WEBVTT - Lio Tipton 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.759 I mean, it's confusing. I didn't mean to be an actor, 0:00:02.800 --> 0:00:04.680 and I don't want to say that lightly because I'm 0:00:04.760 --> 0:00:07.360 very happy to be one now. But it was never 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:10.760 the plan. I was always going to be a filmmaker 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:14.280 and a director, a writer, and I think as I 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:21.160 began getting roles, it took me like three films to 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:24.800 finally on a press junket be like, I guess, yeah, 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:35.720 I'm an actor. Hi, my name is Leo Tipton and 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:47.600 I'm after hello everybody, and it is Tuesday, which means 0:00:48.080 --> 0:00:53.360 that's right. Another episode of Off the Beat is here. 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:57.560 As always, I'm your host, Brian baum Gartner. You just 0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:03.680 heard from Leo Totin, an incredible person. I so enjoyed 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:08.039 my conversation with them. They got their start on America's 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:13.319 Next Top Model being contacted on my Space, by the way, 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:18.360 before getting their big break on Crazy Stupid Love. You 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:24.200 also may know them from Manhattan Love Story, Warm Bodies, Vengeance. 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:27.120 Are you starting to notice a trend here? Steve Carrell 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:33.200 in Crazy Stupid Love. Vengeance is BJ Novak's new film. Now, 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:38.080 what to Steve b J and I have in common? Well, 0:01:38.480 --> 0:01:42.040 that my friends is a riddle even I could solve. 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:48.760 Leo also has another project, an exciting new show on Peacock. 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:52.480 It's coming out this week in fact, and if you've 0:01:52.480 --> 0:01:56.800 watched Peacock at all lately, and I do mean at all, 0:01:56.840 --> 0:01:59.720 I'm sure you've seen the promos for it. It's called 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:05.000 Friend of the Family. Leo stars alongside my other old 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:10.000 friend Jake Lacey in what Leo calls a star making 0:02:10.040 --> 0:02:14.120 performance and Anna pack when. I'm so excited to watch it, 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:19.280 and I'm also pretty excited for you to hear my 0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:23.160 conversation with Leo today. Let's have at it. I had 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:32.120 so much fun with them. Leo tipton everyone, Bubble and Squeak. 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:39.720 I love it. Bubble and Squeak, Bubble and Squeaker cookie 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:55.519 every month left over from the nut before. Hi Leo, Hi, 0:02:56.600 --> 0:03:01.000 how are you man? I am I'm pretty good. Little 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:06.160 jet lags, but me too. This is yet another thing 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:09.440 we have in common. I am jet lagged today as well. 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:13.880 Where did you come from Los Angeles? You're in New 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.800 York now, I am? Yeah? Okay? Are you what they 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:23.000 called bi coastal? Yeah? I wish um not so much 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:27.120 depends on what job I have at the time. Yes, 0:03:27.560 --> 0:03:31.480 I hear you eight planes in six days for me? 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:36.480 Eight planes? It's not a joke. How where? Why? What 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:42.040 are you? Are you what they called the know? How? Where? What? Why? 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:45.200 That's a great question. I don't know. I just it 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:49.320 was just one of those crazy weeks, lots of two 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:54.880 plane trips and so forth. Um, but I'm so excited 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:57.320 to be talking to I just I found I found 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:01.000 energy like thirty minutes ago, knowing that I was going 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:05.600 to talk to you. I'm finding mine. Oh there you go. Nice. 0:04:06.320 --> 0:04:11.120 I got pressed today. And press makes me so anxious 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:16.720 that oh god, yeah, why why? Why does to make 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:20.960 you anxious? Doesn't? I mean, I feel like I have 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:26.320 a difficult time socializing in general, and I think my 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:30.240 the way that my words come out is not always 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:35.320 in a sentence. Uh. They more just kind of like 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:38.000 fall out of my mouth and they roll around and 0:04:38.040 --> 0:04:40.760 I'm hopefully I can pick them up quick enough that 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:45.520 no one notices and gleaning together and like throw them back. Um, 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:49.880 but no, I just get really nervous, and uh, eye 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:54.480 contact is hard for me, and remembering what I'm saying 0:04:54.720 --> 0:04:57.120 is hard for me, and so it's I got to 0:04:57.200 --> 0:05:00.520 kind of put on a mask when I'm doing press, 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:09.920 but it's you much prefer this. I yeah, I hear you. 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:14.000 I definitely early on it was. It was a struggle 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:15.919 bus for me. I can't believe I just used the 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:21.040 phrase struggle bus, but yes, yeah it was. It was 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:24.680 also tough for me, and I think I eventually decided 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:29.160 I just don't care. So if I if that's a 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:32.159 help for you at all, I just was like, you 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:35.320 know what, it's all, it's all a game. Let's do 0:05:35.400 --> 0:05:38.640 the best we can. We're all humans on this planet 0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:42.960 and and that's it. Because I think I've got so 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:45.800 precious about it, but like I couldn't. I can't screw up. 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:50.359 I have to do this right. And I don't know. No, 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.159 I mean that is good advice. And I think the 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:56.440 older I get, the I am finally at the point 0:05:56.480 --> 0:06:04.560 where I despise it so much that then I can 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:08.520 kind of not care about it in that way. So 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:14.440 it's it's less like it's less pressure going in, right, 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:17.680 and I can coast coming out a little bit. Ye, 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:20.240 Or it's just now when you when you start out 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:25.919 trying to be exactly what you think that they want 0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:32.560 you to be was exhausted for me. Yes, no, I 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:36.560 know it is and and it's so it's so different, right, 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:39.640 and you you have an impression of who you are. 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:43.839 I mean, well, you know who you are, but everybody, 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:47.040 everybody is something different depending on what the circumstances is. 0:06:48.040 --> 0:06:51.560 The circumstances are I think that would be English. Um, 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:55.680 and and you have like there's like such a decided 0:06:55.720 --> 0:07:02.440 difference between like morning show and late and and you go, well, 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:06.240 that's not really me, but like what how do you 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:08.680 tap into that version? Now? I know, I hear you. 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:11.360 I hear you. I could tell you some stories. Yeah, 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:16.560 it's it's brutal. Um. Well, good luck with that. I 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:20.720 hope this is not so painful with me today again, 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:22.480 this is this is a good part of the day. 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:24.040 This is a good part of the day. Okay, good, 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:26.240 Well that makes me feel better. Um, I want to 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:30.200 go back. Um do they call it the mini Apple? 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:32.800 I don't even know if that's true. You were born 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:36.800 in Minneapolis? I lived there? Did you know this about me? 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:40.800 The Minnie Apple? I lived there? No? Did you do 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:45.360 theater there? I did? Well? Were you did you do 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:49.240 theater with? Um? No, I'm forgetting his name. I can't 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:54.640 forget his name. He played my dad increased. Um, oh, 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:59.239 your dad in Crazy Stupid Love. John Carroll Lynch, John 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:04.480 Carol Lynch, John Carroll Lynch and I have not surprisingly 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:08.720 been up for some of the same roles. So, yes, 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:14.600 I know John. I know John well, though to be fair, 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:19.600 he is significantly older than me. Let's be clear about 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:28.080 umificantly older than me, that we both looked timeless. Um, yes, 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:32.280 I know I know John. Um. You so you grew 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:35.240 up in Minneapolis, but you were not participating in the 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:39.240 theater scene at this point. My understanding is you were 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:43.160 a skater. I was a figure skater. Yeah, that is 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:46.600 incredible because in Minnesota you you learn how to tie 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:50.559 skates before you learn how to walk. That is true, 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:53.240 which may which is why I didn't get along so 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:56.120 well in Minneapolis. I was not. I was not a skater. 0:08:56.679 --> 0:08:58.360 Now were you one of the did you go? Did 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:01.480 you learn like skating on the lay? Um? We skated 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:05.520 in the backyard. We skated in the backyard and my 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:09.400 mom would freeze down the you know, put water and 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:12.840 freeze down there at the pavement and we'd ruin our skates. 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:16.319 But we have videos of of us skating in our yard, 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:18.880 which is just obscene to me. And I actually I 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:21.680 don't think I ever skated on a lake, which is 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:28.280 really sad. But I guess if you're serious, that might 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:31.720 be dangerous, Like if you're a serious skater, like bad 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:34.839 things could happen right on a lake, you would think, 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:36.880 although in your backyard you would think bad things could 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:40.760 happen too. This is true. Although you know have in 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:44.320 what is it in Norway where they the river freezes 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:47.920 over and then people just like commute to work on 0:09:48.000 --> 0:09:50.480 ice skates and just go down the river. I have 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:55.160 this fantasy of doing that someday. That would be Yes, 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:58.840 that would be great, and I do you know, I 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:00.920 don't know if you know this, we'll talk about crazy 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:04.800 stupid love. But your favorite co star in mind, Steve Carroll. 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:08.160 You know he's a skater too, and his daughter was 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:11.800 taking lessons um at the time. That's what I remember. 0:10:11.800 --> 0:10:14.680 He does hockey, right, he does hockey. He doesn't do 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:17.400 figure skating. To be clear, hockey is a lot easier. 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:24.240 That sounds like the gauntlet has been thrown. Are you 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:29.440 still skating? You know? I stopped probably around twenty two, 0:10:29.559 --> 0:10:33.840 I think I did. I did a benefit show around 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:38.160 and I do skate sometimes. I don't know how I 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:40.600 did some of the things I did, like getting up 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:44.080 and down from a chair already is that's you know, 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:49.520 that's that's something getting like squatting with one leg sticking 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:56.160 out and then standing again. Forget about it. I for 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:58.640 the life of me, I don't know how I did it. 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:02.880 How anyone doesn't know. Well, I don't know how it's 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:07.600 done either, clearly. But he still like plays in the league, Steve. 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:11.080 He's still like skates around. Yeah, but again I guess 0:11:11.160 --> 0:11:15.960 that's easier. Yeah. Actually I thought about going into going 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:20.240 into hockey because it's I've never really done a team sport, 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:24.000 and um, there's a lot of fun to be had 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.679 in leagues. I don't think that I could make that. 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:28.400 I'd have to do it in figure skates though, because 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:32.200 without a topic, I don't know, it's like skating on 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:40.600 butter knives. You couldn't do it. No, probably not, but 0:11:40.840 --> 0:11:43.880 you know, but it's easier. It's easier. Did you do 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:46.960 could you do the jumps, like the turns, the triple 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:51.960 sal cows, double sal cows? I'm saying that word right, 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:54.800 you are? Uh? Could I do them? Or did I 0:11:54.880 --> 0:12:00.600 do them? He's a two different things. I could you them, 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:04.680 and I did. Um, I wasn't good at them. I 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:08.199 was really bad. And I was very tall. Um, I'm 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:13.000 I'm just shive five ten and yeah, and I hit 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:16.000 that growth spurt in high school and I realized, like 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:22.679 everyone I was competing against is like gymnasts five two. 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:24.840 And I'd come on the ice and just look like 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:28.240 George the Jungle, swinging in divines and the walls and 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:30.439 just back and forth, and I'd fall and everyone we 0:12:30.559 --> 0:12:33.640 like timber and I just slide across the ice and 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:37.800 take out children, and um, I got to be a hazard. 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:39.959 They made me wear an orange vest when I skated. 0:12:40.760 --> 0:12:45.440 I'm kidding, because you were so tall. Uh No, we 0:12:45.480 --> 0:12:47.600 did actually have to wear vest sometimes, but not not 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:52.160 necessarily for that, not that they told me outright, Okay, 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.480 but you, let's be clear to anyone listening, you were 0:12:55.600 --> 0:12:59.000 very serious about this. You moved to Sacramento, I'm told, 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:01.679 like an age a eat and you lived for a 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:04.439 time with your skating coach. Is that is that right, 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:07.600 so that you could train as much as possible. Yeah, 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.080 And I mean I went into home schooling, and for 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:14.920 various reasons. I bullies are a thing, and it was tricky, 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:19.000 and so I had skating where it's I mean, honestly, 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:23.000 figure skaters are very much performers. It's kind of like 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:26.520 a circus. Especially show skating. There's not a whole lot 0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:31.000 of difference behind stage at a skating show and a theater. 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:37.160 It's just as chaotic, and I think that's probably where 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:40.520 I fell in love with it. But um, because ice 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:45.679 drinks are so far and few between in um Sacramento, 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:48.880 I had to live with my coach or my my 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:51.800 mother would be driving for like hours, four hours a 0:13:51.880 --> 0:13:54.079 day at some point she did to get me to 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.800 different rinks for different lessons and all the things that 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:06.160 go into it. Less my parents hearts for doing that. Um. Yeah, yeah, 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:09.400 it was intense. You you mentioned before you didn't you've 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:12.360 never done team sports. Did you feel like there was 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:15.600 a sense of community though there, even though it was 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:18.680 individualized like before the show or was it? Was it 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:23.280 very solo? I didn't do show skating really until later, 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:26.080 and I think that was my favorite part of it growing. 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:30.000 I mean, as I for the majority of my skating 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:37.680 career was solo, and it's it's really terrifying. I was 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:41.880 talking to someone today about it who their child wasn't skating, 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:44.880 And now that I recalled this conversation, I realized maybe 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:49.000 I shouldn't have said this um to them. I was like, yeah, no, 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:52.880 skating is great. I think I've been maybe scarred a 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:56.360 little bit by being like shoved on the ice in 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:59.480 a spotlight at you know, nine, and then just falling 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.320 all over of the ice and then being judged for 0:15:02.520 --> 0:15:05.160 it over and over and over. You're alone and you 0:15:05.200 --> 0:15:07.640 can't get off the ice, and it just and I 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:12.440 always felt I was not a performer when it came 0:15:12.480 --> 0:15:17.040 to the athleticism of it. It was very artistic and 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:21.520 I had nice lines, but I mean my coach would 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:26.240 just like walk off, walk at, walk away from the boards, 0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:27.960 and I would sit there and end the program and 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:34.200 just be like, I'm gonna get a talking to. Yeah, 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:37.280 you just like failed over and over and over in 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:42.320 the public eye, and I think that's what acting is. Yeah, No, 0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:45.440 there is. There's a lot of similarities. And but let 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:48.880 me be clear. You were a two time regional champion 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:53.040 and you competed in four synchronized skating championships. This it 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:55.920 sounds like you may have been falling a lot, but 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:59.960 you also had a lot of success. You mentioned before 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:03.720 you hit a grossbert and my understanding is that's sixteen 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.840 you decided to retire. Is that is that? Why did 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:12.240 you just get too tall physically for it? Or well? 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.320 I knew that I would have loved to go into 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:19.680 show skating. Um, a lot of my friends have been 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:24.440 in Disney on ice and holiday holiday and ice in 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:32.240 Europe like and yes, and it's I mean, the life 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:35.600 is fascinating to me. But I didn't think I would 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:39.360 be able to cut it for that long. And so 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.320 I also kind of got obsessed with filmmaking at that 0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:49.440 time and realized, Okay, I can continue to focus on skating, 0:16:50.640 --> 0:16:52.160 but what am I gonna do. I'm not going to 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:55.280 make it to the Olympics. I'm not. I just am not, 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:59.280 and I don't think I want to figure out where 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:03.600 else I go in this sport. So I became obsessed 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:07.439 with filmmaking and I kind of slowly transitioned into into that. 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:13.080 You started a film club in high school, Yeah, so 0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:17.400 you were really into it. What was it about film? 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:20.439 Why did you love it or what? What started your 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:24.680 obsession with it? I think I was always found with 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:27.119 a camera in my hands, like a video camera in 0:17:27.119 --> 0:17:30.600 my hands. And I think I know it's because social 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:38.159 skills are not my strong point. Um too. You know, 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:43.359 I was in high school before social media, and um, 0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:48.400 it wasn't normal to be filmed exactly. So I would 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:51.720 walk around with my video camera and I was a 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:55.359 student body officer again, like I really kind of placed 0:17:55.359 --> 0:18:01.119 myself outside. You know, students are interacting, um, but with 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:05.760 a camera, everyone wanted to be on camera. And I 0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:08.439 was allowed in these circles that I never was allowed 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:13.080 in before, and people wanted wanted me to be around them. 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:15.879 They wanted to be filmed. Um. They liked the little 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:20.240 like movies that I put together for assemblies, and it 0:18:20.359 --> 0:18:22.879 kind of it gave me. It gave me an inn 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:29.159 and it gave me a shield and I could. I mean, 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:31.800 I I love looking through lens. There's to me, there's 0:18:31.880 --> 0:18:34.040 nothing like it. I feel like the world just takes 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:36.199 on a different color, in a different shape, and I 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:40.320 see things in slow motion and it's I love catching 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:44.359 someone laughing or just those little moments. And um, my 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:46.680 friends probably didn't know that that's what I was looking at, 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:50.960 mind you. Um, but it really really gave me a 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:56.000 sense of belonging and purpose where I think I really 0:18:56.040 --> 0:19:01.119 struggled to have that outside of it. It's so interesting 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:04.159 to me. And just hearing you talk right there, it 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:06.720 occurs to me. You know, you're someone who has a 0:19:06.760 --> 0:19:11.320 difficult time in social settings, and you know, if I 0:19:11.359 --> 0:19:13.840 distill that down, it's like, why, well, it's it can 0:19:13.880 --> 0:19:17.359 be very chaotic. There's lots going on, there's different people 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:20.720 who want different things from you, etcetera, etcetera. But it's 0:19:20.760 --> 0:19:23.960 it occurs to me that with a lens you can 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:28.040 frame exactly what you want to frame, and you can 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:33.080 examine and look at exactly what you choose to look 0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:37.240 at and interact with, which I think for someone who 0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:42.240 has a difficult time in in chaotic social situations, that 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:46.400 must be very freeing, right Is that was that part 0:19:46.440 --> 0:19:49.880 of it? Oh? Yes, yeah, absolutely. I mean even red 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:52.879 carpets today you can see me usually carrying a camera 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:55.560 and if I get really nervous, I'll take a picture 0:19:55.600 --> 0:20:00.479 of you know, people taking pictures, and I use it 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:05.119 a lot. And yeah and and and no one, I 0:20:05.119 --> 0:20:07.639 don't bug people like I don't. I'm not self conscious 0:20:07.680 --> 0:20:11.440 behind a camera. I know I know my camera and 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:18.040 that's I'm confident where talking or walking or moving in general. 0:20:18.320 --> 0:20:22.080 Like I'm I'm always trying to I'm very aware of 0:20:22.520 --> 0:20:25.879 my movements in my face and things and behind a 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:30.680 camera just to do that and I'm sure of myself. 0:20:49.640 --> 0:20:52.080 You wanted to go to film school? Yeah, is that right? 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:57.600 So the story I hear is you got into USC, 0:20:58.720 --> 0:21:02.480 and you are having a party congratulating you for getting 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:06.960 into USC, and then what you found out that there 0:21:07.040 --> 0:21:12.640 was like an issue with the acceptance. What what happened? Yeah? 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:15.960 And my sister was applying for law school at the time. 0:21:16.040 --> 0:21:18.720 She had gotten into UC, the USC, the law school, 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:23.760 she got in everywhere. Um, And I had a letter 0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:26.159 from the dean of the film school because I had 0:21:26.200 --> 0:21:31.119 taken summer courses there and I was very excited and 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:34.639 I only applied to film schools. I was very sure 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:36.960 that's what I was doing. And I got a letter 0:21:36.960 --> 0:21:38.359 about a week and a half letter I called. I 0:21:38.400 --> 0:21:40.680 got a call a week and a half later because 0:21:40.720 --> 0:21:42.720 we were waiting for, you know, the packet to arrive 0:21:42.760 --> 0:21:47.040 and stuff. And there have been a mistake. It happens 0:21:47.119 --> 0:21:51.920 sometimes they released because the schools roll out their acceptances 0:21:52.560 --> 0:21:55.639 at different times sometimes. And I was an early applicant. 0:21:56.119 --> 0:22:01.879 They hadn't gone. I mean something ires crossed and my 0:22:02.040 --> 0:22:04.919 S A T scores in the math section. We're not 0:22:07.560 --> 0:22:09.399 I hear they're they're not having S A T s 0:22:09.440 --> 0:22:13.920 anymore or putting a lot less emphasis on it, which, um, 0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:16.199 I'm very jealous of because out of all the schools 0:22:16.200 --> 0:22:18.320 that I applied to, I didn't get into a single college. 0:22:18.840 --> 0:22:20.840 And I had a very good d p A. And 0:22:20.840 --> 0:22:23.840 it was traumatizing. And I remember hugging my dad and 0:22:24.000 --> 0:22:26.000 be like, you know, I'm so sorry I didn't get 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:29.600 into college. My family is very, very academically driven, and 0:22:29.800 --> 0:22:31.720 I remember my dad hugging me and just going to 0:22:31.760 --> 0:22:34.879 prove them wrong. I don't know what that means. Uh really, 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:37.040 but you know it's not It's not the end all 0:22:37.240 --> 0:22:42.640 be all, I'm telling myself still fifteen years later. Obviously 0:22:42.760 --> 0:22:45.199 for you it wasn't. But you decided to move to 0:22:45.320 --> 0:22:49.399 l A anyway, why you just want you wanted to 0:22:49.440 --> 0:22:53.719 be there. Yeah. And I had friends that were in 0:22:53.840 --> 0:22:55.919 film that we're going to USC and we're going to 0:22:55.960 --> 0:22:59.040 other schools. Um, and I knew I still wanted to 0:22:59.080 --> 0:23:01.640 be a filmmaker. There was no plan B. I mean, 0:23:01.720 --> 0:23:05.040 this was my life and I moved down and I 0:23:05.080 --> 0:23:09.119 was going to finish my g S at Santa Monica 0:23:09.200 --> 0:23:13.560 Community College, and um, I went to Marymount College and 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:16.160 then I was going to transfer, but I was on 0:23:16.280 --> 0:23:22.600 an academic scholarship and I didn't finish my classes. I 0:23:22.720 --> 0:23:28.080 lost my scholarship. Um, and I needed money and I 0:23:28.119 --> 0:23:30.600 never went back, and then I didn't have time to 0:23:30.600 --> 0:23:38.199 go back. Right, You started getting approached by modeling recruiters. Yeah, 0:23:38.359 --> 0:23:40.720 Now what does that mean? Are you putting your photo 0:23:41.000 --> 0:23:44.080 out there or people are stopping you on the street. Now, 0:23:44.080 --> 0:23:46.480 I heard the MySpace story. We're going to talk about 0:23:46.480 --> 0:23:50.200 that in a second, but like, how how does that happen? 0:23:50.600 --> 0:23:54.040 No one's ever approached me. A modeling recruiter has never 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:56.240 reached out to me, So tell me how how does 0:23:56.280 --> 0:24:01.679 this happen? Um at malls. At malls, they just come 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:03.080 up to you. Yeah, I mean, I don't know if 0:24:03.119 --> 0:24:06.320 it's as common nowadays. Actually I'm sure it is. But 0:24:07.320 --> 0:24:10.320 mostly through it was. It was a lot through like 0:24:10.400 --> 0:24:13.119 my space and things when we were putting it, you know, 0:24:13.200 --> 0:24:16.720 and everything was open to people, which is really terrifying 0:24:16.760 --> 0:24:19.639 to think of now that now that we know so 0:24:19.720 --> 0:24:22.639 much about it. But I would get Um, someone from 0:24:22.680 --> 0:24:26.399 Top Model recruited me through that, But yet happen't malls 0:24:26.680 --> 0:24:29.639 and um, and they're saying they're saying, like, you have 0:24:29.680 --> 0:24:32.440 a good look, you should be a model, call me 0:24:32.720 --> 0:24:36.399 or come here. Now? Were these sketchy people ever? Or 0:24:36.520 --> 0:24:42.640 was this like legit? This is like what legit people did? Um? 0:24:42.800 --> 0:24:47.040 People legit did this, and I think it was you 0:24:47.080 --> 0:24:49.720 know I they were doing it in fuls of my 0:24:50.000 --> 0:24:54.720 where I was living. Um, and I I'm not exactly 0:24:54.760 --> 0:24:57.679 sure of how legit that was. But I did some 0:24:57.760 --> 0:25:01.879 local things in Sacramento and it seemed fun and I 0:25:01.920 --> 0:25:04.760 had such low confidence, had such low com I mean 0:25:06.040 --> 0:25:09.000 that in a way, even though it did not give 0:25:09.000 --> 0:25:13.719 me confidence at all. Um, I was really trying to 0:25:13.760 --> 0:25:19.480 find some sort of acceptance or coolness. I mean, this 0:25:19.520 --> 0:25:21.439 is someone again and who like lived behind the camera 0:25:21.920 --> 0:25:26.640 because I couldn't say hi to people right now, I 0:25:26.680 --> 0:25:29.440 was on my Space. I don't know if you've heard 0:25:29.480 --> 0:25:33.000 this story. The office was well, we were almost canceled 0:25:33.359 --> 0:25:36.000 very early on, and so as a way to try 0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:40.560 to drive audience, several of us at the time, it 0:25:40.640 --> 0:25:42.959 was my Space, right, So this is before Twitter or 0:25:42.960 --> 0:25:47.119 Facebook or anything else. We were like, what do people 0:25:47.119 --> 0:25:50.399 in offices do? Well, they're on this thing called my space. 0:25:50.640 --> 0:25:54.440 And so as our characters, we got onto my space 0:25:54.600 --> 0:25:58.960 and started communicating with people as though we were working 0:25:59.320 --> 0:26:04.840 in off So that's my experience. Kevin Malone was on 0:26:05.040 --> 0:26:07.760 my space. I was never on my spit. Brian was 0:26:07.840 --> 0:26:10.359 never on my space, but Kevin Malone was and wrote 0:26:10.400 --> 0:26:13.719 blogs in character about the people that were around me. 0:26:14.640 --> 0:26:18.800 Again as a very early way to try to attract 0:26:18.920 --> 0:26:23.640 interested in the show from early Gerrilla advertisement. That's amazing. 0:26:23.960 --> 0:26:26.920 This was early. Yes, this was us or we thought 0:26:26.960 --> 0:26:29.280 we were going to be canceled like we were. So 0:26:29.359 --> 0:26:32.440 there were four or five of us. Bj Novak included, 0:26:32.480 --> 0:26:34.719 he was one of the early adopters of that too, 0:26:35.119 --> 0:26:38.960 And yes, so we so we did that. I you know, 0:26:39.040 --> 0:26:43.200 I don't even remember a lot of function Occasionally someone 0:26:43.240 --> 0:26:45.119 will come up to me and say we used to 0:26:45.119 --> 0:26:48.640 message on my space or something like this, and I'm like, Okay, 0:26:48.680 --> 0:26:52.040 I don't even remember how that functionality worked. It's been 0:26:52.119 --> 0:26:56.840 so long. But so you're on there, are you posting 0:26:56.920 --> 0:27:00.800 pictures in terms of trying to get work, or you're 0:27:00.880 --> 0:27:04.560 just on You're just on my space? You know, enjoying 0:27:04.640 --> 0:27:07.040 because it was mostly music. I think that was like 0:27:07.119 --> 0:27:11.840