WEBVTT - Jessica Szohr 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.680 And that's the coolest thing about actors. We can keep 0:00:02.800 --> 0:00:05.320 learning and going and getting better. And an acting coach 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:07.880 told me that as athletes, they can't their bodies give out. 0:00:07.960 --> 0:00:10.239 With us, they don't. We can keep going. You just 0:00:10.320 --> 0:00:13.160 keep getting better, and like, yeah, I kind of like that. 0:00:13.440 --> 0:00:15.480 We can just be like seventy and keep doing it. 0:00:15.560 --> 0:00:19.800 We're superior specimens to athletes. Basically, that's where my brain 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:21.840 just took that that I'm going to carry with me 0:00:21.960 --> 0:00:30.000 from here on. Please do hi. I'm jessica's Or and 0:00:30.040 --> 0:00:32.640 I played Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl and I am 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:43.680 now hosting my own podcast x O x O. Hello everybody, 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:47.640 and welcome again to your favorite podcast. Well at least 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:51.800 it's my favorite podcast, Off the Beat. I am your host, 0:00:52.080 --> 0:00:55.760 Brian baum Gartner. Today is an exciting day. Now why 0:00:55.840 --> 0:01:00.360 is an exciting day? It is International Women's Day, and 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:05.240 I am told the traditional gift on International Women's Day 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:08.880 is to record a special episode with a talented and 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:14.319 funny woman like my guest, Jessica Zor. This interview may 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:17.839 surprise you a bit, I mean not her. She herself 0:01:18.040 --> 0:01:21.720 is precisely the type of person, an actor, that you 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:25.039 would expect on this show. You know her from shows 0:01:25.080 --> 0:01:30.760 like Gossip Girl, Complications, Shameless, or The Orville. But the 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:33.800 thing that might surprise you a little bit is that, well, 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:37.959 jess and I are very good friends, like came to 0:01:38.040 --> 0:01:42.880 my wedding. Good friends, like gave her mom a foot rub. 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:46.479 Good friends. Wait was you don't have a friend like that? 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:49.800 Well you'll see what I mean. She is also the 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:53.720 host of her very own podcast, XO x O, which 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:57.440 in fact is brought to you by the same incredible 0:01:57.480 --> 0:02:02.400 team behind this podcast. Oh well, you know it's good. 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:07.919 Please welcome fellow podcaster and one of my favorite people 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:17.560 on the planet. Jessica Zor Bubble and Squeak. I love it, 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:24.880 Bubble and squeaker Bubble and squeaker cookie, every moment left 0:02:25.040 --> 0:02:38.720 over from the nut before. Am I coming at Hi? 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:44.000 Just what I'm like surrounded by you? I have your 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:48.560 book here, your Christmas card with your beautiful girls. Oh, 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:56.120 I mean, I am everywhere. It's so good to see you. 0:02:56.240 --> 0:02:58.640 I didn't want to call you before we were doing 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.400 this because I wanted I said the same thing, like 0:03:01.440 --> 0:03:02.880 I'm gonna call it, and I'm like, you know what, 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:05.119 we won't. And we've always for as long as we've 0:03:05.160 --> 0:03:07.440 known each other and been friends. I feel like when 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:09.680 I talked to her see you, it's like we were 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:12.960 just hanging out last week. I know. So what are 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:17.760 we the most unlikely duo in all of Hollywood? I 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:20.280 feel like we are. Oh my god, I love it. No, 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:22.760 I mean seriously, I want to talk about it a 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:24.440 little bit. How we got to know each other. But 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:27.959 you and I, I mean again, now this is pre pandemic. Yeah, 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:30.880 we we were like going to any parties together. What 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:34.160 were people thinking about this? I don't know, but I honestly, 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:37.000 those were the most fun times I've had. Papa was 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:40.600 always with us and Celeste, and even now when they 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:42.320 come up, I'm like, if I'm not gonna be with 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:44.920 you three, it's not the same. No offense to anyone 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:48.080 that's come with me the other years. But I always 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:50.640 have the most fun with you because you guys, don't 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:54.560 you have fun if you don't take anything too seriously. 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:57.280 But that's also why I think we always connected and 0:03:57.640 --> 0:03:59.840 like became friends right away. Like we're serious about what 0:03:59.840 --> 0:04:01.920 we do and our families and things like that and 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:05.440 our work, but we also like we like see what 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:07.680 it all is too We're not like too serious about it, 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:10.720 you know what I mean? Yes, I mean you have 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:13.320 to be slightly more serious on the red carpet than 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:18.520 I do. Let's be on. But it's crazy. I was 0:04:18.760 --> 0:04:24.479 thinking about those early days and looking over your career 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:27.760 and stuff, and I don't think that I was fully 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:34.320 aware we started hanging out very quickly after Gossip Girl started. Yes, 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:37.279 like it had to have been like two thousand seven, 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:41.640 two thousand right in there, right for sure, which I 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:44.280 was trying to go down because we also, like obviously 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:46.560 with Will being a mutual friend of ours, someone I 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:48.640 grew up with who's also a dear friend of Brian's, 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:51.839 our friend Will Monady, who's a legend and an amazing person. 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:55.080 But I couldn't like pinpoint exactly the time we met, 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:57.479 because I truly feel Brian like we've been friends for 0:04:57.480 --> 0:05:00.000 a lifetime, and although going back to two thousand seven, 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.920 it's a very long time, but even I remember, like 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:05.919 I don't remember specifically, but I know the feeling. I 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:08.760 was like, Wow, this guy is super dope, super cool, 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.200 down to earth. We were both Packer fans, which is 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:15.160 nice from Atlanta, which is everybody she called. She called 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:18.039 me dope. She called me dope. She called me dope. 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:21.640 Here's one of my earliest memories. All right, I was 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:25.400 on this television show called The Office, which is the 0:05:25.480 --> 0:05:28.520 opposite of the Gossip Girl experience. So we're in New 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:31.760 York and I don't remember if this is the first 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:35.240 time I met you or very early on, but we 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:39.800 are at an establishment and there is a general consensus 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:43.080 and this is you, this is some of your other castmates. 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:46.400 This is our friend Will Malnati of the Malnati Pizza 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.200 Empire and now he's taking over the world of media. Yes, 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.320 and we decided we're going to go to another establishment, 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:56.360 which is literally one block away. Okay, it is around 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:59.920 a corner, but it is like directly behind where we are. 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:03.479 And everyone is like, yeah, We're gonna go get in 0:06:03.520 --> 0:06:07.240 a limo. And I'm like, what, why are we get 0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:09.400 to get it? Why are we getting in a limo? 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:14.320 And because I wasn't into the whole paparazzi scene at 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:16.400 this point, I didn't know what was going on, so 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:20.440 we we pile it a limo. Your mom is there, Okay, 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:23.559 this is crucial to the story. Your mom is there 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:26.760 and is sitting next to me, and her feet are hurting. 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:30.320 This is early on and suddenly I'm giving your mom 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:35.240 a foot missile in a limo for exactly one block 0:06:35.480 --> 0:06:39.600 ride around the corner. I'm like, okay, all right, I 0:06:39.600 --> 0:06:43.280 guess this is what we're doing here. I am like laughing. 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:45.840 First of all, my mom loves a foot rub, obviously, 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:50.000 but that I remember that, Oh my god. And you're 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:54.000 not you guys, he is not joking. We literally probably 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:57.440 getting that many people into the limo took more time 0:06:57.640 --> 0:07:00.520 than if we just walked there. But is it because 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:03.360 of paparazzi? Oh well, hunter? And I was like, why 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:05.159 are we not why are we not walking? Yes, but 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:09.120 the paparazzi was a thing for you guys. Um, all right, 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:12.440 we're gonna get into that. So my mom is gonna 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:16.000 die laughing right now. Hey, listen, all I do is 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:19.840 speak truth. You're off the beat. I speak off the 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:24.520 beat truth, all right. So you're from Manominee Falls, which, 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:28.880 by the way, if you know that song Manomonie Beep, 0:07:29.120 --> 0:07:33.280 that's all I can think of whenever I hear Monomonie Falls. 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:37.840 What is that the Muppet show Beep? It's not about 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:42.120 the city, it's just the same sounds. I'm an idiot. Um, 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:47.320 so you're from there and a big fan of the 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:50.520 Green Bay Packers. Yes, now you bet you're a Packers 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:54.160 fan from birth. Yeah. Basically, if you're from Wisconsin, you 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:56.520 you are just you're a Packers fan, You're a Bucks fan, 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:59.920 you're a Brewers fan. There's no you don't have another option. Really. 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:02.840 I also think it's funny. It's like the Packers like 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:06.840 packing cheese, Brewers like beer, Bucks like Hunting. I'm like, 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:11.600 we got some real, real cool names for our sports team, 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:16.200 but you know, people like to drink Hunting, eat cheese, 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:22.040 eat cheese. Wisconsin period, Cheddar. So you're from Wisconsin, you're 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:25.840 a Packers fan, and obviously we have bonded over that. 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:29.480 But how did that happen? One that was like points 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:32.120 in my book right away, like from Jump but like 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:36.679 from Atlanta, but also a Packer fan. That doesn't happen often. No, 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:42.080 I mean, look, it really was about the relationship with 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:48.560 UM twelve Mr Rogers. I. Early on, he and I 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:53.280 started becoming better and better friends, and I was following 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:57.680 them and I was going to Green Bay and you know, 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:01.000 I was a fan of the Falcons, the at but 0:09:01.040 --> 0:09:02.960 I was like, what am I doing? Am I going 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:06.760 to sort of just stay fans of this team that 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:09.520 I grew up with that I don't get to see anymore? 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:13.120 Or am I going to root for my friend and 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:20.840 then through him? I've met so many awesome guys and gals, 0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:25.719 not just on the team, but people from Green Bay. So, 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:28.400 you know, a j Hawk is a great friend of 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:33.080 mine now, and Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb and you know, 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:35.880 a bunch of the guys. And then going to the Games, 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:37.880 I spent a bunch of time with the people of 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:39.760 Green Bay and I just fell in love with it. 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:41.840 I fell in love with the city. I fell in 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:43.720 love with the people. I fell in love with the 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:48.240 organization and how they do their business. And so I'm 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:51.840 I'm all in yeah, And once you are like a fan, 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:56.160 you don't have a choice. Now, Brian, it's done. So 0:09:56.400 --> 0:10:00.680 it's done. I'm shooting promotional videos for them, and I 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:04.679 know I don't know um. In fact, now we're going 0:10:04.720 --> 0:10:07.760 story time again. I'm gonna remind you Jess and I 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:15.080 were together for this excluding rubbing her mom's feet, one 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:20.040 of the weirdest nights ever and also one of the 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:24.280 greatest sports memories of my life. So we were in 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:28.800 Dallas when Green Bay won the Super Bowl and had 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:31.840 a crazy snowstorm in the city shutdown. I was like, 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:33.840 that's right. It was like Green Bay Packers like brought 0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:35.679 the weather with them. I'm like, when's the last time 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:38.439 is it snowed in Dallas and they're shutting down this city? 0:10:38.520 --> 0:10:42.200 Like what there's yes, So that's so that's part of 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:45.080 my story. So we are we we we go to 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:48.560 the game. That's amazing, But I believe the night before 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:52.680 is one of the weirdest, most uncomfortable nights of my 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:56.800 entire life. And you were there. So we are at 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:59.240 a super Bowl party. This is this is what happens. 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:01.640 You go to the Super Bow all and there are parties, 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:05.079 and you know, our little pod you know, was essentially 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:08.360 me and you and Will and basically there starts to 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:13.640 be this like grumbling. It's like, oh like whisper after 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.080 party of JTS after party of j T s. And 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:18.240 I'm like, I don't know if I turned to you, however, 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.840 but I remember going like, Who's who's j T. Who's 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:25.960 It was like, oh no, justin timber Lake, justin timber 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:28.959 Lakes having an after party, and I'm like, Okay, this 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:32.160 all seems weird, but I'm in Dallas for the Super Bowl. 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:35.240 Let's go for it. So there's a bunch of people 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:40.120 and as just says, it's snowing, it's icing, the roads 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:44.080 are closed. It's really a serious situation in terms of 0:11:44.080 --> 0:11:46.000 the weather, and it's a city that isn't used to it. 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:47.840 It's not like if you're in Wisconsin or in the 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:50.160 cities where they're like, okay, we got snowpads doing. They 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:52.560 didn't know what to do because they don't get snow 0:11:52.640 --> 0:11:55.560 like that, right. And also because it's like you know, 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:57.520 it gets warm during the day or whatever, it turns 0:11:57.559 --> 0:11:59.960 into ice. And I'm not going to do a web 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:03.320 report for everybody. Basically, it was dangerous and there's not 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:06.840 a lot of people on the roads. And somehow we 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:11.720 procure a big suv and we're all going to the 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:15.080 after party at J T. S. And so we get 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:17.480 out of the car and it's a little dark, like 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:20.600 it's like, huh, it's kind of weird. Maybe we're earlier whatever, 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:24.640 and we go inside and there's nobody there. I mean, 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:29.400 there's like his managers there. He's gone to bed. There's 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:34.800 literally nothing happening at this house, and we're now from 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:39.040 where our hotel was, were like halfway across the world. 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:42.400 The driver's gone, the driver's gone to bed, and I 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:44.880 mean this was within five minutes. He's not answering calls. 0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:49.120 Whatever was We sat there for like two hours, just 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:54.640 this thing with nothing happening. I mean, not a beer 0:12:54.720 --> 0:12:58.280 to be seen. We're just sitting now in JT's house 0:12:58.280 --> 0:13:02.040 while he slept in the other room, having just the 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:06.280 most awkward, weird experience of my Hollywood life. It was 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:11.040 a wild situations. Yes, so I always remember because that's 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:13.840 obviously one of my favorite sports memories of all time, 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:19.040 but it's coupled with the most awkward night. Awkward for sure, awkward. 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:21.480 I do feel like Justin ended up coming out at 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:23.400 one point, because I remember my uncle came to meet 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:25.400 us and met him and was like, wow, he's such 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:27.000 a nice guy. But I'm like, I don't know what 0:13:27.120 --> 0:13:31.120 time that was. We were still waiting for our car. Yeah, 0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:33.040 and then your mom showed up. I gave her another 0:13:33.040 --> 0:13:55.800 foot rob. It was so bizarre. It's a trip. Okay, 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:59.440 so you're in Wisconsin and you decide you want to 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:01.360 do modeling, So how does this happen? Talk to me 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:04.720 about how you get your career stars. So I guess 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:07.160 I was like four or five. I don't really remember this. 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:10.000 Someone had stopped my mom and said, you should really 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:12.040 consider getting her into modeling. My mom was a young 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:14.400 mom and thought maybe there is something here and we 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:15.960 could save the money and put it away for her 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:19.480 for college. And in Nominee Falls, ironically now is the 0:14:19.520 --> 0:14:22.840 headquarters of Cole's department store, so they shot right there. 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:25.440 So I started modeling there. Then I was ten, I 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:27.880 started working down in Chicago. That's where I met Will 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.960 because we modeled together there. And then at like twelve 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:33.800 and thirteen, started going to New York for more jobs. 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:37.240 And then there wasn't agent that would go to Chicago 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:39.440 and try to meet new kids to bring them out 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:42.320 for pilot season. And we met with him and it 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:44.320 went well, and he wanted me to come, but my 0:14:44.440 --> 0:14:46.760 parents were like, we can't afford to just like up 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:49.040 and take you to l A. We have other kids. 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:51.840 We couldn't do it. That just wasn't an option. So 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:53.800 I went through high school. And how old are you 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:57.280 at the old I was probably twelve or thirteen. Okay, 0:14:57.320 --> 0:14:59.840 so this is like child act. Yeah, but I wasn't 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:02.000 in I wasn't in theater. I wasn't in drama. I 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:04.720 had done commercials and I liked, you know, the vibe 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:07.440 in front of the camera and being funny or smiling 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:10.080 and goofy and things like that. But um, years later, 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.640 I UM, let me tell you this story first, because 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:16.000 this is what also gave me a taste. I auditioned. 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:18.160 There was a big movie called Star Wars, and my 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:21.119 dad was obsessed with all of that, and I auditioned 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.880 for Princess Leah. And then I got a call back 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:25.800 and they did fly us out to l A. And 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:27.760 I get to this callback if they've narrowed it down 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.200 to I don't like a handful of girls. And I 0:15:30.280 --> 0:15:32.120 went in to do the read and there's all these 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:35.880 people at this big table, huge names that you know of, 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.920 And then they had crans and papers and all these 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:40.920 things for the kids to do. And it was around 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:43.040 the holiday, so I made cards for everyone in the 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.320 room that said Jesus is the reason for the season. 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:48.720 And as you know, probably more than half of the 0:15:48.760 --> 0:15:53.080 people in the room were Jewish. So they go in, 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:55.040 you know, an hour later when it's my turn again 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:56.720 and I hand the things out and the casting director 0:15:56.800 --> 0:15:58.880 comes out and it's like, where's Jessica's parents? And my 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:00.640 mom's like sitting in there and her like she's like 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:03.600 right here. Thought I was like in trouble. They're like, oh, 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:05.600 we just think it's so nice that, like, you guys 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:07.800 aren't stage parents. He wrote Jesus is the reason for 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:10.040 this season and handed it to a bunch of Jewish people. 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:14.240 M I clearly didn't get the job. I like didn't 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:17.360 remember that. My agent years later told me that, I'm like, Mom, 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:19.120 why would you let me do that? She's like, I 0:16:19.200 --> 0:16:22.720 was letting you do you. So there was a little 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:24.080 bit of that where I go went to l A 0:16:24.160 --> 0:16:26.320 and you know, kind of auditioning and being in front 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:28.920 of people that make really cool movies and really good art. 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:31.160 And then so get to my senior year, I go 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:34.320 to my home room, um, and the teacher says something like, 0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:36.480 you know, congratulations to the first day of the rest 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:39.120 of your life. And I had planned on marrying Ryan Zoohockey, 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:41.840 going to an art school in Chicago, being an interior designer. 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:44.440 My life was planned. And when she said that, it 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:45.840 kind of kept going over and over in my head. 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:47.880 I'm like, is this what I'm doing? I don't know. 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:49.480 And then it clicked and like I kind of want 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:51.120 to go see what that agent was talking about a 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:53.640 couple of years ago. So I went to the guidance counselor, 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:58.120 took all my credits, graduated at semester, and I went 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:01.880 home that day told my parents I'm gonna graduate in 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:04.840 January and go out for the pilot season. I just 0:17:04.840 --> 0:17:06.960 want to go see what this guy has to offer 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:08.760 and has to say. And they were like, if that's 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:11.240 what's gonna make you happy, go ahead. That's how I 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:14.760 got to l A. Now, how was Ryan Zumickey about this? Well, 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:16.560 we had dated through high school and he's, you know, 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:20.320 my high school sweetheart, and he's such a lovely, wonderful human. 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:21.960 I mean it was. It was a weird thing because 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:24.320 we're from a small town. Everyone kind of stayed there, 0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:27.359 which is awesome and beautiful. But for me, I was like, 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:30.280 I wanted to like explore and travel and see things. 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:35.080 So so I did. Right. So at first I'm going 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:38.080 to teach weather and now geography. So my nominee falls 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:40.440 is not that far from Chicago. I mean, that's a 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:42.679 drive just for those of you who don't know. So 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:44.879 you you did the cold stuff, and you were in Chicago, 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:47.240 and then you did some stuff in New York. But really, 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:49.600 other than these couple of experiences, you hadn't had that 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:52.159 much experience in l A. Is that right? No? And 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:54.080 even when I booked my first acting thing and they 0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:55.640 told me the mark and the directors like you gotta 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:57.199 keep hitting the mark on the same line, I was. 0:17:57.280 --> 0:17:59.119 I was freaking out, Brian. I didn't know. I'm like, 0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:00.880 why why would I have to say the line every 0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:03.520 time on the same spot? And I remember it was 0:18:03.560 --> 0:18:06.160 a Damon Wayne show and one of the Wayne's brothers 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:08.200 were helping me in the back. They're like, oh, because 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:10.240 it's you know, they got a match stuff. So I 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:11.679 didn't even know what I was doing. And I was 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:14.600 like it was scary and nerve reckoned. I'm like, I 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.040 need to take like a technical class so I know 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:19.479 what marks mean and all the moving. And I mean, 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:21.639 because I didn't, how did you know? I mean, I 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:24.119 have a little bit of a similar experience too, right, 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:28.439 I mean I had done so much theater at that point, 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:33.040 so you know, in theater, depending on how intricate the 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:35.560 lighting and the set moving and all that stuff. You know, 0:18:35.600 --> 0:18:38.800 they're definitely marks, but it's not the same. No, And 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:41.520 it's literally like to the word it is. And I 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:44.080 think that's another thing people don't realize that, you know, 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:46.640 acting on film or television, when you're acting in front 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:49.440 of a camera, it's there is a huge technical element. 0:18:49.800 --> 0:18:52.600 You have to kind of get your bearings. So you 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:55.879 go right after high school to l A, so you 0:18:55.920 --> 0:18:58.359 start to book jobs. I did. Yeah, what were some 0:18:58.400 --> 0:19:00.520 of the shows you were doing? What I Like about You? 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:04.000 Which was Amanda Bayan's which was awesome because Kelly from 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:05.679 nine O too, and No, Jennifer Garth was on it. 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:09.240 I was tripping out. I was like, so excited when 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:11.040 you get to do that. And then the Wayne's brothers, 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:14.480 my wife and kids, Drake and Josh and Nickelodeon and 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:16.160 I mean these were some of these were five and under, 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:20.040 you know, a couple lines here, Um, what was really cool? 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:22.840 And I say, maybe it was God looking out for 0:19:22.920 --> 0:19:25.000 me or the universe. The first audition they put me 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:27.840 on was a national IBM commercial which ran for two years. 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:30.879 Thank god I got it. Just paid so well, I 0:19:30.880 --> 0:19:34.479 mean I made more money on that than almost all 0:19:34.480 --> 0:19:38.000 those shows I just said put together. So that was nice. 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:40.520 I could take acting classes, I didn't have to go 0:19:40.640 --> 0:19:42.960 and wait tables. I could really focus on my craft. 0:19:43.000 --> 0:19:46.240 So that was a really big and I don't overlooked 0:19:46.240 --> 0:19:48.240 that at all. I was very blessed that that worked 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:52.119 out for me. So you don't ever go back to 0:19:52.160 --> 0:19:55.560 go to school. I don't. Right before I was gonna 0:19:55.840 --> 0:19:58.680 head back, I was actually talking. It was Marlon Wayne's. 0:19:59.040 --> 0:20:00.440 He said, what do you mean you're going back. You 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:02.040 can't just come out here and give it a couple 0:20:02.040 --> 0:20:04.160 of months. You know, it takes years, and and I said, 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:05.919 I know, but he said, no, you need to like 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:09.080 stay and grind. And I let it like settle in. 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:11.720 And I'm like, maybe he's right. So like a month 0:20:11.760 --> 0:20:13.840 before I had stuff picked out to go to school 0:20:13.840 --> 0:20:15.800 in Chicago, the whole thing, I called, and I'm like, 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:19.280 I think I'm gonna stay. And then I stayed. And 0:20:19.280 --> 0:20:22.120 then you know, like our industry, so like you can 0:20:22.160 --> 0:20:23.960 be on this thing where you're booking stuff, and then 0:20:24.240 --> 0:20:26.520 you don't book some things that you're getting offered, things 0:20:26.600 --> 0:20:28.720 that you might not love but could be cool, you're 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:31.080 auditioning for things you love but you're not getting. I mean, 0:20:31.119 --> 0:20:34.800 there's so many different factors and emotions. And I was 0:20:34.840 --> 0:20:37.480 in a real funk. Maybe there have been like probably 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:39.439 ten auditions I didn't get, So then I was feeling 0:20:39.480 --> 0:20:42.040 that too, So I wanted to move home. And then 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:46.240 my mom came out and her and Jamie Fox sat 0:20:46.320 --> 0:20:49.600 me down at Patch to tell me that they don't 0:20:49.640 --> 0:20:53.040 think I should move home, that when things get tough, 0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:55.040 the easiest thing is to do is to give up. 0:20:55.560 --> 0:20:57.520 And I listened to them even though I had like 0:20:57.560 --> 0:20:59.159 I'm like, Mom, why would you guys sit and do 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:01.119 this to men? And Jamie is just like talking to me. 0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:02.320 I'm like, you've been in this and you've done and 0:21:02.320 --> 0:21:04.000 he's like yeah, but you don't think things got hard? 0:21:04.600 --> 0:21:08.200 And a week later is my whole story with Gossip Girl. 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:10.960 So thank god for my mom coming, thank God for 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:14.920 them kind of telling me the truth. And it wasn't fun. 0:21:14.960 --> 0:21:16.600 I mean I was I was lonely. I was crying 0:21:16.640 --> 0:21:20.000 myself to sleep some of the nights I missed my family. Um. 0:21:20.119 --> 0:21:21.680 When people are like, oh, it's so glamorous, I'm like, 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:23.560 you guys didn't know when I was like by myself, 0:21:23.560 --> 0:21:26.199 crying myself to sleep. But yes, there's beautiful things that 0:21:26.240 --> 0:21:28.640 come along with it, but there's definitely it's a it's 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:32.760 a roller coaster as an actor for sure. Yeah, I 0:21:32.800 --> 0:21:36.560 love hearing. I mean, first off, you're so cool that 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:40.560 you name dropped one of the coolest, hippest places that 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:42.919