1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: Welcome back to She Pivots. I'm Fran Drescher. 2 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 2: Welcome to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk with 3 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: women who dared to pivot out of one career and 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 2: into something new and explore how their personal lives impacted 5 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 2: these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today I'm 6 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 2: delighted to share my interview with Fran Dresher, recorded live 7 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: at Lincoln Center. Yes, Lincoln Center, Yes, Fran Dresher. I 8 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: grew up near Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side 9 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: of New York and always attended the events, but I 10 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: never dreamed that I would someday be hosting a live 11 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: podcast recording there. And fun fact, the venue where the 12 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: live recording was held is where I used to vote. 13 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 2: A very full circle moment. For anyone who doesn't follow 14 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: us on Instagram or read our newsletter, which, by the way, 15 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 2: subscribe to our newsletter, it's amazing and missed me gushing 16 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 2: about Fran, I'll give you a little refresh. Fran was 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 2: best known for her role as Fran Fine in The Nanny, 18 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 2: which she created, produced, and earned multiple Emmy and Golden 19 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 2: Globe nominations for After success with the show, Her life 20 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 2: took a turn when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer 21 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 2: and altered both her trajectory and her perspective on life. 22 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 2: She went on to found Cancer Schmancer, turning pain into purpose. 23 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 2: As she famously says, she didn't stop pivoting there. She 24 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 2: became the president of the Screen Actors Guild and American 25 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 2: Federation of Television and Radio Artists sag AFTRA, which came 26 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: full circle after her parents instilled in appreciation and passion 27 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 2: for unions in her at an early age. Like so 28 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: many of our guests, her life and experiences built upon 29 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: each other, bringing her to perhaps one of the most 30 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: important moments in sag after history, the strike of twenty two. 31 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 2: She led the union in negotiating a historic deal, utilizing 32 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: every skill and lesson she had learned over the years. 33 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: So if you're a friend fan, you already know this 34 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: conversation was an absolute delight. She is unapologetically herself and 35 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 2: unequivocally brilliant. 36 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:26,119 Speaker 3: Enjoy good evening, everyone, Good evening, So nice to have 37 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 3: you here at the David Rubinstein Atriam. My name is Jordana, 38 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 3: I'm the vice president of Programming here and we are 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 3: so thrilled to have you out for tonight's event. 40 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: So we're really. 41 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,839 Speaker 3: Excited to be part of this podcast series that we're 42 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 3: doing and to have she Pivots here tonight. I'm going 43 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,399 Speaker 3: to actually introduce us now to our host. Emily Tish Susman, 44 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 3: is the woman who created she Pivots, and so I'm 45 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 3: very excited to share a little bit about her. She 46 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 3: has interviewed and uplifted the stories of so many amazing women, 47 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 3: from Vice President Kamala Harris to Misty Copeland to Stacy London. 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 3: She Pivots highlights the personal aspects of our pivots, and 49 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 3: we are so excited to be part of this furthering 50 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 3: important conversations and exciting stories. Please help me welcome Emily 51 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 3: Tish Susman to the stage. 52 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for that incredible introduction. 53 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 4: I could not be more excited to be at Lincoln Center. 54 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 4: As you guys heard, I'm Emily Tish Susman, the founder, creator, 55 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 4: and host of she Pivots, the podcast where we have 56 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 4: conversations about how the personal impacts the professional, and it 57 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 4: really could not feel more natural, more comfortable, and honestly 58 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 4: more flattering to be here at Lincoln Center. 59 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: I grew up in this neighborhood. This is where I voted. 60 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 2: So I think that basically really rings in full circle. 61 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 2: And tonight we have I mean, talk about iconic New 62 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: York Right tonight we have the most iconic New Yorker 63 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: we know and love her as Fran Fine, the lead 64 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 2: character of The Nanny. Do we also know that she 65 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 2: created it? She wrote it. She was nominated for Emmy's 66 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 2: for Golden Globes for Best Actress. And she didn't stop there. 67 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 2: She started cancer Schmancer, having an impact on wellness, and 68 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty one she became the president of Sagastrodom. 69 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 2: It makes me want to cry. Guys, I'm so improved 70 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: by fran Fine. She negotiated a moment that we all 71 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 2: needed hope and we all needed a future for the arts. 72 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 2: She was our leader. So I'm so incredibly honored to 73 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 2: welcome the real Fran Fine. And maybe she'll even laugh 74 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 2: for us. Fran Dresser, she. 75 00:04:48,240 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: Rush to push, so st thank you, thank you, what 76 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: a warm welcome. Thank you all, thank you. 77 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: Okay, this is going to sound like a silly question 78 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 2: after that introduction, but this is for the people at home. 79 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 2: What is your name and what do you do? 80 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: My name is Fran Dresher, And what don't I do? 81 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: That's the real question. 82 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 5: But I'm best known for the role of the Nanny 83 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 5: on television. It's still playing after thirty years and stronger 84 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 5: than ever, quite honestly, and currently I'm the president of SEGA, 85 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 5: after the largest entertainment union in the world. 86 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: Okay, so take us back, young Fran New Yorker, but 87 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 2: paint us a little picture, like what was it like? 88 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: Did you actually grow up in Flush and Queens. 89 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 5: Yes, there's a lot about the show that's based off 90 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 5: of my real story, and growing up in Flushing, Queens 91 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 5: is accurate. And those characters that we wrote about for 92 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 5: friend Fine were based off of all the joyful and 93 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 5: colorful characters that I grew up with. And I have 94 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 5: to say that it was a wonderful place to come from, 95 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 5: and back then it was really a charming, little provincial town. 96 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 5: And Simon and Garfunkle grew up in my neighborhood, and 97 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 5: that song in My Little Town was based off of 98 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 5: where I grew up. 99 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 2: Oh, have you ever gotten to talk to them about it? 100 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: No, not about that specifically, but. 101 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 5: Paul Simon's mom was Peter Jacobson, my ex husband's first 102 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 5: grade teacher, and then she came to our wedding. So 103 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 5: all those years later, and Jerry Steinfeld came from the neighborhood, 104 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 5: and we all went to Queen's College and Ray Romano 105 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 5: was in my graduating class at Hill Christ Tie. 106 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 2: Oh my god, your high school like dominated pop culture 107 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 2: for a period. 108 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 5: Of time, I now, and a lot of people actually 109 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,239 Speaker 5: came out of Queen Cyndy Lauper. 110 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 2: Well, so you mentioned Peter, Yeah, very night. So you 111 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 2: guys were high school sweethearts and married at twenty one, 112 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 2: which seems young to me, Like did it feel normal 113 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 2: to you guys? 114 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 5: It felt normal at the time, but now it seems 115 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 5: way too young and crazy. 116 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I. 117 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 5: Wouldn't rarely recommend it, But you know, back then, and 118 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 5: we're going way back, I think that we came from 119 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 5: a very traditional kind of background and people did get 120 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 5: married when they met their one. 121 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, and you two moved to Hollywood together to take 122 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 2: it on. Did it feel like you kind of were 123 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 2: like partners in this joint venture like taken on Entertainment? 124 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: Yes, always. 125 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 5: I mean we were written up about in the eighties 126 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 5: as the next Lucy and Deisi so, and we really 127 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 5: hadn't accomplished anything then. It was just like a quirk 128 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 5: of faith that the writer met us and thought we 129 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 5: were adorable and sold the idea to New York Magazine. 130 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 5: But it was really a decade later that we really 131 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 5: did start functioning like Lucy and Deisi did by having 132 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 5: our own show and going to the studio and producing 133 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 5: it and starring in it. 134 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 2: All of that well, so set the scene for us, 135 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:49,359 Speaker 2: like the early Hollywood. 136 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 1: You've moved you. 137 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 2: You're getting situated. I mean, did you work other jobs? 138 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: Did you start working with an actor? 139 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:56,839 Speaker 1: Yeah? 140 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 6: Did give us. 141 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 5: I didn't work other jobs. I mean I did. I 142 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 5: did go to beauty culture school. I put in my 143 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 5: thousand hours in case the acting didn't work out, but 144 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 5: fortunately it did. But I used to cut my friend's 145 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 5: hair for like five bucks or something, and some of them, 146 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 5: the struggling actors, I cut for free. And back then 147 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 5: it was you know, David Caruso and Dennis Quaid, and 148 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 5: I knew where everybody's. 149 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: Ball swat was. 150 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 5: But you know, I think that those were really wonderful years. 151 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 5: I mean, I think we all felt like we were 152 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 5: going to make it. Yeah, and we sort of gravitated 153 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 5: towards each other and it was just some I don't know, 154 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 5: I think that from my point of view, I. 155 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: Always felt like I should get. 156 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 5: The job, and if I don't get it, they made 157 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 5: a mistake. I always entered the room with a great 158 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 5: deal of com confidence and self assurance. And it was 159 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 5: at a time when the popular shows on TV was 160 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 5: Welcome Back, Cotterer and Laverne and Shirley and Happy Days. 161 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 5: So there were those characters that were like urban, kind 162 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 5: of New York, flatbush, fungo type characters, and so I 163 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 5: sort of fit right into that sweet spot. 164 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 1: And I started working almost immediately. 165 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,199 Speaker 5: I mean I went out there to shoot American Hot Wax, 166 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,320 Speaker 5: playing opposite Jay Leno, who was then an unknown, young 167 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 5: up and coming comic, and that was a big rock 168 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 5: and roll movie that we did together. 169 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 1: And that was kind of the beginning. 170 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 5: I went out there to do the movie for ten weeks, 171 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 5: but that turned into a permanent residence. 172 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,959 Speaker 2: Were there some of those relationships from like the earliest 173 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 2: days that ended up becoming really fruitful for you later on? 174 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 5: Well, you know, I worked for CBS quite a bit. 175 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 5: I did this pilot that didn't get picked up that 176 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,719 Speaker 5: pilot this guest role, a short lived series that went 177 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 5: nowhere up to four episodes, and you were thinking, oh, 178 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 5: those idiots, And I was thinking, you know, I'm done 179 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 5: playing the nutty neighbor. I'm done being now like the 180 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 5: hooker with the heart of gold. And I really want 181 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 5: to get myself on the inside and develop my own 182 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 5: brand of comedy and be in a star vehicle for me, 183 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 5: or I was going to get out of the business. Oh, 184 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 5: and I gave myself five years to get on the 185 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,439 Speaker 5: inside in a big way, because you. 186 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: Know, struggling is not my gym. 187 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 5: I really had my heart set on success and if 188 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 5: I wasn't going to get it here, I would go 189 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 5: find it somewhere else. 190 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: But once I, you. 191 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 5: Know, manifested that I was going to create my own 192 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 5: show and actually become like Lucie Ball in those you know, 193 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 5: in that way, you begin to see the opportunities presenting themselves. 194 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 5: And I happened to be on a plane going to 195 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 5: visit a girlfriend by myself, which was the first trip 196 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 5: I'd ever taken to Europe all by myself without Peter, 197 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:45,439 Speaker 5: and on the plane was the president of CBS, Jeff Siganski. 198 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 5: So Jeff was somebody that was the president of CBS, 199 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 5: and he kept popping in to my radar because I 200 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 5: kept doing all these little, you know, like performances, these 201 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 5: smaller parts. 202 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: It's third bananas, we call them. 203 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 5: And he said to me, you know, I said, Jeff, 204 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 5: and he said Fran and I thought, thank you, Lord, 205 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 5: and I ran into the bathroom for some makeup on 206 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 5: and when I came out, I started talking to him 207 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 5: and I, you know, he said, oh this, we're doing 208 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:21,319 Speaker 5: a ton of pilots. 209 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: Something will come down the pike for you. I'm sure 210 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: of it. 211 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 5: And I said, you know, you're never going to find 212 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 5: anything that fits me hands in glove because I'm too unique. 213 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 5: And you should really listen to some of the pitches 214 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 5: that Peter and I have for me, because we know 215 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 5: my brand of comedy better than anyone. And nine and 216 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 5: a half hours later, he said, Okay, when we get 217 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 5: back to Los Angeles, call my office and I'll set 218 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 5: you up with our head of comedy development. And on 219 00:13:56,120 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 5: that trip, even though we had already been dabbling and developing. 220 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: I did is. 221 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 5: It wasn't a nanny, but on the trip I was 222 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 5: spending time with Twiggy, the one and only who was 223 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 5: in that short lived series with me and Julie Agony, 224 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 5: and I was staying with her and her husband and 225 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 5: her daughter, Carly, who was like twelve ath time, and 226 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 5: Twiggy and her husband Lee were working, so Carly was 227 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 5: free and I slept her. 228 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 1: All over London, you know. 229 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 5: All of a sudden, the kids says, oh, friend, my 230 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 5: new shoes are hurting me. 231 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: And I'm thinking, what the hell is she telling me for? 232 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 5: And then I thought, oh, God, don't tell me she 233 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 5: wants to go home, because we. 234 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: Just got here. 235 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 5: So I said to Honey, step on the backs of him, 236 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 5: and she says, innocently, won't that break them? 237 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: And I said break them in? 238 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 5: And I thought to myself, Wow, this is a very 239 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 5: funny relationship because I'm not telling that what's good for her. 240 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 5: I'm telling that what's good for me. Oh, it's a 241 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 5: very unconventional caregiver. And I called Peter in the middle 242 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 5: of the night because I couldn't get the idea out 243 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 5: of my head. And I said, then, what do you 244 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 5: think about a spin on the sound of music? Only 245 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 5: he said at Julian Andres I come to the door 246 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 5: and he thought for a brief moment, but he has 247 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 5: a very good sense for these things, and he said, 248 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 5: that's it. That's the one we'll pitch the CBS. When 249 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 5: you come back, we'll develop it a little bit more 250 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 5: and we'll go in with it. 251 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: And that was the line that we. 252 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 5: Pitched to them, and they basically greenlighted the idea the 253 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 5: day we pitched it. 254 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 2: I feel we've given a round of applause, like that's unbelievable. 255 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's just you know, when it's right, it's right 256 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 5: when it comes together, but you have to copy dim, 257 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 5: you know, right, And that's what's the most important thing 258 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 5: in life, is recognizing when opportunity knocks and then pushing 259 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 5: yourself into the situation and not getting in your way. 260 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 5: You know, that's a big lifeless and I learned very 261 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 5: early in my career, don't get in your way. Just 262 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 5: dive in headfirst, give one hundred and fifty percent so 263 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 5: you walk away without any regrets, and if you don't 264 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 5: get it, you know, it's their loss. 265 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. I love that. But just for good measure, what 266 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 2: were some of the other concepts, just so we know. 267 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: Well we were kind of doing. 268 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 5: We came up with an idea about all of these 269 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 5: couples based off of. 270 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: Our friends and us. 271 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 5: And there was an older couple who was our manager 272 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 5: and her husband, and then there were a couple of 273 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 5: friends and they were all different and they were all 274 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 5: based off of our real life friends. But what we 275 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 5: didn't know was that CBS was really searching for an 276 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 5: eight o'clock family show, and everybody was trying to get 277 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 5: into that nine o'clock nine thirty time slot that Seinfeld 278 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 5: had really established and made very c it for writers 279 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 5: to want to write in the Window because it was 280 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 5: able to be more adult. But when we pitched the Nanny, 281 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 5: they were thinking, oh my god, this is like eight 282 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 5: o'clock written all over it. It's got kids in it 283 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 5: and you know friend dresser. So it just was meant 284 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 5: to be. 285 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 2: But you did get some pushback from the studio. It 286 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 2: was meant to be, but you did get some pushback 287 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 2: from the studio about having your character be Jewish. 288 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 5: Well, it wasn't really the studio. We actually picked the studio. 289 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 5: They didn't sell it. We went straight to Network because 290 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 5: I met you know, Jeff on the plane. But Jeff 291 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 5: had called and called me and said we have the 292 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,479 Speaker 5: While we were writing the pilot that we have an 293 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 5: opportunity to sell the show outright to Procter and Gamble, 294 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 5: which is a great thing because then you know that 295 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 5: show's getting picked up because all the airtime is already 296 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 5: brought up by a major sponsor. And they would do 297 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 5: that if the character was written Italian and not Jewish. 298 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:15,959 Speaker 5: And we knew that we had to write the character 299 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 5: Jewish because it's a very fast medium, and so it 300 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 5: was very important that I'm able to place something that's 301 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 5: riches specificity, which is my brand of comedy, not try 302 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 5: to be something that isn't really fit, you know, like 303 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 5: suits me hand in glove that I know without even 304 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:41,360 Speaker 5: thinking about it, without even trying to decide how I'm 305 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 5: going to do this or how I'm going to say that, 306 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 5: and then writing it too. You know, we can write 307 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 5: our mother's voice with our eyes closed in our sleep, 308 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 5: but an Italian mom maybe not the same. So even 309 00:18:55,359 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 5: though this was our big opportunity to do it our way, 310 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 5: and we knew that otherwise if it failed, we would 311 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 5: have that horrible feeling of regret. Why did we listen 312 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 5: to them? We should have followed our instincts. So I 313 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 5: said that you know, fran Fine has to be Jewish, 314 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 5: and by the grace of God, they said okay. And 315 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 5: actually that character was the first openly Jewish lead in 316 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 5: prime time played by a Jewish actor in nineteen ninety three, 317 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 5: since Molly Goldberg did it in nineteen forty eight. And 318 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 5: for all those years, they were feeling like it was 319 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 5: gilding the lily and let's write it Italian or let's 320 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 5: get you know, a gentile woman or man to play 321 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 5: a Jewish character, which he saw a lot of and 322 00:19:54,920 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 5: Valerie Harper, you know, wasn't Jewish, and it just you 323 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 5: saw it over and over again throughout television. But this 324 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 5: was definitely the turning point. 325 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:13,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, you and Peter worked together, you were married. Then 326 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 2: did it create I mean, what did you do to 327 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,720 Speaker 2: your personal dynamic? You know, I'm going to keep bringing 328 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 2: it back to that. Yeah, what did the success of 329 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: the show due to your personal dynamic? I mean, you 330 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 2: were the star? Was that the relationship you had always had? 331 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:30,880 Speaker 2: Did it change your dynamic? 332 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 5: I know because he's you know, was always a producer 333 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 5: and the head writer and executive producer, and he he 334 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 5: helped make me a star. 335 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: He knows what. 336 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:50,920 Speaker 5: My strengths are and he works towards that. Yeah, so 337 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 5: I think that it was definitely a combined effort that 338 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,959 Speaker 5: took too Yeah, and so not to say that we 339 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 5: didn't have some marital problems before the show began, and 340 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 5: then when the show happened, that kind of went onto 341 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 5: a back burner because it was so big and. 342 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: Exciting and it was such a shift for us. 343 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 5: But over the years that the show was on the air, 344 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 5: the problems began to rear their ugly head, and eventually, 345 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,919 Speaker 5: by towards the end of the series, we had separated, 346 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 5: which made working together very difficult. 347 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 1: But we didn't want to throw. 348 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 5: The baby out with the bath water, and the show 349 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 5: was our baby, and so we tried to keep it 350 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 5: healthy in spite of ourselves. 351 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, do you think I mean, it's very clear that 352 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 2: so much of your personal life and your family impacted 353 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 2: your professional life in creating the show and was reflected 354 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 2: in the show. Do you think that it kind of 355 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 2: worked in the inverse as well? Like, do you think 356 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 2: that your personal life ended up being impacted by the show? 357 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 5: I mean, look, when you have a huge hit and 358 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 5: you become so famous so quickly, it's going to impact 359 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 5: every part of your life. 360 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: But we had a lot of famous friends. 361 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 5: Even dan Ackroight had said to us when the series 362 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 5: got picked up, and he said, you know, your lives 363 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 5: are going to change, and you're going to put a 364 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 5: lot of effort into protecting your privacy and your safety, 365 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 5: and just be aware of that and otherwise, you know, 366 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 5: it can be a very fun ride, but you just 367 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 5: have to be able to find those times when it 368 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 5: can be quiet and be private. 369 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 2: The Nanny went on to become one of the most 370 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 2: popular sitcoms of all time, but behind it all, Rand 371 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 2: dealt with a series of extremely difficult experiences. Before the 372 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 2: show even aired. Fran was the victim of a horrible 373 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 2: and violent attack in her own home in nineteen eighty five. 374 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 2: It was an experience that created emotional ripples throughout her life, 375 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 2: and when we come back, Fran talks through how that 376 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 2: experience and others shaped her perspective on life and ultimately 377 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 2: led her to pivot. Now back to the show. 378 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 5: You know, I was a victim of violent crime in 379 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 5: my own home by a man who is on parole, 380 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 5: and my girlfriend was there at the time, and Peter 381 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 5: was there at the time, and there was a horrible 382 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 5: situation that really left us emotionally traumatized for a long time. 383 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 1: But that happened before The Nanny. 384 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 5: It was during the Nanny that somehow that story was 385 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 5: exploited on some of those magazine shows on television, and 386 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:11,919 Speaker 5: at that point people were watching it thinking that it 387 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 5: just happened instead of like ten years earlier. 388 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 1: And so I had a. 389 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 5: Very visceral response to that, and almost I think I 390 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 5: had a bit of a nervous breakdown because I think 391 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 5: there was a lot about that experience I hadn't really 392 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 5: fully dealt with. 393 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 1: And so. 394 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 5: It was around that time that I had started therapy 395 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:46,239 Speaker 5: because the marriage was beginning to fail, and then I 396 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 5: was fortunately already in therapy where I could really discuss 397 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 5: what went down and try and identify how it's impacted. 398 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: My life now. And even years after that. 399 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 5: I realized that I don't do a lot of things 400 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 5: by myself, and I never had connected it to that, 401 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:15,239 Speaker 5: but once I did, I started making modifications. I have 402 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 5: a big service animal, and you know, I just I 403 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,439 Speaker 5: want to live my life. And you know, once you 404 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 5: wake up and smell the coffee, it's hard to go 405 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 5: back to sleep. So I am living my life as 406 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,360 Speaker 5: fully as I can, and no one. 407 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 1: Leaves this planet unscathed. 408 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 5: It's what we do with it, how we grow through it, 409 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,880 Speaker 5: and what becomes of us as a result, that makes 410 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:43,160 Speaker 5: all the difference. And for me, turning pain into purpose 411 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 5: is extremely healing. 412 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 2: So you were diagnosed with cancer, you had a hysterectomy, 413 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:56,199 Speaker 2: and then you launched your organization Cancer Schmanzer, right, So 414 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 2: what pushed you not just to launch it, but also 415 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,400 Speaker 2: to focus it the way that you do well? 416 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: You know? 417 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 5: I always said, even through this strike, I'm a systems 418 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 5: analyst's daughter. So even though we started, the cornerstone of 419 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 5: the organization was. 420 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: Early detection because I was very lucky. 421 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 5: Even after two years and eight doctors of misdiagnosis, I 422 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 5: was still in stage one catching on arrival in ninety 423 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 5: five percent survival. So I wanted to empower patients to 424 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 5: become medical consumers, to learn what the early warning whispers 425 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:46,239 Speaker 5: are of cancers and what tests are available so you 426 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 5: can become better partners with your doctor, because all too 427 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 5: often doctors are very busy people their bludgeoned by big 428 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 5: business health insurance to go to the least expensive route 429 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 5: of diagnostic testing and many of them seem to subscribe 430 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 5: to this philosophy. If you hear who's galloping, don't look 431 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 5: for zebra. It's probably a horse. But I was a 432 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 5: zebra because I was really too young and too thin 433 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:18,479 Speaker 5: to have uterine cancer. Although one out of four women, 434 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:23,199 Speaker 5: or twenty five percent, are young in thin, so to me, 435 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:28,160 Speaker 5: that seemed like I should have been tested for that. 436 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 5: But doctor number one said I was too young, and 437 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 5: I'm like an idiot. I didn't ask her, well, what 438 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 5: would it prove a disproof taking an endometrio biopsy? 439 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: I just was glad to be too young for anything. 440 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 5: But in reality, if I were a medical consumer, which 441 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 5: I was starting to train other people to be, motivate 442 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:58,400 Speaker 5: activate educate patients into medical consumers, I would have known 443 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 5: to ask that question. I wouldn't have been so easily flattered, 444 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,440 Speaker 5: and I would have said, no, let's do it, even 445 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 5: if I have to pay for it myself. And I 446 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 5: tell people you use your Christmas Club account for tests 447 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 5: your insurance won't pay for, because the best gift you 448 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,679 Speaker 5: can give your friends and family is a long and 449 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 5: healthy life. But that was only the beginning for kancer schmanca, 450 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 5: because as time went on and I did get a 451 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 5: bill passed by unanimous consent in Washington, which means all 452 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 5: one hundred senators said yes. 453 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: Fran and. 454 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,239 Speaker 5: That was written up twice in the Congressional record. And 455 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 5: from there I was appointed a Public Diplomacy Envoy for 456 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 5: the US State Department, which is a vetted position to 457 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 5: speak to our allied nations on taking control of your 458 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 5: body and becoming a medical consumer. And I also spoke 459 00:28:55,760 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 5: to our military basis around the world well, and so 460 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 5: you know, this is really turning my pain into purpose 461 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 5: and helping people to realize that education and knowledge is power, 462 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 5: and it's really important that we take control of our bodies, 463 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 5: that we are the ones in charge. Because you know, 464 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 5: when the doctor calls and tells you have cancer, at 465 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 5: the end of the day, he goes home and eats 466 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 5: dinner with his family. You go home and eat your 467 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 5: heart out with yours. So it's your life to charge. 468 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 5: And just when you feel like I'm too scared and 469 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 5: you become infantile, that's exactly when you have to pull 470 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:42,239 Speaker 5: yourself up by your bootsteps and really pay attention to 471 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 5: what's going on. So that was the beginning of it, 472 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 5: But then I started asking why are we getting cancer 473 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 5: in the first place? 474 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: What's this about? 475 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 5: I mean, rather than be symptomatic and reductionist in how 476 00:29:55,000 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 5: we treat the end stage, which is cancer or a 477 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 5: long history of inflammation, why don't we catch it at 478 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 5: the inflammation stage and understand what's causing the inflammation. 479 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:10,960 Speaker 1: Let's not get cancer in the first place. How's that 480 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: for a cure? 481 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 5: Right, So, Cancer Schmancer pivoted and became very focused on causation, 482 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 5: and nobody really in the health space was doing that, 483 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 5: and they're still not doing it. Quite frankly, I'm not 484 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 5: asking people for money to find a cure. We've been 485 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 5: looking for a cue since Nixon waged the war in cancer. 486 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: Where's the cure? Well, you can't put out a fire. 487 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 5: By throwing water on it from one side. If you 488 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 5: continue to throw kerosene on it from the other side, 489 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 5: you have to stop throwing the kerosene on it. And 490 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 5: we live in extremely toxic times. So at Cancer Schmancer 491 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 5: we developed a very progressive program called Detox Your Home 492 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 5: because the home is the most toxic place we spend 493 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 5: the most time and ironically have the most control over. 494 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: And what we do now. 495 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 5: Is take mindless consumerism and convert it into mindful consumerism. 496 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 5: So you use your hard earned dollars to support companies 497 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 5: that are not going to make you sick because you 498 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 5: know better because you follow the cancers man supplan. So 499 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 5: these are Once you learn these systems in your body, 500 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 5: you're not going to just stay with THEE and symptom. 501 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 5: It's silly to do that. You got to track that train. 502 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 5: You got to get to the beginning. You got to 503 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 5: see what you may be doing that's hurting you and 504 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 5: pay attention because your body is screaming at you. And 505 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 5: instead of muzzling it with a symptom suppressor, which is 506 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 5: very common in today's Western medicine and very profitable, by 507 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 5: the way, and filled with side effects, start looking at 508 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 5: what the causation is. 509 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: Track the train, get to. 510 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 5: The root of the problem, and cut it out of 511 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 5: your life. I don't drink alcohol anymore. It causes too 512 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 5: much inflammation in me. It's not that I had a 513 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 5: drinking problem. It's not that I didn't enjoy an expensive 514 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 5: glass of wine now and then, but I don't like 515 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 5: the way I feel the next day. I have to 516 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:35,479 Speaker 5: listen to my body. You know, when something if I 517 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 5: get the inflammation. I could take an anti inflammatory, but 518 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 5: then I'm just muzzling the symptom and I'm not really 519 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 5: helping my body heal. The body is trying to heal itself. 520 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 5: The inflammation, as annoying as it may be, is actually 521 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 5: going to the source that has a problem. So we 522 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:01,959 Speaker 5: have to start working with our body instead of working 523 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 5: against it. And I find all too often, thanks to 524 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 5: the twentieth century, we tend to work against nature, and 525 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 5: we have to stop doing that. We have to work 526 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 5: with nature and embrace it and listen to it and 527 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 5: not make what you think the most important deciding factor, 528 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 5: because the brain is the worst roommate in the body, 529 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 5: and everything else, you know, like takes a back seat, 530 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,479 Speaker 5: but it shouldn't. You got to listen very closely and 531 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:38,520 Speaker 5: be ingratitude to every part of your body and honor it. 532 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: Honor your body. 533 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 2: But you almost had a totally different pivot. There were 534 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 2: conversations for you to run for senate here in New York, 535 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 2: which I think right now we're all in favor of 536 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 2: ha ha. Yeah. 537 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 5: I have to tell you, you know, even when I became 538 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 5: president of sag Aftra, I knew I would be good 539 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 5: at it. My whole life led up to having the 540 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 5: qualifications to lead in that way, and I am good 541 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:13,240 Speaker 5: at it. But it's not a joyful experience. It's empowering, 542 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:17,560 Speaker 5: it's a lot of stress. It's you know, exactly as 543 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 5: Lincoln said, you can play some of the people all 544 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:22,360 Speaker 5: of the time and all of the people some of 545 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:24,800 Speaker 5: the time, but you can't please all of the people 546 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:25,680 Speaker 5: all of the time. 547 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: And you know, it just. 548 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 5: Depends on how much aggravation and stress you can really take. 549 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,759 Speaker 5: And I feel like I'm at a stage in my 550 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 5: life where I would like to have it easier and 551 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:44,719 Speaker 5: more joyful. I wasn't even planning on running a second time. 552 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,239 Speaker 1: And everybody knew it. 553 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 5: But when this negotiation started and it looked like we 554 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 5: were probably going to end up striking, there was no 555 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 5: way that another president could step in, you know, right 556 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 5: in the middle of this major event in our nation's history, 557 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:05,399 Speaker 5: and I was leading it. 558 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: I was the one that, you know. 559 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 5: Really decided this was going to be a seminal negotiation. 560 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 5: I was the one that decided we needed to get 561 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:20,200 Speaker 5: our hooks into a new stream of revenue because it 562 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 5: was such a new business model. Again, being the daughter 563 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 5: of a systems analyst. I saw the system and where 564 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 5: it was weak and where it was broken, and I 565 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 5: had to convince my own you know, members and negotiating 566 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:40,920 Speaker 5: staff to really push themselves. I was not going to 567 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 5: accept incremental changes, not this time, and so I had 568 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,480 Speaker 5: to remain president. And for the first time in the 569 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 5: Union's history, you know, they didn't run anybody against me 570 00:35:55,280 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 5: from the opposition party. That both parties came together and 571 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 5: started a unity ticket just to keep me in office. 572 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 5: And so I just slid back in without you know, 573 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 5: much that I would have to do, like campaign or 574 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:16,759 Speaker 5: debate or anything, and need to do that. 575 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:19,720 Speaker 2: Well, you had a quote much like you just said 576 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 2: that sag after a leading sag after was a defining 577 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:26,879 Speaker 2: moment and the amalgam of my life experience, everything good, bad, 578 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 2: the worst of it, the best of it, my ego 579 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,680 Speaker 2: as a star, all of it. Everything went into this 580 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:34,360 Speaker 2: one moment of truth and thank god it paid. 581 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,880 Speaker 1: Off, otherwise woe is me. 582 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 2: But could you be a little specific, like what were 583 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 2: those experiences that you felt like prepared you for this moment? 584 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:52,880 Speaker 1: Well, you know, I've been a boss for decades. 585 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:57,320 Speaker 5: You know, when you're an executive producer, you run things, 586 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 5: and I liked to do that, so I know how 587 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 5: to lead. I started my own organization. You know, people 588 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 5: get cancer, they don't turn it into a cottage industry, 589 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:16,719 Speaker 5: but I did that. I wanted to exemplify what survival 590 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 5: could look like, and I wanted to help people to 591 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 5: look at their health and their body through a different lens. 592 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:30,320 Speaker 5: So I organized. And what are we at a union 593 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 5: but an organization of members who come together to make 594 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 5: a difference. And I'm a best selling author, I have 595 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 5: to do a lot of writing. And you know, they 596 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:47,480 Speaker 5: at the union were always writing things for me, and 597 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 5: I said, no, no, I write my own speeches, I 598 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 5: write my own articles. I'm a one man band and 599 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:59,040 Speaker 5: I'm a public speaker, so that comes in very handy. 600 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:06,280 Speaker 5: I'm a household name and I'm highly recognizable around the world. 601 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:14,960 Speaker 5: So that elevated the union exponentially because suddenly we were 602 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 5: getting invited to things that the union was never invited to. 603 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:24,800 Speaker 5: And that was because of my celebrity. But then after 604 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:30,440 Speaker 5: the strike and the historic billion dollar deal, now I 605 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:34,520 Speaker 5: get invited because I'm the president of a labor union 606 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 5: and I led a strike that awakened labor around the world, 607 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 5: and my strike speech got over twelve billion impressions. So 608 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 5: it started what became the hot labor Summer. There were 609 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 5: strikes everywhere around the world. That strike speech woke everybody 610 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,240 Speaker 5: up like the emper new clothes, and they went from 611 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 5: feeling oppressed and living a quiet desperation to becoming empowered 612 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:13,840 Speaker 5: and feeling like we could do this too. And that 613 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 5: was a strategy that I chose to take when we 614 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 5: went on strike, that it wasn't just us. We were 615 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:25,920 Speaker 5: in the forefront of a labor battle that with millions 616 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:26,799 Speaker 5: of people. 617 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 1: Behind us and all around the world. 618 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 5: Because you know, we have to be very careful that 619 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 5: corporations and Wall Street never dismiss workers, never disrespect workers, 620 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:50,480 Speaker 5: and never feel like they are replaceable by machines, rendering them, 621 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 5: you know, out of business, out of work. So that's 622 00:39:55,760 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 5: the things that we were fighting for, and it with 623 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:01,920 Speaker 5: a lot of different people. 624 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, you said right before this, when we were backstage, 625 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:08,560 Speaker 2: you said this was the right hill to die on. Yes, yeah, 626 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:10,960 Speaker 2: Can you tell us more about that and how you 627 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:14,520 Speaker 2: took the weight of the industry in your head and 628 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 2: behind you at those negotiating conversations. 629 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 1: Well, it was in. 630 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:23,279 Speaker 5: Nineteen sixty, when Ronald Reagan was president of SEG that 631 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 5: they went to the map to get actors for the 632 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:36,920 Speaker 5: first time in history. Pension, health coverage over time, you know, 633 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:42,120 Speaker 5: and residuals. None of that existed before nineteen sixty and 634 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 5: between nineteen sixty and twenty twenty three, that was the 635 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:52,360 Speaker 5: contract that we were using. Jess always trying to incrementally 636 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:59,040 Speaker 5: improve it. But something different happened along the way, and 637 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:04,480 Speaker 5: that was AI and streaming, and the introduction of those 638 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:10,440 Speaker 5: two elements changed the conversation so significantly that there was 639 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,960 Speaker 5: no way that I was going to go into this 640 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:19,840 Speaker 5: negotiation talking about a contract that was forged in nineteen sixty. 641 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:25,640 Speaker 5: That world has changed so much, Entertainment has changed so much, 642 00:41:25,719 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 5: communication has changed so much, and it demanded a new contract, 643 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 5: and I commanded it of our opposition, and you know, 644 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:45,279 Speaker 5: at first they were aggressive in their resistance, but at 645 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:48,400 Speaker 5: some point they realized that either they were going to 646 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:51,440 Speaker 5: lean in or they were going to lose very big 647 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:56,160 Speaker 5: because they knew that I wasn't kidding around. 648 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 6: Yeah, I believe that I was on the right side 649 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 6: of history, and they understood that the jig was up 650 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 6: for them. 651 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:12,799 Speaker 2: Fran rallied actors around the world, negotiating a historic deal 652 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:16,600 Speaker 2: for sag Astra, valued at more than one billion dollars 653 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:20,680 Speaker 2: over three years. When we come back, Fran talks about 654 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:23,480 Speaker 2: how different the public pressure was compared to when The 655 00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:32,440 Speaker 2: Nanny was airing. We're back with Fran talking about her 656 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:36,280 Speaker 2: experience dealing with the public pressure of the sag after negotiations, 657 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 2: she felt the gravity of her role. After a video 658 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 2: of her speech went viral. 659 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 5: This amplified it onto another level because when you say 660 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:54,280 Speaker 5: a speech that gets twelve billion impressions, now suddenly people 661 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,600 Speaker 5: aren't just stopping me and saying, oh, I love you 662 00:42:56,640 --> 00:43:00,760 Speaker 5: on the Nanny or even how are you feeling these days, 663 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:10,280 Speaker 5: but thanking me, whether it be a nurse or a trucker, 664 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:12,400 Speaker 5: a hospitality worker. 665 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,800 Speaker 1: Everywhere I go people saw. 666 00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:21,759 Speaker 5: That and said thank you, thank you for sticking up 667 00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 5: for labor, for sticking up for workers. So that's like 668 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:29,200 Speaker 5: a whole new thing. It's even bigger than the Nanny. 669 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:33,480 Speaker 5: I never thought I could really tap the Nanny, but 670 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:39,359 Speaker 5: somehow this really has because it just you know, put 671 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:42,640 Speaker 5: it in a whole new stratosphere. Yeah, and I'm very 672 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 5: proud of that. Because I'm always defending the underdog. I'm 673 00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:53,280 Speaker 5: always going to the match for those that are marginalized. 674 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,759 Speaker 5: So that was another thing that kind of supported me 675 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 5: doing this is what I do. And even in The Nanny, 676 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 5: you know, it kept coming up some of the episodes 677 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:08,280 Speaker 5: that we did us that friend wouldn't cross a picket 678 00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:12,400 Speaker 5: line and you know, things like that, because we always 679 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:16,759 Speaker 5: In The Beautician and the Beast, you know, she like 680 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:20,359 Speaker 5: couldn't believe that this country that she was working as 681 00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:25,560 Speaker 5: a teacher didn't have unions and people didn't get over time. 682 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:29,840 Speaker 5: And so I think that this character that I've become 683 00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:34,000 Speaker 5: known for has always been infused with something that my 684 00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:39,600 Speaker 5: father instilled in me, which is being sensitive to people's 685 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:43,320 Speaker 5: needs and not being impressed by people who have money, 686 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:45,360 Speaker 5: but by people who have character. 687 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:51,919 Speaker 2: Thank you for reminding me about The Beaudition and The Beast. 688 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:54,759 Speaker 2: I really loved that movie. You talk a lot about 689 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,720 Speaker 2: your purpose through this piece. How did your purpose change? 690 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:01,360 Speaker 2: We understand where there's where it was the same, like 691 00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:03,600 Speaker 2: you've always been yourself, And it turns out it's very 692 00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:06,160 Speaker 2: convenient when you're true to your own values. People can 693 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:08,600 Speaker 2: pull up those episodes and it's not only not embarrassing, 694 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:12,920 Speaker 2: it feels great. But how has your north star, like 695 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:16,160 Speaker 2: your purpose changed as you've gone through these different phases 696 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:16,720 Speaker 2: of your life. 697 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:21,040 Speaker 5: Well, I think that you know, when you go through 698 00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:26,400 Speaker 5: troubled waters, you become more empathic to other people's pain. 699 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:30,399 Speaker 5: And I'm very much an EmPATH now in a way 700 00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:35,280 Speaker 5: that I'm not sure I was. I was a fighter 701 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:40,600 Speaker 5: on the side of good, but now I really feel 702 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 5: the pay other people's pain and that it's hard to 703 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:49,000 Speaker 5: be an EmPATH. It's not something I chose to be, 704 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:53,600 Speaker 5: but I morphed into that through my own life experience, 705 00:45:54,160 --> 00:46:01,759 Speaker 5: and so my ability to shape whatever I'm doing is 706 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:11,799 Speaker 5: sifted through that lens of other people's pain. So it's 707 00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:16,040 Speaker 5: interesting and I think that it deepens you as a 708 00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:16,720 Speaker 5: human being. 709 00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:18,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, a. 710 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,600 Speaker 2: Core part of the conversations that we have in this 711 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:24,040 Speaker 2: show is that how everything builds upon itself, Like we're 712 00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:26,400 Speaker 2: not just sort of born these successes, but that we 713 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:29,160 Speaker 2: have to have gone through these different phases to then 714 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:34,239 Speaker 2: be the piece that everybody sees this success. Do you 715 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:36,600 Speaker 2: think you could walk us through some of those steps 716 00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:39,880 Speaker 2: for you to be the success that you are today. 717 00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:43,120 Speaker 5: Well, I think it would have to begin with my parents, 718 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:46,960 Speaker 5: because they were very nurturing, loving people. I got to 719 00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 5: witness a beautiful marriage in them. My bedroom wall was 720 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:57,160 Speaker 5: shared with their bedroom wall, and I remember a lot 721 00:46:57,200 --> 00:47:00,279 Speaker 5: of laughing and giggling on the other side of that wall, 722 00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 5: And it makes a kid feel warm and fuzzy inside 723 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:07,240 Speaker 5: when that's the music that you hear as you're drifting 724 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:10,840 Speaker 5: off to sleep. And my mom was the one that 725 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:14,239 Speaker 5: said to me, you don't need to take typing because 726 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:19,000 Speaker 5: you're going to have a secretary. And I still can't 727 00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:22,560 Speaker 5: type because I never did take it, and I do 728 00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:28,759 Speaker 5: have a secretary. So you know, that kind of belief 729 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:33,960 Speaker 5: in a child is as I get older and I 730 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 5: get to know my friend's personal stories, it's very rare 731 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:43,759 Speaker 5: and I can really appreciate how blessed I was to 732 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:47,799 Speaker 5: have that foundation and to have people that really hung 733 00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:51,319 Speaker 5: on every word and really thought that I could do 734 00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:55,880 Speaker 5: anything and did not dissuade me from wanting to become 735 00:47:55,920 --> 00:48:00,160 Speaker 5: an actress, but truly believe that I had star quality 736 00:48:00,239 --> 00:48:02,800 Speaker 5: and if anybody could make it, friend could. 737 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 1: So you know, it's an interesting. 738 00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:14,319 Speaker 5: Beginning. And I've heard other people say once in a 739 00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:19,240 Speaker 5: while that the parents would always say, you're such a genius, 740 00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:21,719 Speaker 5: is such a genius, and they said, I felt like 741 00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:23,839 Speaker 5: I had to be I didn't want to disappoint them. 742 00:48:24,680 --> 00:48:26,000 Speaker 1: I had to be a success. 743 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:28,000 Speaker 5: I had to be a genius because they believed in 744 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:31,160 Speaker 5: me so so believing in your kid and making them 745 00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:36,040 Speaker 5: feel like everything that they do has value and nurture 746 00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 5: what their you know, what their's things are is really important. 747 00:48:41,239 --> 00:48:42,960 Speaker 1: And that really was the beginning. 748 00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:47,040 Speaker 5: But then once I got older and I moved to California, 749 00:48:47,040 --> 00:48:50,320 Speaker 5: I met a fantastic woman that I was very blessed 750 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:55,239 Speaker 5: to meet, Elaine Rich, who became my manager. And she 751 00:48:56,200 --> 00:48:59,359 Speaker 5: wouldn't have been as good a parent as my parents were, 752 00:48:59,800 --> 00:49:03,120 Speaker 5: but she was an excellent manager and dear friend once 753 00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:06,400 Speaker 5: I was already formed, and I bless her. And she's 754 00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:10,360 Speaker 5: since passed away and I miss her. But she always 755 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:12,759 Speaker 5: said to me, even when I couldn't afford a headshot, 756 00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:16,160 Speaker 5: she said, I'll pay for your pictures and I said, no, 757 00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:18,320 Speaker 5: I don't want you to do that. And she said, honey, 758 00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:21,200 Speaker 5: you're like a blue chip stock. I ain't going to 759 00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:26,400 Speaker 5: lose on my investment with you. And you know she 760 00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:26,959 Speaker 5: was right. 761 00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:27,759 Speaker 1: I mean, we. 762 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:33,120 Speaker 5: Made her a lot of money, and she believed in 763 00:49:33,160 --> 00:49:35,600 Speaker 5: me when I wasn't making a lot of money. So 764 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:39,520 Speaker 5: you know, people like that along the way do make 765 00:49:39,560 --> 00:49:44,360 Speaker 5: a difference for you, and the more people that believe 766 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:49,400 Speaker 5: in you, they become like your She always described yourself 767 00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:54,279 Speaker 5: as my prime minister. And then you know, the agents 768 00:49:54,440 --> 00:50:00,520 Speaker 5: were kind of the generals the army, and you need. 769 00:50:01,120 --> 00:50:02,480 Speaker 1: It really does take a. 770 00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:07,359 Speaker 5: Village, and so I have to say that I was 771 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:10,879 Speaker 5: lucky that and continue to be so that there are 772 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:15,839 Speaker 5: people that believe in me and believe in what I 773 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:22,160 Speaker 5: have to say and allow me to be me and 774 00:50:22,239 --> 00:50:25,279 Speaker 5: not try and put me into a box because I 775 00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:27,920 Speaker 5: don't fit in a box and I don't want to 776 00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:30,560 Speaker 5: be in a box. I just want to be me. 777 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:34,719 Speaker 5: And even with the strike, I realized that I had 778 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:40,280 Speaker 5: a bigger responsibility, which was to show women and girls 779 00:50:40,320 --> 00:50:44,480 Speaker 5: what female leadership could look like. And that became very 780 00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:49,080 Speaker 5: important to me because I wanted to be me and 781 00:50:49,200 --> 00:50:52,920 Speaker 5: not emulate masculine energy, be vulnerable. 782 00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:55,040 Speaker 1: I would quote Buddhist wisdom. 783 00:50:55,719 --> 00:50:59,640 Speaker 5: I had a little heart shaped plushy toy that a 784 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:03,040 Speaker 5: little girl who loves me gave me for support, and 785 00:51:03,080 --> 00:51:04,759 Speaker 5: I always sat it down in front of me at 786 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:09,840 Speaker 5: the negotiating table. And there was a point when the 787 00:51:10,440 --> 00:51:16,960 Speaker 5: opposition had hired a big DCPR firm who does crisis 788 00:51:17,000 --> 00:51:21,319 Speaker 5: management for bad guys with a lot of money, and 789 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:24,280 Speaker 5: right away they went for the lowest hanging fruit. Let's 790 00:51:24,320 --> 00:51:28,520 Speaker 5: discredit the female, the woman leader, and you know, and 791 00:51:28,640 --> 00:51:34,680 Speaker 5: they tried to I was too domineering or obstinate because 792 00:51:34,719 --> 00:51:40,120 Speaker 5: I stood my ground. I was too frivolous because I 793 00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:45,520 Speaker 5: quoted Buddhist wisdom. I was unprofessional because I had a 794 00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:49,799 Speaker 5: little plushy toy in the room with me. And my 795 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:53,440 Speaker 5: advisors at the union said let's just say no comment, 796 00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:59,279 Speaker 5: and I said no to that. I'm going to meet 797 00:51:59,320 --> 00:52:03,560 Speaker 5: this head one armed only with my authenticity and my 798 00:52:03,760 --> 00:52:09,200 Speaker 5: unabashed honesty. And I did a self taped video of 799 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:11,839 Speaker 5: me putting my makeup on, as so many women do 800 00:52:11,960 --> 00:52:15,480 Speaker 5: before while getting ready for work, and I said, you know, 801 00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:20,520 Speaker 5: I don't have to emulate mail energy to lead. I 802 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:26,680 Speaker 5: can lead with intellect and wisdom and empathy. I can 803 00:52:26,840 --> 00:52:32,160 Speaker 5: lead and still rock a red lip. I can lead 804 00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:34,840 Speaker 5: and be me and still have a little heart shape 805 00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:40,000 Speaker 5: plushy toy on my negotiating table. And that went viral 806 00:52:42,080 --> 00:52:47,000 Speaker 5: and stop the opposition's tactics dead in their tracks because 807 00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 5: it rendered it ineffective. 808 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:57,480 Speaker 2: Okay, So I asked this question of all of my guests, 809 00:52:57,680 --> 00:53:00,760 Speaker 2: what is one thing that at the time you really 810 00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:02,560 Speaker 2: felt like was a negative? Like you're like, I'm not 811 00:53:02,560 --> 00:53:06,080 Speaker 2: sure how many get out of this, And now, in hindsight, 812 00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:09,319 Speaker 2: you see it as having maybe launched you, or at 813 00:53:09,360 --> 00:53:11,480 Speaker 2: least set you up for the success that you are now. 814 00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:12,640 Speaker 1: Well. 815 00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:15,760 Speaker 5: I think that there was a passage in my career 816 00:53:16,120 --> 00:53:22,320 Speaker 5: early on when I was getting convinced that I would 817 00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:27,359 Speaker 5: work more if I can fit into more of an 818 00:53:27,400 --> 00:53:31,960 Speaker 5: assortment of parts, and I would have to, you know, 819 00:53:32,120 --> 00:53:38,880 Speaker 5: not sound like this. And I actually tried to learn. 820 00:53:38,680 --> 00:53:42,760 Speaker 1: How to speak and what my dialect. 821 00:53:42,840 --> 00:53:49,880 Speaker 5: Coach called low slow flow. And I went on an 822 00:53:49,920 --> 00:53:55,600 Speaker 5: audition for back Then The Winds of War, And when 823 00:53:55,680 --> 00:53:59,800 Speaker 5: my manager called to see how I did, they said, 824 00:54:00,080 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 5: you know, she sounded okay, but she talked very slow, 825 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:09,759 Speaker 5: and it's only an eighteen hour miniseries a Lane, So 826 00:54:09,760 --> 00:54:12,080 Speaker 5: of course I didn't get the part. I was so 827 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:16,600 Speaker 5: focused on something that wasn't natural or organic to me 828 00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:20,680 Speaker 5: that I lost my whole personality. And then I realized, 829 00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:25,520 Speaker 5: you know, I'm going to figure out how to monetize 830 00:54:25,600 --> 00:54:29,920 Speaker 5: this because it's unique and it's my own and I 831 00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:35,240 Speaker 5: don't care if every character I play comes from New York. 832 00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:39,480 Speaker 5: As long as I can explore different emotions and different 833 00:54:39,800 --> 00:54:42,800 Speaker 5: life experiences and challenges, I'm. 834 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:43,120 Speaker 1: Good with that. 835 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:46,480 Speaker 5: I don't have to be Meryl Streep, though, God bless her, 836 00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:50,120 Speaker 5: it would be nice, but that's not my jam. You know, 837 00:54:50,320 --> 00:54:52,560 Speaker 5: I'm not Meryl Streep. I'm Frien. 838 00:54:53,280 --> 00:54:55,239 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yes, we're so glad you are. 839 00:54:58,560 --> 00:55:01,040 Speaker 5: But you know, honestly, I needed to wear a lot 840 00:55:01,120 --> 00:55:07,120 Speaker 5: of different hats anyway. I wouldn't be happy only being 841 00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:11,040 Speaker 5: an actor. It's not enough. I need to do other things. 842 00:55:11,320 --> 00:55:13,520 Speaker 5: I want to write, I want to produce, I want 843 00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:15,799 Speaker 5: to direct, you know. I like to wear a lot 844 00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:18,640 Speaker 5: of different hats. I like to try new things. I 845 00:55:18,719 --> 00:55:19,360 Speaker 5: like to fly. 846 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:19,959 Speaker 1: Without a net. 847 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:22,640 Speaker 5: But I don't need to stay in it forever. I 848 00:55:22,680 --> 00:55:24,680 Speaker 5: want to master it. I want to succeed in it, 849 00:55:24,719 --> 00:55:26,600 Speaker 5: and then bye bye. I don't need to make it 850 00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:32,960 Speaker 5: my life's mission. And so you know, I find life 851 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:36,319 Speaker 5: a lot of fun in that way if I can 852 00:55:36,360 --> 00:55:38,759 Speaker 5: do a lot of different things. And I think that's 853 00:55:38,760 --> 00:55:42,080 Speaker 5: why I went into show business in the first place, 854 00:55:42,120 --> 00:55:45,799 Speaker 5: because the idea for me of doing like a nine 855 00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:50,560 Speaker 5: to five job going to the same place, I don't 856 00:55:50,560 --> 00:55:51,799 Speaker 5: think I couldn't do it. 857 00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:55,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, a perfect segue into our final question. Oh, I know, 858 00:55:55,840 --> 00:56:00,480 Speaker 2: I've had so much fun. Do you think you'll piv again? 859 00:56:01,640 --> 00:56:05,120 Speaker 1: Undoubtedly I will, you know. 860 00:56:05,280 --> 00:56:09,280 Speaker 5: I mean, that's what the joy of my life is 861 00:56:09,280 --> 00:56:15,320 Speaker 5: is to fly through new windows and learn new things. 862 00:56:15,400 --> 00:56:20,279 Speaker 5: I love learning things and I like challenging myself or 863 00:56:20,320 --> 00:56:25,879 Speaker 5: I start to get bored. So I definitely definitely will. 864 00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:28,319 Speaker 5: And what it will be, I'm not sure, but I 865 00:56:28,400 --> 00:56:31,319 Speaker 5: know I'm going to start putting pen to paper and 866 00:56:31,440 --> 00:56:38,160 Speaker 5: writing another book. And there's a big story to share 867 00:56:38,320 --> 00:56:41,799 Speaker 5: subsequent to the last book, which was Cancer Schmancer, and 868 00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:43,960 Speaker 5: it's time that I shared it. 869 00:56:45,680 --> 00:56:48,600 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, thank you, thank you for inviting me. 870 00:56:48,719 --> 00:56:51,520 Speaker 2: Thank you Live she Pivots and Lincoln Center. Thank you 871 00:56:51,719 --> 00:56:52,279 Speaker 2: so much. 872 00:56:52,400 --> 00:56:54,799 Speaker 1: Friend appreciated, thank you. 873 00:56:59,200 --> 00:57:01,680 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of 874 00:57:01,719 --> 00:57:05,520 Speaker 2: She Pivots. Fran continues to serve as the president of 875 00:57:05,560 --> 00:57:09,880 Speaker 2: sag Aftra and is heavily involved in her nonprofit, Cancer Schmancer, 876 00:57:10,719 --> 00:57:13,439 Speaker 2: and she somehow still has time to write a book 877 00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:16,560 Speaker 2: on the side. Be sure to follow Frin on Instagram 878 00:57:16,640 --> 00:57:20,480 Speaker 2: at official fran Dresser and visit our website to donate 879 00:57:20,520 --> 00:57:23,000 Speaker 2: to Cancer Schmancer and learn all about the good work 880 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:27,360 Speaker 2: they're doing. Thanks for listening to this episode of She Pivots. 881 00:57:27,840 --> 00:57:30,120 Speaker 2: If you made it this far, you're a true pivoter, 882 00:57:30,360 --> 00:57:33,280 Speaker 2: so thanks for being part of this community. I hope 883 00:57:33,280 --> 00:57:35,760 Speaker 2: you enjoyed this episode, and if you did leave us 884 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:38,600 Speaker 2: a rating, please be nice. Tell your friends about us. 885 00:57:39,000 --> 00:57:41,760 Speaker 2: To learn more about our guests, follow us on Instagram 886 00:57:41,800 --> 00:57:44,600 Speaker 2: at she Pivots the Podcast, or sign up for our 887 00:57:44,640 --> 00:57:47,600 Speaker 2: newsletter where you can get exclusive behind the scenes content, 888 00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:50,560 Speaker 2: or on our website she Pivots the Podcast Talk to 889 00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:55,520 Speaker 2: You Next Week special thanks to the she Pivots team, 890 00:57:55,680 --> 00:58:00,280 Speaker 2: Executive producer Emily eda Velosk, Associate producer and social media 891 00:58:00,360 --> 00:58:05,600 Speaker 2: connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director Christine Dickinson, Events and logistics 892 00:58:05,600 --> 00:58:09,840 Speaker 2: coordinator Madeline Sonoviak, and audio editor and mixer Nina pollock 893 00:58:10,760 --> 00:58:13,000 Speaker 2: I endorse Cheap Pivots