WEBVTT - Work in Progress: Lena Waithe 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:15.840 Hey everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Hello friends, 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.000 Today we are joined by someone that I admire so much, 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:21.840 that I have cherished for such a long time, and 0:00:21.880 --> 0:00:24.120 who I think is hands down one of the coolest 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:27.440 human beings that I know. Today's guest on Work in 0:00:27.480 --> 0:00:30.800 Progress is none other than Lena Waithe. You know her 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:34.040 as an Emmy winning writer, producer, actor, and the founder 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:37.000 of Hellman Grad. She is known for Master of None, 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:41.519 The Shy Queen, and Slim. Lena's film credits, TV credits, 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:44.760 They just go on and on and on, from winning 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:49.279 awards at Sundance to again being Emmy nominated for documentaries, 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:53.600 Lina did not come to play. She is an incredible 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:57.240 creator in every single sense of the word, which is 0:00:57.280 --> 0:00:59.800 probably why she was named one of Time magazines one 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:03.760 hundred most influential people all the way back in twenty eighteen. 0:01:04.440 --> 0:01:07.000 She was included on Fast Companies Queer fifty lists in 0:01:07.040 --> 0:01:10.720 twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two. Lena just keeps 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:15.039 on winning. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Lena always knew that 0:01:15.160 --> 0:01:17.800 she wanted to be a television writer and was lucky 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:20.560 enough to be supported by her family and along the 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:24.120 way discovered that she happens to be a fantastic actor too. 0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:27.840 I cannot wait to talk to her about her journey, 0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:32.240 her creativity in every single vertical that it touches, and 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:36.760 the ways that she thinks about storytelling and her latest project, 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:41.160 her brand new podcast, Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe, which 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:44.520 is a love letter to black women in entertainment. She 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:48.360 sits down with incredible icons and trailblazers to discuss their 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:52.480 creative process, their journey, and how they became the women 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:56.600 and leaders and artists that they are today. Legacy Talk 0:01:56.680 --> 0:01:59.360 really is more than just a series of interviews. It's 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:04.200 a documentation of the stories and experiences of women who 0:02:04.240 --> 0:02:10.400 have shifted narratives, broken barriers, and inspired a generation. I 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:15.280 am not surprised that Lena is tackling this latest vertical 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.840 with the same curiosity and excellence that she brings to 0:02:18.880 --> 0:02:32.600 every single project. Let's dive in with Lena Waithe. Lena, 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:34.440 I'm so happy that you're here today. 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:36.560 I'm so happy I'm doing this is like my first 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:37.040 thing of the day. 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:40.280 It is I love that, and you know, I just 0:02:40.360 --> 0:02:42.640 love the that of you. I was trying to tell 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:45.680 my producers today. When we jumped on, they were like, 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:47.160 how do you guys know each other? 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:50.919 And I was like, I, Michelle Obama is where we met? 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:53.200 Is that where we met for the first time. 0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:57.680 I think that's where we met. Oh god, social before that, 0:02:57.800 --> 0:03:00.639 But in terms of meeting, I think was there. Yeah. 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.160 I just remember when like we started getting in the dms, 0:03:04.240 --> 0:03:07.880 like chatting about things, and I was like, wait a second. 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:10.840 I really admire this woman as a storyteller, and I 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:14.600 also think I love who she is as a person, 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:16.919 Like are we gonna be friends? And here we are 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:17.760 and I love it. 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:19.800 And also we have a great mutual for an Alex Edelman, 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:22.280 like the homie. 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:25.480 The brother, the best, just the yummiest little bro in 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:26.040 the world. 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:26.560 Ever. 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:31.400 Yes, I was just like, Okay, So something I find 0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:34.480 really fascinating about you because we know a lot of 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:37.560 people that are multi hyphenits, but you are like you 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:40.280 are like a multi hyphen in like an algebra problem 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:44.000 like that you just keep stacking pieces of the equation. 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:49.200 And when I put my you know, interviewer hat on 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:52.960 and started to dig into things about your life, I 0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:56.760 didn't know. I had no idea that you always knew 0:03:56.760 --> 0:03:59.800 you wanted to be a writer, like since you were 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:02.560 at all? And I ask a lot of the folks 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:04.400 who come on the show because people know you as 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.520 you know, public figure or all the things you are. 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:10.320 I always like to see if you could meet your 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.280 nine year old self, if you would see who you 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:16.640 are today in that child. And I'm like, well, obviously 0:04:16.680 --> 0:04:18.240 you did, because you always knew you wanted to be 0:04:18.279 --> 0:04:21.279 a writer. So like, can you tell me where your 0:04:21.279 --> 0:04:24.359 interests and your love of storytelling started? Do you have 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:26.960 a moment where you knew or was it always there? 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:30.159 I mean, I think I grew up watching a lot 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.680 of TV as a kid. Being in the nineties, it 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:35.400 was sort of like a Heyday for TV. I think 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:40.760 from young people you know what to be tgif you know, 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:45.920 Full House, Family Matters, step by Step, Charles in Charge, 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:52.599 Small Wonder Out, Empty Nest, you know. And then but 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:55.800 also like there were so many great shows with all 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.280 black casts, like Obviously A Different World, which was one 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:02.279 of the biggest influences on me and the Cosby show. 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:05.000 I mentioned Family Matters, Fresh Prince of bel Air was 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:08.800 really Dopehood, which was actually a show that Robert townsended, 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:12.200 which is sort of like his Cosby show, and so 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:15.479 there were just Wayne's brothers. I remember it was a 0:05:15.480 --> 0:05:17.400 really cool show. I at least loved watching The Living 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:20.440 Color coming up. So there was just a shmortgage board 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:24.880 of like TV shows and entertainment with really amazing talent. 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:29.279 And I was really inspired and influenced by the kind 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:31.760 of storytelling that was happening. I remember Demolition Man, like 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:33.320 you know, we always say before Black Panther, it was 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:35.479 a little demolish Man, which Robert Townsend did with the 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:38.720 blonde hair and like the superheroes in their own neighborhood 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:42.680 trying to save their neighborhood from evil doers. And we 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:45.359 have had all this stuff, and I think I just 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:47.680 kind of saw that and thought that that was normal 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:51.800 and there was nothing odd about that. And so but 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:53.600 I also grew up watching Oprah win for every Day, 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:56.400 and like you know, and after you know, it's like 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:59.720 being in Chicago knowing that's where she filmed the show 0:05:59.839 --> 0:06:03.560 was yet really a source of pride for us, and 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:09.279 I just think it was a really fruitful time and 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:11.479 and for me to be a kid growing up at 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:14.720 my grandmother's house with a single mom, you know, older sister, 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:17.280 I you know, we were last ki kids, so we 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:20.080 would come home and watch television and cook for ourselves 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:22.039 and wait for our parents to get home from work. 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.560 And that was actually the time where I think we 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:27.400 were becoming ourselves. Also watching music videos a ton like 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:30.840 being people watching the box, you know what, you could 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:34.200 call and request the music video. You know, that was 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:37.320 sort of our TikTok and Instagram and Facebook. We really were. 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:39.640 It was very analog. I remember I could walk to 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:42.400 the Blockbuster, you know, and I ended up working there 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:46.160 and renting movies. And that's how I remember renting Hoop 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:49.120 Dreams and you know, seeing parents is burning like on 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:53.800 vhs and discovering these things and these treasure trows of 0:06:54.600 --> 0:07:00.000 footage and documentation of stories and people and these character 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:03.440 even watching documentaries thinking about who dreams like is like 0:07:03.520 --> 0:07:06.240 a real person, But he felt like like a character, 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:09.320 like somebody I knew, being from Chicago, trying to play basketball, 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:11.760 trying to make his family proud. These are just things 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:13.480 that I kind of saw and could relate to, it, 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:16.720 could understand, And I think that was really what the 0:07:16.720 --> 0:07:18.600 Seeds were playing it in terms of wanting to tell 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:21.400 stories that felt vulnerable and felt honest. 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:24.880 Hmm. I love that. Yeah, you know you're making me 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:28.320 realize too that we Yeah, I mean we grew up 0:07:28.400 --> 0:07:30.840 in this moment where not to say everything was like 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:35.920 perfect or fixed, but where art was growing in such 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:39.480 a way, these messages of these stories were growing in 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:42.400 all of these beautiful ways. More and more people were 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:44.800 getting to be represented. We're getting to be on TV. 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:50.120 Like I I studied journalism in college because of Oprah. 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:52.400 Wow, you know, like I didn't know that. 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:55.960 I you will love this. When I was a kid, 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:59.000 it would take just long enough for me to get 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:02.280 home from school, and like when the years that I 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:05.040 was like eight nine, my mom was picking me up 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.360 at that time, and I sat her down and I 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.120 was like, Mom, nothing happens in the last period anyway, 0:08:10.240 --> 0:08:12.080 And if you pick me up after school ends, I 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:13.720 get home at three fifteen, and I missed the first 0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:16.000 fifteen minutes of Oprah, and I learned way more from 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:17.560 Oprah than I learned at the end of the day 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:18.880 at school. So I think you should pick me up 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:20.920 at two forty five. And my mom was like, first 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:22.760 of all, are you going to be a lawyer? Who 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:25.080 do you think you are? And I'm not negotiating with 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:27.320 my young child to leave school early so you can 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:28.200 come home to watch Oprah. 0:08:28.240 --> 0:08:31.720 And I was like, she's my class though, and look 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:32.200 at your guy. 0:08:32.640 --> 0:08:35.200 Yeah, and it's like, I don't know, I think about that, 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:38.440 and I think we were really we were so lucky 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:42.880 to have her as women that are passionate about the 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:45.920 world around us, as storytellers, and we were really lucky 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:48.400 to have all these shows and all these creators that 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:53.839 you're referencing. We I worry for today's kids, like anything 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:58.560 that isn't you know, traditional, I'll do the air quotes 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:04.920 meaning like tip represented by power is suddenly like weaponized 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:08.480 as political and I'm like, maybe it was actually just 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:12.880 dope when everybody got to be on TV, like when 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.320 we just told all kinds of different stories about all 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:18.080 kinds of different people. And the nineties really were this 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:20.640 like blossoming moment for a lot of that. 0:09:21.200 --> 0:09:22.880 Absolutely. I mean when you look back at like, you know, 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:27.080 CNN does like a study about the decades and the 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.120 nineties one is super obviously fascinating because that was my nostalgia. 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:34.199 But it's true, it was. It was very a fruitful time, 0:09:34.679 --> 0:09:38.080 you know, and we're taking risks and music was really dope, 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:41.640 you know, and TV and and and I think but 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:44.880 also I think the Oprah Winfrey Show was something that wow, boy, 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:47.000 did we take that for granted? I think at the time, 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:50.040 just in terms of seeing a black woman on television 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:58.480 being curious and being empathetic and being open to learning something. 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:00.640 You know, she remember the that was like the light 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.520 bulb moment. That's what it became, you know, famous, you 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:07.000 know on the show, just the idea of a light 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:10.200 bulb going off above. Yes, oh, I've never thought of 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:13.400 it that way before. That's such an interesting and powerful 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:15.880 thing to say. I'm telling shem Oprah, who we would 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:19.400 think knows all she was as expressing the people. Even 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:21.760 though you think, you know, I'm the leader of the pack, 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:25.280 I'm still learning things with you. You know, I'm still 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:25.880 growing with you. 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:31.320 Yes, and to make learning something beautiful and something to 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:32.280 aspire to. 0:10:33.120 --> 0:10:35.360 Book club like yeah, like her gathering people to talk 0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:37.920 about a book and with the author. I remember like 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:39.839 she had Tony Morrison sent at the table with all 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:42.400 these women and like them talking about her book and 0:10:42.440 --> 0:10:46.320 her literature and asking her questions. On television. You know, 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:50.560 that was a real, a real thing and and wow, 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:52.880 I just you know, I miss it sometimes. 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:54.840 I do too. I wish we could go back. I 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:57.120 ate up life class. When she was like, let me 0:10:57.160 --> 0:10:58.960 do this show. That's like the highlight reel of all 0:10:59.000 --> 0:10:59.400 my shows. 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:03.400 I was like, give it, yeah, or masterclass or master 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.319 class on own. You don't remember that Maya Angelou episode, 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:11.760 the Dian Carrol episode, the Woopie Goldberg episode. Yeah, And 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:13.320 I think, but I think Oprah did a master class 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:15.960 to her, So I think she did so maybe probably 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:19.120 just a way for us to kind of learn how 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:23.120 these giants became who they were, but also showing you 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.679 that giants started out not unlike you, you know, yeah, 0:11:26.960 --> 0:11:29.800 listen to their inner voice and walked in their purpose. 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:31.560 I think that's the big thing Oprah was always really 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:33.640 good about, was really sort of telling us, like, the 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:36.000 person that you think is the smartest in the world, 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:40.280 the most accomplishing the world, the wisest, began you know 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:42.600 in the way that you did. You know, Yeah, the 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:45.320 house and unsure and if they had were dealing with 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:49.320 self doubt and not knowing and someone eventually finding their voice, 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:51.679 and so it make sure you sit at home and go, oh, well, 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:53.040 they can do it. You know why not? 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:56.120 I yeah, do you feel like that's what you were 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.200 gleaning in those hours that that kind of incredible time 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:01.200 you got between me and you got home from school 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:06.520 and you know the adults got home. Were you beginning 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:13.480 to see, oh, any kind of insecurity or very human 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:16.440 fear I might have? You know, we all asked that question, like, well, 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:19.000 who am I to do this? Do you think the 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:21.960 lesson was? These people all did it, so I'm going 0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:24.200 to try to do it? Like how did you take 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:24.800 the leap? 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:28.760 I mean, well, I think I wasn't thinking about it 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:30.520 in that way at that time. I think that's what 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:37.800 really great entertainment content, you know, media does where I 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.640 think those particularly speak about the master classes that she 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:44.600 would do in a particularly May Angelo. That one really 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:49.880 sticks out of my head. But I think I just 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:52.280 was taking it in. I think I was taking it 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.840 in and I was very aware of who my Angelo 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:58.679 was and continues to be in our world, even though 0:12:58.679 --> 0:13:03.560 she may not be earthside anymore. I think it was 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:09.040 just important to hear her speak in the talk, and 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:13.080 and I didn't even understand the weight of it then, 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.720 because I think in those moments, that's not what you're doing. 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:23.280 And I think that's why, you know, I think it's 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:27.680 not just about images, it's about what are people saying, 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:34.040 what's sort of being conveyed, and because it'll hit people later. Yeah, 0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:36.880 so it's important just to you know, just to take 0:13:36.880 --> 0:13:37.160 it in. 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:42.920 Just Yeah, you were, you were having nice afternoons like vibeing, 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.400 watching music videos, and now you look back and you're like, oh, 0:13:45.440 --> 0:13:48.360 I was, I was taking a master clas ta. Yeah. 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:52.640 We saw Rosie Rosie O'donald Show two every day at 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:54.679 three o'clock. For us, Oprah was on at nine am 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:58.440 and then in the evening and afternoon Rosie was at 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:01.400 the afternoon like three o'clock. Yet talk shows were a thing, 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:03.520 like it was a it was a big deal. They 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:06.560 still are now, but I don't know, like we used 0:14:06.600 --> 0:14:09.679 to watch like the talk shows all the time. Oh 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:10.839 I loved them. 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:13.360 And now a word from our sponsors who make the 0:14:13.440 --> 0:14:27.160 show possible. What were your early days like when you 0:14:27.520 --> 0:14:32.640 when you first moved out to LA Like, what what 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:36.160 was the experience like trying to begin to break into 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:37.880 the industry. 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:41.320 Well, we had some thing called the semester in LA 0:14:41.440 --> 0:14:43.720 that Columbia College. I don't know if I think they 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:47.560 still do it. I hope they, But yeah, where I 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:50.000 got to spend a semester, you know, about twelve weeks, 0:14:50.000 --> 0:14:53.080 you know, in LA and maybe many people were doing it. 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:55.920 I was sort of inspired. But the advice I got 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:58.920 was make it your last semester, because if you go 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:01.760 and then come back to Chica, I got like, you 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:03.760 kind of lose some of the contacts that you made. 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:08.640 So I took that advice and just got all my 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:10.280 credits lined up and do what I had to do 0:15:10.400 --> 0:15:12.880 and spend my final semester in Los Angeles, which was 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:17.000 the best advice ever because I stayed out here and 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:19.360 then went back to that and then came back. But 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:22.000 I didn't I didn't miss a step. And the truth 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:23.960 is I didn't know anybody out here, you know, I 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:29.280 didn't have any contacts, you know. I just wanted to 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:31.560 meet people and get wanted to get to know folks 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:34.240 and wanted to learn and grow. And that was really 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:36.720 I think one of my strong points was that I 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:40.160 really wanted to just meet folks to see what they 0:15:40.160 --> 0:15:41.800 were getting into and what they were doing, and if 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:44.560 it aligned with what I was doing, maybe we should 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:46.600 kind of link up and hang out. That's just kind 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:49.760 of how I've always operated, and which is a different 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.200 type of operator, you know, and not about what can 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:55.600 I get from you, but rather oh, you're doing the 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:58.200 same thing. You know, we can maybe share information and 0:15:58.200 --> 0:15:59.760 see if we can help each other. And I still 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:02.800 rate that way. I think that's sort of how I 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:06.000 like to move. And yeah, and the thing is is 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:07.640 like I think LA is like any other place, you 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:11.800 kind of find your tribe slowly but surely. And then 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:15.000 it was important for me to also hunker down and 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:17.360 really hone my crafts. And I think that's how the 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:20.960 people can get lost in Los Angeles about going to things, 0:16:21.040 --> 0:16:22.920 going to events. A lot of panels were happening when 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:25.200 I was first out here, which were amazing. They're not 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:29.000 as prevalent now, but it was good just to go 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.600 network and meet people and stuff. So that's what I 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:34.520 was really doing. It was like networking and then eventually 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:36.840 trying to find my voice and get finding jobs I'll 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:38.720 find in my voice and all that kind of stuff. 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:41.040 And I do think the it's changed a bit now 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:44.200 because people the world is smaller. You can kind of 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:46.400 go online and kind of build an audience and build 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:48.680 the following but I think what's sort of happening is 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:51.960 there's not that time to home one's voice, and I 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:55.600 think that's really where people are able to shine. Like 0:16:56.080 --> 0:17:00.960 Quinta has a voice, you know, Yes, you know Brian, 0:17:01.080 --> 0:17:03.840 the guy who does an English Teacher, he has a voice, yes, 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:07.960 and it's very distinctive. And I think that, to me 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:10.080 is what I hope people are understanding. When you're watching 0:17:10.119 --> 0:17:12.720 English Teacher, when you're watching Avid Elementary. They both happen 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:14.640 to be shows that take place in schools and dealing 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:19.040 with teachers, but they couldn't be more different. And really 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:21.560 it's a great example to show folks, is like, that's 0:17:21.600 --> 0:17:23.600 what it means to be a writer. You both can 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:26.080 do it in a similar setting, but they both can 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.680 feel really different. And that's because both of those show 0:17:28.800 --> 0:17:30.840 creators who happen to be in the shows as well 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:34.760 a multi hyphens, they have really found their voice. So 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:36.800 that's why you know when you're watching Abit, you know 0:17:36.840 --> 0:17:39.080 when you're watching English Teacher, not just because you o 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.720 they're different shows, but because the voices are so unique. 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:43.560 And I think that's why you both of them for 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:46.920 different reasons. And then if you put on twenties or 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:50.639 the shy those that's specific to my voice. And so 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.320 I always try to tell writers. I'm like, don't follow 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:56.040 the marketplace, no such thing, and don't try to be 0:17:56.520 --> 0:17:59.280 don't try to hit. It's really about what is your voice? 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:00.879 What do you have to say? Say? What is specific 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:02.840 about you? What's a movie that only you can write? 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:05.480 That's why I think this has kind of gone away. 0:18:05.560 --> 0:18:07.160 But there was a time where people are so afraid 0:18:07.200 --> 0:18:10.160 somebody was going to steal their idea. Yeah, wives tell 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:11.719 about the matrix. You know, it's like I don't want 0:18:11.800 --> 0:18:14.879 my I'm like, it's impossible, Like you can take you 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:16.639 know what I'm saying. It's like the idea, but they 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:18.920 can't execute it the way you wult it. So you know. 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:20.960 And also I always tell people like, if you're afraid 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:23.400 somebody's gonna take a idea, you got to start seeing 0:18:23.440 --> 0:18:25.760 coming up with a whole bunch of more ideas. You know, 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.520 it's only got one. Then I don't know. I love that. 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:31.040 What do you think. 0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:37.400 From this vantage point, because like, there's a lot of life, 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:40.640 there's a lot of work. When you talk about finding 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:44.639 your voice. If a young artist is listening to this 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:47.040 and it's like but how do I do that? Like 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:50.000 from here? How how do you think you would say 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:55.280 to somebody, this would be my my small slice of 0:18:55.359 --> 0:18:58.560 a roadmap for you. How do you encourage people because 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:01.800 you're such a great mentor as the writer and producer 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:06.040 that you are. I wonder do you have advice you 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:07.320 like to give people on that? 0:19:08.119 --> 0:19:11.080 Yeah, I try to tell people to watch a bunch 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:18.080 of TV. Watch you know, classic movies. Yeah, that's really important. 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:19.800 I think I always getting nervous when someone tells me 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:21.520 they want to write for TV, but don't watch it. 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:27.040 You'd be surprised people like the show. Have you seen this? No? 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:28.640 I haven't seen that. You haven't seen it. And it's 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:34.080 always sort of like, it's important to know what's working. Yeah, 0:19:34.280 --> 0:19:38.080 important to know what's good. I like that, and know 0:19:38.240 --> 0:19:40.359 what you don't like if you watch the shows. I 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:43.560 don't like this show? Why not? Why does it? Boy you? 0:19:43.600 --> 0:19:46.600 Why doesn't I hold your attention? You know? And then 0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:48.560 like I really love this show. Why do you love 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:51.640 the show? Like the characters? What do you like about 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:52.119 the characters? 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:53.000 Yeah? 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:56.159 Are coming back to it every week. And so the 0:19:56.240 --> 0:19:57.639 thing is is like, if you want to create a 0:19:57.680 --> 0:20:01.239 show that people love good to know what shows are 0:20:01.240 --> 0:20:05.639 out there that people are loving and why and reading 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:09.440 scripts and you know, talking to writers you know that 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:12.920 maybe have written something that you like. There's a sort 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:14.600 of idea that I can do it all by myself 0:20:14.880 --> 0:20:17.200 or I don't need somebody else to give me feedback, 0:20:17.400 --> 0:20:19.480 or I don't mean like I still give people want 0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:22.520 my stuff to read and give me feedback and people 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:27.320 I respect people that I appreciate their opinion, and I 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:30.320 get notes and I incorporate that and the work gets better. 0:20:30.680 --> 0:20:33.000 And so I think that's something that people don't often see. 0:20:33.000 --> 0:20:34.360 It is sort of think, oh, I just sit down 0:20:34.400 --> 0:20:36.399 and write something and give it to something. It's like 0:20:36.520 --> 0:20:39.040 now it goes through a bunch of stages of you know, 0:20:39.200 --> 0:20:42.720 getting feedback, doing a table read, doing another past, getting 0:20:42.720 --> 0:20:47.200 feedback again, and then reading it again and trying it 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:50.160 again and giving it to someone. And so I think 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:54.440 there's this desire this quick, you know, microwave, nuke and 0:20:54.600 --> 0:20:57.960 let's go, and it's just no, I mean, I just 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:01.200 I have a you know, I sit down with Debbie 0:21:01.240 --> 0:21:04.280 Allen for the finale of Legacy, talk with Mena Waite, 0:21:04.280 --> 0:21:07.680 and I'm not like giving away anything too much. But 0:21:08.200 --> 0:21:10.080 I asked her, I said, how long did it take 0:21:10.240 --> 0:21:13.560