1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, Sophia Bush here. Welcome to Work in Progress, 2 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: where I talked to people who inspire me about how 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: they got to where they are and where they think 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: they're still going. Guys, this week is extra special because 5 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: we have an extra episode for you today with actress 6 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: Simone Missic. Simone is a rule breaker. She is a badass, 7 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: and she has broken through some pretty serious glass ceilings. 8 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: She played Davis first African American female superhero Misty Night 9 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: on Netflix's hit series Luke Cage. She stars as Judge 10 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: Lola Carmichael on All Rise and has played so many 11 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: other incredible roles. Also, if you have not seen her 12 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: on the second season of Altered Carbon, you have to 13 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: watch it. She's unbelievable. I loved talking to her about 14 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: her roles, how she got into acting, what her journey was, 15 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: her faith, her family and the influence that they had 16 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: on her, and so much more. Naturally, we dove right 17 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: into talking about all the things. So here you go, 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: enjoy your show. All Rise was actually the first prime 19 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: time scripted series to embark on virtual production to do 20 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: an episode tackling what's going on right now with COVID? 21 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: What can you tell us about that and what was 22 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: the experience? Like, we actually don't start shooting for another 23 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: couple of days, so we haven't done it yet, so 24 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: I can't tell you what it's going to be. Like, 25 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: we can do a follow up five minute of what 26 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: that was. But what is so cool about it is, um, 27 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: you know, we're all just such a tight group. There's 28 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: like a group chat with our producers and the core 29 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: seven main cast mates, and so we all just periodically 30 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: check in, how's everybody doing, what's going on? And we 31 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: get a text message from one of our executive producers, 32 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: Michael Robbin. He's like, Hey, we're gonna hop on a 33 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: you know, a zoom call, and we're all just thinking, oh, 34 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,919 Speaker 1: this is just for us to chat, catch up, make 35 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: sure everybody is safe and sound, and they're like they 36 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: dropped the bomb, like actually, we're gonna do this zoom 37 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: episode and we all immediately we're like, yes, this is 38 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: so great, and so are our show runner, Our kosher 39 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: runner and creator Greg Spottiswood started reading the outline of 40 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: what he had come up with and what he thought 41 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: it was going to do be, and we were all 42 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: just like, yeah, I mean, you would think we were 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: doing the episode. We were so excited about, you know, 44 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: just the turns and what this meant for each character 45 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: in the middle of the reality of what this COVID 46 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: nineteen is and you know, how the justice system is 47 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: trying to manage, you know, protecting people's constitutional rights, and 48 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: yet this is a crisis where judges and lawyers are 49 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: not necessarily able to do the things that they were 50 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: once able to do. And you still got people. You know, 51 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: we're hearing these reports every day of prisoners who are 52 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: getting sick inside of jails. They can't get water or 53 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: soap or you know, just basic necessities, let alone medical care, 54 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: and you know, are we leaving these people to die? 55 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: All of these things that the show can tackle. So 56 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: we were already excited about it with without knowing exactly 57 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: what the storyline is going to be. Still haven't read 58 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: the script yet, so I can't I can't tell you, 59 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: but from what they proposed, it's really obviously timely and 60 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: it's exciting. But because of the way that our show 61 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: is set up, are Greg always says, you know, our 62 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: actors are our production value. We don't have any big explosions, 63 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: we don't have any shootouts. It's you guys, you know, 64 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: and your relationships every single day that audiences are drawn 65 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: to and they want to watch, And so without needing 66 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: those other things, you can realistically shooting an episode via zoom, 67 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: which is what we're gonna do. And so it's it's exciting. 68 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: I just gotta a package with the equipment, some of 69 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: the like things to juice up my WiFi, and you know, 70 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: it's and they're just going to figure it out. We're 71 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: doing another test run tomorrow just to see if the 72 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: technology works, you know, our own individual computers and WiFi 73 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: and all that stuff. But yeah, this is it's exciting, 74 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: and and I you know, I've heard that there are 75 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: other show runners, very famous show runners reaching out to there, 76 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: uh you know, parent companies and saying, how can we 77 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: take these ideas, these shows that we were supposed to 78 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: run with and do them virtually. So hopefully this is 79 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: opening up the door for other shows to take suit, 80 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: for other production companies to figure this out, because you know, 81 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 1: it's this is hard on so many people for so 82 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: many levels that if we can figure out a way 83 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: to keep people entertained to and to keep it present, 84 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: you know, for it to deal with what people are 85 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: dealing with every single day. I think that it will 86 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: help the world, you know, manage what's going on in 87 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: a in a brighter light. And it's so cool to 88 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: me because your show has such a consciousness and there 89 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: are so many important conversations that you're having about what 90 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: social justice looks like with the criminal justice system, looks like, disparity, 91 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: how people are treated, what happens to communities of color, 92 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: what's going on with sing and and to be able 93 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: to continue having conversations like that, and to your point 94 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: that you made earlier, even what's happening to prisoners with COVID, 95 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: to to be able to do that in such real 96 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: and immediate time and make sure that you're addressing all 97 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 1: of those issues through the lens of this pandemic which 98 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: is highlighting such flaws in our system. And these are 99 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: things that I think any any conscious person or political 100 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: person was aware of, but to see them like this 101 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: is so hard, and I'm excited to see the way 102 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: is that you guys are able to bring those conversations 103 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 1: to the forefront even during this Yeah, I definitely feel 104 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: fortunate to be a part of a show that does 105 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: want to talk about those disparities and those realities that 106 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: you know, I think we all at times turn a 107 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: blind eye two or we perhaps feel so overwhelmed by 108 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: the issues that we're dealing with that we forget. You know, oh, man, 109 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: I can't I'm out of work, or you know, my 110 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: sister is out of work. How can I support my sister? 111 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: How can I support my brother or my aunt or 112 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: my grandmother, who's you know, in a nursing home or 113 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: an elder care facility. Not what is happening to the 114 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of men and women behind bars, perhaps unjustly, 115 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: perhaps overcharged or completely innocent, and that perhaps just not 116 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: being able to afford bail, to be able to afford bail, 117 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: and those people are left to die. You know, we 118 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: we are so acutely aware of women and men who 119 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: are in the medical profession, first responders, police officers, um 120 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: the grocery store workers and delivery people who are are 121 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: literally putting their lives on the line to keep the 122 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: country going, to keep the world going. But we don't 123 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: think about the vulnerable being criminals. We you know, I 124 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: think that a lot of people think that once you 125 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: commit a crime, or once you get wrapped up in 126 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: the you know, the criminal justice system. You are not 127 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: a life that deserves saving. Why would I put my 128 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 1: life on the line to help someone who is a criminal? 129 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: A lot of people do that. UM. And as a 130 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: person who's on the show that examines what happens and 131 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: how people and why people get caught up in this system, 132 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: it is so broken, I think it is great to 133 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: be able to highlight you know that this is affecting everyone, 134 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: not just the sheriffs and the deputies that have to 135 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: go into those prisons, but the prisoners themselves, the people 136 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 1: who mopped the floors, and you know, every single person 137 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: that's attached to it. I have a really good friend 138 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: that's a sheriff, and when this all started, she was told, 139 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:31,079 Speaker 1: don't expect any days off. If anyone has had a 140 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: vacation planned, cancel it. And this was a month and 141 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: a half ago. This was at the very beginning of it, 142 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,079 Speaker 1: when we really didn't know what this was going to 143 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: be and how difficult this was going to be for everyone. 144 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: Uh And every single day that she goes out, she 145 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: she as if there was no coronavirus, She's putting her 146 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: life on the line and now doubly so. And that 147 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: the humanity that is still required to do your job 148 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 1: in law enforced it in the midst of this crisis 149 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: that's happening, that every person you come in contact with 150 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: you could be, you know, doubly taking that risk. And 151 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: so you know, I'm I'm excited to see how we're 152 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: able to shine a light on some of those things 153 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: and then do it in our way, which is, you know, 154 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,079 Speaker 1: with just a little bit of hope and a little 155 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: bit of humor, and to find to find joy in 156 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 1: what is and otherwise can be overwhelmingly depressing, you know, situation. 157 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: I love that. I can't wait to see it. I 158 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: can't even I'm so curious. We've gotten into work, but 159 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: I do really like to go back and get close 160 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,599 Speaker 1: to starting at the beginning. And you are such a 161 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:58,319 Speaker 1: conscientious and and conscious person. And I wonder were you 162 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: always like this? You know, I always wonder. I'm like, who, 163 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: who are my guests when they were ten? Like? What 164 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: was simone as a little girl into I know that 165 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: you grew up in Detroit. What was life like? Oh? God, 166 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: so um I was goodness? Life in Detroit was great. 167 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,839 Speaker 1: First of all. I am thankful every day for growing 168 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: up in that city. It was so important to who 169 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: I am today too, the voice that I have to be, 170 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: awareness that I have. You know, I've got parents who 171 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: were very um politically conscious and active and active with 172 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: union work. And my dad was an adult educator and 173 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: so he, you know, spoke out about the disparities and 174 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: education for not just public schools, but adult education public schools. 175 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: And you know, my mother was a social worker, and 176 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: so I got to from her understand the things that 177 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: happened that get kids caught up in the foster care system. 178 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: And you know, so I just grew up with an 179 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: awareness of activism in a way. I remember going to 180 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: marches when I was a kid, and and yet at 181 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: the same time, I played basketball, I ran track, I 182 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: played tennis, I played golf, I played the violin, And 183 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: I was given the opportunity to do and try anything 184 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: that I wanted when I was a kid. You know, 185 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: my dad always tells this story, this story about first 186 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: of all, they would always say, you have to pick something. 187 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: You just have to pick one thing, because it was 188 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: always well, I really I want to do this now, 189 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: and they were like, okay, I guess, And he just 190 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 1: really wanted me to focus on one thing. And now 191 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,439 Speaker 1: realizing as an actor all the things that you need 192 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: in your toolbox. I clearly had the foresight way before 193 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: he did that all of these things would come into 194 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:11,439 Speaker 1: play at some point. But I remember my first week 195 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: in high school freshman year, We're supposed to, you know, 196 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: pick your activities, and my dad said, I came home 197 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: with like seven different activities that all went on at 198 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: the same time. I was like, okay, so I want 199 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: to run track and play golf. He's like, that's the 200 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: same season. And I want to play basketball and I 201 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: want to He's like, that's gonna happen at the same time. 202 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 1: You can't go to both practices. And I was like, well, 203 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: I don't understand why I have to choose. And so 204 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: for me growing up in Detroit, I just got to 205 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: do so many things, um that you know, my little 206 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: heart desired creatively and and you know, sports and activities. 207 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: I went to farm camp in the middle of the 208 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: city because when I was really young, I wanted to 209 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: be a veterinarian, and so I raised farm animals at 210 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit Proper. Three years in 211 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: a row, brought chickens home to my garage on the 212 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: east side of Detroit and raised them for weeks before 213 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: we took them to Fair and you know, presented them 214 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: things that you know, when you think about Detroit and 215 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: you think a little black girl in Detroit from a 216 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 1: working class family, you don't think of these things. And 217 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: yet um, I had the ability to do them. I 218 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: went to music camp and traveled internationally with my orchestra 219 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: and played the violin, and you know, I just had 220 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: a lot of great experiences that my parents you know, 221 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: opened me up to. And I was not always uh 222 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: what's the word. I wasn't always confident in this profession 223 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: being where I was going to end up. I mean, 224 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: from the time I was maybe eight, I knew that 225 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: I wanted to be an actor. My sister is eight 226 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: years older than me. She was in high school. She 227 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: was in drama class. She would come home and do 228 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: monologues and I remember she did a monologue from August 229 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: Wilson's Fences, and I was like, Oh, that's what I 230 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: want to do in life, and yet had no blueprint 231 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: for what that was. My sister went on to you know, 232 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: not become an actor. She you know, that was just 233 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: an activity that she did in high school, I knew 234 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: no professional actors. I knew no working actors in the city. 235 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: And so for me, I was like, Okay, this is 236 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: what I know I want to do, but I'm not 237 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: telling anyone. Uh And and these parents, who were super 238 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: supportive of every single thing I did, had no clue 239 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: that I wanted to be an actor until my software 240 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: year of college. And then even then they I think 241 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: that there was a part of me. It was like, 242 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: this is just another thing that she's experimenting in and trying. 243 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: My dad was is very pragmatic, and he was like, 244 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: you know, yeah, this is great, but make sure you 245 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: have a backup plan. You know, you graduated with a 246 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: degree in English. Don't you want to teach while you're 247 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: you know, waiting for this to come to come together. 248 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: And I was like, no, I have to wait tables, 249 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: because that's what actors do. We wait tables and we 250 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: keep our schedule open, even though anybody who's waited tables 251 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: knows that that is like the shittiest scheduled to destry 252 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: to have a working actor career in um. But they 253 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: always supported me, you know, they never told me that 254 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: this was impossible, that it wasn't going to happen that, 255 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: you know, they just they obviously, like any parents, they 256 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: want the best for their kids and they want them 257 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: to not suffer through disappointment and pain and loss and 258 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: all that. But you know, they never said when are 259 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: you going to hang this up? And thank god, they 260 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: always you know, supported me in everything that I did. 261 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: They would show up to, you know, my little uh 262 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: to everything like to a short film, to an improv show, 263 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: to a play. Everything they showed up for. And yeah, 264 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: and if it wasn't for their support, and you know, 265 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,639 Speaker 1: being a Christian and having having the faith and the 266 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: belief that okay, I have to be patient, this might 267 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: not happen overnight, but if I truly believe it this 268 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: is for me, it will happen. That that was you 269 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: know how I kind of went from being this little 270 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: kid who was like, I think this is something that 271 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: I really want to do to you know, where I 272 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: am now, which I still pinched myself often that I 273 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: can't believe that this is actually happened to me for me. 274 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: Don't you love that that doesn't wear off because I 275 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 1: feel that sometimes I look around and I'm like, I 276 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: can't believe they let me in here. I know, I 277 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: definitely think that. Um yeah, I definitely pinched myself often. 278 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: And I mean, you've been a working actor for a 279 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 1: very long time. I, if you really look at it, 280 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 1: have been a consistently working actor for five years, you 281 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,400 Speaker 1: know before that. I moved to l A in two 282 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: thousand and five, and I, you know, did the shuffle, 283 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: I waited tables, I picked up, you know, all kinds 284 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: of odds and in jobs I tried to balance with, Okay, 285 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: where am I spending my money this month? Am I 286 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: taking an acting class? Or am I doing workshops? Am 287 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: I taking new head shots? Or am I doing a 288 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 1: commercial acting you know seminar? Where am I filling the holes? 289 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: How am I you know, strengthening my craft or keeping 290 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: myself busy or key being myself motivated. And it was 291 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:07,399 Speaker 1: always this kind of you know, balancing act or I 292 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: would even think a bit more of like wack a mole, 293 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: where it's like let me go and hit this. Oh nope, 294 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: now something popped up over here, you know. And that 295 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:20,959 Speaker 1: was ten years, you know, ten years of being in 296 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: l A. I think when I booked my I know, 297 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: when I booked my first big job, which was Luke 298 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: Cage for Netflix. I had one, no three co star 299 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: roles on my resume, no guest stars, no cool arcs 300 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: on a show, no recurrings. I had never tested for 301 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: a network pilot. I didn't test for a network pilot 302 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: until All Rise and even that right which was last year, 303 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: And even that was not a typical network pilot test 304 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: where there's you know, you, seven other people. They bring 305 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: you in the room, they're like, all right, you guys 306 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: are great, you guys, thanks so much, and then you 307 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: come back and you do none of that. It was 308 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: me in a room with the nine people who were 309 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: praying that I was the person for this job or else. 310 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: This pilot was not going to go for two hours, 311 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: just me, and that was my job to get or 312 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: to not get. And so for me, all of it 313 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: every day is like I cannot believe that five years 314 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: ago I was delivering laundry. I was like, you know what, 315 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: I gotta figure this out. I clearly am not where 316 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: I think I should be as an actor. So let 317 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: me go and pick up another job. Let me go, 318 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: and you know what do I need to do to 319 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: bring some money home? Because I feel like sitting at home, 320 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: I am driving myself crazy. Saying to myself, well, I 321 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 1: should I should it should happen by now, and so 322 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: that that was an interesting time. The shoulds are so 323 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: hard though, because we do that. One of my best friends, 324 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: Emily always says to me, because I can really get 325 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:11,919 Speaker 1: into well I should have done this by now and 326 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: this should have happened by now, and She'll go, would 327 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 1: you stop shooting all over yourself? And it's so that 328 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: I'm so enamored with the way you speak about choosing 329 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: to always double down and study more and take another 330 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: class and do another thing, because you, I mean you 331 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,200 Speaker 1: you had such incredible schooling. You you went to Howard. 332 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: I know that you also studied at the British American 333 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: Drama Academy in Oxford casually with Ben Kingsley. You don't 334 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,120 Speaker 1: worry about it. I was like, I'm sorry, what, um, 335 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 1: so what you know? Because you talk about getting the 336 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: performing bug. I guess by way of your sister and 337 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: her bringing things home and then and then how did 338 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: you decide to go to how Word and what did 339 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: you study there? And how did you wind up at Oxford? 340 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: So I, um, my dad went to Howard, my aunt 341 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: went to Howard, my grandmother went to Howard. So I'm technically, 342 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 1: you know, the third generation of a Howard student who 343 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: had no desire to go to Howard. No one in 344 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: my family was like, oh, you gotta keep the legacy going, 345 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: like they didn't even talk about it. It was the 346 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: strangest thing ever. And I had a basketball coach who 347 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: was also my advisor when I was in school, and 348 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 1: in high school I had I think I graduated with 349 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 1: a three point eight g p A. But when it 350 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: came time to like scholarships and where am I going? 351 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: I had gotten sick my senior year of high school. 352 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: This girl on my basketball team, I'll never forget her, 353 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 1: but I will not out her gave me mono because 354 00:22:55,200 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 1: she came to practice drinking on the water bottles and 355 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: she had it. And I was the only person who 356 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,199 Speaker 1: got sick. And I was out of school for a 357 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: month my senior year and missed so many of the 358 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: deadlines were you know, and and at the same time, 359 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,639 Speaker 1: it just wasn't at the forefront of my you know, 360 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: thought process, like when I look at kids who are 361 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 1: like their junior year, you know, where can I apply 362 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: for this scholarship? I need to get these letters in. 363 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: That was just not my you know, my mental space. 364 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: It was like, Okay, I gotta go to practice, I 365 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: gotta do this, I gotta do that. It was very 366 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 1: in the now, and so my advisor, coach Kennedy, was like, 367 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 1: you know, how do you not have any scholarships? And 368 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: I was like, I don't know. And he's because at 369 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: the time, I was co captain of my varsity basketball team, 370 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 1: I was concert mistress of our orchestra, and I had 371 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: a three point eight g p A. And he's like, 372 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: how the funk do you not have anybody paying for 373 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: you to go to school? And he's like, do you 374 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: understand you're perfect on paper and apparently in real life? 375 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: What's going on? I was like, And there was a 376 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,880 Speaker 1: weekend tour at Howard and I was like, I mean, yes, sure, 377 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: I guyes. You know, my grandparents lived there. My dad's 378 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:18,679 Speaker 1: from d C, so all of my family and my 379 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: dad's I was there. I'd grown up going to d 380 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 1: C and the concept of living there wasn't scary, but 381 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: I really wasn't thinking about Howard and I went for 382 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: this weekend visit and it was like an explosion. It 383 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 1: was overload of just like the coolest the coolest thing 384 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: that you could ever imagine. It was like the movie 385 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: School Days by Spike Lee on a hundred, and I 386 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: was like, oh, yeah, this is where I'm going. I 387 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: fell in love with that school the moment I hit campus, 388 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 1: and so I got a scholarship and an academic scholarship 389 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,440 Speaker 1: to go. And my parents, you know, they were like supportive. 390 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,360 Speaker 1: Up to that point. I had applied to Columbia and 391 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: Duke and you know, just a bunch of different schools 392 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: that I didn't necessarily pick because I thought, oh, they 393 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: have a great this program. It was like, oh, these 394 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: are great schools, and and that is where what I 395 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:20,360 Speaker 1: think is so interesting. I was always a year younger, 396 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,959 Speaker 1: so when I was a kid, I got promoted, and 397 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: so I was seventeen. I was sixteen entering into my 398 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 1: senior year seventeen when I graduated, and I think developmentally 399 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: just a little behind, like with the things that make 400 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: these major life decisions that we asked for kids to 401 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: make their senior year of high school, just like a 402 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: tad behind. I was smart, but it wasn't really you know, 403 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: thinking about the bigger picture in that way. So I 404 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: got into Howard, got a scholarship academic scholarship and was 405 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: studying English, which was always my you know, strong suit. 406 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: And I remember my ap English teacher was like, someone, 407 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: you do such a good job speaking, you should be 408 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: like Cokey Roberts. You should be like Roberts. And I 409 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:18,960 Speaker 1: was like, yeah, I'm gonna be Cookee Roberts and not 410 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:23,159 Speaker 1: you know, really having the desire to do it, but 411 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:28,199 Speaker 1: knowing that I wanted to speak and you know, present 412 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: in front of people. And when I think about it, 413 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: every school project I had I turned into a skit 414 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,920 Speaker 1: or some kind of like you know, interactive something or other. 415 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,920 Speaker 1: I remember I won the science fair when I got 416 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: third place in the science fair in the fourth grade 417 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: for a very simple experiment which was a paper towel 418 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 1: pickup who which paper towel absorbs the most? But I 419 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: did it on VHS. My dad recorded me doing it. 420 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: And so there was this desire from a very young 421 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: age to present. And so I went to Howard English 422 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: Scholarship my scholarship, you know, and I was studying English 423 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: and a friend of mine from high school sophomore excuse me, 424 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: second semester of freshman year, was like, Hey, I'm taking 425 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: this acting for non major's class. You should really take it. 426 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: It's a lot of fun. And I said, okay, and 427 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: that was it. I took the class. I was surrounded 428 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: by a bunch of people who also, you know, kind 429 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 1: of thought that they could or enjoyed the idea or 430 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: maybe they did it in high school. And and I 431 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:39,719 Speaker 1: had this really great professor, Professor Kim Bay. This was 432 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 1: her first semester at Howard Teaching. She later went on 433 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,359 Speaker 1: to become the department head of the drama department. Is 434 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: still someone that you know, I casually reach out to, 435 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 1: but who sends students to me to say, hey, this 436 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,679 Speaker 1: is a former student of mine who has made it. 437 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,479 Speaker 1: I see this in you of what I saw in 438 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:07,640 Speaker 1: her YouTube should connect. And so she really encouraged me. 439 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 1: She was like, you know, I think I think you're 440 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: really good at this. You should continue to take classes. 441 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 1: And I remember saying to her, like, well, should I 442 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: change my major? You know, should I become a theater major. 443 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: She's like, no, just take as many classes as you can. 444 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: And so by the time I graduated, I had a 445 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 1: minor in theater. I could have double majored in and 446 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: if I wanted to stay, I think another half a semester, 447 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 1: but I wasn't interested and so I double you know, 448 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: had that minor and my senior year, BOTA came to 449 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: audition for people to be a part of the program 450 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: and I was like, well why not, And I auditioned 451 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: and got in and it was I was one of 452 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: two from Howard who ended up, you know, getting the 453 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: money together and going to study that year, which is crazy, 454 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: but it again is a testament to my parents. It's 455 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: just always supporting me financially with figuring out what I 456 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: wanted to do. And I had gone to Europe when 457 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: I was in high school with this International Orchestra, and 458 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: I remember going, I don't want to go. I have 459 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: changed my mind. I want to just stay in Detroit. 460 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: And they were like, are you out of your rabbit mind? 461 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: You are going to Europe? Like what kid passes up 462 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: going to play the violin and nationally? And I was like, 463 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: but I want to stay in Detroit with my friends. 464 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: And so having that experience made the concept of BOTA, 465 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: you know, not terrifying at all. And so I went 466 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: and had an amazing time and made some very cool 467 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: friends and that experience and you know, some of them 468 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: are still working writers and actors right now, which is amazing. 469 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: A friend who's a playwright, very accomplished, another friend who 470 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: created a show on Netflix that and he's also on 471 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 1: a show and HBO like just and another friend who's 472 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 1: no longer with us, but you know, was on True 473 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: Blood and so just great people to be in that 474 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: same class with. And yet at the same time that 475 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 1: young undeveloped at this time, I'm now twenty I think 476 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: I was twenty or I just turned twenty one. So 477 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: this twenty one year old brain that was still I 478 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: think just a step behind. And so the experience, as 479 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 1: enriching as it was, I think probably would have affected 480 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 1: me differently had I done it two years later, for 481 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: three years later. But at that time, I was still 482 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,480 Speaker 1: figuring out who I was as a person, who I 483 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: was as you know, Simon, and you know, so so 484 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,479 Speaker 1: much of acting technique that some people teaches, like you know, 485 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 1: tap into your trauma, your pain, you know, think about 486 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 1: your dead grandma, substitute. I was like nobody's did. I 487 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: wasn't raised in a violent you know family, came from 488 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: a life without a lot of trauma, and these things 489 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: just aren't serving me to figure out how to be 490 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: the best, you know, creative. And so when I moved, 491 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,479 Speaker 1: I moved back home to Detroit after I graduated and 492 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: finished up at BATA, and I started doing regional theater 493 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: there and you know, doing plays, which was fun and interesting. 494 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: And I called up Professor Bay and I was like, 495 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: you know, I think that I should move to l A. 496 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: Or New York or Chicago. Was just you know, budding 497 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: as like another area. This was before Atlanta had you know, 498 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: any industry, before New Orleans. But I was like, where 499 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: should I go? And she talked me through figuring out 500 00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: what I wanted, not her telling me, well this is 501 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: which you should do. She was like, well, you know, 502 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: if you had to pick, which would it be? Okay? 503 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: And I was like, should I go to grad school? 504 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: She's probably not. She did not encourage me to go 505 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: to grad school, which I think is so funny, but 506 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,240 Speaker 1: she was like probably not you should you know. So 507 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 1: I picked l A. And I said, okay, so what 508 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: should I do now? She's like, save your money, just save. 509 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 1: So I stayed in Detroit for a year and a 510 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: half and worked and saved up money and until I 511 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: had a number that I was like, okay, this is 512 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: what I feel comfortable as. And when I moved out, 513 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: I had, you know, three peripheral friends that I had 514 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 1: known from college who were out in l A and 515 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: were actors. And I had called them up because I'm 516 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: a planner, and I was like, Okay, what do I 517 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: need to do to prepare to be in l A 518 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: and there and and you know, what what should I 519 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 1: do as an actor? And they were like, try to 520 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: join sack which in Detroit where there is no industry 521 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: for acting, You're like, okay, like try to be a millionaire, 522 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: and uh, that's is That's as realistic as it was 523 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: at the time. And so when I moved to l A. 524 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: For the first few years, it was really just a 525 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: lot of figuring it out, you know, taking a class 526 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 1: here and a workshop there, and you know, like I said, 527 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: waiting tables, which took up a lot of time. But 528 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 1: then also being a kid like I had a good 529 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: time just growing up for a couple of years and 530 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:32,479 Speaker 1: going out and partying and sleeping in and you know, 531 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: not focusing on acting, which there were some parts of 532 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: me that thought, you know, what the should I should 533 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 1: be doing this or I should have done that or right, 534 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: And then the other part thinking I have to have 535 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: a life and these experiences in order to feed into 536 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: this art that requires so much emotional work, so much 537 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:58,400 Speaker 1: life that you have to add into it. And so 538 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 1: I spent a good amount of time just growing up 539 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: and experiencing things. And then I met my husband, Um 540 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,799 Speaker 1: and we met in two thousand and ten, and at 541 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: that time I had figured out just a little bit more, 542 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 1: you know, I felt like I had my my legs 543 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:19,320 Speaker 1: under me. I was um doing theater in l A. 544 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 1: Which people always like theater in l A. But I 545 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,320 Speaker 1: was you know, I keyed in with some really great 546 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 1: uh local equity houses. I was doing what felt right. 547 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 1: I had found this great acting UH teacher, a woman 548 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:41,879 Speaker 1: named Carrie Keane who is a working actor. But she 549 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: really helped me to uncover a lot of things about 550 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: myself that we're acting things, but then also just practical 551 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 1: things like simone, are you drinking enough water? Are you 552 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: getting enough rest? Why are you always tired? Just things 553 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:02,640 Speaker 1: that as an actor, if you want to be on 554 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:05,759 Speaker 1: set for twelve hours, you need energy. You have to 555 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: take care of yourself. And so she she helped me 556 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: in a lot in a lot of ways to in 557 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: addition to figuring out, you know, my instrument and how 558 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: to use it. And when I met my husband, he 559 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:24,440 Speaker 1: for the next five years just kept me motivated and 560 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: he kept you know, saying to me, you're really good. 561 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:33,959 Speaker 1: If you are doing in the room what you're doing 562 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,359 Speaker 1: when we are running these auditions together, you're right there. 563 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,359 Speaker 1: You're just this close. It's gonna happen for you. I 564 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 1: believe it. I see it. I'm on set. I work 565 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 1: with people all the time. You are no less talented 566 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,839 Speaker 1: as these people. You just need one, yes, you need 567 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: one opportunity. And so for five years he kept you know, 568 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: me encouraged, and you know, I had him to pray with. 569 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 1: I started to buy will study with my girlfriends that 570 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 1: were also actresses, and so we would pray with each 571 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,760 Speaker 1: other and then slowly but surely, things just started coming 572 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 1: into place and kind of lining up. And again it 573 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 1: was until Luke Cage. It was nothing that was just 574 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: like and the world has opened up. It was never 575 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: like and now this has happened. It was always just 576 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: small incremental things. I got into the NBC Diversity Showcase 577 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 1: and I met my lawyer who then helped me by 578 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,360 Speaker 1: my manager. But that wasn't like, okay, and now this 579 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 1: next pilot season you're testing for everything and you're doing this. 580 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: It was like, Okay, I got this offer to do 581 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:40,160 Speaker 1: a play. I'm going to go to San Francisco for 582 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 1: three months in the middle of pilot season. And she's like, yeah, 583 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: go for it. There will always be a pilot season. 584 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: You're not gonna miss anything, you know. And so, by 585 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:54,160 Speaker 1: the grace of God, I just kept getting these people 586 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: and these experiences that helped me to get to where 587 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: I needed to be to audition for Luke Cage and 588 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:05,520 Speaker 1: eventually land that job. And that to happen when you 589 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 1: auditioned for the role of Misty Night, Is it true 590 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:14,319 Speaker 1: that you didn't know you were auditioning for a Marvel character? Yes, 591 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: get out of your How does that even work? The 592 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:23,320 Speaker 1: power of an ind a and a hungry actor who 593 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: asks no questions. I asked no questions, and I'm sure 594 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:35,279 Speaker 1: that the majority of the women who were considered for 595 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:37,480 Speaker 1: that role or who we're going in for it had 596 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 1: way more understanding of what this was like. I can't 597 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:45,200 Speaker 1: imagine my people today going, yeah, it's just just put 598 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,279 Speaker 1: yourself on tape for this and you know them not 599 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 1: saying just trust us, right, and them not saying, okay, 600 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:52,880 Speaker 1: so we have the inside scoop. This is going to 601 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:54,800 Speaker 1: be the new Marvel, you know, but they're not talking 602 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: about it. It was just like, okay, here's this job. 603 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 1: Sign this India and put yourself on tape in your 604 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: living room, and that is what happened. And I still 605 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:12,080 Speaker 1: did not know until it got down to the call 606 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:16,640 Speaker 1: back that it was for Marvel. But I had no 607 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: idea that it was for a superhero. I just knew 608 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: that it was some series that they were doing on 609 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,800 Speaker 1: Netflix and that was it. And had this was before 610 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:29,360 Speaker 1: Daredevil came out, I think so, or no Dear Devil 611 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:33,280 Speaker 1: was out, but there was that. I wasn't doing recon 612 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:37,839 Speaker 1: on this because up to that point, I would, you know, 613 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 1: audition for things that you knew they already had and 614 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: offer out, or I would get wind of something, and 615 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 1: by the time I found out about it, it was 616 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: already cast. So there was no impetus on my part 617 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 1: to put more into this than just the audition. And 618 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:02,920 Speaker 1: I had no clue you know who she who she was, 619 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,719 Speaker 1: and I definitely you know, didn't know how big the 620 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:08,319 Speaker 1: potential this was. I was just like, oh, you know, 621 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:13,120 Speaker 1: let me go in and impress the casting director, because 622 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:18,160 Speaker 1: the chances of this going beyond that maybe not, you know, 623 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:22,279 Speaker 1: up to that point. And it was funny my when 624 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 1: I first put myself on tape, this was the first 625 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:27,279 Speaker 1: time that I had worn my hair naturally curly, and 626 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 1: I don't know why I did that. I was just 627 00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:33,360 Speaker 1: like fucking because so often, as an actress, especially actress 628 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:36,480 Speaker 1: of color, so much ship is about the way that 629 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:40,720 Speaker 1: you look. But then the way that your hair looks 630 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:44,880 Speaker 1: for a black woman is like that times ten. It's like, 631 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,840 Speaker 1: you know, I have friends who are not black, but 632 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:51,120 Speaker 1: their actresses, and you know, they deal with the same 633 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:53,440 Speaker 1: like what should I do? Wi should I wear? How 634 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:55,240 Speaker 1: should I look? How do I want to present myself? 635 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:56,920 Speaker 1: And then when you're a black woman, it's like should 636 00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: I have my hair curl er straight? Should it be 637 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 1: a weaver or a wig? Should you know? All of 638 00:40:01,239 --> 00:40:04,680 Speaker 1: these things that are the dumbest things to have to 639 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 1: focus on. But so often people are not creative and 640 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:12,560 Speaker 1: they don't imagine, and so you have to imagine for them. 641 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:15,319 Speaker 1: And so for some reason, I was like, I'm going 642 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:19,319 Speaker 1: to wear my hair naturally curly and I remember my 643 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:21,720 Speaker 1: manager called me up after I said to the tape. 644 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: She was like, honey, that was great and your hair 645 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:29,080 Speaker 1: I love it. And I was like, okay, Stephanie, thank you. 646 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:33,319 Speaker 1: Didn't okay, but she was so excited about it and 647 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,560 Speaker 1: so excited about the audition, And up to that point 648 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: she had never done that about any any audition that 649 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:40,480 Speaker 1: I had sent her. She had never called me up 650 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 1: excited about it. And I was like, that's that's different, 651 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,600 Speaker 1: not because she didn't believe in me, not because you know, 652 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:48,719 Speaker 1: it just wasn't she had never done it before. And 653 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:53,120 Speaker 1: so a couple weeks later I got a call and 654 00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,800 Speaker 1: and put that audition right out of my head. Didn't 655 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,400 Speaker 1: think anything of it. A couple of weeks later, I 656 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:00,080 Speaker 1: got a call saying they wanted to see me in 657 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:04,000 Speaker 1: and everybody was super excited, and I was like, why, 658 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:07,920 Speaker 1: Because up to that point, I had done a co 659 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:14,359 Speaker 1: star on Scandal, co star on Ray Donovan, you know, 660 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:18,399 Speaker 1: just aligne here, a couple of lines there, nothing that 661 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:22,000 Speaker 1: was so earth shattering, and so I was surprised at 662 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:25,839 Speaker 1: how excited everyone was. And at the same time, I 663 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 1: was in rehearsal for a play that was opening up 664 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:31,160 Speaker 1: and I was in tech week, so I was tired, 665 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:32,960 Speaker 1: and I was you know, I had no time to 666 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 1: really focus and think about and ask those questions like 667 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:38,840 Speaker 1: what is it and did you find none of that. 668 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, I have to go on stage in a 669 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:44,000 Speaker 1: few days and be completely you know, locked into this character. 670 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: So I'm glad everybody's really excited about this mystery project 671 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:49,040 Speaker 1: that I don't know what it is. But I got 672 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 1: other stuff to do. And then, because of how small 673 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:58,000 Speaker 1: Hollywood is, my husband started getting you know, word of 674 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:02,240 Speaker 1: what this was. Oh, this is a Marvel project. Oh 675 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:07,560 Speaker 1: these people are doing this, and I was like, shut up, 676 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:09,960 Speaker 1: I don't want to hear and tell it. Don't tell 677 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:12,439 Speaker 1: me anything. I don't want to be stressed about it. 678 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: And every day he would come and say, just like 679 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:18,240 Speaker 1: a little thing because he's just so excited about stuff. 680 00:42:18,239 --> 00:42:21,560 Speaker 1: So he would go, Okay, they were thinking about such 681 00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:24,120 Speaker 1: and such for the role, but they didn't go with 682 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,879 Speaker 1: that person because they're looking for unknown. That's all I'm 683 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,600 Speaker 1: gonna say. I gotta go by. Because that was his 684 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:31,640 Speaker 1: way of making me think like, oh, you got a 685 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:35,680 Speaker 1: shot at this. And I was like, don't tell me anything, 686 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:38,879 Speaker 1: Like I don't want to hear any of it. And 687 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:45,120 Speaker 1: so the day before my audition, I got violently bill. 688 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:50,799 Speaker 1: I got this crazy summer flu cold. Not a flu, 689 00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:54,160 Speaker 1: thank god, but like this this cold that just racked me. 690 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,279 Speaker 1: I was I mean I could. I was like, I 691 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,239 Speaker 1: have no understanding of how I'm going to go in 692 00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 1: here and do this performance. And I was taking like 693 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:12,080 Speaker 1: everything everything. And the day before I called my manager 694 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:14,160 Speaker 1: and I was like, UM, I need you to see 695 00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:17,640 Speaker 1: if we could push the audition later into the day 696 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:21,480 Speaker 1: because I just don't even know. I'm I'm about to 697 00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:23,799 Speaker 1: lose my voice because the play had opened and so 698 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:27,600 Speaker 1: I had done three days of performances and my voice 699 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,719 Speaker 1: was almost completely gone, and so I spent that whole 700 00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 1: Monday just on vocal rest, not talking, and so I 701 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:35,640 Speaker 1: was like, I need you to see if you could 702 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:37,840 Speaker 1: push back. She's like okay. So then she called me 703 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: back and she's like, UM, so they can't push her 704 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,840 Speaker 1: back too much because they aren't seeing a lot of people. 705 00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:47,400 Speaker 1: And I was like, huh, that's right, Okay, I'm not 706 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:49,080 Speaker 1: gonna think about that. I'm not gonna think about that. 707 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:52,279 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna down a nation day quill. And so 708 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,680 Speaker 1: I went in that morning and I just I just 709 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:58,640 Speaker 1: prayed to God, just give me ten minutes. All I 710 00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 1: need is ten And it's just ten minutes with my 711 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:04,520 Speaker 1: nose not running, ten minutes with me not you know, 712 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:08,080 Speaker 1: hacking and coughing up. I just need ten minutes. And 713 00:44:08,120 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 1: I went in and it was at Lory Mayfield's office, 714 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:17,200 Speaker 1: and there was the head of Marvel TV, one of 715 00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 1: the execit Marvel the show creator, another EP who I 716 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:25,920 Speaker 1: knew but had never he had never seen me act before. 717 00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 1: He was he was someone who had worked with my 718 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:31,000 Speaker 1: husband before, and so we knew one another but had 719 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:38,439 Speaker 1: no real like relationship in that way. And me and 720 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:42,920 Speaker 1: you know, I go in and I'm like completely cloudy, 721 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:48,680 Speaker 1: heads stuffed up nose and they're like you ready, yep, okay, 722 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:53,200 Speaker 1: and I did you know each scene? Did it one time? 723 00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:56,680 Speaker 1: They were like okay, can you do it like this? 724 00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:59,680 Speaker 1: And I was like, sure, didn't like that. We're like, 725 00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 1: I think we've seen all we need. Cool, do you 726 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:03,880 Speaker 1: want to go into the next nage? Sure? I was 727 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:09,400 Speaker 1: cool as a cucumber because I was sick, like unbelievably sick. 728 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:14,799 Speaker 1: And you know, for whatever reason that works in a 729 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:17,759 Speaker 1: way that you know, only God knows, and so I 730 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:22,000 Speaker 1: was not nervous at all at all. And as I'm 731 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:25,880 Speaker 1: as I'm leaving, the Ray runs up after me, and 732 00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:28,000 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my god, this is that moment that 733 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:30,360 Speaker 1: every actor talks about when the casting director comes up 734 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:33,640 Speaker 1: and they're like, you killed that audition, you were amazing, 735 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:42,279 Speaker 1: thank you, and really she goes your husband's agents and 736 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:46,279 Speaker 1: starts going off because my husband was up for a 737 00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:49,680 Speaker 1: role on the show and there was some breakdown and 738 00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:57,560 Speaker 1: communication and he booked another show and she was pissed 739 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:00,879 Speaker 1: because she was like, we wanted him for this, and 740 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:04,480 Speaker 1: so she comes up and for three minutes she's going 741 00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:08,640 Speaker 1: on about how how his people dropped the ball and 742 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:15,120 Speaker 1: said nothing about and I was like, great, thanks, It's 743 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:19,240 Speaker 1: pretty typical for my career at this point, no reason 744 00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 1: to question it any more than anything else. And then 745 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:26,400 Speaker 1: I think three days later I found out that I 746 00:46:26,400 --> 00:46:30,239 Speaker 1: got the job, and I was in the middle of 747 00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:35,600 Speaker 1: recording a seven page audition for another show and was 748 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:38,440 Speaker 1: killing myself to get it uploaded in time, and my 749 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:40,880 Speaker 1: manager called me up and she's like, honey, I'm I 750 00:46:40,960 --> 00:46:44,520 Speaker 1: just have to tell you you're you're killing yourself to 751 00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:48,000 Speaker 1: to get this audition up, you booked the role, your 752 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:50,160 Speaker 1: you're you know you book roll. And then I got 753 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:52,719 Speaker 1: the call from the head of Marvel and he's like, 754 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:55,839 Speaker 1: congratulations you are Missy Night. And I'm like writing down, 755 00:46:56,040 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: Missy Night things to google later because I had no 756 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:02,960 Speaker 1: clue who this character was really, who is that? Who 757 00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 1: is that? And I'm not asking him that, I'm like, 758 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:08,319 Speaker 1: what this is amazing, look it up later. And so 759 00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:11,880 Speaker 1: when I saw what I couldn't believe it. I couldn't 760 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:16,080 Speaker 1: believe it. And she's the first black female ever drawn 761 00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:19,880 Speaker 1: for Marvel, the first black female superhero in a TV series. 762 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:24,520 Speaker 1: I mean, what a what a space to step into, 763 00:47:24,680 --> 00:47:31,960 Speaker 1: what power to step into? Yeah, I still you know, 764 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: it's one of those things where you think about all 765 00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:37,040 Speaker 1: the all the things and the experiences and the moments 766 00:47:37,080 --> 00:47:39,200 Speaker 1: to bring you to certain things in your life that 767 00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:44,200 Speaker 1: you are prepared for. When the animators who originally drew 768 00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:48,520 Speaker 1: this character drew her, she was from Detroit and she 769 00:47:48,719 --> 00:47:53,200 Speaker 1: was living in Harlem because Rvil Jones, one of the 770 00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:58,560 Speaker 1: UH animators, is from Detroit, and so you know, when 771 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:04,359 Speaker 1: Missy and I was for crafted some decade and a 772 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 1: half or you know, however, many years before I was 773 00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:10,960 Speaker 1: even born. This is where she was and this is 774 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:12,719 Speaker 1: where she was from. And I was like, there are 775 00:48:12,719 --> 00:48:16,480 Speaker 1: no accidents, there are no coincidences, there are no you know, 776 00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:18,319 Speaker 1: there are things that are meant for you. And I 777 00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:23,880 Speaker 1: think had I really understood that in the first decade 778 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:26,799 Speaker 1: of being in l A. You know, I knew it. 779 00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:30,840 Speaker 1: I would say it to myself often, but it's hard 780 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:35,040 Speaker 1: to truly believe it when you are constantly confronted with no, 781 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:39,879 Speaker 1: not yet, not this, and yeah sure. If someone had 782 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:43,239 Speaker 1: told me when I landed in l A, just give 783 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:45,759 Speaker 1: it ten years and it's going to happen for you, 784 00:48:46,320 --> 00:48:48,560 Speaker 1: I would go, Okay, I'll sign up for that. I 785 00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:52,480 Speaker 1: know it, Okay, sure. And my mom was like, you know, 786 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:55,239 Speaker 1: just the wonderful, supportive mother that she was. She would 787 00:48:55,239 --> 00:48:58,840 Speaker 1: send me these articles about different actresses who had taken 788 00:48:59,800 --> 00:49:02,640 Speaker 1: a nine ten years to really happen before. She's like, 789 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:05,080 Speaker 1: you know, Laura Lenny took her ten years before she 790 00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:08,640 Speaker 1: really took off. You know, Amy Adams took her almost 791 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:11,120 Speaker 1: a decade. And she would tell me about these people 792 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:13,440 Speaker 1: and I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, mom, thanks, sure, 793 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:15,360 Speaker 1: But I thought that I was going to be famous 794 00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:17,200 Speaker 1: by twenty eight, So you're kind of, you know, not 795 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:22,760 Speaker 1: really helping with my timeline. I appreciate and so I 796 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:27,839 Speaker 1: you know, but when I think about every experience, is 797 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:30,680 Speaker 1: every experience that I had that prepared me for that role, 798 00:49:30,760 --> 00:49:34,480 Speaker 1: I'm so infinitely thankful for it. Um just down to 799 00:49:34,640 --> 00:49:38,120 Speaker 1: minor things. You know, they had written in the script 800 00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:41,799 Speaker 1: that Misty's you know, she rolls up on a basketball 801 00:49:41,840 --> 00:49:47,160 Speaker 1: court and she challenges this young kid that she's questioning 802 00:49:47,239 --> 00:49:51,480 Speaker 1: to a game. Of course, they had no clue that 803 00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:55,960 Speaker 1: I had played basketball. They had no clue that I, 804 00:49:56,280 --> 00:50:02,040 Speaker 1: you know, I knew anything about it. And so when 805 00:50:02,080 --> 00:50:07,799 Speaker 1: it happened on set, they they you know, they had 806 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:12,240 Speaker 1: written this scene. They hired me a basketball coach, and 807 00:50:12,520 --> 00:50:16,240 Speaker 1: she was this, you know, former n C double A champ, 808 00:50:17,080 --> 00:50:20,400 Speaker 1: and she and I are just hanging out in Harlem 809 00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:23,319 Speaker 1: and she's like, oh, you don't need me, and I 810 00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:25,280 Speaker 1: was like, yeah, but you might as well get paid 811 00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:28,560 Speaker 1: for it, why not? And so I said, do me 812 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:32,520 Speaker 1: a favor, though, don't say anything to them about you know, 813 00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:34,200 Speaker 1: whether or not a complaint. She was like, got it. 814 00:50:34,840 --> 00:50:39,440 Speaker 1: And so the day of she's on set dressed to 815 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:41,839 Speaker 1: look like me. They put you know that they did 816 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,920 Speaker 1: her hair and all the whole nine. And I'm on 817 00:50:45,040 --> 00:50:49,400 Speaker 1: set and we shoot the scene and first take nail. 818 00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:54,400 Speaker 1: That shot nothing but net that they yelled cut and 819 00:50:54,520 --> 00:51:00,600 Speaker 1: the entire crew goes crazy because they are all expecting 820 00:51:00,640 --> 00:51:04,360 Speaker 1: for me to like two hand chest push, you know, 821 00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:09,120 Speaker 1: look like a fleet athletic nerd. And they were like, 822 00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:11,600 Speaker 1: oh my god, I can't believe this. You know how 823 00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:13,680 Speaker 1: to play basketball. I was like, Yeah, why didn't you 824 00:51:13,680 --> 00:51:16,360 Speaker 1: tell us? Why didn't you assume that I could? Or 825 00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:19,719 Speaker 1: why didn't you ask? But did you ask? Yes, I 826 00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:23,719 Speaker 1: can busk. So that was, you know, one of those 827 00:51:23,719 --> 00:51:26,840 Speaker 1: things where it's like, yeah, when your dad was telling 828 00:51:26,840 --> 00:51:30,399 Speaker 1: you you had to pick something and and made sure 829 00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:32,560 Speaker 1: that you stuck with basketball, those are one of that. 830 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:34,279 Speaker 1: That was one of those things that just prepared you 831 00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:38,960 Speaker 1: for this. And so I, you know, I'm so thankful 832 00:51:39,120 --> 00:51:42,719 Speaker 1: that it took ten years, so thankful that once it happened, 833 00:51:43,239 --> 00:51:45,680 Speaker 1: I was so aware of all of the time and 834 00:51:45,719 --> 00:51:50,960 Speaker 1: prayer and hard work and sacrifice that I had experience. 835 00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:54,320 Speaker 1: I didn't take it for granted. I showed up every 836 00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:58,879 Speaker 1: day positive, thankful, excited, And the same thing is true 837 00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:03,080 Speaker 1: on all rise. You know, who would say that five 838 00:52:03,160 --> 00:52:05,879 Speaker 1: years from that I would be the lead of my 839 00:52:05,920 --> 00:52:10,719 Speaker 1: own show on CBS, the first black female lead of 840 00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:15,000 Speaker 1: a show on CBS. Who, Yes, I would never I 841 00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:19,320 Speaker 1: would never think that, And yet all of those nose 842 00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:24,239 Speaker 1: got me to hear. And so I'm so thankful for 843 00:52:24,320 --> 00:52:27,839 Speaker 1: every note. I'm so thankful for every agent that was like, 844 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:34,000 Speaker 1: not really our thing, every casting director that ignored my 845 00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:39,839 Speaker 1: you know, submission, every single you know, just no, I'm 846 00:52:39,960 --> 00:52:43,440 Speaker 1: so happy for it because I would not be where 847 00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:46,120 Speaker 1: I am and I would not appreciate it in the 848 00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:49,040 Speaker 1: way that I do, and I would not you know, 849 00:52:50,080 --> 00:52:53,520 Speaker 1: every person that comes to set, I try my hardest 850 00:52:54,239 --> 00:52:59,080 Speaker 1: to make them feel comfortable and safe and respected. We 851 00:52:59,200 --> 00:53:04,080 Speaker 1: have a crew and a cast that just leads in love. 852 00:53:04,880 --> 00:53:08,440 Speaker 1: You know, there is no you know, you hear about 853 00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:12,239 Speaker 1: awful actors who might be the leads of shows who 854 00:53:12,239 --> 00:53:14,880 Speaker 1: are like, yeah, my standing can be there for your coverage, 855 00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:18,440 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna I'm gonna go off and being my trailer. 856 00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,640 Speaker 1: Good luck, or they don't talk to the people who 857 00:53:21,640 --> 00:53:24,399 Speaker 1: they're working with, or you know, we try to make 858 00:53:24,400 --> 00:53:28,279 Speaker 1: everyone feel like they're part of the family because they are, 859 00:53:28,960 --> 00:53:36,279 Speaker 1: and that comes from being on set and working background. 860 00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:39,680 Speaker 1: You know, I did background. I remember I did one 861 00:53:39,719 --> 00:53:43,279 Speaker 1: background job when I was when I first moved out 862 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:46,480 Speaker 1: to l A. And I said, oh, I don't ever 863 00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:49,840 Speaker 1: have to do this. I've learned all I needed to 864 00:53:49,920 --> 00:53:53,480 Speaker 1: learn bout this. This is so crushing. And then when 865 00:53:53,520 --> 00:53:55,799 Speaker 1: things weren't happening, I was like, well, maybe I have 866 00:53:55,880 --> 00:54:01,440 Speaker 1: a a false sense of how wonderful I am or 867 00:54:01,520 --> 00:54:04,160 Speaker 1: how to behave on set. Maybe I need to be 868 00:54:04,239 --> 00:54:06,560 Speaker 1: around people who are doing it professionally. And so I 869 00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:11,880 Speaker 1: did three background jobs the year that I booked Blue 870 00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:14,760 Speaker 1: Cage because I said, maybe I got it wrong, Maybe 871 00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:19,440 Speaker 1: I don't know. And I got there and I was like, nope, 872 00:54:19,480 --> 00:54:23,279 Speaker 1: I do know. I'm good. But I remember having an 873 00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:26,840 Speaker 1: experience with an actor and now I cannot remember the 874 00:54:26,920 --> 00:54:30,480 Speaker 1: name of the show. Crap it was. It was a 875 00:54:30,520 --> 00:54:37,360 Speaker 1: show on HBO and it was starring Amanda Pete and 876 00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:40,799 Speaker 1: it was about these four friends who lived in l 877 00:54:40,840 --> 00:54:45,440 Speaker 1: A got a togetherness. Maybe yes, okay, so it was 878 00:54:45,480 --> 00:54:49,720 Speaker 1: together and the actor on the show, I don't recall 879 00:54:49,800 --> 00:54:52,880 Speaker 1: his name, but he played the actor the guy that 880 00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:56,440 Speaker 1: wanted to be the professional actor. And I got cast 881 00:54:56,680 --> 00:55:01,520 Speaker 1: to be an extra in a seen on a day 882 00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:05,319 Speaker 1: where he finally gets his first big job and he's 883 00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:08,640 Speaker 1: on this vampire pilot or a vampire show and he's 884 00:55:08,680 --> 00:55:15,960 Speaker 1: super excited. And that guy was like the nicest person 885 00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:20,360 Speaker 1: to the background actors. And here I am trying to 886 00:55:20,440 --> 00:55:23,040 Speaker 1: hide because I'm like, first of all, I'm still a 887 00:55:23,080 --> 00:55:26,480 Speaker 1: professional actor, and I know that eventually I'm gonna be 888 00:55:26,520 --> 00:55:28,839 Speaker 1: on the other side of that, so I don't want 889 00:55:28,840 --> 00:55:30,759 Speaker 1: to be seen. I don't I'm not the person who's 890 00:55:30,760 --> 00:55:32,400 Speaker 1: trying to say hey, I was the person who was 891 00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:34,000 Speaker 1: trying to hide, and they were like, no, you, we 892 00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:36,760 Speaker 1: want you to be the person walking by the front 893 00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:39,080 Speaker 1: of the camera on this moment, and I was like crap. 894 00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:43,640 Speaker 1: And I remember he came up to me and he's like, 895 00:55:43,880 --> 00:55:48,600 Speaker 1: what's your what's your name? What's your character name? That 896 00:55:48,719 --> 00:55:50,480 Speaker 1: he knows I'm background, he knows I don't have a 897 00:55:50,560 --> 00:55:53,560 Speaker 1: damn name. I am extra number five And he's like, 898 00:55:53,560 --> 00:55:56,880 Speaker 1: what's your character dame? And I was like, I forget 899 00:55:56,920 --> 00:56:00,320 Speaker 1: what I said, but let's say I said Lily. He's like, okay, cool. 900 00:56:00,600 --> 00:56:05,120 Speaker 1: He goes back to his one he's walking through. He's like, hey, litly, 901 00:56:05,200 --> 00:56:09,440 Speaker 1: how you doing. And it was just the idea that 902 00:56:09,920 --> 00:56:12,400 Speaker 1: he was aware that we were all in there together, 903 00:56:12,600 --> 00:56:15,960 Speaker 1: that we're all working together, that we are all a 904 00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:20,600 Speaker 1: part of making this art, and that humility and generosity 905 00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:24,960 Speaker 1: of spirit I have carried everywhere that I've gone. You know, 906 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:29,760 Speaker 1: I don't look at our background actors is just human props, 907 00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:32,640 Speaker 1: because I know what it feels like to be treated 908 00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:36,120 Speaker 1: like a human prop. And so I, you know, just 909 00:56:36,200 --> 00:56:39,959 Speaker 1: really appreciate having all of those experiences that have made 910 00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:44,359 Speaker 1: all of this that much sweeter. Mm hmm. I love that, 911 00:56:44,760 --> 00:56:47,719 Speaker 1: and that stuff lasts. I've a couple of months ago 912 00:56:47,760 --> 00:56:50,560 Speaker 1: a friend of mine had a birthday party when we 913 00:56:50,600 --> 00:56:55,920 Speaker 1: could still be social, and this young guy comes up 914 00:56:55,920 --> 00:56:58,600 Speaker 1: to me and it was like such a It was 915 00:56:58,640 --> 00:57:00,440 Speaker 1: a moment because I knew I knew him, and I 916 00:57:00,440 --> 00:57:04,400 Speaker 1: couldn't think of why for a minute. And he runs 917 00:57:04,440 --> 00:57:06,239 Speaker 1: up and he goes, hey, do you remember me? And 918 00:57:06,280 --> 00:57:08,960 Speaker 1: I was like yes from the and he and he 919 00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:11,319 Speaker 1: tells me the episode of my show that he had 920 00:57:11,320 --> 00:57:12,640 Speaker 1: done with me, and I was like, oh, my god, 921 00:57:12,680 --> 00:57:16,880 Speaker 1: of course, and you're you're bigger, Like how old are you? 922 00:57:16,920 --> 00:57:20,040 Speaker 1: What's going on? And he had guest starred on my 923 00:57:20,080 --> 00:57:24,200 Speaker 1: show in Chicago, and he was this beautiful kid and 924 00:57:24,200 --> 00:57:29,080 Speaker 1: we had this really gnarly episode together and you know, 925 00:57:29,160 --> 00:57:31,840 Speaker 1: he was I think he was like sixteen or seventeen 926 00:57:31,880 --> 00:57:35,920 Speaker 1: at the time, alone in Chicago for a week, and 927 00:57:36,160 --> 00:57:40,120 Speaker 1: we were talking about storytelling and I was telling him about, 928 00:57:40,360 --> 00:57:43,439 Speaker 1: you know, some of my favorite things on NPR and 929 00:57:43,440 --> 00:57:46,480 Speaker 1: and this this storytelling night called the Moth, you know 930 00:57:46,520 --> 00:57:49,360 Speaker 1: that moves around and you know the Moth and it's 931 00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:52,160 Speaker 1: like so amazing, and it was happening in Chicago that week, 932 00:57:52,200 --> 00:57:54,280 Speaker 1: and he was like, I've never heard of this. This 933 00:57:54,360 --> 00:57:56,600 Speaker 1: sounds so cool. And so one night after work, I 934 00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:00,560 Speaker 1: took him to see the Moth with me, and he 935 00:58:00,760 --> 00:58:03,720 Speaker 1: was like that changed everything for me. Like that got 936 00:58:03,720 --> 00:58:06,720 Speaker 1: me into you know these things and these authors and 937 00:58:06,760 --> 00:58:09,480 Speaker 1: now I listen to these podcasts and and we just 938 00:58:09,600 --> 00:58:13,760 Speaker 1: I like almost cried, and and you know, he was 939 00:58:13,800 --> 00:58:16,880 Speaker 1: this lovely kid who guest starred for one episode. But 940 00:58:16,920 --> 00:58:22,200 Speaker 1: like we will always have each other's backs, Like I 941 00:58:22,280 --> 00:58:24,760 Speaker 1: watch what he does and he supports my work, and 942 00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:31,480 Speaker 1: we have such an opportunity as storytellers to do that 943 00:58:31,560 --> 00:58:34,840 Speaker 1: for each other. And then I know what it is 944 00:58:34,880 --> 00:58:37,080 Speaker 1: to go and you know, guests are on a friends 945 00:58:37,120 --> 00:58:39,600 Speaker 1: show and go play with them for an episode, and 946 00:58:39,640 --> 00:58:42,840 Speaker 1: how amazing it feels to be welcomed in other people's spaces. 947 00:58:43,000 --> 00:58:48,000 Speaker 1: And it's it's really magical. You know what what we 948 00:58:48,080 --> 00:58:51,320 Speaker 1: get to do is it's crazy and it's weird, and 949 00:58:51,360 --> 00:58:58,320 Speaker 1: it's emotionally insane and all those things, but it's magic too. Yeah, 950 00:58:58,600 --> 00:59:01,640 Speaker 1: And we have a we have an opportunity to affect 951 00:59:01,720 --> 00:59:06,120 Speaker 1: people and more than just then watching us on screen, 952 00:59:06,280 --> 00:59:10,800 Speaker 1: it's the human to human connection. It is the you know, 953 00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:13,840 Speaker 1: the decisions that we make to to treat one another 954 00:59:14,600 --> 00:59:16,760 Speaker 1: with care. And you know, you didn't have to do 955 00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:21,440 Speaker 1: that with him. You didn't have to take him. You know. 956 00:59:22,080 --> 00:59:25,720 Speaker 1: I can't imagine somebody's like, hey, let's go and I'm 957 00:59:25,760 --> 00:59:30,520 Speaker 1: like what, yes, And yet you know, it was that 958 00:59:30,520 --> 00:59:33,280 Speaker 1: that changed the trajectory of so many things for him. 959 00:59:33,360 --> 00:59:37,640 Speaker 1: And so we get the opportunity to do that, and 960 00:59:37,680 --> 00:59:44,120 Speaker 1: we're just lucky. We're so lucky. We think about the 961 00:59:44,160 --> 00:59:49,000 Speaker 1: opportunity to invest in people and grow alongside people and 962 00:59:49,080 --> 00:59:52,200 Speaker 1: learn with people that I think we're so lucky to 963 00:59:52,280 --> 00:59:55,680 Speaker 1: have as actors because really it's our job to investigate, 964 00:59:55,960 --> 01:00:01,880 Speaker 1: you know, and to learn what has play being judge, Lola, 965 01:00:02,160 --> 01:00:04,760 Speaker 1: what is that taught you or or opened up for 966 01:00:04,800 --> 01:00:09,400 Speaker 1: you about the legal system? You know, are are the 967 01:00:09,400 --> 01:00:11,280 Speaker 1: stories you guys tell on the show? Are they based 968 01:00:11,320 --> 01:00:14,640 Speaker 1: on real cases? How? How has it kind of affected 969 01:00:14,640 --> 01:00:19,560 Speaker 1: your lens? So some of them are based on real 970 01:00:19,600 --> 01:00:25,080 Speaker 1: cases and what they've chosen to do. The writers do 971 01:00:25,200 --> 01:00:29,360 Speaker 1: not pick, you know, those big headline stories. They're the 972 01:00:29,440 --> 01:00:34,400 Speaker 1: things that are buried. It's a small bit on you know, 973 01:00:34,840 --> 01:00:40,840 Speaker 1: the seventh page of you know, the new section. And 974 01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:47,400 Speaker 1: I think what Lola has interestingly taught me, you know, 975 01:00:47,480 --> 01:00:52,439 Speaker 1: I've gotten to play these two strong women between Miss 976 01:00:52,600 --> 01:00:57,200 Speaker 1: Knight and Lola Carmichael, that have this sense of justice, 977 01:00:57,520 --> 01:01:03,600 Speaker 1: have this desire to work with in the criminal justice system, 978 01:01:03,640 --> 01:01:12,840 Speaker 1: and believe in it, like wholeheartedly, believe in the foundations 979 01:01:12,880 --> 01:01:16,200 Speaker 1: of it and what it is able to do, and 980 01:01:16,240 --> 01:01:20,040 Speaker 1: how they can work within it to uphold it and 981 01:01:20,120 --> 01:01:23,440 Speaker 1: to change it for the better. That is not simone, 982 01:01:23,920 --> 01:01:27,080 Speaker 1: you know, that is not me. I look at the 983 01:01:27,160 --> 01:01:32,480 Speaker 1: problems that exist and in a way feel helpless, in 984 01:01:32,520 --> 01:01:36,080 Speaker 1: a way, feels like I'm not doing enough. And I 985 01:01:36,160 --> 01:01:39,320 Speaker 1: recognize that. Okay, as a storyteller, that is the way 986 01:01:39,320 --> 01:01:42,720 Speaker 1: that I can contribute to a certain extent is to 987 01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:48,440 Speaker 1: tell these stories that highlight the injustice within our justice system. 988 01:01:48,480 --> 01:01:54,040 Speaker 1: But what is so cool about Lola is this is 989 01:01:54,080 --> 01:01:57,920 Speaker 1: a woman who comes from an activist family. You know, 990 01:01:57,920 --> 01:02:05,160 Speaker 1: her mother's activists commune to the ground ground through activism, 991 01:02:05,280 --> 01:02:09,760 Speaker 1: and she goes off and becomes a deputy district attorney, 992 01:02:09,840 --> 01:02:18,960 Speaker 1: like the antithesis of grassroots mobilization for activism, and it creates, 993 01:02:19,480 --> 01:02:24,120 Speaker 1: you know, some real problems in their relationship. But what 994 01:02:24,880 --> 01:02:27,480 Speaker 1: the Lola tries to explain to her mother, and what 995 01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:31,439 Speaker 1: you see her explain to other characters, and what her 996 01:02:31,560 --> 01:02:34,880 Speaker 1: character explained to me is that when you are in 997 01:02:34,960 --> 01:02:40,960 Speaker 1: that position, you get to determine who gets charged and 998 01:02:41,160 --> 01:02:44,440 Speaker 1: with what. And it was a concept I had never 999 01:02:44,480 --> 01:02:47,080 Speaker 1: thought about. You know, I always thought, I feel like 1000 01:02:47,120 --> 01:02:49,080 Speaker 1: every actor at one point is like, well, I could 1001 01:02:49,120 --> 01:02:53,200 Speaker 1: be a lawyer. So you know, of course you're thinking, 1002 01:02:53,240 --> 01:02:56,400 Speaker 1: if I were a lawyer, I would be a public defender. 1003 01:02:56,680 --> 01:02:58,400 Speaker 1: I would, you know, be the person looking out with 1004 01:02:58,440 --> 01:03:01,840 Speaker 1: a little guy. I be the person trying to overturn 1005 01:03:02,080 --> 01:03:06,480 Speaker 1: you know, a wrongful conviction. And yet Lola comes from 1006 01:03:06,480 --> 01:03:09,560 Speaker 1: a position of I can make sure that this person 1007 01:03:09,600 --> 01:03:12,840 Speaker 1: doesn't get wrongfully convicted in the first place, I can 1008 01:03:12,880 --> 01:03:15,160 Speaker 1: make sure that if they if the evidence comes to 1009 01:03:15,160 --> 01:03:19,560 Speaker 1: me and it's flimsy, I'm not charging this person knowing 1010 01:03:19,600 --> 01:03:24,000 Speaker 1: that they probably didn't do it. And I'm not definitely 1011 01:03:24,000 --> 01:03:28,440 Speaker 1: not overcharging someone who I know that is that they 1012 01:03:28,480 --> 01:03:33,560 Speaker 1: are caught up in a system that wants to, you know, 1013 01:03:33,840 --> 01:03:39,800 Speaker 1: maximize the profit on poor people, you know. And so 1014 01:03:40,720 --> 01:03:48,640 Speaker 1: she definitely has illuminated a lot of things in that aspect. Now, granted, 1015 01:03:48,680 --> 01:03:51,160 Speaker 1: she is a character, and there are a lot of 1016 01:03:51,200 --> 01:03:56,280 Speaker 1: deputy district attorneys that are doing this for the political 1017 01:03:56,520 --> 01:04:00,320 Speaker 1: and career advancement, and they know that the more people 1018 01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:04,960 Speaker 1: that they charge, the higher their clear instrates. Look, you know, 1019 01:04:05,160 --> 01:04:10,200 Speaker 1: that's what is great about watching The Wire all over again. 1020 01:04:11,240 --> 01:04:15,080 Speaker 1: You see in season one, you know, there's this great 1021 01:04:15,120 --> 01:04:20,160 Speaker 1: scene with McNulty and the woman who plays the lawyer 1022 01:04:20,240 --> 01:04:23,160 Speaker 1: where he's like, if if more of you didn't care 1023 01:04:23,280 --> 01:04:28,440 Speaker 1: about your careers, perhaps we could actually do our jobs. 1024 01:04:28,880 --> 01:04:32,800 Speaker 1: Perhaps we could actually charge the people that need to 1025 01:04:32,840 --> 01:04:35,080 Speaker 1: be charged, put the people away that need to be 1026 01:04:35,120 --> 01:04:39,760 Speaker 1: put away, without worrying about pissing off the person who 1027 01:04:39,840 --> 01:04:42,160 Speaker 1: is the head of this association. That will help you 1028 01:04:42,200 --> 01:04:45,960 Speaker 1: get to the next level in your career, and so 1029 01:04:46,040 --> 01:04:51,800 Speaker 1: many I think people who are in this system and 1030 01:04:51,840 --> 01:04:55,520 Speaker 1: who are lawyers are not doing it for the right reasons. 1031 01:04:55,560 --> 01:04:59,800 Speaker 1: They're not doing it for the purpose of actually seeing justice. 1032 01:04:59,800 --> 01:05:03,200 Speaker 1: So or they are and their sense of justice and 1033 01:05:03,320 --> 01:05:05,800 Speaker 1: understanding comes from a very different perspective from the people 1034 01:05:05,800 --> 01:05:08,440 Speaker 1: who are being taken advantage of that system, you know. 1035 01:05:08,840 --> 01:05:12,800 Speaker 1: And I think that the character and the show really 1036 01:05:12,840 --> 01:05:17,640 Speaker 1: help me to understand that every person is just a 1037 01:05:17,760 --> 01:05:22,000 Speaker 1: human being trying to figure it out, good, bad, or 1038 01:05:22,040 --> 01:05:27,120 Speaker 1: and different. I you know, list into Serial the podcast 1039 01:05:27,480 --> 01:05:31,720 Speaker 1: before we started the show because our Greg you know, 1040 01:05:31,800 --> 01:05:34,320 Speaker 1: our show creator, was like this, a lot of things 1041 01:05:34,360 --> 01:05:37,280 Speaker 1: within this will be explored, and so it's a good 1042 01:05:37,880 --> 01:05:42,360 Speaker 1: podcast to check out. And there were so many different 1043 01:05:42,480 --> 01:05:46,720 Speaker 1: perspectives on that. And being a black woman who comes 1044 01:05:46,840 --> 01:05:51,919 Speaker 1: from uh, you know, Inner City, comes from Detroit, comes 1045 01:05:51,960 --> 01:05:55,960 Speaker 1: from a working class neighborhood, understands you know that when 1046 01:05:56,000 --> 01:06:00,480 Speaker 1: you let a school system and a work industry right up, 1047 01:06:01,040 --> 01:06:04,960 Speaker 1: you basically ensure that people are going to wind up 1048 01:06:04,960 --> 01:06:08,200 Speaker 1: in the criminal justice system, you know, A plus B 1049 01:06:08,240 --> 01:06:11,480 Speaker 1: equal C unless they are very fortunate and lucky to 1050 01:06:11,560 --> 01:06:15,360 Speaker 1: have someone pull them out based on seeing potential in them, 1051 01:06:15,720 --> 01:06:20,040 Speaker 1: as you know, academics or artists or athletes. You know, 1052 01:06:20,120 --> 01:06:22,560 Speaker 1: it's very rare that you can fight yourself out of 1053 01:06:22,600 --> 01:06:26,080 Speaker 1: that if that if that's the playing ground that's set. 1054 01:06:26,880 --> 01:06:30,440 Speaker 1: And so to listen to Cereal, which was set in Cleveland, 1055 01:06:30,480 --> 01:06:34,160 Speaker 1: the city very much like Detroit, and to hear some 1056 01:06:34,320 --> 01:06:40,640 Speaker 1: of these judges and lawyers, and they're just callous disregard 1057 01:06:40,800 --> 01:06:43,080 Speaker 1: for the fact that these decisions that they are making 1058 01:06:43,600 --> 01:06:47,640 Speaker 1: to advance their careers, to line their pockets, get their 1059 01:06:47,720 --> 01:06:52,840 Speaker 1: names in helines, are people's lives. Oh, we'll give him seven, 1060 01:06:53,160 --> 01:06:57,600 Speaker 1: seven years seven. Once in prison changes your life. And 1061 01:06:58,680 --> 01:07:06,000 Speaker 1: you know that the idea of unfairly charging people and 1062 01:07:06,080 --> 01:07:14,280 Speaker 1: knowingly accepting please that were gotten illegally. You know this 1063 01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:17,160 Speaker 1: happens every single day in this country, every single day 1064 01:07:17,360 --> 01:07:21,560 Speaker 1: around the world. And so it is refreshing to be 1065 01:07:21,640 --> 01:07:25,440 Speaker 1: able to play a character that you know it seeks 1066 01:07:25,480 --> 01:07:30,640 Speaker 1: to stop that from happening. But then recognizing issues just 1067 01:07:30,760 --> 01:07:35,760 Speaker 1: one of few, and you know, the show gets the 1068 01:07:35,840 --> 01:07:40,480 Speaker 1: chance to show multiple sides of the same, the same 1069 01:07:41,160 --> 01:07:46,480 Speaker 1: you know situation. Yeah, it's incredible, Yeah, it's really incredible. 1070 01:07:47,520 --> 01:07:52,960 Speaker 1: And as if that weren't enough. Now you're working with 1071 01:07:53,000 --> 01:07:56,920 Speaker 1: Anthony Mackie on the new season of Altered Carbon. I'm 1072 01:07:56,960 --> 01:08:00,320 Speaker 1: also just like, how do you have time to do 1073 01:08:00,480 --> 01:08:02,960 Speaker 1: all of this because you are the lead of a 1074 01:08:03,040 --> 01:08:05,640 Speaker 1: CBS show, and you're just like, Yeah, I played this 1075 01:08:06,000 --> 01:08:09,120 Speaker 1: superhero on Netflix and now I'm doing this dystopian future 1076 01:08:09,120 --> 01:08:17,400 Speaker 1: show on Netflix. Like do you sleep not a lot? Um? 1077 01:08:17,520 --> 01:08:20,759 Speaker 1: What was great about altera Carbon is that happened? Uh 1078 01:08:21,240 --> 01:08:27,840 Speaker 1: while I was I Luke Cage ended and I think 1079 01:08:27,880 --> 01:08:32,000 Speaker 1: October we found out that we weren't coming back or November. 1080 01:08:32,040 --> 01:08:34,120 Speaker 1: I'm still upset about that, by the way, but that's 1081 01:08:34,160 --> 01:08:36,800 Speaker 1: for another day. Yeah I know, me too, me too, 1082 01:08:37,960 --> 01:08:40,559 Speaker 1: And yet here I am so I kick and yeah, 1083 01:08:40,640 --> 01:08:43,360 Speaker 1: here you are. Happens for a reason. And so we 1084 01:08:43,400 --> 01:08:46,720 Speaker 1: found out that that show ended at the you know, 1085 01:08:46,760 --> 01:08:53,480 Speaker 1: in the last quarter of and January twenty nineteen, I 1086 01:08:53,560 --> 01:09:00,160 Speaker 1: get offered the audition and get offered this uh roll 1087 01:09:00,200 --> 01:09:01,640 Speaker 1: on an Altar Carbon, and I was like, oh, this 1088 01:09:01,720 --> 01:09:05,040 Speaker 1: is great. This is a strong woman. You know, she 1089 01:09:05,040 --> 01:09:09,320 Speaker 1: she's not a good guy necessarily, like she's not the 1090 01:09:09,360 --> 01:09:13,320 Speaker 1: whole in her heart and she's you know, she's very 1091 01:09:13,920 --> 01:09:17,680 Speaker 1: singularly focused on making money and doing what she has 1092 01:09:17,720 --> 01:09:20,639 Speaker 1: to do to survive the opposite of missing night, which 1093 01:09:20,680 --> 01:09:25,800 Speaker 1: is great. And I am out shooting that and that's 1094 01:09:25,840 --> 01:09:29,320 Speaker 1: when I get the call about auditioning for All Rise. 1095 01:09:29,439 --> 01:09:33,000 Speaker 1: So it was right in the middle. Everything happened in 1096 01:09:33,040 --> 01:09:36,040 Speaker 1: the middle. And you know, I've talked about this timeline 1097 01:09:36,120 --> 01:09:38,760 Speaker 1: I got. I found out like on a Wednesday that 1098 01:09:38,800 --> 01:09:42,800 Speaker 1: they wanted to see me. I was off that day. 1099 01:09:43,280 --> 01:09:45,439 Speaker 1: Uh No, I found out on a Thursday that they 1100 01:09:45,479 --> 01:09:48,680 Speaker 1: wanted to see me for this job and to be 1101 01:09:48,760 --> 01:09:51,400 Speaker 1: off from Alter Carbon. And I was in the gym 1102 01:09:51,920 --> 01:09:54,360 Speaker 1: and I was like, oh, this is messing up my workout, 1103 01:09:55,040 --> 01:09:58,960 Speaker 1: like just ridiculous. And so I had to, you know, 1104 01:09:59,120 --> 01:10:02,960 Speaker 1: in my workout, ghost shopping in Vancouver to look for 1105 01:10:03,280 --> 01:10:07,639 Speaker 1: pants because I had no lawyer pants, and also learned 1106 01:10:07,680 --> 01:10:11,120 Speaker 1: the lines and talked to the executive producers on the phone, 1107 01:10:11,640 --> 01:10:15,040 Speaker 1: and then I shot all day and night on Friday 1108 01:10:15,160 --> 01:10:17,839 Speaker 1: into like three in the morning. I had action sequence 1109 01:10:17,880 --> 01:10:22,280 Speaker 1: that I was shooting and flew out that morning at 1110 01:10:22,360 --> 01:10:26,640 Speaker 1: six am from Vancouver on Saturday, landed in l A, 1111 01:10:27,400 --> 01:10:31,960 Speaker 1: got a rental car, went to you know, the airbnb 1112 01:10:32,000 --> 01:10:33,800 Speaker 1: my husband and I were staying at, but he was 1113 01:10:33,800 --> 01:10:36,800 Speaker 1: out of town, and so I'm getting dressed in face 1114 01:10:36,880 --> 01:10:39,680 Speaker 1: timing with him to you know, run these lines I 1115 01:10:39,800 --> 01:10:42,800 Speaker 1: just got the day before, you know whatever. And then 1116 01:10:42,800 --> 01:10:46,400 Speaker 1: I go in for this two hour long audition, which 1117 01:10:46,479 --> 01:10:51,680 Speaker 1: was marathon uh in and of itself. Flew back to Vancouver, 1118 01:10:52,600 --> 01:10:56,679 Speaker 1: had that Sunday worked that Monday, found out I booked 1119 01:10:56,680 --> 01:10:59,679 Speaker 1: it on Tuesday, flew back on Wednesday for a table 1120 01:10:59,720 --> 01:11:04,080 Speaker 1: read and fitting, flew back to Vancouver to shoot that Thursday, 1121 01:11:04,120 --> 01:11:07,479 Speaker 1: and flew back to l A to start production that Friday. 1122 01:11:07,520 --> 01:11:11,760 Speaker 1: And so it was all so quick there was no 1123 01:11:11,920 --> 01:11:14,559 Speaker 1: time to think about it. They kept looking at me 1124 01:11:14,720 --> 01:11:18,920 Speaker 1: like are you okay? Because I was so happy and excited. 1125 01:11:19,000 --> 01:11:21,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure they probably thought I had some kind of 1126 01:11:21,439 --> 01:11:26,360 Speaker 1: prescription drug problem because there were no complaints, there was 1127 01:11:26,400 --> 01:11:30,639 Speaker 1: no tiredness. There was. It was like, are you serious. 1128 01:11:30,640 --> 01:11:32,280 Speaker 1: You're giving me the opportunity to be the lead of 1129 01:11:32,320 --> 01:11:34,479 Speaker 1: a show and this character is is cool and this 1130 01:11:34,640 --> 01:11:37,599 Speaker 1: fun and this goofy and this you know, lovely and 1131 01:11:37,760 --> 01:11:42,160 Speaker 1: smart and you know what, No, I'm not tired. No, 1132 01:11:42,560 --> 01:11:44,400 Speaker 1: I'm not sleepy. Every day they were like, are you 1133 01:11:44,439 --> 01:11:47,520 Speaker 1: sure you're okay? I'm fine. Do you need anythink nothing, 1134 01:11:47,800 --> 01:11:51,000 Speaker 1: what do we want to do? Like I couldn't have 1135 01:11:51,800 --> 01:11:54,640 Speaker 1: I couldn't have gotten a better opportunity and in the 1136 01:11:54,640 --> 01:11:57,599 Speaker 1: middle of shooting another great show. So it was an 1137 01:11:57,600 --> 01:12:01,000 Speaker 1: embarrassment of riches. But working with an that it was 1138 01:12:01,400 --> 01:12:03,560 Speaker 1: so much fun. He's a friend of my husband's and 1139 01:12:03,680 --> 01:12:06,679 Speaker 1: known each other for years and this was the first 1140 01:12:06,720 --> 01:12:08,400 Speaker 1: time we got to work together. So it was like 1141 01:12:08,439 --> 01:12:11,519 Speaker 1: working family, which is what you need when you're up 1142 01:12:11,520 --> 01:12:17,559 Speaker 1: in Vancouver by yourself for six months in the week Um, 1143 01:12:17,600 --> 01:12:19,599 Speaker 1: but it was. It was so great. It was such 1144 01:12:19,640 --> 01:12:26,000 Speaker 1: an amazing cast, Chris Connor and Rneale's Goldsberry and Dina 1145 01:12:26,320 --> 01:12:29,000 Speaker 1: and you know, I didn't get to work with Leela 1146 01:12:29,040 --> 01:12:32,480 Speaker 1: a lot because her character and my character don't really intersect. 1147 01:12:32,560 --> 01:12:36,000 Speaker 1: But you know, the cast was so great, The crew 1148 01:12:36,080 --> 01:12:39,160 Speaker 1: were so awesome. Everybody was so lovely. You know, you 1149 01:12:39,160 --> 01:12:41,519 Speaker 1: would come in and you're hugging everybody and you're like, 1150 01:12:41,600 --> 01:12:45,120 Speaker 1: how was your weekend? Kids? You know it was. It 1151 01:12:45,200 --> 01:12:50,679 Speaker 1: was a great show to jump onto after Luke Cage, 1152 01:12:51,000 --> 01:12:56,760 Speaker 1: after another family like environment I have not you know, 1153 01:12:57,800 --> 01:13:00,200 Speaker 1: it is not lost on me that I'm working on 1154 01:13:00,320 --> 01:13:05,360 Speaker 1: great shows with great people. Um, there are no weird 1155 01:13:05,960 --> 01:13:09,599 Speaker 1: Deva's You know, everybody has their moments, but you know 1156 01:13:09,760 --> 01:13:13,519 Speaker 1: it's just I can't complain, And so do I sleep? 1157 01:13:13,760 --> 01:13:18,000 Speaker 1: Not as much as I did I was waiting tables, 1158 01:13:18,040 --> 01:13:23,160 Speaker 1: but you know, yeah, I feel that when you're really 1159 01:13:24,360 --> 01:13:27,679 Speaker 1: so fulfilled by what you're doing, you're like, give me more. 1160 01:13:28,439 --> 01:13:30,719 Speaker 1: I'm ready. Yeah, I'll take the flight. Yeah, I'll hop 1161 01:13:30,720 --> 01:13:32,280 Speaker 1: the thing. What do we need to do? How can 1162 01:13:32,320 --> 01:13:34,240 Speaker 1: I help? I'll get a coffee truck for the crew 1163 01:13:34,240 --> 01:13:36,800 Speaker 1: while I'm at it. Let's go like, you're just so 1164 01:13:37,000 --> 01:13:41,080 Speaker 1: jazz do you want form for me anyway? It's like, 1165 01:13:42,120 --> 01:13:45,679 Speaker 1: there can't be too much of a good thing. Absolutely not, 1166 01:13:46,040 --> 01:13:51,480 Speaker 1: And I will not complain. I can't. I can't imagine 1167 01:13:51,640 --> 01:13:59,599 Speaker 1: that I would be in my first opportunity leading a show, 1168 01:14:00,760 --> 01:14:02,760 Speaker 1: uh and want to walk away from it with any 1169 01:14:02,840 --> 01:14:06,160 Speaker 1: regrets about the way that I treated people or how 1170 01:14:06,280 --> 01:14:11,160 Speaker 1: much I appreciated it. And that can all change in 1171 01:14:11,240 --> 01:14:14,639 Speaker 1: the blink of an eye. We were literally shooting our 1172 01:14:14,720 --> 01:14:17,439 Speaker 1: second to last episode before the end of the season 1173 01:14:17,960 --> 01:14:23,360 Speaker 1: when this happened, when coronavirus hit. I have no regrets. 1174 01:14:23,800 --> 01:14:26,320 Speaker 1: I do not feel like I did not give it 1175 01:14:26,400 --> 01:14:29,800 Speaker 1: my all. I didn't make sure that my crew and 1176 01:14:29,920 --> 01:14:34,240 Speaker 1: cast felt loved and appreciate it. I maybe I should 1177 01:14:34,240 --> 01:14:37,800 Speaker 1: have gotten more coffee trucks, but you know, other than that, 1178 01:14:37,920 --> 01:14:41,880 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't regret anything. And if you know, 1179 01:14:42,080 --> 01:14:47,040 Speaker 1: it takes months to get back to being able to 1180 01:14:47,040 --> 01:14:51,600 Speaker 1: shoot with those people, I think that, you know, I 1181 01:14:52,520 --> 01:14:59,040 Speaker 1: fully embraced whole heart, open heart, what this was and 1182 01:14:59,160 --> 01:15:03,519 Speaker 1: appreciated so much that if something were to happen, and 1183 01:15:04,280 --> 01:15:08,320 Speaker 1: you know, CBS were to say we're not coming back, 1184 01:15:08,760 --> 01:15:10,800 Speaker 1: you know, from whatever reason, we don't know what the 1185 01:15:10,840 --> 01:15:14,240 Speaker 1: future holds, I would not regret a single thing that 1186 01:15:14,280 --> 01:15:18,400 Speaker 1: I did, mean a single moment on set. And so 1187 01:15:18,640 --> 01:15:24,479 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm I recognize how quickly life can change. 1188 01:15:25,000 --> 01:15:29,400 Speaker 1: I've had experiences in my life with with health and 1189 01:15:29,560 --> 01:15:32,400 Speaker 1: the health of loved ones that have shown me in 1190 01:15:32,479 --> 01:15:35,840 Speaker 1: the blink of an eye, things can change quickly. And 1191 01:15:35,920 --> 01:15:39,120 Speaker 1: so you know, just to live every day with gratitude 1192 01:15:40,080 --> 01:15:45,839 Speaker 1: and excitement to to go into work. But you you 1193 01:15:46,040 --> 01:15:48,760 Speaker 1: live in the dream. People we get to you know, 1194 01:15:48,800 --> 01:15:51,439 Speaker 1: we get to do what we love every day. And 1195 01:15:51,720 --> 01:15:55,600 Speaker 1: I've got our executive producer, Michael Robin, is like a 1196 01:15:55,760 --> 01:15:59,760 Speaker 1: unicorn of a human, like we were all amazed at 1197 01:15:59,760 --> 01:16:01,920 Speaker 1: how this man is as successful as he is and 1198 01:16:01,960 --> 01:16:03,880 Speaker 1: he's been around for as long as he is, and 1199 01:16:03,920 --> 01:16:08,439 Speaker 1: it's as loving and generous and kind as he is. Um, 1200 01:16:08,479 --> 01:16:12,080 Speaker 1: and he you know, it starts from the top down. 1201 01:16:12,200 --> 01:16:14,920 Speaker 1: He's one of those people who's like guys, you know, 1202 01:16:17,600 --> 01:16:21,679 Speaker 1: the three day UM and I've never seen a happier 1203 01:16:21,720 --> 01:16:25,040 Speaker 1: crew And it it comes from, you know, having someone 1204 01:16:25,080 --> 01:16:28,679 Speaker 1: like that in the position that they're in lead with love. 1205 01:16:29,400 --> 01:16:33,240 Speaker 1: No one yells on set, no one curses at one 1206 01:16:33,240 --> 01:16:37,680 Speaker 1: of them. I mean we all slip up, curse not 1207 01:16:37,920 --> 01:16:44,640 Speaker 1: at someone. And you know, it is that type of 1208 01:16:44,720 --> 01:16:48,240 Speaker 1: personality and type of person that makes everybody happy to 1209 01:16:48,240 --> 01:16:50,840 Speaker 1: come to work every Yeah, I just love that. I 1210 01:16:50,920 --> 01:16:53,120 Speaker 1: love that for you, I love that for your crew. 1211 01:16:53,280 --> 01:16:57,400 Speaker 1: It's it's so special and I recognize that it is. 1212 01:16:58,840 --> 01:17:03,800 Speaker 1: I did a show, another show in between, you know, 1213 01:17:05,200 --> 01:17:07,519 Speaker 1: I finished season one of Luke Cage and I did 1214 01:17:07,560 --> 01:17:12,040 Speaker 1: another job and Luke Cage was so like I said, 1215 01:17:12,120 --> 01:17:15,799 Speaker 1: it was so loving. I knew every crew members names, 1216 01:17:16,120 --> 01:17:18,800 Speaker 1: knew about their kids, soccer games and you know all 1217 01:17:18,880 --> 01:17:24,400 Speaker 1: that stuff. And Mike Culture would joke because he's like, 1218 01:17:24,840 --> 01:17:29,000 Speaker 1: here comes Huggy Bear. Because I was every person that 1219 01:17:29,040 --> 01:17:31,080 Speaker 1: I you know, that I saw the way in and 1220 01:17:31,120 --> 01:17:33,519 Speaker 1: it would take forever for me to get from our 1221 01:17:33,600 --> 01:17:36,000 Speaker 1: room to set because it's like, I haven't seen you 1222 01:17:36,040 --> 01:17:41,360 Speaker 1: guys in a day or a weekend. And so um 1223 01:17:41,439 --> 01:17:45,120 Speaker 1: I went and did this other show and the crew 1224 01:17:45,160 --> 01:17:47,760 Speaker 1: didn't they didn't talk to each other. I came on 1225 01:17:47,880 --> 01:17:52,080 Speaker 1: said hey, how's everybody doing and was met with blank 1226 01:17:52,160 --> 01:17:56,439 Speaker 1: faces and silence, like is there anyone inside of there 1227 01:17:56,560 --> 01:17:59,880 Speaker 1: is a human? Is there a soul in this body? 1228 01:18:00,240 --> 01:18:03,400 Speaker 1: And it was so it was such a good reminder 1229 01:18:03,520 --> 01:18:06,280 Speaker 1: that it's not a guarantee. It doesn't matter you know, 1230 01:18:06,560 --> 01:18:10,240 Speaker 1: what level you are in your career, does it. It 1231 01:18:10,280 --> 01:18:13,360 Speaker 1: doesn't matter if you've just you know, gotten off your 1232 01:18:13,400 --> 01:18:16,360 Speaker 1: first lead role in a series, if your series regular. 1233 01:18:16,640 --> 01:18:19,880 Speaker 1: You could go onto another show with another crew and 1234 01:18:20,040 --> 01:18:23,240 Speaker 1: they're like, I could care less. This is just where 1235 01:18:23,280 --> 01:18:26,120 Speaker 1: I finished the clock. And I never wanted to have 1236 01:18:26,320 --> 01:18:30,559 Speaker 1: that for us on All Rise or any project that 1237 01:18:30,640 --> 01:18:33,600 Speaker 1: I have the fortune of being, you know, one of 1238 01:18:33,640 --> 01:18:37,880 Speaker 1: the leads on. I want everyone to to be happy 1239 01:18:37,920 --> 01:18:40,160 Speaker 1: to be there because we spend more time with each 1240 01:18:40,160 --> 01:18:45,720 Speaker 1: other than we do with our families exactly exactly, and 1241 01:18:45,720 --> 01:18:50,720 Speaker 1: and working to set a tone is so important and 1242 01:18:50,760 --> 01:18:54,040 Speaker 1: I think such a reminder for anybody in any industry, 1243 01:18:54,160 --> 01:18:57,519 Speaker 1: you know who's listening, that you you do have the 1244 01:18:57,640 --> 01:19:03,559 Speaker 1: opportunity to cultivate the energy of your workplace and to 1245 01:19:03,640 --> 01:19:06,360 Speaker 1: your point, and I've I've found my own version of this. 1246 01:19:07,200 --> 01:19:13,080 Speaker 1: When you can't, when something is not welcoming or unfortunately toxic, 1247 01:19:14,120 --> 01:19:17,879 Speaker 1: it can be an indicator that you deserve better. Maybe 1248 01:19:18,000 --> 01:19:21,040 Speaker 1: maybe there's another opportunity, maybe there's another place to go, 1249 01:19:21,200 --> 01:19:27,840 Speaker 1: because it doesn't have to be negative. We you know, 1250 01:19:27,960 --> 01:19:32,320 Speaker 1: we can we can create other things. And it's just 1251 01:19:32,360 --> 01:19:35,280 Speaker 1: so awesome that so many of the things that you've 1252 01:19:35,320 --> 01:19:39,479 Speaker 1: been doing have been so positive. Yeah, you know, not 1253 01:19:40,600 --> 01:19:45,120 Speaker 1: what again? Life preparing you. I waited tables at the 1254 01:19:45,200 --> 01:19:48,760 Speaker 1: Gesus gag Factory when I first met some of the 1255 01:19:48,800 --> 01:19:52,639 Speaker 1: best people ever some people still a lot of those 1256 01:19:52,640 --> 01:19:55,760 Speaker 1: people I'm still friends with. One of one of my 1257 01:19:55,880 --> 01:20:00,280 Speaker 1: friends got to come and you know, play on all eyes. 1258 01:20:01,280 --> 01:20:05,240 Speaker 1: It's just, you know, those things are are great. But 1259 01:20:05,720 --> 01:20:08,439 Speaker 1: I remember when I first moved to l A. I 1260 01:20:08,520 --> 01:20:13,160 Speaker 1: had just become a Christian the year prior or two 1261 01:20:13,240 --> 01:20:15,640 Speaker 1: years prior to move into l A. I didn't grow 1262 01:20:15,720 --> 01:20:19,280 Speaker 1: up in a religious family, and so when I moved 1263 01:20:19,640 --> 01:20:23,080 Speaker 1: to l A, I was like, me and God got this, like, 1264 01:20:23,200 --> 01:20:25,640 Speaker 1: we're good. And I remember when I started working in 1265 01:20:25,680 --> 01:20:29,320 Speaker 1: the cheesecap factory, everybody was like, this place sucks. The 1266 01:20:29,400 --> 01:20:34,200 Speaker 1: tips are trash, the customers are awful. We get a 1267 01:20:34,200 --> 01:20:40,200 Speaker 1: lot of tourists that don't tip good luck. And I 1268 01:20:40,240 --> 01:20:44,000 Speaker 1: remember looking at those people like, oh, you don't know 1269 01:20:44,800 --> 01:20:47,719 Speaker 1: the God that I prayed to, like, you don't understand 1270 01:20:47,720 --> 01:20:50,280 Speaker 1: how this is gonna work out for me? And every 1271 01:20:50,320 --> 01:20:54,680 Speaker 1: table I would get or more from the most unlikeliest 1272 01:20:54,680 --> 01:20:58,160 Speaker 1: of places, and people just blown away. They're like, how 1273 01:20:58,280 --> 01:21:05,160 Speaker 1: is this being miserable here with these people not tipping 1274 01:21:05,240 --> 01:21:07,640 Speaker 1: or you know, walking out on the checks? Harry, how's this? 1275 01:21:07,720 --> 01:21:12,599 Speaker 1: After I was like, I'm sorry. And after of having 1276 01:21:13,200 --> 01:21:17,479 Speaker 1: that constantly swirling around me, that negative energy from people 1277 01:21:17,479 --> 01:21:21,040 Speaker 1: who were amazingly lovely people, they were just you know, 1278 01:21:21,320 --> 01:21:24,800 Speaker 1: responding to what was happening to them, I started having 1279 01:21:24,840 --> 01:21:28,840 Speaker 1: the same feeling, Oh, this place is awful. I hate 1280 01:21:28,840 --> 01:21:32,680 Speaker 1: this place. I got shafted on my tables. Why do 1281 01:21:32,760 --> 01:21:34,800 Speaker 1: I keep having to deal with these? And slowly, for 1282 01:21:34,840 --> 01:21:39,120 Speaker 1: surely that that started dwindling and dwindling and dwindling, and 1283 01:21:39,160 --> 01:21:41,320 Speaker 1: I was just as miserable as everybody else. And I 1284 01:21:41,360 --> 01:21:47,800 Speaker 1: realized I did it to myself. I let that negative toxic, 1285 01:21:48,680 --> 01:21:54,200 Speaker 1: believing in fact what I had And the moment I 1286 01:21:54,400 --> 01:21:57,080 Speaker 1: realized that, in the moment I realized that I had 1287 01:21:57,120 --> 01:22:01,040 Speaker 1: created that it wasn't the tables, it wasn't the people, 1288 01:22:01,680 --> 01:22:05,799 Speaker 1: It was me accepting it believed because then I started 1289 01:22:05,800 --> 01:22:08,960 Speaker 1: going into work thinking this shift is just gonna suck 1290 01:22:09,000 --> 01:22:11,679 Speaker 1: like all the rest of them. You know. Once I 1291 01:22:11,760 --> 01:22:15,280 Speaker 1: started doing that and that became my reality, I realized, oh, 1292 01:22:15,439 --> 01:22:21,520 Speaker 1: I have the power to create a negative space for myself, 1293 01:22:21,560 --> 01:22:23,400 Speaker 1: and I will never do it again. And so I 1294 01:22:23,439 --> 01:22:29,040 Speaker 1: was able to take that knowing, you know, that conscious awareness. Two. 1295 01:22:29,680 --> 01:22:35,160 Speaker 1: Every job I had thereafter, and every acting job I've had, 1296 01:22:35,240 --> 01:22:37,760 Speaker 1: and you know, nothing is perfect. You know, when I 1297 01:22:37,800 --> 01:22:40,360 Speaker 1: stepped on that set and nobody was nice, and nobody 1298 01:22:40,400 --> 01:22:42,880 Speaker 1: talked to me, and you know, the director could care 1299 01:22:42,960 --> 01:22:47,320 Speaker 1: less about what I thought about the scenes. Sure I 1300 01:22:47,360 --> 01:22:49,880 Speaker 1: could have you know, taken it and gone, this is 1301 01:22:50,439 --> 01:22:52,840 Speaker 1: I can't believe this is happening, I thought, I you know, 1302 01:22:53,400 --> 01:22:57,120 Speaker 1: graduated to this level of I thought I had arrived. 1303 01:22:57,160 --> 01:23:00,240 Speaker 1: I arrived and I was like, oh, well, you know 1304 01:23:00,360 --> 01:23:03,160 Speaker 1: they're not all gonna be Lucage. That's okay. You still 1305 01:23:03,160 --> 01:23:06,679 Speaker 1: walk in love and be pleasant to people. And I'll 1306 01:23:06,760 --> 01:23:10,880 Speaker 1: serve people in kindness even when they don't want it. 1307 01:23:11,320 --> 01:23:15,000 Speaker 1: So what that's use that as a social experiment. How 1308 01:23:15,000 --> 01:23:17,240 Speaker 1: many times can you ignore me saying hello to you 1309 01:23:17,720 --> 01:23:20,280 Speaker 1: before you have to actually say, let me just try 1310 01:23:20,360 --> 01:23:25,080 Speaker 1: that out for today, you know. And so I just 1311 01:23:25,960 --> 01:23:30,080 Speaker 1: I recognize that we are all human beings going through 1312 01:23:30,560 --> 01:23:33,840 Speaker 1: the same experiences, just in different bodies, and we're all 1313 01:23:33,880 --> 01:23:36,519 Speaker 1: going to respond to them differently. And you know, I'm 1314 01:23:36,560 --> 01:23:40,400 Speaker 1: not perfect. Nobody is. But the best thing I can 1315 01:23:40,479 --> 01:23:43,840 Speaker 1: do is to just try to walk in love. That's it. 1316 01:23:44,400 --> 01:23:49,920 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. I love that so much and I'm not perfect, no, wow, 1317 01:23:50,160 --> 01:23:56,040 Speaker 1: nobody is. That That opens a window to my my 1318 01:23:56,200 --> 01:23:59,120 Speaker 1: favorite question to ask everyone, and it is my final question. 1319 01:23:59,160 --> 01:24:01,240 Speaker 1: Thank you for giving us so much time today. This 1320 01:24:01,280 --> 01:24:03,960 Speaker 1: has been so fun. When we took our pause break, 1321 01:24:04,000 --> 01:24:06,200 Speaker 1: I said to my producer Alison, I was like, I 1322 01:24:06,280 --> 01:24:09,400 Speaker 1: just want to hang out with her, Like I just 1323 01:24:09,439 --> 01:24:13,040 Speaker 1: want to hang with her. But this this has been 1324 01:24:13,120 --> 01:24:16,919 Speaker 1: so lovely. So as you as you know that podcast 1325 01:24:17,000 --> 01:24:20,000 Speaker 1: is called work in progress, and I'm I'm curious what 1326 01:24:20,240 --> 01:24:24,280 Speaker 1: in your life, be it something personal or professional, really 1327 01:24:24,280 --> 01:24:28,000 Speaker 1: whatever comes to mind, what feels like a work in 1328 01:24:28,040 --> 01:24:32,000 Speaker 1: progress for you right now? Is all of it? And 1329 01:24:32,120 --> 01:24:37,480 Speaker 1: okay answer, yeah, it really is. It's all of it. 1330 01:24:37,479 --> 01:24:41,400 Speaker 1: It's almost like you know that wackable It's as soon 1331 01:24:41,439 --> 01:24:44,920 Speaker 1: as you think you've mastered one thing, I got one 1332 01:24:45,000 --> 01:24:48,679 Speaker 1: thing under your belt, another thing pops up to remind 1333 01:24:48,720 --> 01:24:53,599 Speaker 1: you that you're still just growing. And I think about it. 1334 01:24:54,400 --> 01:24:57,880 Speaker 1: I get a lot of time, especially now, to self reflect. 1335 01:24:58,439 --> 01:25:03,040 Speaker 1: I think about my drinks as an actor and the 1336 01:25:03,080 --> 01:25:05,880 Speaker 1: things that I had are strong end and how during 1337 01:25:05,880 --> 01:25:08,960 Speaker 1: this time can I work on it? And you know, 1338 01:25:09,040 --> 01:25:12,080 Speaker 1: I watch a lot of other actors who I admire, 1339 01:25:12,880 --> 01:25:15,240 Speaker 1: and I go, I still have so much to go. 1340 01:25:15,760 --> 01:25:18,840 Speaker 1: I still have so so much to grow. And how 1341 01:25:18,880 --> 01:25:21,720 Speaker 1: does that look as a working actor? You know? Is 1342 01:25:21,760 --> 01:25:26,280 Speaker 1: it just working with other actors who are amazing? How many? 1343 01:25:26,280 --> 01:25:27,880 Speaker 1: When is it? How is how long is it gonna 1344 01:25:27,880 --> 01:25:29,880 Speaker 1: take for me to work with Bill the Davis, you know, 1345 01:25:30,000 --> 01:25:33,080 Speaker 1: in order for me to steal some stuff from her 1346 01:25:33,280 --> 01:25:36,800 Speaker 1: and figure out her process when it comes to my 1347 01:25:36,880 --> 01:25:41,360 Speaker 1: marriage every single day, is you know, learning something more 1348 01:25:41,479 --> 01:25:50,160 Speaker 1: about myself. Uh in addition to be why you know, 1349 01:25:50,280 --> 01:25:54,120 Speaker 1: it's it's easier when you're in the same city. It's 1350 01:25:54,160 --> 01:25:58,599 Speaker 1: extremely hard when you're both working actors on opposite sides 1351 01:25:58,640 --> 01:26:03,479 Speaker 1: of the country. Um. This experience taught me with the 1352 01:26:03,520 --> 01:26:07,320 Speaker 1: whole coronavirus quarantine, how to be a better friend. How 1353 01:26:07,360 --> 01:26:10,839 Speaker 1: often do I go and not checking on my friends 1354 01:26:10,880 --> 01:26:13,720 Speaker 1: because I know that they are my friends, and you 1355 01:26:13,760 --> 01:26:16,240 Speaker 1: know they'll forgive me if I'm like work in twelve 1356 01:26:16,320 --> 01:26:19,640 Speaker 1: sixteen hours and I haven't checked in. How do I 1357 01:26:19,680 --> 01:26:25,760 Speaker 1: be a better daughter, sister, aunt, daughter in law, you know, granddaughter. 1358 01:26:26,439 --> 01:26:29,720 Speaker 1: I'm forcing my family to face time with with me 1359 01:26:29,920 --> 01:26:33,400 Speaker 1: one week, you know, in a in a good way. 1360 01:26:33,760 --> 01:26:38,360 Speaker 1: I think we will all be works in progress until 1361 01:26:38,400 --> 01:26:41,640 Speaker 1: the day that we die. We are at all about 1362 01:26:42,280 --> 01:26:45,080 Speaker 1: being the best versions of ourselves that we can be, 1363 01:26:45,240 --> 01:26:47,559 Speaker 1: and I've always said that about myself. I just want 1364 01:26:47,560 --> 01:26:50,000 Speaker 1: to be the best simone. You know. I don't want 1365 01:26:50,000 --> 01:26:53,360 Speaker 1: to be Carrie Washington. I don't want to be Meryl Streep. 1366 01:26:53,479 --> 01:26:56,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to be mother Teresa. I don't want 1367 01:26:56,040 --> 01:26:59,360 Speaker 1: to be my mom, although my mom is an amazing mother. 1368 01:26:59,840 --> 01:27:03,280 Speaker 1: I want to be the best version of me that 1369 01:27:03,320 --> 01:27:08,360 Speaker 1: I can be, and I recognized that every day I'm 1370 01:27:08,439 --> 01:27:14,639 Speaker 1: changing and growing and making mistakes and missteps that will 1371 01:27:14,720 --> 01:27:18,599 Speaker 1: teach me more and more about how to do that. 1372 01:27:18,840 --> 01:27:22,920 Speaker 1: You know. I was just praying this morning before we 1373 01:27:23,040 --> 01:27:27,960 Speaker 1: got on the call, recognizing that it took my mother 1374 01:27:28,000 --> 01:27:33,040 Speaker 1: in law getting still for me to just hold on 1375 01:27:33,120 --> 01:27:36,400 Speaker 1: to God with everything that I had. I fasted every 1376 01:27:36,479 --> 01:27:40,599 Speaker 1: day until she left the hospital. So from seven o'clock 1377 01:27:40,640 --> 01:27:44,880 Speaker 1: the night before, I would eat, and then after that 1378 01:27:45,000 --> 01:27:47,519 Speaker 1: meal I would not eat again until seven o'clock the 1379 01:27:47,560 --> 01:27:49,519 Speaker 1: next day, and I spent the whole time in prayer 1380 01:27:49,840 --> 01:27:51,960 Speaker 1: because that was all I could do. It was all 1381 01:27:53,160 --> 01:27:55,839 Speaker 1: I knew to do. Uh. And it wasn't that anybody 1382 01:27:55,880 --> 01:27:57,519 Speaker 1: said like, oh, this is the way that you know. 1383 01:27:57,600 --> 01:27:59,720 Speaker 1: It was just something that immediately hit me when I 1384 01:28:00,160 --> 01:28:04,479 Speaker 1: that she had to go in the ventilator, and that 1385 01:28:05,240 --> 01:28:10,160 Speaker 1: need for that spiritual grounding, that need to to just 1386 01:28:10,640 --> 01:28:13,519 Speaker 1: read the Word and pray all day. And you know, 1387 01:28:14,000 --> 01:28:17,439 Speaker 1: now that she's better, that's lightened up just a little. 1388 01:28:17,479 --> 01:28:21,520 Speaker 1: I'm not fasting, I am, you know, spending more time relaxing. 1389 01:28:22,640 --> 01:28:27,559 Speaker 1: Why does it take something that drastic to force me 1390 01:28:27,760 --> 01:28:30,639 Speaker 1: to do what I want to do like breathing air, 1391 01:28:31,400 --> 01:28:33,920 Speaker 1: you know, being stuck in the house. I'm working out 1392 01:28:34,080 --> 01:28:36,960 Speaker 1: way more than I did. That peloton has been upstairs 1393 01:28:37,240 --> 01:28:41,080 Speaker 1: for seven months and now I'm writing it, you know. 1394 01:28:41,240 --> 01:28:46,040 Speaker 1: So it's just recognizing that I want to try to 1395 01:28:46,080 --> 01:28:48,519 Speaker 1: be the best version of myself that I can. But then, 1396 01:28:48,560 --> 01:28:52,519 Speaker 1: like you said, not shooting on myself. Knowing that there 1397 01:28:52,520 --> 01:28:55,439 Speaker 1: will be seasons where you can focus more on your 1398 01:28:55,439 --> 01:28:58,000 Speaker 1: health and your fitness because you've got a little bit 1399 01:28:58,000 --> 01:29:01,479 Speaker 1: more time. And there will be seasons where you can 1400 01:29:01,479 --> 01:29:04,080 Speaker 1: focus on your family and your friends because you've got 1401 01:29:04,120 --> 01:29:06,919 Speaker 1: that kind of time. And then there will be seasons 1402 01:29:06,920 --> 01:29:10,400 Speaker 1: where it's about the work and you can grow in 1403 01:29:10,520 --> 01:29:13,640 Speaker 1: ways that you didn't know where possible because of you know, 1404 01:29:13,680 --> 01:29:16,320 Speaker 1: the project you're doing, the people you're working around, or 1405 01:29:16,320 --> 01:29:19,559 Speaker 1: the class that you're able to take that teaches you 1406 01:29:19,640 --> 01:29:22,360 Speaker 1: these things, and and just being open to all of it, 1407 01:29:22,520 --> 01:29:25,240 Speaker 1: just saying yes to all of it and recognizing that 1408 01:29:25,320 --> 01:29:28,880 Speaker 1: even the crappy things that happen in your life, that 1409 01:29:29,080 --> 01:29:31,839 Speaker 1: those things can be used for good if you trust 1410 01:29:32,920 --> 01:29:36,479 Speaker 1: in the bigger picture, if you trust that you will 1411 01:29:36,520 --> 01:29:39,439 Speaker 1: be better on the other side of it. M HM 1412 01:29:40,160 --> 01:29:44,439 Speaker 1: all of it. Yeah, yeah, thank you so much. Someone, 1413 01:29:44,720 --> 01:29:47,360 Speaker 1: thank you. This has been such a pleasure. This was 1414 01:29:47,400 --> 01:29:50,880 Speaker 1: so great for me to thank you again. Thank you. 1415 01:29:55,920 --> 01:29:59,120 Speaker 1: This show is executive produced by Me, Sophia Bush, and 1416 01:29:59,160 --> 01:30:03,960 Speaker 1: sim Sarna. Our supervising producer is Alison Bresnick. Our associate 1417 01:30:04,000 --> 01:30:07,200 Speaker 1: producer is Kate Linley. This episode was edited by Matt 1418 01:30:07,240 --> 01:30:10,559 Speaker 1: Sasaki and our music was written by Jack Garrett and 1419 01:30:10,600 --> 01:30:13,000 Speaker 1: produced by Mark Foster. This show is brought to you 1420 01:30:13,040 --> 01:30:14,200 Speaker 1: by Clembrilliant Anatomy