1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Once I got the role, I did chemistry reads with 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: all the Owens, all the Malaikahs. So I was on 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: the phone with these people a lot. Okay, I don't 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: even remember at what point I had the job. I 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: was just like, I hope there's a lab at the 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: end of this. 7 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 2: Hi. 8 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: I'm Sinclair Daniel and I play Nella and the other 9 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: Black Girls streaming on Hulu. 10 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 2: Hello everybody, and welcome back to Off the Beat. I 11 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 2: have got some pep in my step today, of course. 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 2: I'm your host, Brian Baumgartner and Ding Dong. The Witch 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 2: is dead. Maybe you've heard the news, maybe you haven't. 14 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 2: The Screen Actors Guild strike is over. One hundred and 15 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 2: eighteen days later, sag Aftra has reached a deal with 16 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: the studios who that was a long time. We have 17 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: a new contract now that hopefully we'll make all this 18 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: time off worth it. It's been such a long road, 19 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 2: but I am so happy that we can all get 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 2: back to work now, which includes talking about shows, particularly 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: talking about new shows. Yes, now you may have noticed 22 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 2: there was a dearth of actors joining me on the 23 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: podcast here. Well, there's a very very good reason for that, 24 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 2: because nobody was allowed to talk about any shows or 25 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 2: movies that we're currently streaming on any platform. So I 26 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: have been chomping at the bit to tell you about 27 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: a recent project I did. As some of you know 28 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: from my conversations last year, I had the absolute pleasure 29 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 2: to work on the show The Other Black Girl, and 30 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: my guest today is the star of our show, Sinclair Daniel. 31 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 2: Sinclair plays Nella, who works at a publishing company. I 32 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: played Colin, one of the authors that said publishing company represents. 33 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 2: The show focuses on how Nella navigates office dynamics, race relations, 34 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 2: and well otherness as a black woman in a white 35 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 2: dominated space. Sinclair does an absolutely beautiful job as Nella, 36 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: dealing with all of the complexity and humor and darkness 37 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 2: that comes with She is so good everybody, and it 38 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 2: is so good for me to finally be able to 39 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 2: talk to another actor about well acting, especially new, recent, 40 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: important and great work. So I am so excited to 41 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 2: dive right back in to let you get to know 42 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: the funny, the brilliant, and the so so so talented 43 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: Sinclair Daniel. Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and Squeak, 44 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: Bubble and Squeak, cooking every move over from the night. People. Hey, 45 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: how are you? I'm good? How are you? 46 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: I'm good. 47 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: It's been so long now. 48 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: I know, it's been a couple of like lifetimes. 49 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: How are you doing. 50 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: I'm good. You know. It's just now starting to get 51 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: like wintery cold. So drinking a lot of tea, wearing 52 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: a lot of scarves, having a good time. 53 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 2: Okay, you're in New York, right, yeah, I am yeah, 54 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: and it's getting it's getting cold. You're feeling fall. 55 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: I'm feeling fall. We usually skip fall and skip spring 56 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: and just go straight to the extremes. So I'm really 57 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: trying to revel in the niceness that is happening outside 58 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: right now. 59 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: Well, you and I, Oh my gosh, we last. It's 60 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 2: been almost a year before if you could believe that, Uh, 61 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 2: it's been almost a year. I want to tell everybody 62 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 2: about how we got to know each other. But I 63 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 2: want but I want I want to start. I want 64 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: to start just with you. I want to I want to. 65 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: I wanta this is your life. This is okay, this 66 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 2: is s Claire Daniel's life. You grew up in New York? 67 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: Is that right? 68 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: No? I didn't. Actually, I grew up in d C. 69 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: So not super far. But I was born in d 70 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: C and then lived around that DC Maryland, Virginia area 71 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: for a little bit, and then in high school and moved. 72 00:04:52,800 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 3: To California, California. Where in California, Pasadena? Oh there, Da, 73 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 3: it's actually very nice and it's a really nice place. 74 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 2: So you went to high school out here? 75 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,679 Speaker 1: I did? Yeah, I went to LaSalle High School shout 76 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 1: out for two years. Shout out LaSalle in Pasadena. 77 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, what was your So why did you move 78 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 2: to California? Was this? Was this a parental thing? 79 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: Yeah? So my mom's parents were living in California and 80 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: she was looking for a little bit of a change 81 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: and they were getting older, so it just made sense 82 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: to go out there. We would go a couple of 83 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: times a year anyway. So you just hit the bullet. 84 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 2: He bit the bullet and moved out. What what were 85 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 2: you interested in as a as a kid? What were 86 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 2: you what were you focused on? What were you interested in? 87 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: I was really I was a theater kid through and through. 88 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: I was. Yes, I was just having this conversation with 89 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,239 Speaker 1: my cousin the other night and she was like, wait, 90 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: how did you get into this again? I mean the 91 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: The answer is I had a lot of allergies as 92 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: a kid, and both my parents worked full time jobs, 93 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: so I needed something to do from three to six 94 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: pm that was indoors, okay, because I couldn't do the 95 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: sports without having an athletsack or an allergy episode. So yeah, 96 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: theater was kind of the answer for me, and I 97 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: just liked it, so I stayed with it. 98 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, so this is like you're talking about like even 99 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 2: elementary school or was this like in high school? 100 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: Okay, probably starting around fifth grade, and so I was 101 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: really into that. I was really I also liked winter 102 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: activity sports, so I also because no pollen, I liked 103 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: to ski and ice skate what you can also do 104 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 1: in California, which was very exciting to learn, right, surf 105 00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: and ski in the same day. 106 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 2: And we're are you doing Were you doing like school 107 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: plays or were you branching out from that children's theater 108 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 2: or Yeah. 109 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: I was doing the school plays. We would do like 110 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: one play in one musical year, and then I would 111 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: also do some summer programs. I started to do those. 112 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: I did like community Christmas time, theater productions, pretty much 113 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: anything that would allow like a kid to just come 114 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: and participate. I was. I was pretty into that. 115 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: And when you moved to Pasadena, did you get into 116 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: the I mean, I find it so lame, like to 117 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 2: call it Hollywood, but for lack of a better, more 118 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,239 Speaker 2: accurate phrase, like did you start doing an agent thing 119 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 2: or were you doing commercials or were you still pretty 120 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 2: much just strictly doing theater in school and stuff. 121 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was not doing all that stuff. I was 122 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: really of all the kids who were. I wanted to 123 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: be the kid who had to leave school early because 124 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: I had an audition and sorry, I can't come. I'm 125 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: going on the Disney Channel next week. But I was 126 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: very much not that. My mom was like, you're gonna 127 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: stay in school and if you do the play in school, 128 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: that's fine. I think I went to like one quote 129 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: unquote Hollywood audition and they required that we emancipated ourselves, 130 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: and so my mother said absolutely not and we went home. 131 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 2: Really yeah, I think I was. 132 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: I could not even tell you what it was. I 133 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: went in. I was so excited I got to do 134 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 1: this one audition. It went really well. They called my 135 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: mom and they're like, okay, so how do you guys 136 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:55,079 Speaker 1: feel about emancipation from your parent and I didn't know 137 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: if that was so I was like, yeah, let's do it, 138 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: and she said no, no, no, no, Wow. 139 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 2: I didn't even know that was a real And what's 140 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: the what's the point of that so they can better 141 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 2: control you? 142 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's so they can screw you over. 143 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: I think it's just like so they can have a 144 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: fourteen year old sign on the dotted line and they 145 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: don't need like a co uh, a co signer, no 146 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 1: guardian or anything. You speak for yourself essentially, or you 147 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: temporarily turn over your rights to somebody else. Like kind 148 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: of interesting dark when I got into it. 149 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 2: Wow, so that is that. That is not a good 150 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 2: that's not a good start. I'm surprised you are where 151 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 2: you are now, that's crazy, all right, So you you 152 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 2: continue to do the theater stuff, and then what makes 153 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 2: you decide now, okay, so you're doing theater because you 154 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 2: have allergies. You need an activity to do, right, But 155 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 2: when when is the moment for you that it changes 156 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: and you decide, no, no, this is not an activity. 157 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 2: Because everybody sort of has these moments right where it 158 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 2: turns from an activity to like, oh no, I can 159 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 2: this is what I want to do, Yeah, what what 160 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 2: was that? What was that for you? 161 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: I think it was less of a like Eureka moment 162 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: and more of, you know, the span of a couple 163 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: of years. And when I got to the age where 164 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: the school play was no longer kind of a requirement 165 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: or like you know, most kids didn't have to be 166 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 1: in it, I kept doing it because I thought it 167 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: was really fun. And I think that's really what has 168 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: always been the motivating factor to me, is that it's 169 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,319 Speaker 1: just so much fun. And then in high school, when 170 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: I moved to California, they had a pretty good arts department, 171 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: and I joined their arts department. And really what it 172 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: came down to is college application. Because for whatever reason, 173 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: we ask seventeen year olds what they want to do 174 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: for the rest of their lives. 175 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 2: It's crazy. I charge them. 176 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 1: Hundreds of thousands of dollars to follow through on that. 177 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: So I had to really sit with myself and just say, 178 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: what do I want to do for the rest of 179 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: my life? And the only thing that came up for 180 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: me really that I thought I was any good at 181 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: or that made me happy, or that I could in 182 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: reality see myself doing for a long time was acting 183 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: and performing. So I applied to college with that. That's 184 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: what I ended up majoring in. And luckily I had 185 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 1: parents who are very supportive of that dream and saw 186 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: it as a valid degree choice kind of path. 187 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, me too. You know, I think that we're rare. 188 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 2: I mean, you make the joke, but you know it 189 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,839 Speaker 2: is true. It's it's insane that people are asked at 190 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 2: that age like, so what do you want to study? 191 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 2: What's your focus for work? Ever? But I think most 192 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 2: people change like three or four, absolutely five times. But 193 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 2: it sounds like you and myself, like once I got 194 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 2: on the train and it was a similar time for 195 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 2: me in high school. It was like, oh no, this 196 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 2: is this is actually what I want to do. You 197 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 2: went for it. Now you ended up going to the 198 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 2: prestigious Tish School of the Arts. They're back in now 199 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 2: your hometown of New York. Was this an audition process you, Yeah, 200 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 2: you auditioned to get in there. 201 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:50,079 Speaker 1: Yes, this was probably. College auditions were probably the most 202 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: stressful audition I've ever had in my life. And I'm 203 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 1: including TV movies, Broadway like college auditions, you know, states 204 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: were high and yes, so most schools require you to 205 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: do a contemporary monologue and a contrasting classical monologue, if 206 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: not more. And n Yu didn't ask for a classical monologue. 207 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: They just wanted to contemporary monologues. And they sent a 208 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: representative out to Los Angeles, which was nice, so I 209 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: didn't have to fly across the country. It was in 210 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: some hotel downtown where I think I later had prom 211 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: It was weird, but we go in there. I was 212 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 1: first of the day, first in line. I was like, 213 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,079 Speaker 1: I need to get this over with so I can 214 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: start reading again. I go in there, I do my thing, 215 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: and then they ask for I do both my monologue, 216 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: and they ask for a classical monologue Shakespeare, and that 217 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: was not something on their requirements, and I had not 218 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: done it yet for my other auditions. I was keeping 219 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 1: that in my back pocket because the time hadn't come yet. 220 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: So I was panicking, and I remember taking my shoes off. 221 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: I just to like ground myself, and I took my 222 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: shoes off and I was in my socks and I 223 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: did my Shakespeare and then I left and it was 224 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: it was good. It ended up being working out. I 225 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 1: really didn't expect it to happen. I think it was 226 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 1: the only non California school I applied to It was 227 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: a pipe dream, but yeah it was. You know, you're 228 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 1: just sitting there in a hallway with other nervous, scared teenagers. 229 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 2: Just imagine what was Tish where you wanted to go? 230 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I had, I had, I had a 231 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: top three and Tish was on the top three. But 232 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: really I did not even think I would get in. 233 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: It just seemed like such a a dream reach, you know, 234 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: going to study acting in New York City. That's that 235 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: could never happen to somebody like me. But it did, 236 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: and I'm so glad I made that choice to apply 237 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: to try and then. 238 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 2: Also to go What did give you. 239 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: A lot? And I also gave them a lot and 240 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: I'm still giving them some every month. But I did 241 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: get a lot out of that experience. I mean, I 242 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: still live in New York and going to college here. 243 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: My circle hasn't. I mean, I've met more people, but 244 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: my college circle is now my professional circle. These are 245 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: now people that hire me and I work with and 246 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: we just see each other all the time and it's amazing. 247 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: So it gave me a really amazing foundational community. You know, 248 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: I moved here as a teenager and I was hanging 249 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: out with other teenagers. And now these teenagers are associate 250 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: directors on Broadway. They are in the casting office at 251 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: CBS like we are, and we're friends. It gave me that, 252 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: It gave me a great sense of independence. There's not 253 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: much of a campus here. Our famous tedious slogan is 254 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: the city is your campus. So and yeah, that's what 255 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: they tell you. Give us all your money and we 256 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: won't even give you a quad. But it did. I mean, 257 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: I was going. I got an internship my freshman year 258 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: that was in Lincoln Center. I was seeing art shows 259 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: for free. I was taking advantage of all of the 260 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: student discounts for museums and outings and all these wonderful things. 261 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: So I felt like I grew up at my own speed, 262 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: at my own pace, but in a place that was 263 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: really built for me. I really felt a deep connection 264 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: to New York. I still do. I love it here 265 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: so much, and coming here through college was a really 266 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: fortunate transition. Wasn't just here had to figure stuff out? 267 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you bring up a couple of super 268 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 2: interesting points in terms of you know, you're in this 269 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 2: school and as you say, there's no quad, the city's 270 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 2: your campus, But it sounds like you really took advantage 271 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 2: of that and having though that variety of experience. It's 272 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 2: sort of the opposite of most college experiences, right, because 273 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 2: I feel like, almost intentionally, most colleges are we are 274 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 2: a bubble to help protect you and help you to 275 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 2: become who you're going to become. Right, I mean it's 276 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 2: like we're it's insular in a way, whereas it sounds 277 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:03,239 Speaker 2: to me like for you, you had because you went 278 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 2: to NYU and you have these discounts. You didn't have 279 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 2: money or whatever, and but you were able to go 280 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 2: out and have those experiences in the city, which, right, 281 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 2: I mean, let's be honest, that's an that's a part 282 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 2: of the education I think of itself. 283 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: Right, Probably the best sell NYU can make is where 284 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: it is. It is New York University, so you get 285 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: New York that is promised. Yeah. I felt like a 286 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: baby bird being shoved out of the nest. But yeah, 287 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: we the adjustment period was brief because the city ways 288 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: for no one and then you just get on board 289 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 1: and it's been amazing. 290 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, do you feel like you like there's an experience 291 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 2: from when you're in high school and you're working on 292 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 2: shows and you have accomplished have you know, you've had 293 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 2: a various degree of success or whatever. You go to NYU, 294 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 2: which is an actor training program, which is the same 295 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 2: type of school that I went to. Do you feel 296 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 2: like you were I always felt like I was sort 297 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 2: of punched in the face very quickly about like, oh, no, son, 298 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 2: you don't know, you don't know anything. Yeah, right, like 299 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 2: you have you know, instincts, you have stage presence, but no, 300 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 2: this is do you feel like was that your experience 301 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 2: as well? Like here we're now going to tell you 302 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 2: how this actually works. 303 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, we had a lot of uh that going on 304 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 1: in those first couple of weeks we had We had 305 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: people drop out in the first couple of weeks. It's 306 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:50,640 Speaker 1: it's it's stark, and it's sudden. It's like, you know, ice, 307 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: cold water just being thrown on your face, right, And 308 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: a lot of kids who were previously big fishes in 309 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 1: little ponds, right and now diny minnows in the Pacific Ocean. 310 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: So I knew that going in, though I wanted that. 311 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: I wanted kind of to be punched in the face 312 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: a little because to me, that makes it real. I 313 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:17,160 Speaker 1: wanted the hard work. I didn't want to fall into 314 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: any type of misconception that I'm going to move to 315 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: New York and like walk straight onto a set the 316 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 1: day I graduate. I wanted it to feel like I 317 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: was working hard so that when I accomplished things, I 318 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: wouldn't be afraid of them. But we yeah, we had. 319 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: I think probably what like a third didn't come back 320 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: for second year, switched majors or switched schools, switch cities. 321 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: You know, it's not for everybody, but it did happen. 322 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: I had a teacher on one of my first acting classes. 323 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 1: She just walks in the door and she goes, how 324 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: many of you have divorced parents? And you're like, oh, 325 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: that's kind of personal. But I raised my hand and 326 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: said it a couple of other people and she said, 327 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 1: I don't really know why the rest of you are 328 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 1: even here. And I was thinking to myself, what thing 329 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: to say looking around at all the happily married, a 330 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: couple of parent children in the room, well the tables 331 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: and turns. 332 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 2: Did you want to do theater? You wanted to be 333 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 2: an actor? You went you, you got in as an actor. 334 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 2: Did you want to do theater? What? Where? Where was 335 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 2: your brain? I mean you're still young, so I mean 336 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 2: you transition pretty quickly. But were did you want to 337 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 2: be an actor in anything? Did you have a particular 338 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 2: view in mind for what your future held. 339 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,359 Speaker 1: I think I went in like everybody else, wanting to 340 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: be in movies and on a hit television show with 341 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: many seasons and spin offs and reboots. And then I 342 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: got to New York and I really fell in love 343 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: with theater. I'd already been doing it, but to see 344 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: it done at a professional level consistently everywhere I went 345 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: was so inspiring, and I really wanted to do that. 346 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: So my junior year I actually opted to go study 347 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: abroad in London and study at RADA because I wanted 348 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 1: classical training. I wanted to go see West End shows, 349 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: fringe shows. I wanted to be in it. And then 350 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: I came back in my senior year, I went to 351 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: the film and television studio to just kind of go 352 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: the other way, and I was like, oh, yeah, I 353 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: really do like this stuff, so ultimately I'm all, I 354 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: like all of it. I want to do all of it. 355 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: I just did a play and it was the first 356 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: play I'd done in a while, and it felt so good, 357 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: you know, I was exhausted. I made no money, and 358 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:24,200 Speaker 1: I couldn't have been happier I was. It just felt, 359 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: you know, your whole body gets engaged, and it's a 360 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: nice reminder for why I got into this. 361 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:38,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's funny, I I think. I think that's the 362 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 2: difference between NYU and most other actor conservatory training programs. 363 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 2: I think because you said you entered of course wanting 364 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 2: TV series like that was never in my consciousness early on, 365 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 2: Like I just wanted to be an actor in the 366 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 2: theater like that was like that was the only thing 367 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 2: that I wanted and the only thing that I thought 368 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 2: that I would ever do, And I didn't even really 369 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 2: think about that. NYU has great actor training. How much 370 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 2: training are you getting? I mean you said, and I 371 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 2: don't know exactly what this means when you went back 372 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 2: your senior year film and television, Are you getting film 373 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 2: and television acting training as well, or training in the 374 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 2: business at all, or how does that work there? 375 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: Yeah? They have so at ny you have to do 376 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: primary training first, so when you go you get sorted 377 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 1: into a studio. I always compare it to the Harry 378 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,719 Speaker 1: Potter sorting hat. It's all the same school, but different 379 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: acting techniques, right, you don't get to choose, and you 380 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: have to stay there for two years. And then after 381 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,120 Speaker 1: your two years you can go abroad, you can try 382 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: a different acting studio, or you can go do your 383 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: film and TV stuff, but you're not allowed to do 384 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: until you finish your theater training. So there's a school 385 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,159 Speaker 1: NYU called Stone Street Studios, and that's the film and 386 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: TV side of things, and they really try and make 387 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 1: it all of those all of those things that you're 388 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: talking about. So it's you know, you work on camera 389 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 1: with scene work, scene study, but you also have classes 390 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: on how to read a call sheet and what a 391 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,360 Speaker 1: typical contract might look like. And we have guest speakers 392 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: come in and then we have to role plaze the 393 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 1: first eighty, the second eighty, the boom op, the gaffer, 394 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,919 Speaker 1: like you learn those things, which I actually found to 395 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: be the most valuable part of the whole education at 396 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: Stone Street was just learning how a set actually runs. 397 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, nobody's gonna slow it down and explain 398 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: it to you want to get there. 399 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 2: I know that, and I was when I started in 400 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 2: film and television. I was much older and knew not 401 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: absolutely nothing. And that's what I always say, like, in 402 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 2: some ways the hardest part of the job is like 403 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 2: figuring out how it actually works. Like if it's just 404 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,120 Speaker 2: about saying your lines in character to another person, I'm 405 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:15,399 Speaker 2: good with that. Like wait, why is this? Why is 406 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 2: this person under me? Why am I rattling this person 407 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 2: right now? I'm saying everyone close, everyone, so in my 408 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:28,880 Speaker 2: face all the time. Yeah, uh, that's that's fascinating. All right. 409 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 2: So you graduate, You're in the big city. What what 410 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 2: what are you? What are you trying to do? Are 411 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 2: you just trying to work? It doesn't matter where it is. 412 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: So I immediately I've been working as like hearing their 413 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: jobs through college Marista nannying, And then when I graduated, 414 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: I started working at a gym because I wanted to 415 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: have my days free to go sit around for hours 416 00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: at Actors Equity and like hope to get seen for 417 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: an audition. So I would start my work day at 418 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,119 Speaker 1: like four point thirty in the morning so that I 419 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 1: could be done by noon and then I could go 420 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,880 Speaker 1: to Actors Equity and wait for six hours and then 421 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: maybe get seen live in the dream. So that was 422 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: post grad immediately, and I had done a showcase in 423 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: my senior year. Second semester and I had met my 424 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: manager and she was kind of just like, I like you, 425 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: let's see how this goes. So she would send me 426 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: little auditions here and there. I got my first TV appearance, 427 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: which was very cool for me, on one of those 428 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: New York courtroom shows. What was it was Madam Secretary. 429 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 2: Okay, that's what I thought, Madam Secretary. 430 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 1: She wasn't that one. One wasn't actually that court roomy, 431 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: but it was. It's, you know, very New York type show. 432 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:58,679 Speaker 2: Media Costello, Media Costello in Madam Secretary. So how was 433 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 2: that experience? Like being on a set for the first. 434 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: Time is incredible, I am. I mean every time I 435 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: step on a set, it's amazing. But I don't think 436 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 1: anything can really top the first time that you get 437 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: to go and you're sitting in the hair and makeup 438 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 1: chair and you're handed your scene for the day, and 439 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: you know, you get to talk to the director, you 440 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 1: get to talk to the actor who you've been watching 441 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: on television, Like there's just something so exciting about that. 442 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,639 Speaker 1: I was nervous, so nervous, and I even now sometimes 443 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: when I watch that scene back, like, oh goodness, girl, 444 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: loosen up. Read a little bit, but you know, all 445 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: in time, it was. It was a really fun day. 446 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: I was just so happy, and I remember calling my 447 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: parents and I was like, I'm gonna be on TEAMV. 448 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: It was so exciting. 449 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 2: But you were you were nervous, Yeah, I was. 450 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: I was nervous. I was really nervous. 451 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 2: How many days did you have that first time? 452 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: I was there for five hours? It was not days. 453 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: A scene where we were sitting at a table, so 454 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: they did one over the shoulder, another over the shoulder, 455 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: wid at a medium. They called it okay. 456 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: You end up working on some other shows there in 457 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 2: New York, Bull for one, The Good Fight. Do you 458 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 2: do you feel like you start gaining confidence with these 459 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 2: guest stars, you start feeling more comfortable, or is every 460 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 2: time you still get nervous. 461 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: I mean, honestly, I find new reasons to get nervous 462 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: every time. It's different nerves. But when I was on 463 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: The Good Fight, I was My scene was with Audrey 464 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 1: McDonald and then Christine Baranski's sitting right across the table 465 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: from us, and I have to be talking about my 466 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 1: dead friend and I'm just in the presence of legends, 467 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 1: trying to sitting on a stand in a courtroom, so 468 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: everyone's just staring at me, and I'm staring at Audre 469 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: McDonald and she smelled so good and I just wanted 470 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: her to come stand next to me, and so that 471 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: made me nervous, but that was also a really it 472 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: ended up being a really fun day and Bull. I 473 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: was nervous because it was my first day, my first 474 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: job where I was on for multiple days. So I 475 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 1: was on Bull for I think ten days, So I 476 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: was nervous about that, you know, building a character, an 477 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: arc or something like that. But all of the previous 478 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: experiences inform the next one, which is great, But it 479 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: doesn't mean I'm not going to be nervous every time 480 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: I step onto a set, because it's always something new 481 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: to be nervous about. 482 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know you did a lot. I mean I 483 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 2: have seven here listed in front of me. I won't 484 00:30:58,240 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 2: go through all the titles, but a lot of short 485 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 2: films gaining experience. Now is this are these projects that 486 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 2: you're doing with some of your NYU cohorts. You guys 487 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 2: are putting stuff together, just trying to work there. 488 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: Yeah. Some of them were NYU friends that we were, 489 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: you know, working with. Some were casting calls that I 490 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: answered in college just for other universities looking for actors. 491 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: One of my teachers had a friend who was making 492 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: a production who needed somebody and recommended me. And oh 493 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 1: I also spent a summer at Williamstown Theater Festival. 494 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, me. 495 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: Eighteen and I was an apprentice there, and I'd say 496 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 1: second to NYU, if not even on par with NYU 497 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 1: as far as networking and meeting people, that was really great. 498 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: So a lot of those short films came out of 499 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: collaboration with people from there. You know, you just pick 500 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: up people along the way, and especially with social media 501 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: now you can just get connected so easily. Right, So 502 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: people are always looking for somebody to be in their 503 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: short film, and if you have the patience to do it, 504 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 1: they'll let you do it. 505 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 2: Right. At this point, you're auditioning, trying to find work, 506 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:28,880 Speaker 2: working some in the theater. As you mentioned before, how 507 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 2: do you meet the folks on the other Black Girl? 508 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: So, yes, I was coming out of When was that 509 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: so twenty twenty one? Is that twenty twenty one? Yes, 510 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, the top of twenty to twenty one. 511 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: I'm coming off of like a year nothing. I had 512 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 1: signed with my agent in February twenty twenty, and then 513 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 1: we all know what happens two weeks. 514 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 2: Later, right right, was just there was great timing. 515 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: Great timing. I yeah, fresh out of school. I was like, 516 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna take this by the whole, nothing, nothing, silence. 517 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: So top of between twenty one, I think one of 518 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: my first auditions is I get something in my inbox 519 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: says like untitled Insidious project, and I didn't know what 520 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: that meant, so I was like, I'm just gonna submit. 521 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 1: I get a call back, and then I find out 522 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: it's the Insidious franchise, like the horror movies, and I'm like, 523 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:33,960 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, I actually love these. So I end 524 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: up booking that, and I while I'm on set for that, 525 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: I get this audition for the show called The Other 526 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: Black Girl. At this point, I'm sleeping on my friend's 527 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:47,120 Speaker 1: couch underneath his bookshelf, and on his bookshelf is The 528 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:50,880 Speaker 1: Other Black Girl. And so I novel the novel the book. 529 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: So I'm looking at my computer and I said, I've 530 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: seen that before, and I just turn around and grabbed 531 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: the book and start reading. And I was like, Okay, 532 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 1: well great, but I'm also trying to learn my lines 533 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: for this movie I'm doing, so I'm not really that focused. 534 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,759 Speaker 1: So I when it comes time for my audition, I'm 535 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 1: on set for Insidious, I have to talk to the 536 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 1: director before Patrick Wilson. He was so lovely for this. 537 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: He gave me like an extra long lunch break and 538 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: he moved around the schedule so I could do this 539 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: zoom audition for the other Black Girl. And it was 540 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 1: great because I was already in hair makeup and I 541 00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 1: was like, I feel fabulous, and so that was how 542 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 1: I got my first audition for that, and I auditioned 543 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 1: for Nella and then when they called me back, they 544 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 1: wanted me to read for Hazel. So I read for 545 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: Hazel and then they said, actually, you know, we kind 546 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: of feel like you fall in between these two characters 547 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: too much, so we're going to pass. And I was 548 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: pretty disappointed because I was like, I kind of feel 549 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: like I could do this. I feel like I get 550 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 1: this person character. But you know what happens. They passed, 551 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 1: and then three weeks later they called me back and 552 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:08,319 Speaker 1: they said, we actually want to have you back in 553 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: for Nola. And at that point it just goes like 554 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,719 Speaker 1: rapid fire. It's pretty much a call a week or 555 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 1: two calls a week or something like that. But it 556 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 1: ended up being like a July to October process. 557 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 2: How many times did you read for them? 558 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:23,799 Speaker 1: Yes? 559 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:26,280 Speaker 2: How many times? 560 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 1: I don't know. I want to say. I did my Nella, 561 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: I did my Hazel. I think I did one more 562 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: Nella after that, and then I did kind of like 563 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: a bracket style chemistry read which took three hours, and 564 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,239 Speaker 1: then I did two chemistry reads with Ashley, who ended 565 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: up playing Hazel. And then once I got the role, 566 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: I did chemistry reads with all the Owens, all the Malaikahs. 567 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:58,000 Speaker 1: So I was on the phone with these people a lot. 568 00:35:58,440 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 2: Okay, I don't. 569 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:02,040 Speaker 1: Even remember point I had the job. I was just like, 570 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:03,799 Speaker 1: I hope there's a job at the end of this. 571 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,800 Speaker 2: Wow. I had no idea. 572 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: It was quite the process. Yes, So also different countries. 573 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: I was traveling. I was on vacation, so I was 574 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 1: on a road trip on in a van in Iceland 575 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: when I had my first chemistry read and they said 576 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: we want to see you tomorrow. So I had to 577 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:29,640 Speaker 1: get on my phone and find the nearest hotel on 578 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 1: the Icelandic like country side where the whole country's population 579 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:36,640 Speaker 1: is like two hundred and fifty thousand people found one 580 00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:40,839 Speaker 1: room with the strongest WiFi in Iceland. I still think 581 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: about that hotel. 582 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 2: Oh my god. 583 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: And I did. I did my my reads in there. 584 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:50,760 Speaker 1: My friend sat in the van. Wow, it was chaos. 585 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 2: That's incredible. Did you when you when you were when 586 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:59,320 Speaker 2: you were sleeping under the bookshelf and you turned around 587 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 2: and you picked up the book. Did you respond to 588 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:03,840 Speaker 2: the book? I mean, I know you wanted a job 589 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 2: and spoiler alert, it's the lead, But did you respond 590 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:11,240 Speaker 2: did you respond to the to the to the book? 591 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 2: Was there? Yes? Yeah? 592 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: I mean when I picked up the book, I read 593 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 1: the back or the inside cover wherever the synopsis was, 594 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:20,600 Speaker 1: and I said, this sounds really, really good. And then 595 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: I read the first couple of chapters. And then they 596 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: had also sent me the pilot, so I read the 597 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: pilot script and between I did all of that at 598 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 1: the same time. So between all of that, I was 599 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:35,520 Speaker 1: already pretty hooked. I really felt like I knew who 600 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: Nella was and I identified with a lot of the 601 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:44,400 Speaker 1: things that I was reading about her. And I didn't 602 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:48,800 Speaker 1: finish the book until the end of the audition process. 603 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: I kind of didn't want to know how it ended, 604 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: but I was as they were sending me scripts, I 605 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,279 Speaker 1: was reading little bits of the book and just kind 606 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:02,520 Speaker 1: of getting more and more interested. And since it's it's 607 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:06,799 Speaker 1: it's not necessarily mystery, but thriller. The not knowing, I 608 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: thought was helping me. I Wela doesn't know what's happening 609 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:12,319 Speaker 1: to her, so I shouldn't know what's happening either. 610 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:17,399 Speaker 2: That's very That's very interesting and astute of you. I think. 611 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:20,280 Speaker 2: By the way, the other black Girl New York Times 612 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:29,839 Speaker 2: best selling book, Rave Book made into a series. Now, 613 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:33,480 Speaker 2: did you have any connection with Rashida Jones. 614 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 1: Besides being a lifelong fan. Nope. I saw her name 615 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: and I was I called my dad had Jones. That's 616 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: what it says. Unless there's another one. 617 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:52,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, I had no idea. They put you guys through 618 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:53,680 Speaker 2: the ringer. 619 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was you know, and we all got there 620 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: and I was talking to everybody else, and Ashley had 621 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:03,000 Speaker 1: a similar experience. I think they wanted to get it 622 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:07,319 Speaker 1: right that those two relationship, I understand, you know, it 623 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,520 Speaker 1: was you could find one but maybe didn't have great 624 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:13,120 Speaker 1: chemistry with the other. And they made Ashley and I. I 625 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 1: think Ashley and I tested together two or three times 626 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 1: and it took hours, but nobody was trying to be 627 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 1: aloof about it. At one point, Todd, our producing director, 628 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:28,640 Speaker 1: straight up set He's like, we really like you too, 629 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: and we really like you two together, so we're just 630 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 1: going to give you some stuff to heighten it so 631 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 1: we can send it off to the people at Hulu 632 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 1: and they'll love you as much as we do. And 633 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 1: I appreciated that transparency. 634 00:39:41,120 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's awesome. You get this job, your first obviously 635 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 2: central leading role of a big series. Now, is there 636 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:14,880 Speaker 2: nerves from you in beginning to work on the show. 637 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's nerves. It's a whole new thing to be 638 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:19,520 Speaker 1: nervous about. 639 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. 640 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 1: I I don't even know how to tell you the 641 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:31,120 Speaker 1: nerves I was experiencing. But yes, lead of a show 642 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:34,600 Speaker 1: that was a very well liked book, that's going to 643 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 1: be on a very popular streaming platform. And everyone kept 644 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 1: reminding me that, like, this is so cool. You're going 645 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:44,879 Speaker 1: to be the lead of a hula show. You've never 646 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:45,800 Speaker 1: done that before. 647 00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:49,960 Speaker 2: Yes, I know, yeah, I know that. 648 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:54,359 Speaker 1: So you know, I was really happy that we got 649 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:56,080 Speaker 1: to go down a few weeks before we started shooting, 650 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 1: so we got to talk to everybody, We got to 651 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 1: do a few rehearsals, which I think is pretty rare 652 00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:07,720 Speaker 1: in the space, and had got to have a relationship 653 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:11,080 Speaker 1: with the people we'd be spending the next four months 654 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:17,640 Speaker 1: with ahead of time. And because the show moved so quickly, 655 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:24,000 Speaker 1: we shot ten episodes in under four months, and we 656 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,120 Speaker 1: were block shooting, so we were shooting multiple episodes at 657 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 1: the same time. The timeline was all messed up. We're 658 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:33,800 Speaker 1: having different directors come in, we're having new actors join us. Honestly, 659 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:37,319 Speaker 1: all that was going on really didn't give me enough 660 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,880 Speaker 1: time to be nervous after a while, which I really appreciated. 661 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 1: We were just so busy and everyone there cared about 662 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 1: what we were making so much, and I was actually 663 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:50,919 Speaker 1: just having so much fun because we had so many 664 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:58,320 Speaker 1: amazing comedians on set and funny people that the whole 665 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,359 Speaker 1: energy vibe was light, even though we were doing this 666 00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:03,640 Speaker 1: pretty herculean thing. 667 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:07,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's interesting because you know, there are 668 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:11,360 Speaker 2: you and Ashley and a lot of the other actors 669 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:18,720 Speaker 2: who well, primarily one young with less experience, and then 670 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:23,000 Speaker 2: you know you have people coming in like Eric McCormick 671 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 2: and Bellamy Young. Well, I was there. I was there 672 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 2: for a little bit, but I really enjoyed my work 673 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:38,000 Speaker 2: with you. I thought you were fantastic to work with 674 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:45,080 Speaker 2: and so open and receptive to Shenanigans that I would 675 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,080 Speaker 2: try to. 676 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,279 Speaker 1: I appreciate it with you. I appreciated it because that 677 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 1: was still kind of early on in our process. So 678 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:55,520 Speaker 1: every curveball took me out of my own head a 679 00:42:55,560 --> 00:43:00,640 Speaker 1: little bit. And I remember specifically that that that we 680 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:05,920 Speaker 1: were doing where you know, Nella's fighting tooth and nail 681 00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:11,400 Speaker 1: through an apology and we got really I don't I 682 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:15,600 Speaker 1: don't know what you and Dodd talked about, but every 683 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:18,239 Speaker 1: take was different and I appreciated it. It was It 684 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:24,680 Speaker 1: was great. But yes, being the youngest, the greenest on 685 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:33,879 Speaker 1: set was daunting until I realized nobody else cared. They 686 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:37,080 Speaker 1: they were They just wanted us all to do a 687 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 1: good job. Nobody was whispering, she's so young, this is 688 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:45,239 Speaker 1: her first big job. They were like, we'd all hang 689 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:49,440 Speaker 1: out in the actors holding and joke around and everybody 690 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:54,279 Speaker 1: was just there was no hierarchy of of uh, you know, 691 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:57,799 Speaker 1: status or anything. We were all chilling together and it 692 00:43:57,880 --> 00:43:58,560 Speaker 1: was really nice. 693 00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:05,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I mean it certainly helps that you're really good. No, 694 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:08,359 Speaker 2: I mean, let's be honest about it, because if I mean, 695 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:12,560 Speaker 2: if you were bad, yeah, there would have there would 696 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:15,120 Speaker 2: have been tons of whisky. Yeah, yeah, there would have been, 697 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:19,840 Speaker 2: especially from that McCormick guy. He is yeah, he is evil. 698 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:25,520 Speaker 2: Love he can be he can be so evil. So 699 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:29,200 Speaker 2: the show out in September. 700 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:33,360 Speaker 1: We're in the middle of sixty days, six days ago. 701 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:35,920 Speaker 2: Today, sixty days ago today. 702 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:37,719 Speaker 1: Well, maybe not six days, two months. 703 00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:45,359 Speaker 2: Months, yeah, September, that's right, September thirteenth. We how did 704 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:54,600 Speaker 2: let me tell you something. I felt horribly for you 705 00:44:55,200 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 2: and for Ashley, because I I just felt like this 706 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 2: was not fair to the two of you. Obviously, spoiler 707 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 2: alert for those of you listening. The show comes out 708 00:45:12,719 --> 00:45:17,360 Speaker 2: and we're in the middle of the first actor strike 709 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:21,800 Speaker 2: in over fifty years. That's right, the last actor strike. 710 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:27,080 Speaker 2: Ronald Reagan was president of the Union, not of the 711 00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:33,480 Speaker 2: United States. So it's over fifty years ago since the 712 00:45:33,560 --> 00:45:37,440 Speaker 2: last strike. And so they're making up rules as we 713 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 2: go along because there's no playbook to what happens, and 714 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:48,840 Speaker 2: we're told that we cannot promote shows that that is 715 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:52,320 Speaker 2: part of our job, which it is, is to promote shows, 716 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:57,320 Speaker 2: and we were on strike, so that is not something 717 00:45:57,320 --> 00:45:59,239 Speaker 2: we were to do. And let me tell you, I 718 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:03,600 Speaker 2: felt horribly for you and for Ashley because your work 719 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:08,360 Speaker 2: is so strong and the material is so good. The 720 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:12,840 Speaker 2: end product, which I watched by myself without talking about 721 00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:17,160 Speaker 2: it either, was so strong that I felt terribly for 722 00:46:17,360 --> 00:46:20,080 Speaker 2: you that you were not able to go through the 723 00:46:20,160 --> 00:46:23,920 Speaker 2: experience and get the attention that you deserved to get 724 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:26,480 Speaker 2: for the work that you did. Was that difficult for 725 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:28,600 Speaker 2: you for it to come out and not be able 726 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:29,399 Speaker 2: to talk about it. 727 00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:32,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, I would be lying if I said it wasn't difficult. 728 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:33,600 Speaker 2: Don't lie. 729 00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:41,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. No, it was such a conplex amalgamation of conflicting emotions. 730 00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:44,919 Speaker 1: It was just, you know, highs and lows every day. 731 00:46:46,719 --> 00:46:50,400 Speaker 1: I think that the actor strike was announced on June 732 00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:55,800 Speaker 1: twelfth or July twelfth, and our show, the Hollywood Reporter 733 00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:03,759 Speaker 1: announced our show's release date, so we were almost exactly 734 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 1: in line with the actors strike. So we had been 735 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:11,520 Speaker 1: told in advance, you know, keep your summer open. We 736 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:15,160 Speaker 1: have this big press rollout. We had talks about maybe 737 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:18,360 Speaker 1: going up to Tiff and you know, they wanted to 738 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:19,880 Speaker 1: do the talk show circuits and they wanted to do 739 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:23,880 Speaker 1: all this, and it was so exciting also because you know, 740 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:28,640 Speaker 1: this was my first anything of the size, and then 741 00:47:28,719 --> 00:47:32,840 Speaker 1: to learn in one day that none of that was 742 00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:35,839 Speaker 1: going to be happening, and that they were also going 743 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:39,680 Speaker 1: to release the show without the promo and not bump 744 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:44,839 Speaker 1: the release date we had. Yeah, that day was tough. 745 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:49,239 Speaker 1: That that that learning that was like, oh no, the 746 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:51,880 Speaker 1: next six months of my life that I've kind of 747 00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:53,960 Speaker 1: cleared out for this big thing is just not going 748 00:47:54,040 --> 00:48:00,720 Speaker 1: to happen anymore. But the show did still come out, 749 00:48:00,880 --> 00:48:03,520 Speaker 1: and though we were not allowed to talk about it 750 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 1: publicly or promote it publicly or post about it, it 751 00:48:09,719 --> 00:48:15,640 Speaker 1: really kind of personalized this experience for me because I 752 00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:18,640 Speaker 1: still heard from a lot of people. I still got 753 00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:22,600 Speaker 1: texts and calls and messages from folks I haven't heard 754 00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:26,000 Speaker 1: from in years, or I don't even know directly, and 755 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:29,479 Speaker 1: they'd be sending me random billboards from Cincinnati or Los 756 00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:33,440 Speaker 1: Angeles or Chicago or Philadelphia. People from different countries are 757 00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:35,520 Speaker 1: reaching out to me saying they've watched the show, and 758 00:48:35,560 --> 00:48:37,959 Speaker 1: it's given me a little bit more time to read 759 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:41,960 Speaker 1: those messages and have conversations with the people in my 760 00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:45,360 Speaker 1: life who were happy for me and have been following 761 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:49,279 Speaker 1: this accomplishment. And at the end of the day, as 762 00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:52,640 Speaker 1: fun as all that stuff would have been, you can't 763 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:56,600 Speaker 1: really miss what you never had. I am excited for 764 00:48:56,680 --> 00:49:00,640 Speaker 1: whatever project will allow me to have those type of experiences, 765 00:49:01,400 --> 00:49:03,759 Speaker 1: but I am no less proud of the work that 766 00:49:03,800 --> 00:49:07,880 Speaker 1: we did on this show. I'm glad that SAG was 767 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:11,560 Speaker 1: able to get a deal that they feel is fair 768 00:49:11,800 --> 00:49:16,880 Speaker 1: so that next time we can go all out. But yeah, 769 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:21,360 Speaker 1: you know it was. It was a lot of conflicting 770 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:25,200 Speaker 1: emotions over the past couple of months, but ultimately ruled 771 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:25,960 Speaker 1: by gratitude. 772 00:49:27,640 --> 00:49:33,160 Speaker 2: Good for you. That's uh, it's it's very mature. And look, 773 00:49:33,320 --> 00:49:35,120 Speaker 2: let me be let me, let me be honest with you. 774 00:49:36,080 --> 00:49:44,040 Speaker 2: That stuff isn't fun. It's really not it's really not funk. 775 00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:49,560 Speaker 2: It sounds it sounds it's way it sounds way better 776 00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:56,640 Speaker 2: than it is. But that being said, I was really 777 00:49:57,040 --> 00:50:05,480 Speaker 2: upset for particularly for the two of you now, because 778 00:50:05,520 --> 00:50:12,799 Speaker 2: you deserved to get that attention and I wanted. I mean, look, 779 00:50:12,880 --> 00:50:16,040 Speaker 2: the point of all of that promotion, fun or not, 780 00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:20,000 Speaker 2: is to get people to watch and so you know. Look, 781 00:50:20,239 --> 00:50:23,400 Speaker 2: it's part of what the fight was about, is not 782 00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:27,080 Speaker 2: having information about the streaming. I have no idea. I 783 00:50:27,120 --> 00:50:32,400 Speaker 2: will tell you this, which means absolutely nothing. But I 784 00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:37,400 Speaker 2: was set by my publicist the day that the trailer 785 00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:41,560 Speaker 2: came out, which said, you know, hey, here's the trailer 786 00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:44,879 Speaker 2: of your new show. Don't tweet about it, don't talk 787 00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:48,439 Speaker 2: about it, don't share it with anybody. But just what 788 00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:52,640 Speaker 2: was it for your not for your information, but I 789 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:55,600 Speaker 2: don't know, for your consciousness. I don't know. They said 790 00:50:55,640 --> 00:51:02,480 Speaker 2: the trailer, and I clicked on it, and I showed 791 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:04,600 Speaker 2: it to someone the next day. So I clicked on 792 00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:07,840 Speaker 2: it the next day and there were three or four 793 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:10,600 Speaker 2: million views of this thing within twenty four hours. 794 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:13,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, so it got traction. 795 00:51:14,120 --> 00:51:16,480 Speaker 2: That got subtraction. Now I don't know if people watch 796 00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:18,120 Speaker 2: the show or not, but I hope to God that 797 00:51:18,160 --> 00:51:25,240 Speaker 2: they did. Now for those of you who haven't seen 798 00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:30,280 Speaker 2: the other Black Girl one, do because I mean, jesus, 799 00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:35,520 Speaker 2: I'm in it. But too more importantly, Sinclair is in it. 800 00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:42,760 Speaker 2: I was there through I think episode five. So we're 801 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:44,879 Speaker 2: not going to give spoilers away here because I really 802 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:46,920 Speaker 2: want people to go and watch the show. But I 803 00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:49,600 Speaker 2: do want to mention something because I was gone at 804 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:55,680 Speaker 2: five there was a unscheduled and by the way, who 805 00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:57,200 Speaker 2: knows if we're allowed to talk about this, but I 806 00:51:57,200 --> 00:52:02,080 Speaker 2: don't really care. There was an unse scheduled hiatus that 807 00:52:02,239 --> 00:52:10,040 Speaker 2: happened during the course of the show because of quote 808 00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:15,040 Speaker 2: wanting to go in a slightly different direction at the 809 00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:22,800 Speaker 2: end of the series. Was this done with the thought 810 00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:24,479 Speaker 2: of bringing it back for season two. 811 00:52:26,280 --> 00:52:30,520 Speaker 1: I wish people would include me in those conversations. I 812 00:52:30,719 --> 00:52:36,640 Speaker 1: have to imagine, you know, like, what's the plan? I was. 813 00:52:40,080 --> 00:52:48,000 Speaker 2: No, I it's no, it's more from me watching it. 814 00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:53,080 Speaker 2: It ends differently it had than what had been when 815 00:52:53,120 --> 00:52:57,000 Speaker 2: I was there. It ended differently than what it was 816 00:52:57,080 --> 00:52:59,360 Speaker 2: explained to how it was explained to me. 817 00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:04,399 Speaker 1: We were ending You really see, I didn't. I did 818 00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:06,680 Speaker 1: not ask for the ending. I did not want to 819 00:53:06,719 --> 00:53:09,440 Speaker 1: know what the ending was, similar to like reading the book, 820 00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:11,799 Speaker 1: so I didn't figure out how they were going to 821 00:53:11,880 --> 00:53:15,279 Speaker 1: end it until I read the episode ten script. But 822 00:53:15,719 --> 00:53:18,240 Speaker 1: it does feel because it's different than the book. 823 00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:20,799 Speaker 2: So it's different than the book. It's different and that's 824 00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:24,200 Speaker 2: what I mean. No one was filling me. I wasn't 825 00:53:24,239 --> 00:53:30,200 Speaker 2: in high level meetings. It was more conversations about it 826 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:35,040 Speaker 2: and then when I watched it, because I didn't know 827 00:53:35,680 --> 00:53:39,680 Speaker 2: really what had happened after, you know, I didn't know 828 00:53:40,280 --> 00:53:42,960 Speaker 2: the end of the story from the serious perspective I 829 00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:49,680 Speaker 2: had read the book, and I went, oh, oh, well, yeah, oh. 830 00:53:49,680 --> 00:53:53,279 Speaker 1: Okay, Well I felt I felt like, you know, if 831 00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:56,160 Speaker 1: they're taking an extra couple of weeks to go and 832 00:53:56,480 --> 00:54:01,480 Speaker 1: rewrite the ending of a story that already has an end, right, 833 00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:06,640 Speaker 1: then that probably means that they want to do something 834 00:54:06,680 --> 00:54:09,880 Speaker 1: with the story as a whole, I would think, because 835 00:54:10,560 --> 00:54:12,960 Speaker 1: I mean, there's literally a book that could tell you 836 00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:16,520 Speaker 1: how to end it right, But to make a different choice, 837 00:54:17,000 --> 00:54:22,840 Speaker 1: a more left open choice, feels intentional. And obviously nobody 838 00:54:22,920 --> 00:54:26,359 Speaker 1: knew that we were going to release this show into 839 00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:31,719 Speaker 1: the strike, but I would hope that that intention is 840 00:54:31,800 --> 00:54:32,400 Speaker 1: still alive. 841 00:54:32,440 --> 00:54:37,840 Speaker 2: And well, yeah, well I hope so too. Maybe Colin 842 00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:40,880 Speaker 2: will come back and melt down in some other horrific 843 00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:49,400 Speaker 2: way as well. Hope. I so enjoyed your work, and 844 00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:53,720 Speaker 2: I enjoyed one. I enjoyed working with you, and two 845 00:54:54,000 --> 00:55:01,120 Speaker 2: to see your journey played out, the complex of your performance, 846 00:55:01,560 --> 00:55:07,319 Speaker 2: the depth of your performance, and the reality of your 847 00:55:07,320 --> 00:55:13,319 Speaker 2: performance was stunning to watch, and you know what I 848 00:55:13,360 --> 00:55:20,000 Speaker 2: told you is true the within I'm gonna be real. 849 00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:25,319 Speaker 2: Within twelve minutes of me getting a text that the 850 00:55:25,360 --> 00:55:31,160 Speaker 2: strike was over, I emailed I couldn't find your number, 851 00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:36,120 Speaker 2: and I emailed Jordan and Gus and said, I need 852 00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:39,400 Speaker 2: to get a hold of Sinclair because. 853 00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:44,400 Speaker 1: They've reached out, like the same day. 854 00:55:44,160 --> 00:55:47,360 Speaker 2: Because I wanted to have you on. I wanted to 855 00:55:47,400 --> 00:55:50,719 Speaker 2: talk to you about you and your experience and and 856 00:55:51,239 --> 00:55:54,960 Speaker 2: the show because it's a show that deserves to be seen, 857 00:55:55,400 --> 00:55:59,640 Speaker 2: and I just I wish it all of the best, 858 00:55:59,680 --> 00:56:01,880 Speaker 2: and I hope we get to do it again sometimes. 859 00:56:02,600 --> 00:56:06,960 Speaker 1: Well, thank you, I do too. It was truly the 860 00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:10,240 Speaker 1: most fun I've ever had on a job and exactly 861 00:56:10,280 --> 00:56:13,680 Speaker 1: why I do this and really affirming, and to do 862 00:56:13,760 --> 00:56:16,240 Speaker 1: that again would be such a blessing. 863 00:56:17,400 --> 00:56:21,759 Speaker 2: Awesome. Congratulations. I'm I'm happy to hear you just went 864 00:56:21,800 --> 00:56:24,960 Speaker 2: back and did something in the theater as well. One 865 00:56:24,960 --> 00:56:27,200 Speaker 2: of these one of these days, one of these days, 866 00:56:27,239 --> 00:56:30,960 Speaker 2: I'll follow you and Eric back. Did you see his show? 867 00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:34,400 Speaker 1: Yeah? We had three the other Black Girl members on 868 00:56:34,480 --> 00:56:37,120 Speaker 1: Broadway this fall, and I went to opening night of 869 00:56:37,160 --> 00:56:39,719 Speaker 1: all of them. Cheered my pants off. It was amazing. 870 00:56:40,239 --> 00:56:41,080 Speaker 2: Wow. 871 00:56:41,400 --> 00:56:45,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, the theater was calling, you know. Yeah, returning it 872 00:56:45,520 --> 00:56:49,400 Speaker 1: was fun. I did see Eric. He's hilarious. I didn't 873 00:56:49,440 --> 00:56:53,960 Speaker 1: expect anything less like truly just drove the whole show 874 00:56:54,040 --> 00:56:56,200 Speaker 1: with his comedic timing. It was phenomenal. 875 00:56:57,160 --> 00:57:01,359 Speaker 2: He's the best. Oh, such a good time. Thank you 876 00:57:02,120 --> 00:57:04,960 Speaker 2: for coming on and taking the time to talk to me. 877 00:57:05,239 --> 00:57:10,640 Speaker 2: Good luck and everybody out there. I'm serious, go and 878 00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:18,360 Speaker 2: watch on the aforementioned Hulu The Other Black Girl starring 879 00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:23,800 Speaker 2: Sinclair Daniel. I promise you this, you won't be disappointed. 880 00:57:24,320 --> 00:57:26,200 Speaker 2: You won't be disappointed. Thanks Sinclair. 881 00:57:26,360 --> 00:57:27,680 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, Brian. 882 00:57:39,760 --> 00:57:43,720 Speaker 2: Sinclair. So great to have you on today. It was 883 00:57:43,760 --> 00:57:46,720 Speaker 2: such a pleasure to talk to you, a pleasure to 884 00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:49,440 Speaker 2: work with you. I'm so happy that I could finally 885 00:57:49,560 --> 00:57:52,959 Speaker 2: talk about this show that I do, really, really love, 886 00:57:53,160 --> 00:57:55,919 Speaker 2: and truly you're a big part of why I love 887 00:57:55,920 --> 00:57:59,520 Speaker 2: it so much. If you haven't already, go watch The 888 00:57:59,600 --> 00:58:03,840 Speaker 2: Other Black Girl streaming on Hulu. You're gonna love Sinclair. 889 00:58:04,160 --> 00:58:08,000 Speaker 2: You'll get a glimpse of me as well. You probably 890 00:58:08,040 --> 00:58:10,040 Speaker 2: forgot what I look like because all you do is 891 00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:14,080 Speaker 2: hear my voice now, but check it out. Yeah, We're back, Baby, 892 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:28,280 Speaker 2: We're back. I will see you next week. Off the 893 00:58:28,320 --> 00:58:32,200 Speaker 2: Beat is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, 894 00:58:32,480 --> 00:58:36,480 Speaker 2: alongside our executive producer Ling Lee. Our senior producer is 895 00:58:36,560 --> 00:58:40,560 Speaker 2: Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and 896 00:58:40,640 --> 00:58:45,040 Speaker 2: Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and 897 00:58:45,120 --> 00:58:49,240 Speaker 2: our intern is Ali Amir Saheed. Our theme song Bubble 898 00:58:49,320 --> 00:58:53,320 Speaker 2: and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bratton,