WEBVTT - Julia Louis-Dreyfus is Optimistic 0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:07.920 Hi everyone, I'm Kitty Kuric and this is next question. 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:11.160 You know, it's hard to believe, but Julia Louis Dreyfus 0:00:11.160 --> 0:00:14.640 has been in the public eye for more than forty years. 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:18.479 What the hell it's been forty years? Yes, it has, 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:22.479 and I for one have loved every minute of being 0:00:22.640 --> 0:00:26.760 entertained by her. In fact, she's kind of my girl crush. 0:00:27.200 --> 0:00:30.520 She started out on SNL back in the early eighties 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:34.040 and became a household name on Seinfeld as the quirky, 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:38.159 adorable and feisty Elaine Bennis, which was epic. Of course. 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:40.919 She went on to star in the New Adventures of 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:45.640 Old Christine before becoming the hapless Selena Myers in Veep, 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:49.400 one of my all time favorite shows. Oh and she's 0:00:49.440 --> 0:00:53.239 also made a couple dozen movies, including her latest You 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:56.920 Hurt My Feelings. In this movie, Julia plays a writer 0:00:57.000 --> 0:01:01.360 who discovers that, despite his claims her her husband really 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:04.920 doesn't like her second book, a novel. So we see 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:09.000 a side of Julia we often don't, vulnerable and confused 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:11.080 and not quite sure of herself. 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:18.280 It explores the idea of self worth and work and 0:01:18.360 --> 0:01:22.160 how are they connected? If they are connected? The character 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:26.200 that I play Beth, her self worth plummets. 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:29.880 Julia and I sat down to gab about the highs 0:01:29.880 --> 0:01:33.040 and lows of her four decade career, her new movie, 0:01:33.400 --> 0:01:37.360 her new hip podcast, and what she's learned about maintaining 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:43.120 a healthy relationship with her own self worth. I'm really 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:45.080 happy to see you, Julia. How are you. 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:48.080 I'm well, thank you. I'm so happy to see you 0:01:48.160 --> 0:01:49.520 with your nice blown out hair. 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:52.600 Thank you very much. Yes, we've been discussing our hair, 0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:55.920 and you know, there's nothing like a fresh blowout, is there. 0:01:56.560 --> 0:01:59.600 It's a very good feeling. It's like it's like a 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:02.200 you get a full tank of gas from it. 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.920 Right anyway, But I'm happy to see you because we 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:09.360 have a lot to talk about. First of all, welcome 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.480 to our little podcast. Next question, and I'm excited to 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:15.600 talk about your podcast. But first I want to talk 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:19.600 about your new movie, which I love and you know 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:21.280 I love everything you're in. Julia. 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:23.640 Oh, Katie, thanks, It's true. 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:27.400 It's true. Do you like doing interviews about your work 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:29.639 or do you feel like I have to do this. 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:35.000 I sort of have a mixed relationship with my with 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:39.640 doing press, Like sometimes it feels like it's like either 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:43.639 all or nothing. Yeah, And so when there's a tonage, 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:46.040 it can get a little bit. It's sort of like 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:49.480 running for office, you know, you have your stump speech. 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:52.000 Very Selena, Yeah. 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:56.560 Very Selena. But then there are circumstances in which I 0:02:56.639 --> 0:02:59.040 really do and I mean I'm very happy to be 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:01.560 talking to you, or I'm happy to be talking to 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:04.360 you know, like if I'm doing Fresh Air or something 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:08.280 like that, right, more of an in depth conversation, and 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:10.200 I'm happy to do that. And in this case because 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:13.120 I'm proud of the movie, so I feel a sense 0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:16.800 of you know, ownership about it, and I want people 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:17.240 to see it. 0:03:17.400 --> 0:03:20.200 Right, And you have to get the word out, Julia, right, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.280 I mean there's so much content out there now. 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:26.360 Well, there's not a lot of content like this, that 0:03:26.480 --> 0:03:30.640 is to say, indie films in theaters. You know, since 0:03:30.760 --> 0:03:35.160 the pandemic, the indie film market has taken a big hit. 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:38.600 And so I'm very pleased that it's done as well 0:03:38.600 --> 0:03:41.960 as it has, so all the more reason to get 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:42.600 the word out. 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:46.160 Well, let's talk about the movie. You've teamed up once 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:50.720 again with your friend Nicole holl Off center and you 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:54.080 all met when you made the movie enough, said James 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.080 Gandalfeeni's last film, which I love too, and that was 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:00.800 ten years ago. So how much fun did you have 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:04.680 working with her again? And how did this project come about? 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:08.240 I mean, honestly, Nicole and I have been searching for 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:11.600 a project to work on together in those ten years, 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:14.880 and projects would come up, but because of my schedule 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:18.040 or her schedule or whatever, we could never line up 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:21.320 quite right. But we have always stayed in touch with 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:24.360 one another. And we were having lunch one day and 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:27.120 she said she had this germ of an idea about 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:30.240 a woman who was a writer who had written her 0:04:30.279 --> 0:04:33.479 second book, and she's in a long term, happy marriage, 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:35.440 and her husband has told her how much she loves it. 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:37.960 He loves it, he loves it, and then she overhears 0:04:38.040 --> 0:04:41.279 him saying that he hates it. And she told me 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:43.880 that premise, and I just about fell off my chair 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:51.039 because I immediately understood what that devastation might feel like 0:04:51.760 --> 0:04:55.039 and saw it as a devastation and an interesting way 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:58.440 to investigate a relationship. And so then she wrote it 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.600 and it was it's just a beautiful script from the 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:03.359 get go, and awfully went. 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:07.039 I love the way it feels like you're a fly 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:10.880 in the wall in a family that you can imagine. 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:12.960 You know, now that I live in New York and 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:16.040 the movie takes place in New York, you think, oh, 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.200 these might be my neighbors. And totally what I loved 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:23.320 is the dialogue, because I thought it was so interesting, Julia, 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:26.880 when you'd be having a conversation and I'd sort of 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:30.360 laugh because I think, this is such a natural conversation. 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:33.560 This is the way a conversation would go in real life. 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:36.400 For example, when you're talking to your son Elliott about 0:05:36.400 --> 0:05:38.920 something very serious and then he says, Mom, do we 0:05:39.000 --> 0:05:39.799 have any bagels? 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:41.200 Right? 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:44.880 And I thought, this is actually real life and the 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:47.679 way people talk in real life. 0:05:47.960 --> 0:05:52.240 Yes, yes, it's true. And that's a credit to Nicole's 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:57.520 writing and her voice. That's what she's trying to capture, 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:01.280 and she does so elegantly in her work. 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:05.800 The movie, to me, Julia, is about sort of the 0:06:05.839 --> 0:06:11.120 lies we tell each other in order to spare people's feelings, 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:16.320 the things that we do and say that aren't necessarily true. 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:21.400 But I'm curious what you think the movie is really 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.480 about and some of the things that it opens up 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:28.279 about relationships and families and marriage, et cetera. 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:32.400 Well, I think the movie's about a multitude of things 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:37.159 because the character that I play, Beth, when she hears 0:06:37.200 --> 0:06:40.599 her husband saying how much she doesn't like her book, 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:44.880 and she questions her self worth, and she questions the 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:48.520 past and what she's written in the past, and so 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:53.760 her confidence is at an all time low. And by 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:57.320 the way, she's not the only character who's questioning. There 0:06:57.320 --> 0:07:00.840 are multiple characters in the movie who are having tiny, 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:06.360 little crises with their work. Actually, all of the characters, 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:10.080 pardon me, every single character is her sister, Sarah is. 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:13.280 She's an interior designer. She's questioning the value of her work. 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:16.920 Her brother in law is an actor, he's questioning whether 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:18.760 or not he wants to be an actor. And her 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:22.680 husband is a therapist and is beginning to wonder if 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:24.240 he actually is a good therapist. 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.080 And her son and her son. 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:31.880 Yeah, and her son is like trying to find his 0:07:31.960 --> 0:07:34.560 way and working in a pot store but wants to 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:38.160 be a writer and trying to figure that out. So 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:43.680 it's these all these little internal struggles that are well 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:46.480 they're little, but they're also pretty big. So the movie's 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:51.120 about that, and it's also about trust and love and 0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:52.920 honesty and communication. 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:59.920 Also about parenting you're parentinge of Elliott, but also Jeanie Berlin, 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:05.680 who plays your mom, Yes, the parenting you experienced with 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:09.200 your mom, and also your father, who berated you and 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:12.880 who was verbally abusive and who obviously planted the seed 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:17.840 of self doubt and insecurity. I love Jeanie Berlin. Oh 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:20.640 my god, I can't even tell you. I loved her 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:23.320 so much in The Heartbreak Kid. I was sitting at 0:08:23.320 --> 0:08:26.480 that diner eating the egg solid sandwich and chewing with 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:30.960 her mouth full. Oh, I just and Charles Groden's expression, oh, 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:33.959 how can you ever forget that? But I love seeing 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:38.240 Jeanie Berlin kind of having a renaissance right now. But 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:42.920 it's in some ways a quiet movie because obviously it's 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:47.480 not about superheroes, it's not action packed. It's a quiet 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:52.600 movie based on relationships and dialogue. And these movies are 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:54.319 hard to get made, aren't they, Julia? 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:55.920 They are? They are? Katie? 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:57.160 And why is that? 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:01.880 Well? As I said before, I think the landscape has changed. 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:07.120 The pandemic really hit the independent film industry really hard. 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:12.280 I'm not smart enough to sort of hypothesize about the 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:16.360 ins and outs of the business of film, but I 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:17.959 do know that that's a fact. 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:20.720 But you know, Nicole said that this was based on 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:23.400 a real fear of hers that the people she loved 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.760 the most would not respect her or her work. And 0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:29.719 I'm wondering if that is something that has eaten at 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:33.600 you through your life, especially because you and Brad obviously 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:36.480 have been married for a long time. He is in 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:40.440 the same business. He's in showbiz, as they say, And 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:44.559 has that ever been something that you've thought about or 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:45.320 worried about. 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:49.000 I've certainly been really lucky, Katie, but I've had a 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:51.920 few things that didn't work quite as well as I'd 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:55.520 hoped that were disappointments. I don't know. I rely on 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:58.760 the people very close to me whose opinions I respect. 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:02.320 I rely on there put and then everything outside of 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:06.200 that for me anyway is I don't give too much 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:08.720 way too, you know, And I try to work really 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:13.400 hard on that, both positively and negatively, because you can't 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:16.080 just say I'm not listening to the negative things I 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:18.760 think that the you know, like with reviews, for example, 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:24.320 I really try to put distance between myself and criticism. Yeah, 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:25.640 just so I can focus. 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.160 On work, And do you feel like Brad is honest 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:31.480 with you? If he would he say, oh honey, this 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:34.360 is a stinker, I don't think you should do this, 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:39.400 or gosh, it didn't really turn out as we were 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:40.280 hoping it would. 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.640 Yeah he's honest. Yeah, Yeah, he's honest. And I feel 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.640 like I'm honest with him, and sometimes that can be challenging. 0:10:47.960 --> 0:10:51.199 I mean, I'm sure you have that in your relationship, right, 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:53.840 I mean, who doesn't. But I think the key is, 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:55.520 of course, kindness. 0:10:55.480 --> 0:10:59.080 And knowing that person always has your back, you know, 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:03.440 even if they are critical, or even if they're honest. 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:08.719 And it hurts your feelings, if it comes from the 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:09.760 right place. 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:13.280 If it comes from the right place, there's space for recovery. Yeah, 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:15.920 and there's also space to hear it too. 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:20.199 How does Julia keep a healthy separation between her work 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:23.839 life and personal life. We'll find out right after this 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:36.120 we're back with Julia Louis Dreyfus, who has a new 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:40.320 film called You Hurt My Feelings. You know, I'm curious 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:45.640 about how you handle your sense of worth connected to 0:11:45.720 --> 0:11:48.880 your work, because I think I felt that for so 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:52.400 long and when I stop being on TV every day, 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:57.880 it was a real struggle for me because my identity 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:02.360 was so associated not only with the persona I had 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:05.760 and the job I had, but also the cadence of 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:10.319 my life that existed when I did those jobs. How 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:14.319 do you separate yourself from your work and not let 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:15.320 it consume you. 0:12:16.000 --> 0:12:20.600 Well, I don't always do it successfully, but I think 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:25.600 something that I am pretty good at doing is compartmentalization. 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:29.679 And also, I have to say something else too. When 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:32.920 I was in seinfeld back in the day, and that 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:38.080 was obviously the first really big, huge hit I'd ever 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:40.760 been a part of. I had both of my kids 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:44.160 at that time during the run of that show, and 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:49.000 it really slammed priorities into place. And I think they've 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:51.120 been in place ever since. I mean, I don't mean 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.360 they weren't in place prior to that, but there was 0:12:55.400 --> 0:13:00.600 something bigger and more critical to focus on. That was 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:02.440 a good life lesson. 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:06.280 I feel like I've known you for a while and 0:13:06.760 --> 0:13:11.400 since those days, Katie Ye Seinfelds and I have always 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:18.480 admired your ability to build a rich and fulfilling life 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:19.840 outside of your work. 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:22.160 But I think the same is true of you too, Katie. 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:25.840 I mean, you've been your focus on your family and 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:30.240 you've had, you know, your huge share of challenges along 0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:32.520 the way, and you strike me as somebody who sort 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:36.280 of knows to the grindstone when it comes to priorities 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:40.160 and focus. And I see that. I think that's actually 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:43.080 why we're friends outside of this podcast. I mean, I 0:13:43.120 --> 0:13:45.720 think we have that connection with one another. 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:48.360 Right, Yes, I think so too. I think we're kind 0:13:48.360 --> 0:13:50.600 of two peas in a pod that way. 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.240 Yeah, yeah, I do too. And having said that too, 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:55.920 at the same time, I would also add that being 0:13:56.960 --> 0:14:00.160 a mother who is working outside the home is a 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:07.280 bitch and very difficult to do both well, you know. 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:12.959 I mean, it's an incredibly daunting task we have as 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:19.440 women working outside the home women, right and I anyway, 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:21.440 that's another little piece I'll throw in. 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:24.000 I also get the sense, and you can correct me 0:14:24.040 --> 0:14:28.640 if I'm wrong that Brad was a very involved parent 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:31.000 and is very much an equal partner. 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:31.760 You know. 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:34.760 Now my girls are older, so I don't really need 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:38.320 it with John so much, but Jay was very much 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:44.800 an equal parent to me, and that makes a huge difference. 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:48.680 Huge huge. Yeah, you're not shouldering at all yourself. 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:52.920 Let's talk about beet for a second. Just because I 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:55.800 still watch it when I just you're it's sort of 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:59.160 comfort food for me to watch a beef that and 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:02.920 Sex and the City. Do you miss doing that show, Juliet. 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:05.000 I'll do, Katie, I really do you do? 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:08.720 Was that your best TV experience? You think? 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:10.520 Yes it was? 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:14.680 And what was it about that? I mean, obviously Seinfeld 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:19.400 was kind of your breakout role as Elaine, but with 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:22.480 Beep you were front and center. What was it that 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:27.480 special kismet of Beep that made it just such a 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:30.120 perfect place for you for those years? 0:15:31.520 --> 0:15:36.440 Gosh, it was so many things, but you certainly touched 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:41.160 on one, which was it was absolutely the most extraordinary 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:46.960 ensemble of actors, and it was a big ensemble, and 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:51.800 then additionally it was an incredible group of writers, so 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:58.240 it felt like a big team. And I also felt 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:02.120 like we were playing in an area that hadn't been 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:08.360 played in before, and I had a real, you know, 0:16:08.480 --> 0:16:11.320 a pride of ownership about that show. And then the 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:13.880 other thing is is that towards the end of Veep, 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.520 I got breast cancer, as you know, and we had 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:19.960 to shut down for roughly a year a little under 0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:25.680 and so going back to Veep after having gone through 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:31.720 those travails was particularly cherishable. 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:35.320 It must have been so moving when you got that 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:42.920 first day back on the set. Can you describe it? 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:48.560 It was like coming home. It was very familiar, yes, 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:51.760 and trying not to cry a lot, of course, because 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:54.960 we're trying to be We're trying to do a satire. 0:16:58.080 --> 0:17:01.200 It was a very uh close nick group of people, 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:04.560 and I was I was proud of the fact that 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:07.560 so many people got to shine and excel and it 0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:10.639 was just great. It was just like a great mash 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.720 up of everything was It was a dream. It was 0:17:13.760 --> 0:17:14.480 a dream. Gig. 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:19.879 Tell me about how you're feeling now. Of course, I 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:23.359 was diagnosed with breast cancer gosh about a year ago, 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:28.359 which seems insane. And I didn't have to have chemotherapy. 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:31.320 I was diagnosed at stage one A. I think you 0:17:31.359 --> 0:17:35.400 were stage two, so you did have to go through chemotherapy. 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:39.200 And I'm assuming you're feeling great. Are you on those 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:41.800 goddamn aromatase inhibitors like I am? 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:44.520 I sure fucking am. Yeah. 0:17:44.720 --> 0:17:47.119 I feel like we need to talk more about that 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:50.960 for other women, because I think it takes a toll 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:55.760 on us. I mean, I love estrogen. I miss estrogen. 0:17:56.480 --> 0:18:01.560 It's actually a mood elevator that helps your skin. It 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:05.920 keeps you moist everywhere, correct, all of it. 0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:09.880 It's like the most fabulous hormone unless you get cancer 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:11.639 and then it's not right. 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:14.720 And now you have to take these things to suppress 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:19.760 any estrogen in your body because it might feed any 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:24.240 cancer that might be floating around, which is tough. How 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.400 are you doing on them, and how are you feeling 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:27.840 sort of in general. 0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:34.199 I'm feeling really fine. I'm feeling really well. I'm like 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:40.440 six years out now, which is fantastic. Touch wood, and yeah, 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:44.080 my life is sort of I'm going to say, back 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:47.199 to normal, with the exception of my body. It's a 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:51.400 little bit different because of those drugs that we're both on, 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:56.280 and there are drawbacks to them. And you know, I 0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:58.760 can definitely tell that I've aged more in the last 0:18:58.800 --> 0:19:02.640 six years, like I'm seeing it, and I'm sure that's 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:04.800 because of estrogen. You know, I can see it in 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:08.760 I can see it my skin, you know. Yeah, but anyway, 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:11.720 you know better that than the other thing. 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.000 Well, I'm glad you're feeling well. 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:17.160 Thank you. I'm glad you're feeling well too. 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:21.399 And of course this is something I'm working on is 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:27.399 to make sure that women of all socioeconomic backgrounds have 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:31.440 access to the kind of superb medical care we have 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:35.959 access to. And I'm working very hard on getting legislation 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:39.720 passed on Capitol Hill that will require insurance companies to 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:44.879 pay for breast ultrasounds or MRIs for women with dense breasts. 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:47.560 And that's forty five percent of women who are forty 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:50.879 and over. And I don't know about you, but I 0:19:51.000 --> 0:19:55.080 kept thinking as I was going through this, I'm so 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:59.920 lucky that I have access to this high quality healthcare. 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:04.920 And I actually felt guilty and terrible that just too 0:20:05.040 --> 0:20:07.680 many women don't. And that is criminal. 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:12.840 It's criminal. And I had exactly the same reaction when 0:20:12.880 --> 0:20:16.880 I was diagnosed, which was Jesus Christ, this is terrifying. 0:20:19.000 --> 0:20:24.560 But I have health insurance. If I didn't, right, what 0:20:24.760 --> 0:20:30.320 if I didn't? And by the way, even with health insurance, 0:20:30.320 --> 0:20:32.800 it's still a bit of a trick sometimes to get 0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:35.440 certain things covered. And I know a lot of women 0:20:35.480 --> 0:20:39.960 who have health insurance. For example, if they get a mastectomy, 0:20:40.359 --> 0:20:43.639 reconstruction isn't necessarily covered by the insurance. 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:46.880 What the hell, I know, it's crazy. 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:51.920 Yeah, So I'm really glad that you're doing what you're 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:58.560 doing to help get legislation through, because it's inhumane not 0:20:59.040 --> 0:21:00.960 to have the coverage. 0:21:01.680 --> 0:21:05.040 When we come back, this funny lady actually gets teary 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:09.560 eyed when talking about interviewing her all time favorite comedian 0:21:10.160 --> 0:21:16.760 Carol Burnett. If you want to get smarter every morning 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:19.680 with a breakdown of the news and fascinating takes on 0:21:19.920 --> 0:21:22.800 health and wellness and pop culture, sign up for our 0:21:22.880 --> 0:21:33.080 daily newsletter, Wake Up Call by going to Katiecuric dot com. 0:21:34.000 --> 0:21:36.840 You're doing a podcast which I'm so excited about, called 0:21:36.880 --> 0:21:40.000 Wiser Than Me. And I know that you thought, why 0:21:40.000 --> 0:21:43.639 don't we hear from some of these older women so 0:21:43.880 --> 0:21:47.840 often they are pushed aside, but you wanted to talk 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:53.840 to women who are incredibly accomplished, continuing to thrive and 0:21:53.960 --> 0:21:57.960 contribute to the world. And you've interviewed people like Ruth 0:21:58.000 --> 0:22:02.720 Reichel and also is a well Allende, thank you, fran 0:22:02.840 --> 0:22:06.440 Leebowitz and Dion von Furstenberg depending on how you pronounce 0:22:06.480 --> 0:22:10.639 her me. But what if you out Jane Fonda, obviously, 0:22:10.800 --> 0:22:14.280 because I know the documentary about Jane Fonda really inspired 0:22:14.320 --> 0:22:16.040 you to do this podcast exactly. 0:22:16.080 --> 0:22:16.800 That's what did it. 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:19.320 Yeah, So what have you learned from all these women 0:22:19.400 --> 0:22:21.560 and what has it been like talking to them? 0:22:22.240 --> 0:22:24.600 Well, first of all, it's much more work than I 0:22:24.680 --> 0:22:28.320 ever thought. It would be no surprise to you, of course, 0:22:28.359 --> 0:22:30.520 because you do this kind of thing. I don't mean 0:22:30.560 --> 0:22:34.359 just podcasts, but just yeah, journalistically, because it's not a 0:22:34.400 --> 0:22:37.000 podcast where we're just sitting around shooting the shit. This 0:22:37.080 --> 0:22:41.000 is a podcast in which there's a real lens through 0:22:41.040 --> 0:22:45.640 which we're having a conversation. It has been very inspiring 0:22:45.800 --> 0:22:51.919 to me personally to meet these women, and there's a 0:22:52.000 --> 0:22:56.240 common thread here with these women, and there's something about 0:22:56.480 --> 0:22:59.760 the fact that they're older now. They're all in there, 0:23:00.520 --> 0:23:05.200 you know, essentially over seventy. And Carol Burnette, by the way, 0:23:05.320 --> 0:23:08.040 was our last guest and she's ninety. 0:23:08.760 --> 0:23:09.640 How was that? 0:23:10.400 --> 0:23:13.960 Can I tell you something? It was sublime. I was 0:23:14.119 --> 0:23:16.960 so to It was. All of these podcasts that I've 0:23:16.960 --> 0:23:19.680 done have been on zoom, like we're doing it right now, 0:23:20.000 --> 0:23:23.160 but in the case with Carol, because of various circumstances, 0:23:23.200 --> 0:23:24.360 we did it in person. 0:23:25.520 --> 0:23:26.320 What a treat. 0:23:26.880 --> 0:23:32.720 Oh God, Katie, Katie. I was so overcome that I 0:23:33.920 --> 0:23:38.639 started to cry as I introduced her. Yeah, it was 0:23:39.040 --> 0:23:42.520 so embarrassing, but I couldn't. Even as I'm telling you this, 0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:46.320 I'm starting to tear up. I was so moved to 0:23:46.560 --> 0:23:49.639 have the opportunity to be in her presence and to 0:23:49.800 --> 0:23:54.679 talk to her about what she's gleaned in her life, 0:23:55.400 --> 0:24:00.280 and to tell her what a profound impact she had 0:24:00.320 --> 0:24:03.520 on my own. And I became even more aware of 0:24:03.560 --> 0:24:08.440 it doing the research leading up to our conversation, because 0:24:08.480 --> 0:24:13.040 I realized that, without my even realizing it, what she 0:24:13.320 --> 0:24:17.359 was doing got into my bones and I picked up 0:24:17.359 --> 0:24:20.600 on it. And that is to say, a woman at 0:24:20.600 --> 0:24:24.200 the head of a show, who's a part of an ensemble, 0:24:24.480 --> 0:24:29.400 who's obviously having a very good time, who clearly has 0:24:29.400 --> 0:24:34.040 a very strong sense of not only comedy but herself. Anyway, 0:24:34.080 --> 0:24:39.399 the whole thing was just an absolutely cherishable afternoon that 0:24:39.480 --> 0:24:41.520 I spent doing this with her. But what I was 0:24:41.560 --> 0:24:44.240 also going to say was, what's so nice about these 0:24:44.280 --> 0:24:47.800 conversations is these women are at a certain age now, 0:24:47.920 --> 0:24:50.520 but it's like they don't give a shit. They're happy 0:24:50.560 --> 0:24:54.320