1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: I am all in again. 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: Oh that's just you. 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 3: I Smell pop Culture with Eastern Allen and I heart 4 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 3: radio podcast Here everybody, Easton Allen, I am all in podcasts. 5 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 3: iHeart media, iHeart radio, I heeart podcast one eleven Productions. 6 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 3: It's I smell pop culture. I smell pop culture. I 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 3: don't just smell regular culture. I smell pop culture. And 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 3: in case you were wondering, that is short for popular culture. 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 3: My name is Easton Allen, and we are exploring the 10 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 3: people that create the pop culture references we love in 11 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 3: Gilmore Girls. There's so many in Gilmar Girls. Every other 12 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 3: word is a pop culture reference. That's something we love 13 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 3: about the show. We're going deeper with you here on 14 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 3: the podcast. Thanks for joining us, Thanks for coming back 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 3: this week. Oh my goodness. I know I say this 16 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 3: every time, but I'm really really excited about this week. 17 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:02,639 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I'm excited. 18 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 3: We're talking to someone so cool. You know, you look 19 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 3: at an actor sometimes or a director, and you look 20 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 3: at their IMDb, you look at their line of work, 21 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 3: and you're like, everything is so cool. They have never 22 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 3: done a like sometimes people have like a weird bad 23 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 3: movie or something, or something like embarrassing on their resume. 24 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 3: There's some people that don't. They just have cool stuff. 25 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 3: That's who we're talking to this week. Brenda Strong. Who 26 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 3: is Brenda Strong? You ask that's embarrassing? You don't know 27 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 3: if in case you don't know, she was Mary Alice 28 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 3: Young in Desperate Housewives. That's right, Desperate Housewives. We're going 29 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 3: to be venturing into Asteria Lane. And the reason we're 30 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 3: doing that is because Brenda Strong has is a first 31 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 3: on this podcast. She wasn't just mentioned in Gilmert Girls. 32 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 3: She was in girl Mert Girls. She was a guest 33 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 3: star in Gilmurt Girls. We're going to talk about all 34 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 3: of that Desperate Housewives. In case you're keeping score at home, 35 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 3: it was referenced in season six, episode nine, This is 36 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 3: the Prodigal Daughter turns. Luke and laurale I are having 37 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: dinner and they're arguing and Lucas upset that Laura I 38 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 3: was talking to Christopher. It's a very tense conversation. Laura 39 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 3: admits to Luke that she hates his grandmother's bedroom set, 40 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 3: to which Luke replies, well, thank you very much for 41 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 3: your honesty about my grandmother's furniture. I wish you'd been 42 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 3: a little more forthcoming about the other men in your life. 43 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 3: And then Laura says, oh my god, enjoy Withsteria Lane. 44 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 3: You major drama queen. So I went on the internet. 45 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 3: I know that was a mistake, but I went on 46 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 3: the internet and I saw some people on a you know, 47 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 3: one of the message boards saying that they didn't get 48 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 3: that reference. They didn't know what she was talking about 49 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 3: when she said enjoy with Steria Lane. And so that 50 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 3: blows my mind. I feel like everybody knows Wassteria Lane 51 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 3: with Siria Lane is the street in Desperate Housewives. It's 52 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 3: in the fictional town affair View. It's where all the 53 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 3: characters live. All the drama happens on Westeria Lane. And 54 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 3: something that connects it to Gilmore Girls that I kind 55 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 3: of love is that Siria Lane still stands today. It's 56 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 3: like the permanent there's a permanent fixture on the Universal 57 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 3: Tram Tour. If you come down here to Los Angeles, 58 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 3: the entertainment capital of LA and you go to Universal Studios, 59 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 3: go on the tram tour, you will drive down with 60 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 3: Siria Lane. You'll see all the homes. It's so cool. 61 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 3: It exists, just like stars Hollow, not many feet from 62 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 3: where I sit currently at the Warner Brothers a lot. 63 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 3: You can walk around stars Hollow. That is like a 64 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 3: permanent fixture there. We're going to be going to Withstiria Lane. 65 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 3: With Brenda Strong. She played Mary Alice Young. She is 66 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 3: the first voice you hear. She's one of the first 67 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 3: images you see in Desperate Housewives. She narrated every episode 68 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 3: except for two. That's all only two episodes she didn't narrate. 69 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 3: She's incredible. I'm such a big I mean this resume. 70 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 3: We're gonna get into this with her. But like Starship Troopers, 71 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 3: Twin Peaks, space Balls, Sue Ellen Mishki on Seinfeld. You 72 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 3: know Scott Patterson are our illustrious host. He was on 73 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 3: Seinfeld too. She was on Seinfeld. She's done so much 74 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 3: incredible stuff and she's in the waiting room now. I 75 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 3: don't want to keep her waiting another second. This is 76 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 3: a legend we're talking to here. Let's get into it on. 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 3: I smell pop culture. Brenda Strong here with us, the 78 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 3: legendary Brenda Strong. We're so excited, thank you for doing this. 79 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: I am so happy to be here with you. 80 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 3: There's so much to get into, but we have to 81 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 3: start with Desperate Housewives. 82 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: That's that's where we're going to jump in here. 83 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 3: So you're I rewatched the first episode of Desperate Housewives earlier, 84 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 3: and something that I think is so exciting is like 85 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 3: the camera pans down on withsteria Lane. I think you 86 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,679 Speaker 3: see evil agoria like Jogby, But the first thing you hear, 87 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 3: you see you, and you hear your voice. That's the 88 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 3: very first like word in the show. How did it feed? 89 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 3: I mean, you're like the inciting incident of this show, 90 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 3: your character. 91 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 2: I got the series off with a bang, a true bang. 92 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 3: Yes, if you haven't seen Desperate Housewives, I'm sorry this 93 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 3: is a spoiler for episode one minute two, I believe. 94 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 3: But Mary Alice Young, you tragically take your own life 95 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 3: in the very beginning of the first episode, and then 96 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 3: you're they're the narrator for the rest of the show. 97 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 1: Can you tell us how did you get involved with 98 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 1: Desperate Housewives? How did that happen? 99 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 2: Well, it's kind of an interesting thing because it wasn't 100 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: something that was available to me when they first shot 101 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 2: the pilot, because I was on another series with the 102 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 2: WB and so I wasn't available to audition for any 103 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 2: of theirs. And then I had done a comedy that 104 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 2: I really it was so hard, and I thought I 105 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 2: need to go back to my roots, and so I 106 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 2: went and did some Shakespeare in Montana with one of 107 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: my professors from college. And I was up there doing 108 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 2: much Ado about nothing and Midsummer's Night's Dream when I 109 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 2: got the call from my agents saying they're replacing one 110 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 2: of the characters on the pilot of Desperate Housewives. It's 111 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 2: Mary Alice Young and she narrates every episode and there's 112 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 2: a lot of great buzz about the show. We think 113 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 2: you should audition for it. And at the time, I 114 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 2: was doing a film called The Kid and I with 115 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 2: Tom Arnold, and I happened to be in la right 116 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 2: when they wanted to audition me. So I flew down 117 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 2: and luckily I had been, you know, using all of 118 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: my instrument doing Shakespeare. So you know, I'm out in 119 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 2: the waiting room waiting for them to bring me in, 120 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: and one of the girls comes out of the audition 121 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 2: room and said, Oh, they're so nice, and don't even 122 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 2: worry about having it memorized. You know, they all close 123 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: their eyes, they just want to hear you. And I thought, okay, 124 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 2: that's a different you know, And of course I didn't 125 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 2: not I had it memorized. So I walked in and 126 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: Mark Cherry was very sweet and he said, I hope 127 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: you don't mind. We're all going to close our eyes. 128 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 2: You know, this is we need to hear the story. 129 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 2: And so I proceeded to tell them the story of 130 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 2: my name is Mary Alice and continued on and he 131 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: opened his eyes and I kid you not, there was 132 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: this cherubic grin on his face and he said, I 133 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: understand you're working in Montana. How long are you going 134 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: to be there? And can you get out of that contract? Oh? 135 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 2: And I said, funny enough, it's with friends of mine. 136 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 2: And I told them that I needed an understudy on 137 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 2: the off chance that I got some work. So cut 138 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: to I ended up being one of I think two 139 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 2: that they tested in the booth with the whole narrator, 140 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 2: and I ended up getting it. So I became the 141 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 2: new Mary Alice Young. And then we had to reshoot 142 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 2: all of the scenes with Mary Alice from the pilot 143 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: with Charles McDougall. 144 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 3: Oh, so what and you go to the stereo lane's 145 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 3: a real place. I mean, for intents and purposes, a 146 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 3: Universal Universal Studios. If you've been on the Tram Tour, 147 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 3: you've been on Westeria Lane. So going there to shoot 148 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 3: reshoot those scenes, what was that like? I mean walking 149 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 3: to that big set. Had you worked on like a big, 150 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 3: full neighborhood like that before? 151 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 2: Yeah? I had done a few shows where you know, 152 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 2: we're working on a back lot, either at Warner Brothers 153 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 2: or Universal or Disney or any of the places that 154 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 2: have you know, those types of things. But Withsteria Lane 155 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 2: is a character in the show. I mean it is 156 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 2: a full blown character, and it has become immortalized as 157 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 2: Wasteria Lane. Now it historically so many different shows had 158 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 2: used those houses and they just redressed the fronts and 159 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 2: changed the paint and whatever. But I think it's so 160 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 2: great that it's now kind of historically going to be 161 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 2: with Steria Lane from now on. 162 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:40,599 Speaker 1: I love it. 163 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, It's just a permanent fixture of a I mean, 164 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 3: the legendary Universal Studios. I think the Munster's house is 165 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 3: like on Wassteria Lane, which I love that. 166 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 2: That's right. I think that might have been Alfred Woodard's 167 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 2: house when she came on season two. 168 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, So what was a typical I mean, you 169 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 3: narrated what one hundred and seventy eight episode of Oh No, 170 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 3: it's one. 171 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 2: Hundred and seventy eight, because there were only two episodes 172 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,319 Speaker 2: that I did not narrate. One was narrated by Edie 173 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 2: Britt and the other was narrated by Bree's husband's character. Yes, 174 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 2: and those were the only two that weren't narrated by 175 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 2: me and kind of broke the molds. I'm looking at 176 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,679 Speaker 2: my dog trying to figure out what he's doing under my. 177 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:27,719 Speaker 1: Desk, the eternal question what do dogs do? 178 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 3: So what was like a typical because again, you're in 179 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 3: you act in some of the flashbacks, you do appear 180 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 3: in the episode as not the narrator. But what was 181 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 3: like a typical episode, like you just go into a 182 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,079 Speaker 3: vo booth and read the narration? 183 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: How did that work? 184 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 2: You know? It kind of evolved over time, but generally, 185 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 2: I mean when we first started, it would take hours 186 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 2: to do because we're trying to find the rhythm of 187 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 2: it and trying to find how to match the voice 188 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,959 Speaker 2: to picture, and it was kind of an new technique, 189 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 2: not a lot of voiceovers, kind of narrated throughout episodic TV, 190 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 2: and so we had to kind of create through trial 191 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 2: and error, a way to make it efficient. And I finally, 192 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 2: after a few episodes, I finally said, you know, it 193 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 2: would be really helpful to me to have the cut 194 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 2: before I come into the booth. We would save so 195 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 2: much time because I could do some homework at home 196 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 2: and I could practice where it is placed based on 197 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 2: where you guys placed it to picture. So the order 198 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 2: goes like this. We'd get a script, sometimes the day before, 199 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 2: sometimes a week before, depending on where we were in 200 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 2: the writer's room development. Of course, starting out we had 201 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 2: scripts in advance, but as we went on tour the 202 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 2: later episodes, we'd always get it last minute and we'd 203 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 2: sit and we'd have a table read. And that was 204 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 2: really helpful for all of us to a meet all 205 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 2: the characters as they came into the street and b 206 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 2: just here out loud, so all the characters could hear 207 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 2: the narration based on their storyline and how it was 208 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 2: going to fit in with what they were doing, etc. Etc. 209 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 2: And it really gave the directors a chance to kind 210 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 2: of see the overall kind of episode that they were 211 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 2: getting into. So that was first off. Second off, I 212 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 2: would leave from there and I would go to the 213 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 2: Alfred Hitchcock Theater at the Universal kind of lot. I'd 214 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 2: go down pairs into the basement where they did all 215 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 2: the editing, and they've done so many major feature films, 216 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 2: and we had kind of a designated booth that was 217 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 2: just ours, and I would record all of the lines, 218 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 2: all the narration, and then they would take that recording 219 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 2: and the editor would use it to cut the picture. 220 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 2: So every episode was cut to my voice, and sometimes 221 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 2: if things changed, then the script supervisor would end up 222 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 2: reading one of the lines, and so you'd sometimes hear 223 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 2: my voice from the temp track, or you'd hear Linda's 224 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 2: voice from the script supervisor, which always sounded a little different, 225 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 2: although she tried to sound more like me as time 226 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 2: went on, which was funny. And then I would get 227 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 2: the DVD, I'd watch the show. I do all of 228 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 2: my copious notes and do all my intentions, break down 229 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 2: the script and everything, and then I would go into 230 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 2: the booth on Fridays generally and record, and if I 231 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 2: wasn't working on the show on camera, then I would 232 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 2: come in you know, off camera, and my sweats and 233 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 2: my sneakers and do my work. 234 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,199 Speaker 3: Were the other cast members jealous that you got to 235 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 3: roll in and like your pj's and they had to 236 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 3: be in like full makeup and glam and everything. 237 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, I have to say it was really funny. 238 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 2: I got a lot of got a lot of kind 239 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 2: of envious comments from especially marsh Across, who is still 240 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 2: a dear friend. She said, I really wanted to be 241 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 2: Mary Alice Young. That was the role I wanted. I said, 242 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 2: that's so fun because Mark said he probably may have 243 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 2: cast me as Bree had I been able to audition, 244 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 2: so we would have swapped roles. But yeah, even Felicity, 245 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 2: you know Felicity. One day, because I was doing a movie, 246 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 2: Felicity decided to read my part. Oh wow, and she 247 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 2: came up to me afterwards she goes, this is a 248 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 2: lot harder than I thought it was going to be. 249 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 2: And Felicity is an amazing actress. So in a lot 250 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: of ways. You know, what Mark Cherry does is he 251 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 2: writes music. It just happens to be. And he actually 252 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: said the MAVO, which is the Mary Alice voiceover, was 253 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 2: the hardest writing that he had to do on the 254 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 2: show because it had to be succinct, and it had 255 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 2: to be deep, and it had to cut to the heart. 256 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 2: So in a lot of ways, that was the thing 257 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 2: that took the most time, was getting that succinct kind 258 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 2: of human connection to why any of us were doing 259 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 2: all the Michigoths things that we were doing. 260 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 3: I love learning that you like as then air are 261 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 3: you coming for the table read and do it with 262 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 3: everybody as It's like, because this is so naive of me, 263 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 3: but I assumed it was like the episode is filmed 264 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 3: and then the narration is written, like at the end. 265 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:12,439 Speaker 3: I thought it was like at the end of the 266 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 3: whole process, like you make the episode, you write the narration, 267 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 3: then you come. I love that It's a part of 268 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 3: it from the very beginning. 269 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was the infrastructure. It was the bones that 270 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 2: everything was organized around, and the editor would cut to 271 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 2: my voice. So it was really I don't know, it 272 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 2: just it was a different template than anything I've ever 273 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 2: been part of before, and I loved it. I just 274 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 2: loved it. 275 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 3: Would you ever have an experience where you're like at 276 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 3: the grocery store something and people like recognize you from 277 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 3: your voice, like they recize, oh, I know that voice 278 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 3: is that that. 279 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it happened a lot during the filming 280 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: of the show, for sure, and it's now happening again 281 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 2: because a whole new generation of young women have discovered 282 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 2: Desperate Housewives because it's now, you know, on Netflix. So, 283 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 2: I mean, I don't walk around talking like Mary alast 284 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 2: I don't have this melodious voice, but there is a 285 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 2: tenor to my voice that people are like, have we 286 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 2: met before? Or oh your yeah? They get it. During 287 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 2: the show, I would be in line and I'd start 288 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 2: to order a drink and all of a sudden, people 289 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: would be like, Oh, it's you, you know, so that 290 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 2: was fun. 291 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: Oh my god. Brandon Strong is with us. We have 292 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 1: so much more to get into. 293 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 3: I mean, this is a Gilmore Girls podcast, and you 294 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 3: were in Gilmore Girls. You were in the show. I 295 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 3: want to ask so much about that. We're going to 296 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 3: take a really quick break and we'll be right back. 297 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 3: Branda Strong with us. It's I Smell pop culture on 298 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 3: the I Am All In podcast. We're talking about Desperate 299 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 3: How's whis We're talking about this immense resume. Every thing 300 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 3: you've done. I am a fan of. I'm just going 301 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 3: down here listening. I love that love that love that 302 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 3: we got to talk Gilmore Girls. Everyone listening pleasure here, Yes, 303 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 3: everyone loves Gilmore Girls. You were in Gilmore Girls Season two, 304 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 3: episode seven, Like Motherlike Daughter. You're at the You're the 305 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 3: leader of the Chiltern Booster Club. Uh, you get to 306 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 3: tell Laura that she's going to be a model in 307 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 3: the charity fashion show. What tell us about that experience. 308 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 3: What was it like getting on the set of gilmart 309 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 3: Girls being Did they tell you to talk fast? That's 310 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 3: something we hear from a lot of people. 311 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 2: Well, the thing that was so cool about Amy was 312 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 2: that not only am I a huge fan of her 313 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 2: work and her later work, I just Man, the marvelous 314 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 2: Missus Mazelle, I just Materie, Masterpiece, masterful running, masterful production. 315 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 2: She was a fan of Aaron Sorkin's and I had 316 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 2: done Sports Night with Felicity Huffman or Aaron Sorkin, And 317 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 2: so when I came on the set, she wanted to 318 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 2: know all about working with Erin because she was such 319 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 2: a huge fan. And one of the reasons she wanted 320 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 2: everyone to speak quickly is that's the sorkinism, you know. So, 321 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 2: so I was very accustomed to having to speak really 322 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 2: quickly and get it all done. And the funny thing 323 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 2: is is you feel like it's fast when you're doing it, 324 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 2: but the ear doesn't feel like it's fast. And Lauren 325 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 2: Graham was a master at speaking quickly. She just she 326 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 2: she was so impressive. And I got to play kind 327 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 2: of kind of an uppity, you know, booster mom, where 328 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 2: I was organizing everybody, and of course she you know, 329 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 2: she didn't quite fit the mold, yes, let's say, but 330 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 2: it just kind of revealed. It's so funny because that 331 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 2: show in particular was about a legacy of women. Yes, right, 332 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 2: And during that time, a show about all women and 333 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 2: my show with Desperate Housewives about all women. We were 334 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 2: changing the landscape of television. And before Us came Golden Girls, 335 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 2: and Mark Cherry had written on Golden Girls, and it 336 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 2: just felt like we were part of this kind of 337 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 2: moving movement of empowerment around telling family stories, telling friendship stories. 338 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 2: Women's lives became really interesting to watch, and heretofore it 339 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 2: had been all about men and procedurals and power and crime. 340 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 2: And these were beloved shows because they touched on something 341 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 2: we had never really seen before, which was honest complexity 342 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:36,959 Speaker 2: in women and women's lives. 343 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 3: Yes, it's so right and it's so cool that you are, 344 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 3: that you're part of this. You know, at this momentum, 345 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 3: this shift in television when when you were doing Desperate 346 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 3: house like when you get onto the Subjusperate Housewives, was 347 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 3: had you worked on anything that was like that before 348 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 3: in your career ins of like the way they were 349 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 3: telling women's stories or anything like that. Was there anything 350 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:05,360 Speaker 3: else you had done before that? 351 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 2: I don't think so. I had done. I had done 352 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 2: a series called The Help for Warner Brothers, and it was, Yeah, 353 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,360 Speaker 2: it was. It was about a wealthy woman who kind 354 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 2: of ran a household of women and made and you know, 355 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 2: a cook and you know, the trainer and all of that. 356 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 2: But it wasn't really it didn't really resonate in the 357 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 2: same way. I think this had had just taken a 358 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:37,439 Speaker 2: whole nother step. 359 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. 360 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 3: One of your characters that I I admire so much 361 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 3: is Sue Ellen Miske on Science So Sue the brawls, 362 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 3: uh oh, Henry Candy Barner Brothers. Wonder I you know 363 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 3: she Sue Allan's a complex character. I admire her confidence 364 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 3: so much. I aspired to the level of confidence that 365 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 3: Miski has. 366 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: It was I just. 367 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 3: Wanted to say, like watching the watching those episodes, it's 368 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,679 Speaker 3: it's funny because it's it's only four episodes that you're in, 369 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 3: is Mishki, But like it feels I mean, yes, it 370 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 3: feels like if you just walked up and asked someone like, oh, 371 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 3: how many episodes of Sula Miski? And I think people 372 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 3: would say like, oh, she's in like every episode of Seinfeld, right, 373 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 3: Like you feel like such a such a base part 374 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 3: of that show. 375 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: Uh. 376 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 3: I loved it because growing up I had a friend, 377 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 3: like a friend of me who was the heir to 378 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 3: the Easy Bake Oven fortune. So it was kind of 379 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 3: a similar thing. But he he didn't have a need 380 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 3: for a bra. But can you can you tell us 381 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:52,640 Speaker 3: about exactly exactly can you tell us about developing that 382 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 3: character with with Larry? I mean getting on the set 383 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:56,360 Speaker 3: of Seinfeld, working with Larry David? 384 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: What was that? 385 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 2: Like? It was a dream? It was an salute dream. 386 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 2: I adore Larry. He is so gifted. He is a 387 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 2: comedians comedian And you know this is before Curb Your Enthusiasm, 388 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:15,239 Speaker 2: which I was also on as doctor Flom. But you know, 389 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 2: It was truly cooler water cooler, you know, did you 390 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 2: see Seinfeld last night? Because it was all on the 391 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,679 Speaker 2: Thursday line up, and everybody would talk on Friday morning about, 392 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 2: you know, the incredible storylines that they would bring up. 393 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 2: And I ended up wanting to audition and my managers 394 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 2: at the time, and I really appreciated this, they said, wait, 395 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 2: just wait, we're looking for something that's going to stand out. 396 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 2: And nothing against any of the actresses that played Jerry's girlfriends. 397 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 2: They didn't want that for me. They wanted something that 398 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 2: would stand out a little bit more because usually with 399 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 2: the girlfriends. 400 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: It was one and done yes. 401 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 2: And also I'm taller than Jerry, so it might not 402 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 2: it might not have played out well. But when Sue Ellen, 403 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 2: when that part landed and they described it, they told 404 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 2: me and I said, you're kidding, I had what And 405 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:16,160 Speaker 2: at the time, I had just had a baby eighteen 406 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 2: months before and I was still nursing. So I was 407 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 2: a little nervous because you know, Russ were representing a 408 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 2: lot of other things at the time, and so I 409 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 2: went into the audition and I just said, so, how 410 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 2: do you see this character, you know? And they said, oh, 411 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 2: she's very classy. She's you know, she's she's confident, and 412 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 2: so I played it the way I was going to 413 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 2: play it, and then I asked one really important question 414 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 2: before I left the room. I said, can you can 415 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 2: you tell me how tall Julia Luis Dreyfus is? Is 416 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 2: she about this tall? And I held my hand up 417 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 2: to my brawline and you should have seen Larry and 418 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 2: Jerry's eyes pop open, and they went, yeah, that's about 419 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 2: how fault she is. And I knew that I just 420 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 2: planted the seed that her eyeline and my breasts were 421 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 2: going to be a joke. And so I got the job, 422 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 2: and Julia could not have been just kind of more welcoming. 423 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 2: I had done a series with John O'Hurley Wow Gorge, 424 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 2: and so he and I had a really great relationship. 425 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 2: So when I walked on set, it was like walking 426 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 2: into Old Home Week where everyone just welcomed me. And 427 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 2: Jason was great and Jerry was great, and Michael ended 428 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 2: up casting me on one of his shows later. It 429 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 2: just became this collective find the funny, joyful experiment, and 430 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 2: I to this day it was one of the happiest 431 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 2: experiences of my life. And they take comedy seriously, like 432 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 2: we're looking for it and until we find the gem, 433 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:56,679 Speaker 2: we're not going to leave a stone unturned. And that 434 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:57,240 Speaker 2: was great. 435 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 3: That makes me so happy to hear because I just 436 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 3: I look on those episodes so fondly and I just 437 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 3: love hearing that it was such a great experience for 438 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:06,920 Speaker 3: you and and uh, you had such a great time 439 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 3: on the set. 440 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 2: Uh. 441 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 3: Scott Patterson who hosts this podcast, he plays Luke and 442 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 3: Gilmour Girls. He's also he's also in the Elaine Orbit 443 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 3: because he was sponge Worthy. Yes, so that was really 444 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 3: exciting to get another Scienfeld connection on here. I you 445 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 3: have the coolest resume, like like honestly, honestly, I mean 446 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 3: I don't want to while I don't want to jump 447 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,640 Speaker 3: around too much, but like I mean like Twin Peaks, 448 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 3: Starship Troopers, like all these sports nights, yes, Spaceball, I 449 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 3: cannot Like, I'm just in awe. 450 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: I am in awe. 451 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:51,399 Speaker 3: I'm so curious, how, like someone, how do you pick these? 452 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 3: Like how does that work? You just have like hit 453 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 3: after hit after hit? How does that happen? 454 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 2: You know? I wish I could say that I did it, 455 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 2: you know, I pitched these. I'm so smart, not that 456 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 2: at all. It's you know, Treat Williams, who I got 457 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 2: to work with on Everwood, said that, you know, interviewers 458 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 2: would come up to him and say, you know, why 459 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:14,439 Speaker 2: did you do that role that wasn't you know, that 460 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 2: wasn't a very good role for you, or that wasn't 461 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 2: a great movie, And he basically say, because I have 462 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 2: a family and a mortgage and it was the job 463 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 2: that was offered to me at the time. And the 464 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 2: truth is I have always been able to get jobs 465 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 2: as they come. But it's not that I choose them. 466 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 2: It's more that they finally chose me, like I fit 467 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 2: whatever they were looking for, and thankfully it all just 468 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 2: worked out that they were high quality, high visibility, you know, 469 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 2: kind of popular shows that had a listening in the 470 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 2: audience's heart and mind. So I don't feel like I 471 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 2: can take any credit for it. I can. I can 472 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 2: actually say I have really great agents and a great manager, 473 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 2: and I've been with them for almost thirty years, so 474 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 2: I give them a lot of the credit. I mean, 475 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 2: they really know who I am, and they know what 476 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 2: I'm good at, and they've put me up for the 477 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 2: right things and I end up getting the work, and 478 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 2: I'm just grateful. I'm just grateful because you know it 479 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 2: could have turned out very differently. 480 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 3: Is there anything that you said no to that you 481 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 3: could remember that You're like, Oh, I wish I had. 482 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 2: No regrets in I wish I had if I said no. 483 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 2: I've said no to a few things, so it's not 484 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 2: like I say yes to everything. 485 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:38,120 Speaker 1: I don't. 486 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:44,120 Speaker 2: But I said no during a filming of something, which 487 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 2: was a first. And John Ritter and I crossed paths 488 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 2: many times in my career before he passed, and I 489 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 2: adored him. He was such an incredible human being and talent, 490 00:26:55,560 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 2: and I adore his son now too. But we did 491 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 2: a film together called skin Deep that Blake Edwards directed, 492 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 2: and I was cast in it, and nobody told me 493 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 2: that there was any kind of nudity in it. And 494 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 2: then I got a nudity writer right before I worked, 495 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,680 Speaker 2: and I'm like, why am I? Because we weren't allowed 496 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 2: to read the script. I said, why am I getting 497 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 2: a nudity writer? This is this is not what I 498 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 2: signed up for. And he ended up having a conversation 499 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 2: with me and my agent and assured us that it 500 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:26,479 Speaker 2: was all going to be tasteful. And fine, and nothing 501 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 2: was going to be seen. It was all going to 502 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 2: be backlit, you know, YadA YadA YadA for a sign 503 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:36,959 Speaker 2: fellow reference. We shot the scene. It screened at I 504 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 2: believe Warner Brothers, and they asked for a reshoot because 505 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 2: and I can guarantee this, it was too graphic. You 506 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 2: could see things that I hadn't agreed to be seen. 507 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:50,919 Speaker 2: And they didn't want to have it go into a 508 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,159 Speaker 2: different category. They didn't want it to be X or 509 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 2: or whatever it was. So he wanted to do reshoots 510 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 2: and I said no. I said no. You you told 511 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 2: me to trust you. I trusted you. You didn't do 512 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 2: what you said you were going to do. Why am 513 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 2: I going to give you a second chance? You've already Nope, 514 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 2: use a body devil. And it was the first time 515 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 2: I said no, and I took my name off the 516 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 2: film Wow. And there were acting scenes that are still 517 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 2: on the cutting room floor that John and I had 518 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 2: together that never showed up. So it just looked like 519 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,160 Speaker 2: a It looked like a walk on with a sex scene. 520 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 2: I'm like, that's not what I signed up for. I'm 521 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 2: an actress. What are you doing? You know? So sorry 522 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,919 Speaker 2: to be so blunt, but I said no, So that 523 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:33,440 Speaker 2: felt good. 524 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:35,640 Speaker 1: I admire that so much. 525 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 2: Come out on it. 526 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:39,680 Speaker 1: Wow, Well, thank you for sharing that story. 527 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 3: I really I admire that, and I think that's a 528 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 3: great lesson to everyone listening, like to you know, stand 529 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 3: up for yourself and what you what you believe in, 530 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 3: and what you're uh, you know, you have to. 531 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 2: Now we have antimasty coordinator exactly. That very easy to 532 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: make sure that things don't go places that people haven't 533 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 2: agreed to. 534 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: Absolutely, and it protects. 535 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: The artist because it's a very vulnerable position to be in. 536 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 2: You know, you wanted, you want to cooperate, you want 537 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 2: to do the right thing, you want to serve the 538 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 2: piece you're an artist, but you also don't want to 539 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 2: be taken advantage of. And it's hard to be that 540 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 2: person to say no, I'm not comfortable with that. 541 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 3: So it's it's hard to do, but it's yeah, it's 542 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 3: it's important to do that, and it is hard, and 543 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 3: a lot of people don't And I just I admire 544 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:24,239 Speaker 3: you for that. 545 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 2: I haven't I don't think I've ever told that story. 546 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 2: By the way, really that's a first. 547 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 3: Well, thank you so much for sharing that with us. 548 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 3: It's such an important story I think for people to hear, 549 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 3: and I just really appreciate your honesty. I do want 550 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 3: to talk Twin Peaks a bit sadly just lost David Lynch. 551 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 3: I mean, I'm sorry. I don't want this to just 552 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 3: be like what was that like? But like I mean, 553 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 3: he's one of those directors, like not many people get 554 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 3: to work with him. 555 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: He's got like this core group. Well, tell us about 556 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 1: that experience. 557 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 2: Well, first of all, I admire him as an artist 558 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 2: and a human being. Yes, on so many fronts. He 559 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 2: was unique and an incredible painter as well. And he 560 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 2: did have a family of actors that he trusted and 561 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 2: continued to work with, Kyle McLaughlin from Desperate Housewives being one, 562 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 2: so he and I share Twin Peaks and Desperate together. 563 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 2: I actually never got to work under David's direction. I 564 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 2: worked with wonderful directors during those five episodes that I did, 565 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 2: Diane Keaton being one of them, Lead Adele, Jamie Foley. 566 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 2: There's amazing, amazing directors, but I didn't get to work 567 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 2: with David. But his fingerprints were all over of course 568 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 2: that art and that show, so I feel like I 569 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 2: got to live in his world. For a little bit, 570 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 2: and that felt really great. It was quirky and bizarre 571 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:55,239 Speaker 2: and fun. It was very creative. Actually, David Warner and 572 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,000 Speaker 2: I had no idea what we were doing. We didn't 573 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 2: know why we were there. We didn't know where the 574 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 2: storyline was going. And I finally looked at him one 575 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 2: day in the makeup trailine. I said, do you want 576 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 2: to just make it up? Just make up? Let's make 577 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 2: up a backstory. At least we'll know what we're doing. 578 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:16,720 Speaker 2: And so we came up with this really kind of fascinating, 579 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 2: twisted backstory that we started playing subtexts with, and apparently 580 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 2: it was interesting enough that they ended up giving us 581 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 2: three more episodes because we were only signed on for two. Wow, 582 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 2: So we ended up kind of squeaking five episodes out 583 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 2: of it. And and I remember we had a kiss 584 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 2: in one of the episodes. And I ran into David 585 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 2: thirty three years later, thirty five years later at a 586 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 2: comic con in Germany. 587 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: Wow. 588 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 2: I walked on his table and I said, Hi, David, 589 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 2: I don't know if you remember me, And he looked 590 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 2: at me, he goes, how could I ever forget you? 591 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:03,560 Speaker 2: You're my one and only on screen kiss. It was 592 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 2: so great after all these years that he still remembered me. Oh. 593 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 2: Working with Piper Laurie was amazing. She was such a 594 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 2: powerhouse and just sitting opposite her was like being close 595 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 2: to the sun, Like she radiated so much energy. It 596 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 2: was great. 597 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 3: I love it so much. Brenda Strong is here with us. 598 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 3: This is I Smell Pop Culture. I you have you 599 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 3: have directed some television yourself. I would love to talk 600 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 3: about that. We're going to take another quick break. Stick around, 601 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 3: We'll be right back. It's I Smell Pop Culture on 602 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 3: the Iamlin podcast. Brenda Strong here with us, where we've 603 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,680 Speaker 3: been talking about your your career, just so many incredible things. 604 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 3: Now you have you directed an episode of Thirteen Reasons Why, 605 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 3: two episodes, making the move to behind the camera directing. 606 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 3: Tell us about that transition. What was that like for you? 607 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 2: So as we were talking during the break, we were 608 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 2: talking about Monterey, California, because you were raised in Santa 609 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 2: Cruz and my husband's originally from Carmel, just south from there. 610 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 2: And so my husband, being the son of a general 611 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 2: and his father used to teach at DLI at the 612 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 2: Defense Language Institute here in Monterey, and so he had 613 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 2: written a couple of short films about the military, and 614 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:33,960 Speaker 2: he's employed a lot of veterans and a lot of 615 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 2: his theater work. His theater called not mana part Physical 616 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 2: theater ensemble, and he really gets veterans to do physical 617 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 2: theatrical work as part of their healing from ps and 618 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 2: war and it's incredible. But he had written this short 619 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,360 Speaker 2: film we were editing his first short film called I 620 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 2: Did Not Forget You that we shot in Dallas when 621 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 2: I was doing Dallas, and he told we were waiting 622 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 2: for the you know, the kind of cut to upload, 623 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:05,240 Speaker 2: and he told me this second story about a young 624 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 2: army wife and this program where families get cutouts of 625 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 2: their live service member in order for their young children 626 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 2: not to miss mom or dad when they're deployed. And 627 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 2: so I burst into tears when he told me the 628 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 2: whole progression of the story. And I said, why didn't 629 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 2: we do that film? And he said, oh, yeah, great, 630 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,080 Speaker 2: that's what you want to hear when you are cutting 631 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 2: your first filme, So why don't we do the other one? 632 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 2: So I said, you have to write that. You have 633 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 2: to write that, and so he did, and I ended 634 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:43,239 Speaker 2: up shooting it up here in Monterey, California. Amazing and 635 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 2: once it ended up going to twenty two festivals and 636 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 2: winning fourteen awards. I showed it to my cast and 637 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 2: crew of Thirteen Reasons Why when I got that and 638 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,120 Speaker 2: we were filming in you know, in and around Vallejo 639 00:34:56,280 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 2: and Napa and the San Francisco Bay area, and Brian 640 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,719 Speaker 2: Yorkey and Joy Gorman Weddles asked me to direct two 641 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:06,280 Speaker 2: episodes in the following season. 642 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:07,360 Speaker 1: Incredible, and I. 643 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 2: Couldn't believe it. For first of all, because I felt 644 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:14,759 Speaker 2: so connected to the show and it was such a 645 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 2: perfect segue for me, and it was such a safe 646 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 2: place to kind of go into a larger forum. And 647 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 2: I loved it. I just loved it. 648 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,200 Speaker 3: Was there a challenge when you start directing this? Was 649 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:30,200 Speaker 3: there a challenge that you hadn't anticipated? 650 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 2: Like? 651 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:32,360 Speaker 3: Was there something when you were actually doing It's like, 652 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 3: oh my goodness, I wasn't prepared for this, or I 653 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,320 Speaker 3: wasn't expecting this anything like that happened. 654 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 2: You know. It's so interesting because I think in a 655 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 2: lot of ways, actors are such a natural fit for 656 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:49,319 Speaker 2: directing because we know what is necessary in setting the 657 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:51,359 Speaker 2: tone for the crew and the cast to do their 658 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:55,439 Speaker 2: best work. All the preparation is something that you learn. 659 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 2: You know, you learn about the production meetings and the 660 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,240 Speaker 2: tone meetings, and you know the cost and talking about 661 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 2: casting and all of that. Those are just adjuncts to 662 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:08,400 Speaker 2: getting ready to be on set, and they're all very important. 663 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:10,760 Speaker 2: And the one thing that I learned is how much 664 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 2: work goes into production before an actor ever sets set 665 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 2: steps on set. And I it just gave me such 666 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 2: an appreciation and such a respect for production and all 667 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 2: the people that work so hard to do their best 668 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 2: work to bring us to the table. We're the last 669 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:36,239 Speaker 2: ones to show up, so if anything, it just gave 670 00:36:36,239 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 2: me a greater appreciation and gratitude for everyone else's work 671 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:44,319 Speaker 2: around me. And it is hard work. Directing is not 672 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:49,959 Speaker 2: you know, it's not an easy job. It's a stamina job. 673 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 2: You have to be available and ready and prepared and present. 674 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 2: And it's almost like being a psychologist. You have to 675 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,839 Speaker 2: know how to create the environment where everybody gets their 676 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,319 Speaker 2: needs met, you know, and hold it all together and 677 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 2: problem solved. And I loved it. It used every part 678 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 2: of me and I can't wait to do it again. 679 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: I love it. 680 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 3: I can't and I can't wait to watch. The next 681 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 3: thing you do is you know, is there something you've done? 682 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 3: So many different things, like so many different like I 683 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 3: mean Fear of the Walking Dead, You've done a Supergirl. 684 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 3: I mean you've done like superhero stuff. Like is there 685 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:31,839 Speaker 3: something you have not done yet that you're like, Oh, 686 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 3: I've always wanted to do this kind of thing or 687 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:37,320 Speaker 3: or this part of the process. 688 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's really interesting. We're actually developing something 689 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:45,720 Speaker 2: right now, my husband and I we're developing a limited 690 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 2: series right It's something that we've worked on during COVID 691 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 2: and it's kind of gone through a really interesting evolution. 692 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 2: It started out as a screenplay. It's based on an 693 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:00,239 Speaker 2: idea that I had, and then I ended up up 694 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:03,200 Speaker 2: deciding we needed an underlying ip so I wrote the 695 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:08,280 Speaker 2: book to create the characters, and then that book became 696 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 2: the foundation for the series, and then we ended up 697 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 2: with a limited series format. So that's where we are 698 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 2: right now. So the next thing in my career actually 699 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 2: is being a showrunner. I want to be in charge. 700 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:25,800 Speaker 2: I want to help shape an entire story from beginning 701 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:30,240 Speaker 2: to end, and in do it with all the people 702 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 2: that I love working with and bring all the fabulous 703 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:38,640 Speaker 2: production designers and customers and editors and directors into our story. 704 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:41,359 Speaker 2: So that's the next thing that I want. I want 705 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:47,520 Speaker 2: to really kind of launch a new story into the 706 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 2: universe that people will be talking about ten years from 707 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:53,280 Speaker 2: now or twenty years from now. We really have built 708 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 2: a new mythology and it's all around female empowerment. And 709 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:57,560 Speaker 2: I'm really super excited. 710 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:00,120 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I can't I. 711 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,520 Speaker 2: Can tell you, but it'll be shown Europe and it's 712 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:03,239 Speaker 2: a period piece. 713 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,319 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I'm so excited. I can't wait. 714 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 3: I love your Your creative energy is so infectious, and 715 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,879 Speaker 3: I just love listening to you talk about like how 716 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:17,359 Speaker 3: you get these ideas you make them happen, because there's 717 00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:20,200 Speaker 3: people in like I talk to people in my life 718 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 3: that are like I just kind of I'm just kind 719 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,919 Speaker 3: of doing my thing, you know, and then I meet 720 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:29,280 Speaker 3: these people that are like, I want this thing to happen, 721 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:30,799 Speaker 3: and I do this in this to make it so, 722 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:33,840 Speaker 3: and it's such an incredible thing. And I just appreciate 723 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 3: people like you being in the world and creating these 724 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:37,920 Speaker 3: incredible well. 725 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 2: You know, It's it goes back to I I really 726 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:46,440 Speaker 2: believe if people understood quantum physics more they would understand 727 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:50,440 Speaker 2: that they are actually creating the world that they're living in. 728 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 2: I know that, you know, it might sound woo woo, 729 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 2: but scientifically it's proven that you are creating your reality. 730 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,239 Speaker 2: And because I'm all also a yoga teacher and a 731 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:05,719 Speaker 2: yogi and I a philosopher, I really believe that the 732 00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 2: world isn't as it is, it's as you are. So 733 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 2: however you want the world to be, you're participating in that. 734 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:17,760 Speaker 2: And so you do have to believe in yourself because 735 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:20,239 Speaker 2: you're actually at the source of it. You know, you're 736 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 2: the source of your life. And I know your mom is, 737 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 2: but mom and dad, but you're participating, you're co creating 738 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:29,480 Speaker 2: as we go. And that's one of the reasons I 739 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:34,359 Speaker 2: loved David so much, is you know, he understood that 740 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:39,080 Speaker 2: as a as a meditator and a creator, is is. 741 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 2: It's all imagination, It's all whatever you can see it, 742 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 2: you can believe it, you can have it. I really 743 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 2: believe that. 744 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,879 Speaker 3: You know, you talk about quantum physics and I watched 745 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 3: a documentary years ago called what the bleep Do We Know? 746 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:55,600 Speaker 3: And yeah, yeah, And in that documentary they talk about 747 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:59,560 Speaker 3: like they put they put like ice crystals under a 748 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 3: microscore over some and then they like yell at. 749 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:03,040 Speaker 2: It and doctor Emotos work. 750 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: Yes, that blue. 751 00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:06,760 Speaker 3: I think I was in like I was a freshman 752 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:08,280 Speaker 3: high school. So when I saw that and it blew 753 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:10,000 Speaker 3: my mind, I was like, oh my goodness, this is 754 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 3: incredibly this is like quantifiable scientific method proven. You can 755 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:17,839 Speaker 3: see these effects happening. And it's not just like, hey man, 756 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,879 Speaker 3: it's all about vibes. It's like it's so far beyond that, 757 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 3: and it's just such an I don't know. It's an 758 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:24,520 Speaker 3: incredible way to think about life and how you affect 759 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:25,319 Speaker 3: the world around you. 760 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:31,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, and what you focus on gets more power. I mean, 761 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:33,960 Speaker 2: I know, you've got a plant behind you. It's probably 762 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:38,480 Speaker 2: not real. Yeah, But when I was in in high school, 763 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:40,799 Speaker 2: we did, you know, experiments where we would talk to 764 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 2: certain plants and not talk to the others, or we'd 765 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 2: play classical music to one plant, play hard rock to 766 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:49,240 Speaker 2: the others and see the difference in their growth patterns. 767 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:53,840 Speaker 2: You know, everything is a living organism. Water is a 768 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 2: living organism. Water actually can conduct energy. It can it 769 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,319 Speaker 2: can you know, change its vibration and its structure. It 770 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:05,080 Speaker 2: can freeze, it can you know it's it's an We're 771 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:08,360 Speaker 2: almost all made of water. We're like seventy percent water. Yes, 772 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 2: if what you can do as a thought pattern like 773 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,600 Speaker 2: screaming at water, if the vibration and the pattern in 774 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,840 Speaker 2: the water changes when you freeze it. Think about yourself, 775 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:20,960 Speaker 2: how you talk to yourself. You know, when you talk 776 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 2: to yourself in negative ways, your body is listening. Yes, 777 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:28,399 Speaker 2: So it's really about for me. I think I knew 778 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:32,080 Speaker 2: from a very young time that that I had something 779 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:35,640 Speaker 2: to do with how my life went. And I did 780 00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:39,920 Speaker 2: not grow up knowing anything about the entertainment industry or performing. 781 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:43,880 Speaker 2: It was not part of my environment. There was no 782 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:45,920 Speaker 2: way that I could have dreamed this and had it 783 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 2: come true. 784 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:49,920 Speaker 3: That's so I love that so much because like if 785 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:53,120 Speaker 3: you think about like starting out and then the life 786 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:57,600 Speaker 3: you have now, I mean incredible that that it happens 787 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:03,000 Speaker 3: this way. So you you up in forgive me Portland 788 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:07,160 Speaker 3: Organ m h. When you were growing like when you've 789 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:09,640 Speaker 3: thought about your life as a child, like what what 790 00:43:09,719 --> 00:43:11,600 Speaker 3: did you what did you visualize? 791 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:14,480 Speaker 1: What where were you thinking? Where were we expecting for yourself? 792 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:18,920 Speaker 2: You know, you can only know what you know. My 793 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:23,279 Speaker 2: dad was a teacher. He was a horticulture teacher and 794 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:27,440 Speaker 2: a farmer, and and then he went to go get 795 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:31,719 Speaker 2: his master's in psychology. And he was an incredible composer. 796 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:34,880 Speaker 2: Had he not become deaf in one year, he probably 797 00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:36,360 Speaker 2: would have been a concert pianist. 798 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:36,920 Speaker 1: Wow. 799 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 2: He was an incredible piano player and wrote some beautiful 800 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 2: music that we all was heard growing. My mom was 801 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:50,080 Speaker 2: an incredible singer, but she was a homemaker. She raised 802 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:52,759 Speaker 2: six kids. I'm the youngest of six, and so she 803 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:56,480 Speaker 2: had a full time job, you know, raising us. The 804 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:59,960 Speaker 2: thing that happened to me was all of my siblings 805 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:03,439 Speaker 2: played instruments. My parents wanted each of us to choose 806 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:06,560 Speaker 2: an instrument to play, and being the youngest of six, 807 00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:09,160 Speaker 2: everybody else had chosen an instrument, and I didn't want 808 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:11,320 Speaker 2: to compete with anybody else. I went no, no, no, 809 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:15,160 Speaker 2: thank you. I'm going to dance. And so my dad 810 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:17,720 Speaker 2: would play music and I would dance around the house. 811 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:19,680 Speaker 2: And then pretty soon they went, well, you know, she 812 00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:22,239 Speaker 2: seems really interested in this, let's get her in some 813 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:26,400 Speaker 2: dance classes. So I ended up going to Madam Schumacher 814 00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 2: in Portland, Oregon, who was a Russian like serious ballet 815 00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:34,640 Speaker 2: mistress and she brought Nuriev in to give us master classes. 816 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 2: It was incredible. But at the time I was you know, 817 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:40,880 Speaker 2: I was flat and skinny and short. And then I 818 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:46,920 Speaker 2: had this huge growth burst and I soon realized that 819 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:49,280 Speaker 2: I would tower over any of the men in ballet, 820 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:51,600 Speaker 2: and there was no way anybody was going to hire 821 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:55,359 Speaker 2: me as a dancer. So I took that and I 822 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:59,279 Speaker 2: started to sing in musicals, and I started choreography. So 823 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:04,439 Speaker 2: I choreographed Le Fiddler on the Roof and that led 824 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 2: me to being in the Wizard of Oz as the 825 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:10,319 Speaker 2: good Witch. It was Glinda, which is still popular right 826 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:14,360 Speaker 2: now with Wicked. So I did that, and then I 827 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:16,520 Speaker 2: played the lead in Music Man, and I was marrying 828 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:21,719 Speaker 2: the Librarian and I would love to do that a 829 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:22,920 Speaker 2: Broadway with Hugh Jackman. 830 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:25,719 Speaker 1: By the way, I want to see that. 831 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:31,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. Anyway, So my dad said, well, you know, he's 832 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:33,439 Speaker 2: a college counselor, so his job is helping people find 833 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:35,960 Speaker 2: their their thing. And he said, you know, what do 834 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:37,279 Speaker 2: you want to do? And I said, well, you know, 835 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:40,000 Speaker 2: I was a tennis player, was on the tennis team. 836 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,120 Speaker 2: I was number one seed on the high school tennis team. 837 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:45,080 Speaker 2: And I said, you know I could be a high 838 00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 2: school tennis coach or in teach literature because I love language, 839 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 2: I love Shakespeare, I love all of those things. And 840 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:53,680 Speaker 2: he said, ah huh. And then he gave me this 841 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:58,040 Speaker 2: test and it was called the Strong Interest Inventory, and 842 00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:01,959 Speaker 2: I tested off the charts and formance arts as someone 843 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:04,400 Speaker 2: who would really love being a performer. 844 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:05,160 Speaker 1: Wow. 845 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:07,200 Speaker 2: And so he said, I think that's something you could 846 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:09,479 Speaker 2: look at too, because he'd seen me on stage and said, 847 00:46:10,239 --> 00:46:13,120 Speaker 2: you kind of got something, kid. You know, and most 848 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:16,520 Speaker 2: people either have parents that absolutely don't support them at all, 849 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:19,160 Speaker 2: or they have parents like mine who said, you're good 850 00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:21,160 Speaker 2: at this, you love it, go do it. And so 851 00:46:21,239 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 2: I did. I became a musical theater major in college 852 00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:26,080 Speaker 2: and that the rest is history. 853 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:27,040 Speaker 1: I love it. 854 00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:32,080 Speaker 3: I love that so much. That's incredible, incredible parenting. Yeah, yeah, 855 00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:36,759 Speaker 3: that makes me so happy. This is the ice small 856 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:42,719 Speaker 3: pop culture podcast. You haven't the most recent show you did, Unprisoned. 857 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:44,959 Speaker 3: I want to make sure we talk about imprisoned. Yes, 858 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:45,920 Speaker 3: tell us about that. 859 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:51,320 Speaker 2: Carrie Washington and Delroy Lindo were the executive producers along 860 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:58,360 Speaker 2: with Tracy and you have that Bowser and it was 861 00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:03,279 Speaker 2: based on Tracy's life and it's a story about her 862 00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:06,839 Speaker 2: growing up with her father in prison and what that 863 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:09,760 Speaker 2: was like being in foster care. And I play her 864 00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:13,640 Speaker 2: father's main squeeze, who is the woman who actually ended 865 00:47:13,719 --> 00:47:16,400 Speaker 2: up raising her for over ten years from eight to eighteen. 866 00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:17,080 Speaker 1: Wow. 867 00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:21,480 Speaker 2: And she had kind of a very difficult time accepting 868 00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:25,319 Speaker 2: this woman as a role model because it wasn't ever 869 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:28,239 Speaker 2: really fleshed out. But she was a sex worker at 870 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:33,239 Speaker 2: one time, and her dad was a pimp and a 871 00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 2: drug dealer, and it's based on true story. So I 872 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:41,879 Speaker 2: kind of tailor made. And I don't think I've really 873 00:47:41,920 --> 00:47:43,960 Speaker 2: said this outlined, but I kind of taylor made the 874 00:47:44,040 --> 00:47:49,680 Speaker 2: character after Sharon Stone and decided that she was kind 875 00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:56,120 Speaker 2: of this straight, tough talking, no holds barred, really strong 876 00:47:56,160 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 2: woman who decided to help her ma love interest, raise 877 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:04,839 Speaker 2: his daughter and do the right thing. And she ended 878 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:11,719 Speaker 2: up getting an MBA and becoming a successful part of society. 879 00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:16,600 Speaker 2: And so this character was something so different from anything 880 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:20,120 Speaker 2: I'd ever played. She was just ballsy and sex positive 881 00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:24,320 Speaker 2: and brash and you know, dressed in like leopard skins, 882 00:48:24,440 --> 00:48:27,319 Speaker 2: and it was just it was so much fun to 883 00:48:27,400 --> 00:48:30,239 Speaker 2: do such a departure from anything I'd ever done, and 884 00:48:30,280 --> 00:48:32,839 Speaker 2: that was on the heels of doing sixty first Street 885 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,480 Speaker 2: with Courtney the Evans, where I was this high powered 886 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:39,120 Speaker 2: prosecutor who was kind of tough as nails and you know, 887 00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:43,839 Speaker 2: kind of a I don't know, dressed down kind of 888 00:48:44,440 --> 00:48:46,520 Speaker 2: I'm going to get you in your face kind of now. 889 00:48:46,920 --> 00:48:49,640 Speaker 2: So I've been having so much fun playing these characters 890 00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:52,800 Speaker 2: in kind of the later stages of my career because 891 00:48:52,840 --> 00:48:56,160 Speaker 2: I'm getting to do really fun stuff and the comedy 892 00:48:56,239 --> 00:48:56,719 Speaker 2: is so good. 893 00:48:56,800 --> 00:49:00,360 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, and we're so lucky to be able to 894 00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:03,440 Speaker 3: watch this and have this out there. So this is 895 00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:06,000 Speaker 3: just so great. I'm Prisoned is on Hulu. You can 896 00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:07,680 Speaker 3: watch it on Hulu now to. 897 00:49:07,960 --> 00:49:11,280 Speaker 2: Carrie's Wonderful and del Roy's Wonderful. It's a great show. 898 00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:13,839 Speaker 3: Everyone should check it out. Brenda Strung, you've been so 899 00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:16,600 Speaker 3: generous with your time. Thank you so much for talking 900 00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:19,239 Speaker 3: to me, for sharing all your stories. This is We're 901 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:23,160 Speaker 3: all such big fans, and thank you for stepping into 902 00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:24,560 Speaker 3: stars Hollow with us for a bit. 903 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:26,120 Speaker 1: This has been just the best time. 904 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:29,440 Speaker 2: Happy to be with you, happy to be back in 905 00:49:29,560 --> 00:49:30,360 Speaker 2: Stars Hollow. 906 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:32,759 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. 907 00:49:33,480 --> 00:50:04,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, take care, hey everybody, and don't forget follow us 908 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:09,120 Speaker 2: on Instagram at i Am all In Podcast, and email 909 00:50:09,239 --> 00:50:22,719 Speaker 2: us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.