WEBVTT - Questlove Supreme: Jurnee Smollett 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.080 Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. 0:00:08.160 --> 0:00:11.040 I was just smoke saying, man, is it delicious? 0:00:11.880 --> 0:00:14.640 It is, except my toast is like underdone because I 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:16.840 was rushing because I realized I was late for y'all. 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:19.840 So it's not as crunchy as I wanted to be. 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.119 Journey, you were friends. Now you can actually just walk 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:24.880 to the stove and. 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:27.880 Start cooking or just thanks, my. 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:32.400 First guest to start cooking at dinner. Wow on the show. Anyway, 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:34.000 let me let me do this, all right, I gotta 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:36.360 make up an intro because it would be disrespectful. 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:41.440 Wait, you don't have an intro prepared for me? I'm here? Wow? 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:44.920 All right, all right, all right, here we got podcasting. 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:48.559 All right, Ladies and gentlemen. Our guest today has the 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:54.720 distinct honor of being, okay, I around it off fourteen 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:59.040 years my junior. Yet I think she is clocked in 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:05.080 more years inner profession than mine, which basically means that 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:09.320 she's literally been acting since she came out the womb. 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:13.400 I think her first gig was when she was ten 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:18.839 months old, so that should put in perspective. Anyway, full disclosure, 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:23.959 we are close friends. So this is my preface way 0:01:24.000 --> 0:01:28.040 of saying that I'm a lazy show host and introducer, 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:31.080 but I'm also a fan. So you know, it's important 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:36.560 to note that Journey Smollett is not anyone's overnight success. 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:40.120 She has the receipts to prove it. I'm gonna go 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:43.520 off the top of my favorites. Of course, there's full 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:49.960 House on her own, hanging with mister Cooper Cosby, the 0:01:50.080 --> 0:01:55.040 CBS version, Oh Movies, gotch Eves by Your night Lights, 0:01:55.400 --> 0:02:02.360 Friday Night Lights, World Bounce, The Great Debaters, True Blood, Parenthood, 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:05.160 Birds of Prey, let me cut to the damn chase. 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:08.960 It's as Letty lewis I pray at your last name 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:11.440 on the show. Yes, I believe it's Letty. Letty lewis 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:16.200 an instant African. I won't say I don't know to 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:21.040 call this afrofuturist or an American horror classic story. So 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:24.119 I will say that this is an instant American horror, 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:31.119 African futurist classic Lovecraft country that our guest has somehow 0:02:31.320 --> 0:02:36.720 managed to turn, somehow ironically into a breakout role while 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:42.600 having a thirty year career under her belt. How's that 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:44.120 for winging? Is she watching me? 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:44.520 Sweat. 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:52.400 Right now, Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome actress, singer, activist, mother, 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:59.960 baseball bat swinger Flavor flav Understudy, and midnight chef Journey's 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:03.800 Wallet for the second time to Quest Love Supreme. Anyway, 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:08.040 how are you doing, journal? I know you'd rather be 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:14.240 doing anything but the groundwork of of doing interviews, So 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:18.399 I'll try to make this as painless as possible. Hi, 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:21.400 how's your day to day? I'm just gonna it's gonna 0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:22.839 be recklessly How was your day to day? 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:25.960 I mean it was okay. 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:29.800 I've been sitting here all day long doing interviews and 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:34.200 zooms and things of that nature, so you know, happy 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:34.840 to do more. 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:36.839 You're still You're still. 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:40.080 I'm gonna have fun. 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:44.000 We have fun. Okay, good, I get it. 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:44.360 Journal. 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:46.440 I understand that if. 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:49.080 I'm happy to thank you for that introduction. 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:53.320 I'm like, wow, dude, that that was freaking off the time. 0:03:53.360 --> 0:03:56.000 I was scared because I know I missed something that 0:03:56.040 --> 0:03:56.440 you were in. 0:03:57.800 --> 0:03:59.280 I don't remember what was it. 0:03:59.720 --> 0:04:03.240 No, was like I won't mention temptation with Kim, but 0:04:03.480 --> 0:04:06.839 I forgot you did that too, the music video. No, 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:13.240 she was in Temptation Tyler Perry. Yes, yes, yes, I forgot. 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:16.680 I knew I forgot something. There's probably forty two other 0:04:16.760 --> 0:04:19.680 things that I've missed as well. Anyway, so you've been 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:24.640 sort of on the grind reintroducing yourself to twelve. 0:04:24.480 --> 0:04:30.560 Time, right right right? You know my grind. One thing 0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:33.479 people don't know about. First of all, Amir and I 0:04:33.520 --> 0:04:36.720 have known each other for so long. We met, you 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:39.480 came to We didn't meet here, although you were here. 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.800 You were at the Gridiron Gang premiere. You told me, 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:43.920 do you remember. 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:47.119 That you indeed, I forgot to mention grid Iron? Yes, 0:04:47.600 --> 0:04:48.080 I was there. 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:49.720 You were at the premiere of that, and then you 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:51.560 reached out to me on my Space. 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:58.520 I remember very well. Wow, you asked me still exist? 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:04.080 Now, Tom, No, are you sure the Facebook? 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:06.040 Facebook still exists? 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:10.920 It should it shouldn't right exactly. I'm actually checking to 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.320 see this is my space? Is my account still good? 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:19.159 Because name I think it's quite I don't know, I 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:25.239 don't like Justin Timberlake purchased it. So yeah, it's still 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:27.280 my Space still exists, ladies. 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:29.760 I still have some of like your old pictures on it, 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:32.520 but not all of it because I go, wow, how do. 0:05:32.560 --> 0:05:36.920 I even find ship? I gotta see friendster is still up. 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:41.400 I'm sorry anyway, go ahead, dude. 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:43.600 We still have our Space accounts. 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:45.800 Yeah, yeah, you still. 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:46.960 I don't know if you can log in, but you 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:48.440 can still see, like if you have some pictures. 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:50.360 I know I can, it's an audio. 0:05:50.960 --> 0:05:54.920 Yeah, my Space is still think. Yes, we are all 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:56.120 going on my Space. 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:59.080 I don't know you're ready to get you know where 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:01.320 I met. I mean we've been telling talking about Lovecraft. 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:05.039 I know, I know, and I've been like, I'm such 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:07.000 a fan of the show. I think I've been waking 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:09.480 you up out your sleep to ask you questions about 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:09.880 the show. 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:14.599 Yeah, pretty much, I do get. I'm glad like one 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:16.960 in the morning where you're like Ni. 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:23.400 Gro yo, that's compliment and and that's her cleaning up 0:06:23.400 --> 0:06:26.000 the word. Yes, if we're going to hit it. 0:06:25.920 --> 0:06:28.240 A little, can I just ask Journey yo. I'm just 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:31.000 glad to see you and Misha Green back together because 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:35.680 The Underground was like, my shit, it was my. 0:06:35.720 --> 0:06:38.640 Show too, man, I mean, I'm. 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:42.920 It's what's so funny about Misha and and my relationship 0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:45.279 with her is how we started off like we started 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.479 off hated each other. I couldn't stand the help I 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:53.400 could not stand her when I saw the pilot of Underground. 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:57.680 I remember calling my people being like, what did I 0:06:57.680 --> 0:06:58.240 sign up for? 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:01.760 And how do I get out of this? She's experience. Well, 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:04.640 here's the thing she and I. 0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:07.320 You know, initially she she one of the first things 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:09.840 she had said to me was she grabbed my hands. 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:10.520 She said, we're going to. 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:13.640 Be best friends. 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:21.360 Yeah, right, usually, And so as we started doing the pilot, 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:24.320 we just kept butting heads and became a running joke 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:27.960 on set that, oh, if Journey's in the scene, good 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.200 luck starting on time, Journey and Mishi're going to be 0:07:31.280 --> 0:07:32.679 arguing for twenty minutes prior. 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:36.200 To the scene Thanksgiving. Wait are you loud? Wait now 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:40.080 I'm playing? Are you allowed to argue with your director? 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:42.000 Well, here's the thing she was. 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:45.960 It was the first time I was like the lead 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:48.160 of a show, and it was the first time she 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:49.559 was a showrunner of a show. 0:07:49.720 --> 0:07:52.960 So we there was a lot of pressure on us, right, and. 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:58.160 I wanted, you know, I come with all my research 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:00.560 and my opinions about a cat. They're like, look, you 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:02.600 hired me to do a job, right, so let me 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:05.480 do my fucking job. And then here she comes being 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:07.560 like yes, but this is what my vision is. Blah 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:10.840 blah blah, and that's normal for people. But we just 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:14.040 had to figure out how to collaborate. We had to 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:16.560 figure out each other's love languages, because there was a 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:20.960 lot of just debating and arguing and not seeing eye 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:24.960 to eye with things. And then you know, once we 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:28.080 got over that. It was really the whipping scene in 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:32.680 the pilot of Underground, in which we argued to I 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:37.360 mean over talked it and I kept saying, look, it's 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:38.720 not on the page, it's not here. 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:39.880 What you want me to do? 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:41.680 I don't know how to make that sit in my 0:08:41.760 --> 0:08:45.240 body in a truthful way. So and everything I would try, 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:47.360 we rehearsed it, and I would try things in my 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:50.000 body and she would just be like, no, that ain't it, No, 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:52.360 that ain't it. And I'm like, who is this headful? 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:56.760 Like you gotta let me try, you know. And so finally, 0:08:56.800 --> 0:08:59.680 on the day of shooting, I told our director Anthony everywhere, 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:01.920 I said, I don't want. 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:02.440 To discuss it. 0:09:02.600 --> 0:09:05.360 Don't talk to me about this scene. I'm gonna go 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:07.000 out there and do it. I don't know how I'm 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:09.000 gonna do it, but I'm gonna do it. I said, 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:10.560 the only thing is, please don't let me hear this 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:13.200 out on the web, because at this point I've got 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:17.000 nothing else to hold on to to get an actual 0:09:17.040 --> 0:09:18.560 response out of me, you know. 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:23.640 And then I looked up and we're sitting on this plantation. 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:27.880 It was a real plantation in Louisiana, and I saw 0:09:27.920 --> 0:09:30.200 this oak tree, and this tree had been there for 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:34.640 over two hundred probably two to three hundred years, and 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:37.360 I thought of Billie Holliday's strange fruit, and I thought 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:40.200 of all the strange fruit that had probably hung from 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:44.360 that tree. And I just prayed to the ancestors and 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:47.760 went out and did the scene. 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:49.240 And Anthony didn't cut. 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:51.720 He just kept doing take after take, angle after angle 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:52.400 without cutting. 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:55.880 And afterwards I couldn't stop crying. 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:57.800 I was crying for like a good ten minutes, and 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:02.440 Nisha and Aldis and Anthony just held me, and it 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:06.160 was an interesting breakthrough for me. Sha and I of like, Okay, 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:08.480 we just have to trust the process, and we just 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:10.200 have to trust the material, and we have to trust 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:14.199 each other because when it comes time, the work will 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:14.600 be there. 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:20.560 When when high intensity scenes have to be shot, be 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:25.559 it murder or the awkwardness of a love scene or 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:30.720 screaming or shouting or rage your iconic baseball bet scene. 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:38.440 How much preparation or time do you need to go 0:10:38.559 --> 0:10:42.360 to a convincing dark place or is it like you 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:44.200 show up at set of five in the morning. 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:48.480 And go, oh, no, I'm not that person that I 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:53.000 would never I it just I'd have nothing to pull 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:53.640 from my. 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:56.040 Well would be empty. I've done it and it just 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:59.600 don't work out. So I spend a lot of time 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:00.240 doing re. 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:04.240 Search, okay. Robin Williams once shared a story about when 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:10.559 shooting with de Niro, Robin Williams and De Niro Awakenings, Awakenings. 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:15.600 There's a scene where Robin Williams and de Niro had 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:18.680 to like come outside of the hospital and they were 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:23.720 shooting a location in the Bronx. And you know, since 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:27.640 the beginning of the film, de Niro was in method 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:31.199 acting mode and stayed that character the entire duration of 0:11:31.240 --> 0:11:36.120 the film, even when he went home. And because they 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:39.120 were on location in the Bronx and there were like 0:11:39.480 --> 0:11:44.840 people on stamp by watching this one spectator I think 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:48.600 like distracted de Niro so much that they had to 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:52.120 shut production down. Like there was like an old drunk 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:54.240 black guy, and he was trying to get his attention 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:56.880 all day. Hey Bobby D, Bobby D. And then he 0:11:56.960 --> 0:12:00.160 was like, hey Bobby D, you still love sucking on 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:07.880 that black pussy, And like Robert Williams like they try 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:10.400 to ignore it. And then Robert Williams looked at de 0:12:10.520 --> 0:12:13.680 Niro and then they started dying, like they was laughing 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:17.560 on the floor, cracking up. And then de Niro couldn't 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:19.679 get back into his character. They had just shut down. 0:12:20.559 --> 0:12:24.400 Oh and like let him reset and come back the 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:28.040 next day to do that that scene. So I always wondered, 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:32.640 like in terms of of channeling that, like how hard 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.600 is it to how long do you need to get 0:12:35.600 --> 0:12:36.000 into that? 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:39.480 For one, that's a movie with budget they shut down 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:44.800 because someone gets out of character. Cool, that's like us. 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:47.680 I've never experienced that, you know. 0:12:48.120 --> 0:12:51.520 It's it's interesting that you talk about that, because half 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.640 of the battle is fighting off the distractions. 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:55.400 You know. 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:58.520 Set is such a it's such a circus, you know, 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:04.320 and all the preparation you do, whether you get months 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.800 or weeks or however amount of time you get leading 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:12.880 up to you know, go time, when you get on set, 0:13:13.360 --> 0:13:16.440 it's a whole different beasts. That's a different muscle that 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:18.199 you have to be able to express. It's almost like 0:13:18.240 --> 0:13:20.280 a meditation, you know, it's a part of your brain 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:22.679 you got to go into where you are able to 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:27.760 just focus in on the intention in the character and 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:29.800 the truth that you're supposed to communicate. 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:33.800 It's quite challenging in scenes like that, but. 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.880 It's just different methods I've always I've used or I've 0:13:37.920 --> 0:13:40.920 picked up you know, that just kind of helped me 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:45.280 in my process get there. And there's no like one 0:13:45.440 --> 0:13:50.160 quick fix with it. It's like every project demands something different. 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.120 It demands a different level of physicality, a different level 0:13:53.120 --> 0:13:57.439 of research, a different approach. There's not like a menu 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:02.320 or manual for any project I find, like, you know, 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:08.040 it might be music, it might be. 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:08.560 Being in the library for hours, it might you know, 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:09.640 it's is. 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:12.040 It a trial by a fire though? Or have you 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:17.080 had moments where you know, I mean, I'll say that 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:19.840 at least in your choices of what you choose to do, 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:24.880 there's always you know, a maverick there or you know, 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:27.320 I don't know, if Denzel is a person that pulls 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:28.960 you to the side and says, you know, I want 0:14:29.000 --> 0:14:31.080 you to tweet this a little bit and whatever, like 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:33.800 is that even allowed, or if it's like low budgets, 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:36.240 like we only got room for two takes and be out. 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:37.440 Or oh no, no no. 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:41.440 I mean the goal is for sure to have those 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:43.960 people around you, you know, I for sure have that 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:45.760 anisia where. 0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:50.120 She will tell me it's not there. Let's let's you know, 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:53.360 we're gonna go again. But you build up the trust 0:14:53.680 --> 0:14:58.760 with your collaborators, with your other actors. The hardest thing 0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:00.920 is working with people you don't trust. 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:04.560 I mean, you have to work so much harder to 0:15:04.600 --> 0:15:08.720 protect the performance and protect the process when you feel like, oh, 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:10.640 this director don't know what the hell he or she's 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:14.920 doing right now, Like you know, that to me is 0:15:15.120 --> 0:15:19.520 so terrifying because there's just a level there's more work 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:20.120 you gotta do. 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:21.720 You gotta work so much harder. 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:25.240 When when I did great debaters with d is just 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.520 like I mean, for one of like digging a massive class. 0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:32.360 But I know we're not moving on until we got 0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:35.440 it right. So we might take a penalty with lunch, 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:38.720 we might have to whatever what you know, hell or 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:42.240 high water, we're gonna get this rights. 0:15:42.240 --> 0:15:45.080 Wow, I did not know that, oh absolutely. 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:48.680 I mean no, no, But here's the thing. I mean, 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:52.600 it's smart directors and smart showrunners know when to pick 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:55.160 and choose that stuff, you know, like this is this 0:15:55.240 --> 0:15:57.280 is a scene. We gotta get this. And there have 0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:00.640 been times even on Lovecraft, there were moments, you know. 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:04.960 For instance, with the exorcism scene, I had to go 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:07.680 up to the director and I had to say to him. 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:11.760 I was like, you know, me and Jonathan we're in 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:16.800 it and everything's being kind of shot except us, you know, 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:21.200 and is this when you're talking about that scene? Yeah, 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:24.440 in episode three when we're in the basement, and it 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:26.120 was it was one of those moments. 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:28.000 Where as an actor you got to protect the performance. 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.200 And so I went up to the director and I said, listen, Miuell, 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:34.360 me and Jonathan. I mean, like, we're giving it all, 0:16:34.520 --> 0:16:37.200 and I don't you know, well you're going to get 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:40.360 to a point where there's nothing left to give, you know. 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:42.360 It was it was a scene we shot over the 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:47.560 process of three days, you know, and so there's all 0:16:47.560 --> 0:16:48.320 these elements. 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:49.880 They're blowing these wind. 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:52.880 Fans, there's cgi and so there was so much going on, 0:16:53.080 --> 0:16:55.520 and so the director had a lot on his plate 0:16:55.680 --> 0:17:01.400 to kind of capture everything. But at the essence, there 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:03.920 is no scene if you don't have this performance right. 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:07.679 And so sometimes you gotta do that. You gotta like 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:09.879 pull a doctor's tail. And I thought you were going 0:17:09.960 --> 0:17:11.680 to say they called the actors, so that can maybe 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:15.879 help a little bit, like instead of it just being. 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:16.359 They call those No. 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:19.400 No, what I'm saying is in shooting this big, this 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:23.040 big sequence that took three days to shoot, you know 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.320 it took It was a moment where I realized, oh, 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:29.920 we're we're doing the why we're behind us, we're doing 0:17:29.920 --> 0:17:32.720 we're shooting stuff line instead of shooting. 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:33.399 Us right, you know. 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:38.160 Like so sometimes that happens where it's just a big 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:42.720 production and you gotta ask for what you need, you know. 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:46.159 And that's part of protecting the process too. 0:17:46.680 --> 0:17:47.520 Fyi Journey. 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:49.960 That was the first scene in Lovecraft that brought tears 0:17:50.000 --> 0:17:52.040 to my eyes, Like that scene when you break into 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:54.560 tears and you know you're telling him to leave and 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:57.320 everything it was and I was curious. I was like, 0:17:57.359 --> 0:17:59.800 you've played a you have played a lot of roles 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:03.119 that now we know we have labels for them, trauma, 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:06.600 trauma and triggers. And I was just curious, like, out 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:08.480 of all the roles, which was the one that you 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:10.880 really took home and you had to like shake it off, 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:17.240 like it's just you know, the more the more projects 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:19.879 I take going, the more I want the ones that 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:23.600 cost me something, you know, I want. I'm hungry for 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:27.280 the roles that make me have to sacrifice, make me 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:30.520 have to lay it all the alter. You know, for sure, 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:31.919 love Craft Country. 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:38.200 Is highly up there with having to make the sacrifice. 0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:41.480 You know. It costs me so much mentally, physically, emotionally. 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:44.520 And let me tell y'all, you've only seen five episodes 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:45.320 the audience. 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:47.840 How many more are in the season. 0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:49.600 There's five more. 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:53.120 There's a total of ten episodes, and where I know 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:57.399 it goes. It's like, but that's the thing that is 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:00.320 so incredible. As an artist, you know, you're hung are 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:04.000 hungry for things that challenge you. And Miisha Green, you 0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:05.920 signed on to a project with her, her house is 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:06.879 going to challenge you. 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:09.119 You know, she's going to demand that you stretch. 0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:14.040 How were you able to tell the depth of what 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:19.280 this was because you know, the pilot alone, I wasn't 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:21.520 familiar with the book. I wasn't familiar with the project 0:19:21.520 --> 0:19:24.720 at all. I knew that you were doing it, I 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:26.320 knew Michael was doing so I was like, all right, 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:31.000 I'm a board, let's go. And as with a lot 0:19:31.040 --> 0:19:35.000 of us, you know, thought okay, this is going to 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:38.840 be a civil rights period piece, and then it just 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:41.000 went to a whole nother place, even though in the 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:43.720 beginning it was there. But in my mind, I was 0:19:43.760 --> 0:19:46.679 already crafting like Okay, well he's probably an author that 0:19:46.800 --> 0:19:50.760 dreams of these space things and whatever. And so when 0:19:50.800 --> 0:19:54.679 I realized, oh, what I'm about to get into and 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:59.160 what I'm trapped into, Like how's this conveade? Like are 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:05.240 you reading all ten episodes in the script before you 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:08.800 make the decision that I'm aboard? Like when did you 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:12.239 have your first oh shit moment? Or did they kind 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:15.000 of prep you ahead of time that this this is 0:20:15.040 --> 0:20:15.560 what it was? 0:20:16.560 --> 0:20:20.959 Well, so Underground season two had just been canceled and 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:25.520 they were trying to find a home for season three, 0:20:25.880 --> 0:20:26.160 but it. 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:30.160 Didn't look promising. And I mean I. 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:31.840 Was getting a lot of offers, and this is the 0:20:31.880 --> 0:20:34.440 first time in my career where this was happening. 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:37.600 Where you know, there were a lot. 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:41.080 Of offers we were fielding from some of the best 0:20:41.119 --> 0:20:44.920 showrunners and creators in the in the game, and I 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:48.280 kept kind of fielding it with Risha, you know, she 0:20:48.440 --> 0:20:51.639 was my like fifth invisible agent. 0:20:51.680 --> 0:20:52.959 I'd be like, you know, what, what do you think 0:20:53.000 --> 0:20:56.439 about this one? No Journey, it's trash, she can't do it. Okay, 0:20:56.560 --> 0:20:59.159 well this one, I mean, it's the showrunner. He's an 0:20:59.200 --> 0:21:00.919 emmya you know. 0:21:00.960 --> 0:21:04.240 And so then she sent me the pilot of Lovecraft. 0:21:04.320 --> 0:21:07.560 And I was aware of her working on it, but 0:21:07.640 --> 0:21:09.720 when she she sent it to me, maybe like a 0:21:09.720 --> 0:21:14.199 week or so after she had finished it, and I 0:21:14.240 --> 0:21:17.080 mean instantly, just the way it opens it made me 0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:21.920 miss her writing. It's so bold and audacious, right, And 0:21:21.480 --> 0:21:23.920 I was like, wait, what the hell is she doing now? 0:21:24.240 --> 0:21:29.840 And then when the character Letty came on, when I 0:21:29.920 --> 0:21:33.840 tell you, I had this visceral reaction of like, oh fuck, no. 0:21:34.080 --> 0:21:38.800 Can't nobody else play Letty but me? And what the 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:41.159 hell is Mesh doing? Why is she not talking to 0:21:41.200 --> 0:21:42.480 me about me being Letty? 0:21:42.560 --> 0:21:45.240 Did she not know that I am the only one 0:21:45.280 --> 0:21:48.119 that could play We have to audition for this. I 0:21:48.160 --> 0:21:53.600 didn't have to audition, but five months passed for me 0:21:53.720 --> 0:21:57.399 reading the script, and I hadn't gotten an offer, you know, 0:21:57.520 --> 0:22:00.480 they hadn't offered it to anyone else, just kind of 0:22:00.560 --> 0:22:04.520 now building the world out and making certain hires that 0:22:04.560 --> 0:22:08.280