing 142 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: it and and just let it go. How long were 143 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: you out there and living out there before you did 144 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: the sitcom? We went in January and I got Who's 145 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: the Boss was the first pilot that I made um 146 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: shooting the series nine months after you got there. Yeah, 147 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: you didn't really stress too much in l A. No, 148 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: but I did. I did. I kept going up for 149 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: all these auditions. I kept going for nine months. Yes, 150 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: but but but wait what I where I was coming 151 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: from was, hey, I just got two Emmys for a 152 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: soap opera. I mean I had a lot of this 153 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: kind of you know, Where's mine? Which is a really 154 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: bad ademt you realize how lucky you are that I'm here? 155 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: And yeah, no, that was that was what was going 156 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: on underneath covered over with Hi, how are you just 157 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:08,119 Speaker 1: want to be here? And you know that real bull 158 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: and people feel it. And I said to my manager 159 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: at the time, who's no longer alive, I said to her, 160 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: what's going on? He said, you're enraged? I said, I'm sorry. 161 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: What And he said, you're you're furious. You have an 162 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: expectation that people should just be giving you stuff, And 163 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: he said it's untenable. People feel it. You walk into 164 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: a room and nobody wants to be around you. Do 165 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: you think he was right? I know he was right. 166 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 1: Why because he knew he could see something that I 167 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 1: wasn't that I was that I was in denial about that. 168 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,839 Speaker 1: I was unwilling to see that about myself. And so 169 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: when I walked into the audition for Who's the Boss? 170 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,680 Speaker 1: I was in a very different who created that show, 171 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,959 Speaker 1: Blake Hunter and Marty Cohen. I love talking to you 172 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: because you remember all this history. Remember when you would 173 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: go up for a network and you would have different 174 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: shows that people were interested in you for, and you 175 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: would have to put them in different positions, like for 176 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: a second, third position. Well, I was up three shows 177 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: at one time at ABC, and the first one, because 178 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 1: I had just gotten off the soap, was a thing 179 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: called Staff of Life, and it was about soap opera writers, 180 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: and so I put that in first position, and I 181 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: put this thing called You're the Boss in second position. 182 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: And then I said to her, I'm not going to 183 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: go in for your the Boss. He said, why wouldn't 184 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 1: you go in? I said, well, you know. I put 185 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:21,719 Speaker 1: the other one and it was Jay san Rich, who 186 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: was a wonderful director. I said, I want to work 187 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: with j. This is good. He said, you're terrified. He said, 188 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,079 Speaker 1: you're afraid. I said, no, I'm not. He said, you're afraid. 189 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: Pack up your stuff and go do the taped audition 190 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: with Tony Danta. Just get your ass over there. And 191 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: I was like, all of these things that were coming 192 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: up about my myself and the things that I hadn't 193 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: really looked at before in a really deep way. We're 194 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: all surfacing and he was calling me on them. And 195 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: I went in and I auditioned with Tony and we 196 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 1: had the most fabulous chemistry, and it was just when 197 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: it was camera, yeah, in front of a live audience. 198 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: But when I did that, I came back home and 199 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: I said to her, but I said, oh, dear God, 200 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: I put the wrong thing in first position. And he said, well, 201 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: you're just gonna have to live with it. You're gonna 202 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: have to live with that choice. And what happened was 203 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: the executives at ABC saw the tape between Tony and 204 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:17,959 Speaker 1: myself and they said, were They took care of it. 205 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:19,319 Speaker 1: They said, we're going to put her. She doesn't know 206 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: what she's doing. So they called the head of staff 207 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: from Life. They were sorry, and they said, putting her. 208 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 1: We're putting her. Let go. Had you done the live thing, 209 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: the four camera thing, done theater? Obviously? What was that 210 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,079 Speaker 1: like for that transition? It was fantastic. It's the most fun. 211 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: It's fun. It's like doing theater. And Tony was so 212 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:39,599 Speaker 1: great because Tony said, we're going to do this like 213 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: a theater. Piece. It's going to be one act play, 214 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: and that's how we're going to do it. So we 215 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: didn't go back and do a lot of first series, 216 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: went back then when it was a real audience. Yeah, 217 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: exactly exactly, And we came on and they put where 218 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: they put us was opposite the Cosby line up on 219 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: Thursday nights. That's where we started. Not a good place 220 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 1: for us to be. So they kept moving us around 221 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: all year because they had tested it. Remember when they 222 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: used to really test shows, and the audience would tell them. 223 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: They said, it tested off the charts, so we're going 224 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: to find a place for it, and they did, and 225 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: people found us in the summer rerun. That's how they 226 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 1: found it. Came back the second says that he did 227 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: a year or two years and they weren't doing well. 228 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,199 Speaker 1: Then finally some famous show got canceled and they gave 229 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 1: them that slot. And then it was just like everything 230 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: just same with Everybody Loves Raymond. It was the same thing. 231 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 1: Phil Rosenthal talks about it all the time. It's like 232 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: they just they knew they had something and they if 233 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: you would stick with it, and today they don't really 234 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: stick with anything, right, So you know, you go to 235 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: carne email in grade school. You're a very bright woman, 236 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 1: very serious about your queer. When you win to Tony, 237 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 1: did that feel good? It did? Ivan Ivant won twice. 238 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: I won first for other Desert cities and then I 239 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: won for the Assembled Parties. Yeah, esecutive, it felt well. 240 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I mean, when I want to win one day, 241 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,679 Speaker 1: you probably won't. But you win an Emmy, you win 242 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: in a golden globe whatever. SAG awards all lovely, very grateful, 243 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: not to diminish, but there was something about winning a 244 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: Tony where you're like, you know, here's the thing. You 245 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: know what it's like to work in the theater. You 246 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: have this family, and so it expands out. You have 247 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: this extended family of people that really are rooting for you. 248 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: I was away from the theater for twenty two years. 249 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: I came back and did WIT, which is where I 250 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: was naked and shaved my head. So wait for I 251 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: want to get back Tony Dan. But now we're here. 252 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: What when you do the when you when you come 253 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: back to the theater after twenty two years, how does 254 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: that decision happen? Well, it happened out of the fact 255 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: that people only thought about me as an actor who 256 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: could do the soap op or the sitcom, the blonde 257 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: girl with the big shoulder pads and the you know, 258 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: fourteen pounds of blonde hair and extensions, and so it's 259 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: like and it's funny and it's great and it's an 260 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: incredible working ex turned a lot. Tony taught me so 261 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: much about comedy rething practically that I learned I learned 262 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: from Tony. And then it was like people didn't know 263 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: where to put me. I didn't all these movies of 264 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: the week, I've done all this stuff, and it was 265 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: like nobody could quite get me. They didn't know how 266 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: to get me. And I had to come back and 267 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: show people I'm willing to be here. I want to 268 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: be happened. Um, I auditioned who directed Derek Anson Jones, 269 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: who was quite ill at the time, and Leah Gardner, 270 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: who was his friend at Yale, actually took over and 271 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: helped to put me into the show. And um, it 272 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 1: was one of those things. It was Bernie Telsey and 273 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,559 Speaker 1: Daryl Roth and I, you know, I came into audition, 274 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: I had if memories, so into one else explaining the park. Yes, Kathleen, 275 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: she was, I was, you know, I came, She's just 276 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 1: Angels with the originally so did I write Amazing and 277 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: Joe Mandela, you know, merely the Music Center before they 278 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:57,080 Speaker 1: moved to Broadway, I know, running the gauntlet of gay 279 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 1: men massigns saying I'm dying of AIDS. Can I have 280 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: your ticket? I'm not kidding. Last weekend at the Music 281 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 1: Center before they they were closing, I'm going to move 282 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: to New York. It was. It was horrible. I mean, 283 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: the zeitgeist of AIDS and angels. It was that time. 284 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: And I said, I so appreciate that you have that 285 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: as part of your context in life and what that 286 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: was for all of us, what we were doing, and 287 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: we're talking about the theater and how people are. So 288 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: I didn't. That's one of my shames that I didn't 289 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: pay enough attention to it at the time. And a 290 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: couple of my friends died and I really didn't. I 291 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: didn't really get. I was like, you know that somebody 292 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: said he's sick, and I was like, oh, well, god, 293 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: I mean, what can I what can I possibly do 294 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: for him other than just you know, fly back and 295 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: see And they had two dear friends of mine who 296 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: died of AIDS and it was all of a sudden 297 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: they just died, and I was like, what that was? 298 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: What we were all ready? Then they had a cancer 299 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: that was treatable. Then they had that cancer and they 300 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: were gone and and quickly to very ravaged in rabbage 301 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: and ravaged the whole community. And that's why GOODN organization 302 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: like Broadway Cares, Equity Fight AIDS came into being a 303 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: really took over and really helped. So when you step 304 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: out there two years after and you do that, how 305 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: did you feel? I was terrifying. I thought, truly terrible. 306 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: What do you do? What did you do to overcome that? 307 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: I didn't. I just accepted it and included it in 308 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: everything that I was doing. There was nothing else to do. 309 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: I mean, it's like, if you're going to take the 310 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: chance and do that, I mean I hadn't been in 311 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: front of the New York critics and twenty two years, 312 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: I hadn't been on a stage. I needed to go 313 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: back and take take voice lessons. Again. I've been in 314 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: a studio. You know what it's like to be in 315 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: a studio. So so I went to an opera teacher 316 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: and she never let me say. She just taught me 317 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: how to read again, and it was just this terrifying experience. 318 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: I mean it was almost I was almost apoplectic. And 319 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: I just said to myself, you get out there and 320 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: you do this. And how long did you run? In? 321 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: With almost a year? Where was it? It was here 322 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: at the Union Square Theater, which is no more downtown. 323 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: And they wouldn't let me do it in New York 324 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: unless I did it on the road. You've been on 325 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: the road. I did it in Austin. I did it 326 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Then I did in Florida. 327 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: You want to try doing a play like Wit in Florida. 328 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: One night, Herb was there and I said to him, 329 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: what's going on with the sound system? This is what 330 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: was happening all through the play. He said, what's going on? 331 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: And he said, all the people with their occident tanks 332 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: were in the first row and that was the sound 333 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: that I was hearing. It was really it was that 334 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: was Florida was a rough place to do it because 335 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: I think they thought, oh, this, it will be cute. 336 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: It's called Wit. It's the girl from Who's the Ball. 337 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: She's very funny. And they would get up in the 338 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: middle of the show and it had continental seating, you 339 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: know continental seating, there's no isle in the middle, and 340 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: I would hear people say, Okay, come on, she's throwing up, 341 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: let's go. She thought she was being quiet, but it 342 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: was he is a hearing problem. Just really to let him. 343 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: And the other thing that happened was like this character 344 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: has new tropinia. I mean, she's sick and she's dying 345 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: fourth stage ovarian cancer. And so the nurse puts me 346 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: in the wheelchair and between the wheelchair wheels me over 347 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: to the bed and she covers me over and I 348 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 1: hear somebody scream from the theater given the other blanket. 349 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: That was what it was like. What was that day 350 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: like for you? Like you get to the theater when 351 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: describe your process doing a play, a heavy play. Oh, 352 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 1: that's a really great question. I walk from the east 353 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:35,400 Speaker 1: side where I am across town, and purposely i'm there 354 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: so that I can walk cross town. So I dropped 355 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: the day. I gotta drop the day and start going 356 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: over the plane in my head. I usually get to 357 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 1: the theater about two to two and a half hours early, right, 358 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:52,439 Speaker 1: you do exactly right. Well, if I have to have 359 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: a wig or such a good idea right, and then 360 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: you get there and you say hello to everybody, greet everybody. 361 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,639 Speaker 1: There's the whole thing, and then just get in the 362 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,119 Speaker 1: place of the play. Have to be in that space 363 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 1: you said, I have to drain the day out of me, 364 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: exactly what you talked about, holding onto whatever you do 365 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: to just get neutral. That's right, and then you begin 366 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: the process of thinking about the entrance. That's right, that's right. 367 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: I would do yoga exercises. I would do a quick meditation, 368 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: something that would not put me out but really put 369 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: me into a centered, active place, and remembering that it 370 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: is my service. You give a performance. We are in 371 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: the business of giving. That's our work. The way I 372 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: hold it. The very versatile Judith Light another actor who 373 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: has appeared on successful TV shows, but has also left 374 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: her mark on the stage. In fact, she prefers it 375 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: is Laurie Metcalf. I feel more at home. I feel 376 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: like I know the craft better. And I still to 377 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: this day, even all those tapings of Roseanne and the 378 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 1: movies that I've done, I have a phobia of the camera. 379 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: The rest of my conversation with Lorie can be found 380 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: in our archive that here's the thing, Dot Org. Judith 381 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: Light is back after this. This is Alec Baldwin and 382 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: you're listening to Here's the thing. Judith Light's first Tony 383 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,679 Speaker 1: was for her role as the depressed and very funny 384 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: failed screenwriter Silda Grauman in John Robin Bases Other Desert Cities. 385 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 1: It came just two years after her return to the 386 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: stage following twenty two years of work on screen. That 387 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: first role was her brilliant, devastating turn as a professor 388 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: dying of cancer in Wit Off Broadway. They were both parts. 389 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: Her manager, Herb Hampshire, encouraged her to take on. He 390 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: guided Light as a career adviser, but also as a friend. 391 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,359 Speaker 1: Hampshire was a clinical psychologist who never worked as a 392 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: manager before she came along. Despite the professional risk, he 393 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: supported Lights going all in on theater after sitcom stardom. 394 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: Other Desert Cities. Was how long after Wits? Oh, it 395 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,640 Speaker 1: was quite a while afterward I had done. In between 396 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:34,880 Speaker 1: the two, I did a bunch because I came back 397 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: to Broadway. Tommy Klee, director of Hamilton's, I auditioned for 398 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: him for this play called Lombardi, which was about Vince Lombardi. 399 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: Everybody said to me and I don't think you should 400 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: go up for this, it's too small a part. I'm 401 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: the girl who hasn't been on Broadway for over thirty years. 402 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: I'm going in and I'm an audition for this. He 403 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: gave me the part. In the room, we had his 404 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: wife who Lombardi. It was Dan Lauria that the that 405 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: And it was the first Tony I got nominated for 406 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: Ellen Barkin one for um the revival No No of 407 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: of Oh yeah yeah crazy play right that had never 408 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,400 Speaker 1: been produced on Broadly before? And er what is it? 409 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 1: The Normal Heart? The Normal Heart? So I wanted to 410 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: do audition for that was Joe. Joe was nominated for 411 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: a Tony and Joe and I saw each other at 412 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: the Fucking Joe. He's rich, she's smart, He's brilliant, he 413 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,679 Speaker 1: said to me before we did Other Desert Cities. He 414 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 1: and I had been at the Tony luncheon because we 415 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: had both been nominated, me for Lombardi and him for 416 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: The Normal Heart. And we're sitting next to each other. 417 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: And about a few weeks after that, I get this 418 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: call that they're offering me the part of Other Desert 419 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 1: Cities because I had done a play reading here's the 420 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: story about Joan River said to me one time we 421 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: would how Prince's Christmas party. She said to me, we 422 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: were alone in the room. She said to me, she 423 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,160 Speaker 1: was amazing. She said, I say yes to everything. Everything. 424 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: I say yes to everything. So I get a call 425 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: from Bernie tells his office. He says, they want you 426 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: to do a reading of a Richard Greenberg play called 427 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: on the Babylonline on a Sunday matinee during Lombardi. I 428 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: think it was yes, Okay, I'll be there. I do it. 429 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: Joe is there because he and Richard Greenberg are good friends. 430 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: Joe might be directing this play. Joe doesn't know my work. 431 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I've just been doing Lombardi, and I do 432 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: the reading, I leave. But it was the thing that 433 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: when Joe saw me do that, he got the idea 434 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: when he saw me at the Tony luncheon, that I 435 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:39,440 Speaker 1: could do other Desert cities because I was taking over 436 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: for Extraordinary Linda Leavin, she was doing another play on Broadway. 437 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,720 Speaker 1: Are you originated on Broadway? I originated on Broadway? And 438 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: so after that, Lynn Meadow commissioned Richard Greenberg to write 439 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: a play for me and Jessica hacked and that was 440 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 1: the Assembled Parties. So one year it was Other Desert 441 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:57,360 Speaker 1: Cities and I got the Tony and the next year 442 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: I got Assembled Parties. But do you make my point here, 443 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: which is someone gets you in the door at the party, 444 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: and then what happens after that is up to you. 445 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: It's up to you. And you are very successful in daytime, 446 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: and then you move to l A and you're very 447 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: successful on a huge comedy, The Migration of That Woman, 448 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 1: where you're standing on the set with Joe Mantello directing 449 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: a play written by Robbie Bates and you're there with 450 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: Stocker Channing and Stacy Keach. Do you sit there and go, 451 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 1: how this happened? What a great joy that is to 452 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: get there? People don't realize you don't stop journeying. You 453 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: use the correct word. It's a migration, and it's an 454 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,400 Speaker 1: evolution and it's an expansion. And if you hold yourself 455 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: in that framework, then you can move in those directions. 456 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: You know, working now more than I ever have in 457 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,919 Speaker 1: my life. How did that happen? Well? I believe in 458 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: what you're talking about. All of those young How do 459 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: I get an agent? How going to get a manager. 460 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,719 Speaker 1: It's like, that's not the question. You need to stop 461 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: see king and be curious. Who are you? What kind 462 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: of life are you going to have? How are you 463 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: going to be in the world. How do you want 464 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: people to see you? Are you kind? Are you generous? 465 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 1: Are you available to people? Do you have wonderful children? 466 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 1: And do you create amazing citizens in the world. Yes, 467 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: those are the things that are have great value. You know. 468 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: The next thing you do is like, okay, it's the 469 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,360 Speaker 1: next thing you do is your artistic work. It's your service. 470 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 1: You give it, you do it to the best of 471 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: your ability. There's something else that holds that altogether. That's 472 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,159 Speaker 1: much greater, much bigger, much more important. But with the 473 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: rehearsal process and those actors and Robbie sits in the 474 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 1: room with you, I wish we were on television. The 475 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: script is out, Joe is sitting with the script. The 476 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: two of them are sitting next to each other, and 477 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:56,200 Speaker 1: they go forward and back and forward and back and 478 00:24:56,240 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: look at it and listen and watch and think is 479 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 1: this needed? What about that? Listening to the actor, there 480 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 1: was one thing towards the end, and I said, what 481 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: is Silda doing here? There's something that needs to be 482 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: completed here, and so Robbie would be furiously writing and 483 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: then if he over wrote a Joe would say it's 484 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: too much, and then we would find the balance. But 485 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: being with all of them, it's just so special. How 486 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 1: did you desert cities from September until right after the 487 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 1: Tony's Chill till June? Long time, long long run. Yeah. 488 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: I mean, there are things that happen you don't even 489 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: understand how they happen. It's like that kyar rearguard line, 490 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: which is life can only be lived going forward, it 491 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: can only be understood looking backward. Could I have planned 492 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 1: this kind of career? That's what I say to young 493 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: people all the time. I say, you have this thing 494 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:51,159 Speaker 1: in your head like I did. It's like I have 495 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: to do this, and I have to do this, and 496 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 1: this is gonna get me what I want. It's like, no, 497 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 1: it's not. That's your picture. It doesn't have anything to 498 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: do with the with with the real world. I know, 499 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,919 Speaker 1: anybody sent their crazy range of things. I mean, I 500 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:06,920 Speaker 1: have done this, like the farthest reaches of the galaxy. 501 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: So did you love Orphans? I have to ask you. 502 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: I mean seriously, let me tell you, let me let 503 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 1: me interesting. You know, we had this very difficult um. Yes, 504 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: probably the fired child aboff and and Ben came in 505 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: and uh and saved the day and Tom Sturge to 506 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: the show got nominated. So Sullivan directs, and you kind 507 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,159 Speaker 1: of get the impression that this is a case of 508 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: which he thought he wanted to do something with discovering 509 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: very quickly that he didn't want to do it. Like 510 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: he just did not seem you know. I mean at 511 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: one point turned to me in front of the playwright 512 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 1: and say I don't get this play, you know, I mean, 513 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: like in full audio range of Lyle and to me, 514 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:50,199 Speaker 1: this is very important to me. So I want to 515 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: take my time and really say this carefully, and I I 516 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: want to get your opinion of this too, which is 517 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: in terms of acting with the capital A. I used 518 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: to show up and be like O, which just was 519 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: grateful to be there. Tell me what you want me 520 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: to do. I'm you're I'm a puppet and you're a puppeteer, 521 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: and well what do you want? I don't want to 522 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 1: disappoint you. And then as years go by, I'm sitting 523 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: there going, well, I mean, here's what I think it is. 524 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: I'm coming in and I'm assuming you hired me from 525 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: my instincts, and I want to take you this is 526 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: what I think the scenes about. I will give a 527 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: director everything. I will give them the entire schmoorka sport. 528 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: I will throw it out. It's like if you want 529 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: a little you know candis, you want a little brisket, 530 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,360 Speaker 1: you want a little shrimp, take whatever you want. I'm 531 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: not wedded to any of it, but I'll do the 532 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: work and I'll give you everything. My job is to 533 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: make it about everybody else. It's not about me. And 534 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,199 Speaker 1: in this business we think it's all about us. I know, 535 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:47,880 Speaker 1: to me, it's always been like music. What's what's the beat? 536 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: Remember the orphans? I said, you know, just something to 537 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: me about Because I lost my dad when he was 538 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: very young. I was and that to cast a tremendous 539 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: shadow over my life and everything. And so I said, 540 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:05,040 Speaker 1: it's about uh, mentorship and just and and and and 541 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: being a father. Here's a guy who is the last 542 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: act of his life. And so I said act one. 543 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: I wanted to be like a force. And everyone is acting. 544 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: The characters are acting. Everyone walks on stage and they're 545 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: interacting with and they're all full of ship and they're 546 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: all putting on this crazy behavior to manipulate each other. 547 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: And I'm playing like I'm a gangster and I'm trying 548 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:29,479 Speaker 1: to pretend I'm a big shot to intimidate them and 549 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:31,440 Speaker 1: control them and get them to do what I need. 550 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 1: So I'm there. And then in the second act, I 551 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 1: wanted to become completely naturalistic. All that drops away. It's 552 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: I pissed the whip the boy. He goes down, curtain, 553 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: curtain up, and it's like it's like it's like, uh, 554 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: little house on the prairie. It's me and the boys, 555 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: and now I'm going to father them. And I wanted 556 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 1: him to be very real and take all that we 557 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: don't have to put on anymore. And I'm trying to 558 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: do that. And no communication with the director about that 559 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: at all. No nothing coming back. Nothing. It's like you're 560 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: hitting a ball and the ball never gets hit back. 561 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: And uh. And I'd seen other people, you know, I've 562 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: seen Orphans. Uh, because all the reviews bury us and 563 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: they say, well, I mean that the original production Stepping 564 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 1: the Wolf and that, and then that was a production 565 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 1: of Orphans and it was dangerous and it was edgy 566 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 1: and this is like a Alec Baldwin just you know, 567 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 1: fucking off up there and doing all the silly comedy, 568 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,959 Speaker 1: this bad routine whatever. They killed us except this one review, 569 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 1: This one guy wrote. Someone gave it to me. They said, 570 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: read this review because it's very smart, and I think 571 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: he kind of got what you were doing and that 572 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: was what was important. Like you can say that I suck, 573 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: but say I saw what you were trying to do, 574 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: and I don't think it worked, but I saw that 575 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: as opposed to we're not even going to discuss the 576 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: worthiness of what you were trying to do. And because 577 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: if there's there's your intention, and there's your execution, there's 578 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: your tactics, and there's your strategy. And it's interesting that 579 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: you say that because I remember somebody was telling me 580 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: about the berlin Er Ensemble and they did was they 581 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: invited the critic to come to all the rehearsals. So 582 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: that isn't that genius? So so that they could say 583 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: at the end, this is what that actor was going 584 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: for and whether they executed it properly or not, and 585 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: that is what you're talking about. To come from a 586 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: place like that is a very different place. A good 587 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: critic has to have that facility. Walter was like that, 588 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: what are you going for? And how well did you 589 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: pull off? You can have a movie that the intentions 590 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: are a name. Yeah, you can do a movie like 591 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: The Hangover. It doesn't get any stupider than that. However, 592 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: you pull it off. That's right. You take something that's 593 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 1: very slight and you and you nail it. But but 594 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: but just to finish, because I want to get to 595 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 1: you with the with the one more question about the 596 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 1: Bates play. When you were working and with these people, 597 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: I always found the kind of thrilling year around these 598 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: black belt actors like Stuckert. But if your context is 599 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 1: to learn from them is to watch them and figure 600 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: you know everything that they're doing and how they're doing it. 601 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: It's like this is a this is a class. All 602 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: of a sudden, it's you're elevated. Your whole life is elevated, 603 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: and you're you elevate the people around you too. You 604 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: feel safe, right, I feel safer on stage than I 605 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: do often it's spart most of us who do this do. 606 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 1: I know, don't cry hunt It's okay, yes, because what 607 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: we have is freedom within boundaries it's like great parenting. 608 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: And you know this probably better than anybody. It's like 609 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: when you give your kids boundaries that they have to 610 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: operate within their free and they feel safe and they 611 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: feel loved. Well, and I give my kids boundaries and 612 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: they laugh at me. Well, satifire in my apartment. That's 613 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: a that's a whole, that's a whole of the story. 614 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 1: But but that kind of safety, that kind of freedom 615 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: within that space is what we But we also do 616 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 1: know that every night is different because you have a 617 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 1: different audience giving you back a different kind of energy, 618 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: but you still know what you're going to say and 619 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: what the other person is going to say. Two questions 620 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: I could do go on and on and on. Um, 621 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: so what's talking about Hampshire? Meaning when did he die? 622 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: Three years ago? So what was that life? You have 623 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: somebody with that, To have somebody who was in your 624 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 1: corner in this business, that is rare. He gave me 625 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 1: a whole lot of tools before he left, and I 626 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: have and you're still working with them to the end. Yeah, 627 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 1: to the end. And I have in my agents who 628 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: was very interesting. I mean I was with another agency 629 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 1: and then um, Bob Girsh flew out to see me 630 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: do with the people that are like that. There's that 631 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: they stepped in when her passed away in the most 632 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: magnificent way. And I have new managers now at Birlstein 633 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: and all of them they've just they just took me 634 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: and said, Okay, we're here, and so I have that 635 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: experience with them. Who's your manager? I have three Danny Sassman. 636 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: Do you know Danny. Yeah, Danny and SHAWNA. Wexler and 637 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: ken Lee is a good company. Yeah, I'm very pleased 638 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 1: to be there and yeah, yeah said it. What happened 639 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: very sad. But I mean but even when he was there, 640 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: even after he left and still a hell of a company. Yeah, 641 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,720 Speaker 1: I love Bernie. He was so he come see me 642 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: on Broadway, Bernie Brillstein, come in from l A. Go 643 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: see shows, write me notes backstage. You a sensational kid. 644 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 1: That's what Danny Sman fly in see you, be there 645 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: for you. But those are the people you're talking about 646 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: in this business that when you find them, like Bob 647 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: Gersh and Jason Coupman at the Gerci Agency, they are 648 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: one thousand percent there for me, and particularly since Herb died, 649 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 1: they just all went okay, rallying the troops all just 650 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 1: grabbed onto me. I have great publicists too. It's the 651 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: same thing. You know, you you know how to have 652 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: great people because you have great people in your life. 653 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: I've got some, yeah, yeah, and that that also comes 654 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: from you. So do you look back now? I think 655 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 1: there's just things that I wouldn't do again. I wouldn't 656 00:33:57,640 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 1: do anymore. And someone came to you with a great 657 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: for camera half hour, would you do a sitcom again? 658 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: I never say never about anything ever. I said, I'll 659 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 1: never do a soap opera, I'll never do a sitcom, 660 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: I'll never marry an actor, and I'll never move to California. 661 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: I am. So it's not really working well for me. 662 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: So it's like, don't you know the universe is listening. 663 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:23,359 Speaker 1: It's like, what stupid woman at this point in time, 664 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: in my age, in this career would say, you don't 665 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 1: know how it's going to work out. Who would expect 666 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 1: that a woman from day daytime television would end up 667 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:33,720 Speaker 1: with two Tony's. You can't or strate that stuff. You cannot. 668 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:37,040 Speaker 1: That's a migration, got it. But I want to ask 669 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: you because this is something people say and I don't 670 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:41,319 Speaker 1: think about it too much, but it does come up. 671 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: I said to Paccino once when I I interviewed Pacino 672 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:46,359 Speaker 1: to graduate from college. Love him. I did a play 673 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 1: with him. We did. It's an interesting play for you 674 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 1: to know about. It's called God Looked Away and it's 675 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: the story of the last few years of Pasadena Playhouse. 676 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 1: What was that? Like? It was he did inside the 677 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: to studio less again, like we pleased with Ellen Burston 678 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 1: interviewing him. They took for two and a half hour. 679 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,839 Speaker 1: He's just you did that with him? I did? I did? 680 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: What was that? Like? I value him so profoundly. I 681 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: mean I was shooting Transparent at the time, and then 682 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:17,480 Speaker 1: it would get in a car and I would go 683 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:19,840 Speaker 1: over to the Pasadena Playhouse and do the play. And 684 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 1: I didn't come on until the second act, but I 685 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: would watch him and I would observe him, could not 686 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 1: take my eyes off him, and and we would do 687 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: the scenes over and over and over, and the nuance 688 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 1: and the things that we would find and that he 689 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,799 Speaker 1: would find. And then I would react off of, um, 690 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: that's Zoe Ryan Murphy works. I'm doing the politician dropping 691 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 1: to men, say that's that's our last topic. Which is 692 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: how did you get contacted to do the Politician? What 693 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: what a cast? You're back on You're back doing other 694 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: Desert Cities with the heavyweights. It's Middler, who else Ben Platt? 695 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 1: It's Bet and Me and Ben and Lucy Boyton, a 696 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: couple of others in this second season, and the first 697 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 1: season was worts cast Gwyneth, Gwyneth, jes Lang, Ben Right. 698 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: I got it because Bryan Murphy put me in the 699 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 1: assassination of Johnny VERSACCEI and I love Ryan Murphy even 700 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 1: though he and I did, even even though he made 701 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:22,400 Speaker 1: me the greatest promise I was ever made. I played 702 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 1: the the the surgeon who the two guys in Niptuck. 703 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: I was their mentor. He called me up to the phone, goes, 704 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 1: I want you to be the Obi wan Kenobi of 705 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:33,400 Speaker 1: plastic surgery. I felt the chill grew up my spider 706 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 1: and we went in one episode that I never heard 707 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: from him again. He didn't call me back. But I 708 00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: still love Ryan. I love you Ryan. He's a visionary. 709 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:44,879 Speaker 1: He sees the world very differently, like like nobody else. 710 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 1: And Jill Soloway has that capacity as well. There are 711 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: two of them that I've had the great good fortune 712 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:54,319 Speaker 1: to work with also So transparent. How many seasons? This 713 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:57,279 Speaker 1: is the fifth seasons, So Transparent over well, you know 714 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: they say it's a finale, and the look, you know, 715 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 1: another finality. You know it's you know, it's my my 716 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 1: farewell tour. But you know in every ending, there's a beginning. 717 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 1: That was the very funny, very wise Judith Light. The 718 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 1: Transparent Finale and the Politician are both out. Now this 719 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to here's the thing, 720 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:29,759 Speaker 1: m