Speaker 1: Welcome back to How Rude Tiana Ritos.
Speaker 2: Now you're used to our girl talk every week on
Speaker 2: this podcast, but this week we're taking girl Talk to
Speaker 2: a whole new level. Our guest today has had a
Speaker 2: huge impact on the landscape of nineties television, playing the
Speaker 2: quintessential nineties bad girl that you just love to hate
Speaker 2: as the character of Gia Mahan. She introduced Stephanie to
Speaker 2: cigarettes and crop tops, and she perfected the art of
Speaker 2: the resting bitch face. She was the bass player in
Speaker 2: our band girl Talk, on both full and Fuller House,
Speaker 2: so clearly we saw the sign that it was time
Speaker 2: we have her on the podcast. Please welcome our dear friend,
Speaker 2: Marla Sokoloff.
Speaker 3: Hi, Hi, Hi, go hi.
Speaker 4: You just jump into our interviews, so don't We're like,
Speaker 4: don't expect anything.
Speaker 3: Uh so, so here we are. Yeah, we're not very formal.
Speaker 4: I think we failed to inform Gary of that last
Speaker 4: time we were just talking.
Speaker 3: He's like, what is this happening.
Speaker 1: We're like, oh yeah, yeah, but when are you gonna start?
Speaker 3: He started the interview.
Speaker 4: Yes, it's over, So, Hi, Marla, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 5: Guys, how are you I miss your face?
Speaker 3: I miss you too.
Speaker 1: We miss you. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2: Yes, we don't see each other as regularly anymore since
Speaker 2: the end of Fuller House, which makes me very sad.
Speaker 1: We have to remedy this.
Speaker 5: We do, right, And I feel like, Jody, you live
Speaker 5: like so close to me. I don't know how it happen.
Speaker 5: I mean I've run into you a couple of times
Speaker 5: that like sushi.
Speaker 3: That's true. Yeah, we'll run into each other like in
Speaker 3: the neighborhood sort of.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 3: But yeah, it's so it's.
Speaker 4: Like it's like anything, like you become an adult and
Speaker 4: you're like, we live so close. Oh my gosh, I'll
Speaker 4: see you. And then four months later you're like, hey,
Speaker 4: I still haven't you, but I'm gonna We're gonna do
Speaker 4: it eventually one of these years.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I know it's and you have three kids now.
Speaker 1: Right, so you've added a child since you saw you.
Speaker 5: COVID was a funny time. Guy's some really silly things. Yeah,
Speaker 5: it's so funny.
Speaker 6: Like Monday morning comes and I am so tired, Like
Speaker 6: I think three kids mondays, Like who would have thought
Speaker 6: that Monday's a vacation, But it comes, and I like
Speaker 6: send the other two to school and my wonderful nanny
Speaker 6: shows up.
Speaker 5: And I'm like, oh, I could get something done today.
Speaker 3: This is so exciting, right, Okay, how old are they now?
Speaker 6: So my oldest is about to drink twelve okay, my
Speaker 6: middle is almost nine. And then the littlest one is
Speaker 6: going to be two on Tuesday, not tomorrow, week from tomorrow.
Speaker 3: Oh my goshsh wow.
Speaker 5: And it's Harper, not Harlow. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2: I get her name wrong every time I text you
Speaker 2: or talk to you, or talk to him our mutual friend,
Speaker 2: Kim Moffett, I'm always calling her Harlow for some reason, Harper.
Speaker 3: Somebody, some celebrity I think Nicole Richie or something has
Speaker 3: a Harlow.
Speaker 5: She does have a Harlow.
Speaker 3: Yeah, my best friend has Harper, So I will remember that.
Speaker 5: Oh okay, perfect.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I love that name. I love Harlow too, I
Speaker 6: was saying to Andrew. It was on my list of
Speaker 6: names I liked. So it's a great name. Wow.
Speaker 2: And what what's it like going back to the beginning
Speaker 2: of parents, her motherhood, parenthood, you know, with a brand
Speaker 2: new one.
Speaker 6: I will say, the most amazing part of it is
Speaker 6: the first round for me. I don't know how you
Speaker 6: guys were with when your kids were little. But I
Speaker 6: don't know if I like enjoyed it as much. I
Speaker 6: couldn't wait for them to be out of like the
Speaker 6: baby stage. It was really hard for me, and I
Speaker 6: was like more of like a stressed out mom. And
Speaker 6: I was very surprising to everybody, but I was like,
Speaker 6: I just want to get them to five, or I
Speaker 6: just want to get them to you know, like preschool
Speaker 6: or whatever.
Speaker 3: Body that's usually the funny just yeah.
Speaker 5: Check check all these like milestones off the list.
Speaker 6: And I we'll say with Harper, I've been more capable,
Speaker 6: like I enjoy it more, you know, because I know everything.
Speaker 5: Is so finite.
Speaker 4: You're like, I know how quickly they get to nine
Speaker 4: and twelve, you know.
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, So it's like this newfound appreciation for that
Speaker 6: like very small amount of time that they're little, and
Speaker 6: you know you could put them in whatever clothes you
Speaker 6: want they're.
Speaker 3: Yeah, dress them up ridiculous little outfits.
Speaker 5: She's never once rolled her eyes at me like my
Speaker 5: tween you know.
Speaker 4: So enjoy it now, yeah, as we know that's it's
Speaker 4: so short lived.
Speaker 1: Now you just got to get her to like Disneyland.
Speaker 6: I know that she's not a fan, so guess where
Speaker 6: we're taking her for her birthday?
Speaker 3: No, you're not.
Speaker 5: Everybody's like you're so mean. I'm like, she has to
Speaker 5: get her shit together. I'm sorry, Like.
Speaker 3: It's like get her birthday? What is what's happening? She
Speaker 3: she just doesn't like, she's just not.
Speaker 5: What I think.
Speaker 6: It's just too much like overstimulation again. And she's in
Speaker 6: that phase where she doesn't want to be in her stroller.
Speaker 5: She wants to like.
Speaker 4: Walk, which is the worst thing at Disneylan because you're
Speaker 4: like you but you can't. But there's all these things
Speaker 4: that you want to go walk and do. But if
Speaker 4: I let you down, you're gonna get trampled by angry
Speaker 4: parents with strollers. You're gonna wind up fifty feet away
Speaker 4: from me. Like, I don't know what can happen.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's no.
Speaker 5: And I understand those parents that do the leash like
Speaker 5: I'm not gonna do it. But I used to think
Speaker 5: that was so cruel, but now I'm like I get
Speaker 5: it because she's a runner. She you know, will keep
Speaker 5: going and you know that like lifeless thing they do
Speaker 5: when you try to put it right, the limp are
Speaker 5: like yeah, which is I cannot, So I.
Speaker 3: Like to do that.
Speaker 4: When people try and pick me up too, I just
Speaker 4: just dead wait and yeah, it makes it a lot harder.
Speaker 4: So if you're ever, you know, if someone ever grabs you, just.
Speaker 3: Wait, you'll be grand because it does, it does, noodle. Yeah.
Speaker 6: So anyways, so we're taking her for her second birthday
Speaker 6: because I booked like the Princess breakfast and she doesn't
Speaker 6: love like a Rapunzel breakfast, you know, like you gotta.
Speaker 5: She's gotta this Morn're gonna have to have a talk.
Speaker 3: She's at my house right now. Just for fun. I
Speaker 3: have Mescal dressed up as a Punzel right now.
Speaker 4: I can't wait to see that with the braid. He's like,
Speaker 4: don't drag me, drag me into your crazy. He's like,
Speaker 4: don't mention me in your insanity.
Speaker 5: Yeah yeah, leave him out of your princess costumes.
Speaker 1: How are the older two with the youngest. Are they
Speaker 1: good big sisters? Are they helpful or are they just
Speaker 1: rolling their eyes all the time?
Speaker 6: You know, I would say they're helpful when they like,
Speaker 6: you know, Ellie and my older daughter, she you know,
Speaker 6: wants something right now at like Sephoras. So she's like
Speaker 6: all babysit Harper for an hour, and I'm like great, Like,
Speaker 6: you know, because I've ever put it on my kids
Speaker 6: that like they have to babysit.
Speaker 5: It's not, you know, their responsibility, but they like to
Speaker 5: work toward things, and I like to honor that.
Speaker 2: So yeah, that's that's a win win for everybody involved.
Speaker 1: Everybody gets what they want.
Speaker 6: No, they're great with her. Two of them together is
Speaker 6: becoming a little bit you know, Jody Hall far part
Speaker 6: of your girls.
Speaker 3: Uh like two years four months.
Speaker 4: So right now they're like a Zoe, You'll be sixteen
Speaker 4: in April and b is thirteen, so they're like, yeah,
Speaker 4: fifteen and thirteen right now. And they just now they
Speaker 4: hang out all the time. It used to be they
Speaker 4: were like ready to just kill each other, but now
Speaker 4: now they like hang out and their friends and.
Speaker 5: Okay, so I have something, I have some hope.
Speaker 4: Yes, But then what happens is that they turn against you,
Speaker 4: so right, so it's yeah, they bond over over over
Speaker 4: destroying you or being like oh my god, is it
Speaker 4: mom crazy?
Speaker 3: Mom's crazy? Right, and you're like cool cool.
Speaker 4: So like you'll start like one of them will be
Speaker 4: saying something and you start to reprimand and then the
Speaker 4: other one now jumps in in defense of them, and
Speaker 4: you're like, wait, I thought you guys hated each other.
Speaker 3: No, now it's like, well, mom, you're being so strict or.
Speaker 4: Then they just start giggling like they don't say anything,
Speaker 4: but they just look at each other and start laughing,
Speaker 4: and you know it's at you.
Speaker 5: As a joke.
Speaker 3: You're not in.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's great. I look forward to this. This sounds fun.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 6: I said something to my daughter the other day, like
Speaker 6: she was like so annoying me about something that I
Speaker 6: just didn't feel like I deserved it.
Speaker 5: I'm like, do you know? Do you know how lucky
Speaker 5: are I have? Above? That's like so cool? I'm sorry, like,
Speaker 5: I I'm awesome.
Speaker 2: Do I have?
Speaker 1: Yes?
Speaker 3: I don't think I do.
Speaker 5: She's like, no, actually, you're the worst.
Speaker 3: You're the worst. Yeah.
Speaker 2: If it's like my daughter, like all of her friends
Speaker 2: think I'm so cool and so great and they're so
Speaker 2: nice to me, and I'm like, look, Felicity, c I
Speaker 2: am cool.
Speaker 3: She's like yeah, but they're just being you know, the
Speaker 3: mom is the mom is always meaner at home no
Speaker 3: matter what.
Speaker 6: I'm actually the softy in my parenting journey, like my
Speaker 6: husband's definitely more like I'm like, sorry, Dad, I'll talk
Speaker 6: to dad.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 6: I like to throw a ham on the under the bus,
Speaker 6: like I don't want to be the one who everyone hates,
Speaker 6: you know. It's probably my people pleasing problem in life.
Speaker 6: So right right, yeah, speaking of definitely being.
Speaker 4: The one that everyone hates. But yet it's there is
Speaker 4: an extreme love hate relationship with Gia.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah.
Speaker 2: The fans love to hate Gia, love to hate her.
Speaker 2: And so I'm so excited about this girl Talk reunion
Speaker 2: we're having right now, because that.
Speaker 1: Was my original pitch for the name of this.
Speaker 2: Podcast was girl Talk, Yeah, which didn't happen, but yeah,
Speaker 2: I know, I know, but we're having a girl Talk
Speaker 2: moment right here.
Speaker 5: I think that's maybe more niche.
Speaker 3: That's why we did.
Speaker 4: We were like, oh my god, people will get it,
Speaker 4: and then we're like, well, some people will get it
Speaker 4: and then other ones.
Speaker 3: We think we're playing that game from.
Speaker 4: Like the late eighties that were you her game, But yeah,
Speaker 4: probably is a great game.
Speaker 3: I loved it. I seem to remember there being like
Speaker 3: a fake phone or something.
Speaker 5: It was like the most fun sleepover.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was also thinking of all Madness
Speaker 4: another great game. Great game, yeah, just training us to
Speaker 4: be consumers early. But anyway, people like really Gia I
Speaker 4: think was one of the most like fan favorite characters
Speaker 4: hands down.
Speaker 6: Which is shocking because you know, she kind of came
Speaker 6: out real strong in the Hatred Department. But I love
Speaker 6: the way it was written, Like a lot of times
Speaker 6: when people ask me, you know, did you know.
Speaker 5: That you were going to be on you know, for
Speaker 5: eight episodes or nine episodes or whatever, and I know
Speaker 5: it was literally one.
Speaker 4: Episode one it was the smoking episode was the first one, right,
Speaker 4: we didn't know that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was.
Speaker 6: No, definitely not and I don't I don't know how
Speaker 6: it happened. But I love that they kind of wrote
Speaker 6: her where she just effortlessly became your friend and there
Speaker 6: wasn't ever any discussion about it. There was never like
Speaker 6: we should be friends, like actually you are really nice
Speaker 6: Stephanie or Gia whoever. So I think that that's actually
Speaker 6: funny that they But it's also great because they kept
Speaker 6: her like tough edged throughout the whole time, right, she
Speaker 6: was still likable, So I kind of think that's what
Speaker 6: people seem to relate to. I will say that, you
Speaker 6: know now that we're all so old and we've been
Speaker 6: doing this for so long.
Speaker 5: Sorry, I'm kidding. I'm sorry.
Speaker 3: That's okay, it's okay. My backcount hail in my back.
Speaker 6: I get recognized for that the most out of anything.
Speaker 6: I've ever died thirty something years.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, what do people say when they do?
Speaker 1: They talk about the cigarettes?
Speaker 4: They they but yeah, I was like, do they ask
Speaker 4: you for a cigarette? They're like, hey, can I bum one?
Speaker 3: Is that just all.
Speaker 5: People do? Yeah?
Speaker 6: The people and I have a cigarette. But people like
Speaker 6: that is what they want to know all the time,
Speaker 6: Like did you really smoke?
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that's my question.
Speaker 3: Did?
Speaker 2: I mean they weren't obviously you weren't smoking real cigarettes smoked?
Speaker 5: And I also remember those cigarettes.
Speaker 4: They were closed cigarettes and we would go and steal
Speaker 4: them from the prop room.
Speaker 3: We would go and we would really, we're actually being naughty.
Speaker 4: Oh god, twelve year old girls with like yeah, and
Speaker 4: they're like clothes cigarettes, which were also like the emo
Speaker 4: version of you know what I mean. It was like
Speaker 4: the like the goths and the cool kids all like
Speaker 4: smoked clothes cigarettes because it wasn't you know what, it's
Speaker 4: still bad it's not great for you.
Speaker 3: Actually, I think clothes inhaling members like really bad or something.
Speaker 3: It's great. It's yeah, it's it's none of it's great.
Speaker 4: But anyway, we would go to the prop department and
Speaker 4: we'd be like, you know, mission impossible, wait for someone
Speaker 4: to like leave the proper room, and then we'd like
Speaker 4: go over there and try and find the like you know,
Speaker 4: the prop cart that had the closed cigarettes on it
Speaker 4: to steal them and go.
Speaker 3: And then we'd go.
Speaker 6: I had him like in my pocket, I had like
Speaker 6: an army jack and they were in my pocket, and
Speaker 6: I would like tell the guy I already gave it
Speaker 6: to him.
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, like I just took Yeah, like yeah,
Speaker 5: what are we doing?
Speaker 3: Wow?
Speaker 4: Bad girls, bad thirteen year olds, That's what we were doing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but yes we did. We did that was we
Speaker 3: did actually smoke those probably not.
Speaker 2: So what does they Does it have a taste or
Speaker 2: a smoke clover smoked anything?
Speaker 1: So like yeah, yeah, those.
Speaker 4: Are like it's like sweet glove smelling gloves smell nice cigarettes.
Speaker 3: Not Okay, they smelled it.
Speaker 1: But you still have to inhale.
Speaker 3: Well you're not supposed to like inhale it as much.
Speaker 4: I believe you just did and then blow it out,
Speaker 4: which is why they use it like sort of you know,
Speaker 4: on camera and stuff, because you don't have to inhale
Speaker 4: it as much.
Speaker 3: It's just more for them.
Speaker 5: Did you guys happen to see Maestro by any chance?
Speaker 3: I told you now.
Speaker 6: He smokes in every frame of that movie, and it
Speaker 6: stressed me out so much, Like the whole time I
Speaker 6: was watching it, I'm like, gosh, this is intense anyway,
Speaker 6: the total change of subject, but just thinking of smoking
Speaker 6: on camera, it was so much smoking. I just I
Speaker 6: want to ask him. I don't want to ask him
Speaker 6: anything other than like, were you okay? How are you doing?
Speaker 1: Let's give him a chest X ray and are okay?
Speaker 5: Literally?
Speaker 2: So, was Full House your first acting job or had
Speaker 2: you acted before that?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 6: I had done commercials up in San Francisco, and I
Speaker 6: did a bunch of commercials up there, and I think
Speaker 6: my mom had said like something along the lines of
Speaker 6: we can go to Los Angeles because my agent in
Speaker 6: San Francisco kept saying you should take her to LA
Speaker 6: I feel like she did it, you know, have.
Speaker 5: A career there.
Speaker 6: And my mom was very much not into it, but
Speaker 6: I begged her and begged her, and she said, okay,
Speaker 6: you get one month go to pilot season whatever this
Speaker 6: thing is. And I want to say, like, one of
Speaker 6: my first auditions was full house.
Speaker 2: Do you remember the audition vividly or was you do
Speaker 2: oh gosh, tell us everything?
Speaker 6: Yeahs, I actually just I just recently told this story
Speaker 6: on a different podcast, not a competing one, guys, don't worry,
Speaker 6: just a random podcast acting asking me about.
Speaker 4: Oh, I want names as the episode come out, yet
Speaker 4: it'll never see the light of day.
Speaker 5: Never.
Speaker 6: But I remember I went to the audition and you know,
Speaker 6: the casting director was so nice and just said, you're
Speaker 6: so I love this read, but you have such a
Speaker 6: sweet face.
Speaker 5: And I know what they want.
Speaker 6: They want someone who's like, you know, more tough, And
Speaker 6: I said, I mean this is like, you know, the
Speaker 6: balls of a twelve year old.
Speaker 5: I was like, I want to come back for the callback.
Speaker 6: I promise you I will come back and I'll look different,
Speaker 6: and she, for whatever reason, said okay, and my mom
Speaker 6: and I went to the Salvation Army and I got
Speaker 6: that den invest which I wound up wearing.
Speaker 3: In the episode.
Speaker 5: Oh yes, and like.
Speaker 6: I had Doc Martin's I put those on and I
Speaker 6: came in character, and so when they came into the
Speaker 6: waiting room to get me, you know, she was like Marla,
Speaker 6: I was like what, oh yeah, And I was in
Speaker 6: character the whole time. When I went into the room
Speaker 6: with Jeff Franklin.
Speaker 3: And everything, the ga wow.
Speaker 5: Like I, by the way, would never in my life
Speaker 5: do that today, Like ever.
Speaker 6: I would just be too worried that they would hate
Speaker 6: me or think that I was being like, you know, attitudey.
Speaker 6: But you know, you have different kind of confidence when
Speaker 6: you're younger.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're not self aware at twelve. So yeah, but
Speaker 2: that is a bold choice.
Speaker 3: I was mind and I love it.
Speaker 1: Yes, that's so great.
Speaker 2: And you dressed the part and everything, and they ended
Speaker 2: up using your wardrobe, your actual wardrobe in the show,
Speaker 2: use my wardrobe.
Speaker 4: Was it intimidating to go back in for the callback
Speaker 4: or did you feel like you.
Speaker 3: You were like, I don't remember.
Speaker 5: I remember it was the same day, Okay, I think that.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 5: Let's say my first audition was at like ten am.
Speaker 5: It's just like fine, come back at three.
Speaker 6: So it was like just kind of a whirlwind of
Speaker 6: you know, the process. And again it was one episode,
Speaker 6: so I don't think it was something they put too
Speaker 6: much thought into, and you know, it was just like, Okay,
Speaker 6: this girl works, bring her in. But I was such
Speaker 6: a fan of the show, you guys, that I think
Speaker 6: in my head, I there was just no other option
Speaker 6: for me, Like I had to get this job because
Speaker 6: you know, like every other kid you know of that time,
Speaker 6: every Friday night, I was there watching TGIF and I
Speaker 6: it was so surreal to get the opportunity to actually
Speaker 6: audition for the show.
Speaker 2: Really, it's cool, that's right because a lot of a
Speaker 2: lot of the people were interviewing were started on Full
Speaker 2: House during the first season, so the show wasn't very
Speaker 2: well known, but you came in in the later seasons,
Speaker 2: so the show already had quite a following.
Speaker 5: It was the biggest thing.
Speaker 1: What was it like being.
Speaker 2: On the set, like with all of us, Like we
Speaker 2: kind of were this established family and we had our
Speaker 2: routines and our things. So what was that like coming
Speaker 2: onto the set with these people that already knew each
Speaker 2: other so well?
Speaker 5: I never felt I've been a guest on a lot
Speaker 5: of shows, and granted this was my first, but I
Speaker 5: can tell you looking back, I never felt like a
Speaker 5: guest like you guys were so welcoming and obviously, like
Speaker 5: Jody and I were the same age, and you know,
Speaker 5: we were playing friends and we were friends and we
Speaker 5: hung out, which was so fun.
Speaker 6: Yeah, but nobody from like top to the bottom made
Speaker 6: me feel like, oh, this girl's just you know, a
Speaker 6: guest star. Like everybody was so amazing. And I told
Speaker 6: the story on my Instagram when all passed away. You know.
Speaker 6: I remember one day it was like Friday before the taping,
Speaker 6: and you guys were all going to Jerry's Deli.
Speaker 5: Is like, con let's go, you want to come? And
Speaker 5: I'm like me, okay. You know, it's just so.
Speaker 6: Exciting to like be able to do the fun cast
Speaker 6: stuff with you guys.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you were part of the family from day one,
Speaker 2: cigarette number one.
Speaker 3: From smoke number one.
Speaker 4: Now I know there's also an interesting story that you
Speaker 4: have connected to Boy Meets World.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, in my mind, I didn't know this.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Danielle Official, uh you know, is one of the producers
Speaker 4: of this podcast as well.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Danielle and Jensen to help produce this podcast too,
Speaker 4: And yeah I love Danielle and she you know started
Speaker 4: on Full House. Uh, did the guest appearance. So yeah,
Speaker 4: it's just like a fun, you know, small world.
Speaker 3: And then she and I did an episode I think
Speaker 3: of Yesteryear or.
Speaker 4: Something together after Full House. Yeah, right, so it's it's fun.
Speaker 4: But I would love to hear the story of I.
Speaker 5: Would talking the Topanga stories take story, yes, if you
Speaker 5: don't want share, not at all. And honestly, when I
Speaker 5: think of that story, now, you know, as actors, we
Speaker 5: always think like I'm the best one for this part.
Speaker 5: Of course I'm going to get it.
Speaker 6: But when I look back on every single job that
Speaker 6: I didn't get, I know exactly why I didn't get
Speaker 6: it and who was meant.
Speaker 5: To get it got it, you know. So I feel
Speaker 5: like that's a perfect way to start this conversation. But
Speaker 5: it was me and her on the show. Neither one
Speaker 5: of us had the part of Tapanga. We were both doing,
Speaker 5: you know, guest stars on the show. The original Topanga
Speaker 5: wound up getting fired after the table read, and they
Speaker 5: said to us, you know, to me and Danielle, it's
Speaker 5: going to be one of you two. You're going to
Speaker 5: play Tapanga.
Speaker 3: Pressure.
Speaker 6: We're going to bring you guys to the network this afternoon. Yeah,
Speaker 6: it was either this afternoon or the next day. And
Speaker 6: I feel like Danielle remembers the story a little bit
Speaker 6: better than I do, because she's like, I remember you
Speaker 6: had to go to the airport because I was still
Speaker 6: living in San Francisco, So I like, you know, flew
Speaker 6: write to San Francisco for the weekend because my parents
Speaker 6: were married, and yeah, they had us both, you know,
Speaker 6: kind of not against each other, but essentially.
Speaker 3: Yes, competing for the part, right.
Speaker 5: Yeah, And she was so worried that I was going
Speaker 5: to hate her, and I didn't. She was so great
Speaker 5: and like even now, like I've told this story a
Speaker 5: couple of times and Peo were like, are you do
Speaker 5: you do you hate that you weren't to Panina And
Speaker 5: I'm like, no, there was no other Topinka. I would
Speaker 5: have been such a different to Panga, Like she nailed
Speaker 5: that role that was meant for her. But yeah, it
Speaker 5: was really funny I could have I was a second
Speaker 5: away from being Topanga.
Speaker 4: Wo.
Speaker 2: Wow, what a different trajectory your your career would have had.
Speaker 3: Right you come?
Speaker 5: Wow?
Speaker 3: Was this post this was post full house? Yes? Or
Speaker 3: kind of right around it was.
Speaker 1: That's a they start airing until the nineties, so well, so.
Speaker 3: No, there would have. I think there was maybe a
Speaker 3: little there was some crossover. I think I think it was.
Speaker 6: I think it was a like it must have been
Speaker 6: at the same time, yeah, because I wasn't on Full
Speaker 6: House every episode.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I feel like it was like season seven or
Speaker 4: eight maybe that they started.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't remember when they were on the air,
Speaker 5: but that sounds remember. I did, like, yeah, I.
Speaker 4: Can't all about the same age and they started, like
Speaker 4: what in they're like middle school years, right.
Speaker 5: So I think, so, yeah, yeah, that sounds about right.
Speaker 1: But you were still on the episode.
Speaker 2: I watched the clip where you're like you're like putting
Speaker 2: a fish into a beaker.
Speaker 1: It's like a science class or something science thing.
Speaker 6: Okay, Yeah, And I don't remember what the episode was
Speaker 6: about or what I was doing. I just I remember
Speaker 6: being there. And I grew up with writer. I've known
Speaker 6: him forever. So that was another like really fun experience.
Speaker 2: I was going over your biography getting ready for this interview,
Speaker 2: and I like, I just know you was Marla, You're
Speaker 2: our friend, You've been our friend forever, and I just
Speaker 2: I didn't realize just how extensive your acting credits are.
Speaker 1: Like there's so many iconic shows that you were on.
Speaker 2: I just I'm going to name a few of them,
Speaker 2: not just Full House, but the Practice.
Speaker 3: I remember when we got the Practice. I was like, yeah,
Speaker 3: I was so excited for you. My mom was like
Speaker 3: happy fatch it. Yeah, it was great.
Speaker 2: So the Practice, Friends, Desperate Housewives, Seventh Heaven, Dude Wears
Speaker 2: My Car, Party of Five, Third Rock from the Sun,
Speaker 2: boy Me's World, step by Step, Home Improvement, and then
Speaker 2: iconic films like Sugar and Spice, Whatever It Takes, and
Speaker 2: The Babysitters Club. What Like, Marla, you are a huge
Speaker 2: star from the nineties. I had no idea, like like, oh,
Speaker 2: I don't know about that conic.
Speaker 5: I definitely I was around.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I remember doing Home Improvement and step by Step
Speaker 6: like all in that same like Full House time period.
Speaker 6: Like I really it was just like really horn it out.
Speaker 4: I mean, you were making the nineties sitcom rounds, which
Speaker 4: is funny because like even like I hear there's like, yes, dear,
Speaker 4: I'm like we all like I did Party five, I did, Yes,
Speaker 4: Like we all sort.
Speaker 3: Of in that.
Speaker 4: You know, if you were around that age and you
Speaker 4: were an auditioning actor, chances were you were gonna sort
Speaker 4: of do the you know, the docy do around and
Speaker 4: be on all of these people shows, and that's why,
Speaker 4: like it's such a weird little club that we're in of,
Speaker 4: you know, all that we know all these people. You know,
Speaker 4: when like when taj Mawory was on the show and
Speaker 4: Tea and Tamara before they had their show, they'd come
Speaker 4: with him to set, and you know, it was like,
Speaker 4: so we got to know them, and then they had
Speaker 4: sister sister and their whole huge grow Like, yeah, these
Speaker 4: funny little intersections of you know, all of us growing
Speaker 4: up together.
Speaker 6: Yeah, it is crazy, and I feel like I love
Speaker 6: that we're all and I don't know if it was
Speaker 6: like that time period, but there isn't anybody. I feel
Speaker 6: like we all get along so well, Like every time
Speaker 6: we're all together, you know, like Danielle Fischel and.
Speaker 7: Yeah, that whole grouping of people, Like it's so nice
Speaker 7: to be reunited, you know, when we all go back
Speaker 7: to our normal lives but then hang out and it's
Speaker 7: like no time has passed.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what was it like being on the set of Friends?
Speaker 2: You played Joey Tribbiani's pregnant sister Dina, which I remember
Speaker 2: this episode.
Speaker 1: I was so impressed and starstruck.
Speaker 5: You know, it's so funny.
Speaker 6: And I got that job the same way I got
Speaker 6: or Danielle got to Panga. The girl who originally was
Speaker 6: Dina got replaced after the table read, and they brought
Speaker 6: five girls in and it was so stressful, and they
Speaker 6: had us all like sitting in the waiting room at
Speaker 6: Warner Brothers, right, and they had to start that day
Speaker 6: because you know, it's a sitcom obviously, so she probably
Speaker 6: got fired on a Monday, and now it's Tuesday and.
Speaker 3: We gotta get bad.
Speaker 5: Wow. So they came into the waiting room and they
Speaker 5: were like, okay, girls, thank you all so much. Marla,
Speaker 5: would you mind just coming with us really quickly?
Speaker 6: And I have one of my best friends was one
Speaker 6: of those five girls, and to this day she's always like,
Speaker 6: do you remember the Friend's edition?
Speaker 5: Remember a friend's audition? When they asked me to leave
Speaker 5: and you got to stay.
Speaker 4: Like, I'm still I don't know that slipped my mind.
Speaker 3: I don't remember that at all.
Speaker 2: You were there, you know that was just a fever dream, yeah, right, right, right,
Speaker 2: ex But it was another surreal experience.
Speaker 5: First of all, it filmed on the same stage as
Speaker 5: you guys.
Speaker 1: Know amazing Stage twenty four and it's magic.
Speaker 5: Stage twenty four.
Speaker 6: And I was also such a huge fan of the show.
Speaker 6: I had seen so Jennifer Aniston. I don't think I
Speaker 6: even spoke to her because I was very starstruck and
Speaker 6: just wanted her to think I was like, the easiest
Speaker 6: guest star has ever been on the show. So I'm
Speaker 6: like kind nice to me, Like.
Speaker 4: I blend into the wallpaper, I will perform my scene
Speaker 4: and then I will not be here, right, yeah, you're like,
Speaker 4: and then I will not bother you at all, unless
Speaker 4: you want me to bother you, and which case I
Speaker 4: will bother you.
Speaker 3: Yes, he is.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 6: I remember I saw Matt LeBlanc at like a charity
Speaker 6: event a couple of years after that, and he was like, Marlow,
Speaker 6: what's going on?
Speaker 5: And again I was like me, Marlow.
Speaker 3: Hi, Oh are you so good to see you? I
Speaker 3: love that you know me.
Speaker 1: That's so sweet. Oh.
Speaker 2: I noticed you had a really thick New York accent
Speaker 2: in the episode.
Speaker 1: Was that your idea or was that the director?
Speaker 5: No, that was it was a requirement for the job.
Speaker 6: I mean, when I look back on it now, I go, oh,
Speaker 6: if I would have had more time, I probably would
Speaker 6: have hired someone.
Speaker 5: To help me with that. You know, you just jump
Speaker 5: in and do it and hope for the best.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was from New York, the British whatever. We
Speaker 3: just go oh like now, okay, cool, right.
Speaker 5: There's no no research necessary, just jump on it.
Speaker 1: Make it work, make it work right, the Joe cast
Speaker 1: to work right, right.
Speaker 2: So, out of all of these guest spots, besides the
Speaker 2: role of g out, what was your favorite role to play?
Speaker 1: Any sure to say that we were her favorite, but well,
Speaker 1: I mean that's just a s.
Speaker 4: I was like, yeah, so what's your favorite?
Speaker 1: No pressure, no pressure. We know it was Ga, But
Speaker 1: besides that, besides.
Speaker 5: The best I mean, okay, so yes, obviously Gia for
Speaker 5: so many reasons.
Speaker 6: But I would say Friends. That was so surreal and
Speaker 6: so fun. And you know those two shows. I don't
Speaker 6: think that they could rerun them more if they tried.
Speaker 6: I mean, just that one episode of Friends, I swear
Speaker 6: is on every week.
Speaker 5: It's crazy.
Speaker 3: Do you know that I've never seen an episode of Friends?
Speaker 1: I want to smack total I know it hurts.
Speaker 3: It hurts when she says that.
Speaker 5: I know, but you don't want to or you just
Speaker 5: is it like, because you know, I've never seen Star Wars,
Speaker 5: and at this point, I feel like I'm not gonna
Speaker 5: start at forty three.
Speaker 4: I'm not dark enough for it's not dark enough. It's
Speaker 4: you know what, I'm not a huge sitcom fan. Ironically
Speaker 4: I am not.
Speaker 3: I know. It's I yeah, like.
Speaker 5: You literally played one of the most iconic sitcom characters.
Speaker 4: This is always the thing people, And I'm like, I know,
Speaker 4: and I just not my not my vibe, but I all, all, yeah.
Speaker 6: That's really funny. My husband, when I met him, he
Speaker 6: wasn't a sitcom guy either. I'm sure he still isn't,
Speaker 6: but he had never seen Full House, and when people
Speaker 6: were always asking, oh, it's your girlfriend Gia or we
Speaker 6: would be on public, like are you on Full House,
Speaker 6: He's like, I never saw this show.
Speaker 5: It must be really good.
Speaker 3: You're like, yeah, it's popular.
Speaker 5: Yeah, a few people watched it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, just a couple, just a coupuple.
Speaker 2: Well, let's let's go back to the to the Girl
Speaker 2: Talk episode, the original Girl Talk episode where we created.
Speaker 1: A band and called Girl Talk We Are Song.
Speaker 2: The one song that we sang was I Saw the
Speaker 2: Sign by a bass Did you Have? And you were
Speaker 2: the bass player. So had you played guitar before did
Speaker 2: you have to learn?
Speaker 1: Did you hate play guitar?
Speaker 3: Guitar?
Speaker 6: Never a bass but I did play guitar, so it
Speaker 6: was fairly easy to kind of figure out what we
Speaker 6: were doing, Okay. I remember also those overalls that I
Speaker 6: wore in the rehearsal scene were also my personal I
Speaker 6: got them American rag so much, very big in the denim.
Speaker 3: They really liked your denim choices.
Speaker 6: Clearly I was trying to really incorporate that into my
Speaker 6: character choices.
Speaker 5: But that was so fun.
Speaker 6: And I think that the Fuller House episode, the first
Speaker 6: one that I was on, like that was that couldn't
Speaker 6: have been a better idea.
Speaker 1: Oh yes, it was reuniting, reuniting girl talk.
Speaker 3: Yes, that was so so much fun. I didn't know
Speaker 3: how to play guitar, so you were like, this was easy.
Speaker 4: I was like, I was like, oh god, but I
Speaker 4: had they you know, in a matter of like three weeks,
Speaker 4: one of the rippers, Landy Cordola Uh who lived down
Speaker 4: in Orange County by us, would come to my house
Speaker 4: like two or three evenings a week and teach try
Speaker 4: and teach me how to play guitar, which bless his heart,
Speaker 4: he did as best as he could. I just was
Speaker 4: not a great guitar, but I could get through it,
Speaker 4: you know. But again, luckily we didn't have to be
Speaker 4: great because I wasn't. But it was, Yeah, it was fun,
Speaker 4: good enough make it, yeah, exactly, it was.
Speaker 3: It was good.
Speaker 2: Enough well, and the girls weren't really focused on being
Speaker 2: good at their musical instrument instruments. You were more focused
Speaker 2: on the fashion and your outfits, so.
Speaker 3: As one should be.
Speaker 4: We did have do you remember going and recording I
Speaker 4: Saw the Sign though, because we had Gary Griffin, the uh,
Speaker 4: the the Ripper, the ripper with the red hair. Yeah,
Speaker 4: but he.
Speaker 3: Was the one.
Speaker 4: He did all like a lot of the music and
Speaker 4: stuff for the show with uh uh, Jesse Frederick and
Speaker 4: Bennett Salvat and but he did.
Speaker 3: He did the recording of I Saw the Sign.
Speaker 4: We had him on a couple of weeks ago and
Speaker 4: he was talking about how impressed he was with our
Speaker 4: ability to do I Saw the Sign.
Speaker 5: Wow, that's awesome.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I don't that's a blur.
Speaker 5: I don't remember that at all. I do remember the
Speaker 5: episode where we were in a car and we had
Speaker 5: to go to Griffith Park with Oh.
Speaker 4: My gosh, who was Scott Scott White and who I
Speaker 4: still like follow on socials and stuff, and he is
Speaker 4: and he does a ton of like voiceover animation stuff,
Speaker 4: right m M. And I forget who are other the
Speaker 4: other person's name was, but I remember I can see
Speaker 4: his face.
Speaker 3: That was so much fun.
Speaker 4: It was the It was the episode where we meet
Speaker 4: the boys and we go for the joy ride and
Speaker 4: we're like in, you know, in the backseat of a car,
Speaker 4: and I am like, I.
Speaker 3: Don't think we should do this, and Ga is like bye.
Speaker 4: Bitches and take off and grow up like you're like
Speaker 4: a year lame and then like you nearly died in
Speaker 4: a car accident.
Speaker 5: So yeah, yeah, yeah, it was great.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but that was Uh.
Speaker 4: I remember how much fun we have with that episode
Speaker 4: because it was scenes with like just the four.
Speaker 3: Of us, and they were they were a little bit
Speaker 3: older too.
Speaker 4: I think they were like sixteen maybe and we were
Speaker 4: I was like thirteen, but it was we were still
Speaker 4: like it was young people.
Speaker 3: And I was always like, yay, so excited.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 6: Every time I drive by Griffith Park in that little
Speaker 6: area where we were going up and down, I'm like
Speaker 6: I think about it every single time. But I would
Speaker 6: say that's the it's an episode I get asked about
Speaker 6: a lot because it was kind of like, you know,
Speaker 6: it's a very special episode.
Speaker 3: Right, very right, right right, don't get in the car
Speaker 3: with strangers.
Speaker 6: Don't do that, like a stupid idea. That one and
Speaker 6: then the other one sticks out in my mind as
Speaker 6: to being the most stressful thing I've ever done, which
Speaker 6: I'm sure Jody will agree, was the makeout party.
Speaker 4: Oh I don't even remember the man member the makeout party.
Speaker 3: I have blocked it from my brain.
Speaker 5: You got to watch the makeout party.
Speaker 4: Oh, we're going to We're going to get there. We're
Speaker 4: going to get through all the episodes. So that's the
Speaker 4: thing too, Like there's some that I haven't even I'm like,
Speaker 4: oh my god, I forgot about the makeout party.
Speaker 6: So you and I had never kissed a guy before,
Speaker 6: Like we were may maybe a peck, but like a
Speaker 6: makeout And you know, obviously we were so wholesome.
Speaker 5: We weren't going to make out parties.
Speaker 4: And right now, God comes to he was something like that,
Speaker 4: this terrible behavior.
Speaker 3: I don't think makeup parties. I don't think we're a thing.
Speaker 4: It wasn't like like you just what you had like
Speaker 4: a party, and then everyone started out because it was
Speaker 4: you're in like a specific eighth grade and everyone was
Speaker 4: just a walking hormone.
Speaker 7: Right.
Speaker 5: But yeah, Danny was dating my mom.
Speaker 4: Right, Oh my god, that's right. I forgot that Danny
Speaker 4: dated Gia's mom.
Speaker 6: And you lied, of course about where you were. And
Speaker 6: then she came home and I was making out on
Speaker 6: the couches. People just make it out everywhere, and it
Speaker 6: was very.
Speaker 1: Stressful, so stressful.
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, that's over.
Speaker 1: Was that your first?
Speaker 2: Was that your first on screen kiss, first in gen
Speaker 2: real life kiss or yeah?
Speaker 5: I think I had, you know one of.
Speaker 4: Those, right, And there's nothing more awkward than on screen
Speaker 4: kissing anyway, even as an adult, because you're like, it's
Speaker 4: just weird.
Speaker 5: Literally still hate it so much.
Speaker 4: Right, and yeah, and doing it as a kid. I
Speaker 4: think Rusty was my first little kiss. One of the
Speaker 4: the episode where and I take a bite of the
Speaker 4: onion and then I and then I kiss him.
Speaker 3: I think that was my first one.
Speaker 5: You took a bite of an onion, that's right.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I kissed him on the like a New
Speaker 4: Year's episode. But yeah, that again, was like, I think
Speaker 4: that was my first like lip to lip interaction.
Speaker 1: It is stressful. And then the fact that your parents
Speaker 1: are That's really what it stands in the audience. Yeah,
Speaker 1: could it be more mortified?
Speaker 2: You're kissing in front of two hundred strangers and your parents, like,
Speaker 2: come on, and you have to do it over and
Speaker 2: over again too?
Speaker 5: Over it all week? Yeah? No, it was.
Speaker 6: I feel like it was last week. It was so
Speaker 6: stressed out about it. I hated that episode.
Speaker 3: Have you kissed a boy yet? I mean, I know
Speaker 3: you have three kids, and.
Speaker 5: I'm still working, still working.
Speaker 4: Through it, still working through it, right, I have children,
Speaker 4: But I know, no, that's not bad.
Speaker 2: Now, what about this episode where you guys wore crop tops?
Speaker 1: Was that stressful to wear crop tops at the time?
Speaker 1: Do you cringe when you watch it?
Speaker 3: Now? Cringe? I'd kill for those apps. We have no idea.
Speaker 4: Literally, would just like murder for it to just so
Speaker 4: freely wear a crop top without being like a baby,
Speaker 4: you know, or like doing a thousand sit ups.
Speaker 6: Just hey, I do remember reading it though, like because
Speaker 6: you know you're in that awkward phase of like you're
Speaker 6: twelve or thirteen and like your right bobs are growing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, everything feels weird, right, But.
Speaker 5: When I look at pictures now, I'm like, wow, who knew? Right,
Speaker 5: good time to be alive.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would never now do that, Yeah I do.
Speaker 4: I do remember the crop Tops though, because that was
Speaker 4: like it was, that was adventurous for for Full House, I.
Speaker 3: Always I did love that.
Speaker 4: Steph got to be kind of the boundary pusher a
Speaker 4: little bit, you know what I mean. As far as
Speaker 4: the three girls, she was the one that you know,
Speaker 4: was kind of getting into a little bit of trouble
Speaker 4: and stuff. But it was fun and it was it
Speaker 4: made for some great, very special episodes.
Speaker 5: I mean.
Speaker 6: And even think about the smoking, like that would never
Speaker 6: pass today. You won't see that on any sitcom Kids smoke.
Speaker 3: Yeah, maybe it's always sunny, but that's but that's not
Speaker 3: like a.
Speaker 5: Wholesome family show.
Speaker 6: I just don't think that would be passing any sort
Speaker 6: of you know, uh Q, what is it called.
Speaker 3: I don't know, standards, S and P standard to practice.
Speaker 5: It wouldn't it wouldn't pass that, So I don't know.
Speaker 5: I just think it's quite shocking.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, we were running around in crop tops,
Speaker 4: smoking cigarettes, getting in cars with boys.
Speaker 5: What were we doing look at the makeout parties.
Speaker 3: Going to make out parties?
Speaker 5: Yeah, ridiculous.
Speaker 1: Geo was a lesson and what not to do?
Speaker 2: Like she was like that you were your character existed
Speaker 2: to create like this moral code on Full House of
Speaker 2: all the things.
Speaker 5: Although a lot of people are like, your character got
Speaker 5: me to smoke?
Speaker 3: But why did she make it looks like so much fun? Yeah?
Speaker 3: She made it look so good, you know.
Speaker 5: Glamorized it.
Speaker 3: It's Yeah.
Speaker 4: Well, we could talk and probably sing and fake playing
Speaker 4: guitar with Marla all day long, but since there's so
Speaker 4: much ground to cover we had to break this episode
Speaker 4: into two parts for all of you. So thank you
Speaker 4: so much for listening to part one with Marla Sokoloff
Speaker 4: and join us tomorrow for part two. And if you
Speaker 4: guys want to follow us on social media, make sure
Speaker 4: and check.
Speaker 3: Out at how Rude Podcast.
Speaker 4: You can also send us an email with questions with answers,
Speaker 4: because I'm sure we've probably gotten some things wrong on
Speaker 4: some of the trivia of the show, and we'd also
Speaker 4: love to hear your questions so we can ask answer
Speaker 4: them in some of our minisodes. Anyway, email us at
Speaker 4: how Rude podcast at gmail dot com and we will
Speaker 4: see you next time for more fun on how Rude
Speaker 4: Tanerto's And remember everyone.
Speaker 3: The world is small, but the house is full. You
Speaker 3: saw I hesitated. You saw me though, I was like,
Speaker 3: but I did it.
Speaker 1: You have to come up with another another. I saw
Speaker 1: it in your face.
Speaker 3: I saw it. You were like, but you did it.