1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: Yes, the cover of seventeen. I felt like, wow, I 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: this is the biggest I mean, it's still maybe to 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: this day, the biggest thing I've done. Well, I don't 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: think it's the biggest thing you've done. But I have 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: never been on the cover of seventeen magazine. Let's be 6 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: very very clear about that. Do you want Do you 7 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: want to? I could probably, I could see if I 8 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: have any connections, maybe I could go well, yeah, I 9 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: don't know, because you know, it's never too late. I 10 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: think maybe it's too late at some point. I don't 11 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: know specifically, it is too late to be on seventeen magazine. 12 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: I think actually it is. It is. I don't think 13 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: it's worth trying. I don't know. I don't think. So 14 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: we'll talk after, we'll talk. We'll talk after. Hello. My 15 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: name is Danielle Fishel. You may know me better as 16 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: to Pango Lawrence and then eventually to Pango Lawrence Matthews. 17 00:00:54,480 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: I am a TV director and an actor. Hello. Everyone, 18 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: it is my pleasure to welcome you all back to 19 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: Off the Beat. I am your host, Brian baum Gartner, 20 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: and I am thrilled and delighted today to welcome the 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: one and only Danielle fishial a k a. To Panga 22 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: Lawrence onto the podcast. Now, this is a little bit 23 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: of a different episode today, all right. Danielle, she was 24 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: only twelve years old when she got her start on 25 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: Boy Meets World. Boy Meets World, one of the biggest 26 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,199 Speaker 1: sitcoms of the nineties the t G I f days 27 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: for those of you who remember, or we're alive now 28 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: to give you a sense of just how ahead Danielle was. 29 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: By the time myself and most of the cast of 30 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: the Office even made it to Hollywood, she had already 31 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: done Evans seasons of the show, making her a show 32 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: biz veteran before she was even twenty years old. Since then, 33 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: she's gone on to star in many other projects, including 34 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: the hit reboot Girl Meets World, and she's also just 35 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: launched her own rewatch podcast, pod Meets World. I loved 36 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: this conversation, all right. It was so interesting for me 37 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: to hear about her challenges of being a child star, 38 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: how much she had to endure that as an adult 39 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: working in Hollywood I was barely aware of. We talk 40 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: about everything from teen comedy to her on screen relationships, 41 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: to her first kiss being on screen, and finally playing 42 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: a grown up version of her character over a decade later. 43 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: Here she is the lovely and talented Danielle Fishal, Bubble 44 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: and Squeak. I love Bubble and Squiger Bubble and Squeaker 45 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 1: Cookie every moment. Lift over from the nut before. Hello, Hi, 46 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 1: I'm so excited to see you, Danielle. I'm so excited 47 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: to see you as well. How are you? I am 48 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: doing great. I I know that you are technically interviewing me, 49 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: but I cannot even begin to have a conversation with 50 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: you without asking what it's like to be on my 51 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: favorite show, trash Truck. I love that you just did 52 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: that miss reverse misdirection. See, it's your favorite show. You 53 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: know you're not really demographic. You know what, I don't care. 54 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: I my son, I my son. I don't even think 55 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: it is quite your demographic. He just turned three, and 56 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: it's a little I think I think it's I watch 57 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: it with him, and he loves it. He's into it. 58 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: He loves trash Truck. But then you know, it's not 59 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: as like it's not like Coco Melon, where it's like 60 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: there's a bunch of all kinds of crazy things going on. 61 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: And so after a few episodes, he'll want to like 62 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: wander Away, and I'm just riveted I get to the 63 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 1: next episode of trash Truck like it is truly my favorite. 64 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: My husband put trash Truck socks in my Christmas stocking 65 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: and I wore them recently to a con. I'm literally 66 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: a huge fan of trash Truck and specifically Walter. So 67 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: I just have to thank you for that. Thank you 68 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: so much. And I can say this because I truly 69 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: had nothing to do with it. I think it looks 70 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: so beautiful. I think it is like the animation that 71 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: they did. I mean they took let me tell you, 72 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: they took a long long time to to do it. 73 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: I was told they built an animation studio. I don't 74 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: like the South of France or something. It's very bizarre. 75 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 1: I know. Yeah, thank you for bringing it up. I 76 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: tell everyone about it. I said, even if you don't 77 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: have kids, you'll like trash Truck. It's just a great show. 78 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: It's a trash Truck has the the appeal that like 79 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: Bluey also has where adults just you. I mean, I've cried. 80 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: I've cried a trash Truck. I've cried a Bluey. It's 81 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: just it truly is it's it is beautiful, and it 82 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: is so well done and so well written, and you 83 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: guys are just you guys just really do a great 84 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: job with it. So I just really had to thank you, well, 85 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: thank you so much for that. I appreciate it. Pre 86 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: trash truck. Do you do you remember when we met? 87 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: Do you do you remember when we met? I don't know. 88 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: You don't remember when we met? No, but I have 89 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: a I have a terrible memory where I'm on, I'm 90 00:05:58,040 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: unpacking a lot of Why do I have a terrible 91 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: memory on our own podcast? I don't know? Okay, please 92 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: tell me the story. So we met in public on 93 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: a stage on I Believe Live television. You and I 94 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: we presented an award at the American Humane Association's Hero 95 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: the Hero Dog Awards. Of course, yes, I do that. 96 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: I do it every year, do you. Well, that's why 97 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: you don't. That's why you don't remember. That's at least 98 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: what I'm gonna say, because that's why that was my 99 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: one and only. I think they kicked me off after that. 100 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: I went off. So you were you weren't? No, come on, 101 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: you were wonderful. I am actually I am an ambassador 102 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: for the American Humane Association, and so I vote every year. 103 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: I'm I'm part of the voting process for the Hero Dogs, 104 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: and then I have when they've done it in person. 105 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: I have presented every year, and then I've done it 106 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: on zoom a couple of times too. But that is 107 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: probably why. But I can't believe that. Yeah, I'm going 108 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: to look up all of our pictures. But I do 109 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: remember it now, of course I remember being It's it 110 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: is weird how that happens when you present an award 111 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: with somebody because you don't actually meet like early in 112 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: the evening. You meet about three minutes before you are 113 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: put on stage and you have your script and you're 114 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: getting a touch up, and then it's you know, you 115 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: go out and you do your thing and then you 116 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: part ways and I didn't see you again. That was that. 117 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: That was it. Um, So yes, a long time ago. 118 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: I want to go back, though even longer to your childhood. Now. 119 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: You grew up in in Mesa, Arizona. Is that right? Well, 120 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: that is something I clarify all the time. So I 121 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: was born in Mesa. I was born three weeks before 122 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: my dad graduated college. But both my parents are native Californians. 123 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: And so when my dad graduated, I was three weeks 124 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: old and I moved to California. That is the amount 125 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: of time I spent in Mesa. But it is on 126 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: my Wikipedia page that I was born in Mesa. And 127 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: so I still like every political cycle I get um 128 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: like targeted campaigns like Danielle get the word out in Mesa, 129 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: and I'm like, I don't have a real connection to Mesa. 130 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: I haven't been there since I was twenty one days old. 131 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: But so I consider myself a native Californian because that 132 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: is where I've lived since I was twenty one days old. 133 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: That is very reasonable for you to consider yourself that. 134 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: So you moved, So you moved. Then where did you 135 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: move after twenty one days of life? It twenty one 136 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: days of life. I made the trek to Orange County, California, 137 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: and I lived there until I was ten. And then 138 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: it was kind of just a stroke of real luck 139 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: that at the same age, like nine ten, I decided 140 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 1: I wanted to be an actor. By the way, I 141 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 1: did not really know what that meant. I didn't how 142 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: could you possibly know? Really, I just knew that there 143 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: was a very cool girl at my school that was 144 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:56,959 Speaker 1: a couple of years older than me who came to 145 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: school one day and said, guess what, I got an 146 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: agent and I'm going to be a model. And I 147 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: wanted to be like her, and so I went to 148 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: my mom and I said, Mom, I want an agent. 149 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: I want to be a model. And my mom said, Danielle, 150 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: I love you, but you are very short. I am 151 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: now a full grown human five one and my mom, 152 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: you know, at the time, I was like nine years old. 153 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 1: My Mom's like, models are very tall. You can't do that. 154 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: So I went back to school the next day and 155 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: I told the girl my mom said, I'm too short, 156 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: and she said, oh, well, my agents are gonna put 157 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: me on t V two. I don't think you need 158 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: to be tall to be on TV. And that was 159 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: all I knew. That was it. I decided that that's 160 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: all I needed. I met that requirement. I wanted to 161 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: be on TV. And around that same time, my dad 162 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,839 Speaker 1: changed jobs from working in Orange County to working up 163 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: more towards l A and so we moved to Calabasas 164 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: and I started auditioning. Wow, so it was just about 165 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: trying to follow the cool kid. At this point, now 166 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: had you done, like like like, had you done any 167 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: You hadn't done anything at this point on a stage 168 00:09:55,880 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: like in school, elementary school. Yes, I was the ballerina 169 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: in The Wizard of Oz. Remember when like Dorothy arrives 170 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: in munchkin Land. I think it had like two lines, 171 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: But I basically just had my arms up in the 172 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: air and walked in on my two two and did 173 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: something with the Lollipop Guild and then and then wandered out. 174 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: And that was the extent of my stage experience. It 175 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: wasn't even that that made me go, wow, the stage 176 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: life is for me. It was really just that I 177 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,719 Speaker 1: wanted to be like the cool you wanted to fall 178 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: the cool girl. You see. I don't Do you think 179 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: that there's a cultural thing about now that I know 180 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: you weren't really from mas Arizona. Do you think that 181 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: there's something about like growing up in southern California that 182 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: it's it's more a part of more people's experience. Do 183 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: you think that that's true. Possibly, it wasn't in Orange 184 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: County where I at the time, where I lived in 185 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: Orange County, It's not. I wasn't beach Town, Orange County. 186 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: Even I was like, you know, Inland way in len 187 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: youre Belinda, California, and we knew no actors. We didn't. 188 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: It was there were there was nothing about that going on. 189 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: Um I just knew that like the idea of auditioning 190 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: and trying to do stuff on television sounded fun. But 191 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: I also my mom. My parents fought against it for 192 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: a full year. They were like, absolutely not, We're not 193 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: putting you know, there was, especially in the early nineties, 194 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: there was like a lot of you know, derogatory thoughts 195 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: about child actors, like, oh, being a child actor is 196 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: terrible and you you grow up to you know, Rob 197 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: Banks or something like they you just there were it 198 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: felt like there was no good that could come from this, 199 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: and so they kept telling me no and and no, 200 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: this isn't for you. And then eventually when they agreed, 201 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,079 Speaker 1: my mom said to my dad, look, let's just let 202 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 1: her try it. We all know how everyone's heard about 203 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: how hard this is. What are the odds she's even 204 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: going to book anything? She'll try it. We will have 205 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 1: given her the opportunity, she won't do anything, and then 206 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: she'll get over it. Like that was there. Their only 207 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: reason they agreed is because this is going nowhere. And um, 208 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: and so then they we did the we did the 209 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: thing you had to do back then, which when there 210 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: was no digital way of communicating with agents. My mom 211 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: read a book that was like how to Get your 212 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 1: Kid into Acting for Dummies. And in the in the 213 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,719 Speaker 1: book it said, here is a list of agencies, and 214 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: they're mailing addresses. And my mom took pictures of me 215 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 1: on our regular film pictures of me, and then printed 216 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: them out and mailed copies of them with a letter 217 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: about me, my age and why. You know what I said, 218 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: I I wanted to do this, and and here are 219 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:35,439 Speaker 1: some yes that she wrote and sent them to these agencies. 220 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: And I think we sent them to maybe ten agents, 221 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 1: and we heard back from maybe six of them, and 222 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: they were interested in meeting with me. It was pretty good, 223 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: pretty good, and so we Yeah, my mom took some 224 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: great pictures. You know, I was photogenic and my mom 225 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: was a great photographer. And so we went to those meetings. 226 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: And I remember being a little girl sitting in these 227 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: meetings with agents and hearing them, you know, talk about 228 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: my experience, and it was like nothing unless you count 229 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 1: this to two role I had in in elementary school 230 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: and um, I ended up signing with an agent. I 231 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: signed with Kelman Arletta and the first thing she said 232 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: was I'm going to put you in a commercial workshop class. 233 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: And so I got put into like an acting class 234 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: for commercials and um, and then I started auditioning from there. 235 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: So you're I'm doing the math here quickly. It's difficult 236 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: for me. You're ten then roughly right? Ten? Yes? Yes? 237 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,839 Speaker 1: So this is this is your your ten years old 238 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: and you start this process and at this point you 239 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: don't know, you don't know anything. And by the way, 240 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: I have to say for people who don't understand, taking 241 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: a photo on your cameras and you know, your home 242 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: camera is not usually how this is done. You usually 243 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: go and you get a professional photographer. It's called a 244 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: head shot, and you have that done. You don't put 245 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: a five seven that mom took uh in the mail 246 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: and expect to hear anything back. So there was clearly 247 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: something that people saw. So okay, so your ten is 248 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: this fun? Then this class that you take about auditioning 249 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: for commercials? Yeah, it was incredibly fun. I you know, 250 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: I was a very bubbly, fast talking ten year old girl, 251 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: and when you're looking for ten year old girls and 252 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: commercials that is like kind of what you're looking for, 253 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: and so I think there was something. I think what 254 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: people saw in me was that without like my instinct 255 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: was perfect for ten year old girl commercials. And so 256 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: the class was very fun. I remember I have it 257 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: on video somewhere and it's one of my favorite videos. 258 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: It's me and another little boy and they were having 259 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: us pretend to be doing a Skittles commercial. And you know, 260 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: both of us are up there in front of the 261 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: camera and it's his turn to pretend that he has 262 00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: the skittles, and the person next to him is like, 263 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: can I have a skittle? And and the boys supposed 264 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: to go Skittles, Skittles, you want some? And the boy 265 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: is going Skittles, Skittles, you want And you can hear 266 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: the teacher go okay, let's do it again, but with 267 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: a lot of energy. You know, we want to sell skittles. 268 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: Skittles are the greatest. You know, imagine you're in They 269 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: want to know that you love skittles. And he's doing 270 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: it again, and he does it very much the same way. 271 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: And then it's my turn to be the person with 272 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: the skittles, and he hands me the Skittles and I 273 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: go Skittles Skittles and he literally jumps out of his skin, 274 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: like what the heck was that? I literally startled him 275 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: with my enthusiasm. So yeah, for me, it was it 276 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: was a blast. Right. So this is like, uh, this 277 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: is like a I don't know, kids play soccer or 278 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: you know they go to music class or you know, 279 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: dance ballet, whatever. This is. This is like your after 280 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: school activity and you're having fun with it. That's exactly right. 281 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: And I loved every minute of it. And then I 282 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: got an audition and it was for It was my 283 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: first audition ever and it was for Mattel and it was, 284 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: UM this Mattel commercial where these dolls there were three 285 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: dolls and one of them UM had braids, and you 286 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: got fake scissors and you could cut her hair and 287 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: and you pulled from the back of her head this 288 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: area where the braids were connected, and that's how it 289 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: looked like you were cutting at the braids just got shorter, 290 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: and then another one another. It was It's very creepy. 291 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: I have a I have a screen recording of the commercial. 292 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: UM A little girl who has an ice cream cone. 293 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: When you put the ice cream cone to her mouth. 294 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: It makes like an ice cream ring around her lips, 295 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 1: and and then the doll um. The third doll was 296 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: you push a button in the top of her head 297 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: and two front teeth come out of her gums. She 298 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: gets her first teeth. So I get this audition and 299 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: I'm very excited for it, and I go in. My 300 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: mom takes me. You know, it's a long drive in traffic. 301 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: Do I'm doing my homework in the car on the 302 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: way there. And we get into the audition and my 303 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: mom's biggest concern, She's told me, now my biggest Her 304 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: biggest concern with me going into acting was that there 305 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: was going to be a lot of rejection, and she 306 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: didn't want the rejection to beat me down as a child. 307 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: She didn't want me to feel like it was my 308 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: fault if I didn't get something, or like, well, what 309 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: was wrong with me? And so she she would talk 310 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: to me about the fact that it was probably that 311 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: I was going to get told no a lot often. 312 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 1: So on the way there, you know, she's saying, you know, 313 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: Remembers is your first audition. It's fun, like she's trying 314 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: to make everything light and I'm like, yeah, but I'm nervous. 315 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: I don't know what it's going to be. And I 316 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: go in and I do the audition. I come out 317 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: and my mom goes, how did it go? And I go, great, 318 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: I got it and she goes, what did did they 319 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: They tell you you got it? And I go no, 320 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: I just I just I feel it. I just I 321 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 1: nailed it. I got it. And she's like, oh my gosh. 322 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: We get in my car and she goes, no, you know, Danielle, 323 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: this isn't how this works. You you were going to 324 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: go in for so many auditions and you're gonna you're 325 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: gonna be told no way more than you're gonna be 326 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: told yes. And this is your first audition. Because I 327 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: was like okay. I was like, but Mama, you know 328 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 1: I got it. She's like, oh man. So we go 329 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: home and the next day I get a call back. 330 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: She's like, wow, Danielle, guess what. You get a callback? 331 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: You have to they want to see you again. And 332 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: I go see, I told you, And she's like, well, 333 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: callback isn't booking it, but yes, this is a good sign. 334 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 1: You're you're getting closer. So I go in, I do 335 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,399 Speaker 1: the audition again. I come out. My mom goes, how 336 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: did it go? And I go, great, I got it, 337 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 1: and she's like, okay again, Hope, I know you're closer, 338 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: and you know you did last yesterday And I said, yeah, 339 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: you know, yesterday you told me I wasn't I didn't 340 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: get it, and today I got a call back. She's like, 341 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: that's true, but still just trying to like temper my expectations. 342 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 1: And then I did book the commercial, and my mom 343 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: was like, great, Now what do I do? Now? I 344 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,400 Speaker 1: know I have to like convince you that just because 345 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 1: you got this one doesn't mean you're gonna get all 346 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: of them. And of course, you know, I I ended 347 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: up getting my share of rejection. But I just think 348 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: it's funny that I walked out with so much confidence. 349 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 1: And then I was like, I told you that is uh, 350 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 1: that is unusual. That is that it does not usually 351 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: work that way. No, you had no experience. You take 352 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: this class and start booking commercials. At what point does 353 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: your agent think, well maybe she should audition. Well, she's 354 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 1: got to have a lot of confidence that your first 355 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: job you booked, I know how this thing works, So 356 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: that's she's got to feel good about that, and so 357 00:19:53,200 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: she must fairly quickly start submitting you for actual television roles, right, yeah, 358 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 1: yes she does. She starts submitting me for guest starring 359 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: roles on different shows, and I book uh an episode 360 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: of Harry and the Henderson But yeah, it was a 361 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: featured a featured extra. Basically, I didn't say anything. And 362 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 1: then she submits me to I auditioned for full House, 363 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: and I book full House and I played the role 364 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 1: of Jennifer two and Jennifer two um was only Jennifer 365 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: two because her friend that was there with her was 366 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: also Jennifer. And so the line in the show was 367 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 1: that the girl says, Hi, I'm Jennifer, and I said, Hi, 368 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: I'm Jennifer too, not the number two. But also, and 369 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: as you could probably tell from the way I just 370 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: did that line, Jennifer two was not that much different 371 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: than just regular Danielle that had been doing all of 372 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: the commercials. So again, I know nothing of what acting 373 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: actually is. My experience thus far from ten to twelve 374 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 1: was that if you just go in and say somebody 375 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: else's words exactly the way you would say them, you 376 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: will eventually book a job. Some at some point in time, 377 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: someone's going to be looking for just who you are, 378 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: and so those were the rules I had booked before 379 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: I got the audition for Boy Meats World. That's unbelievable. 380 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: Let me ask you about this. You know, I've talked 381 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 1: to a lot of people about how difficult it is 382 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: to just step in as a guest star to anything. Now, 383 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: are you intimidated about this or you just like, oh, no, 384 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: I've got this and you're totally relaxed about it. I 385 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,400 Speaker 1: was pretty relaxed about it. I think I just had 386 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 1: so much confidence. I have no idea why I had 387 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: so much confidence, but I really I think I remember 388 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: being told in my commercial workshop class and in my 389 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: auditions that I was directionable, like I took direction well, 390 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: I listened and I could respond. And I was that 391 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: way as a child with my parents, and I was 392 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: that way as a student. I was kind of just yeah, 393 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: if you tell me what I need to do, I'll 394 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 1: get it done. And so I was really excited to 395 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,120 Speaker 1: walk into the set a full house, and they made 396 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: it very easy too. They first of all incredible directors. 397 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: Rich Correll directed my first episode, and I think joel's 398 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 1: Wick directed my second episode that I did. And you know, 399 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: these are people who've done now at this point thousands 400 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: of episodes of TV, and UM, you know, they got it. 401 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: They were working on a kid's show. They knew how 402 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 1: to be funny and and um, how to talk to 403 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: us and how to make us comfortable. I think the 404 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 1: first thing Rich Carrell said to me was, you know, 405 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: I said, Hi, I'm Danielle, and I extended my hand 406 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,680 Speaker 1: to shake his hand, and he said, hi, I'm rich 407 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:48,640 Speaker 1: that's my name. But I also say that to all 408 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: the ladies. UM, and I you know, I knew he 409 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: was making a joke, and and it was just like 410 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: I felt right at ease, and and then no one 411 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: made me feel like there was I was going to 412 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: do something wrong or I was going to screw anything up. 413 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: It was it was a very fun collaborative environment. And 414 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: I mean I walked around and on tape night took 415 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: pictures with every cast member. I've got all the my 416 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 1: with my mom's camera. That same camera that that got 417 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: me in the door with the agents is now taking 418 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: pictures with John Stamos and Bob Saggett and Candice Camera 419 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 1: and Jody Sweeten. So it was a it was so fun. 420 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:29,400 Speaker 1: Do you feel like this experience helped you get an 421 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,920 Speaker 1: audition for Boy Meets World or was that just again, 422 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,880 Speaker 1: just another audition that your your agents submitted you on. 423 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: I don't know if it helped me get the audition. 424 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: It may have being on Full House, but it definitely 425 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: didn't help me in the audition because I went in 426 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: an auditioned for the role of Tapanga and I did 427 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: not even get a call back. And then the next 428 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: day I got an audition for a different role on 429 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: the same show, Boy Meets World, but for a character 430 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: who I don't even think had a name. She had 431 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: two lines, and I booked that one, and I then 432 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:07,679 Speaker 1: showed up on the set of Boy Meats World and 433 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:11,160 Speaker 1: I got to see who they did cast as to Panga, 434 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: and I was watching the director work with her, and 435 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: the director was David Trainer, another legendary TV director, And 436 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: it was my very first acting lesson. It was the 437 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: moment I can remember the moment when the light bulb 438 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: went off in my head. Oh, I could say things 439 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: differently than how I would say them. When I read 440 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: that this character to Panga is a flower child, a 441 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 1: slow speaking flower child, I should pay attention to that, 442 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: and I should adjust the way I speak to try 443 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: and match maybe what they're looking for instead of just 444 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: say ing it just like me. And I saw David 445 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 1: Trainer working with this girl they had cast as to Panga, 446 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:07,120 Speaker 1: and I had that feeling you get when you're like, oh, 447 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: I want to try again. And I of course knew 448 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: that that was an unprofessional thing to do, and so 449 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: of course I did not do that. I just let 450 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: them work together. And the end of the day on Friday, 451 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: before I was going home, uh that one of the 452 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: producers came up to my mom and I and said, UM, 453 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: we'd like you and the other girl that you're here 454 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,959 Speaker 1: with that have a couple of lines. We'd like you 455 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 1: to read a scene for the producers. And the scene 456 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: they wanted us to read was a to Panga scene, 457 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: and I suddenly realized that they were possibly recasting to 458 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,479 Speaker 1: Panga and now I had a second chance to do it. 459 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: And Marla sockle Off, another fantastic actress who has gone 460 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: on to have a wonderful career and is also now 461 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 1: a director. She and I were the two girls auditioning 462 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 1: again for this part, and she went in first, and 463 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: I was sitting outside the door, and my mom and 464 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: I were sitting there next to each other, and we 465 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 1: could hear Marla and the producers and the casting director 466 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 1: just laughing and talking and having a great time. And 467 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 1: then they walked out and Sally Steiner, the casting director, 468 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: followed behind her mom and said, I need every phone 469 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 1: number for you, because you know, this is a Friday 470 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: night and you're gonna if if she gets it, she's 471 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: gonna have to come back on Monday. I'm gonna have 472 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: to get in touch with you over the weekend. And 473 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: this is before cell phones or computers or so. I 474 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,679 Speaker 1: need your page or number, I need your agents number, 475 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: I need your facts number. Give me all the numbers. 476 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 1: And I remember watching all of that right before I 477 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: go in for my audition, like that must have gone 478 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: very well. That does not make me feel very confident 479 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 1: walking into this. And then I went in next and 480 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: I did my audition, and I walked out, and nobody 481 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: followed behind me. Nobody asked us for phone numbers, nobody 482 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: needed to get in touch with us. And I walked 483 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:51,679 Speaker 1: out of the office. My mom and I got to 484 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: the car, and the minute I sat down in the car, 485 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: I burst into tears and I said, I didn't get it. 486 00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: I had a second opportunity to get this, this bigger part, 487 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:01,439 Speaker 1: and I'm the drive home. My mom says, you know, 488 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 1: we have to call your dad because at this point 489 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: I was supposed to be home two hours later or 490 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: two hours earlier. My dad didn't know where we were. 491 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 1: And thankfully we had a big Zach Morris car phone, 492 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: you know the big Yeah, they connected in the car. 493 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: It cost like sixty dollars a minute or something. I 494 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 1: plugged into the lighter is the most expensive giant piece 495 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 1: of equipment. And I called my dad and my dad said, 496 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: you know where are you? Am worried about you guys, 497 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: And he said, okay, well there was this girl and 498 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 1: she's playing te Peanga and they asked me to audition. 499 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: My Dad's like, what hold on, hold on, I'm getting 500 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 1: a call waiting, and then he comes back and he says, 501 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: that was someone named Sally Steiner and she told you 502 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: to come back on Monday as to Panga. And I 503 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: just screamed at the top of my lungs and looked 504 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: at my mom and was like my mom then started screaming, 505 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: and we said we'll see you sitting into my dad. 506 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: We'll see. It was a zinging and I hung up 507 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: the phone. Then I showed up on Monday and I 508 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: was to Panga. Did you hear an explanation about the 509 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:08,200 Speaker 1: Marla situation? And then you feeling like that they were 510 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: going to hire her or were they just making her 511 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: feel well? I no, I don't think they were making 512 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: her feel good. She had she was the first audition, 513 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:18,959 Speaker 1: and so I think that. And and Marla lived up 514 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 1: north at the time, and that weekend she was driving 515 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: back up north to be with her family. And so 516 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: unlike my family who lived in Calabasas and wasn't going anywhere, 517 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: they knew how to get in touch with my family. 518 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 1: I think there was a little bit of fear that 519 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: if Marla was the person who booked it, she's out 520 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,359 Speaker 1: of town, how do we find her? Um? And so 521 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:38,959 Speaker 1: I think it was you know, part part of that 522 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: was information I didn't have at the time, right, Wow, 523 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: So okay, so you you get this role to pay. 524 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: It's supposed to be one episode. That was it. It 525 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: was just going to be the one episode. But it 526 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: was also written in a way where it was um 527 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,479 Speaker 1: left open enough at the end that there was still 528 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 1: that feeling of but she could come back. It was 529 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: it was like it was only going to be one 530 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: episode but also potentially recurring. Okay, no, yeah, one of 531 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: those one of the one of those that generally they're 532 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: just trying to get somebody to do it and then 533 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 1: it never sees the light of day again I'm familiar with. 534 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 1: And you never come back. You never come back again. Um, 535 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: do you start coming back immediately? No? Not immediately. I 536 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: do that first episode and uh, it goes well by 537 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: the time the week is over. It was a It 538 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: was a bit of a roller coaster week because on 539 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: day one I I didn't deliver the amazing performance that 540 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: Michael Jacobs wanted, and he told me at the end 541 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:44,280 Speaker 1: of the producer session, in front of the cast and 542 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 1: crew and everyone, he said, Danielle, I'm going to save 543 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 1: all of your notes for the end, because if I 544 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: made everybody sit here for all of the notes I 545 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: have for you, nobody would be able to go home. 546 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: So I will save all of your notes. But what 547 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: I will say is that if you don't show up 548 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 1: tomorrow doing this entirely differently, you will also not be 549 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: doing this role and cut the road twitters. I immediately 550 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: welled up my eyes. I had tears just like, I 551 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: don't even know how I tears didn't fall. I don't 552 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: remember them falling, but maybe they did, but I just 553 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: remember feeling like, oh my gosh. And then you know, 554 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: Michael's kind of famous for his very elaborate note sessions, 555 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 1: and so then I had to sit there for over 556 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 1: an hour while he gave everyone else notes, and I 557 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: just had to sit there quietly and waiting, waiting, like wondering, 558 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: what are my notes going to be? What did I do? 559 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: How am I this bad? Um? If I'm so bad? 560 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: Why did I get the role? Like? Why? You know? 561 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: I don't understand. And then afterward, Michael sat my mom 562 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: and I down in the Matthews family kitchen and went 563 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: through every single one of my lines and what he 564 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:51,880 Speaker 1: was looking for and how I did it wrong and 565 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 1: what I needed to change. And my mom and I 566 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: went home that night, and my poor mother, she stayed 567 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: up with me until like three or four o'clock in 568 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: the morning, working with me, just getting me, you know, 569 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: reminding me of the things Michael said he wanted and 570 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: how I could do that and do it again but 571 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: slower and do it again but you know, calm er, 572 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: just whatever the notes were, and I went back then 573 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 1: the next day Tuesday, and rehearsed all day again with 574 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: David Trainer, who was wonderful and very supportive and made 575 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: me feel very safe. And we then did the network 576 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: run through that night, and Michael stood up and said, 577 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: I'd like everyone to stand up and join me, and 578 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: giving Danielle a round of you know, a standing ovation, 579 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 1: a round of applause. You have worked so hard, you 580 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: did exactly what I asked of you. Thank you so much. 581 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:36,719 Speaker 1: You know, this was wonderful, and now sit down. And 582 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,479 Speaker 1: then I got to participate in a regular note session. 583 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: And then the next day we started taping UM and 584 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: we did that episode, and no, I did not come 585 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: back then immediately. I wasn't in like the next several 586 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: but I was back probably probably within three to four 587 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: episodes after that. I came back for another one UM. 588 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: And you could tell now is when they were trying 589 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: to start playing around with maybe the idea that Topango 590 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: was going to be some sort of love interest for 591 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: Corey and and you could tell that this was something 592 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: they were going to try to work and see if 593 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: they could make me a recurring character. Wow, that's that's 594 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: so amazing. Of course, I go back to your mom 595 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: staying up with you until three o'clock in the morning, 596 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: when it wasn't even what she had initially wanted for 597 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: you from the beginning. But I obviously at this point 598 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: she's very supportive and just wanting, you know, the best 599 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: for you. Um. You then go on, obviously to be 600 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 1: a huge part of the show. You become a I mean, 601 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,719 Speaker 1: I think massive Star is not overstating what happens to 602 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 1: you over the next several years. When did you realize 603 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:50,959 Speaker 1: I think it might be. I think it might be, 604 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: but I mean, look this this let me be clear, Okay, 605 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: this show was not my specific demographic at that time 606 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 1: in my life. Yet I was very aware, very aware 607 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: of of of you and what was going on on 608 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 1: that show. Even at that point in time, when did 609 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: you realize that the show was going to be uh 610 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: so big and that this was going to change your life? 611 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: You know, It's funny, we talked about it all the 612 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 1: time now that there wasn't a moment while we were 613 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 1: doing the show ever where we felt like we were 614 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 1: a hit for some reason. Now we knew that the 615 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: T G I F block we were on ABC Timetime 616 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 1: Friday nights, there was that two hour block from eight 617 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: pm to ten pm, and Family Matters started the block 618 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: and then it rolled into Boy Meets World and Sabrina 619 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 1: the Teenage which was on after that, and you know, 620 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 1: like we knew that that section, that eight to ten 621 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 1: pm slot was successful, but Boy Meets World was not 622 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 1: like a mass of hit at the time. It actually 623 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 1: became more of a massive hit after it went off 624 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 1: the air. We were on for seven years, but every 625 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: year we had that feeling of, oh boy, we're on 626 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: the bubble. We're we're really on the bubble. I I 627 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: we don't know if we're gonna get picked up. Yeah, 628 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:18,759 Speaker 1: we didn't know if we were going to get picked up. 629 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 1: From season to season, there were there were talks that 630 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: it was never that it wasn't going to get picked up, 631 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:25,720 Speaker 1: and then we were always shocked when it did. And 632 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: we like even ratings wise, I mean, now we look 633 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: at the ratings and we think, wow, what must that 634 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 1: be like to have a twenty four share? Like whoa crazy? 635 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: But back then we were like not even the first 636 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 1: or second or even third thing going on that night, 637 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 1: Like we you know, there were much bigger things going on. 638 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: So I don't think while we were on the show, 639 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: I felt like the show was a hit. Also, the 640 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:55,320 Speaker 1: lack of social media meant we had no real feedback, 641 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,359 Speaker 1: Like I think, to a certain extent, I felt like 642 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,279 Speaker 1: we did a show for our parents and grandparents, Like 643 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: we put on this big production for our grandparents to watch, 644 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: and maybe some other people saw it too, but I 645 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: had no idea how many, and I had no idea 646 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: what they thought of it. Like, I didn't know whether 647 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: people liked it or anything. I just had no real feedback. Yeah, 648 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:21,960 Speaker 1: but you start you know, you're on seventeen, You're on 649 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:27,439 Speaker 1: the cover of seventeen, your teen People, Hottest Under twenty one. 650 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: I mean, this is happening. It's so interesting. You know, 651 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: you start out your twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old and 652 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:39,800 Speaker 1: you're not you know, maybe even cognizant of big media 653 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: in general, and the social media doesn't exist at that point. 654 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: That makes some sense to me, But you have to 655 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 1: know at a certain point. Yeah, I think I also 656 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,719 Speaker 1: thought though, with like you're talking about teen magazines and 657 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 1: you're right, doing the cover of seventeen was a very 658 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,759 Speaker 1: big deal. I think I definitely felt when I got that, 659 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:00,360 Speaker 1: I was like, WHOA really they're gonna let be on 660 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: the cover of that. I do remember feeling like that 661 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:07,319 Speaker 1: was a moment of I've made it. But also I 662 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 1: think I, you know, you had publicists, and you knew 663 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: that it was someone's job to like go out after 664 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 1: these things and get these things for you. I think 665 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,320 Speaker 1: I always just thought, well, like, I think I recognized 666 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 1: that the business aspect of it, more so than feeling like, well, 667 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: they're they're agreeing to let me be on the cover 668 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 1: because the show really is that big of a hit. 669 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 1: I don't know that I thought about it that way, 670 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:31,399 Speaker 1: but I do know for sure that, yes, the cover 671 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 1: of seventeen, I felt like, wow, I this is the 672 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:36,840 Speaker 1: biggest I mean, it's still maybe to this day, the 673 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: biggest thing I've done. Well, I don't think it's the 674 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,040 Speaker 1: biggest thing you've done. But I have never been on 675 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:45,840 Speaker 1: the cover of seventeen magazine. Let's be very very clear 676 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 1: about that. Do you want Do you want to? I 677 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:52,280 Speaker 1: could probably, I could see if I have any connections, 678 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: maybe I could go, well, yeah, I don't, because you know, 679 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 1: it's never too late. I mean, maybe it's too late 680 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: at some point. I don't know specifically, it is too 681 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 1: late to be on seventeen magazine. I think actually it is, 682 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,360 Speaker 1: it is. I don't think it's worth trying. I don't know, 683 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 1: I don't think. So we'll talk after, we'll talking, We'll 684 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:32,399 Speaker 1: talk after you're you know, you're playing a kid living 685 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:35,200 Speaker 1: a fairly normal life. You at this point are not. 686 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 1: You're I want you to talk a little bit to 687 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:42,399 Speaker 1: people about your experience. So you're going to school now, 688 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 1: I assume largely on set, So you have what you 689 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,360 Speaker 1: have one teacher or did you guys have a teacher 690 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 1: for for everybody who was, you know, of of school age. 691 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,880 Speaker 1: At the very beginning of the show, they had one teacher, 692 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: a fantastic guy named David Holmes, who is a true 693 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: genius and was very well versed in a lot of 694 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 1: different subjects. And that first season we were doing school 695 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 1: in a trailer. We weren't even on the stage. It 696 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: was a trailer that they had converted to a schoolroom, 697 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 1: and we had little cubbies of the trailer that were 698 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: for each of us and David would you know, sit 699 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:21,440 Speaker 1: and work with one student for a while and then 700 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:23,120 Speaker 1: move on to the next students, see where they were, 701 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: see how they were working on their work. But I 702 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:28,319 Speaker 1: for as much as I loved acting and I loved 703 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:32,200 Speaker 1: being on set, school not the educational aspect of it 704 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 1: so much, but the social life of school was very 705 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 1: important to me. I didn't want to miss out on it. 706 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:40,400 Speaker 1: And at this point, you know, in that first season, 707 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,680 Speaker 1: I'm still just a recurring character, so I was regularly 708 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:47,280 Speaker 1: going back to my regular school, and even then after 709 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 1: I became a series regular on Boy Meats World, every 710 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:52,760 Speaker 1: hiatus week I went back to my regular high school, 711 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:57,000 Speaker 1: which meant I had to be to the day on 712 00:38:57,040 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 1: the subject material with the rest of the students at 713 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,359 Speaker 1: my school. Because for a lot of kids doing you know, 714 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:05,280 Speaker 1: TV shows, you do the entire school year on set, 715 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 1: and then if you follow a week or two behind, 716 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: it isn't the end of the world, because on that 717 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 1: hiatus week you're just going to do extra school and 718 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:14,560 Speaker 1: you'll catch up. But because I made it a little 719 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: difficult on myself by wanting to go back, I had 720 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,839 Speaker 1: to always be caught up exactly where my the rest 721 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:22,600 Speaker 1: of my school was um but that gave me the 722 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 1: best of both worlds. I got to be an actor 723 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: on a set and living that life, but I also 724 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: got to go to every football game at my high 725 00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:32,319 Speaker 1: school and every school dance, and you know, I got 726 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 1: to experience right notes to boys in the hallway like 727 00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: I also got that experience. That's important. Um, how how 728 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: are you treated at school? You know, you're now a 729 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: TV star going back to school? How was that? Yeah? Well, 730 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,399 Speaker 1: unlike when I was in Orange County and no one 731 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: around us were actors, I was now living in Calabasas, 732 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,319 Speaker 1: which a lot of famous people and a lot of 733 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:01,359 Speaker 1: actors and actor children are going are living in Calabasas, 734 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 1: And so I was not the only actor at my 735 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 1: junior high. I was not the only actor at my 736 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 1: high school. I may have been the maybe for at 737 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:13,880 Speaker 1: least a period of time, maybe the most regularly working actor, 738 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,839 Speaker 1: but I was definitely not the only one. And so 739 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:19,359 Speaker 1: in junior high I was made fun of a little 740 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 1: bit because I had just moved from Orange County right 741 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 1: before the beginning of sixth grade, and everyone else had 742 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: come from elementary schools where they knew each other, and 743 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:29,600 Speaker 1: so I was definitely the odd person out. And it 744 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: was very rare to have to be. You know, one 745 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:34,440 Speaker 1: a kid is here for three weeks at a time 746 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:35,839 Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden, They're gone for two weeks, 747 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 1: and then they popped back in, and so I was 748 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:39,719 Speaker 1: made fun of them, and people called me princess, like 749 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: they thought I was giving special I was getting special 750 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,839 Speaker 1: treatment because I was able to leave for two weeks. Um. 751 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:47,240 Speaker 1: They didn't understand that I was also like really working 752 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:50,399 Speaker 1: during that time and still doing school. So junior high 753 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,560 Speaker 1: was rough. But then, you know, by the time I 754 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:54,400 Speaker 1: made it to high school, it was all that same 755 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:56,759 Speaker 1: group of people from junior high. I had really well 756 00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:59,360 Speaker 1: established myself there. I had a great core group of 757 00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:02,360 Speaker 1: girlfriends are still my best friends to this day. And 758 00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: moving into high school, I think I was mostly just 759 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 1: treated kind of like everybody else. It wasn't as um 760 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,000 Speaker 1: awkward as you would think it is. That's cool. Um. 761 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:13,480 Speaker 1: A couple of things I want to talk about, Tapanga. 762 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:18,759 Speaker 1: Your relationship with Corey played by Ben Savage. How did 763 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:24,959 Speaker 1: you navigate that with likely at that point little relationship 764 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:28,680 Speaker 1: experience outside of that. How was that for you or 765 00:41:28,719 --> 00:41:33,800 Speaker 1: did you feel some responsibility or nervousness sort of going 766 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: through that maybe for the first time, you know, on 767 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 1: television in front of people. Yeah, I don't know that 768 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: there's ever been a time where I've been more nervous 769 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:46,879 Speaker 1: than that first week of Boy Meets World, that one 770 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:50,479 Speaker 1: we talked about where I got the audition, I had 771 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:53,799 Speaker 1: to kiss Ben and I had never kissed anyone in 772 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:58,760 Speaker 1: my entire life. And it was made even more difficult 773 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: by the fact that Tapanga was so self assured and 774 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:04,799 Speaker 1: to Panga was so confident in her decision to kiss Corey. 775 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:07,560 Speaker 1: The episode was that Corey had straightened his hair and 776 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: he looked goofy, and Topanga said, wouldn't it you know, 777 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 1: wouldn't it be interesting if I kissed you right now, 778 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: so that you always remembered that your first kissed was 779 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 1: when you thought you looked your worst. And so she 780 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:24,520 Speaker 1: was so confident, and inside Danielle was like, what, not 781 00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:28,719 Speaker 1: only had I never kissed anybody before, but I had 782 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:33,120 Speaker 1: certainly never kissed anybody in front of a live studio 783 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:39,279 Speaker 1: audience that's also housing my grandparents and my parents, like 784 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:44,640 Speaker 1: everyone is there, and you know, we we we didn't 785 00:42:44,719 --> 00:42:49,080 Speaker 1: rehearse the actual kiss throughout the week because we were twelve, 786 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 1: and I don't think anyone felt real comfortable with like, yeah, 787 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:54,359 Speaker 1: just all day today, you guys are just gonna kiss 788 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,120 Speaker 1: against this locker for as many times as we're gonna 789 00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:57,480 Speaker 1: rehearse it. It It was kind of like, we'll save it. 790 00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:00,480 Speaker 1: We'll save it. Also, they wanted that nervous energy because 791 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:03,040 Speaker 1: it is supposed to be Corey's first kiss, and so 792 00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:06,240 Speaker 1: by the time we got to tape night, I thought 793 00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: for sure there was no way I was getting out 794 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: of that without paying my pants. Like I there was 795 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:14,560 Speaker 1: just I was so nervous. And we recently watched the 796 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:19,799 Speaker 1: episode again for our rewatch podcast, and I was shocked 797 00:43:20,239 --> 00:43:23,799 Speaker 1: at how not nervous I came across. And I was like, 798 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:26,719 Speaker 1: I was like, I don't normally give myself a lot 799 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 1: of props, especially not in the acting department, because as 800 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:31,840 Speaker 1: you've heard, I didn't know anything I was doing. But 801 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:36,440 Speaker 1: I somehow was not physically shaking, and I somehow had 802 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:39,080 Speaker 1: a real steady voice to myself. And I looked at 803 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:40,880 Speaker 1: was watching it and I was like, I believe that 804 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:45,880 Speaker 1: I'm confident here, and I wasn't. I was nervous and 805 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:49,239 Speaker 1: Ben was nervous. We were both very nervous um and 806 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,520 Speaker 1: then you know, you you do it and you get 807 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:53,960 Speaker 1: the first one out of the way, and then you're 808 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:57,520 Speaker 1: a little bit like okay. That that that that didn't 809 00:43:57,520 --> 00:44:00,560 Speaker 1: nothing happen, the place didn't burn down. I feel okay, 810 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:02,480 Speaker 1: And then you do it a couple more times, and 811 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:06,520 Speaker 1: then after that, you know, by the time I came back, 812 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: there weren't kissing scenes again for a long time. It 813 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 1: wasn't I don't remember when our next kiss was, but 814 00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:13,080 Speaker 1: it's not like by the time I came back, I 815 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,439 Speaker 1: was suddenly his girlfriend and we were kissing all the time. 816 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:17,520 Speaker 1: So I don't remember when the next time was. But 817 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:21,239 Speaker 1: I do remember for sure feeling like by season two 818 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: and season three, like I had just started having crushes 819 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:27,400 Speaker 1: on boys. I didn't know anything about relationships, but to 820 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 1: Pango was very worldly and knew a lot, and so 821 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:32,720 Speaker 1: I think the biggest challenge for me was just pretending 822 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:38,640 Speaker 1: I was confident. Uh. William Daniels, who I have long 823 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:44,600 Speaker 1: admired as an actor, played Mr Freeney the principal. Who Yeah, 824 00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:49,240 Speaker 1: Mr Feenie, Mr Feenie, Sorry, Mr Feenie. Um, it's Dwight Freeney, 825 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:54,080 Speaker 1: football player. This is Mr Feenie. Sorry, Right, How was 826 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:56,319 Speaker 1: it working with him? Were you aware at that time? 827 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:58,600 Speaker 1: I mean, he is at this point one two Emmys 828 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 1: for saying Elsewhere, he as an established actor with kind 829 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 1: of an incredible career at this point, Well, did you 830 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 1: feel lucky to be able to work with him? I mean, 831 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:11,399 Speaker 1: I would like nothing more than to say that twelve 832 00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:14,239 Speaker 1: year old Danielle felt lucky to work with Bill Daniels. 833 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:18,439 Speaker 1: But twelve year old Danielle was so not cultured or 834 00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:20,439 Speaker 1: really even aware. I don't think I had ever even 835 00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:23,719 Speaker 1: heard of st Elsewhere, much less been aware that Bill 836 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:26,760 Speaker 1: had won two Emmys for it. I did know, however, 837 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,759 Speaker 1: that he was the voice of Kit from Night Writer. Yes, 838 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:34,799 Speaker 1: and I remember when he you know, we've talked about 839 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:36,920 Speaker 1: it now a couple of times that we all thought 840 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:40,840 Speaker 1: Bill was from England. We all thought he was British, 841 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:46,880 Speaker 1: and um, and he he is not. And we I remember, Um. 842 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:50,680 Speaker 1: We all remember hearing Bill leaned forward and talked to 843 00:45:50,719 --> 00:45:53,000 Speaker 1: Michael Jacobs during notes, and he'd leaned forward and say 844 00:45:53,200 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 1: well Michael, and we would go we just heard it. 845 00:45:57,560 --> 00:46:01,640 Speaker 1: We heard Kit. We heard Kit from Night Writer say Michael, 846 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:04,040 Speaker 1: and it was like it felt like a cheat that 847 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:05,719 Speaker 1: we got, like we asked him to say a line 848 00:46:05,719 --> 00:46:07,839 Speaker 1: from the show and it was really just him talking 849 00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:10,640 Speaker 1: to our executive producer. But it was you know, I 850 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:12,960 Speaker 1: didn't know that, but I can't say that. I I 851 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:15,439 Speaker 1: wish now I look back and I think of all 852 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:17,759 Speaker 1: the stories of all the actors we worked with, all 853 00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:20,399 Speaker 1: the adults, and the history they had, and I think, man, 854 00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:22,799 Speaker 1: how did I not seize that opportunity more to talk 855 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 1: to them about their origin stories and how they got 856 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:28,800 Speaker 1: started and really you know, asked them all these questions. 857 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:31,719 Speaker 1: But I was you know, when you're twelve, you're just 858 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:35,600 Speaker 1: like really laser focused on your own life and what's 859 00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:38,680 Speaker 1: going on, you know, and then the minute and the 860 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:40,839 Speaker 1: minute you're not in the scene anymore, they're like, now 861 00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:42,680 Speaker 1: you got to go to school, like you you have 862 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 1: your your day is so different than when you are 863 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:49,319 Speaker 1: an adult actor on a show. Yeah, that's true. I 864 00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: do have to share with you that was my my 865 00:46:51,600 --> 00:46:55,880 Speaker 1: first celebrity sighting as in my life. Uh. I was 866 00:46:55,960 --> 00:47:00,440 Speaker 1: a kid from Georgia and I came to you Reversal 867 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:03,960 Speaker 1: Studios and did the tour and on the back lot 868 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:06,640 Speaker 1: I saw Kit and that to me was the coolest 869 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:09,439 Speaker 1: thing ever. That was It was like, oh, that's kid, 870 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:13,080 Speaker 1: that's the night rhetoric. That was that car, that was 871 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:15,480 Speaker 1: that was my first celebrity siding. That was your first 872 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:18,480 Speaker 1: celebrity siding, was Kit. That's amazing. Bill is in. Bill 873 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:21,279 Speaker 1: is incredible. What a career. We just uh, we talked 874 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:23,800 Speaker 1: to him recently. We interviewed him for our podcast and 875 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:25,759 Speaker 1: we finally got to ask all the questions we wish 876 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:27,640 Speaker 1: we had even thought to ask when we were kids, 877 00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:31,480 Speaker 1: and just his experience and his knowledge, and you know, 878 00:47:31,520 --> 00:47:33,839 Speaker 1: one of the things we really appreciated about working with 879 00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 1: him was that he never he didn't ever like correct 880 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:42,239 Speaker 1: us or give us advice really, which you'd think, well, 881 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:44,200 Speaker 1: that sounds like a bad thing, like, wouldn't you want 882 00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:46,200 Speaker 1: his advice, and we would have been open to it, 883 00:47:46,239 --> 00:47:48,200 Speaker 1: of course. But Bill made us feel very much like 884 00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:51,840 Speaker 1: equals with him. He he he treated us regardless of 885 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:54,440 Speaker 1: the fact that we were twelve and probably obnoxious sometimes 886 00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:56,640 Speaker 1: and goofing off and not taking it nearly as seriously 887 00:47:56,640 --> 00:47:59,920 Speaker 1: as he was. He really respected our process and really 888 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:03,480 Speaker 1: let he thought of us as his equal, and we 889 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:05,960 Speaker 1: felt that way with him. We felt very respected by him, 890 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,640 Speaker 1: which is not something you you always feel as a kid. 891 00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:12,400 Speaker 1: You know. No, that's that's awesome. I'm so glad to 892 00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:16,600 Speaker 1: hear that about him. Um, is it true you took 893 00:48:16,719 --> 00:48:22,200 Speaker 1: Lance Bass to your prom? I sure did. Lance Bass 894 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:25,680 Speaker 1: is Uh was my first I guess I would say, 895 00:48:25,680 --> 00:48:30,359 Speaker 1: my first real serious boyfriend. And I was seventeen and 896 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,560 Speaker 1: I brought him to my senior prom and it was 897 00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: so much fun. We had a great time. And uh, 898 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:39,600 Speaker 1: I mean, Lance and I are still very Lance and 899 00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:41,640 Speaker 1: I are very close. We actually just we just texted 900 00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:45,879 Speaker 1: last night. His unfortunately, his grandmother passed away, and we 901 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:48,359 Speaker 1: were talking about memories we have of her, and he said, 902 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:50,360 Speaker 1: I don't know. He said, I wish I had more pictures. 903 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:52,360 Speaker 1: And I went down into my garage and I pulled 904 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:55,400 Speaker 1: out a bunch of pictures from the time that I 905 00:48:55,480 --> 00:48:59,120 Speaker 1: went to Mississippi to meet Lance's family, and I had 906 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:02,040 Speaker 1: all these fantastic stick pictures of us with his grandmother, 907 00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:04,080 Speaker 1: And so I sent him to him last night. Oh 908 00:49:04,080 --> 00:49:09,319 Speaker 1: that's so nice. Oh I love that. Yeah, we have 909 00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:12,200 Speaker 1: a great relationship. Oh that's great. I'm not sure why 910 00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:14,799 Speaker 1: a romantic relationship didn't work out. I know, it's a 911 00:49:14,880 --> 00:49:17,120 Speaker 1: mystery to me as well. I've gotten to know him 912 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:19,400 Speaker 1: a little bit as well. He's he's a he's a 913 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:23,080 Speaker 1: great guy. Um. He is, and so is his husband, 914 00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:26,239 Speaker 1: and and they're fantastic two babies that I just got 915 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:29,120 Speaker 1: to meet at the end of May, and they're they're 916 00:49:29,120 --> 00:49:55,600 Speaker 1: a wonderful family. So the show ends after seven years, 917 00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:59,160 Speaker 1: and you you took an acting break. I sure did, 918 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:04,000 Speaker 1: and that was on purpose. Well, I I would say 919 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:07,040 Speaker 1: it was on purpose, and also then not on purpose. 920 00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:09,960 Speaker 1: The hardest part of going from being a child actor 921 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:13,520 Speaker 1: to being an adult actor is one having people take 922 00:50:13,560 --> 00:50:16,000 Speaker 1: you seriously and not wanting them you know, they want 923 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,880 Speaker 1: to pigeonhole you. But also too, you have to strike 924 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:23,759 Speaker 1: while the iron is hot. And that's a thing I've 925 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:27,839 Speaker 1: really learned in the entertainment industry, and I unfortunately just 926 00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:31,640 Speaker 1: didn't understand that, didn't know that that was necessarily as 927 00:50:31,719 --> 00:50:34,440 Speaker 1: true as it is. I by the time Boy Meats 928 00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:37,880 Speaker 1: World ended, I had definitely taken it for granted. Definitely 929 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:42,480 Speaker 1: season six, definitely season seven. I was over it. It 930 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:45,280 Speaker 1: was you. We had been on it for a long time. 931 00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:48,480 Speaker 1: I had been in school the entire time, and again 932 00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:51,239 Speaker 1: I took school, you know, not seriously so much from 933 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:53,440 Speaker 1: the education standpoint, but I was going back all the time, 934 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:55,759 Speaker 1: and I just felt like I wanted freedom. I just 935 00:50:55,760 --> 00:50:57,360 Speaker 1: wanted to get away. I was now going to be 936 00:50:57,440 --> 00:51:00,400 Speaker 1: nineteen years old when the show ended, and I didn't 937 00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:02,279 Speaker 1: have to go to college. I didn't have plans to 938 00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:05,279 Speaker 1: go to college. I just wanted a break, and so 939 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:08,000 Speaker 1: I took that break. And then by the time I 940 00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:10,680 Speaker 1: was ready to get back into it, nobody cared to 941 00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:15,160 Speaker 1: have me. And I wasn't auditioning for a lot of things. 942 00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:17,439 Speaker 1: And when I was auditioning, I wasn't right for him. 943 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:21,080 Speaker 1: I wasn't good for them. I wasn't necessarily taking great 944 00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:25,120 Speaker 1: care of myself. Um. It was just like and then 945 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:26,960 Speaker 1: I found myself and I was like, wow, Okay, now 946 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:31,359 Speaker 1: I'm twenty four. I haven't worked basically at all since 947 00:51:31,360 --> 00:51:34,600 Speaker 1: Boin Meets World ended. What am I gonna do? Like? 948 00:51:35,080 --> 00:51:37,439 Speaker 1: What what else am I good at? Am I good 949 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:39,680 Speaker 1: at anything else? I didn't go to college. I haven't 950 00:51:39,680 --> 00:51:41,520 Speaker 1: ever thought of what else I was going to do. 951 00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:44,319 Speaker 1: And then I took a couple of, like, you know, 952 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:48,080 Speaker 1: just crappy jobs that I needed because I needed the money, 953 00:51:48,200 --> 00:51:50,560 Speaker 1: not because they were projects that I loved or characters 954 00:51:50,600 --> 00:51:53,920 Speaker 1: that I loved. And then I said, Okay, I'm not 955 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:57,040 Speaker 1: going to do this anymore. I'm to type a to 956 00:51:57,160 --> 00:52:00,800 Speaker 1: allow my future to be in the hand ends of 957 00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:04,359 Speaker 1: a bunch of people who only want me when when 958 00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:06,440 Speaker 1: the iron is hot. And so I'm going to go 959 00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:10,439 Speaker 1: to school. And so I decided then to go try 960 00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:14,200 Speaker 1: and enroll in college. And um I went to I 961 00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:18,080 Speaker 1: got my degree from cal State Fullerton in psychology. I 962 00:52:18,120 --> 00:52:20,520 Speaker 1: decided I was going to be a marriage and family therapist. 963 00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:25,880 Speaker 1: And I then applied for my master's degree at Chapman University. 964 00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:30,560 Speaker 1: And and so I started school at seven. I graduated 965 00:52:30,560 --> 00:52:34,360 Speaker 1: at thirty one, and as I had just gotten my 966 00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:38,040 Speaker 1: acceptance from Chapman University for marriage and Family therapy, Michael 967 00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:41,800 Speaker 1: Jacobs called me and said, we're doing Girl Meets World 968 00:52:42,600 --> 00:52:44,920 Speaker 1: and I want you to come back for it. And 969 00:52:44,920 --> 00:52:47,120 Speaker 1: I was like, we're doing what what are you talking about? 970 00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:51,719 Speaker 1: And he explained to me what his idea was for 971 00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:53,560 Speaker 1: Girl Meets World, and that to Panga was going to 972 00:52:53,640 --> 00:52:56,200 Speaker 1: be a mom. And and I, at this point now 973 00:52:56,320 --> 00:53:00,160 Speaker 1: had spent four years being a really great student. How 974 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:02,280 Speaker 1: I was in it for the education because I wanted 975 00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:04,360 Speaker 1: to be there. It was something I was really passionate about. 976 00:53:04,719 --> 00:53:06,600 Speaker 1: And I was like, Michael, I just got accepted for 977 00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:09,480 Speaker 1: my master's degree, like can I can I do night classes? 978 00:53:09,520 --> 00:53:12,920 Speaker 1: And unfortunately, night classes in college meant like four pm, 979 00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:15,120 Speaker 1: and there was no way I was going to be 980 00:53:15,160 --> 00:53:17,600 Speaker 1: able to be offset and back in Orange County by 981 00:53:17,640 --> 00:53:19,400 Speaker 1: four pm. And so I had to make the decision 982 00:53:19,440 --> 00:53:21,840 Speaker 1: about whether or not I was gonna get my masters 983 00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:23,560 Speaker 1: or if I was going to do Girl Meets World. 984 00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:27,440 Speaker 1: And I realized I could get my master's at any time, 985 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:30,040 Speaker 1: but I couldn't do Girl Meets World any time. And 986 00:53:30,080 --> 00:53:31,839 Speaker 1: I decided to go back and do Girl Meets World. 987 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:35,920 Speaker 1: That's so interesting you make the decision to go back. 988 00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:39,120 Speaker 1: I mean you're like Frasier, right, I mean you're playing 989 00:53:39,239 --> 00:53:41,839 Speaker 1: like in terms of like longevity of playing the same 990 00:53:41,920 --> 00:53:46,880 Speaker 1: character over time. Um, did you did you like going 991 00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:50,400 Speaker 1: back and re exploring who to Pega had had become 992 00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:54,280 Speaker 1: in a later in life? I did. I actually really 993 00:53:54,400 --> 00:53:57,600 Speaker 1: enjoyed it. For one thing, I had known about myself 994 00:53:57,680 --> 00:54:00,160 Speaker 1: that I always wanted to be a mother. And I've 995 00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:03,360 Speaker 1: also known that I've always been a very maternal person, 996 00:54:03,600 --> 00:54:07,680 Speaker 1: whether that's that's not necessarily even just toward children. I 997 00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:10,200 Speaker 1: just have what people would describe as being a maternal 998 00:54:10,719 --> 00:54:12,759 Speaker 1: energy about them. I care about the people around me. 999 00:54:12,800 --> 00:54:14,400 Speaker 1: I tend to take care of the people around me, 1000 00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:17,880 Speaker 1: and um I the idea that I was going to 1001 00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:21,520 Speaker 1: get to Tapanga had been so so stink and smart 1002 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:24,680 Speaker 1: and wanted to be a lawyer, and and also she 1003 00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:27,640 Speaker 1: was able to maintain a marriage and have children. I 1004 00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:30,840 Speaker 1: was really excited to see how Topanga was going to 1005 00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:32,560 Speaker 1: pull all that off and how she was going to 1006 00:54:32,640 --> 00:54:35,759 Speaker 1: navigate it, and how motherhood had maybe changed her in 1007 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:39,160 Speaker 1: ways and had she softened in certain areas. Uh and 1008 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:41,120 Speaker 1: so yeah, it was really exciting to me. But I 1009 00:54:41,120 --> 00:54:46,000 Speaker 1: think ultimately even more exciting than that was the feeling 1010 00:54:46,080 --> 00:54:49,520 Speaker 1: I had of being able to go back, to go 1011 00:54:49,560 --> 00:54:52,400 Speaker 1: back to a set and to see a new generation 1012 00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:56,120 Speaker 1: of twelve year olds do the exact same thing I 1013 00:54:56,160 --> 00:54:59,880 Speaker 1: had done, except this time they were going to have 1014 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:02,040 Speaker 1: of me. They were going to have me there to 1015 00:55:02,160 --> 00:55:04,800 Speaker 1: be like, I've been there with you. If you need anything, 1016 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:07,359 Speaker 1: I'm here for you. I know how hard this is. 1017 00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:09,600 Speaker 1: If you want somebody to talk to, I'm here for you. 1018 00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:12,640 Speaker 1: I was so excited about developing those relationships with our 1019 00:55:12,680 --> 00:55:17,560 Speaker 1: young cast, and it felt very like a gift to 1020 00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:21,920 Speaker 1: my younger self that I would have, you know, This 1021 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:23,960 Speaker 1: is nothing against the adults we had on our show. 1022 00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:26,560 Speaker 1: They had a totally they had their own experiences going on. 1023 00:55:26,920 --> 00:55:30,399 Speaker 1: But I would have loved someone to say to say, 1024 00:55:30,440 --> 00:55:32,319 Speaker 1: I've been in your shoes. If you need if you 1025 00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:33,960 Speaker 1: need anything, come to me. And so I was really 1026 00:55:33,960 --> 00:55:36,879 Speaker 1: excited about that and developing those relationships with the kids. 1027 00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:38,960 Speaker 1: And I feel like I, you know, hopefully they would 1028 00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:42,000 Speaker 1: say I did a good job of that. That's amazing. Yeah, 1029 00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:44,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm trying to think in the history of 1030 00:55:44,080 --> 00:55:49,720 Speaker 1: television this, it hasn't happened very often. Nothing is occurring 1031 00:55:49,719 --> 00:55:51,239 Speaker 1: to me right now. I don't want to say never. 1032 00:55:51,360 --> 00:55:55,520 Speaker 1: But the idea of of being a young actress, a 1033 00:55:55,680 --> 00:55:59,400 Speaker 1: child star if you will, and playing this role and 1034 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:02,799 Speaker 1: then having the opportunity so many years later to come 1035 00:56:02,840 --> 00:56:08,479 Speaker 1: back and revisit it from the adult side. And also, yeah, 1036 00:56:08,560 --> 00:56:10,640 Speaker 1: like you said, being that didn't even occur to me, 1037 00:56:10,760 --> 00:56:13,960 Speaker 1: being there as a mentor to these young actors and 1038 00:56:14,080 --> 00:56:19,560 Speaker 1: actresses that that you had that experience. People you don't understand. 1039 00:56:20,320 --> 00:56:23,360 Speaker 1: We touched on it very briefly, and I wanted to 1040 00:56:23,360 --> 00:56:28,920 Speaker 1: to highlight it. These young actors, their days are so 1041 00:56:29,360 --> 00:56:32,520 Speaker 1: difficult because you know what Danielle was talking about before. 1042 00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:35,680 Speaker 1: I mean, if you're not on set rehearsing or shooting something, 1043 00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:40,480 Speaker 1: you've got to be in school. So like you're always somewhere. 1044 00:56:40,920 --> 00:56:44,520 Speaker 1: And even though there are thankfully, you know, Screen Actors 1045 00:56:44,560 --> 00:56:50,480 Speaker 1: Guild requirements for how many hours they can work, they 1046 00:56:50,520 --> 00:56:54,200 Speaker 1: still are doing school and having homework and all of 1047 00:56:54,239 --> 00:56:57,439 Speaker 1: the rest of it. It's really difficult. And then there's 1048 00:56:57,480 --> 00:56:59,160 Speaker 1: all the other stuff that goes along with it that 1049 00:56:59,239 --> 00:57:01,280 Speaker 1: like when you're not in school and you're not rehearsing, 1050 00:57:01,360 --> 00:57:02,880 Speaker 1: you have a wardrobe fitting. When you're not in a 1051 00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:05,320 Speaker 1: wardrobe fitting and it's tape day, you've got hair and makeup. 1052 00:57:05,400 --> 00:57:07,440 Speaker 1: And then when it's not that, you've also got pressed. 1053 00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:11,719 Speaker 1: And so as a kid, every second of your day 1054 00:57:11,920 --> 00:57:14,000 Speaker 1: is occupied with something. And like you said, there are 1055 00:57:14,000 --> 00:57:16,680 Speaker 1: the Screen Actors Guild you know rules, which are nine 1056 00:57:16,680 --> 00:57:18,520 Speaker 1: and a half or ten and a half hours a day, 1057 00:57:18,520 --> 00:57:21,720 Speaker 1: depending on how old the child is. There's a moment where, 1058 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:23,200 Speaker 1: you know, there's year where it jumps up to ten 1059 00:57:23,200 --> 00:57:25,040 Speaker 1: and a half hours a day. But that's not including 1060 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:27,320 Speaker 1: your drive to work or your drive home from work. 1061 00:57:27,360 --> 00:57:29,760 Speaker 1: That's not including homework you may have or getting your 1062 00:57:29,800 --> 00:57:33,120 Speaker 1: script and needing to read your script for the next day. Um, 1063 00:57:33,280 --> 00:57:35,640 Speaker 1: look over your lines, memorize whatever you have coming up, 1064 00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:39,520 Speaker 1: like it's a lot. And then when we did Girl 1065 00:57:39,560 --> 00:57:43,720 Speaker 1: Meets World, there obviously was social media, and there is 1066 00:57:43,800 --> 00:57:48,040 Speaker 1: now immediate feedback, and you're reading things about what people 1067 00:57:48,040 --> 00:57:50,280 Speaker 1: think about you or what people think about your show. 1068 00:57:50,440 --> 00:57:53,880 Speaker 1: And you're doing a legacy show where people are comparing 1069 00:57:54,040 --> 00:57:57,120 Speaker 1: your show to the old show and here's why it's 1070 00:57:57,160 --> 00:57:59,000 Speaker 1: not as good as the old show, and here's why 1071 00:57:59,040 --> 00:58:00,840 Speaker 1: this person is not as great it is that person 1072 00:58:01,160 --> 00:58:05,280 Speaker 1: and they're reading it on their little devices. And and I, 1073 00:58:05,320 --> 00:58:07,880 Speaker 1: thankfully was what tried very hard. And there were other 1074 00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:09,479 Speaker 1: people who did it too. Of course they had set 1075 00:58:09,480 --> 00:58:12,800 Speaker 1: teachers and they had people their parents, But I was 1076 00:58:13,040 --> 00:58:16,800 Speaker 1: very much trying to remind them of like staying present, 1077 00:58:17,200 --> 00:58:21,280 Speaker 1: remembering what's important, understanding that just because someone says something 1078 00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:24,400 Speaker 1: on the Internet, it doesn't make it true, and um, 1079 00:58:24,440 --> 00:58:27,240 Speaker 1: you know, just trying to navigate all of that. I 1080 00:58:27,320 --> 00:58:30,800 Speaker 1: was really glad to be a voice that had kind 1081 00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:34,480 Speaker 1: of experienced it minus the social media. Yeah, that's insane. 1082 00:58:35,080 --> 00:58:39,360 Speaker 1: Can I truly can't imagine that to be twelve thirteen, fourteen, 1083 00:58:39,480 --> 00:58:42,240 Speaker 1: Get your first phone, being on social media and hearing 1084 00:58:42,320 --> 00:58:49,040 Speaker 1: what people might say horrible. Yeah, um, you start directing? Uh, 1085 00:58:49,040 --> 00:58:52,760 Speaker 1: in Girl Meets World, you like directing? I love it. 1086 00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:55,480 Speaker 1: I mean, talk about such a gift. So I started. 1087 00:58:55,480 --> 00:58:58,520 Speaker 1: I directed my first episode in season two. I did 1088 00:58:58,520 --> 00:59:01,120 Speaker 1: one that season and I of did it. I was like, Okay, 1089 00:59:01,160 --> 00:59:03,400 Speaker 1: that was definitely you know, it's my first time ever 1090 00:59:03,400 --> 00:59:05,320 Speaker 1: doing that. There were some hiccups and it was rocky, 1091 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:08,640 Speaker 1: but I loved it again, mostly because of the relationships 1092 00:59:08,640 --> 00:59:10,840 Speaker 1: I was able to build working with the kids, And 1093 00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:13,120 Speaker 1: so then I got to direct three more in season 1094 00:59:13,160 --> 00:59:17,120 Speaker 1: three and uh. We ended the show in two thousand seventeen, 1095 00:59:17,160 --> 00:59:20,200 Speaker 1: two thousand sixteen, two thousand seventeen, and I then spent 1096 00:59:20,800 --> 00:59:27,680 Speaker 1: two full years going into meetings, shadowing people, begging someone 1097 00:59:27,800 --> 00:59:32,680 Speaker 1: to take me seriously as a director. Everyone thought it 1098 00:59:32,720 --> 00:59:36,280 Speaker 1: was most likely a vanity title you got to direct 1099 00:59:36,320 --> 00:59:38,919 Speaker 1: on your own show. It was a home game. Let's 1100 00:59:38,960 --> 00:59:40,760 Speaker 1: call it a home game. No one's gonna let you 1101 00:59:40,800 --> 00:59:44,080 Speaker 1: fail at a home game, and I desperately tried to 1102 00:59:44,160 --> 00:59:46,440 Speaker 1: prove myself. I had been on a you know, sitcom 1103 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:49,080 Speaker 1: set since I was twelve years old or eleven years old, 1104 00:59:49,160 --> 00:59:52,000 Speaker 1: and I was still shadowing, and anybody would take a 1105 00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:54,040 Speaker 1: meeting with me, I would take a meeting. And then 1106 00:59:54,120 --> 00:59:57,160 Speaker 1: after two years, I went in for a meeting and 1107 00:59:57,440 --> 01:00:00,600 Speaker 1: um with Mark Reisman and he was acting a Disney 1108 01:00:00,640 --> 01:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Channel show called I Mean he was the executive producer 1109 01:00:02,520 --> 01:00:04,440 Speaker 1: of a Disney Channel show called Sydney to the Max. 1110 01:00:05,120 --> 01:00:07,200 Speaker 1: And I had a wonderful meeting with him, but he 1111 01:00:07,240 --> 01:00:08,960 Speaker 1: was very nervous and he said the same thing to 1112 01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:11,440 Speaker 1: me every other executive said. He said, Danielle, listen, I 1113 01:00:11,720 --> 01:00:13,560 Speaker 1: believe you. I believe that you can do it. But 1114 01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:17,560 Speaker 1: this show was my baby, and I I just want 1115 01:00:17,560 --> 01:00:18,959 Speaker 1: you know, if it were up to me, I would 1116 01:00:18,960 --> 01:00:21,520 Speaker 1: just hand it off to a very experienced director and 1117 01:00:21,680 --> 01:00:24,080 Speaker 1: he or she would direct every episode. And and you know, 1118 01:00:24,120 --> 01:00:26,040 Speaker 1: it just makes me very nervous. I'll give you a 1119 01:00:26,120 --> 01:00:29,360 Speaker 1: chance to direct, but probably not in the first thirteen 1120 01:00:29,600 --> 01:00:33,000 Speaker 1: or maybe not even in the first season. And I said, Okay, 1121 01:00:33,160 --> 01:00:35,280 Speaker 1: if there's anything I can do to allay your fears, 1122 01:00:35,360 --> 01:00:37,840 Speaker 1: let me know. And we talked for two hours, and 1123 01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:40,440 Speaker 1: then when I left, he did his due diligence and 1124 01:00:40,440 --> 01:00:42,960 Speaker 1: he called Michael Jacobs and he called Frank Pace, who 1125 01:00:43,000 --> 01:00:45,680 Speaker 1: was our upm and he said, tell me about Danielle 1126 01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:49,120 Speaker 1: as a director, and both of them, thankfully, UH gave 1127 01:00:49,320 --> 01:00:51,880 Speaker 1: him their word that I was legit and that I 1128 01:00:51,960 --> 01:00:54,240 Speaker 1: knew what I was doing and that he could trust me. 1129 01:00:54,600 --> 01:00:56,480 Speaker 1: And I got a call a couple of days later 1130 01:00:56,680 --> 01:01:00,200 Speaker 1: from Disney Channel saying Mark really liked you. He load 1131 01:01:00,280 --> 01:01:02,360 Speaker 1: up on you. He's going to trust you, and he's 1132 01:01:02,360 --> 01:01:05,400 Speaker 1: going to give you three episodes in his first thirteen 1133 01:01:06,880 --> 01:01:11,400 Speaker 1: and I was I was shocked, and Uh. I ended 1134 01:01:11,440 --> 01:01:13,960 Speaker 1: up directing like eleven or twelve episodes of Sitting to 1135 01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:15,720 Speaker 1: the Max over the three seasons they were on. And 1136 01:01:15,760 --> 01:01:19,600 Speaker 1: now I've done almost thirty episodes of multi camera sitcoms. 1137 01:01:19,320 --> 01:01:24,200 Speaker 1: That's thank you, and I love you, and you love it, 1138 01:01:24,640 --> 01:01:27,280 Speaker 1: I do. I love it the same way I knew 1139 01:01:27,320 --> 01:01:29,360 Speaker 1: going back to Girl Meets World was going to make 1140 01:01:29,360 --> 01:01:31,120 Speaker 1: me feel like I was giving back to a younger 1141 01:01:31,200 --> 01:01:34,800 Speaker 1: version of myself. That is exactly what directing children's TV 1142 01:01:34,920 --> 01:01:38,240 Speaker 1: feels like to me. I remember so distinctly the directors 1143 01:01:38,240 --> 01:01:40,480 Speaker 1: that we had on Boy Meets World when I was 1144 01:01:40,520 --> 01:01:42,400 Speaker 1: a kid, and that you know, David Trayner gave me 1145 01:01:42,440 --> 01:01:45,360 Speaker 1: my my first acting lesson. David Traynor taught me how 1146 01:01:45,400 --> 01:01:47,360 Speaker 1: to open up for camera. All of that was an 1147 01:01:47,440 --> 01:01:50,960 Speaker 1: education from those directors. And some people aren't as lucky 1148 01:01:51,000 --> 01:01:54,440 Speaker 1: to work with such amazing, kind, warm directors. I was lucky, 1149 01:01:54,560 --> 01:01:57,080 Speaker 1: but I knew I wanted to be that same person 1150 01:01:57,320 --> 01:02:00,360 Speaker 1: for the next generation of kids. And so now I 1151 01:02:00,400 --> 01:02:03,040 Speaker 1: get to show them Disney one oh one or Acting 1152 01:02:03,040 --> 01:02:05,800 Speaker 1: one oh one or Camera one oh one, and um, 1153 01:02:06,360 --> 01:02:08,000 Speaker 1: you know, it just me It means the world to me. 1154 01:02:08,360 --> 01:02:12,880 Speaker 1: Do you see your younger self in specifically any of 1155 01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:16,920 Speaker 1: the young actresses that you're working with? Oh? Man, I mean, 1156 01:02:17,000 --> 01:02:19,240 Speaker 1: there are parts of me in all of them, but 1157 01:02:19,280 --> 01:02:22,880 Speaker 1: they're all, you know, unique and different. I think, first 1158 01:02:22,880 --> 01:02:24,919 Speaker 1: of all, every all of the young actresses I worked 1159 01:02:24,920 --> 01:02:27,960 Speaker 1: with are all so much better actors than I was. 1160 01:02:28,040 --> 01:02:31,919 Speaker 1: So in that sense, no, because they're all luckily, they're 1161 01:02:31,960 --> 01:02:35,400 Speaker 1: all much better instinctually than than I was. At the 1162 01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:37,160 Speaker 1: beginning I needed a lot of work. They do not. 1163 01:02:37,320 --> 01:02:40,200 Speaker 1: But I definitely like Ava Kulker, who I worked with 1164 01:02:40,240 --> 01:02:42,120 Speaker 1: on Girl Meets World and then I also got to 1165 01:02:42,160 --> 01:02:45,280 Speaker 1: direct in Sydney to the Max. Ava Kolker is a 1166 01:02:45,480 --> 01:02:49,200 Speaker 1: really great comedic actress. She's very she just gets it, 1167 01:02:49,280 --> 01:02:51,480 Speaker 1: you know. She you can. You can tell her what 1168 01:02:51,600 --> 01:02:54,680 Speaker 1: something means and she'll change the reading of it, or 1169 01:02:54,680 --> 01:02:57,000 Speaker 1: you'll say that was really funny. But just do something different. 1170 01:02:57,080 --> 01:02:59,080 Speaker 1: You don't have to tell her what you want done differently. 1171 01:02:59,080 --> 01:03:02,040 Speaker 1: She'll just come up with something different. Um. And and 1172 01:03:02,080 --> 01:03:04,240 Speaker 1: she she loves being in front of an audience. I 1173 01:03:04,240 --> 01:03:05,600 Speaker 1: look at her and I think, yeah, I was a 1174 01:03:05,600 --> 01:03:08,520 Speaker 1: little bit of a ham like that too, you know. Um. 1175 01:03:08,600 --> 01:03:10,520 Speaker 1: And then I you know Ruth Riggie who was on 1176 01:03:10,640 --> 01:03:13,160 Speaker 1: Sydney the Max, also like I see in her. She 1177 01:03:13,160 --> 01:03:15,120 Speaker 1: she lives up north, she lives in Santa Cruz and 1178 01:03:15,280 --> 01:03:17,560 Speaker 1: being with her family and going back to her regular 1179 01:03:17,600 --> 01:03:19,600 Speaker 1: life was really important to her. And I go that 1180 01:03:19,680 --> 01:03:22,080 Speaker 1: was That's how I was too. So I see bits 1181 01:03:22,080 --> 01:03:24,800 Speaker 1: of myself in all of them, and it feels good. 1182 01:03:24,840 --> 01:03:28,440 Speaker 1: It feels nice to like form those relationships. And I 1183 01:03:28,520 --> 01:03:30,560 Speaker 1: make sure to let all of them know that, like 1184 01:03:31,160 --> 01:03:33,320 Speaker 1: after the show ends and after I'm done being your 1185 01:03:33,360 --> 01:03:36,600 Speaker 1: director here, my door is still always open and and 1186 01:03:36,640 --> 01:03:39,080 Speaker 1: there because there will be other hiccups. I also made 1187 01:03:39,080 --> 01:03:41,080 Speaker 1: the jump then from being a kid to being an adult, 1188 01:03:41,080 --> 01:03:43,200 Speaker 1: and I know, I know what that entails. And there 1189 01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:45,200 Speaker 1: will be times where you're going to want to talk 1190 01:03:45,200 --> 01:03:47,320 Speaker 1: to somebody and just know you can always reach out. 1191 01:03:47,560 --> 01:03:51,120 Speaker 1: That's awesome. Yeah, it's it's crazy to me. I mean, 1192 01:03:51,360 --> 01:03:54,840 Speaker 1: you know, you started doing essentially a regular role on 1193 01:03:54,880 --> 01:03:58,800 Speaker 1: television at age twelve. You know, for me it was 1194 01:03:58,920 --> 01:04:01,920 Speaker 1: I was thirty two, you know, I did theater for 1195 01:04:02,000 --> 01:04:05,760 Speaker 1: so long. It's uh, you know, it's just it's fascinating 1196 01:04:05,800 --> 01:04:09,200 Speaker 1: to me to hear that inside, the inside story of 1197 01:04:09,240 --> 01:04:12,439 Speaker 1: that and sort of knowing from the outside intellectually when 1198 01:04:12,760 --> 01:04:14,520 Speaker 1: you know, I've worked with kids over the years, how 1199 01:04:14,560 --> 01:04:18,520 Speaker 1: difficult that is, you know, hearing from you your experience 1200 01:04:18,560 --> 01:04:21,360 Speaker 1: going through it is just it's really interesting to me. 1201 01:04:21,840 --> 01:04:24,200 Speaker 1: So I appreciate you coming and talking about that. You 1202 01:04:24,280 --> 01:04:29,200 Speaker 1: have a a new podcast that you have launched, rewatch 1203 01:04:29,400 --> 01:04:33,320 Speaker 1: Pod meets World the third. So we've got Boy, We've 1204 01:04:33,360 --> 01:04:35,680 Speaker 1: got Girl, and now we have pod. Are you having 1205 01:04:36,000 --> 01:04:39,160 Speaker 1: a good time doing that? We're having a great time 1206 01:04:39,200 --> 01:04:41,800 Speaker 1: doing it. None of us, we all so it's myself, Wright, 1207 01:04:41,960 --> 01:04:45,200 Speaker 1: Strong and Wilfred l And none of us have watched 1208 01:04:45,240 --> 01:04:48,720 Speaker 1: the show recently, and Writer has actually rarely seen ever 1209 01:04:48,800 --> 01:04:50,960 Speaker 1: an episode. He's only seen a handful of episodes ever 1210 01:04:50,960 --> 01:04:53,720 Speaker 1: in his life. Will saw them all when they aired 1211 01:04:53,720 --> 01:04:55,880 Speaker 1: in the nineties, and then he's seen a handful of 1212 01:04:55,880 --> 01:05:00,160 Speaker 1: them again recently. I also watched them, maybe most them 1213 01:05:00,160 --> 01:05:01,520 Speaker 1: when they were on in the nineties, but then I've 1214 01:05:01,520 --> 01:05:04,120 Speaker 1: never seen them again. So we're watching it really for 1215 01:05:04,160 --> 01:05:07,960 Speaker 1: the first time, and we're talking about how the show 1216 01:05:08,120 --> 01:05:10,920 Speaker 1: one feels differently to us than we remembered it feeling, 1217 01:05:11,000 --> 01:05:13,480 Speaker 1: and part of that is exactly what you're talking about. 1218 01:05:13,640 --> 01:05:16,440 Speaker 1: The way we perceived the show as twelve year olds 1219 01:05:16,720 --> 01:05:19,640 Speaker 1: is obviously totally different than the way we perceived the 1220 01:05:19,680 --> 01:05:22,640 Speaker 1: show now as adults, and we're finding that it's amazing 1221 01:05:23,120 --> 01:05:26,200 Speaker 1: how much more we're the scenes were picking up on 1222 01:05:26,240 --> 01:05:30,320 Speaker 1: and the moments were loving are all of the adult actors, 1223 01:05:30,320 --> 01:05:32,640 Speaker 1: and we're like, I didn't even remember this scene existed. 1224 01:05:33,080 --> 01:05:35,200 Speaker 1: We were so focused on whether or not we were 1225 01:05:35,200 --> 01:05:38,360 Speaker 1: getting laughs in the classroom, we weren't actually aware of 1226 01:05:38,400 --> 01:05:42,000 Speaker 1: how incredible William Russ was as Alan Matthews, you know, 1227 01:05:42,080 --> 01:05:45,400 Speaker 1: delivering this father son monologue about life like we didn't 1228 01:05:45,400 --> 01:05:46,920 Speaker 1: even pay We probably didn't even read that part of 1229 01:05:46,920 --> 01:05:50,400 Speaker 1: the script. But now as adults and as parents, we're 1230 01:05:50,560 --> 01:05:53,200 Speaker 1: seeing it through those eyes, and so it has been 1231 01:05:53,240 --> 01:05:59,120 Speaker 1: really fun. That's awesome. William Daniels years old and just 1232 01:05:59,200 --> 01:06:02,280 Speaker 1: came on your podcast. I just I love that, isn't 1233 01:06:02,280 --> 01:06:06,360 Speaker 1: it great? Um? Danielle, thank you so much for coming 1234 01:06:06,400 --> 01:06:10,480 Speaker 1: on and talking to me about this good luck. With 1235 01:06:10,520 --> 01:06:12,840 Speaker 1: the directing. I'm so happy for you that you have 1236 01:06:12,840 --> 01:06:15,120 Speaker 1: have found that and that you're loving that, and with 1237 01:06:15,200 --> 01:06:19,000 Speaker 1: the podcast. Thank you for for going back and sharing 1238 01:06:19,040 --> 01:06:24,280 Speaker 1: your your unique perspective. I appreciate it so much. Thank you, Brian. 1239 01:06:24,360 --> 01:06:26,640 Speaker 1: This was really just a true pleasure. And I hope 1240 01:06:26,640 --> 01:06:29,480 Speaker 1: we get to present another award at the Hero Dog 1241 01:06:29,520 --> 01:06:33,240 Speaker 1: Awards or or somewhere, but I I will be following 1242 01:06:33,280 --> 01:06:35,760 Speaker 1: along on all of your adventures and I am such 1243 01:06:35,760 --> 01:06:50,040 Speaker 1: a fan of yours. So thank you so much. You're 1244 01:06:50,680 --> 01:06:55,120 Speaker 1: the best. Danielle, thank you so much. And someday, I 1245 01:06:55,120 --> 01:06:59,400 Speaker 1: don't know, I'll come. I'll come be Walter, for your 1246 01:07:00,000 --> 01:07:04,560 Speaker 1: for your child. Everyone go check out pod meets World now. 1247 01:07:04,840 --> 01:07:08,280 Speaker 1: I promise you you will not regret it. To all 1248 01:07:08,320 --> 01:07:11,920 Speaker 1: of you out there. We're gonna be back this Thursday 1249 01:07:11,960 --> 01:07:16,320 Speaker 1: with another special off the Beat sports guest, and then 1250 01:07:16,320 --> 01:07:18,680 Speaker 1: of course we'll be back next week. I know I 1251 01:07:18,720 --> 01:07:21,480 Speaker 1: say this every week, but we have a very we 1252 01:07:21,600 --> 01:07:24,720 Speaker 1: got a good one. We got a good one next week, 1253 01:07:24,840 --> 01:07:28,720 Speaker 1: so stay tuned for that. We'll see you on Thursday 1254 01:07:28,760 --> 01:07:40,280 Speaker 1: and again next Tuesday. Until then, well be well. Everybody 1255 01:07:41,520 --> 01:07:44,440 Speaker 1: Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me 1256 01:07:44,800 --> 01:07:50,040 Speaker 1: Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are 1257 01:07:50,160 --> 01:07:54,800 Speaker 1: Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily Carr. Our 1258 01:07:54,840 --> 01:07:59,280 Speaker 1: talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and our intern is 1259 01:07:59,280 --> 01:08:03,600 Speaker 1: Sammy Cat. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by 1260 01:08:03,640 --> 01:08:07,200 Speaker 1: my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed 1261 01:08:07,320 --> 01:08:08,560 Speaker 1: by Seth Olandski