1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: The following episode was recorded before the WGA sag Aftra 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,439 Speaker 1: strikes of twenty twenty three. 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 2: So I was reminiscing on my early career and the 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 2: need for community, and at one point in my life 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 2: I started feeling pulled to give back. I was kind 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 2: of inspired by Paul Newman. I mean literally, like I 7 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 2: opened the fridge and I looked at the spaghetti sauce 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 2: and Paul was staring back at me, and you know, 9 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 2: they had raised hundreds of millions of dollars for charity 10 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 2: by doing something that you know, he really loved, which 11 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: was food and tomato sauce and popcorn and all those things. 12 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 2: And then I thought to myself, is there anything that 13 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 2: I have that could be branded in this same kind 14 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: of way to turn it into some kind of force 15 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 2: for good? And that's how we came up with the 16 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 2: six degrees thing. So my guest today, Penn Badgeley, brought 17 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: this exact point up. Our celebrities actually being helpful when 18 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 2: they leveraged their platforms for social impact. Is a tweet 19 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:13,199 Speaker 2: really enough? So lean it. I'm glad you're Hey, everybody, 20 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: we've got Penn Badgely here with us today. Penn, thank 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: you so much. Okay, so you were early to the podcast. 22 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 2: Are you a compulsively early person? Like, No, I am. 23 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 3: No. 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 2: It's funny. 25 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 4: It's funny that you say early. I mean I think 26 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 4: I was maybe four to five minutes early. That's early, man, 27 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 4: Which is You're right, it is early. No, I mean 28 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 4: especially since I had a toddler. You know, I've got 29 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 4: a I've got a I've got a two and three 30 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 4: month old. 31 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: So I would say. 32 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 4: These days, being on time is a is a feat, 33 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 4: is a herculean feet and I managed to do it 34 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 4: when you know, when I really need to do it. 35 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 4: But no, I'm not. I'm definitely not compulsively early. Although 36 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 4: I loved the feeling of being early. 37 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: Oh okay, well there goes my theory out the window. 38 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: You know, we have a lot of connections, but one 39 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 2: of the and this show is kind of about connections 40 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 2: with one of the connections I thought about, which probably 41 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 2: in my mind related to being early, was that we 42 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: both correct me if I'm wrong. Started out on the soaps, Yeah, 43 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: which one? Were you on The Young and the Restless? 44 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 2: And you know I was so you young? Were restless 45 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 2: or both? I was young. I was definitely young. I 46 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 2: was not. I was so young that I couldn't be 47 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 2: restless yet. I was. I was thirteen and fourteen years 48 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 2: old when I was Oh were you really? 49 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 3: Wow? 50 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, okay, wow wow. Well I was on My 51 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: first soap was called Search for Tomorrow, and then the 52 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:45,959 Speaker 2: second one that I was on for about a year 53 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 2: was Guiding Light. And what I'd like to say about 54 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: the soap because a lot of people will say to me, 55 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,239 Speaker 2: you know, it's just such a great training ground, and honestly, 56 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 2: for acting, I think it's a terrible training ground. I 57 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 2: agree with that. I mean in terms of, like, because 58 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: all you're doing is trying to make these lousy expositional 59 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 2: lines works. But what it is a good training ground 60 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 2: for is uh professionalism because you have to be there absolutely, 61 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 2: you know, when you're fourteen fifteen years old and you're 62 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: on which was probably maybe the biggest one that I 63 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 2: think maybe for a while. Yeah, so you're not going 64 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,959 Speaker 2: to show up like, you know, half an hour late, 65 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: like they'll they'll they'll find they'll find another be another 66 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 2: kid the next week, and nobody will care. 67 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 4: Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, profoundly, like you really 68 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 4: do feel at that age, especially I just remember being 69 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 4: really intimidated by it. It seemed like this giant apparatus, 70 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 4: this giant machine and going to CBS Radford or was 71 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 4: it the big the big CBS, the big giant CBS 72 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 4: where like you know they do. 73 00:03:58,040 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: The price is right. 74 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 4: It just it just was like iconic and historical. And 75 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 4: I was a short thirteen year old and everybody just 76 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 4: seems so tall and mustachioed, and it just it was 77 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 4: really nice. I mean, honestly it sticks out at my life. Yeah. Yeah, 78 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 4: I don't use it often, but there, I mean, there's 79 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 4: there's the who I'm thinking of is I forget his 80 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 4: real name, but he played this character named Victor on 81 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 4: The Young and the Restless. Anybody who knows it would 82 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 4: he just and he's got this iconic mustache, like probably 83 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 4: for forty years just had that thing. 84 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 2: Wow. Wow, that's cool man. Well listen, you know you've 85 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 2: had such a you know, interesting career. So was that 86 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: your very first gig and do you before that, do 87 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 2: you remember the moment where you kind of said, I 88 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 2: think this is what I want to do with my life. 89 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 4: Yeah, very much so. I was probably nine when I 90 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 4: realized this is what I want to do. Quote unquote, 91 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 4: and that was in theater I was doing. I was 92 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 4: doing community theater in Washington State where I lived at 93 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 4: that that point. But so I lived, I lived very 94 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 4: out in the Styx for a period. 95 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 2: We'd moved from east What was the town? What town 96 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 2: was it? 97 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 4: I mean it was outside of Isa, so it did 98 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 4: outside of Seattle. It wasn't that far into Seattle, which 99 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 4: seemed like such a major, major, and I mean it 100 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 4: is a city, it's a huge city, but but it 101 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 4: Having never lived in a place like New York at 102 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 4: that point, having never lived in a city, it was 103 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 4: it was like, you know, this giant metropolis and I 104 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 4: lived in in the mountains, skirting it. And because I 105 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 4: didn't have a lot of social outlets, theater was that 106 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 4: theater became that I and I and I loved the 107 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 4: art of it. 108 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 2: I did. 109 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 4: I clearly was drawn to that. But then I think 110 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 4: what I what what turned me on was was the 111 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 4: the sort of communal aspect, you know, like makes the 112 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 4: fact that the fact that you are encountering so many 113 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 4: different kinds of people, you know, like there was this 114 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 4: there's renowned playhouse there for young people called Seattle Children's 115 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 4: Theater that I was a part of. And you know, 116 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 4: I just remember like these I was probably eleven, and 117 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 4: there were like these fourteen and sixteen year olds writing 118 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 4: these like subversive progressive plays. I remember one was called 119 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 4: The Barbie's Demise, and you know, it was like it 120 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 4: was it was, it was inspiring, and so to me 121 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 4: it just seemed like a way to enter into and 122 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 4: participate in culture. Just it was art, you know. And 123 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 4: then by the time I was in LA a few 124 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 4: years later, and of course years then feel like lifetimes 125 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 4: when you're that age, you know. I mean, I'm trying 126 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 4: to think, like I started working in TV mostly I 127 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 4: did some films, and you know, everything was just like, okay, 128 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 4: I guess this is how it becomes a profession. But 129 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,239 Speaker 4: you know, I have to say, because I started so young, 130 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 4: that delineation between like pure sort of creative joy and 131 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 4: then like what it actually looks like as a job 132 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 4: that's always been I don't know, it's just it's just 133 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 4: it's just I feel like now in my in my 134 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,559 Speaker 4: late thirties, I'm starting to recover some of that joy 135 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 4: and oh yeah, you know what I mean, One for 136 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 4: one for the meal, one for the real. Yeah, that's 137 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 4: that is that's that's something I think that they I mean, 138 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 4: I think if you are an artist, which you clearly are, 139 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 4: then you're gonna have. 140 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: Some conflicts around it. You know what I mean, because 141 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 2: exactly so much of what we do is is you know, 142 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 2: the bottom line and trying to listen, trying to make 143 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 2: a living. I think we have a kid, it gets 144 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 2: it gets doubled down because all of a sudden, I 145 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: know what you're feeling, was but all of a sudden, 146 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 2: I was like, shit, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta 147 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 2: step up. This is not just about me anymore, you know, 148 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 2: I gotta I gotta provide. In a very I had 149 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: a very strong kind of like fundamentally male sort of 150 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 2: reaction to fatherhood, which was, Okay, here we go. I 151 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 2: gotta provide, you know, I get built, build the you know, 152 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 2: the brick house, and yeah. So I so I think 153 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 2: that having those two things in combination are are tough. 154 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 2: And you know, it's interesting you were saying about sets 155 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 2: of community. I that was for me one of the 156 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 2: two really important things when I first explored theater. Around 157 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 2: the same age that that that you did, I was 158 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 2: I was growing up in Philadelphia, I was finding any 159 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 2: kind of you know, theater stuff that I could do. 160 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 2: One was like I loved the closeness of these companies 161 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:32,719 Speaker 2: that I was. I wasn't in children's theater. I was 162 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: like apprenticing at at you know, grown up theaters. That's cool, 163 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 2: sweeping the stage and stuff like that. And they were 164 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,719 Speaker 2: all like, you know, loved each other or they were 165 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 2: hated each other, but they had this kind of like 166 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 2: bond that I felt like I really wanted to be 167 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 2: part of that club. But the other thing for me 168 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:53,839 Speaker 2: was being a kid and just being a guy and 169 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 2: trying to stay you know, kind of cool all the 170 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 2: time and trying to be tough and you know, front 171 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 2: with this kind of toughness. When I got into this 172 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 2: this place where we were all like, ah, you know, 173 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 2: let's let's pretend you're an art choke, you know, or 174 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 2: cross and all this other other kind of stuff, I 175 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 2: was like, Wow, this is I found a very very 176 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 2: uh it was like it was a real release from 177 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 2: me as a little boy. Yeah. 178 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, no, that that really resonates for me. I mean, 179 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 4: you know, it's it's awesome. 180 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 2: Man. 181 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,959 Speaker 4: I'm trying to think back, like because yeah, I did 182 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 4: I did do plays with full adult casts and stuff too. 183 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 4: And then of course you start getting into working in LA. 184 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 4: At the age that I did, I was usually working 185 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 4: alongside adults, and so I think it was this really 186 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 4: interesting mix of like something that was genuinely freeing and 187 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 4: then it was really laced with all that other toxic 188 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 4: stuff you can't escape and culture anyway too, you know, 189 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,079 Speaker 4: and and the way. And so for me, because I 190 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 4: moved to LA and was working at at at twelves, 191 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:57,839 Speaker 4: you know, and so then so by the time I 192 00:09:57,880 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 4: got in young and the restles saw this, I feel 193 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 4: like I have two minds of it, Like, man, it's 194 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 4: incredible that I've lived a life being able to do 195 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 4: what I love. That's that's true. And what can also 196 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 4: be true at the same time, is it because I 197 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 4: started doing that so young. I've never I can't really 198 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 4: recall after ten years old it not feeling like it 199 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 4: was somehow, Like you know, when you make something a job, 200 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 4: there's then this pressure, you know, I mean years later 201 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 4: when you have children. Of course that's a very real thing. 202 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 4: But I, you know, needing to prove myself at such 203 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 4: a young age, these sorts of things they you know, 204 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 4: you start to realize that it's you. I'm not sure 205 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 4: how to put words to it, but it's like it really, 206 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 4: all I know is that becoming professional and professionally competent 207 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 4: and actually financially independent at a very young age has 208 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 4: it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a 209 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 4: complex thing, you know, and it's sort of left its 210 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 4: mark and I and I think, you know, I kind 211 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 4: of wish that. I don't wish it, but I know 212 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,319 Speaker 4: that I would have a different relationship to it if 213 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,719 Speaker 4: I started a bit later and had you know, I 214 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 4: have friends who work now who went to conservatory, they 215 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 4: went to school for it, or they even sounds to 216 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 4: me like apprenticing a a at a real playhouse at 217 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 4: fourteen fifteen, that sounds like it has a purity to 218 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 4: it that for me felt like at that age was 219 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 4: already being kind of snatched away. And you know, you 220 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 4: mentioned the thing about like it's not a great training 221 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 4: for an actor to be in a soap opera because 222 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 4: you are turning paragraphs of exposition at a rate it's 223 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 4: so you know, you have to clip it out, you 224 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 4: get two takes. Maybe I think, you know, it's like 225 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 4: they are on time and to me that I was 226 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 4: so young and impressionable that those were not great lessons 227 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 4: to learn about what it means to be an actor. 228 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 2: You know, well, it certainly hasn't hurt your acting, and 229 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 2: it certainly hasn't hurt your your ability to you have 230 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 2: a career and to find I mean speaking of you know, 231 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 2: doing things that you find creatively satisfying. Uh what about 232 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,719 Speaker 2: the band and the music? Yeah, I mean are you? 233 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 2: Are you? Is the band's how do you pronounce that name? Yeah? 234 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 2: So it's just mother. We didn't X. 235 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 4: We had to go the X because there are a 236 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 4: couple of other mothers who gave us a cease and desist. 237 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 2: Okay, all right. I like the spelling. I like this bell. 238 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 2: It was a it was a hip thing to do 239 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 2: at the time. Yeah, I was. I was just checking 240 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 2: it out. It's it's it's it's really cool. I mean, 241 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 2: I really like the the fact that, uh, it's a 242 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 2: very specific sound, you know what I mean. The songs 243 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 2: are all very varied, completely varied, but there's but the 244 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 2: band has a recognizable sound. Do you guys play out? 245 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 4: And and we did so, so we we we have 246 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,439 Speaker 4: been able to become friends again. But basically it dissolves 247 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 4: like so many bands do because you don't realize what 248 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 4: you're getting into is like a marriage with with three 249 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 4: or four other guys. All of you have to have 250 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,319 Speaker 4: some kind of emotional maturity otherwise it's nice. 251 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 2: Imagine being in the band with your brother. Right. 252 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 4: Well, actually, yeah, that's that's pretty that's pretty huge. 253 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 2: That's great act. But so, yeah, I know what you mean. 254 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 2: It is like a marriage. 255 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, well I think you know, because like yours 256 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 4: continues ours ours ours did not. We we we we 257 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 4: made the one record and we made it in like 258 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 4: a month, and we toured it for about three and 259 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 4: a half years, and we got i'd say, really good. 260 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 2: I can feel really. 261 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 4: Good about what we did, what we learned, the way 262 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:37,319 Speaker 4: we could play a show, and the record that we made. 263 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 4: It felt great. But that were you the writer or 264 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 4: the writer? No, I mean so I was. I definitely 265 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 4: wrote the lyrics and a lot of the melodies, and 266 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 4: we you know, we all influenced each other's roles. But 267 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 4: there was a there was a our sort of producer 268 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 4: and beat maker who would lay the sort of foundation 269 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 4: of the songs. And we had two multi instrumentalists who 270 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 4: were like the guitar and bassist in keyboard players kind 271 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 4: of when we were recording, and then I would come 272 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 4: in and I would sing the top line, and you know, 273 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 4: and we and we, but we all did it like 274 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 4: in two different airbnbs in Chicago and l a uh 275 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 4: over the course of a month, and so we just 276 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 4: were all together, you know, just doing it constantly. 277 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 2: And and so so that you you were there were 278 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 2: some some live some live instruments, but a lot of 279 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 2: beats and a lot of tracks. 280 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 4: And I mean it sounds very it's gotten, its very 281 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 4: trive it is, and I mean at the time, it 282 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 4: was even before are In, It was like we were 283 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 4: making sort of indie electronic R and B before that 284 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 4: was even such a popular kind of like I think 285 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 4: the Weekend has now made that sound extremely huge and 286 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 4: and and a whole genre in and of itself. But 287 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 4: at the time I feel like we were we were 288 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 4: were wasn't as common, and we were trying to explore 289 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 4: something new and because I mean, we made this record 290 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 4: back and I was at the end I think we 291 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 4: made it and basically the last month of twenty thirteen, 292 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 4: and then we toured from like twenty fourteen to twenty seventeen. 293 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 4: And yeah, so we made the whole thing was like 294 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 4: analog since so everything was very organic in that sense, 295 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 4: even though it's electronic. Yep, and uh and then and 296 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 4: then the only thing that was completely manufactured where they 297 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 4: where there was percussion where the beats. 298 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 2: There's a whole whole group of people out there who 299 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 2: just heard analogue synth and it just went right for 300 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 2: those who know there is such a thing as an 301 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 2: organic synth. I mean, it's hard to it's hard to 302 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 2: put those two concepts together. You know, You've played so 303 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 2: many different kinds of people. I've actually kind of shocked 304 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 2: that we've never as far as I know, we've never worked. 305 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 4: Together, or we've definitely never worked together. But I remember 306 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 4: if we'd met, and I don't think we have. 307 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 2: I don't think so, you know, I don't remember and uh, 308 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 2: and so that's always kind of fascinating to me. I 309 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 2: love this silly thing on you know, on IMDb, where 310 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 2: you can hit the connections tab and we have like 311 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 2: a whole you know, I'm sure tons tons and tons 312 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 2: of connections, especially seeing as you did you in New 313 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 2: York or or or you're still doing it. 314 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 4: Are you still true. So we uh we just finished 315 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 4: the fourth Southon in London. 316 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 2: Okay, So first off, that's amazing. I mean, nobody It's 317 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 2: like when you know, in the old days, if you 318 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 2: got three seasons and they canceled you, Oh, that's a 319 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 2: terrible tragy. Now it's like a smash three seasons three, 320 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 2: not to mention of four seasons. So congratulations, that is 321 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 2: that is very very cool. I mean, are you still 322 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 2: enjoying it or did you have enjoy it? Yeah? 323 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 4: So because the role is so exhausting kind of like 324 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 4: spiritually and physically, I would say I do enjoy it, 325 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 4: but I enjoy it kind of like you enjoy at 326 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 4: some point, like a really difficult test to like running 327 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 4: a marathon. You know, it's like you're like, it's it's 328 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 4: a it's a it's a lot. I think typically trying 329 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 4: to you know, you talk about soap operas and stuff. 330 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 4: I mean, soap operas are an interesting template because they 331 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:17,959 Speaker 4: they are kind of like what all television structure comes 332 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 4: from in a way, and that television has gotten so 333 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 4: good is just is just sort of a testament to 334 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 4: the evolution of the format. But it is rooted in 335 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 4: what we think of as soap operas, whereas film is different. 336 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 4: Film is a different act structure. Well the fangers right exactly, 337 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 4: and then of course and the acts are actually have 338 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 4: always been structured around commercial breaks. So you know, there's 339 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 4: like there's this there's this aspect of television that I 340 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 4: think even in the absolute best of television, you know 341 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 4: you you still have something there of that original template 342 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 4: and one of those things that I think is just 343 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 4: still the difference between film and TV to me as 344 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 4: an actor is huge, where you you have to do 345 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 4: it for so much longer. We're in television, and you 346 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 4: have to produce so much more in less time, but 347 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 4: for longer periods of time. So so therefore the output 348 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 4: is that much more of a of a race, of 349 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 4: a sprint, but at marathon length. And so for that reason, 350 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 4: a lot of shows are ensembles, and you actually don't 351 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 4: usually have one person place so centrally in the middle 352 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 4: like you do more in a film structure. So so 353 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 4: my show is interesting because it's called you. It's about 354 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 4: my character and the way he sees everybody else, and 355 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 4: so it's so mental and it's so based in his 356 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 4: his his narration and his perspective that you know, my 357 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 4: participation is like essential to to like every aspect, even 358 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 4: in the editing. Yes, they can't. They can't get going 359 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 4: with the edit until they have my voiceover. So that's 360 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 4: why I made You've got a tremendous amount of voice 361 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 4: It's it's really it's so you know, and I don't 362 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 4: say this in any way that I'm complaining. It's just 363 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 4: I'm a witness to this process. It's like, wow, Okay, 364 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 4: So this is what it means to make like a 365 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 4: like a you know in the in the realm of 366 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 4: something like a prestige television show, you know, with the 367 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 4: spirit of like of of some cinema in it, but 368 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 4: also with that really intense kind of soapy, frothy pace. 369 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 4: And it's just and frankly, by the end of a 370 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 4: six month stint, I am so beyond spent. Like it's 371 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:23,919 Speaker 4: it's a lot. 372 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 2: I believe, hands down, having worked you know, pretty much 373 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 2: across the board in terms of the formats, there is 374 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 2: nothing harder than being the lead in an hour long 375 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 2: television drama. That is the hardest cake that you can. 376 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 4: I kind of agree with you, Yeah, I mean I 377 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 4: didn't realize it as much until this show somehow. But 378 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 4: I was like, yeah, this is because if. 379 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 2: You're shooting a movie, it can be really really hard, 380 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 2: but you know it's going to be over so exactly, 381 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 2: you know. But but when you're in an hour long 382 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:57,199 Speaker 2: television drama, you're going out there. I didn't realize you 383 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 2: were in London, but you're you know, you're going out 384 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 2: there your work and you're working the hours along the 385 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 2: demands alone. As you said, it's fast and furious. You 386 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 2: are gun and trying to make it, trying to every day. 387 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 2: Every day you just start. 388 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 4: And I don't know how relatable this is for people listening, 389 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 4: but yeah, everyone's. 390 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,199 Speaker 2: Like, wow, I'm so sad. 391 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 4: I directed an episode this year, and I cool, I 392 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 4: finally even more deeply internalized, like you know, the the 393 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 4: trick with television that's so hard. It's like you basically 394 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,119 Speaker 4: start every day behind so that everybody's just trying to 395 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 4: make that day that you had twelve hours to complete, 396 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 4: and it's just it's such a behemoth enterprise and it's legit. 397 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 4: Oh man, it's like and you know it's it is 398 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 4: thrilling and exciting for short periods, but but you know, 399 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:46,119 Speaker 4: it exhausts everybody who's a part of it, all the 400 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 4: crew members, everything. 401 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 2: I was talking to an actress recently and this this, 402 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 2: this is a question that I want to ask you 403 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,399 Speaker 2: about the playing a character like this, and playing a 404 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 2: character like this over such a long period of time 405 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:07,680 Speaker 2: when there are things of a super dark nature that 406 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 2: you have to you know, throw yourself into characters that 407 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:17,199 Speaker 2: do you know, inexcusable kind of things. What she was 408 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,959 Speaker 2: saying to me was that she was done with that 409 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 2: because she found it to be too traumatic and personally 410 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 2: too difficult to deal with. And I've heard, I've heard 411 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 2: my wife is an actress, you know, express kind of 412 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 2: similar things. For me, I kind of have the opposite reaction, 413 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 2: because I find that it's a chance to sort of 414 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 2: therapeutically exercise any kind of darkness that I yes, I 415 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: guess it makes its way into my bones and sometimes 416 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 2: it's hard to shake. But I but I find that 417 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,920 Speaker 2: this is like a it's you know, it's an exorcism 418 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 2: of stuff from me. So I'm just wondering if you've 419 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 2: if neither of those apply, or if you fall. 420 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 4: In the Yeah, I really am somewhere in the middle, 421 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 4: tending more towards what you just said, But my experience 422 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 4: is a bit maybe of a different perspective. 423 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:17,400 Speaker 2: I think, like. 424 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 4: I think, if you do it long enough, no matter 425 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 4: how you view it, it's going to become exhausting, just 426 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 4: on a practical level. So I can see Surety being like, 427 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 4: you know what, I can't. I can't. I can't. Also, 428 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 4: you know, one kind of this dovetails very I think 429 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 4: about this a lot because of this specific role and 430 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 4: how much how violent he is and how ultimately his 431 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,159 Speaker 4: violence lands on women. The two people you mentioned to 432 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 4: see it that way are women, and interestingly, when they 433 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 4: have to do something dark, it often involves violence on them, 434 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 4: And when we have to do something dark, we're often 435 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 4: the perpetrators of that violence. 436 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 2: That's a really good point. And I'm not saying a 437 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 2: good point. 438 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 4: I'm not saying that that doesn't hurt us too. 439 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 2: But it is different. It is different. 440 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 4: It's it's very different, like it's being a sort of 441 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 4: a passive rece receiver of a violence or being an 442 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 4: and and I think I think for someone who's in 443 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,360 Speaker 4: that role, you know, you can't really you can't really 444 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 4: tell your nervous system you're acting mm hmm. You can, 445 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 4: in fact, in fact, if you're a good actor. A 446 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 4: lot of times, the whole point is that you're blurring 447 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 4: that line. And I think that's so, you know, I really, 448 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 4: to me it becomes and that's where the reason that 449 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,719 Speaker 4: I don't see it as ultimately too traumatic is because 450 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 4: of the way I I take it on as a 451 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 4: as a as a profoundly kind of sacred and spiritual thing. 452 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 4: You know, as an actor, you are the You're not 453 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 4: the player, You're the instrument. You know, you're the You're 454 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 4: the moment where the You're the place where the pen 455 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 4: meets the page, or where the writer and director meet 456 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 4: the audience. You know, you're you're the You're the receptor 457 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 4: or sorry, you're the vessel. You're the channel through which 458 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 4: everybody's seeing all this stuff. Everybody thinks actors have all 459 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 4: this power and agency, and it seems that way because 460 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 4: you know, you're what you see. But we're really there's 461 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 4: nothing we have control over that we say, think, sorry, 462 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 4: not think what we say, what we where we're standing, 463 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 4: Everything about the whole thing we don't have any power 464 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 4: over except for how we feel and think, you know, 465 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 4: like how we respond to it all. And so to me, 466 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 4: taking on such intense material, you know, Like I think, 467 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 4: I continue, what inspires me is is that you have 468 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 4: to ground it, even if sometimes the sort of structure 469 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:34,680 Speaker 4: that's on the page just because of what's got to 470 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 4: happen can't be grounded totally in the reality of like 471 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 4: trauma and violence and human behavior. In that way, I 472 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 4: think as an actor, you naturally find that you find 473 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 4: the reality of the human experience in this intense stuff. 474 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 4: And so to me, if I couldn't keep learning truly 475 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 4: and like reflecting on myself and I think hopefully maybe 476 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 4: becoming a better person whenever that means or at least 477 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:05,120 Speaker 4: like I don't know, some more something you know, And 478 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 4: that's to me what feeds me in it. 479 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 2: Now. 480 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 4: The flip side is that I am tired of bringing 481 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 4: to life a guy that ultimately serves as something as 482 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 4: a warning rather than an invitation. You don't want to 483 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 4: be this guy, and you know you And so to me, 484 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 4: I think what I'm tired of is like exploring the 485 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:35,439 Speaker 4: lower nature of humanity. I'm interested in because we get 486 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 4: a lot of that now. You know, fifty sixty seventy 487 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 4: eight years ago, it wasn't as common to do that, 488 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 4: and you know, so you saw somebody like brand Owt. 489 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 4: I was like, Wow, what's this dude doing. It's different? 490 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,880 Speaker 4: And now we've like seen how many kind of explorations 491 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 4: like that, And so to me, I'm like, I'm interested 492 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 4: in something that's ultimately like rom com. 493 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:00,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's it. Well, you know, does it be? 494 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 4: I almost want to I like, I don't know. I'm 495 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 4: not saying that I'm a part of it, but I 496 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 4: want to see a vanguard of like new it's something 497 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 4: truly new, like like that there's there's new things of 498 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 4: God to come along and new people and new ideas. 499 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 4: And to me, I want to see something that's like 500 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 4: genuinely like complex and mature but inspiring and hopeful, you know. 501 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 4: And I don't think we see a whole lot of 502 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 4: all those things together. 503 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:23,879 Speaker 2: You mentioned that you're in your your pod pod Crush studio, 504 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 2: So tell me about pot crush. I'm curious about it. 505 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, so this is this is maybe part of that, 506 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 4: trying to create something that's that's mature and complex but 507 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,640 Speaker 4: also very sweet and wholesome and hopeful. It's it's a story, 508 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,199 Speaker 4: I mean, so it's in the name crushed, like feeling 509 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,159 Speaker 4: crushed and having crushes. These are the first kind of 510 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,479 Speaker 4: introductions to mature life that we have as people. You know, 511 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 4: when you're in middle school in America, but the world over, 512 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 4: it's like what eleven to fifteen something like that. These 513 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 4: are formative years, you know, and and and and you 514 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,159 Speaker 4: can have stories that are that are that are that 515 00:26:56,280 --> 00:27:01,879 Speaker 4: are hilarious and awkward or really traumatic and profound, and 516 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 4: you can kind of toggle between those extremes and find 517 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 4: all this depth and like sources of identity, and so, 518 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 4: you know, that's what we do on the show. 519 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 2: I have two co. 520 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 4: Hosts who are former middle school teachers or administrators. And 521 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 4: actually my business partner Nowva Kavlan, who's one of the 522 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 4: co hosts. She used to work at the un and 523 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 4: she one of her focuses was was research in media 524 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 4: and the effects of media on young people. And so, 525 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 4: like you know, being in the shows I've been a 526 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 4: part of, those are some of our first conversations and 527 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:43,400 Speaker 4: thinking about you know, just like young people and how 528 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 4: they're the future, wanting to inspire them and encourage them, 529 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 4: and so it's just one of those conversations turned into 530 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 4: in some way this podcast. We have a lot of 531 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 4: other things that we're trying to make but this is 532 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 4: one of them. 533 00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 2: That's cool, man, that sounds great. Got to I gotta 534 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 2: check up before we bring on our guest u because 535 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 2: this is applicable you follow the Bahai faith. Yeah, and 536 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 2: I just I'm wondering how you came to that, because 537 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 2: this will, you know, kind of lead it to our 538 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 2: our next guest here. Yeah, it does. 539 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 4: So I was what I was probably about twenty eleven, 540 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 4: so I was like, maybe, you know, something like ten 541 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 4: twelve years ago I first met a Behigh. It is 542 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 4: what you could say an independent world religion in the 543 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 4: sense that it has a founder and it has a 544 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 4: practices that define it as a religion. But a lot 545 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 4: about it is I think, redefining a modern conception of 546 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 4: religion very much. And I personally came from a very 547 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 4: sort of a religious or anti religious background, so I 548 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 4: was not looking for anything that I would call religion, 549 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 4: and I didn't feel comfortable using the word God. But 550 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 4: I was a spiritual seeker something, you know, I mean, 551 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 4: acting like that was always my art, was my religion, 552 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 4: and in. 553 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 2: Some ways it still is. You know. 554 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 4: It's not that there's a dichotomy there, it's just it's 555 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 4: just what is that the human spirit? And how we 556 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 4: all believe. I don't care who you are, everybody feels 557 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 4: something like there's you know, there's this human spirit, whatever 558 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 4: that is, and how do you connect to that, how 559 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 4: do you contribute to that? How do you draw from it? 560 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 4: For me, it was art. And then there got a 561 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 4: point where, like I said, actually I had no connection 562 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 4: to that art anymore. I was deep in the machine 563 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 4: of television, deep in deep in gossip Girl years and 564 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 4: I and I was, frankly, I was in despair. I 565 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 4: didn't I didn't I didn't know where it all led. 566 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 4: I knew that I had succeeded more than most do. 567 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 4: And I didn't have any kind of satisfaction because of it, 568 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 4: not a single bit if anything. It made me feel 569 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 4: worse as we all hear, you know, about fame and 570 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 4: money and all that stuff, and I didn't even even 571 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 4: have as much of it as you know, it can 572 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 4: it can get, it can really get up there. And 573 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 4: I was just being introduced to it, and I was 574 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 4: already like not doing too well. 575 00:29:59,400 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 2: So I was trying. 576 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 4: So I was trying to find some unique source of truth, 577 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 4: of reality, of wisdom, you know, of like of safety, 578 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 4: and security. And again I did not find and seek 579 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 4: out the Ba High Faith directly. As a result of that, 580 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 4: what I did was I went and stayed with a 581 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 4: tribe in Colombia called the Kogi tribe, which is the 582 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 4: largest pre Columbian intact civilization to date, and they've got 583 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 4: a deep practice and mythology and all this kind of 584 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 4: stuff and ritual and ceremonies. So I stayed with this 585 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 4: tribe for about two weeks and I happened to meet 586 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 4: a Behid there. And what's funny is that he was 587 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 4: like the only other early twenties white guy from New 588 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 4: York City there, and so I didn't really want to 589 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 4: stay in touch with him. He was not the person 590 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 4: I was trying to connect with, you know what I mean, 591 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 4: right exactly? Sure, And then we just kept running into 592 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 4: each other between the years of Occupy Wall Street and 593 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 4: Black Lives Matter, because I was very oriented towards and 594 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 4: am you know, oriented towards then I would have said 595 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 4: the word protest meant a lot to me. Now I 596 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 4: do think a bit differently, so I don't just want 597 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 4: to reduce it to that, but but that was something 598 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 4: I was very interested in. And yeah, so over time. 599 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 4: I just every now and then, basically what he what 600 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 4: he was doing for me, and what I use the 601 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 4: b Hy faith for is to link individual spiritual transformation 602 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 4: or whatever you want to call that mental evolution, conscious 603 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 4: evolution to that of the evolution of society. You know, 604 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 4: how do those two things connect. It's not just personal. 605 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 4: It has to contribute to the greater good? Otherwise what 606 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 4: are you doing it for? You know? And and he 607 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:36,719 Speaker 4: he would just share things and every now and then 608 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 4: I'd be like, what are you about to like, what 609 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 4: are you talking about? And then eventually, yeah, I just 610 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 4: like I became very committed, you know, the few behis 611 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 4: I knew. I was like, these people are the most 612 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 4: rad people I know. I think I think there's something 613 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 4: I got to do, you know. And and of course 614 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 4: the actual writings of the founder Baha'lah. I mean, these 615 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 4: things are I've never encountered any writings like them. They're 616 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 4: they're they're like the deepest poetry you know that speaks 617 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 4: to my heart unlike any other. So you know, that's 618 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 4: that's that's that's that's that's the essence of it. I 619 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 4: guess that's that's it. In a nutshell, Well, that's that's great. 620 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 2: I mean, what a what a fascinating journey to to 621 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 2: Columbia and then back to occupy and and meeting this guy. 622 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 2: I mean, it's just it's it's and it's not the 623 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 2: route that I think somebody would would necessarily uh uh 624 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 2: think of in terms of, you know, discovering a higher 625 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 2: spiritual plane. But that's that's really fascinating. 626 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: If you are inspired by today's episode, please join us 627 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: in supporting six degrees dot org by texting the word 628 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: Bacon to seven zero seven zero seven zero. Your gift 629 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: empowers us to continue to produce programs that highlight the 630 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: incredible work of everyday heroes, well also enabling us to 631 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: provide essential resources to those that need it the most. 632 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: Once again, text b a co m to seven zero 633 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: seven zero seven zero or visit six degrees dot org 634 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 1: to learn more. 635 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 2: The Tahira Justice Center secular organization founded on the principles 636 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 2: of the Bahigh faith, and we want to h be 637 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 2: part of what we're doing here with this podcast is 638 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 2: not only talking to famous and talented people like yourself, 639 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 2: but also shedding light on the people behind the scenes 640 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:41,480 Speaker 2: who are involved in the organizations that the famous people 641 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 2: care about. So I want to bring in from the 642 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 2: Tahira Justice Center, Anusha Sinai, who is the director managing it. 643 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 2: What is your actual title and thank you for being 644 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 2: here with us. 645 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 3: You welcome. My official title is the managing Attorney for 646 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 3: the Greater DC Baltimore Regional Team. 647 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,959 Speaker 2: Gotcha, Okay, tell me how you got involved and what 648 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 2: is the work that the Justice Center is doing currently? 649 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 3: Or The Taire Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization. 650 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:20,320 Speaker 3: It's a bahaih inspired organization whose mission is to deliver 651 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 3: holistic services to immigrant survivors of gender based violence. And 652 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 3: so we provide not only legal services, but social services, 653 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 3: policy advocacy, and our whole plethora of basic needs that 654 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:38,959 Speaker 3: our clients may need. 655 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,759 Speaker 2: That's that's amazing and is ours? Is this? Are does? 656 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 2: Are there people of the High Faith all over the world? Yes? 657 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:54,240 Speaker 3: Yes, although it is an organization inspired by the Bahai 658 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 3: Faith and not all the staff members are b High 659 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 3: but yes, the Bahai Faith, it's a worldwide religion. You 660 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 3: find behind members all over the world. I myself, I'm 661 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 3: originally from Italy and I grew up in the Bahiah 662 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:13,840 Speaker 3: community in Italy and the main purpose of the Bahai 663 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 3: faith is unity of mankind, which may appear simplistic in statement, 664 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 3: but it comes through the implementation of a variety of 665 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 3: socioeconomic principles that are based in spiritual teachings for the 666 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:36,120 Speaker 3: betterment of humanity, and the equality between the genders is 667 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 3: one of them, hence the inspiration for the organization. 668 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 2: Well, certainly equality in terms of gender worldwide is a 669 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 2: I mean, it's a it's a it's a If it's 670 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:50,480 Speaker 2: a big problem here in the States, then you know 671 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 2: that it's a huge problem many other places in the world. 672 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,480 Speaker 2: And and so what what specifically in what specific countries 673 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 2: are are are you are you focused on or is 674 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 2: it immigrants to the States that are that are mostly 675 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 2: focused on. 676 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, So all our clients are mostly here in the 677 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:15,240 Speaker 3: United States. They come from all parts of the world. 678 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 3: The majority, if you're looking for specific percentages, the majority 679 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 3: of our percentages are from areas in Central America, South America, 680 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:29,760 Speaker 3: and Sub Sahara Africa. But we do have a great 681 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 3: diverse demographic in terms of geographical coverage. 682 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 2: Now, if if someone comes to the States, what are 683 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 2: the main problems that they faced in terms of being 684 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:49,280 Speaker 2: immigrant in terms of gender and inequality. 685 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 3: So most immigrants, and I will include myself in it, 686 00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 3: don't usually leave their home country out of volition unless 687 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,360 Speaker 3: there is something else, you know, ahead for our client. 688 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:08,360 Speaker 3: Most of the times, unfortunately, or situations of violence and 689 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 3: war zones and forceful departure. And that's that's mostly the 690 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:17,239 Speaker 3: experience of the clients that we serve when they come 691 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 3: to this country. Apart from the expected barriers such as 692 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:28,480 Speaker 3: language systems, understanding exactly where to go and how to 693 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 3: go and what to get, even just disparity in terms 694 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 3: of food access and so forth, they come in with 695 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:40,800 Speaker 3: a great deal of fear towards law enforcement, for example, 696 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:46,240 Speaker 3: and then and they have to face a great deal 697 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 3: of stereotypes, a great deal of biases, a great deal 698 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:55,239 Speaker 3: of prejudice, and oftentimes they find themselves in situation where, 699 00:37:55,239 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 3: out of fear, will not report on instances of islands 700 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 3: that may have occurred here in the United States, whether 701 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 3: while in detention, in immigration detention, or while in the 702 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 3: United States more generally. 703 00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:15,320 Speaker 2: You know, Penn, I want to just a pivot to 704 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 2: you for a second. And you know, when I hear 705 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:23,719 Speaker 2: about this kind of work, I think to myself, there's 706 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 2: a lot of things that you could be doing rather 707 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 2: than supporting an organization like this, A lot of things 708 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:35,360 Speaker 2: that probably would be an easier lift. Well, the easiest 709 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 2: lift of all is not having any point of view 710 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 2: outside of just trying to get a gig and you know, 711 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:43,439 Speaker 2: like doing your work and as you said, going home 712 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 2: and being an exhausted Is there something outside of the 713 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 2: behind connection which clearly led you to this organization that 714 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:57,800 Speaker 2: you just feel is important in terms of getting involved 715 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 2: with something outside of this crazy industry that we had. 716 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:04,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, so I'll try and be succinct, and 717 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:06,080 Speaker 4: I'll try and start with the small and then go 718 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 4: to the big. So I mean, I wouldn't have become 719 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,320 Speaker 4: so intimately involved with the organization if it wasn't for 720 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:18,359 Speaker 4: my friendship with the founder, lay Miller Muro. She you know, 721 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 4: we we weren't close friends, but we had met and 722 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:26,320 Speaker 4: we had a lot of mutual friends and through. 723 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:29,920 Speaker 2: The Bahai community. And so so what happened was she. 724 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:33,440 Speaker 4: What in the fall of I don't know, twenty eighteen 725 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,440 Speaker 4: or twenty nineteen, she she asked me if I could 726 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:39,920 Speaker 4: help basically amplify the story of one person, one client 727 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:47,319 Speaker 4: of theirs, in particular, and yeah, yeah, so I'll try. 728 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 4: I mean again, it like it aknew she can help 729 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:55,239 Speaker 4: me because there are so many particulars about each person's 730 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:59,080 Speaker 4: story that are so connected to these really deep systemic 731 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 4: in justice in our country's legal system that you know, again, 732 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,400 Speaker 4: I'm trying to be brief and connect the big to 733 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:10,040 Speaker 4: the small. It's very very confusing sometimes, but basically, like 734 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:11,759 Speaker 4: what Anusia said about the ba High Faith, you know, 735 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 4: you asked, how much does it extend just beyond that generally? 736 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:16,319 Speaker 4: So I mean, if you're thinking about the oneness of 737 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,879 Speaker 4: humanity as a simple concept but having a really really 738 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 4: complex and kind of unimaginable reality as we try to 739 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:28,120 Speaker 4: bring it into reality. So like one of the things 740 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:31,879 Speaker 4: that I think is represents that spirit is that when 741 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:34,320 Speaker 4: you're trying to do something, it can't just really be arbitrary. 742 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 4: There has to be some kind of real motivation to 743 00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 4: do it, you know, like like where does And actually 744 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:42,240 Speaker 4: I think in this case, there were two things. 745 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 2: For me. 746 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:48,399 Speaker 4: It was that I was on a show perpetrating such 747 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 4: egregious cases of male violence, you know, usually on women, 748 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:55,560 Speaker 4: and then I had this friendship. So that's the big 749 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 4: and the small. It's like this big, giant social thing, 750 00:40:58,040 --> 00:40:59,720 Speaker 4: and then the small is oh, I had a friend, 751 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:02,520 Speaker 4: you know, I actually had a friend who did this work, 752 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:04,880 Speaker 4: and she was a woman, and she could speak to 753 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 4: it and and and she could really bring me into 754 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:14,000 Speaker 4: the work like broadly and socially why it's important. And 755 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 4: then also I witnessed kind of just firsthand, even through 756 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:24,000 Speaker 4: these glimpses, like what it actually looked like on the ground. 757 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:29,160 Speaker 4: I mean, I met this woman, Vilma Carrello, who who 758 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 4: was in detention in Georgia. She was separated from her daughter. 759 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:38,840 Speaker 4: Her daughter was born in the States, so her daughter 760 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 4: was a US citizen. 761 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:42,440 Speaker 2: Where was she speaking? 762 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:48,400 Speaker 4: I want to make sure this is accurate, but Guatemala, Guatemala, ounkin. 763 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 4: I'm again, it's been a long time since I since 764 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 4: I did the specific work with Velma, So you know, 765 00:41:55,200 --> 00:42:00,120 Speaker 4: again the yeahs as I as. I maybe stumbled some 766 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:06,680 Speaker 4: of the details, but I mean the the the challenge. No, 767 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:11,560 Speaker 4: I've only met Vilma once, Like I've only met Vilma once, 768 00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 4: and then she was behind behind plexiglass. She was she 769 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 4: was she was being detained, you know, basically for just 770 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 4: coming here. And I would actually let Anusha speak to 771 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 4: like this really difficult kind of when people come here 772 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:35,080 Speaker 4: in a position like Vilma's, they're immediately placed in a 773 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:38,799 Speaker 4: in a in a in a position of impossibility. They 774 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:43,719 Speaker 4: have a genuine, very simple personal need for help, and 775 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:50,439 Speaker 4: they deserve that because they're human. And and actually, even 776 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,760 Speaker 4: though there shouldn't be some kind of merit based ranking, 777 00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:56,120 Speaker 4: if you want to start trying to do that, you know, 778 00:42:56,360 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 4: like some kind of moral ranking system, as Innu she 779 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:01,160 Speaker 4: was saying, a lot of times, people who are leaving 780 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 4: here are doing something heroic. Sorry, people coming here are 781 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:08,320 Speaker 4: doing something heroic. They're leaving a home they don't want 782 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:12,720 Speaker 4: to leave, they're being forced. They're often women and children, 783 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 4: you know, and they're doing actually the thing that we 784 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:19,239 Speaker 4: tell stories about, you know, like they're they're doing they're 785 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 4: doing a hero's role. And then, of course, in our 786 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 4: in our sort of polarized political system, they get either 787 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:30,040 Speaker 4: painted by one side as as villains or you know, 788 00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:34,400 Speaker 4: unfortunately kind of objectified by the other side trying to 789 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 4: sort of use them as talking points and and and 790 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:40,319 Speaker 4: the average person trying to like understand the reality here 791 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,640 Speaker 4: and like do anything meaningful is kind of lost in 792 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:47,840 Speaker 4: this polarized, divisive debate. Sure, yeah, you know what I 793 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:51,399 Speaker 4: mean and like, and so what does it actually all mean, 794 00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:52,759 Speaker 4: what does actually look like? 795 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:53,719 Speaker 2: What can I actually do? 796 00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:57,239 Speaker 4: And so as as a person who's famous, I have 797 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:01,120 Speaker 4: this uncommon ability to bring it to something just by 798 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:04,120 Speaker 4: literally pointing to it or being part of it or 799 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:07,400 Speaker 4: posting or something, you know. And so that's why Ley 800 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:09,719 Speaker 4: invited me into this work. Lady Millnermuro, the founder of 801 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:13,319 Speaker 4: the Taha Justice Center, she she invited me into into 802 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:15,640 Speaker 4: just to help amplify the story of this one person, 803 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:17,560 Speaker 4: to help her reunite her with her daughter. 804 00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:18,160 Speaker 2: And we did. 805 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:21,520 Speaker 4: And that's you know something I'm I'm actually. 806 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 2: Really proud of. 807 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:24,000 Speaker 4: And I want to highlight that I played a very 808 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:27,840 Speaker 4: small role, you know, I suppose it in some manner, 809 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:29,920 Speaker 4: a pivotal role, but very very small. 810 00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:32,719 Speaker 2: Well, speaking of roles to play, Anusia, I want I'm 811 00:44:32,719 --> 00:44:36,400 Speaker 2: interested in your point of view because this is a 812 00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:39,160 Speaker 2: little bit what we talk about on this podcast Visa 813 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 2: v the use of celebrity in terms of amplifying things 814 00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 2: that are important and the work that you're doing. Do 815 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,799 Speaker 2: you see any kind of a direct connection there, Yes. 816 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:58,040 Speaker 3: Yes I do, and I don't know necessarily if it 817 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:01,759 Speaker 3: is always a positive or an negative right. Because let 818 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:03,920 Speaker 3: me let me just take one step back. There are 819 00:45:04,040 --> 00:45:08,280 Speaker 3: laws in the United States that allow for an immigrant 820 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 3: who's coming to this country to seek a path towards 821 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:15,839 Speaker 3: justice and safety. Right, so those laws exist. It's not 822 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:19,640 Speaker 3: like our work is shooting in the dark and trying 823 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:23,879 Speaker 3: to make a case out of something that's not actually codified. 824 00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:30,000 Speaker 3: The unfortunate reality is that the system is oppressive to 825 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:34,200 Speaker 3: begin with. This system is built to create this othering 826 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 3: in all of these individuals that come to the United 827 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:41,880 Speaker 3: States to seek justice and safety. So when we are 828 00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:46,640 Speaker 3: partnering with voices such as yours and such as Pens, 829 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 3: it amplifies the rights that already exist in this country 830 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:55,000 Speaker 3: and the pathways that exist in this country, and that 831 00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:58,440 Speaker 3: the government of this country actually creative for the purpose 832 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:03,480 Speaker 3: of justice. We have forgotten what that looks like in 833 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:06,719 Speaker 3: when we go and implement it, because we have been 834 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:14,360 Speaker 3: distracted by focusing on the immigrant that fulfills our thought 835 00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:17,799 Speaker 3: of what they should look like, they should behave like 836 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:21,880 Speaker 3: they should come here for. And so to have powerful 837 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 3: partnership like celebrities like yourself and pen truly is allowing 838 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:32,279 Speaker 3: us to go in with a huge magnifying glass and 839 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:35,239 Speaker 3: say no, no, wait a second, let's go back to 840 00:46:35,280 --> 00:46:41,080 Speaker 3: the original intent behind these laws, behind these opportunities, and 841 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:48,280 Speaker 3: let's afford all human beings a fair chance and not 842 00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:51,359 Speaker 3: not based on politics and rhetorics that may be going 843 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:52,759 Speaker 3: on at the time. 844 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:56,920 Speaker 2: Tell me what it was that you brought you specifically 845 00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:59,240 Speaker 2: to this work, this kind of work. 846 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:05,000 Speaker 3: That's a very interesting and very deep question. I always 847 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:08,960 Speaker 3: felt since the age of five that my purpose was. 848 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:13,480 Speaker 3: When I was five, my word was defenser, like I 849 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:19,319 Speaker 3: needed to defend, and I was very much aware of 850 00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:22,799 Speaker 3: what my surroundings were. I myself, I am a ba hih. 851 00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:25,680 Speaker 3: You heard me earlier saying that I was born and 852 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 3: raised in Italy, but I have nothing Italian in my blood. 853 00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:33,920 Speaker 3: I'm fully Iranian. My parents are Iranian immigrants into Italy. 854 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 3: So I think from from the very beginning, that's what 855 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:43,000 Speaker 3: connected me with this idea of sharing the immigrant experience 856 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:49,520 Speaker 3: in a way that elevates the challenges and the the 857 00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:53,040 Speaker 3: the need to be seen as a whole person and 858 00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,560 Speaker 3: not just as part of a person. And so that 859 00:47:55,600 --> 00:47:58,719 Speaker 3: connected me with the work of the Tahari Justice Center. 860 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:02,839 Speaker 2: And what is what what is the to her Justice 861 00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:05,279 Speaker 2: Center working on right now, what's the is there is 862 00:48:05,280 --> 00:48:08,840 Speaker 2: there some specific program that you're deep in. 863 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:13,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, I'm sure you're aware that we touch on 864 00:48:13,600 --> 00:48:17,600 Speaker 3: various programs that have the gender based component. Right, So, 865 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:20,640 Speaker 3: we work on the under the violence again swim and at, 866 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:25,640 Speaker 3: we work with trafficking survivors, We work with children who 867 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:29,800 Speaker 3: arrived to this country and need that pathway to justice. 868 00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 3: And then a couple of years ago, as we all 869 00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:37,520 Speaker 3: watched the crisis in Afghanistan, we saw also the influx 870 00:48:37,760 --> 00:48:41,279 Speaker 3: of immigrants from that area of the world, and so 871 00:48:41,480 --> 00:48:46,280 Speaker 3: we created a specific project that allowed for a quick 872 00:48:46,640 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 3: and efficient answer to the need of our funds that 873 00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:53,480 Speaker 3: were coming into the United States and created the Afghan 874 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:57,560 Speaker 3: Asylum Project, and that in the last couple of weeks, 875 00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:00,600 Speaker 3: we finally are seeing successful stories come out of some 876 00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:04,920 Speaker 3: of those applications and our first wins for those asilum cases, 877 00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 3: which is wonderful. 878 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:10,480 Speaker 2: That's amazing, that's awesome. Are there ways that people listening 879 00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:13,880 Speaker 2: here can specifically help or get. 880 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:17,839 Speaker 3: Involved many ways, many many ways. But as we are 881 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:20,440 Speaker 3: in the twenty first century, you know, social platforms are 882 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:23,440 Speaker 3: the best way to gather information. We are present on 883 00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:28,239 Speaker 3: Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter. Our website Tahari dot org 884 00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:32,440 Speaker 3: is a wonderful opportunity for individuals to learn more and 885 00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:37,160 Speaker 3: find the best way that works for them to contribute. 886 00:49:37,560 --> 00:49:42,359 Speaker 3: If anyone is moved to provide financial donations, that is 887 00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:45,879 Speaker 3: certainly welcomed and always always appreciated. 888 00:49:46,480 --> 00:49:50,400 Speaker 2: I'm going to spell it out because I want I 889 00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:54,640 Speaker 2: don't want anybody to miss this. T A H I 890 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:59,280 Speaker 2: are i h dot org? Is that correct? 891 00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:00,600 Speaker 3: That is correct? 892 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:02,719 Speaker 2: Okay, I want to make sure that that's there and 893 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:05,319 Speaker 2: on and on that on that site, I'm sure you 894 00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:10,080 Speaker 2: can find all of the various tags for whatever, Twitter, Instagram, 895 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:13,760 Speaker 2: all the other socials right, yes, exactly, and different ways 896 00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:20,120 Speaker 2: to uh to help out, donate, get information and uh listen, 897 00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:21,960 Speaker 2: I want to thank you both so much for being 898 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:26,480 Speaker 2: here today. Uh, it's it's great to connect with you, Penn. 899 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:30,120 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm shocked at our paths haven't crossed until now, 900 00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:33,560 Speaker 2: but I really enjoyed the you know, having this conversation 901 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:36,320 Speaker 2: with you. Than thank you for having me and the 902 00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:39,919 Speaker 2: news you. Please keep up the good work and it's 903 00:50:40,120 --> 00:50:44,000 Speaker 2: it's it's very it's very valuable and important and uh, 904 00:50:44,560 --> 00:50:50,520 Speaker 2: thanks a lot for being here. Hey, guys, thanks for 905 00:50:50,560 --> 00:50:53,040 Speaker 2: listening to another episode of six Degrees. If you want 906 00:50:53,040 --> 00:50:56,160 Speaker 2: to learn about the ta Hera Justice Center, just hit 907 00:50:56,280 --> 00:51:00,000 Speaker 2: to their website at the tai Hera Justice Center dot com. 908 00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:02,320 Speaker 2: You can find all the links in our show notes. 909 00:51:02,719 --> 00:51:05,279 Speaker 2: If you like what you hear, make sure you subscribe 910 00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:07,600 Speaker 2: to the show and tune into the rest of our episodes. 911 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:12,040 Speaker 2: You can find it on iHeartRadio, Apple podcast, or wherever 912 00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:13,360 Speaker 2: you get your podcasts.