1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: Thing from My Heart Radio. My guest today is Kristen Bell, 3 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: a true force of nature. Kristen is a classically trained 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: actor who landed a role on Broadway and a revival 5 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: of the Crucible with Liam Neeson and Laura Lenny before 6 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: she even graduated college on a whim. She and a 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: friend moved to l A soon after, and she's been 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: starring in TV and movies ever since. From her breakout 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: role as the teenage private detective Veronica Mars, to Princess 10 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: Anna in the Frozen movies to the more recent Eleanor 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: Shellstrap on NBC's The Good Place, Kristen has made her 12 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: name by being plucky, relatable, and when the role calls 13 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: for it, very funny. I caught up with Kristen Bell 14 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband, the 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: actor and podcaster Dax Shepherd, and their two young daughters. Currently, 16 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: I'm in a motor home parked on our front lawn 17 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: at all times because I'm married to hill Billy. Actually 18 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: we just got it a couple of days ago over 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: um over quarantine. His main objective was to buy a 20 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: motor home because we do go camping and go to 21 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: this glamous sand dunes a couple of times a year, 22 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: so we we rent motor homes. But we found a 23 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: good deal and when in Texas he went down to 24 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: get it, he drove it back and it is now. 25 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna I'm not joking with you right now. 26 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: Look at where it's sitting. So this is the motor home, 27 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: right and that's my house. That's my house, So that's 28 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: my front window. Were to the definition of hillbilly is 29 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: you have a house, you're both working, you're both doing well. 30 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: You buy a house worth millions of dollars in l A. 31 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: And your husband was like, I want to have a 32 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: motor home on the front law and baby, Um, I'm lucky. 33 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: This man has all his teeth. Honestly, I'm lucky he 34 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: has all his teeth. That's the truth. But I will 35 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: give him credit. She's gorgeous. Her name is big Brown. 36 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: She's absolutely ship brown color. And it's sitting right outside 37 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: my front window. And I don't hate it. I love it. 38 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: We we come out here and play in it, and 39 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: we're gonna plan on camping in it. A ton and 40 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not mad at it. How's the quarantine 41 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: going for you with your family? Shockingly okay? I mean, 42 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: you know, mainly because of our privilege. We don't live 43 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: in a one room apartment. We like have a backyard, 44 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: we can go outside and and uh, my my kids 45 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: can you know, run around the house again, because we've 46 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: got a house with a couple of bedrooms. So I'm 47 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: incredibly grateful for that. My my husband and I started 48 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: out quarantine like in the midst of a big fight, 49 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: like you know those sort of not fight but yes fight, 50 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: those like every three years, that sort of marriage house 51 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 1: cleaning that has to happen, where like the resentments have 52 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: been built and it's coming to a head and you're 53 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: both going to go back to the therapist. And we 54 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: were like right there, and then the doors closed on 55 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: the whole world and we were like, oh shit, Yeah, 56 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: you're hiking through a cave and the walls collapsed and 57 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: you're stuck inside the cave together. Yeah. It was intense 58 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: to say the least, but it did force us to 59 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 1: talk vulnerably in order to get over some of the 60 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: resentments in the sort of housekeeping that needed to happen. 61 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: About how we were not meeting each other's love languages, etcetera, etcetera, 62 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: and we did it pretty well. How does he not 63 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: meet your love language? Well? Or I don't meet his, 64 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: that's the question. So everybody has different ways that they 65 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 1: feel that they are loved. Right, for me, it's pre production. 66 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: If if I come home from work and you have 67 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: ordered me food, there's a burrito in the fridge. For me, 68 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: I'm like, damn, this guy loves me. He was thinking 69 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: she might be home from work and she might want 70 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: a burrito like he thought about me. For him, it's 71 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: meeting him at the door. He could give a ship 72 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: what's in the fridge. He doesn't care if I've ordered 73 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: him dinner. So if I'm sitting up in my bedroom 74 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: where I'm playing with the girls, or I'm on my 75 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: computer or watching TV and I don't sort of like 76 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: meet him with a hug, He's like, I could care 77 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: less what's in the fridge. I want to see you. 78 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: I want His is very much physical affection, as in 79 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: like eye contact, hand on the shoulder when we're on 80 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: the couch. He wants to be snuggling. Yes, I love you, 81 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: and which we do all the time. But you know, 82 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: after thirteen years, it does become a sort of passing phrase, 83 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: which we try not to make it. Whereas I'm less 84 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: um physical, I don't need anyone to jump up, I 85 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: want I'm like, everybody stay stated, I'm fine. I'm the mom, 86 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: and I'm you know, doing my own thing, and I 87 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: want to take care of everybody else. But it was 88 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: just stuff like that, and I would be like, but 89 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: I ordered you dinner. He's like, but I don't care 90 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: about dinner. I want you to get up off the 91 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: couch and give me a hug. And so it's those 92 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: little things love language wise, where we have to remember 93 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: that the other person needs something that we don't need. 94 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: So we have to think in the other person's love 95 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: language in order to properly show what we feel. One 96 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: time I was at a party and Seinfeld is at 97 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,799 Speaker 1: another table. They cut up the couples so that Jessica 98 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: was at my table and I'm sitting there with Jessica 99 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: Seinfeld and we're talking, and I said to her, you 100 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: realize that if you look him in the eye every day, 101 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: and look him in the antica and really let it count, 102 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: let it breathe, and say, Jerry, I love you more 103 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: than anything in the world. He will do whatever you 104 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: ask him to do for the rest of your life. 105 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: And she started to cry. She had like tears from look, 106 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: I'm from that school, like I want you to still 107 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: be my girlfriend. I want the romance I want we have. 108 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: My wife and I are locked in a big house 109 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: with five kids. So as I tell people, it's like 110 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: the little rascals meets the shining every day here at 111 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: my house. But I said to my wife, you know, 112 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: if you just said that to me, took two seconds 113 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: to tell me that every day I could go on 114 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,679 Speaker 1: that that's the oxygen that I need, you know. Yeah, 115 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: And it's it's really healthy to be able to communicate 116 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 1: that to your partner and not to make any no, 117 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: you know, no one can be generalized or I don't 118 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: want to make this broad and sweeping. But I've known 119 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: a lot of a group of men like that where 120 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,119 Speaker 1: it actually is quite simple. It's just presence. It's being 121 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: uh present with them and communicative in the simplest way 122 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: of just a reminder that the foundation exists and that 123 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: you are still attracted to and love them. Whereas my 124 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: love language is like let's go I'm a human doing 125 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: and not a human being. I'm working on that in therapy, 126 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: becoming less of a human doing. Why now, what do 127 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: you think? What are the pitfalls of the one versus 128 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: the other? Why? Well, a human being exists more a 129 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: human doing, has a huge to do list and is 130 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: accomplishes a ton. But then maybe on your deathbed you're like, 131 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: did I even experience any of it? Because I've got 132 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: my fingers in a lot of different pots and I'm going, going, going, 133 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: all the time. And that's why I like, I think 134 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: of someone, order them dinner, scratch it off my list. 135 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: That proves I love them. That doesn't work for everyone. 136 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: That doesn't work for everyone, Alec, I'm learning for you. 137 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: Was show business in the blood in the family? Was 138 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: your show business people in your family? No? Well, my 139 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: father is a news director still is UM. So he 140 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: was the only person that was ever I mean, he 141 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 1: was on the radio for a while. He's got a 142 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: voice like yours is just smooth and wonderful. And I 143 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: was the only one that ever um showed any signs 144 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: of wanting to perform. And it wasn't really even wanting 145 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: an audience so much as I sang a lot when 146 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 1: I was little. I have a very musical brain and 147 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: a very I'm very auditorially sensitive, like I can't really 148 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: have a conversation when music is on. I feel almost 149 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: like I'm hearing voices inside my head because such a 150 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: big portion of my brain focuses on the music, which 151 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: is annoying and also great. But so I sang a 152 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: lot when I was little, and then my mom got 153 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: me into voice lessons and I studied like Operetta's for 154 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: a year or two, and then in my ninth grade year, 155 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: my teacher gave me after school homework of Green Finch 156 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: and linnet Bird from Sweeney Todd. And I had never 157 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,239 Speaker 1: sang in English before, I was only singing in Italian, 158 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: and I was like, oh my god, what is this. 159 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: I can understand this character's perspective. So then I became 160 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: obsessed with musical theater. But again, no one else did it. 161 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: And my father was the only one that was hesitant, 162 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: not in a way that would ever hold me back, 163 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: but just like he hires and fires the journalists at 164 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: his station, and so he'll watch a new news reporter 165 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: and be like, I can't hire her, I can't hire him. 166 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: And he was scared of the rejection, but other than 167 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: that hesitation, everyone was like, sure, we don't know what 168 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: you're doing, but good luck. And they were pretty supportive. 169 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: But no one else was in performance of any kind. 170 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: Actor Kristen Bell, that early introduction to Sondheim took her 171 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: from the suburbs of Detroit to New York City. Another 172 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: actress with a flair for comedy, as Ellie Kemper, We 173 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: talked about her getting cast as the unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. 174 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: They basically said, we're developing a new show. We don't 175 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: know what it is, but good do you have met you? 176 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:45,439 Speaker 1: We met in May and then I met them again 177 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: in July and they pitched the actual idea to me. 178 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 1: I thought they were joking because the premise of the 179 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: show I know, and I was like, they were pranking me. 180 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,079 Speaker 1: You can hear the rest of my conversation with Ellie 181 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: Kemper a Here's the thing dot org. After the break, 182 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: we talked about what advice Kristen offers to aspiring actors today. 183 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and this is here is the thing 184 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: we're talking today with Kristin Bell. She discovered her love 185 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: for acting in middle school. I started doing a lot 186 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: of like local theater in Detroit, and then it was 187 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 1: less of a like putting a stake in the ground 188 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: saying this is what I'm gonna do. And what happened 189 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: was I was sixteen and went into Mr Franklin's office 190 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: in my high school when he's like the guy who 191 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: helps you pick colleges in the high school, and he 192 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 1: was like, well, you want to pick you know, college, 193 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: that a career, that's something you love, So what do 194 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,319 Speaker 1: you love? And I was like, well, I love doing 195 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: musical theater. He goes, well, you can study theater and 196 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 1: I was like, great, so much thanks by Like I 197 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 1: never it was, it just occurred to me. It never 198 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: occurred to me to change what I loved. And I 199 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: was like, well, I guess just keep doing what I'm doing. 200 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: And where'd you go? N y U. I applied early 201 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: admission to n y U, and I told my parents 202 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 1: I sent in my Northwestern application that I didn't because 203 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: I wanted I put all my focus on early admission 204 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: in n y U. Thankfully I got in. Then I 205 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: moved to New York and I was in the Tish 206 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: School of the Arts for two and a half years 207 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: and then I left my middle of my third year 208 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: because I booked Tom Sawyer and then The Crucible with 209 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: Liam Neeson and Laura Lenny, and then Reefer Madness, and 210 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: then a couple of shows in New York, and then 211 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,839 Speaker 1: moved to d C to do the Kennedy Center uh 212 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: Sondheim Rep. And then I moved to l A on 213 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: a whim. So it was all theater. You didn't finish you, No, 214 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: I did not. I do not have a degree in 215 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 1: anything I went there. I went to gw in Washington 216 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: for a pre law program, but finished in theater at 217 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: n y U. I left there in nineteen eighty but 218 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: went back in to graduate fourteen years later. Did you 219 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: have to take a class because so much of their 220 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: grades around attendance. They wig ave to all my acting 221 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: classes from my practical experience acting the last fourteen years. 222 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: And I had to write a paper. And I wrote 223 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: a sixty five page paper on the applicability of method 224 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: acting to the career of someone who was still active 225 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,199 Speaker 1: in film and theater. And there was only one person 226 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: who met the criterion. I interviewed Pacino for nine hours 227 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,079 Speaker 1: at his house up in West just Oh. I wonder 228 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: for you, I mean, you're obviously from a very different 229 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 1: generation than I am, and you're much younger than I am. 230 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 1: What's your advice to young actors, because I sometimes struggle 231 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: with that whether they should study acting in college. It's expensive, 232 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: Like I'll say to them if I had it to 233 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: do over again, get a degree in a subject where 234 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: you can just read a lot of great books, philosophy, literature, history, 235 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: because this is the great time for you to read, 236 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: because as I've gotten older, the thing I missed most 237 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,199 Speaker 1: is time to read. And then I'll say to them, 238 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: you go take acting classes somewhere. How do you feel 239 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: about that? I think that's actually now, in my infinite wisdom, 240 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: after turning forty, I think that that's probably the right 241 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: thing to say a because previously my only critique of 242 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:06,079 Speaker 1: n y U was that I didn't feel that they 243 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: gave um enough practical actors experience, Like we once in 244 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: a while had like a casting director come in, but 245 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: it was really like there was this you were so 246 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: built up because you were studying all these fancy plays 247 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: and performing them, but you didn't realize how small your 248 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: world was. And I remember sneaking out of classes to 249 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: go audition because I had gotten an agent right when 250 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: I moved to New York. And I also it was 251 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: in my favor that I looked a lot younger than 252 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 1: I was, So when I was eighteen, I was still 253 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: playing thirteen and I remember sneaking out and once I 254 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,479 Speaker 1: was caught and they were like, you shouldn't be auditioning, 255 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: And I'm like, well, what the hell are you training 256 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: me for? Like if I'm not supposed to be auditioning, 257 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: because the nerves you feel when you audition can be 258 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,679 Speaker 1: debilitating for the vast majority of us, Like even I 259 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: mean I still have them sometimes, but definitely had them 260 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: early on. And every actor I know that's working was like, 261 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I used to get super nervous, so nervous 262 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 1: that I, you know, choke all my words, or that 263 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: I would burp, or that I would have the shakes 264 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: or whatever. I think you need to learn how to 265 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: handle that as much as you need to learn how 266 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: to study these classic plays. I think that's an incredib 267 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: like just getting ahold of your being is incredibly important. 268 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: And I didn't. I don't feel like there was enough 269 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: stress put on that about how do you manage your 270 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: cortisol levels when you really really want something, so I 271 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: think getting into scary situations. I was in this beautiful, 272 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: little like um bubble of studying Alexander technique. And when 273 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: I explained that to my husband and he was like, well, 274 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: what is that, I'm like, what's sort of like body 275 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: work and you're, you know, you're in like loose clothes 276 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: and you're touching each other. And he's like, you did 277 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: this in fucking college. And so now he always jokes, 278 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: he's like, let's just throw some sweatpants on, let's work 279 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: it out Alexander style. But I think that's very safe, 280 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: and I don't think acting safe or should be safe. 281 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: The first job I had, I got a job on 282 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: a soap opera in New York, and I thought to myself, 283 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: this is I mean, privately, I'm sitting there on the 284 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: set and I say the same thing every day I 285 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: commit here. I'm like, oh, Greta, I love you. Oh God, Greta, 286 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: if you only knew how much I love you, Greta, 287 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: please understand. And I'd be on the subway trying to 288 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: memorize my lines. It was all such a pain in 289 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: the acid, and then it hit me, this is hard 290 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: to do well. The udahg and respect for acting things 291 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: like the first thing you gotta get to is that 292 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: it's not easy even if you have a shitty part. 293 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: I tell people, just be One of the best things 294 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: in the movie, even if you you were walking and 295 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: go dinner, is serve and learning where you fit into 296 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: because I also find there's so much bringing people up 297 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: in a lot of like acting classes that I took of, 298 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: like well where are you coming from? Where are you 299 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: coming from? And to be honest, the thing that I've 300 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: learned mainly in film and television is when I read 301 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: a script, now I'm not looking at it from my 302 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: point of view, I'm looking at it from the director's 303 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: point of view because I'm going and and here's the 304 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: other thing is sometimes it doesn't give a hoot if 305 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: I feel it, it matters if the audience feels it. 306 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: So like I could say I want to do a 307 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: hundred more till I feel it, and I hope that 308 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: someone in the crew would go, no, no thanks. We 309 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: need to go home to our families because we are 310 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: also human beings employed in the same industry that you are. 311 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter. You have to you have to trust 312 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: in the director that they're getting what they need to get. 313 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: But you really have to be thinking about is the 314 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: audience feeling this and whether you need to just trust 315 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: the director, you need to watch the take, whatever it is. 316 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: But it's about how you fit into a bigger story. 317 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: And I don't necessarily know that that was ever taught 318 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: to me until I started getting really good direction and saying, well, 319 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: I feel like my character would do this, and then like, 320 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know someone like I was on 321 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: Deadwood in the in the very beginning of my career, 322 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: and David Milt would be like, well, I don't, but 323 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: but this is what I need to have happen. Oh 324 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: my god, the best has like eight rescue dogs following 325 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: him around on the set. I don't know how I 326 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: got this job un Dead when I only did a 327 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: couple episodes, but it was a very cool role. It 328 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: was like a young girl who came into town with 329 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: her brother and she starts working at the horehouse and 330 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: then she tries to like take everyone for a ride, 331 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: and she sleeps with Kim's character and she stabs powers 332 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: booth and it was and then I get beaten and 333 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: shot in the center of town, right, so I only 334 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: read the sweet scenes, and then when I got the role, 335 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: I read the sort of other side of her where 336 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: she goes crazy. And I said to him like, I 337 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: don't know if I can do this, and he goes, no, 338 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: I know you can. And then I went home and 339 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: I felt so insecure. I'm like, does he think I'm evil? 340 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: Because these scenes are really evil. So I had a 341 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: great time working with him, but I also found that 342 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: he was one of the kindest people I've ever worked with. 343 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: Every Friday on Deadwood, that was a difficult show to shoot. 344 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: It was in Santa Clarita. There were a ton of horses, 345 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: which means their ship smell everywhere. There was at the 346 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: atmosphere that they pump in, which means everyone's breathing in dust. 347 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: All of these things, tight corsets, blah blah blah. Wasn't 348 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: physically comfortable long hours. And every Friday at lunchtime, he 349 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: would gather everybody into the one of the saloons and 350 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: I would watch him give away ten dollars. He'd put 351 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: in a fish bowl, all these little tickets and he'd say, 352 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: okay for a sevent d prize. Joe Gripp and he'd 353 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 1: say thank you, so much for working here. I love 354 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: you guys. Okay for a two hundred dollar prize and 355 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: he would just give away a ton of his money 356 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 1: as he has created numerous shows, and you know, what, 357 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: can I tell you something? So I said to myself 358 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 1: when I saw him do it, I was like, I'm 359 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 1: gonna do that if I ever make it, I'm gonna 360 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 1: do that that. I'm going to do that one day. 361 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 1: This is going to be my example. And I've done 362 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: it on my last couple of shows and it feels 363 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: you can't imagine a better feeling. And I expect I 364 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 1: did it for I just finished a movie called Queen 365 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: Pins that was an indie that spent all of our 366 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 1: budget on COVID safety, and I mean COVID safety like 367 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: you have never seen. Because I was so hesitant to work. 368 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: We shot it. We had a huge COVID team. Everyone 369 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: got PCRs every day, not just rapids. You had to 370 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: have a K of ninety five. They had to bring 371 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: an air scrubbers every hour to scrub the entire air 372 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: in the room. No more than twelve people. And I 373 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,239 Speaker 1: knew it was stressful for people, and I was like, 374 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: I'm gonna milch it. I'm gonna milt it. And it 375 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 1: was so wonderful. But here's what I did, because I 376 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 1: also from you know, just reading freakonomics. You just have 377 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: to incentivize people. So I said to our COVID consultants, 378 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: who were from U C. L A. I was like, 379 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: what if we just incentivize them. What if I get 380 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: grub hub to give us everybody two fifty dollar gift 381 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: certificates so they're encouraged to eat at home, and then 382 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 1: the next week we get the in and out truck, 383 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: and then then and then the other week subsequent weeks, 384 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: I put five or ten grand in a bucket and 385 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: I say, this is the I did not get COVID 386 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: this week bucket, And you're only in here if you 387 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,199 Speaker 1: didn't get COVID. And we pull a name, and I 388 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,439 Speaker 1: gotta say nobody got COVID because everyone wanted to be 389 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: in the bucket. Oh well, I'm sure some people were 390 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: sitting there going, well, it's the least you can do it. 391 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: But five grants into the fish bolshop with all that 392 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 1: frozen money. She got to God, Oh, you'd think right. 393 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: I've been doing some animated films. I did the movie 394 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: Boss Baby and we're just finishing the sequel now. People 395 00:18:57,840 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: say to me, how do you feel doing that? I'm like, 396 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: the is the greatest movie I've ever made. I love 397 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: doing those movies because the audience so receptive as kids, 398 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 1: you know, and here you are to have been part 399 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:14,439 Speaker 1: of this, like unbelievably Titanic success. Was that fun for you? 400 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: So fun? It's been fantastic, And it's been the biggest 401 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: honor to be somehow important to children that you've never met, 402 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: so much so that you can make someone's day, or 403 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 1: that you can send a kid who is in the 404 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: hospital a message, and it really you can bring a 405 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: smile to someone's face, and that is something I do 406 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,399 Speaker 1: not take lightly. I have a lot of respect for 407 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: the fact that I have that little superpower now and 408 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,159 Speaker 1: I use it as much as I possibly can. You know, 409 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: your generation, you're so youthful looking and you're just turned forty, 410 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: and I'm want to ask you about that. What's that 411 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: been like for you in terms of because you still 412 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: look so young, what's changed for you about the business 413 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: and what you want now that you've been doing it 414 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: for twenty two years. So in the beginning of my 415 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: career up until the last I would say five or 416 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 1: six years. I was just hungry and I was willing 417 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: to stay on that hamster wheel of I need to 418 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: read everything. Who got that? Who should I be meeting? 419 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: Is there a new best director that I should be having? 420 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,879 Speaker 1: In general, with all the things that you think you 421 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: need to do. And I was getting offered a lot 422 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: of romantic comedies or things that were I felt like 423 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: I had done, and I just desperately wanted like the 424 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: new Michelle Williams script, you know what I mean. I 425 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,719 Speaker 1: was like, I just want to be like an indie 426 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: actor and I want to be like respected. And my 427 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: husband would sit in bed and he's like, why don't 428 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: you stay in your lane? It's so much funner when 429 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 1: you stay in your lane. You like you can spread 430 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 1: your wings, but don't disregard what you have because some 431 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: girl who's an actress right now is like, God, I 432 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: just want to be a goofy girl in a rom com. 433 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: Somebody is saying that right now, and you have that opportunity. 434 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 1: Don't ship on that. And like also sometimes he's like, Christen, 435 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: you're not as good to an actress is Michelle Williams. 436 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 1: So she's gonna get the part, and I'm like, Okay, 437 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: your said yeah, but he's not. No, he's right though. 438 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: Also he's just like and guess what else, Michelle Williams 439 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,639 Speaker 1: can't be as quirky and as funny in a rom 440 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: coom as you can, Like everyone has a lane, and 441 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: he was he is all about moving into acceptance mode 442 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: and you know, expectations are resentments waiting to happen, all 443 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:25,920 Speaker 1: these little a phrases he has that are that are 444 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:29,640 Speaker 1: helpful when applied correctly, and I just felt like, oh, yeah, 445 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 1: it really is just my ego that I want to 446 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: be like I don't know if it's acknowledged or be 447 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: in every category. And the moment I said, you know what, 448 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: I have a thing, right, I have a thing and 449 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: it's a quirky, weird, funny, bubbly fun thing that's can 450 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: be snarky and I love doing it. I do it 451 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: pretty well. Why not lean into it? And that is 452 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,719 Speaker 1: when I felt like I started becoming happier when I 453 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: stopped trying to be in everyone else's category. But what's 454 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 1: the little piece of you in the corner, Like, forget 455 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 1: about Michelle Williams, what's the thing you so part of 456 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 1: you that would really love to do something that you 457 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: just don't think you'll ever get a chance to do 458 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: that you really would love to try. Oh, I mean 459 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: something dark and serious, obviously, because I am a pretty 460 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: classically trained actor, and I would love to do that. 461 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: And I did that in the beginning. I mean Deadwood 462 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 1: was a little that heavy drama really interests me. But 463 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: I also know that I have a five and a 464 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: seven year old. It is a priority to me how 465 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: I act when I go home. And it is true 466 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: that sometimes you can take a little bit of baggage 467 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: home or you'll just be in a sour mood. But 468 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: if you're making a comedy with Mike, sure all day, 469 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: chances are you're going to come home in a pretty 470 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: good mood, you know what I mean. And I've just 471 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: kind of prioritized my well being as Kristen, like I 472 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: always like to say, I like being an actress, but 473 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,440 Speaker 1: I love being Kristen. So I've prioritized that a little 474 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: bit more than my like desire to spread my wings 475 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,360 Speaker 1: or prove to people that I can be some dramatic actress. 476 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: What do you want to do that you haven't done? 477 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: Um sing on Broadway? Girl, you can do that no, no, no. 478 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: Do you like singing? Can you have like a proper 479 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: more musical theater singing voice if you don't put on 480 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: an affectation. I just don't have the vocal call. I 481 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: don't have the chops and the breath. It's it's like, 482 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: you know that music and singing and being able to 483 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: imitate people and impersonate people. There's a fine line between 484 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: the two. It's an ear. You have an ear, and 485 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: I have a good ear and I and I love 486 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: music and I listen to people singing and I go, 487 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: oh my god. I just to be able to do that, 488 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 1: but I don't have the equipment. But you know what 489 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: that it is a muscle. I mean, look, nobody's gonna 490 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: wake up one morning and sound like normal Leo butts right. 491 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: That doesn't happen to everybody, But I will say it 492 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 1: is a muscle. It is like a bicep. Like when 493 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: I'm out of Like when Adina and I get called 494 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 1: for to do some concert, we call each other. We're 495 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: like a funk. When's the last time you practice? Because 496 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,199 Speaker 1: the reality is you shave notes off your top and 497 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: you shave notes off your bottom, just like you do 498 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: a bicep like you can. If you pump iron every day, 499 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: your muscle gets bigger, your breath control, your ability to 500 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: tap into your diaphragm, and your simplified your vocal range. 501 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: It goes up with practice, and it is possible. If 502 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: you have an ear for tone, it is possible to 503 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: expand that muscle. Well, there's times I will say that, 504 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, you relax, you get some sleep, 505 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: you're arrested, your voice to your vocal cords fall into 506 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: a certain line. There's times that I have, you know, 507 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 1: and I'm not being cute about this, but the's time 508 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: that I would sing in the shower and I think, 509 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: my God, listen to me, My God, can you believe this? 510 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, Charles as Nevoir has nothing on me. 511 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: And my husband is going through a singing phase and 512 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: it nothing is cuter to me. So he's borderline tone deaf, 513 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: but he loves to sing. Okay, And here's what happened. 514 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: Let me set the scene in my household. My kids 515 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 1: could give a shit about Frozen, truly and completely. They 516 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 1: don't want me to talk about it. They don't want 517 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,879 Speaker 1: to know. I minute, because you're supposed to rebel against 518 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: your mom thinks she does her uncool. So they're into 519 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: a ton of they love boss Baby but like frozen. 520 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: They're like it's fine. So I can't even sing to them. 521 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,160 Speaker 1: I try to sing them to sleep there like once 522 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: in a while they'll let me do it, and I'm like, 523 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 1: I'm you know, obviously that's a burn on me. So 524 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: we're doing this new UM cartoon for Stephen Conrad called 525 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 1: Ultra City Smith's and it's a musical. And he asked 526 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,160 Speaker 1: Dax and I if we'd be involved because we were 527 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: weirdly like just those people who didn't know Stephen Conrad, 528 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: but we're like championing the Patriot when it was out, 529 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:17,919 Speaker 1: like nobody's watching this show. It's brilliant UM. So he 530 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: contacted us. We were super flattered. He's like, it's a musical. UM. 531 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: He hires us. We're playing this married couple. And then 532 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,680 Speaker 1: Dax did a recording the other day and he sang 533 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: for Stephen Conrad, like just a little bit of He's 534 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: sang some Whalen Jennings or something, and Stephen was like 535 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: that was great. That was really great, Dax, this is 536 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,159 Speaker 1: gonna work out well. Dax came home in the absolute 537 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: cutest mood I've ever seen him in. And he has 538 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:44,120 Speaker 1: been asking me to tape him on my telephone singing songs, 539 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 1: and he's been posting things online of him singing songs 540 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:52,719 Speaker 1: he's in Yes on Instagram, Yes, and it's so please 541 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: watch it. It's so cute. The whole time he was 542 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: driving big Brown home, he was like, he's got his 543 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: camera on his little dashboard and he's like, yeah, PLEASESE 544 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: really let me go. It's so cute to me. Now, 545 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:11,640 Speaker 1: Veronica Mars is when I first became aware of you, 546 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,360 Speaker 1: and that was a big success for you, and then 547 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 1: you did good place, you know, and you also come 548 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,200 Speaker 1: from a generation of people which are a lot more 549 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: self disclosing about some of the things you've gone through 550 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: in your life. And I'm like, you know, a long 551 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: time ago, when I was first coming, there were people 552 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: who they just stayed behind that wall like you were 553 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: never going to find that anything about their private life. 554 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,640 Speaker 1: And also there were publicity arms of studios and networks 555 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: that worked aggressively to protect the reputations of their stars. 556 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: That does not exist anymore, as opposed to Warner Brothers, 557 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: where you go down one hallway and there's the movie division, 558 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 1: and you go down another hallway and there's the TV division. 559 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: Then you got in another hallway and TMZ is there. 560 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: Come on, I know I have such an issue with 561 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: that as well. I'm like, how do you run all 562 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: of these organizations? Why do you want me to work 563 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: for you? And then you're trying to kill me. I 564 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: could not agree more. My husband and I just agree 565 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: on things in the world. We argue all the time, 566 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: but we do not go to bed angry, and we 567 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: have a beautiful marriage and we are able to make 568 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: it work because we have this mutual respect. We have 569 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 1: a desire for vulnerability. When we first started dating, we 570 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,439 Speaker 1: tried to keep it secret because we didn't want to 571 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 1: be hunt. That was when like TMC was starting, you know, 572 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: liket and fourteen years ago, and they were starting to 573 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: like hunt people really on the street with cameras and 574 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 1: it was scary and it just feels predator and prey um. 575 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: But after a while, especially when social media you sort 576 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 1: of started to own it and you were able to 577 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 1: post your own things. We kind of went through this 578 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: little metamorphosis. Not with our children because we keep them 579 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: very separated and we keep them very private. But I 580 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 1: have a big, big maternal chip on my shoulder, and 581 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: I feel like if I'm okay being vulnerable and talking 582 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: about my flaws and my marriage, especially if it can 583 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:54,719 Speaker 1: be an example for someone else, so I'm ready to, Like, 584 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:57,360 Speaker 1: I guess I'm willing to take that hit. Like Jax 585 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,199 Speaker 1: and I talked about what we fight about public lee, 586 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: I talk about my fears and anxiety, about the fact 587 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: that I suffer from anxiety and depression. And every time 588 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 1: I'm honest and vulnerable, the reaction that I get not 589 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: from like the TMZ crewd but the reaction I get 590 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: from just uh engagement with fans or on social media 591 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 1: or whatever is always positive and it keeps me going 592 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: and a reminder of like, oh yeah, we're really looking 593 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: to connect. And I suppose that I've just put the 594 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: connecting with people above any sort of like clandestine existence 595 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,880 Speaker 1: that I could give you, because I wouldn't be good 596 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: at that anyway. I'm too much of a talker, you 597 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 1: know what I mean. It doesn't bother me so much 598 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: to be such an open book. I kind of like it. 599 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,440 Speaker 1: But I also think that what is the silver lining 600 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: of some kind of social media like Instagram. Well, it's 601 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: kept the paparazzi away from my house because I'm posting 602 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: all the pictures online myself. Yeah, exactly, I've preempted that. 603 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: There's nothing you can get unless my wife is pregnant, 604 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: unless you get me, you know, slipping on the ice 605 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: and falling on my ass or something, you know, something 606 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: that you're after. But hopefully your wife will post that 607 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: picture of you calling and they still won't have to 608 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: get it. You know, my wife would make a movie 609 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 1: out of that. Believe she loves to let the air 610 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: out of me, she always say. But one thing about 611 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: this age, of this kind of self disclosure is that 612 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: it gives me a chance. I'm going to tell the story. 613 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 1: I want to talk about how I didn't drink and 614 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: I didn't take drugs all through high school, very little 615 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: minimum because I couldn't afford it. I didn't have any money. 616 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: And when I finally had money in my pocket from 617 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: working in this business I had. If I had a 618 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: hundred bucks in my pocket, I was like, well, let's 619 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: go have that drug and alcohol problem we've been putting 620 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: off for the last five years. You know. But what 621 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: do you say to people in terms of how they 622 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: can seek help. Do you actively try to support people 623 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: that way and say you've got to go and ask 624 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: for help? Oh you mean, like if I'm talking about 625 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: like anxiety and depression or or or anything like that, 626 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: anything whatever the issue is. Oh yeah, well, I mean, look, 627 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: I'm also like having just come out of like early 628 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 1: stage motherhood. I you know, there's so much of I 629 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: did not experience it, but I know the world of 630 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: like feeling insecure as a new mom, And you're not 631 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,479 Speaker 1: doing this right. So I try to be very clear 632 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: in that there are many different ways to find a 633 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: solution to a problem. Let's just start with the basic math, right, 634 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 1: some people, we know people. We have people in common 635 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 1: that have stopped drugs and alcohol that have not gone 636 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: to a a and we we also have people in 637 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: common that did need it, like you know, my husband does. 638 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: And there are many different ways to find a solution. 639 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: So if it's like someone saying I'm depressed or anxious 640 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: or I'm having problems in my marriage, if I were 641 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 1: to respond, or if I were to say anything on 642 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: the subject, it would be There are a variety of 643 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: resources out there for talking about anxiety and depression. One 644 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: is um talk to someone close in your family, open 645 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: up more, start exercising. Exercising is one of the best 646 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:44,480 Speaker 1: things you can do for your mental health. You can 647 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: talk to a psychologist or a psychiatrist, a medication maybe 648 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: in your future, it may not be because that's not 649 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 1: the only way. That's how I solve it. I've been 650 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: on an antidepressant for years, but that's not for everyone, 651 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: and I'm very clear about that. Um And then I'm 652 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: also just a big I'm a therapy pusher. I love therapy. 653 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: I am. I think it's Yeah, I think it's great. 654 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 1: I mean also, I'm not opposed to any of the 655 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: new kinds. I just don't know much about them. But 656 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: I know when I know. I have a therapist who 657 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: the first time I sat down with him, his name 658 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 1: is Harry. He's an excellent human being. I started talking 659 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 1: and he said, doing his hold on the second, I'm 660 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: just gonna tell you, if you want me to take 661 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: your hundred dollars percession and listen to you event I 662 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: am so here for you. If you'd like a solution, 663 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: just let me know. And I was like, uh, who, what? 664 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: Who does this man think? He is being so blunt 665 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: with me? But I was also very attracted to that 666 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: kind of personality, which is obviously why I married my husband. 667 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: The blunt cut to the chase talkers because I'm not 668 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: that person. I'm a rambler. So when I said that, 669 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: I I mean when he said that, I was so intrigued. 670 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 1: I was like, well, wait a minute. Of course I 671 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,160 Speaker 1: want a solution. He was like, Okay, well I can 672 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: tell you this. You plus this issue equals chaos. Are 673 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: you in the rumor? Is this issue in the room? 674 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: And I was like, okay, um, I guess this issue 675 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: is in the room. This person or thing I was 676 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: talking about I am, and it just I like the 677 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 1: idea that are there are solutions out there. I'm a 678 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: I'm a fixer, and I get very excited about Okay, 679 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: well that's not working. Pivot find a new way to 680 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 1: do it, because there's always a better way to do it. 681 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 1: Kristen Bell last year she launched Happy Dance, a CBD 682 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 1: bath and body product line designed specifically to offer some 683 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 1: self care for other busy moms that She recently published 684 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: her first children's book, The World Needs More Purple People, 685 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: in hopes of encouraging more conversations in these polarized times 686 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: about what we have in common. More on that after 687 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: the break. If you like Here's the Thing, don't keep 688 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 1: it to yourself. Tell a friend. You can subscribe to 689 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing on the I Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, 690 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. While you're there, leave 691 00:32:55,240 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: us a review. Thanks for listening. I'm Alec Baldwin and 692 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: you're listening to Here's the Thing. Actor Kristen Bell has 693 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: been with her husband, actor Dax Shepherd since two thousand seven. 694 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 1: The two are very open about the good, the bad, 695 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: and the challenges of a long term relationship. I wanted 696 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,719 Speaker 1: to ask Kristen if it helps to have a partner 697 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: who was also in the business. Yeah. I mean, you know, 698 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: both of us have ego sensitivity issues and it sort 699 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 1: of depends on how often we've worked. If one of 700 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 1: us hasn't worked in six months, one of us can 701 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 1: start to feel low. But again we're both aware of 702 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: that because of therapy. I would say for the most part, 703 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: I see it as a plus. And perhaps that's because 704 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: of who the man Dax is um but I know 705 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: that he like we're not. He doesn't get down on 706 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: me about hours because he knows. If I say I'm 707 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: home at three, the scene could take till ten. It's 708 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: nice not to have to deal with confusion if you 709 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 1: have someone who's working a nine to five. Just nice 710 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:00,719 Speaker 1: to be with somebody that gets and it gets it. 711 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 1: And also Dax is a really good director. He has 712 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:06,400 Speaker 1: written and directed a couple of movies. He wrote like 713 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: a love letter to me are. His first movie was 714 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,880 Speaker 1: this UM independent movie called Hit and Run, and it 715 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: was about a guy who was in UH witness protection 716 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: program and his girlfriend finds out and they have to 717 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,320 Speaker 1: go on this chase away from the bad guys, and 718 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: it's like does she want to go? Does she still 719 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 1: trust him? And it literally was a metaphor for our 720 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: first year of dating. I didn't know what a drug 721 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: addict was or how they operated. I mean I grew 722 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 1: up in a small town in Michigan, just outside of Detroit, 723 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: where it was like, well, drugs are bad, bad people 724 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:36,799 Speaker 1: do drugs and that was the end of the conversation. 725 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: And I didn't understand anything about addiction. So when he 726 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:42,919 Speaker 1: used to sit at the dinner table again and tell 727 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:46,280 Speaker 1: me like, oh, this one time I I did seventy pills. 728 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 1: I lost three days and I didn't show up for Christmas. 729 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: I would be so terrified. And I didn't. I was like, 730 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 1: how can I trust you? And he's like, well, but 731 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:57,719 Speaker 1: that's not me anymore. Anyways. Cut to Harry saying, you 732 00:34:57,760 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: know what, all she needs to hear You're saying how 733 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:01,319 Speaker 1: it was is. All she needs to hear is how 734 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:03,400 Speaker 1: it is now. You need to have that last sentence 735 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:05,399 Speaker 1: on the end of your story. And by the way, 736 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,439 Speaker 1: I didn't show it for Christmas. Wow, I'm so glad 737 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 1: I don't do that anymore. Then she won't freak out. 738 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: But the point is I was really I had a 739 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,959 Speaker 1: lot of trust issues with him our first year, and 740 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: so he wrote this story about this girl who doesn't 741 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: who finds something out about her partner and doesn't think 742 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 1: she can trust him. And the point is he's a 743 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 1: very good director. I trust his creativity implicitly, so I 744 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 1: can have him read things. He coaches me on auditions, 745 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:31,759 Speaker 1: and that's a very safe space for me to be 746 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,800 Speaker 1: in because he can give me some really hard direction 747 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: or just saying you're doing too much or you're you're 748 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,439 Speaker 1: trying too hard, and I know he wants what's best 749 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 1: for me, so I'm able to get really difficult direction 750 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 1: and do a better job in my career because of him. Now, 751 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:51,239 Speaker 1: one last question, tell us about the world needs more 752 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: purple people with Benjamin hartrist And I'm not a writer. 753 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:58,440 Speaker 1: I am an orator at best, and barely that. But 754 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: I did write a children's book this year with one 755 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:04,640 Speaker 1: of my best friends, ben Heart. Um. It came from 756 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,240 Speaker 1: our personal experience of seeing our kids together and seeing 757 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: it just a very polarizing political culture seep into our 758 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: kids daily lives of our kids were seeing in us 759 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,160 Speaker 1: and them and even at our dinner table, we were 760 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 1: getting heated when we were talking about things. This is 761 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: you know, over the last five years, four years, and 762 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: we wanted to create some language, uh and in a 763 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:28,359 Speaker 1: children's book to help. And so, I mean, it's not 764 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: crazy far off to understand that red plus blue equals purple. 765 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:35,919 Speaker 1: But it's just we didn't want our kids looking around 766 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,879 Speaker 1: and seeing enemies. We wanted them to see constructive conversations 767 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,480 Speaker 1: even within disagreements. We wanted a social identity that positions 768 00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:44,880 Speaker 1: them towards their fellow humans. And so we tried to 769 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 1: come up with five great pillars that no one could 770 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:50,920 Speaker 1: argue with on any side, and being purple means asking 771 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: really great questions, laughing a lot, using your voice, being 772 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: a hard worker, but also being totally and uniquely you 773 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 1: and attentive to your own experiences. So we really just 774 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: we didn't want any of this corrosive political divide to 775 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,399 Speaker 1: seep into our kids. We want it. It's it's it's 776 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:11,400 Speaker 1: not about anything other than looking towards your fellow human beings, 777 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:15,360 Speaker 1: listening to their experiences and telling them yours. And we 778 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 1: like to say, the only way to be purple is 779 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 1: to just be you, because you're the only you we've got. 780 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 1: And it's not you know, it's not a secret that 781 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:24,200 Speaker 1: we wrote it for kids, because if we wrote it 782 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: for adults, the kids wouldn't read it. But if we 783 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: wrote it for kids, the adults would have to read 784 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: it to them. So it's just a polite reminder that 785 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,440 Speaker 1: there's not en us in them. And we can still disagree, 786 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: and we can still use our voice, but we got 787 00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 1: to live together, and it's okay if you disagree with people, 788 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: and it's okay if someone has a different experience, and 789 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:46,880 Speaker 1: you should want to hear as many stories as possible. 790 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:49,720 Speaker 1: But we wanted our kids to have a social identity 791 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 1: that positions them towards their fellow human beings are good, 792 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 1: I think so. I can tell yeah, it's one of 793 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: the things I'm most confident in. Actor Kristen Bell. She's 794 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,720 Speaker 1: been working on a new movie with Vince Vaughan called 795 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,719 Speaker 1: Queen Pins During Quarantine. It's about a pair of housewives 796 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:14,240 Speaker 1: who run a multimillion dollar coupon scam. I'm Alec Baldwin. 797 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:16,640 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing. Is brought to you by I Heart Radio. 798 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:21,600 Speaker 1: We're produced by Kathleen Russo and Carrie Donohue. Our editor 799 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 1: is Zach mcneie and our engineer is Frank Imperial. Our 800 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: theme song is by Miles Davis.