WEBVTT - How Empathy Drives Action with Kyra Sedgwick and SixDegrees.org 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:04.440 Okay, Well, today's episode is special. This is a person 0:00:04.519 --> 0:00:09.280 that I have never done a podcast with before. I'm 0:00:09.280 --> 0:00:13.360 not even sure that I've ever interviewed this person except 0:00:13.360 --> 0:00:19.840 maybe at breakfast about how she slept. This is my 0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:26.160 wife of thirty five years, the fabulous director, producer, an 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:31.120 award winning actress, my all around favorite person, Kira Sedgwick. 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:35.080 And to make it even more special, we have Stacy Houston, 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:41.000 who runs our foundation six degrees dot org. So this 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:44.040 is a very personal episode for me, and there are 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:46.360 two people that I'm very very close to, and I 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:49.199 think we're gonna have a lot of fun. So lean in. 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:59.880 It's a good one. Okay, here I am. This is 0:01:00.200 --> 0:01:03.400 very very special edition of six Degrees with Kevin Bacon 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:06.800 because it's a six Degrees with Kevin Bacon and Curra Cedwric. Hi, 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:07.600 how are you doing? 0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:08.720 I'm good? 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:13.640 How are you goodhead? You look amazing? Thank you who 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:14.600 set up your lighting? 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:15.920 Kevin Bacon? 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:24.319 Well, So, for people that don't know this, what's one 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:26.440 of our least favorite things to do? 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:31.120 What is one of our least favorite things to do? Oh? 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:33.759 I'm going it's a little very comersed and talk about ourselves. 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:36.679 Interviews about ourselves in our marriage. 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:40.240 Oh yeah, for sure. Oh yeah, that's right. The question 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:42.759 what's the secret to a happy marriage? 0:01:43.400 --> 0:01:44.800 What's a secret to a happy marriage? 0:01:44.840 --> 0:01:46.319 Kurra, that old chestnut. 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:49.360 The secret to a happy marriage is not to take 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:53.080 advice from celebrities about the secret to a happy marriage. 0:01:53.560 --> 0:01:56.640 Tell me how did you first? You two first meet? 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:02.400 Well, yeah, what's heard it all before? 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:06.320 Kevin? What's your favorite Kia Sedgwick movie? And Kurra, what's 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:10.440 your favorite Kevin Bacon. I mean, it's just so it's 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:14.560 so hard. I was just on with uh with with 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:17.560 Seth and Lauren Rogan, who are married couple. They are 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:21.560 first you know, married couple to be on the six Degrees. 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:26.800 Although this might air before it, but they seemed totally comfortable, 0:02:27.919 --> 0:02:30.920 you know, being and doing things together. I think I 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:32.680 think we just have a certain kind of I mean, 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:34.799 we've gotten better at it over the years, but we've 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:35.600 always avoided it. 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:39.040 Yeah, I mean I think, I don't know, it just 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:41.919 feels really revealing to talk too much about, and also 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:45.840 it somehow makes it I don't know, I always feel 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:51.079 like it sounds like, you know, showing off or it's 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:53.959 really easy or you know, coming off like it's too 0:02:54.000 --> 0:02:56.160 easy and stuff like that, and it's like, I just 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:58.519 don't want to come off like that. Plus it's ours, 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:00.520 And the more that we talk about it press, the 0:03:00.639 --> 0:03:03.120 less it feels like it's ours, it's everybody that it 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:04.519 becomes everybody else's. 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:07.720 Yeah. Yeah, that's a really good point. I feel the 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:10.000 same way about those two points. I mean, I also 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:13.440 feel like, you know, I don't want to be the 0:03:13.520 --> 0:03:19.360 guy that is supposed to give somebody advice right on 0:03:19.480 --> 0:03:22.320 how to stay married that that I don't I don't know. 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:24.919 I just I don't know. And and and the other 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:27.519 thing that makes me nuts about it makes me nuts 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.839 about press in general. But is that you know, when 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:35.000 was the last time you read like a full profile 0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:38.040 of anyone or a full interview with anyone. Everything gets 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:40.920 homogenized down to a single. 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:43.840 Sound bite line sound bite totally. 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:47.280 And or headline or whatever. And it when you're talking 0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:52.240 about thirty five years of marriage, that that just becomes 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:57.000 just silly, you know, it's it's just it's disrespectful. How 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:59.760 are you these days, my love? What's what's h How 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:02.880 are you feeling about life and about the world that. 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:05.280 Yeah, oh my god, do you want to make me cry. 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:07.080 Is that what you want to do is to make 0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:07.520 me cry. 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:09.520 I never want to make you cry. I never want 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:10.080 to make you cry. 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:14.200 I mean I'm feeling I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed, to be 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:16.760 perfectly honest with you, with the state of the world. 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:21.440 And today we you know, heard about two shootings and 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:25.599 it just feels pretty overwhelming, and it just feels like 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:28.159 the world is in such a mess. 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:29.520 How could we possibly fix it? 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:36.479 And I know that the antidote to feeling helpless and 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:40.120 helpless is to get into action. So, you know, I 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:43.599 posted something on my Instagram from every town about you know, 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:48.560 about gun violence, and I am talking to you today 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:53.760 and I do what I can every day to make 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:56.279 me feel like I'm part of a solution and not 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:57.200 part of the problem. 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:01.800 So when did you first start to feel like you 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:05.479 were like that was going to be a part of it. 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:08.080 That no, not that part of it. When did you 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:09.640 first start to feel like you were part of the 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:14.320 solution rather than part of the problem. Because I feel like, well, 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:18.040 we met when you were twenty one, I think it, 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:24.400 and you already at twenty one had a pretty big, 0:05:25.480 --> 0:05:31.760 complicated worldview. Yeah, I think so is it, Yeah, I think. 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:34.480 I mean, I know that, I know that having the 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:39.080 kids would definitely kind of send it home. But I 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:45.760 remember you definitely feeling like much more so than me, 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:51.680 thinking about about just causes and things that were going 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:52.760 on in the world. I mean, where do you think 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:55.120 that comes from. 0:05:54.480 --> 0:06:00.000 I think it's an extension, an extension of an empathy 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:03.560 gene that might be dialed up to eleven, you know. 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:06.320 But I'm happy for it, grateful for it. I mean, 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:08.760 I think that's what drew me to being an actor, 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:14.839 is compassion for other people and people in difficult circumstances. 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:21.799 And then also this like really fierce feeling of really 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:25.359 like black and white thinking around right and wrong, you know, 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:29.680 things that were fair and unfair and so much inequality 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:32.599 and so many things that were so unfair. And it's 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:35.640 a sort of childlike rage that I can get into. 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:38.480 Like I can't believe it's so unfair, you. 0:06:38.440 --> 0:06:42.600 Know, and it's and I'm happy for it, even though 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:45.560 it causes me some it causes me a lot of 0:06:45.600 --> 0:06:48.400 despair sometimes, but I'm happy for it because I think 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:51.080 it helps me as an actor and as a director. 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:53.560 But I also think it helps me as a civilian 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:57.320 you know, to feel responsible for the world I live 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:00.520 in and to think that in some ways I can 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:04.240 affect change, and change doesn't always have to be huge. 0:07:04.360 --> 0:07:08.200 It can also be small, little incremental things. And that's 0:07:08.200 --> 0:07:12.080 sort of the bigger picture of my activism is this 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:15.800 idea of grassroots you know that really like it has 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.320 to be from the grassroots up. It has to be 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:23.680 little things, knocking on doors, you know, giving someone pulling 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:26.200 someone up, you know, reaching your hand down and pulling 0:07:26.200 --> 0:07:29.800 someone up. Like very it can be small and they 0:07:29.880 --> 0:07:32.080 have a bigger effect on people because I feel like 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:35.280 it's like this great snowball effect that can happen. But 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:39.880 I think it really comes from just this very childlike 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:42.440 feeling of like they are just things that are fair, 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:45.720 and just things that are just blatantly unfair. There may 0:07:45.720 --> 0:07:48.160 be nuance. As a grown up, I can embrace the 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:51.240 nuance a little bit, but there's also some things that 0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:53.920 are really clearly fair and unfair. 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:57.840 I feel like, correct me if I'm wrong that that 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:01.640 was very much. When I hear you say that, I 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:04.720 hear your father's voice. Yeah, is that true? 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.920 Yeah, definitely. My dad was into politics for a little 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:11.480 while on the local level in New York. And yeah, 0:08:11.600 --> 0:08:15.520 he definitely, he was very passionate. He would get very 0:08:15.560 --> 0:08:19.360 passionate about things. Oh my god, I shudder to think 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:22.640 what you would think now, but if you were alive. 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:25.800 But yeah, for sure, for sure. Yeah. 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:32.920 And I remember when the kids were born, which was 0:08:33.040 --> 0:08:35.120 about eighty nine. 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:36.760 Trap was born or some eighty nine. 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:41.600 Yeah, eighty nine, Travis was born. Pretty much right away 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:49.600 you started to get involved with activism around climate change, 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:52.480 which was then called global warming. And it was, when 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.640 you really think about it, a lot of people really 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.599 had no idea. Either they had no idea what you 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:03.160 were talking about, or they completely dismissed it as you know, 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:09.360 some kind of like crazy, you know, the lunatic theory 0:09:09.600 --> 0:09:12.800 from on the edge or something that was never going 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:18.000 to happen in our life lifetime. And here we are seeing, how, 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:21.800 you know, you know, not prophetic. I wouldn't say you 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:24.360 were prophetic. You were just smart about it and you 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:26.880 actually believe the science. And I thought that it's really 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:30.560 amazing to think back that that you were such a 0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:31.959 on the forefront of that thought. 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:34.719 Yeah, I mean, I think it's really you know, I 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.040 always think about it as like it was kind of 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:40.320 a selfish thing. I started to think about the future 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:42.440 for my kid, and I started to think, you know, 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:46.760 what do we have here on the horizon? And I 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:49.400 think it's sort of a mom's job, a parent's job, 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:52.320 but more of a mom thing maybe of like where's 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:54.480 the danger and how can I prevent it from happening 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.840 to my child? And I think that, you know, it 0:09:58.000 --> 0:10:00.320 just was something that was in the zeitgeist if you 0:10:00.400 --> 0:10:03.640 were listening in eighty eight, you know, in eighty eight, 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:06.360 in eighty nine. I remember specifically, it was a very 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:10.640 hot summer in eighty eight, and people were like, what's happening? 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:14.880 And then there was a lot of information that was 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:19.000 coming out, and I just was like voraciously reading up 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.920 on everything I possibly could and going in and speaking 0:10:21.960 --> 0:10:25.960 to scientists and getting clear and educated about what was 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:29.120 happening and the causes of it, you know, And I 0:10:29.160 --> 0:10:32.439 think that, you know, no one really wanted to say. Still, 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:34.760 no one wants to say, because of because of the 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:37.680 power of the of the oil and gas companies, that 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:39.680 that it is the burning of fossil fuels. 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:41.160 It is the burning. 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:46.599 Of gas and oil that is that is the it 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:50.680 is the reason why we are where we are. And 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:52.760 there's no two ways about it. And it used to 0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:55.719 be that we would, you know, try to say all 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:59.160 sorts of euphemisms, like, you know, it's one of the causes, 0:10:59.240 --> 0:10:59.680 but it's not. 0:10:59.880 --> 0:11:00.880 It's the cause. 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:04.280 You can talk about other things that contribute to it, 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:07.280 but it is the number one cause. And I think 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:11.440 that I also think that plastic was something that I was, 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:15.800 you know, really understanding, was is a petro chemical? 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:18.640 Is a petroleum product. 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:22.120 I realized that I knew, I understood that plastic is 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:26.880 a petroleum product very early on, and try to you know, 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:32.960 diminish our use of plastics around the kids entirely as 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:34.280 much as we possibly could. 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:37.280 So hard with kids to write, everything they touch, everything 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:40.720 they use, is plastic. It's just you're just inundated with plastic. 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:44.840 I remember when when our son was born, we decided 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:48.920 that we were going to use disposable diapers, and we 0:11:48.920 --> 0:11:52.720 were complete vagabods. We were living out of suitcases with 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.240 this brand new baby and going from town to town 0:11:55.320 --> 0:12:00.120 making movies and The Curious Movies and My movies. And 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:02.520 we'd come to a town, you know, in the middle 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:04.600 of nowhere and have to set up a diaper service, 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:06.760 and people look, are you out of your mind? Why 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:09.400 would you have a diaper service when you can just 0:12:09.720 --> 0:12:11.280 you know, go right down to the store and buy 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:14.120 a nice giant box of plastics, dis multiple diapers and 0:12:14.160 --> 0:12:17.360 make your life easy. But you were you were so 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:21.959 adamant that that that we not do that, and uh, 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:24.360 and you know, I just have to say, it was 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:26.720 it was, it was just it was. It's just always 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:30.120 I'm just always impressed with with with you around around 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:34.200 those things. You know, you really you really do walk 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:34.560 the walk. 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:35.920 Thank you, honey. 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:44.360 You know you mentioned uh being an actor and being 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:50.640 a director, and I wonder, uh, which is it? Is 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.360 a chicken in the egg thing? Is? Is is your 0:12:54.320 --> 0:13:01.200 compassion for the world, for the planet, for other people? Uh? 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:05.200 Sort of a result of the emotional kind of work 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:08.640 that you that you've chosen being an artist like this, 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:14.960 or has it has that influenced the choices that you 0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:18.720 make and the kinds of uh the films that you 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:21.560 want to direct or the kinds of parts that you 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:23.960 want to play. I mean, which came first? 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.120 Gosh, I mean I think it's kind of both. I mean, 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:28.960 I'm sure that I was an empathetic creature way before 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:33.520 I thought about you know, acting. But then then once 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.679 I started acting, the first thing I did was you know, 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.960 Tidle and Fiddler on the Roof and and you know, 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:45.120 I remember just feeling like I've been through the pogrums 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:48.400 and you know this has actually happened to me, you know, and. 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:49.840 You take it very personally. 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:53.120 Yeah, yeah, it felt good to make that my story 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:54.800 for a little while, you know what I mean, It 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:57.280 felt good to walk around in other people's shoes and 0:13:57.320 --> 0:14:02.200 to you know, feel their big feeling. So so I 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:07.280 think that probably you know, my empathetic, you know nature, 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:10.040 my my you know, I it's not it's not always 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:11.959 a great thing. Like I find myself a little bit 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:15.000 like invasions, invasion of the body snatchers, or I kind 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:17.920 of leave my body and go into other people's bodies 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:18.960 and feel their feelings. 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:21.720 But you think that's a bad thing. Why would that? 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:25.040 Well, because I think that it's a lot of it's 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:29.120 a lot of I think it's just makes life a 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:33.119 little bit harder if you're if you're taking other people's 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:36.840 feelings on a lot, and when they're not asking you to, 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:41.240 when you're not getting paid for it. You know, No, 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:43.720 I think it can be irritating. I could point out 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:46.520 a couple of ways in which it's irritating and you'll go, oh, yeah, 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:47.920 I know exactly what you're talking about. 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:50.640 I mean, do you mean to other people or it's 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:51.680 hard hard on you. 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:53.400 I think it's hard on me. I think it's an 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:56.400 added bird burden on me. Like she's really upset, Like 0:14:56.440 --> 0:14:59.160 there's one person in this party that's upset and I 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:02.360 can tell, and it's, you know, making it impossible for 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:04.200 me to have a good time at this party. Plus 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:06.080 I want to be annoying and keep going up to 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:08.560 her and going, are you okay? You okay, okay? And 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:11.320 that's annoying too, right, so right, right, yeah. 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:13.200 But then I think that, like what, it's. 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:14.520 A great quality I have as an actor. 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:15.520 Obviously, yeah it is. 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:17.800 It is a great quality. It's just dialed up to eleven. 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:20.880 Sometimes it's a little bit much. But I think that definitely. 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:24.280 You know, especially the things that I've picked as an actor, 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:27.480 they have to have meaning for me, like in the world, 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:30.080 like I have to it has to be it. I 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:34.600 have to feel like I'm making a contribution of some kind, 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:37.280 you know, I'm not just putting like more trash out 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:39.360 in the world that feels really important to me and 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:44.200 always has. And also like and then as a director, certainly, 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:45.760 I mean, if you're going to spend over a year 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:48.280 on something like I want to I want to know 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:50.440 why I'm making it. I want to know the fact 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.960 the effect that I want to have on people. Like 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:57.280 Space Oddity was very much about, you know, a twenty 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:01.000 something year old who's really depressed round on climate, you know, 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.240 and around the grief and the loss of a sibling, 0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:06.800 and because of that, he wants to go on a 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:08.040 one way journey to Mars. 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:09.880 But he grew up on a flower farm. 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:13.040 He's seeing climate you know, change firsthand, and he's really 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:16.600 in despair about it. And so it's really about his 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:19.800 journey of like falling back in love with the earth 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:23.000 right and becoming like I want to fix things here. 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:25.440 There is no planet b right. So that was like 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.680 very much why I wanted to do that story. It 0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:32.240 like felt really critical that I'd make a story that 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:36.000 had to do with you know, climate and climate change 0:16:36.040 --> 0:16:40.040 and the effect that it's having on everybody but specifically 0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:42.960 this young man and then tell the and then give 0:16:43.040 --> 0:16:45.680 like the antidote to that is like fall back in 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:48.200 love with the earth, like take care of this planet, 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:51.280 take care of your relationships, like deal with your grief 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.280 around it, and then move on and fix things here. 0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:56.920 Don't check out and go away. And that felt like 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:09.840 a big reason to do this. Do the movie. 0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:10.359 You started producing when you were very, very young. I 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:14.320 mean it was I didn't even really even at the time, 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:19.400 think of the implications, not only of your age, because 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:22.840 you know, I just never thought of you always seem 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:26.639 like such a grown up, a grown woman to me 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:28.679 from the from the from the time I met you 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:30.560 and now and now when I finally had had a 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:33.640 daughter many years ago who turned twenty one, I thought, wow, 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:37.320 is this one I married your mom? This is like crazy, 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:44.159 you're like a child. But I I you were so 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:51.240 hands on in in creating your own opportunities work wise, 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:56.320 in terms of like finding scripts and optioning books and 0:17:56.440 --> 0:18:02.080 things and and creating ideas. And it's as a as 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.200 a not only as a young person, but as a woman. 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:09.280 At that point in the industry, it was kind of 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:13.640 unheard of to a certain extent, certainly for an actor 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:18.320 to be doing that for for themselves. What what what 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:20.760 do you think it is that that gave you that 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:24.800 that impetus or that that confidence to want to like 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:26.440 to take charge in that way. 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:30.960 You know, I don't really know except to say that 0:18:31.280 --> 0:18:34.480 I I mean sometimes when you're older, you look back 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.080 and you go, God, I can't believe I had all 0:18:37.119 --> 0:18:38.520 that hut spot, Like, what the he? 0:18:38.600 --> 0:18:39.639 How the hell did I get that? 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:43.000 You know, I I just think that it was always 0:18:43.000 --> 0:18:45.840 a desire to do more, like to be a bigger 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:51.200 part of my business, to be a bigger part of 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:54.320 my my ability to make choices in the world, a 0:18:54.359 --> 0:18:58.120 bigger part of creating my own opportunities. You know, I'm 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:01.320 I'm really like, as you know, I'm a jack in 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:05.000 the box and uh, you know, and you know, always 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:05.680 wanting to. 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:09.399 I don't know life. 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:11.480 What I mean by that and what you mean by that, 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:16.600 because people may not quite get it. So give an example. 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:19.000 The Jack in the box is like, I could get 0:19:19.080 --> 0:19:21.399 up right now. I don't really want to even sit here. Yeah, no, 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:23.880 I mean it's really hard for me to sit still, 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:26.919 you know, and waiting around for scripts was not something 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:29.120 that I did well or continue to do well. 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:31.080 My Jack in the box, our Jack in the Box 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:31.800 story is. 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:35.720 That you know, we sit down to watch something, and 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:39.119 you know, literally every five minutes, I'm getting up and 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:39.800 doing something. 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:41.960 I mean, I'm always have a reason. 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:43.040 For getting up and doing something. 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:43.680 But sure you do. 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:46.240 But but but I'm it is hard for me to 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:47.040 sit still. 0:19:47.280 --> 0:19:50.280 And you multitask, you have you have a lot of 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:54.400 things going on all the time on a whole bunch 0:19:54.440 --> 0:20:00.000 of things that you're holding inside one mind at all 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:03.040 the time. And I would I would point out that 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:08.560 you know, a lot of them, a huge percentage of them, 0:20:08.920 --> 0:20:16.520 are various ways of doing service for other people and 0:20:16.680 --> 0:20:23.040 other causes. And whether it's you know, making sure that 0:20:23.240 --> 0:20:25.919 somebody you know that is close to you, you know, 0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:29.320 has a chance to you know, have a conversation, or 0:20:29.720 --> 0:20:33.480 or making sure that you show up on a picket line, 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:37.359 or or or you're trying to you know, make calls 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:39.880 in a political I mean, it's it's not just like, well, 0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:41.399 I got a script over here, and I got a 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:43.960 call over here, and I gotta you know, I'm you know, 0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:46.240 having lunch with my friend and you know, get my 0:20:46.240 --> 0:20:48.720 hair done. It's it's like a lot of big part 0:20:48.760 --> 0:20:50.880 of the multiple things that you hold in your head 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:56.200 are are are just ways of giving service and giving back. 0:20:56.240 --> 0:20:58.200 It's it's it's it's pretty impressive. 0:20:59.600 --> 0:21:00.000 Thank you. 0:21:01.440 --> 0:21:05.280 That's not really a question, was it. Uh No, But 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:05.880 I think that. 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:07.800 I also just want to say that thing about the 0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:10.440 producing thing. It's like, as a woman, like you can't 0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:13.200 really sit around or just wait for shit to happen, right, 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:15.119 you know what I mean. It's like you gotta like 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:18.040 keep things moving, you know. I mean as an actor, 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:20.399 it's hard to sit around and just wait for the 0:21:20.400 --> 0:21:22.720 calls to come in. And I, frankly, you know, even 0:21:22.760 --> 0:21:25.520 with all the success I've had, I've never had the 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:27.640 career where I could just like sit back and wait 0:21:27.640 --> 0:21:30.439 for this stuff to happen. So I think that, you know, 0:21:30.480 --> 0:21:35.400 I've always thought entrepreneurially that way. My father was an entrepreneur, 0:21:35.440 --> 0:21:38.040 and like, you know, I'm going to get this thing here, 0:21:38.080 --> 0:21:39.680 and when this thing here, I'm going to put these 0:21:39.680 --> 0:21:42.040 things together. And knowing what you don't know is just 0:21:42.080 --> 0:21:44.320 as important as like knowing what you do. Know. It's like, 0:21:44.400 --> 0:21:45.800 I don't know if I can do that, but I'm 0:21:45.800 --> 0:21:47.520 pretty sure I can do that. And if I don't 0:21:47.520 --> 0:21:49.000 know what I'm going to do, I'm going to bring 0:21:49.000 --> 0:21:51.320 in this guy and bring in this girl and you 0:21:51.320 --> 0:21:54.240 know so, so I think it's exciting and makes you 0:21:54.280 --> 0:21:56.960 feel like more in control of your life, and especially 0:21:56.960 --> 0:21:59.240 as a woman, and especially as a woman in this business, 0:21:59.280 --> 0:22:02.919 like we need, we need to take charge because otherwise, 0:22:03.760 --> 0:22:07.520 I don't know, you'll get forgotten or railroaded or something. 0:22:08.320 --> 0:22:13.600 And then, brilliantly, after all these years and having this 0:22:13.680 --> 0:22:18.200 tremendous success as an actor, you said, you know what 0:22:18.600 --> 0:22:24.160 I want to direct, and you know, talk a little 0:22:24.200 --> 0:22:29.119 bit about that, that moment where you know you decided 0:22:29.240 --> 0:22:32.680 to shift gears. You're not the first actor that decided 0:22:33.080 --> 0:22:36.399 has decided to do that, but I think it is. 0:22:37.520 --> 0:22:41.080 It's interesting, it's challenging, and I think in your case, 0:22:42.080 --> 0:22:44.560 correct me if I'm wrong, it was a little bit 0:22:44.600 --> 0:22:45.920 of an aha kind of moment. 0:22:46.160 --> 0:22:46.960 Yeah, totally. 0:22:47.160 --> 0:22:50.919 It was kind of shocking because if you read some 0:22:51.040 --> 0:22:54.440 of my old interviews, I would always say I'll. 0:22:54.200 --> 0:22:55.920 Never direct, I'll never direct. 0:22:56.600 --> 0:22:58.920 Boy, I really learned my lesson around saying never say 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:01.440 never because you just don't know. Oh. But I think 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:05.040 I was afraid to direct. And I think that number one, 0:23:05.119 --> 0:23:07.480 you know, I think that I wasn't exposed to a 0:23:07.520 --> 0:23:10.639 lot of female directors. I mean, after working as an 0:23:10.680 --> 0:23:14.280 actor for over forty five years. I've worked with a 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:15.800 handful of female directors. 0:23:15.800 --> 0:23:16.960 I mean, it's pathetic. 0:23:18.200 --> 0:23:20.280 So I don't think if you don't see it, you 0:23:20.320 --> 0:23:22.720 can't dream it, you know. And I think that that's 0:23:22.920 --> 0:23:25.000 a big part of it. And I also think that 0:23:25.320 --> 0:23:28.639 as you know, there was some famous line about you 0:23:28.640 --> 0:23:31.919 know your your your taste and your talent, like you 0:23:31.960 --> 0:23:34.800 know when you've been doing something for you know you 0:23:34.840 --> 0:23:36.959 haven't done it at all. You have this really you know, 0:23:37.720 --> 0:23:39.679 you have a you have a high level of taste, 0:23:39.720 --> 0:23:42.560 you know of like understand like I've always understood what 0:23:42.680 --> 0:23:45.040 makes not understood or like I've always I have a 0:23:45.160 --> 0:23:48.440 very I have a very clear I opinion of what 0:23:48.480 --> 0:23:52.040 I think is a good film. Oh yes, yes exactly, 0:23:52.240 --> 0:23:55.119 and you know, thinking and then. But my skill set 0:23:55.200 --> 0:23:58.320 would never be as high fluten as my tastes. Right, 0:23:58.400 --> 0:24:01.600 So I think that there's understanding that disparity can make 0:24:01.640 --> 0:24:07.040 you frozen in like paralyzed, you know, perfectionism, paralyzation, right, 0:24:07.960 --> 0:24:11.760 So I think that paralyzed and perfectionism, I think they 0:24:12.400 --> 0:24:14.960 can follow each other if you're too you know, worried 0:24:14.960 --> 0:24:17.240 about being perfect. So I think it's scary to take 0:24:17.280 --> 0:24:21.040 a chance. Women are generally risk averse for good reason, 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:24.320 because I think we only get one chance, maybe two. 0:24:25.040 --> 0:24:28.520 Don't get me started on that, and so we are 0:24:28.560 --> 0:24:31.000 a little more risk averse. But I think that, honestly, 0:24:31.040 --> 0:24:33.480 it had a lot to do with you, which is 0:24:33.520 --> 0:24:35.200 I you know, it's hard. 0:24:35.000 --> 0:24:40.199 To get enough credit, but I mean, I think for 0:24:40.400 --> 0:24:42.440 years you were like, you really should direct, you know, 0:24:42.600 --> 0:24:44.840 you really have an eye for it, you And. 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:47.800 And I just told myself a lot of stories, you 0:24:47.800 --> 0:24:50.560 know what I mean, about ways why I couldn't do it. 0:24:50.600 --> 0:24:53.240 And then I stopped telling myself that story. And I 0:24:53.320 --> 0:24:56.960 had something that I had been wanting to make into 0:24:57.000 --> 0:24:59.120 a film for a really long time as a producer, 0:24:59.640 --> 0:25:01.760 and and I finally was like, you know, I've lived 0:25:01.760 --> 0:25:04.480 with this thing for ten years, and the opportunity came 0:25:04.520 --> 0:25:06.440 to make it, and I was like, you know what, 0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:07.360 and I want. 0:25:07.200 --> 0:25:07.760 To direct it. 0:25:07.840 --> 0:25:10.480 And literally, when I set it out loud loud in 0:25:10.520 --> 0:25:12.520 the meeting, it was sort of like, who the hell 0:25:12.640 --> 0:25:15.280 just said? That? Was that me that I say that? 0:25:15.359 --> 0:25:17.679 But I but once I said it, I realized it 0:25:17.720 --> 0:25:20.520 was true. And I think that it was scary and 0:25:20.560 --> 0:25:22.720 it was you know, I felt the fear, and I 0:25:22.800 --> 0:25:25.359 just did it anyway, you know, and then fell madly 0:25:25.400 --> 0:25:27.680 in love with it, you know, so now I don't 0:25:27.680 --> 0:25:28.600 want to turn back. 0:25:29.000 --> 0:25:30.640 Well, there was no shock to me that you fell 0:25:30.680 --> 0:25:32.639 in love with it, And the reason that it was 0:25:32.680 --> 0:25:38.600 no shock to me was that I could always see 0:25:39.080 --> 0:25:42.960 you either on the set when you were acting in something, 0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:48.200 looking at things with a directorial eye, and I towards 0:25:49.960 --> 0:25:54.160 what's happening with this process? Is there anything that's going 0:25:54.240 --> 0:25:56.520 on here that's not going to be useful to us 0:25:56.560 --> 0:26:02.359 in the final product. You also oftentimes knew exactly what 0:26:02.480 --> 0:26:08.640 it was that another actor was missing in terms of 0:26:09.160 --> 0:26:15.959 their performance. And when we would watch films together. Now 0:26:15.960 --> 0:26:18.879 if we go to the movies, we sometimes have to, 0:26:20.240 --> 0:26:22.720 you know, try to remind you to you're not allowed 0:26:22.760 --> 0:26:25.240 to talk back at the screen, but while we're at 0:26:25.240 --> 0:26:29.880 home you do all the time. Oh my god, please 0:26:30.200 --> 0:26:33.640 or oh wow. These are things that you would say 0:26:33.680 --> 0:26:37.000 while watching, which to me sort of indicates that you're 0:26:37.720 --> 0:26:40.959 you're you have a certain kind of analytical thing about 0:26:41.000 --> 0:26:45.840 the art of filmmaking. Not to mention you know, your 0:26:45.920 --> 0:26:49.359 point of view or visual style, but I think you 0:26:49.840 --> 0:26:53.320 really came to it from a personal mostly a personal 0:26:53.359 --> 0:26:56.919 and human kind of, you know, connection to it. So 0:26:56.960 --> 0:27:01.080 it never really surprised me not only that you would 0:27:01.480 --> 0:27:03.760 want to do it, but that also that you would 0:27:03.760 --> 0:27:09.000 be so good at it, especially since I remember, you know, 0:27:10.040 --> 0:27:12.199 from the very from very early on, you come to 0:27:12.240 --> 0:27:16.439 the set and I could see you watching me off camera, 0:27:16.440 --> 0:27:17.919 and every once in a while and you come up 0:27:17.920 --> 0:27:21.320 and say, hey, do a little less or hey, you know, 0:27:21.800 --> 0:27:24.439 you know, don't smile some of whatever it was, you know, 0:27:24.840 --> 0:27:30.160 little little tips for hobby that you just couldn't resist. 0:27:30.800 --> 0:27:34.840 And sometimes I'd have to say, honey, uh, you know, 0:27:34.920 --> 0:27:38.320 maybe don't make any suggestions right now, because that's you 0:27:38.359 --> 0:27:43.280 know Clint Eastwood over there, or Ron Howard or or 0:27:43.320 --> 0:27:45.240 Oliver Stone or you know what I mean. 0:27:45.640 --> 0:27:50.280 But but it's it's it's it makes complete sense to 0:27:50.320 --> 0:27:53.640 me that you would have, you know, found this this 0:27:54.800 --> 0:27:58.639 other way to communicate all the all the you know, 0:27:58.760 --> 0:27:59.919 artistic talent that you have. 0:28:00.119 --> 0:28:04.760 H when you when we first started this conversation, we 0:28:04.840 --> 0:28:10.000 talked about, you know, how you were feeling and how overwhelming, uh, 0:28:10.720 --> 0:28:12.720 you know, life can be and the news can be 0:28:12.840 --> 0:28:16.960 and all those things. How do you personally kind of 0:28:17.040 --> 0:28:20.720 deal with that when when you when you when you 0:28:20.880 --> 0:28:22.880 have those feelings, well, I. 0:28:22.840 --> 0:28:27.480 Try to remember, in terms of the environmental depression that 0:28:27.520 --> 0:28:32.160 can overwhelm that part of my job is to love 0:28:33.320 --> 0:28:36.520 the planet exactly how she is today. 0:28:38.000 --> 0:28:38.640 And to. 0:28:42.640 --> 0:28:46.640 Take joy and solace in her beauty. And I feel 0:28:46.680 --> 0:28:49.920 like that's super important to do. So when I get 0:28:50.080 --> 0:28:53.520 overwhelmed with like how terrible everything is and I get 0:28:53.560 --> 0:28:58.520 so scared, I still that feels like a guiding life 0:28:58.520 --> 0:29:02.440 for me, like a very important thing to keep in 0:29:02.520 --> 0:29:08.360 mind that I get to, you know, be joyful and 0:29:08.920 --> 0:29:17.240 love what's here now. I think doing service is really 0:29:17.280 --> 0:29:19.560 the antidote to feeling bad. 0:29:20.160 --> 0:29:23.520 I mean, it just it just is. That's the question 0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:26.240 you asked, right, honey. Okay, yeah, yeah. 0:29:26.320 --> 0:29:29.440 I mean if I can do something every day that 0:29:29.600 --> 0:29:35.520 makes me feel like I'm taking an action for healing around, 0:29:36.880 --> 0:29:39.720 whether it's you know, what I buy at the grocery store, 0:29:39.960 --> 0:29:42.960 like avoiding single use plastic and going you know what, 0:29:43.040 --> 0:29:45.920 I'm not going to I'm not going to buy the 0:29:46.560 --> 0:29:50.200 you know, tuna sandwich that's in a plastic box for 0:29:50.280 --> 0:29:54.640 no reason or God forbid, like the plastic covered orange. 0:29:55.080 --> 0:29:57.600 You know, I'm going to make a choice with my 0:29:58.080 --> 0:30:02.200 dollar to you know, buy something that I know I 0:30:02.240 --> 0:30:06.200 can that will not create a lot of waste that 0:30:06.280 --> 0:30:11.000 will last longer than the Pyramids, which is what plastic lasts. 0:30:11.200 --> 0:30:14.480 How long plastic lasts. It will last millennium. It will 0:30:14.480 --> 0:30:18.520 be here long past my lifetime and my children's lifetime. 0:30:18.640 --> 0:30:21.400 So I have to understand that every time I use 0:30:21.400 --> 0:30:26.200 a piece of plastic, contrary to popular belief, it does 0:30:26.280 --> 0:30:30.360 not get recycled and recycled. For these companies are putting 0:30:30.400 --> 0:30:32.760 it in the ocean or burning it, which I don't 0:30:32.760 --> 0:30:36.400 think is recycled. Like three percent of all plastic is recycled, 0:30:36.400 --> 0:30:40.160 so that's a paltry number. So I have to So 0:30:40.400 --> 0:30:42.800 that's a way to take action right and make me 0:30:42.880 --> 0:30:44.760 feel a little bit better and a little more a 0:30:44.760 --> 0:30:51.040 part of the solution. And also doing service, any kind 0:30:51.080 --> 0:30:54.400 of service, whether it's you know, doing something for the 0:30:54.440 --> 0:31:00.240 food bank for New York City, or doing something for 0:31:00.800 --> 0:31:03.240 Swing Left, which is a you know, political group that 0:31:03.240 --> 0:31:07.400 I'm involved with, or or whipping up you know, phone bankers, 0:31:07.520 --> 0:31:11.000 getting on a zoom or going somewhere and going raw raw. 0:31:11.120 --> 0:31:15.080 You guys, you're volunteering. You're amazing. I'm so excited that 0:31:15.160 --> 0:31:17.120 you're here today, and let's go out and knock on 0:31:17.160 --> 0:31:21.640 some doors, you know, encouraging people to vote, encouraging people 0:31:21.680 --> 0:31:24.400 to use their voice, helping them understand that they make 0:31:24.440 --> 0:31:26.920 a difference, that everything they do makes a difference, and 0:31:26.960 --> 0:31:31.360 not be inundated with the apathy that they, the corporations 0:31:31.480 --> 0:31:34.040 want us to feel all the time and the political 0:31:34.680 --> 0:31:36.680 entities want us to feel all the time, so that 0:31:36.720 --> 0:31:38.720 we just don't make any noise and we don't get 0:31:38.760 --> 0:31:40.600 too angry, and we don't force them to make a 0:31:40.600 --> 0:31:41.920 different and better choice. 0:31:42.240 --> 0:31:42.479 You know. 0:31:42.560 --> 0:31:44.320 So I'm going to be that person who's going to 0:31:44.320 --> 0:31:46.760 be like, you can do it, yes, And that feels 0:31:46.880 --> 0:31:49.080 like something I can do. I'm good at, you know, 0:31:49.600 --> 0:31:52.400 going on MSNBC and talking about why I walked in 0:31:52.440 --> 0:31:55.720 the Climate March and specifically why I walked in it, 0:31:55.880 --> 0:31:58.040 and so, you know, just doing what I can to 0:31:58.560 --> 0:32:03.640 use my voice to elevate people that don't have as 0:32:03.720 --> 0:32:06.280 loud a voice, you know, or don't have people pointing 0:32:06.320 --> 0:32:07.520 a camera at them. 0:32:07.920 --> 0:32:11.160 And is there anything that you do? Uh, those are 0:32:11.200 --> 0:32:15.680 all amazing. Is there anything that you do personally just 0:32:15.880 --> 0:32:20.480 for yourself? I mean, drink tea or I don't know, 0:32:21.760 --> 0:32:24.200 I think people would be interested in a Yeah, I. 0:32:24.120 --> 0:32:27.120 Mean I think I exercise a lot. Exercise really helps 0:32:27.120 --> 0:32:30.840 me to both my serotonin because I can get you 0:32:30.880 --> 0:32:33.280 know blue. I feel like it's a it's a real 0:32:33.440 --> 0:32:38.440 like chemical thing for me. I meditate, try to meditate 0:32:38.480 --> 0:32:42.640 every day utterly and perfectly, because you know, there's no 0:32:42.680 --> 0:32:45.520 such thing as a perfect meditation. You know, you're constantly 0:32:45.560 --> 0:32:47.920 trying to discipline your mind to just come back to 0:32:47.960 --> 0:32:51.640 the breath and uh. And I find it really helpful 0:32:51.800 --> 0:32:55.480 because because it's so easy to like land on the negative. 0:32:55.560 --> 0:32:58.560 For me, it just it just is. And so so 0:32:58.640 --> 0:33:01.280 if I can like see that negative and move right 0:33:01.320 --> 0:33:04.880 past it. You know, sometimes sometimes it's important to immerse 0:33:04.920 --> 0:33:07.719 yourself and in, you know, the problem, so you can 0:33:07.840 --> 0:33:10.640 understand what the solutions might be. But sometimes it's like 0:33:10.720 --> 0:33:13.120 really unhealthy to immerse myself in the problem, so I 0:33:13.160 --> 0:33:14.800 try to like figure that out. 0:33:15.880 --> 0:33:16.040 You know. 0:33:16.200 --> 0:33:21.560 Community like community like talking to people, having friends, having 0:33:21.600 --> 0:33:23.840 a community that I can go to to talk about, 0:33:24.120 --> 0:33:28.240 you know, talking to other activists also really makes me 0:33:28.320 --> 0:33:33.000 feel good. Really, those kinds of things can help like 0:33:33.200 --> 0:33:37.520 quell the like despair and like you know, hamster wheel 0:33:37.640 --> 0:33:37.960 in my. 0:33:37.960 --> 0:33:41.680 Brain well, I think this is a good segue to 0:33:41.720 --> 0:33:52.800 bring in our pal stay Hugh Kacey. Stacy runs six 0:33:52.920 --> 0:34:00.920 degrees dot org, which is the foundation that I started 0:34:01.280 --> 0:34:08.280 and that Kira has oftentimes interacted and overlapped with, and 0:34:08.960 --> 0:34:15.280 that is where this where this podcast sprung from. So Stacey, welcome, 0:34:16.000 --> 0:34:16.719 thanks so much. 0:34:16.760 --> 0:34:17.719 I'm happy to be here. 0:34:18.040 --> 0:34:18.680 How are you doing. 0:34:19.360 --> 0:34:24.040 I'm doing good. Similar to Kira, it was a rough 0:34:24.080 --> 0:34:27.239 way to start the day, for sure. I know in 0:34:27.360 --> 0:34:30.200 this airs it'll be getting Tuesday and we're coming off 0:34:30.239 --> 0:34:32.279 of the holiday with our family and a good in 0:34:32.320 --> 0:34:36.600 a good space. But yeah, filming a few weeks ahead 0:34:36.640 --> 0:34:40.720 of time. Obviously, we woke up to some pretty sad 0:34:40.800 --> 0:34:44.680 news and it's almost numbing, but also the reason why 0:34:44.719 --> 0:34:46.960 we we get up every day and we do this work. 0:34:47.080 --> 0:34:49.960 So I'm just glad that I get to be with 0:34:49.960 --> 0:34:51.160 with you all today. 0:34:51.440 --> 0:34:53.840 And speaking of doing the work, which we're going to 0:34:53.920 --> 0:34:57.600 talk about, but I want to find out from you 0:34:59.400 --> 0:35:04.600 what is it, I mean that makes you want to 0:35:04.640 --> 0:35:09.600 do this work. You've been with six Degrees how many 0:35:09.680 --> 0:35:10.399 years has it been there? 0:35:10.480 --> 0:35:11.440 Almost eight years? 0:35:11.600 --> 0:35:15.680 Almost eight years? And when you came on board, it 0:35:15.920 --> 0:35:23.759 was just the greatest moment, I could just feel all 0:35:23.800 --> 0:35:34.480 of your compassion and energy and intelligence and drive. And 0:35:35.160 --> 0:35:39.160 you know, I'm always impressed with people who choose a 0:35:39.280 --> 0:35:42.920 life of being involved with, you know, giving back, And 0:35:42.960 --> 0:35:45.799 I just wondered what you think it is about you 0:35:45.880 --> 0:35:48.720 and about your upbringing the bride to this place. 0:35:50.520 --> 0:35:53.759 I think, first off, thank you, that was all so 0:35:53.960 --> 0:35:59.000 kind to hear. I think often this work finds us 0:35:59.320 --> 0:36:04.520 and it chooses us. You know, Kira, and I don't 0:36:04.560 --> 0:36:06.320 know if you remember this, we did a podcast together, 0:36:06.440 --> 0:36:08.319 the Web of Women, a few years ago, and that's 0:36:08.320 --> 0:36:10.800 when you and I really got to know each other well, 0:36:11.040 --> 0:36:14.319 and so much of what you spoke about that day 0:36:14.360 --> 0:36:23.120 and earlier today resumeets with me. I grew up in 0:36:22.680 --> 0:36:27.920 an environment pretty kind of mid upper class kind of town, 0:36:29.680 --> 0:36:32.560 but I had a mother who was legally blind, was 0:36:32.560 --> 0:36:34.279 in a car accident when I was eight years old. 0:36:35.520 --> 0:36:38.799 I had a father that was abusive and then left 0:36:38.840 --> 0:36:44.200 shortly after that, and then a stepfather that was an alcoholic, 0:36:44.680 --> 0:36:48.920 a wonderful man, but had substance abuse. And so a 0:36:48.960 --> 0:36:53.839 lot of my life was trying to sit in with 0:36:54.360 --> 0:36:58.440 what I felt like were perfect lives around me. Everywhere 0:36:58.440 --> 0:37:01.160 I looked which we all know that was wasn't the case, right, 0:37:01.239 --> 0:37:05.400 But that's how it seems when you're when you're young sometimes. 0:37:05.800 --> 0:37:09.799 But I was having to grow up really quickly, being 0:37:09.840 --> 0:37:13.120 somewhat of a caretaker and thinking about my mom and 0:37:13.120 --> 0:37:19.719 supporting her being visually impaired, also being the recipient for 0:37:19.800 --> 0:37:26.359 so many programs that helped our family get by and 0:37:26.719 --> 0:37:31.560 allowed me to play sports and play varsity volleyball and 0:37:31.640 --> 0:37:35.680 be a part of the school newspaper and go on 0:37:35.760 --> 0:37:39.239 to college and you know, be able to pay for 0:37:39.680 --> 0:37:42.719 the university that I wanted to go to, and so 0:37:42.800 --> 0:37:47.840 on and so forth. But I my whole life, I 0:37:47.920 --> 0:37:52.280 was a pretty deep mpath and still am, and I 0:37:52.320 --> 0:37:55.960 often would find myself similar to here. It just like 0:37:56.440 --> 0:38:01.719 overcome with emotion when something in the world was so painful. 0:38:02.400 --> 0:38:07.680 And when I had this opportunity to come and work 0:38:07.719 --> 0:38:10.880 for you, I felt like it was a culmination of 0:38:10.920 --> 0:38:13.960 all these different things in my life and my career 0:38:14.160 --> 0:38:16.880 because at that point I had been doing new market development, 0:38:16.960 --> 0:38:19.160 business and sales for quite a long time on the 0:38:19.160 --> 0:38:24.000 for profit side. But it was an opportunity to finally 0:38:24.120 --> 0:38:27.400 kind of use those skills and talent to move the 0:38:27.440 --> 0:38:29.359 needle more than I felt like I could do as 0:38:29.440 --> 0:38:33.480 just an individual, and you a looted that platform, that 0:38:33.560 --> 0:38:36.760 extension of you and your platform and Kira as well 0:38:37.239 --> 0:38:41.160 to help move these programs and help amplify these campaigns 0:38:41.480 --> 0:38:43.000 so that we could do a great deal of good. 0:38:43.080 --> 0:38:46.759 So really, I think it was, yeah, the culmination of 0:38:46.840 --> 0:38:51.719 kind of life experiences and knowing that I needed to 0:38:51.760 --> 0:38:56.719 take a step and I would only be fulfilled if 0:38:56.760 --> 0:38:58.520 I was doing kind of purpose driven work. 0:38:59.160 --> 0:39:03.839 Amazing, Well, this is an episode where we are shamelessly 0:39:03.920 --> 0:39:10.480 tooting our own hoards, starting with having listen to anybody 0:39:10.480 --> 0:39:12.240 would be lucky to have my wife as a guest 0:39:12.239 --> 0:39:17.080 on her podcast, So I and it was Stacy's idea, 0:39:17.480 --> 0:39:19.960 and I was like, well, like, I think she's going 0:39:20.040 --> 0:39:22.160 to want to do it. Let's say I'll get her 0:39:22.160 --> 0:39:23.839 to do it. I think she probably did it more 0:39:23.880 --> 0:39:25.480 for you, Stace than she did for me. 0:39:25.560 --> 0:39:26.399 We appreciate that. 0:39:26.680 --> 0:39:30.520 But since we are here tooting our own hoards, let's 0:39:30.560 --> 0:39:36.400 talk about six degrees and what we have going on 0:39:36.520 --> 0:39:37.120 these days. 0:39:38.040 --> 0:39:41.520 Yeah, for sure. So I think most people know the 0:39:41.560 --> 0:39:46.080 sixth degrees separation theory and what has been synonymous with 0:39:46.440 --> 0:39:49.440 you Kevin and your career, the sixth Degrees of Kevin Bacon, 0:39:50.640 --> 0:39:53.560 and just a little background for those that you know 0:39:53.560 --> 0:39:55.640 know that idea but know less a little less about 0:39:55.640 --> 0:39:58.640 six degrees dot org. You basically started this organization in 0:39:58.640 --> 0:40:02.799 two thousand and seven. You really wanted to take yourself 0:40:03.320 --> 0:40:05.600 out of it in a way, and you've talked about 0:40:05.640 --> 0:40:08.000 this lots of time in the past, like if you 0:40:08.040 --> 0:40:11.919 take me out, we're all just human beings looking for 0:40:12.000 --> 0:40:15.600 and in fact really needing connection. So six Degrees was 0:40:15.640 --> 0:40:19.920 founded along those principles and much of what Kira and 0:40:20.000 --> 0:40:23.960 you talked about earlier, like providing opportunities for people to 0:40:24.160 --> 0:40:28.040 connect with one another through these different service opportunities and 0:40:28.080 --> 0:40:32.719 opportunities to get back. So you know, we really just 0:40:32.920 --> 0:40:37.800 support initiatives that sustain in rich local communities. We're focused 0:40:38.160 --> 0:40:41.520 all in the United States. This podcast has been a 0:40:41.520 --> 0:40:44.120 way for us to kind of look at organizations globally, 0:40:44.160 --> 0:40:47.200 which has been really really fun. But our core programming 0:40:47.840 --> 0:40:50.719 have always been really focused domestically because that's where we 0:40:50.760 --> 0:40:54.319 believe we can make the greatest impact. So we have 0:40:54.480 --> 0:40:59.480 four pillars. Those pillars are youth empowerment, which we obviously 0:40:59.680 --> 0:41:02.680 do a lot or work around young people through music 0:41:02.760 --> 0:41:06.680 and education and you know, getting them tools and resources 0:41:06.680 --> 0:41:10.879 that they need, just as an equity, which is you know, 0:41:11.080 --> 0:41:14.560 it's a wide whye reaching of course from gender equity 0:41:15.040 --> 0:41:17.880 to and we kind of touched on that through LGBTQ rights, 0:41:18.760 --> 0:41:21.840 so on and so forth. Improving a sustainable living environment, 0:41:21.880 --> 0:41:23.799 and that's where we kind of do the work around 0:41:23.840 --> 0:41:28.120 climate action and PSAs to help people to move in 0:41:28.120 --> 0:41:32.319 the right direction towards better sustainable goals in terms of 0:41:32.360 --> 0:41:36.240 our environment. And then we really try to remain agile 0:41:36.320 --> 0:41:39.480 so that we can support some emerging crisis that come up. 0:41:40.440 --> 0:41:43.160 And it seems like that's happening obviously more and more 0:41:44.280 --> 0:41:49.399 directly related to gun violence or natural disasters that seem 0:41:49.480 --> 0:41:58.600 to be on the uptick. If you are inspired by 0:41:58.640 --> 0:42:02.120 today's episode, please join us in supporting six degrees dot 0:42:02.200 --> 0:42:05.680 org by texting the word Bacon to seven zero seven 0:42:05.800 --> 0:42:09.120 zero seven zero. Your gift empowers us to continue to 0:42:09.120 --> 0:42:12.920 produce programs that highlight the incredible work of everyday heroes, 0:42:13.080 --> 0:42:16.359 well also enabling us to provide essential resources to those 0:42:16.360 --> 0:42:20.000 that need it the most. Once again, text b A 0:42:20.080 --> 0:42:24.719 c N to seven zero seven zero seven zero or 0:42:24.840 --> 0:42:27.479 visit six degrees dot org to learn more. 0:42:29.680 --> 0:42:32.520 It's interesting talking about these pillars, and we've talked about 0:42:32.560 --> 0:42:36.279 it a lot, and it really relates back to you, Kurra. 0:42:36.600 --> 0:42:40.480 You know. You you were saying how you were kind 0:42:40.480 --> 0:42:46.480 of going down this list of uh, environment and hunger, 0:42:46.960 --> 0:42:49.799 your your relationship with food bank in New York, and 0:42:50.320 --> 0:42:53.880 gun violence and the times that you've you know, reached 0:42:53.880 --> 0:42:58.920 out and also on political causes. And you know, we're 0:42:59.600 --> 0:43:02.200 kind of in the same boade in terms of six degrees. 0:43:02.200 --> 0:43:05.480 And I often talk about how if you're going to 0:43:05.520 --> 0:43:09.000 be a celebrity and get involved with the cause, it's 0:43:09.080 --> 0:43:11.560 probably going to be easier if you just pick one, 0:43:12.239 --> 0:43:16.640 you know. And And when when I was taught thinking 0:43:16.680 --> 0:43:19.920 about doing this this uh, you know, six degrees dot org, 0:43:20.360 --> 0:43:23.319 every time I would think, well, I'll just do you know, 0:43:23.480 --> 0:43:25.880 save the redwoods, or it's just going to be kids, 0:43:25.960 --> 0:43:28.880 or it's just going to be you know, whatever it is, 0:43:28.960 --> 0:43:30.960 I just kept going, Yeah, but there's this over here, 0:43:31.000 --> 0:43:32.759 and there's this over here, and there's this over here. 0:43:32.920 --> 0:43:35.520 And there was something about the number six and the 0:43:35.600 --> 0:43:39.280 and the and and the and the idea of connectivity 0:43:39.320 --> 0:43:44.080 that I just really resisted and and so I think 0:43:44.120 --> 0:43:49.160 that it's interesting that all of us, all all three 0:43:49.160 --> 0:43:52.520 of us have that point of view where where where 0:43:52.560 --> 0:43:57.239 we just are, uh, we just see so much out 0:43:57.280 --> 0:44:01.319 there that that you know, needs help. And it's been 0:44:01.360 --> 0:44:05.640 so fascinating from the podcast point of view because people 0:44:05.680 --> 0:44:09.719 come in and every time I finished talking to the 0:44:09.760 --> 0:44:13.799 person that runs their organization, I'm like, oh, yeah, that's 0:44:13.880 --> 0:44:16.279 the thing, you know, and then somebody else comes in 0:44:16.360 --> 0:44:19.440 and we talk about that, and I feel that as well. 0:44:19.719 --> 0:44:22.359 I mean, are there challenge Jesus if I challenges in 0:44:22.440 --> 0:44:24.960 terms of that stace, like in terms of like, you know, 0:44:25.080 --> 0:44:28.520 keeping our focus being spread too thin? 0:44:29.600 --> 0:44:32.520 I mean, you know, I think absolutely. And for the 0:44:32.560 --> 0:44:36.120 first few years it was a struggle to also community 0:44:36.160 --> 0:44:38.160 keep that to funders, right because at the end of 0:44:38.160 --> 0:44:40.239 the day, you're doing all this incredible work. We know 0:44:40.360 --> 0:44:42.520 it's not just anecdotal. We can see the impact, we 0:44:42.520 --> 0:44:46.480 have the metrics around it. But you know, we talked 0:44:46.480 --> 0:44:50.160 about this. Sometimes it's easier to say we do water, 0:44:50.600 --> 0:44:54.520 we provide access to water and you know, and we 0:44:54.560 --> 0:44:57.640 put in wells, and that's a very easy and clear message, 0:44:58.040 --> 0:45:03.040 but quite frankly, it's it doesn't speak to kind of 0:45:03.280 --> 0:45:06.719 who you are, who I am here is like there 0:45:06.760 --> 0:45:11.560 are these diverse needs and they're all seemingly critical, right, 0:45:12.840 --> 0:45:17.040 and we want to be able to utilize the resources 0:45:17.040 --> 0:45:19.560 that we have and like our basically our core free 0:45:19.680 --> 0:45:24.120 programs to address these these needs. And so much of 0:45:24.120 --> 0:45:28.040 our pillars overlap, right because and we can talk a 0:45:28.080 --> 0:45:30.160 little bit about this some of our different programs, but 0:45:30.920 --> 0:45:33.680 you know, when we build kits, that's like our main 0:45:33.760 --> 0:45:37.760 program right now, where we are focused on pulling essential 0:45:37.840 --> 0:45:41.000 resources together and give them to different people in need. 0:45:41.160 --> 0:45:45.840 I mean that touches racial justice, food injustice, environmental impacts 0:45:45.840 --> 0:45:51.080 of injustice, and oftentimes we're coming in after natural disasters 0:45:51.080 --> 0:45:54.520 to help support people, or we just did this building 0:45:54.640 --> 0:45:59.040 kit in Houston to help with hurricane preparedness kids so 0:45:59.080 --> 0:46:03.880 that they could be better prepared should that inevitable hurricane 0:46:03.880 --> 0:46:06.959 come and hit that area. So I mean we see 0:46:07.000 --> 0:46:10.160 such an overlap now. So I do feel we are 0:46:10.280 --> 0:46:13.960 kind of keenly focused on core areas that we can 0:46:14.000 --> 0:46:18.399 do the most impact in the other core programs are 0:46:18.600 --> 0:46:22.640 Cause Evolved, and that's really what you're seeing with the podcast. 0:46:23.120 --> 0:46:28.399 So we're utilizing our unique expertise to create really compelling storytelling, 0:46:29.400 --> 0:46:31.120 and our hope is that we cut through the noise 0:46:31.160 --> 0:46:35.080 and really capture attention and then inspire people to action. 0:46:35.360 --> 0:46:37.799 So with this podcast, that's why it's really important that 0:46:37.840 --> 0:46:40.720 we have these call to actions. We have the people 0:46:40.840 --> 0:46:43.239 on the ground that are the true change makers on 0:46:43.360 --> 0:46:46.080 the podcast to talk about their day to day activities, 0:46:46.600 --> 0:46:49.040 because we know that no one tells a story better 0:46:49.080 --> 0:46:51.560 than those people that are like the battle soldiers on 0:46:51.600 --> 0:46:54.200 the ground doing this work day in and day out. 0:46:55.600 --> 0:46:59.400 And the celebrity is the hook, right Like, it's not, 0:46:59.640 --> 0:47:02.360 and it's different, right I think that we really have 0:47:02.440 --> 0:47:06.880 been thoughtful with the different celebrity or talent that have 0:47:06.960 --> 0:47:08.920 come on this show and that will continue to come 0:47:08.960 --> 0:47:12.000 on that we want them to have a sincere connection 0:47:12.719 --> 0:47:16.520 to truly care about the work. You know, it's more 0:47:16.560 --> 0:47:20.440 than a tweet, although tweets are important, right Like, it 0:47:20.520 --> 0:47:23.360 actually does draw a lot of attention those simple actions 0:47:23.400 --> 0:47:28.160 because of your immense platform. But we've used six degrees 0:47:28.200 --> 0:47:32.560 to you know, do format shows like this or play 0:47:32.560 --> 0:47:35.520 on which was the music benefit we did. We raised 0:47:35.560 --> 0:47:40.320 over seven million dollars for racial justice and food insecurity 0:47:40.560 --> 0:47:43.440 back in twenty twenty. You know, at the you know, 0:47:43.520 --> 0:47:46.480 basically what we thought was almost the end of the pandemic, 0:47:46.560 --> 0:47:49.640 and it was really only just beginning at that point. 0:47:50.480 --> 0:47:53.000 And then our third program, which is Degree Shift, and 0:47:53.000 --> 0:47:55.960 that's been something that we've been doing for quite some time, 0:47:57.040 --> 0:48:00.400 which is just being a convenor of these different campaigns together, 0:48:00.440 --> 0:48:06.040 different stakeholders, different people of influence organizations, and we get everyone, 0:48:06.920 --> 0:48:09.360 you know, with a single call to action and really 0:48:09.360 --> 0:48:12.240 trying to maximize the impact of that by drawing attention 0:48:12.320 --> 0:48:15.879 to a singular cause. And so most people probably will 0:48:15.920 --> 0:48:18.799 know the campaign that we did I Stay Home For 0:48:18.960 --> 0:48:22.320 and that was the beginning of twenty twenty when covid 0:48:22.760 --> 0:48:27.880 had just really shook the whole world, and you know, 0:48:28.080 --> 0:48:30.000 we call it kind of like a lightning and a 0:48:30.000 --> 0:48:34.040 bottle time period because it was a pandemic. The entire 0:48:34.080 --> 0:48:36.520 world was facing the same thing and we were all 0:48:36.520 --> 0:48:41.520 being told to kind of shelter in place. And our 0:48:41.560 --> 0:48:43.840 way of trying to support that was the campaign that 0:48:43.920 --> 0:48:47.400 you launched via six degrees Kevin, asking people to share 0:48:47.680 --> 0:48:51.520 a video or a photo simply saying who they're staying 0:48:51.560 --> 0:48:53.839 home for. And the idea was to say, we're not 0:48:53.880 --> 0:48:57.200 doing this for ourselves. Like you might be healthy, and 0:48:57.239 --> 0:48:58.839 you might be young, and you may not have any 0:48:58.840 --> 0:49:02.640 pre existing conditions, but you're staying home for your grandmother 0:49:03.360 --> 0:49:07.400 or for your sister that you know has an autoimmune disease, 0:49:07.600 --> 0:49:11.399 or so on and so forth. And through campaigns like that, 0:49:11.440 --> 0:49:15.239 we've received lots of recognition and support from the community 0:49:15.920 --> 0:49:20.040 through you know, Webbys and Shorty Impact Awards and Telly 0:49:20.120 --> 0:49:22.560 Awards and those sorts of things, which which is all great. 0:49:22.880 --> 0:49:26.719 That just lets us know that people believe that we're 0:49:26.719 --> 0:49:29.160 on the right track here. But the idea is that 0:49:29.400 --> 0:49:32.480 we build these campaigns that are really accessible for people 0:49:32.520 --> 0:49:36.320 to do. They're also easy to replicate, so that people 0:49:36.360 --> 0:49:38.960 can take ownership and make these campaigns their own and 0:49:39.000 --> 0:49:44.479 spread messages and appeals to their own networks and try 0:49:44.480 --> 0:49:47.880 to help further you know, the impact, and do good 0:49:47.920 --> 0:49:49.759 in their own communities and neighborhoods. 0:49:50.080 --> 0:49:51.600 Cure, I don't I don't want to put you on 0:49:51.640 --> 0:49:53.959 the spot, but do you remember any kind of six 0:49:54.040 --> 0:49:58.200 degrees based the thing that you were involved with that 0:49:58.719 --> 0:49:59.799 was memorable? Yeah? 0:50:00.120 --> 0:50:04.239 Remember that really great spoken word thing. Remind me a 0:50:04.280 --> 0:50:05.480 little bit of. 0:50:05.360 --> 0:50:07.839 That stacy we were That was a couple of years 0:50:08.280 --> 0:50:11.920 that was in d C. Yeah, March for Our Lives. 0:50:12.280 --> 0:50:17.400 Yeah, that's right, it was, that's right. Oh god, oh 0:50:17.520 --> 0:50:21.160 it's hard to think. Yeah, right, exactly, it's it's it's 0:50:21.200 --> 0:50:23.719 it's amazing because it was really I think it was 0:50:24.120 --> 0:50:29.200 Marjorie Douglas High School had that horrific shooting and that 0:50:29.400 --> 0:50:32.000 was the catalyst for March for Our Lives and it 0:50:32.160 --> 0:50:35.359 was a you know, trying to bring attention to gun 0:50:35.440 --> 0:50:41.000 violence in d C. And before the march, there was 0:50:41.320 --> 0:50:44.600 a an event at a like. 0:50:44.520 --> 0:50:45.000 A like a. 0:50:46.480 --> 0:50:51.200 Venue where people did spoken word about their experience with 0:50:51.280 --> 0:50:53.960 gun violence. And it was extraordinary and there were a 0:50:53.960 --> 0:50:58.120 lot of young people there and it was I think 0:50:58.120 --> 0:51:02.200 it was hosted by sixty degree and it was extraordinary. 0:51:02.239 --> 0:51:07.200 I mean it was You really could feel the need 0:51:08.080 --> 0:51:11.520 that these kids had to share their experience in a 0:51:11.520 --> 0:51:15.640 communal way and to have people be affected by it. 0:51:15.800 --> 0:51:18.960 And it was it was incredible for everybody, for the 0:51:18.960 --> 0:51:22.320 people that were watching and the people that were participating, 0:51:22.320 --> 0:51:24.759 and I thought, oh, you're really doing a great thing here, 0:51:25.040 --> 0:51:29.560 you know, you guys, really you really really got your 0:51:29.880 --> 0:51:31.080 finger on it. You know. 0:51:31.560 --> 0:51:34.680 It kind of comes back to us really focusing on 0:51:35.600 --> 0:51:40.120 amplifying voices with lived experiences, and that was an example 0:51:40.120 --> 0:51:42.680 an event where it was actually just young people that 0:51:42.719 --> 0:51:47.760 were asked to speak and share. And what Marjorie Douglas 0:51:47.880 --> 0:51:49.799 did so well when they were the kind of the 0:51:49.840 --> 0:51:53.799 catalysts for this March for Our Lives was enormous and 0:51:53.840 --> 0:51:58.279 I remember, I mean it was palpable the pain that 0:51:58.320 --> 0:51:59.960 you fell in the air from all these young people. 0:52:00.040 --> 0:52:04.239 But also their intention about making a change and having 0:52:04.280 --> 0:52:07.279 their voices heard is that they were inclusive in DC 0:52:07.480 --> 0:52:10.560 the night before out of all the young you know, 0:52:12.480 --> 0:52:18.640 inner city young people that experience gun violence all the time, right, 0:52:18.719 --> 0:52:22.279 and it's in their neighborhoods and in their communities, and 0:52:22.360 --> 0:52:25.239 they made space for that on on you know, during 0:52:25.280 --> 0:52:28.319 the poetry event and and the day the next day 0:52:28.360 --> 0:52:31.600 at the march. But I remember that I think that 0:52:31.680 --> 0:52:35.400 was our first time meeting in person. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:52:35.520 --> 0:52:37.279 And I just remember it being I mean, it is 0:52:37.320 --> 0:52:39.719 one of those things that's a unifier because it was 0:52:39.920 --> 0:52:44.399 very heavy, but but I think it's it's important, right, 0:52:44.440 --> 0:52:46.799 It was like comfortable. It was very hard, a lot 0:52:46.840 --> 0:52:49.640 of tears shed, but we show up and we look 0:52:49.680 --> 0:52:52.640 at it because we walk through that privilege that we 0:52:52.680 --> 0:52:55.480 don't you know, have those lived experiences all the time, right, 0:52:55.600 --> 0:52:58.040 but we want to show up for those that do, 0:52:58.719 --> 0:53:00.760 and we want to be an ally. 0:53:01.280 --> 0:53:04.000 I totally agree. And I think being you know, not 0:53:04.160 --> 0:53:07.480 afraid to look is a really important thing, you know, 0:53:07.680 --> 0:53:10.520 I think because these things do exist in our lives 0:53:10.520 --> 0:53:12.080 and they're happening all the time and they need to 0:53:12.080 --> 0:53:15.680 be witnessed. So I think that having that was pretty 0:53:15.680 --> 0:53:17.359 extraordinary for them and for us. 0:53:17.880 --> 0:53:21.360 Yeah, it was great. It was a great night. We 0:53:21.480 --> 0:53:26.280 have some special announcements scenes. This is Giving Tuesday of Stacey. 0:53:26.280 --> 0:53:28.400 You do want to talk about what we have going 0:53:28.440 --> 0:53:31.000 on here or any kind of call to action that 0:53:31.040 --> 0:53:33.600 we can hit right now for six degrees dot Org. 0:53:34.200 --> 0:53:40.319 Yeah, so, because we are still under this strike, I'm 0:53:40.360 --> 0:53:45.480 gonna dance around this a bit. But you think that 0:53:45.480 --> 0:53:45.920 I did that. 0:53:46.280 --> 0:53:50.280 I see what you did there. Maybe by Given Tuesday 0:53:50.280 --> 0:53:51.320 there won't be a strike. 0:53:51.600 --> 0:53:56.360 Maybe maybe we can bleep it into the script. But 0:53:57.640 --> 0:54:02.600 a certain dance film that has been synonymous with your career, 0:54:03.320 --> 0:54:08.000 Kevin is turning forty, which, oh, how is that happening? 0:54:08.080 --> 0:54:11.120 I don't It's like right twenty years ago, But somehow 0:54:11.120 --> 0:54:15.960 the film has aged passed you. So it's a fortieth year, 0:54:16.040 --> 0:54:20.400 which is amazing, and in celebration of that, six Degrees 0:54:20.719 --> 0:54:21.839 is going to commit to. 0:54:21.840 --> 0:54:23.719 By the way, I was, I was seven when I 0:54:23.760 --> 0:54:25.680 made that film exactly. 0:54:25.680 --> 0:54:26.520 It was amazing. 0:54:26.800 --> 0:54:29.200 It was amazing. They aged me up a whole bunch. 0:54:29.960 --> 0:54:32.760 It was sorry, I'm sorry to interrupt, go ahead. 0:54:33.719 --> 0:54:37.360 AI was involved in the conversation then as well, apparently, 0:54:38.680 --> 0:54:42.279 but no, I, it's as we're going to build forty 0:54:42.320 --> 0:54:48.640 thousand kits for the essential care items across the entire country. 0:54:48.680 --> 0:54:51.120 So that's our commitment at six trees dot org. We're 0:54:51.160 --> 0:54:55.200 going to be partnering with our network of community partners 0:54:55.239 --> 0:54:59.160 across the whole country. And what's really special about the 0:54:59.200 --> 0:55:02.319 forty thousand kis it's people might say like, okay, like 0:55:02.600 --> 0:55:06.799 you know, sure there are hygiene items and books and 0:55:07.760 --> 0:55:11.279 you know, shampoo conditioner, Like what does that really do 0:55:11.400 --> 0:55:16.400 in the longevity of this partnership. But we've been running 0:55:16.400 --> 0:55:20.600 this program now for six months, and we've been working 0:55:20.600 --> 0:55:23.600 with nonprofits at the grassroots level for a lot longer 0:55:23.640 --> 0:55:27.239 than that, and what we find is that, you know, 0:55:27.600 --> 0:55:29.440 it's the best way to put it. This way, you 0:55:29.480 --> 0:55:33.560 walk into target and if you want to buy house 0:55:33.600 --> 0:55:35.520 targets and to say I'm sorry, like we don't sell 0:55:35.560 --> 0:55:38.480 you houses, right, But when you're a constituent and you 0:55:38.520 --> 0:55:41.600 walk into a nonprofit and you might be there because 0:55:41.600 --> 0:55:44.319 it's a food bank and you're hungry, but guess what, 0:55:44.480 --> 0:55:49.000 you also need clothes, you might need job services, you 0:55:49.080 --> 0:55:52.800 might need housing. When you're in this type of purpose 0:55:52.840 --> 0:55:56.480 driven work, you don't just turn people away. You exhaust 0:55:56.520 --> 0:55:59.480 your resources and your efforts and your bandwidth trying to 0:56:00.200 --> 0:56:03.600 either you know, turn someone to another organization that you 0:56:03.719 --> 0:56:06.880 create a partnership with or it's local in the community, 0:56:07.440 --> 0:56:11.399 or you open up your pockets and you provide them 0:56:11.520 --> 0:56:14.000 with what they need in the moment. And so what 0:56:14.040 --> 0:56:17.520 we're doing at six degrees is providing these essential kits, 0:56:18.040 --> 0:56:21.799 really talking to the nonprofits on the ground what they need, 0:56:21.800 --> 0:56:26.839 what they're being asked for, providing these items to those 0:56:26.920 --> 0:56:29.840 organizations so that they can focus on their core programs. 0:56:29.880 --> 0:56:31.759 So this is a way that we can serve them, 0:56:32.239 --> 0:56:35.040 help with their bandwidth and their resources and get them 0:56:35.040 --> 0:56:37.040 focused on what they're doing day to day to really 0:56:37.320 --> 0:56:40.239 make an impact in a greater way. So we're very, 0:56:40.360 --> 0:56:41.799 very excited about. 0:56:41.560 --> 0:56:45.160 That we stopped three three hundred backpacks the other day 0:56:45.239 --> 0:56:46.160 down in DC. 0:56:47.200 --> 0:56:47.880 We did. 0:56:49.520 --> 0:56:50.800 It was it was awesome. 0:56:50.920 --> 0:56:51.480 It was awesome. 0:56:51.560 --> 0:56:54.640 Yeah, yeah, And that was a perfect example of like 0:56:55.120 --> 0:56:58.680 community organization coming together and local people that live in 0:56:58.680 --> 0:57:02.480 the area just stopping by and helping us with stuffing 0:57:02.560 --> 0:57:05.839 these backpacks and then getting them directly to a great 0:57:05.960 --> 0:57:08.640 organization that helps families and transition. 0:57:08.840 --> 0:57:09.920 So it's in a. 0:57:09.960 --> 0:57:12.160 Look that way, and it's going to cover kind of 0:57:12.200 --> 0:57:18.040 all of our different core pillars. And to officially launch 0:57:18.120 --> 0:57:22.120 us for Giving Tuesday, we have a fantastic partner which 0:57:22.160 --> 0:57:26.360 is Bonfire, and they are committing to twenty five thousand 0:57:26.440 --> 0:57:30.840 dollars in matching gifts. So if you text the word 0:57:30.960 --> 0:57:35.440 Bacon to seven zero seven zero seven zero, you can 0:57:35.480 --> 0:57:38.640 make a gift today and your gift is doubled, and 0:57:38.680 --> 0:57:42.320 it'll go on throughout the whole month into December. But 0:57:42.400 --> 0:57:44.720 it's going to be this kind of initial appeal for 0:57:44.760 --> 0:57:49.760 twenty twenty four and Bonfire is a really important partner 0:57:50.440 --> 0:57:53.080 for us. Bonfire has been a partner that we've worked 0:57:53.120 --> 0:57:55.400 with lots of times, and in fact, you and Kira 0:57:55.480 --> 0:57:59.080 have worn their shirts several times. So when we just 0:57:59.160 --> 0:58:03.320 did the Dragon is an art campaign people are listing, 0:58:03.400 --> 0:58:08.000 saw this little dynamic duo do a Taylor Swift dance 0:58:08.280 --> 0:58:13.280 with these really cool, beautifully designed T shirts. We did 0:58:13.320 --> 0:58:16.480 that with Bonfire, and it was an apparel campaign where 0:58:16.480 --> 0:58:20.520 we raised over fifty five thousand dollars and forty eight 0:58:20.560 --> 0:58:24.640 hours for ACLU and their Drag Defense fun which was 0:58:24.720 --> 0:58:31.160 really supporting lots of anti LGBTQ legislation fights that were 0:58:31.160 --> 0:58:33.320 all over the country. And we felt the need to 0:58:33.360 --> 0:58:37.040 stand up and exercise our voice. And you two stepped 0:58:37.120 --> 0:58:41.000 up and did we have the shirt? And you definitely 0:58:41.080 --> 0:58:48.160 did right, and you know, and with that we obviously 0:58:48.240 --> 0:58:50.560 did a great deal of good. But we also created 0:58:50.600 --> 0:58:54.760 these like walking billboards everywhere. And the great thing about 0:58:54.800 --> 0:58:58.920 Bonfire is like they're free to use. They take care 0:58:58.960 --> 0:59:01.600 of all the customers service for us, so we didn't 0:59:01.640 --> 0:59:05.720 have to really worry about our limited bandwidth or logistics. 0:59:05.760 --> 0:59:09.600 When it comes to fulfilling these products, it comes through 0:59:09.640 --> 0:59:14.440 as a donation for the organization, so that's a wonderful gift. 0:59:14.640 --> 0:59:17.680 People can also donate when they buy items. It's not 0:59:17.760 --> 0:59:23.880 just T shirts. We did coffee cups right now and 0:59:24.040 --> 0:59:28.320 toats and lots of different things that people can wear 0:59:28.880 --> 0:59:32.440 to help spread a message, right, and so Bonfire is 0:59:32.480 --> 0:59:36.000 open to the public. They can partner with them and 0:59:36.080 --> 0:59:40.080 they can put these beautiful campaigns that helped them to 0:59:40.360 --> 0:59:42.800 raise money, read a message, do a lot of good. 0:59:43.280 --> 0:59:46.280 They've been fantastic work to work with. We're just so excited, 0:59:46.360 --> 0:59:50.800 but really just a great, great support to the nonprofit community. 0:59:51.120 --> 0:59:53.160 And so they are a partner for this. We couldn't 0:59:53.160 --> 0:59:55.480 be more grateful because that's what it takes. It takes 0:59:55.560 --> 1:00:00.480 corporate partners stepping up and supporting us in this in 1:00:00.480 --> 1:00:04.600 this fight to the you know, spread good, spread kindness, 1:00:05.080 --> 1:00:10.080 build these kits, do social impact productions like this. It 1:00:10.160 --> 1:00:12.880 really takes a village. So we're grateful for hours. And 1:00:13.000 --> 1:00:16.840 today we are super excited because we're launching a special 1:00:16.840 --> 1:00:21.040 addition T shirt from your signature dance movie, Kevin. So 1:00:21.320 --> 1:00:25.200 if listeners go to bonfire dot com forward slash Kevin, 1:00:25.320 --> 1:00:28.280 they're going to see a super cool T shirt that 1:00:28.280 --> 1:00:32.240 we designed and got license and all that fun stuff 1:00:32.360 --> 1:00:34.640 so that we can raise money for all the programs 1:00:34.640 --> 1:00:37.080 that we talked about here today. And there's so many 1:00:37.240 --> 1:00:42.640 ways that Bonfire supports nonprofits and other individuals and change 1:00:42.640 --> 1:00:44.800 makers that are doing a world of good. So we 1:00:44.840 --> 1:00:48.720 have some really specific call to actions and they're easy, right, Like, 1:00:49.000 --> 1:00:52.760 mainly could share this podcast and you know, follow us 1:00:52.760 --> 1:00:55.000 along on all of our social media channels. All the 1:00:55.000 --> 1:00:58.800 links will be in the show notes. But really, following 1:00:58.840 --> 1:01:02.000 and engaging in content for nonprofits does a whole lot 1:01:02.000 --> 1:01:04.600 of good. Obviously, it helps us cast a much bigger net, 1:01:05.200 --> 1:01:09.000 increases our reach and therefore our impact. So we'd love 1:01:09.040 --> 1:01:11.600 to hear from you, guys, Hear what you're liking about 1:01:11.600 --> 1:01:14.960 the show, about the work that we're doing, and if 1:01:15.000 --> 1:01:19.400 you're so inclined, please join us as we fundraise to 1:01:20.200 --> 1:01:24.400 build all of these essential care kits by texting Bacon 1:01:25.000 --> 1:01:28.720 B A C N to seven zero seven zero seven zero. 1:01:29.360 --> 1:01:35.240 Thank you, Thank you, Stacy, you rock, You really do 1:01:36.200 --> 1:01:40.600 so hard amazing. I'm so grateful to have you with 1:01:40.680 --> 1:01:46.280 six degrees and yeah, it's the best. It's the best 1:01:46.400 --> 1:01:50.000 means and also to know you and your beautiful, two 1:01:50.360 --> 1:01:56.760 beautiful little girls and your fantastic husband. Yes, we're thrilled 1:01:56.840 --> 1:02:00.760 to have you as as our friends and hire. I'm 1:02:00.800 --> 1:02:02.600 very happy to have you as my friend too. 1:02:02.920 --> 1:02:05.480 Thank you, Thank you very much, thanks for asking me 1:02:05.520 --> 1:02:08.520 to come. It's amazing. It's an honor, really, it really is. 1:02:08.600 --> 1:02:12.200 You guys are incredible and six degrees is incredible. I'm 1:02:12.200 --> 1:02:14.280 so proud of you guys and what you've accomplished and 1:02:14.320 --> 1:02:16.840 what you continue to do with that podcast. I think 1:02:16.840 --> 1:02:19.440 it's really something special. So I feel lucky to have 1:02:19.520 --> 1:02:20.160 been a part of it. 1:02:20.640 --> 1:02:24.080 Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Kia, and come back anytime. Kay, 1:02:26.400 --> 1:02:32.840 Let's dat some more love you guys, Thanks for being here. Hey, guys, 1:02:32.880 --> 1:02:35.720 thanks for listening to another episode of six Degrees with 1:02:35.800 --> 1:02:38.200 Kevin Bacon. And if you want to learn more about 1:02:38.200 --> 1:02:41.560 six degrees dot org and all the work that we 1:02:41.600 --> 1:02:45.560 are up to, you can head to six degrees dot org, 1:02:46.360 --> 1:02:49.560 reach out to Stacy on our social platforms, get connected, 1:02:49.640 --> 1:02:52.440 get involved. You can find all those links in our 1:02:52.480 --> 1:02:55.600 show notes, and if you like what you're hearing, subscribe 1:02:55.640 --> 1:02:57.280 to the show and tune in to the rest of 1:02:57.320 --> 1:03:00.520 our episodes. You can find six Degrees with Kevin Bacon 1:03:00.760 --> 1:03:06.560 on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 1:03:06.800 --> 1:03:08.480 We'll see you next time.