1 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: I'm Katie Kuric and this is Next Question. We've been 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: through a lot over the past few years, and with 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: all the bad stuff happening, it can be hard to 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: figure out how to bounce back, regroup and live better. 5 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: That's why this season of Next Question is all about resilience. 6 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: Think of it as a kind of survival guide to 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: navigating this crazy world we're living in. And by the way, 8 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: if you want to get smarter every morning with a 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: breakdown of the top news stories and fascinating takes on 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: health and wellness and pop culture, sign up for our 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: daily newsletter, wake Up Call by going to Katiecurik dot com. 12 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: Melanie Lensky is having a moment, and she's making it 13 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: her own. She's been appearing on film and TV for 14 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: almost thirty years, capturing the dark side of some very 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: complicated characters. I know what to do about Mother. We 16 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: don't want to go to too much trouble, some sort 17 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: of accident. That's Melanie at sixteen, playing opposite Kate Winslet 18 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: in Heavenly Creatures. It was the film debut for both 19 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: of them, and it was obvious that this schoolgirl from 20 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,199 Speaker 1: New Zealand had a knack for something, and almost thirty 21 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: years later she was the merciless warlord and the last 22 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: of us. It has to stop. It has to stop now, 23 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: you mean now that you're in the cell, But before 24 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: people dying was okay, when you were safe and protected 25 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: and ratting on your neighbors. To Pedra, they put a 26 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: gun to my head. Here have I satisfied the necessary 27 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,559 Speaker 1: conditions for you to talk? See what I mean? Hey, 28 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: wouldn't you want her in charge during a zombie apocalypse? 29 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: And now Melanie is getting tons of buzz as Shawna 30 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: in the runaway showtime hit Yellowjackets. Please state your name 31 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: for the record, Shawna, Shawna Sadeki, miss A DECKI do 32 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: you understand your rights as I have explained them to you? Yes? 33 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: I do. Why did you kill Adam Martin? What I 34 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: didn't didn't? What I didn't murder Adam? Whoever? I didn't 35 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: murder anyone. But the ride hasn't always been a smooth one. 36 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: She doesn't fit into a neat package of conventional Hollywood 37 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: beauty standards, and now well she's done apologizing for it. 38 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: In fact, if there's one thing she's learned after all 39 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: these years, it's that light's too short to worry about 40 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: unachievable goals. It just feels like such a waste of 41 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: time to me. Clearly, the perspective she's gained has only 42 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: made her stronger. Her skyrocketing career as a testament to that. 43 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: And if there's one thing we can all learn from Melanie, 44 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: it's that it's time to embrace our power, love the 45 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: bodies we're in, and stop apologizing. Are you battling cancer? 46 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: I'm passionate about raising awareness about early detection, and it's 47 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: also critical to understand all treatment options, especially their impact 48 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:38,119 Speaker 1: on survival and quality of life. View Ray has reinvented 49 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: cancer treatment with Meridian MRI guided radiation therapy. We're nearly 50 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: eighty percent of patient's complete treatment and as few as 51 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: five sessions, often with little or no side effects. Innovation 52 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: like Meridian gives hope to millions of people around the world. 53 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: Locate a Meridian at feway dot com. Now let's get 54 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: to it, Melanie Lynskey, I'm so excited to talk to you. 55 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: I'm such a huge fan. I'm such a fan of yours. 56 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: I can't believe you even know who I am. It's 57 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: astonishing to me. So thank you so much for having me. 58 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: You know, I marvel at the ability of actors from 59 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: all over the world to perfect accents, and particularly when 60 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: they sound so American. Was it hard for you initially? Oh, 61 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: thank you so much. Well, I mean, in New Zealand, 62 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: we grew up with a lot of British television and 63 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: American television, so I was used to the accent. I think, 64 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: when it's something you grow up hearing. You know, it's 65 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 1: hard to be an American and do a New Zealand 66 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: accent because it's not familiar, right, But I was so 67 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: used to it. And then I just studied. I watched 68 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: movies and talked back to the movies and yeah, so 69 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: that's how I learned. And did you know from a 70 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: very early age you wanted to be an actor, because 71 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 1: I know you're a little girl growing up in New Plymouth, 72 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: New Zealand. Yes, And how did this spark your imagination 73 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: and the idea that this was a possible career for you? 74 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: You know, I was so shy as a child. I 75 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: was like painfully, painfully shy, and at some point, I 76 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: don't know what compelled me. I auditioned for a play 77 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: and I felt this enormous freedom and having lines to 78 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: say and getting to be on a stage kind of 79 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: inhabiting someone else's body. All my self consciousness went away. 80 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: I wasn't worried about what am I doing with my hands, 81 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: or what do I look like? Or how's everyone responding 82 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: to me? And I was about sex. And then I 83 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: just got addicted, like truly addicted. I was doing plays 84 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 1: at church, doing plays at school like whenever I could, 85 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: So you knew this was something that you were going 86 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: to pursue. Yeah, and then at sixty you got your 87 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: first big role in a movie that I remember and 88 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: I loved, called Heavenly Creatures. Yeah. I had been saying 89 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: that I wanted to be an actor, and everybody around 90 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: me said, that's not a real job. You got to 91 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: think about what you really want to do. But it 92 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: was my dream. And then I was fifteen and some 93 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: people came to my high school and did a movie audition, 94 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: and I got the job and Heavenly Creatures and went 95 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: off by myself for three months to make this incredible movie. 96 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: Was one of the world's greatest actresses and one of 97 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 1: the world's greatest directors, and I like it just was 98 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: like drama school. I learned so much. You don't fit 99 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: into this typical box for an actress. I was really 100 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: upset reading that. Not surprisingly, Harvey Weinstein was a real dick, 101 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: and you describe your co star as having this unfettered confidence, 102 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: and as you mentioned, I'll read, Melanie, you were shy 103 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: and Harvey Weinstein didn't help build up that confidence. Tell 104 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: me how you were treated at that time, which is 105 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: really aggravating to me. It's not like a traumatic, you know, 106 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: it feels a bit ridiculous to talk about when people 107 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: have had genuine, terrible traumas inflicted upon them by that person. 108 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: It just was more, you know, Kate and I had 109 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: been on this adventure together making this movie together, like 110 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: a little team. We were you know, some nights we 111 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: slept over together because we were so close we couldn't 112 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: let it go. And then during the release of the movie, 113 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: became apparent to me that I was not the important one, 114 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: and at a certain point I was kind of a hindrance. 115 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: It felt like, you know, I was shy. I would 116 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: take a minute to talk in interviews like often Kate 117 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: would just answer all the questions because I'd be kind 118 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: of collecting myself. Were also sixteen years old. Yeah, I was. 119 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: I was so young, and I just like the fact 120 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: that I was in New York. I just was you know. 121 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: We were staying at the Four Seasons off of Central Park, 122 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: and every day we just would like take all the 123 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: snacks out of the mini bar. But he just there 124 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: was just like a vibe of like, yeah, like every 125 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: time I was there, I was kind of ignored, sat 126 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: at the end of the table kind of thing, and 127 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: Kate was being very celebrated deservedly, but whenever there was 128 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: a fancy dinner, I just was treated as though I 129 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: wasn't there by Harvey in particular, and it was hurtful. 130 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: Did that give you a sense that, gosh, maybe I'm 131 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 1: going to be a bit of an outsider in this industry? Yeah, 132 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: it really did. And I just I started to think, 133 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: did I do a bad job? You know? And I 134 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: always have loved film criticism, so I asked to read 135 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: every review in Merrimax was sending me the reviews and 136 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: they were wonderful. So I was like, Okay, people, I 137 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: respect people have been reading or saying wonderful things about 138 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: the work that I did, So what is it? And 139 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: it kind of boils down to you know, you're it, 140 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 1: You're not the thing, And then you know, Kate was 141 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: getting offers from agents and millions of scripts and it 142 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: just wasn't happening for me, and I just had to 143 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,839 Speaker 1: sort of go. I didn't expect that to happen, the 144 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: Kate within Slid experience, right, but you expected something. I 145 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: thought maybe I'd get an agent, and I just for 146 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: a couple of years nothing happened, and then a very 147 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 1: sweet lady in Los Angeles signed me and I started 148 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: working again, but it was definitely a slow process. We'll 149 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:50,839 Speaker 1: be back right after this. Are you or a loved 150 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: one battling cancer. 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Around 158 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: eighty percent of patients complete treatment and as few as 159 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: five sessions, often with little or no side effects. Viewray 160 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: is working to educate patients about this life changing cancer 161 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: treatment and where patients can find a Meridian treatment center. 162 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 1: Innovation like Meridian gives me hope for the millions of 163 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: people around the world currently battling cancer. So talk to 164 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,359 Speaker 1: your doctor to find hospitals where a Meridian is available. 165 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: Visit viewry dot com. What is it do you think, Melanie, 166 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: about your upbringing or about your training that has allowed 167 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: you to tap into something that is complex and mysterious 168 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: and makes you particularly adapt at portrayed deeply misunderstood characters. 169 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: Do you ever think about, like what helped shape me 170 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: and allow me to do that? Thank you first of 171 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: all for saying that I think I was always very 172 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: sensitive and now you know, I'm in my mid forties now, 173 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: and this is the first time in my life that 174 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: I've had kind of true, like mainstream success, And I'm 175 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,719 Speaker 1: so grateful for all the years of being anonymous, all 176 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: the years of being under the radar. Honestly, all the 177 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: years of struggling and getting to know myself and living 178 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: life and getting to observe people, because that's where you learn, 179 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: that's where you you know, Empathy is such a big 180 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,560 Speaker 1: part of acting and the ability to understand someone else's situation, 181 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: and you can really be put in a little bubble 182 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: if you're a famous person. So I'm very grateful that 183 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,719 Speaker 1: I was not famous at a young age that I 184 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: got to just live and experience things. You are having 185 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: a moment, as they say, I'm sure you've seen a 186 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: lot of the headlines. Melanie Melanie Lynsky is having a moment. Yes. 187 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: And I read in an article that your psychic predicted this. 188 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: I mean, do you have a regular psychic or is 189 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: this somebody You happen to see the hand on a 190 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: window and decided to give it a try. Every time 191 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,439 Speaker 1: I saw the hand on a window people they would say, oh, 192 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: you have a duck or a tragedy is all around you. 193 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: I was like, oh god, I never got and then 194 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: they would charge you. They'd be like, that's a hundred 195 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 1: dollars for hearing that your life is tragic. No. I 196 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: met this woman through a friend of a friend. She's 197 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: absolutely amazing. Her name's Fatima. She lives in New Orleans. 198 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: Her website is called Awakened with Fatima dot com, and 199 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: it's kind of like having a very empowering therapy session 200 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: every time you talk to her. But there is one 201 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: time in the middle of the pandemic, I was feeling 202 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: kind of hopeless. I had been pregnant, I lost my pregnancy. 203 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,200 Speaker 1: It was a very painful, sad time for me, and 204 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: I wasn't doing anything, going anywhere working, it was the pandemic. 205 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: And she just said, you're about to enter into a 206 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 1: time in your career that you thought wasn't going to 207 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: happen because it didn't happen when you were a twenty five. 208 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: And I said, Fatima, I don't think so, it's not 209 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: really how it goes, like, bless you, but no, and 210 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: she was like, no, it's going to happen. And then 211 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 1: she said you've already done something and it's going to 212 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: come back. And I said, well, I did this pilot, 213 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: but I haven't heard a peep, like I literally haven't 214 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: heard anyone say like the pilot was great or anything. 215 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,680 Speaker 1: And eight months, yeah, crickets. And she was like, Nope, 216 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: it's gonna get picked up. It's going to be a 217 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: big success. And she just sounded crazy, like I was like, 218 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: you know what, she can't always be right. She's probably 219 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: stressed out she is always right. She's always right. And 220 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: of course she was talking about Yellow Jackets. She was 221 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: talking about Yellow Jackets. Yeah, which is a fantastic show. 222 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: I'm so excited for the second season. Oh thanks, And 223 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: I want to talk all about your role in that, 224 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: but I also want to talk a little bit about you. 225 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: Once said that you weren't getting any roles, and the 226 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: ones that you were getting would be quote, the fat 227 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: character just sitting in the corner eating a chocolate bar 228 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: while the pretty girls are all at the dance. Yeah, 229 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,239 Speaker 1: And I objected to that. I objected to their very existence. 230 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: And also, you know, the other painful thing about it 231 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: was that I was in the middle of a very 232 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: very intense eating disorder where I would eat eight hundred 233 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: calories a day and if I ate anything over, I 234 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: would throw up. Sorry trigger warning for anyone you know 235 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: with eating disorders. But I was starving myself as much 236 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: as I possibly could. I was obsessively exercising, and I 237 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: was still like a size six, you know, that was 238 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: as small as it was going to get. And I 239 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: was still being treated like the chubby one and the 240 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: plane one, and it kind of my self acceptance kind 241 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: of came out of exhaustion at a certain point, because 242 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: I was like, it doesn't matter what I do, and 243 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: I'm spending so much time worrying about like what's on 244 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: this salad, like you know, never having salad, dressing, never 245 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: eating a French fry, and I just couldn't anymore. I 246 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 1: was so tired. I didn't want to be playing the 247 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: roles that were coming to me, so I was passing 248 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: on everything and I just thought like, maybe I can't 249 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: be an actor. And then there was this kind of 250 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: amazing thing that happened that the more I came to 251 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: terms with me and my body and who I was 252 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: and what truly was like a healthy point for me, 253 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: the more my world started opening up. It was like 254 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: the universe was rewarding me for believing in myself. That 255 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: sounds a bit mystic, and for accepting yourself. Yeah, you know. 256 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: I also had an eating disorder when I was in 257 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: college and a few years afterwards, and I know this 258 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: kind of strange mentality that takes over where it's kind 259 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: of an all or nothing situation. If I ate a 260 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: stick of gum that wasn't sugarless, yeah, I would feel 261 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: like a failure and then punish slash reward myself by benching, 262 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: because I'd have to start again tomorrow on this quest 263 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: for perfection. Yeah, and it's so damaging physically and mentally, 264 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: and I'm so glad for both of us that we 265 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: stopped doing that. Yeah, I'm so glad for you. It's 266 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: exhausting and it's I mean, you're one of the most 267 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 1: brilliant women in the world. The fact that any part 268 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: of your brain was occupied with what your body looked 269 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: like as a tragedy. You know, the fact that it 270 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: just makes it impossible for us to be our whole 271 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: selves because you're obsisting over something that's so meaningless. How 272 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,679 Speaker 1: did you keep going though? So you said you accepted 273 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: yourself the universe opened up, and tell me about what 274 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: happened after that? Did you start getting the kind of 275 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: roles that you wanted? I not exactly. I mean I 276 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,479 Speaker 1: was very happy being a working actor, and I just 277 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: tried to make the best choices I could within what 278 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: I was being given. And I guess the kind of 279 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,479 Speaker 1: turning point for me. I did this movie called Shattered Glass, 280 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 1: which I think was in two thousand and four. Do 281 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: you see all those editors at the correspondence dinner why 282 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: they were circling him. Is that what you want? Amy? 283 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: Do you get a bunch of smoke blown up your 284 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: ass by a pack of editors? Yes? Yes it is. 285 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: And when I saw that movie, I just had a 286 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: very deep understanding. I was like, this is how I 287 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 1: want to feel every time I see myself in anything. 288 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: And of course that didn't happen. There were still disappointments 289 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: after that, but it became my set point for quality 290 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: work and the type of work I wanted to do, 291 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: and I really tried to follow a path that lead 292 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:16,719 Speaker 1: me into more independent movies after that. Let's talk about 293 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 1: Yellow Jackets, which is, as I mentioned, an incredible show. 294 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,959 Speaker 1: It's a soccer team, a girls soccer team. They're plane 295 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: crashes in the wilderness, and it really becomes a sort 296 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 1: of Lord of the Flies, survival of the fittest, and 297 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: each character carries a mystery of how they survived into 298 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 1: adulthood and how they manifest the trauma of being in 299 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: that situation. How did that come together? And why do 300 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: you think it's struck a chord among people who are 301 00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: watching it? I mean, I just got a script, got 302 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: an offer in a script, and it was so good. 303 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: And I just was like, I don't know how many 304 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: people got offered this before me, but thank you for passing. 305 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 1: You're crazy, whoever you are. I just was so excited. 306 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: The thing for me about the pilot was that there 307 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: are so many women, so many female characters, and they 308 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: all felt like human beings. They all felt like people 309 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: that I knew or wanted to know. There was no 310 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: sort of stereotypes, and I think that that's the thing 311 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: that's been appealing. Part of it is the mystery of 312 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: the show and the fact that the show is very, 313 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: very compelling and well written. But the other thing I 314 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: think is that the women feel real, Like it's a 315 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: group of women in their mid forties, and we all 316 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 1: kind of look like it. You know, we all look 317 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: like we've lived, we all resemble someone that you might know. 318 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: You know, my co stars are absolutely beautiful, but there's 319 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: not like a level of perfection that anyone's trying to attain. 320 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: We were encouraged to not we're makeup. We were encouraged 321 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: to look like real people, and I just think it's refreshing. 322 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: I think people want to see themselves who represented and 323 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: I think I think also the young cast is so 324 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: great they are. They're amazing too, They're just amazing. So 325 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 1: it's just kind of a magical. There's some moments working 326 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: on the show where I'm like, oh, there's just magic here, 327 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: just something magic is happening. But it is so well 328 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: written and the characters are so awesome. You play Shauna 329 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: who has this strength and yet this vulnerability too. How 330 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: did you go about playing Shaun as someone who takes 331 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 1: a rabbit who's eating her vegetables and basically bilets it 332 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 1: and serves it to her family for dinner with a 333 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: big smile on her face. This chili is really good night, 334 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: It's really good new Russipe. Actually it is Callie forgot 335 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: to take the men out of the freezer, so I 336 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 1: killed a rabbit in the garden, skinned it. Chin to Ana, 337 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 1: she says, Christmam, you're in a mood. You were so 338 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 1: freaking weird. Oh it's one of my favorite scenes. It 339 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: was so funny. It's so funny and yet so disturbing. 340 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: It's so funny. I mean, there's very little that I 341 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: have to do. It's all on the page. This character 342 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: is so fully realized. She's everything. She's very very funny, 343 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,679 Speaker 1: she's sarcastic. She's kind of rough around the edges, but 344 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: she's like an empowered sexual woman. I mean, it's there. 345 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 1: They're just giving me incredible stuff to do in every episode. 346 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: It seems like with every role you take, Melanie, this 347 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:06,359 Speaker 1: idea of what an actor should look like continues to 348 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: dog you. On the set of Yellow Jackets, there was 349 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: one person who I was working alongside in some capacity 350 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: who was very concerned with my body. And it was 351 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:25,199 Speaker 1: disappointing because I had said to that person ahead of time, Listen, 352 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: I had a miscarriage. I have not been able to 353 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,239 Speaker 1: lose the weight that I gained from being pregnant. I 354 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: think there's some hormonal thing. I've gone through four rounds 355 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: of IVF since I had my miscarriage. My body is 356 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: sort of going through it right now, and I'm just 357 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: trying to give myself some grace and be kind. And 358 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:50,119 Speaker 1: they just had a problem, you know. It was just 359 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: one single voice, and I do have to say at 360 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: a certain point, you know, as somebody who had had 361 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 1: an eating disorder, my first instinct was to turn on myself, 362 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:02,199 Speaker 1: be full of shame. You know, I had been on 363 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: a diet, I had done you know, nothing was happening, 364 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: Like sometimes it just is what it is. Your hormones 365 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 1: are like out of control and your body's protecting itself. 366 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: So there wasn't really anything I could do. I was 367 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: driving myself crazy and then I said, you know what, 368 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: I think, I'm going to go to the producers. And 369 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,640 Speaker 1: I went to them and I said, is this a problem? 370 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,640 Speaker 1: You know I've been told it's a problem. I'm trying 371 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:33,679 Speaker 1: my best, and they were horrified, mortified, and they just said, listen, 372 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:35,880 Speaker 1: this person has come to us. We shut it down. 373 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 1: We said, please stop talking about that. It's inappropriate. We 374 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: think she's perfect. And Ashley was one of the co 375 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: creators of the show, wrote me this beautiful letter that 376 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: just said, I wish that I had seen someone who 377 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: looked like you on television when I was growing up, 378 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 1: and especially in a love triangle with two hot men. 379 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: It might have like shifted my future a little bit. 380 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: And this is something that I want to do for women. 381 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: So the team involved in the creation of the show, 382 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 1: that's their feeling about it, and I really did feel 383 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: empowered by them. And also I was playing a character 384 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: who honestly doesn't think about your body, doesn't think about it. 385 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,639 Speaker 1: It's you know, if someone was to say, like, oh, 386 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: are you sure about those genes, she'd be like, what 387 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: the fuck are you talking about? You know, it's not. 388 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: And there's an empowerment in that too, especially for me 389 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: at that time of my life, feeling so fragile and vulnerable, 390 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,679 Speaker 1: to have to go to work and be in the 391 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,400 Speaker 1: skin of somebody who's just like, yeah, here I am. 392 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: This is what I look like. You know, I think 393 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: I look great. It really helped me sort of process 394 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:39,359 Speaker 1: some of my own feelings. Do you sometimes feel like 395 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: sissiv us, you know, pushing a boulder up a hill, 396 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: trying to be the embodiment of what it means to 397 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: be an inclusive society, what it means to appreciate and 398 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: love bodies and people of all different types. Because I 399 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: feel like we make gains and then we, you know, 400 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: take two steps backwards, and it's very frustrating, isn't it. 401 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: It is very frustrating. You know, in feminist movements, there's 402 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:16,719 Speaker 1: just a constant backlash, right Like women start to gain power, 403 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 1: of women start to edge towards equality, and there's some 404 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: kind of movement that is designed to push us back again. 405 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: I feel like right now there's this current kind of 406 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 1: craze for super thin bodies again, and I'm just like, 407 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: oh God, really, like you know, everyone's doing oh zemperic 408 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: or whatever it's called, and right it's like, are we 409 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: not past this? I guess not, Like like it's it's 410 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,719 Speaker 1: just going to keep going in waves and I just 411 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,360 Speaker 1: want to shake people and be like, this is designed 412 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: to make you waste your time on this, This is 413 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: designed to take your power away. You want to be 414 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: thinking about you your life, What do you want to 415 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: do with your life, Who do you want to be 416 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:58,440 Speaker 1: for your kids? Who do you want to be for 417 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 1: the other women in the world. Like it just feels 418 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: like such a waste of time to me. And yet 419 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 1: and yet it keeps copying up with this. Adrian rich 420 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 1: tweet that in the Last of Us you were looking 421 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 1: to Life of Luxury and not Linda Hamilton enough, and 422 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: you had such a great response a thing that I 423 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: will always push back on as this idea that people 424 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: with curvier bodies, bigger bodies are greedian, lazy. Yes, the 425 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: life of luxury. Yeah, so that was the thing I 426 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 1: think that really I was like, you know what, hang 427 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 1: on a minute, I know how I live. I know 428 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: that I'm a healthy person, and I don't like that, 429 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: and I just, you know, I just wanted to make 430 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: a point first of all, to show I was doing. 431 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: It's a post apocalyptic scenario with mushroom zombies, like anything's possible, right, 432 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 1: So I just I just have an issue with things 433 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: that are just misogynistic and just hateful for no reason 434 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: because and loaded and loaded, Yeah, I'm going to I'm 435 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: not going to push back on everything, because it would 436 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: be all I would all I spent my day doing. 437 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: Because I get a lot of people writing to me 438 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: telling me how they feel about my body. That must 439 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: be so exhausting. Why do you even read it? I 440 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: don't know, Because I like Twitter. I like reading film 441 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: critics honestly, Like I could just have a feed that's 442 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: just the critics I like. But I don't know. I 443 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: do think about this, and sometimes I do. Sometimes I 444 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: just like, put my phone down. I have a four 445 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: year old. I want to hang out with my child 446 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: if I'm not working. I don't want to be thrust 447 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: into a pool of self loathing because of what some 448 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: idiot on the internet said to me. And you have 449 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: a little girl, now, Yeah, and so I'm sure you 450 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: think about this and how she'll move in the world 451 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: and feel comfortable with who she is, because it does 452 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: trickle down to especially girls at a very young age, 453 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: this pressure to look and be a certain way. I'm 454 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 1: sure that's something that's probably in the back of your 455 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: mind a bit as you race this beautiful daughter. Oh 456 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: my gosh, it's in the forefront of my mind. I 457 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: It's also been another good listen for me because I 458 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: realize how often throughout a day I nitpick myself, and 459 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: I've given myself the challenge to never criticize myself in 460 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 1: front of her. So, you know, every time she was 461 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: cuddling me when she was little, I'd be like, isn't 462 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: mummy's tummy nice and soft? You know? And she'd be like, 463 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: you're so soft, Mama. She just thinks I'm the most 464 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: beautiful person she's ever seen, and I don't want her 465 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: to think otherwise. She doesn't know the word fat. She's 466 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: never said anything negative about somebody's appearance. She doesn't understand 467 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: that concept. So as long as I can protect her 468 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: from that, I know I'm not going to be able 469 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: to do it forever, but I'm going to try, and 470 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: I'll so praising her for her value when it doesn't 471 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: have anything to do with her appearance. All the time. 472 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: The thing that is most important to her is that 473 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: she's kind, and she's so kind, and the thing that's 474 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: most important to her is that other people are kind. 475 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: So she's very special. She's such a good little person. 476 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,959 Speaker 1: And it sounds like you're a wonderful mom, but also 477 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: that your husband, Jason is a wonderful dad. Oh, I 478 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 1: got so lucky. First of all, you know, of course, 479 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 1: I always think of John Ritter, who was so beloved 480 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: and died far too young. Yeah, and Jason sounds like 481 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: an amazing human being. He's very much a co parent, very, 482 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: which is wonderful. I also really appreciate it, Melanie, how 483 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: you thank your nanny when you want a Critic's Choice 484 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: awards saying she is the most important person, because I 485 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: think the people who help us take hair of the 486 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: most important thing in our lives are so often not 487 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 1: appreciated or celebrated. Absolutely, it's the hardest job in the world. 488 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: She's amazing, and Jason is such a good dad and 489 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: such a good partner. You're very lucky. I'm so lucky, 490 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: Like you genuinely. He's also really sacrificed for me to 491 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 1: have this moment in my career. Like today, I had 492 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: to get ready for a day of press, and he 493 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: got up, he got her off to school, did the lunch, 494 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: put her here in little pigtails. My husband, when I 495 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: was doing the Today Show, would get up early, obviously 496 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: take our daughter to preschool and she'd have a real 497 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: rats nest and she'd have to comb it and put 498 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: it in a pony tail. And those are such sweet moments. 499 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 1: I think it's so sweet. It's so sweet. By the way, 500 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:58,239 Speaker 1: I should say how lucky he is to have you, 501 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: because I know sometimes he tweets these wonderful words of 502 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: praise for you. The good news is he's not just 503 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: doing that on Twitter. He's doing that at home no 504 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: matter what. Like I can be in the rastiest, most 505 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: disgusting pair of sweat pants and he'll be like, you 506 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: look gorgeous, just like, oh my gosh, I don't. My 507 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: husband used to say to me, you know, I think 508 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: you look prettier without makeup. Oh that's sweet. I mean, 509 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 1: who says that. Yeah, my current husband. I haven't heard 510 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: him say that. I probably need to talk to him 511 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: about that. I know we're almost out of time, but 512 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: what are you excited about? And so you have yellow 513 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 1: jackets on the horizon. I would love to do a play. 514 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: There's so many things, but most of all right now, 515 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: I just want to hang out with my child and 516 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: do lots of cuddles and take her to soccer practice. 517 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 1: And I feel like you've been on such a journey 518 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: of self acceptance and self appreciation. Any advice for women 519 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 1: who might feel they're less than or not good enough, 520 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 1: or not than enough, or not pretty enough, or not 521 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 1: successful enough and all those enough that seemed to haunt 522 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 1: us on a daily basis. I mean, I just look 523 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 1: back on my life and I think about you know, 524 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: when I was nineteen, I did a movie in the 525 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: South of France and I wouldn't eat anything. I wouldn't 526 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: eat like I never went out for pasta. I never 527 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: had a delicious French meal. There's so much of life 528 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 1: that I missed out on because I was trying to 529 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: fit into something that I was never going to be. 530 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: And you know, we have one life. Probably I don't know, 531 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 1: but just you're going to look back and regret those 532 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: times in your life that you didn't fully get to 533 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: live because you were so worried about what do you 534 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:00,160 Speaker 1: look like? I look back and I think like, oh, 535 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: why didn't I just put a swimsuit on? Now I 536 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: wear a swimsuit all the time. I don't care. I'm 537 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: just like, sure, you know I do. Also another thing, 538 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,719 Speaker 1: I don't want my daughter to see me feeling self 539 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 1: conscious about having a swimsuit on. Like a body's just 540 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: a body. So just as soon as you can try 541 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: to let go and try to be fully prisoned in 542 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,400 Speaker 1: your life, do it, because it's just not worth it. 543 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 1: Those are great words of wisdom. I hope a lot 544 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: of people take them to heart. Melanie, You're so wonderful 545 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 1: and I think you know you you. I think you 546 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 1: are one of the nicest or the nicest person in Hollywood. 547 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: So thank you. That's very sweet. I think my husband does. 548 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 1: But thank you so much. Thanks for listening everyone. If 549 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: you have a question for me or want to share 550 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: your thoughts about how you navigate this crazy world reach out. 551 00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: You can leave a short message at six O nine 552 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 1: five one two five five h five, or you can 553 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 1: send me a DM on Instagram. I would love to 554 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: hear from you. Next question is a production of iHeartMedia 555 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 1: and Katie Currechmedia. The executive producers are Me, Katie Curich, 556 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,399 Speaker 1: and Courtney Litz. Our supervising producer is Marcy Thompson. Our 557 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: producers are Adriana Fasio and Catherine Law. Our audio engineer 558 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: is Matt Russell, who also composed our theme music. For 559 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: more information about today's episode, or to sign up for 560 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: my newsletter, wake Up Call, go to the description in 561 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: the podcast app, or visit us at Katiecurrek dot com. 562 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,319 Speaker 1: You can also find me on Instagram and all my 563 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: social media channels. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 564 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 565 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:48,920 Speaker 1: favorite shows,