1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome 2 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: back to Work in Progress friends. This week we are 3 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: joined by an actor who I admire so much. Today's 4 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: guest is none other than Janny Smale. She is an 5 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: American actress born here in New York, one of six siblings, 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: and she has been working in film and television since 7 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 1: she was a little girl. Known for her roles in Lovecraft, Country, 8 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: Birds of Prey, Underground, and True Blood, she is here 9 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: to discuss her brand new Apple TV show, Smoke. The 10 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: show centers around an arson investigator who begrudgingly teams up 11 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: with a police detective as they race to stop two arsonists. 12 00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: It is a twisted game of secrets and suspicions, and 13 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: journey stars opposite tarn Edgerton in this incredible thriller. Today 14 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about what it was like to 15 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: film the show, work with the iconic Dennis Lahne, and 16 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: a lot about what it means to juggle this life 17 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: performing and acting and traveling and creating with motherhood and 18 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: self discovery. And you'll hear a little bit about the 19 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: lessons the two of us have learned along the way. 20 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: Let's dive in with my friend Journey. Hi, honey, I'm 21 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: so happy you're here, my love. How are you. 22 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: I'm happy to see you. 23 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 3: It's been forever. 24 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: I know, it's been a long time. 25 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 3: You look fabulous. Thank you so much. 26 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: You look fabulous. This press tour is working. 27 00:01:54,840 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 3: Oh well, you know, I got a team of experts 28 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 3: helping it work. 29 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: We need it, especially when you got little ones at home. 30 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: It's like somebody helped me. Look like I've. 31 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 3: Slept right right, And then you know, the press to word, 32 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 3: it's almost like you're running a marathon. As you know, 33 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 3: you just sit in that room and you get asked a. 34 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: Lot, and you got to make them feel fresh every time. Yeah, 35 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: oh I feel it. Well, I'm excited about the projects. 36 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: But before we talk about, you know, what's happening in 37 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: life at the moment, I want to go backwards a 38 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: little bit. 39 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 2: Okay, how far back are we go? 40 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: Like all the way back? 41 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: Okay? 42 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: Which is fun for you, especially because you've been working 43 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: since you were a baby. But I always wonder, like 44 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: when I sit with somebody, whether I know them or 45 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 1: I'm just meeting them, whoever sits in that chair has 46 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: an impressive resume, Some cool new project like something in 47 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: the world. And I wonder if you could go back 48 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: in time and hang out with your little self at 49 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: seven or eight years old, do you think the woman 50 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: you are today would see herself in that little girl? 51 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,679 Speaker 3: Oh? Yes, because I actually meditate on that little girl 52 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 3: a lot. Really, Yeah, because I do believe so much 53 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 3: of what we're doing is in response to our childhood, 54 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 3: you know. And I'm one of those nerds who you know, 55 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,839 Speaker 3: I'm reading books on attachment theory and you know me too, Yeah, 56 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 3: so you feel me, you know. And so like all 57 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 3: of the primary attachments we had and the core memories 58 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 3: we had during those moments, I think about, you know, 59 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 3: just in how I see the world. It's also how 60 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 3: I construct characters, you know, when I'm approaching them in 61 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 3: my work. But yeah, that little girl, I mean, she 62 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 3: she was. She was a lot of fun. She was. 63 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 3: She was a lot of fun. There was a lot 64 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 3: going on around me when I was six or seven, 65 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 3: how so, Okay, so I think around that age my 66 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 3: famly I was I was doing full House, or I 67 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 3: had just finished doing Full House, and my family had 68 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 3: been I had been offered by the producers of Full House, offered, 69 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:23,119 Speaker 3: you know, your seven to do a spinoff of Full House. 70 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 3: You know, my character resonated with. 71 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: Folks for some reason, I you know, but. 72 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 3: My pay grade. And so my mom said no to 73 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 3: the spinoff, and she said, I've got six kids at 74 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 3: the time, she had five and one on the way. 75 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 3: And she was like, I ain't doing no more damn 76 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 3: TV unless they're all in the same show, because y'all 77 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 3: got me running around with all these different kids, and 78 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 3: I'm trying to be everywhere with all of them. She 79 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 3: was very protective, very hands on. We never had a 80 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 3: nanny or anyone else watch us other than her, and 81 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 3: she was stretched thin. And so the producers, Bob Boyette, 82 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 3: Miller Boyette, they said, wait, there's more, bring them all in, 83 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 3: and so they gave us all our own TV show. 84 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 3: She had us go into this meeting that happened. Yes, 85 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 3: she had us go into this meeting. We performed Shut 86 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 3: Him Down by Public Enemy. 87 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 2: I was Flavor flav Oh, I did the Flavor Flav verse. 88 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 3: I don't even know. Maybe I had a clock around 89 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 3: my neck. I don't know. A room full of white 90 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 3: men at Warner Brothers, and she had us perform this 91 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 3: very militant song and they gave us our own TV show, 92 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 3: all six even the baby that was Bacon in the oven. 93 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: Oh my god, this is amazing. 94 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 3: Yeah. So there was a lot a lot going on 95 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 3: around me, a lot of excitement during that time, a 96 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 3: lot of newness for the first time, Like we moved 97 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 3: into a house that was really nice, remember that, you know. So, yeah, 98 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 3: that's snapshot of my life during that time. 99 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: Wow. And did you love it? Did you love acting? Performing? 100 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: Even from a young age. 101 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 3: I always did. I was always performing at home. My 102 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 3: mom loved musicals and old films. Sound of music probably 103 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 3: was on repeat throughout my childhood. American in Paris. You 104 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,799 Speaker 3: know Gene Kelly, fred Astaire sid Cherise. I always wanted 105 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 3: to be, said Cherise with those long legs, you know. 106 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 3: And so she would put she would put down plywood 107 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 3: on the floor in our apartment in Elmhurst, Queens, and 108 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 3: she got me some tap dance shoes. Me and my 109 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 3: brother Jesse was just tap dance all the time to 110 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 3: these musicals. So, I know, I always loved the art 111 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 3: of performing and that exchange that you get when you're 112 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 3: performing for someone, right, you know. 113 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: Oh, it's so interesting because especially I think for a 114 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: kid learning any skill like that that really puts you 115 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: in your body. It gives you a sense of agency 116 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: really early. You know, you understand that you are capable 117 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: similar to sport. 118 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 3: And I like it to sports too. Yeah, I like 119 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 3: in it to little league. 120 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, little league AISO, like whatever it is. I 121 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: think what we know that maybe folks who don't work 122 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: in this industry might be a little misled about, is 123 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: that when you are an actor or a performer, a musician, 124 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: you know, whatever you do like you're part. 125 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 3: Of a team. 126 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: You're in a cast, you work with a whole big. 127 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 3: Crew of collaborators. 128 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: Yes, like it's team sports, and you've got to learn 129 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: how to support the team, but also stay in your lane. 130 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: You need to be able to fill in for somebody 131 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: if you're you know, not able to do their job 132 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: one day. And so I don't know, I think it's 133 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: pretty cool to hear about how you were finding yourself 134 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: in that work. 135 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 3: I completely agree with your perspective on it. And it's 136 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 3: funny because I find myself gaining so much inspiration from 137 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 3: sports from athletes. I watch it religiously. My son now 138 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 3: has taken the sports obsession to a whole nother level. 139 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 3: But I gained and I always have gained inspiration from 140 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 3: the way athletes push their bodies, how mentally tough they are, 141 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 3: the way they have to work with other personalities and collaborate, 142 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 3: and the flow that athletes have to be in. You 143 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 3: can when you're watching a tennis match, you're watching Coco, right, 144 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 3: and you're just like, ooh, she's in the flow right now, right, 145 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 3: That's what we try to achieve on set or on stage. 146 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 3: You know, you try to find that rhythm. It's like 147 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 3: a musician, you know, a jazz band. Yes, they're improving, 148 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 3: they're in tune with their partner, you know. The pianist 149 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 3: can't go too far off without being in vibe with 150 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 3: the basis, right, Like, So there is something about that 151 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 3: dance that that you have to be in with the 152 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 3: cameraman or camera woman, right, like the with your fellow actor. 153 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 3: It's very true, and I love that you you have 154 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 3: that same experience. 155 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally, And I think there's something really interesting too. 156 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: All these little connections are firing in my brain. Like 157 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: you talking about the way you love to research, you know, 158 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: for roles, but also for yourself as a person. You know, 159 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: reading books on attachment theory figuring out as an adult 160 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: where your patterns come from from your childhood. Like, I 161 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 1: think that's especially important for anyone who's a performer, whether 162 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: you're a performance artist or a performance athlete, because you 163 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: do learn to push yourself to extremes, you do learn 164 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: to put the work above all else, and eventually you 165 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: have to come to terms with at some point in 166 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: your life like, oh, I'm so good at performing, I 167 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: might not be feeling and I got to figure out 168 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: how to recalibrate that. 169 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 3: Or it might be only allowing myself to feel when 170 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 3: when I'm made for me. 171 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: Oh that yeah. And it's interesting, not that I want 172 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: this conversation to be about this topic, but I just 173 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: hear something in you that something in me recognizes. And 174 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, I don't know if it's when you've built 175 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: your whole beautiful life and then you realize you're not happy. 176 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: I think there's a wisdom that comes when women take 177 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: up their agency and go through a divorce, as we 178 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: both have, Yes, we have, And I'm like, oh, whatever, 179 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,479 Speaker 1: the thing is that I've really learned through this construction 180 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: and then deconstruction process. I see in you, I see 181 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: in you, and I know it's hard, but not to 182 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: be cheesy, I'm like, I'm proud of us. We've clearly 183 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: done some work. Yeah. 184 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, I'm proud of us too, because it takes 185 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 3: courage to say I actually need more and I want more, 186 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 3: I deserve more. Yeah, And society doesn't always hold space 187 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 3: for those of us who feel that we're entitled to more, 188 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 3: because it's like, well, you got this, this and this 189 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 3: sit down, shut up, be happy like what you're complaining about, right, 190 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 3: And so it does take a lot of courage to 191 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 3: say I know what my worth is and I know 192 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 3: what I deserve to receive in return. So it's a risk. 193 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,199 Speaker 3: I don't know if I'll actually get it in this lifetime, 194 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 3: but I'm I feel that it's I'm worthy enough to try. 195 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: To try that part. 196 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 197 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: And I don't know if you know. I don't want 198 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: to project my experience onto you, but I think, especially 199 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: when you do the kind of work that requires so 200 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: much of you and you do show up in big ways, 201 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 1: in big spaces, when you know what a high bar 202 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:18,199 Speaker 1: you have forgiving and you realize that bar is not 203 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: being met in return, I actually think it's a really 204 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: brave thing to say it's not about entitlement, it's not 205 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 1: about it's not even necessarily about that deserving right. It's 206 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: about I believe that I'm worse what I give, and 207 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: if someone doesn't, you know, how do you let that 208 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 1: person be the closest person to you in your life? 209 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: You can't. 210 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: And that could be, that could be a toxic relationship. 211 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 3: That can be your co workers, that can be your 212 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 3: agents or your lawyers, right, you know. I've found things 213 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 3: like that have actually shown up and manifested in several 214 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 3: different ways. Sometimes I find like, oh, it's so hard 215 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 3: for me to let go of people past their exploration date. 216 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,599 Speaker 3: It's really hard to just go hard, Oh this relationship 217 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:19,680 Speaker 3: has actually run its course. That was very hard for me. 218 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 2: It's still hard, but it's less hard. 219 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 3: I've gotten I've walked it out enough, you know, to 220 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 3: be able to detach. But in studying attachment theory, I 221 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 3: noticed my patterns were the inability to detach yes you know, 222 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 3: and go wait, why is that? Like? 223 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 2: What's that? 224 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 3: You know? And you do do your own self a 225 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 3: disservice because not everyone is built for a lifetime walk 226 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 3: with you. Sometimes it's a season, or it's a reason. 227 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: Or it's a lifetime life done. Yeah, and now a 228 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: word from our sponsors that I really enjoy and I 229 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: think you will too. I had to really think about 230 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: that a lot because I realized, and it's weird, right, 231 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: there's something you can love about yourself and also it 232 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: can hurt you, Like I don't like to give up 233 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: on people, but sometimes that means I'm trying to hold 234 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: on to something that no longer exists. 235 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 3: Do you feel that it's holding onto a potential? Like, yeah, 236 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 3: believing the potential and maybe not. 237 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: Sometimes And sometimes I think it can be. Really I 238 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: think there's a difference between dreaming with someone and the 239 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: dream being attainable in this life. You know, I really 240 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: did a lot of work around what do I want 241 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: the future to feel like? What do I want a 242 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: family to feel like? What do I want to build? 243 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: And then I built it? But I realized like it 244 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: almost I almost felt like I built a house, but 245 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: the house was empty, you know. 246 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: And it. 247 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: Was a house and it was great. It was like 248 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: Pinterest's perfect house. But I think, particularly again as performers 249 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: and also as women, like, at least for me, I 250 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: can see all that stuff. I can see the attachment theory. 251 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: I can see what I learned that was good and 252 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: bad from my parents and their relationship, from generational family stuff. 253 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: I can see what I took from societal messaging, and 254 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 1: I can go, oh, I get I get why I 255 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: really tried to be as like responsible as possible and 256 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: make this plan. But if the if the plan is hollow, 257 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: if the house is empty, like, don't you want to 258 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: go fill it? And so I don't know. I think 259 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: I think there's a really important shift that's happened. Certainly, 260 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: I really see it over the last decade, like we 261 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 1: could have this conversation, you know, over a bottle of 262 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: wine with friends. Over the last decade, I've seen far 263 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: more people, and I think it had a little to 264 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: do with me too, you know, far more people say 265 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: these things are not right at work. And then a 266 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: lot of people, once they started talking about the right 267 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: and wrong in their life, were like, oh, I might 268 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: actually have to talk about my life. Also, if I 269 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: only send her work and I don't send her my life, 270 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: what am I doing? And so I always think it's 271 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: interesting when us artists hit whatever point we hit where 272 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: we realize, oh, I have to pour into myself the 273 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: way I pour into my work, the way I pour 274 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: into my characters, the way I pour into my people. 275 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 3: Yeah. 276 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. Do you think it's a deeper resonance that desire 277 00:16:54,520 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: to model worth and what you deserve and the right 278 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: kind of life because you're also doing it for your son. 279 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 3: Yes, the stakes are definitely higher. I find after having 280 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 3: a child who learns so much more from your choices 281 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 3: than what you say to them. He learns so much 282 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 3: more from how I move through life, how I deal 283 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 3: with disappointment or sadness, by watching you, by watching me, 284 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,199 Speaker 3: he learns so much about work ethic by watching me. 285 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,680 Speaker 3: He has now these goals and these ambitions, and it's 286 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 3: beautiful because he relates it back and he kind of 287 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 3: mirrors himself to me. He's starting to do that in 288 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 3: ways that I was like, oh my gosh, Like I 289 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,639 Speaker 3: don't know why I thought, and it probably is my 290 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 3: own bias, but I thought, like, oh, if I had 291 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 3: a daughter, they would probably mirror. But no, I mean, 292 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 3: like he looks at me and it's like small things, 293 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 3: you know, Like he wants to get six pack, So 294 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 3: he's like, Mami, teach me how to get a six pack, 295 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 3: you know, but he's yeah, he watches my behavior a 296 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 3: lot and is influenced by that. So the stakes are yes, 297 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 3: way higher now, and I feel like the greatest gift 298 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,439 Speaker 3: I can give him is being my whole self. Alfred 299 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 3: Wooded long ago gave me this book called Whole Parent, 300 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 3: Whole Child, and it's a beautiful book and it talks 301 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 3: essentially about that of you cannot be able to pour 302 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 3: into your child and raise them to be their full 303 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 3: best self if you yourself or not. 304 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: Yes, there is a stat A friend sent me a 305 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: video that actually said that the highest predicting determinator of 306 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: an adult's happiness is how happy their mother was. 307 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 3: I've read that in their childhood. Yes, I've read that 308 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:00,640 Speaker 3: somewhere and major. It is major, because you know what 309 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 3: I found very early in Hunter's childhood, I was dealing 310 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 3: and struggling with major mom guilt. You know, I nursed 311 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 3: him for three years. I gave birth to him in 312 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 3: my bathtub. I was like, yo, I'm a dude, like 313 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 3: my mom was. She gave birth to all six of us, 314 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 3: natural childbirth. You know, nursed us, didn't believe in extending 315 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 3: extended nursing, and so like a lot of her philosophies 316 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 3: and her standards, right, I was holding myself too. 317 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 2: My mom's situation was so different and very unique. 318 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 3: Right. She didn't have to ever have someone on set 319 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 3: with us watching us because she was behind the camera 320 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,719 Speaker 3: and we were the ones in front. And so in 321 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 3: my situation, I'm the one in front, and so I'm going, well, 322 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 3: you know, I want Hunter on set with me. I'm nursing. 323 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 3: He refused a bottle because he got hype to it, right. 324 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 2: He got smart too. 325 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 3: He got him to the fact that, okay, like around 326 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 3: six months, I remember, it was like, okay, if I 327 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 3: take this bottle from my aunt, that means mommy might 328 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 3: go to Target. 329 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 2: So he started boycotting the bottle, right, smart, really smart. 330 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: It's like, oh, I see how I'm gonna get the 331 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: I want. 332 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 3: And he's like, I'm not doing this. She's not passing 333 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 3: me to Aunty, your uncle or to daddy. It's gonna 334 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 3: be her. I went directly from the source, you know. 335 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 3: And so he start started refusing the bottle. And so, 336 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 3: you know, me shooting Lovecraft Country or Birds of Prey 337 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 3: doing stunt rehearsal, he's right there, you know, in the 338 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 3: trailer or at rehearsal, and I had to have help, 339 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 3: and I felt so much guilt about the fact that, like, 340 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 3: oh my gosh, I got to go and do this scene. 341 00:20:55,720 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 3: It's a really emotionally challenging scene. So for the next 342 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 3: hour or so, I need him to stay in the trailer. 343 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 3: He can't com on set because he can't see Mommy. 344 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: Like that, right, Like you need to focus and I. 345 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,360 Speaker 3: Need to focus, and I need to do your right, 346 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 3: I need to do my work. But I dealt with 347 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 3: a lot of mom guilt that wasn't processed and I 348 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,679 Speaker 3: didn't really know where to put it. And it really 349 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 3: was that philosophy of that book of giving yourself the 350 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 3: approval to feed into your well, to do your to 351 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 3: pursue your passions, to take the bath where you need 352 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 3: to take the bath, to go to target when you 353 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 3: need to just have alone time, right or whatever. That 354 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 3: thing is giving yourself the approval to do that, knowing 355 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:48,120 Speaker 3: that if you don't, you will run out of gas. 356 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 3: And that doesn't help him, and that helps no one. 357 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 3: That serves no one. There's no Mommy Olympics, there's no 358 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 3: reward that you're winning at the end of the year, 359 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 3: exactly as it's sacrificing. Yeah, exactly, and it's a marathon, 360 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:05,199 Speaker 3: it's not a sprint. You need to have endurance in 361 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 3: order to be present with him and play with him. 362 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,920 Speaker 2: And it's okay, you know, it's okay. 363 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 3: For him to see me pursue my dreams. It's actually 364 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 3: a beautiful thing for him to see the sacrifice that 365 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 3: I make for my work and how hard I work. 366 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 3: It's okay for him to see the image of a 367 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 3: woman being the bread winner. It's okay for him to 368 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 3: see me being ambitious and passionate and going, baby, you 369 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 3: know what. Right now, Mommy has to go in this 370 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 3: room and I have to study this scene. But when 371 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,479 Speaker 3: I finish, I'm gonna come out and we're gonna play catch. 372 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 3: Right Like, giving him those boundaries in the parameters I 373 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 3: think is healthy. And I've had to process and give 374 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 3: and be kind to myself over the past few years, 375 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:58,160 Speaker 3: because of course there's moments where he's like, no, why 376 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 3: you you know, And there's sacrifices that my work requires 377 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 3: that he make. Yeah, but there's also a lot of 378 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 3: benefits that he gained from from what mommy does and 379 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 3: the kind of life I can provide for him, the 380 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 3: travel that he's he's been able to be a part 381 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 3: of I mean, like he went to the Steve Irwin 382 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 3: Zoo in Australia, got a private tour that's a pet 383 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 3: of rhino DJ the rhino he got to pet, you know, 384 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 3: like all these experiences. He got to meet Steph Curry 385 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 3: last year. Hello, okay. And so as he gets older, 386 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 3: he's slowly starting to appreciate what I do and actually 387 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 3: find respect for it and gratitude. And that is a 388 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 3: real muscle that I'm trying to strengthen in him, which 389 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 3: is hard in kids, And it's hard in kids who 390 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 3: grow up with a lot, you know, to understand that yo, 391 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,919 Speaker 3: to whom much is given much as affected. Right, So 392 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 3: like we gotta give back, we gotta go and volunteer, 393 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 3: we gotta yeah, we gotta do all these things because 394 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 3: look how blessed we are. Man. 395 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: It makes me think about something. What a crazy sentence 396 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: I'm about to say. I don't know. A month and 397 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: a half ago, I think we had Michelle Obama on 398 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: the pod. I was literally like, what is happening? And 399 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: I asked her about motherhood and she said that her 400 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,719 Speaker 1: mother had this phrase that you know, has echoed for 401 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: her whole life. I'm not raising babies. I'm raising adults, amen, 402 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: And that thing to to give your kid evolving agency 403 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,639 Speaker 1: as they evolve, to show them how you move in 404 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: the world as an adult, as a responsible parent, as 405 00:24:54,160 --> 00:25:00,239 Speaker 1: a dedicated worker, as a volunteer, as a human that 406 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 1: for you, your little boy always knows he can come to 407 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: like that raises a generation of adults. And I think about, 408 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 1: at least for me, you know, my parents didn't know 409 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: any of the stuff we know now about how to 410 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 1: raise babies, how to talk to them, what to do 411 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 1: for them. 412 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 3: They didn't have the language or the tools, and a 413 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 3: lot of the research wasn't done yet, you know, all 414 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 3: the things. 415 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: And I think about the learning and the unlearning that 416 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: our generation has had to do. 417 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 2: Unlearning is very key. Unlearn a lot, a whole. 418 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: Lot, oh boy. And I just think about, like how 419 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: cool our kids are going to be when they're our 420 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: age because they've just had more resources and information and 421 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: opportunity to imagine themselves in these spaces they see you 422 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: or or us in evolution. It's cool. Yeah, it's really cool. 423 00:25:58,920 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 424 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: Out for our sponsors thinking about family and like, you know, 425 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: the examples we set you talk about how your mom 426 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 1: was the one behind the camera, you know, and it 427 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: led into this amazing world for all of your siblings. 428 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,439 Speaker 1: I mean, six kids and y'all are all in this 429 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: industry in some facet. 430 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 3: Does that not all anymore? But at a point, at 431 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 3: a point, yes, yes. 432 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: When was that this amazing thing when you got to 433 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: do this show together? But then as y'all started growing 434 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:35,959 Speaker 1: and going out into the world and working in these 435 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: different arenas, did it almost mean you got to spend 436 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: less time together as a family. 437 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 3: Oh no, honestly, we were like we were We were 438 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:46,360 Speaker 3: like a pack a herd. 439 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 2: That oh you everyone went together, you know. 440 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 3: Like my mom if one of us got a gig, 441 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 3: right like a movie or TV show, instead of her 442 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 3: flying there. It got to a point where she would 443 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 3: ask the studio for the money that they were going 444 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 3: to spend on the flights. Give her the cash, and 445 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 3: she would drive us all there in the suburban. I mean, 446 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 3: she was she was. She was gangster, you know, she's 447 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 3: very strategic, she was very smart. But also she had 448 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,719 Speaker 3: no one to watch us we did. It's not like 449 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 3: we had a lot of friends or extended family. She 450 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 3: didn't have people she could leave us with. And my 451 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 3: parents separated when I was twelve, and so I have 452 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,239 Speaker 3: to say, I think that's one of the reasons why 453 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 3: we might. I'm so close with my siblings. There's six 454 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 3: of us, and I have five best friends in them. 455 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 3: I mean, it's when I say, I can show you 456 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 3: my text threads of like the sibling text chain, it 457 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 3: just it just girl just comes in. Everyone's always talking, 458 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 3: like the conversation is always you know, We're just so close. 459 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 3: But we were alway had you know. And if I 460 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:57,400 Speaker 3: had an audition, then Jazz was doing my hair and 461 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,679 Speaker 3: Jake was maybe making the you know, and Jesse was 462 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 3: running my lines with me like it. It really was 463 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 3: this this beautiful microcosm of everyone supporting everyone. There was 464 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 3: no jealousy, there was no competition. It just was not allowed, 465 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 3: and everyone was expected to serve the cause, the mission. 466 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 2: And it really was I. 467 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,439 Speaker 3: Think about survival because when you think about it, this 468 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 3: became the family business. This became the income. It became 469 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,640 Speaker 3: the way we were able to take care of each other. 470 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 3: My father mom separated, like I said, when I was twelve. 471 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 3: He worked for Pacific bell at and t He was 472 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 3: a blue collar worker. He didn't he didn't make enough 473 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 3: to support us, and certainly didn't you know, give enough 474 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 3: child support to support us. It became something where it 475 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 3: was us kids going out and working and my mom 476 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 3: finding us gigs and us living paycheck paycheck in a sense, 477 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 3: until you know, my brothers got older and they started 478 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 3: working regular jobs to contribute. But you know it, it 479 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 3: was I don't even remember what your original question was. 480 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 3: I feel like I'm going on the tangent. But I 481 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 3: think that's that's one of the beautiful things about very 482 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 3: unconventional childhood. Yes, she was behind the camera, but I 483 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,959 Speaker 3: learned so much about the industry from her. You know, 484 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 3: she just was so unwilling to sacrifice certain things and 485 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 3: unwilling to sell integrity, unwilling to just take things because 486 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 3: they were paying really good. You know, I was offered 487 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 3: a number of jobs that she said no to that 488 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 3: where it was either with someone who was a really 489 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 3: awful person, and it would have put me in a 490 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 3: very compromising situation getting me out of a very awful 491 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 3: and toxic work environment. And yes, but like I said before, 492 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 3: she was behind the camera. 493 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, yeah, I mean it's such a lesson 494 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 4: in you know, business. 495 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: Yes, and remembering like, no matter how cool the set 496 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: is or the job is or whatever, like it's business 497 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: and I love that, you know, y'all have been able 498 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: to stay so close. I ask because I think about 499 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,479 Speaker 1: how much I love what we do, but how often 500 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: it takes me away from the people I want to 501 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: be close to. 502 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 3: Oh no, it's so true. It's like, yesterday, my TV 503 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 3: show Smoke premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, which is 504 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 3: very exciting, awesome. It played so well, but it was 505 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 3: also the same day of my niece's fifth grade graduation, 506 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 3: you know, and so everyone sending me pictures of her, 507 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 3: and you know, I'm I tried to face time. But yes, 508 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 3: that for sure is part of the sacrifices is missing 509 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 3: out on How many birthdays or primary moments are you missing? 510 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: How did it feel to premiere the show here? 511 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 3: It was a full circle moment? Yeah, yeah, yeah, in 512 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 3: a number of ways. You know, when you work on 513 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:34,240 Speaker 3: something for so long and then it's like your little secret, 514 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 3: it's your little baby that you've birthed, and then you 515 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 3: get to share it with the world. So it was awesome. 516 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 3: It was awesome to watch it in front of an 517 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 3: audience and get the feedback and it played incredibly well. 518 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 3: You know, it was quite thrilling. 519 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, will you tell our friends at home what 520 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: Smoke is? 521 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 3: So. Smoke is a crime thriller for Apple TV Plus 522 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 3: at premiere is June twenty seventh, created by Dennis Lahane, 523 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 3: one of our premier writers. I mean, I don't know 524 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 3: that you can write crime thriller better than Dennis. And 525 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 3: I've been a fan of his since Mystic River and 526 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 3: you know, Gone, Baby Gone, and Shutter Island and so 527 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 3: many Blackbird which was on Apple as well, But anyway, 528 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 3: it's based on true events in which an arson investigator 529 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 3: played by Tarren Edgerton is paired with a trouble detective 530 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 3: played by myself, and they are assigned to investigate to 531 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 3: serial arsonists and through this investigation begin to suspect that 532 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 3: each other are not who they can claim to be. 533 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: That's so juicy. Also crazy fun fact because when I 534 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: was reading up on the show, it centers around John 535 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 1: Orr and back in the day, I played his daughter 536 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: in a movie with Rayleoda. 537 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 3: Wait what yeah? 538 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 1: So of all the like things wait be talking about today? Guy, 539 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: it was like, I think it was maybe my second 540 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 1: job I was at USC and it filmed in LA 541 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: and I would drive from class and I would go 542 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: to shoot this movie and I was on set with 543 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 1: Raleiota and John Likeguizamo, who I just. 544 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 2: Who's in our show? 545 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 3: Like? 546 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: Come on? Like this is so it's crazy. So I'm 547 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: so excited to see it, you know because as a 548 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:00,040 Speaker 1: young actor to think about, like, you know, how do 549 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 1: you imagine what this sort of story would do to 550 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: a kid when this happens in your family? And now 551 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 1: I get to watch my friend be on the adult 552 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 1: side investigating it. I know that's crazy. I know it's 553 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:15,320 Speaker 1: so fun. 554 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 2: Wow full circle. 555 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:20,280 Speaker 1: Come on, Yeah, it's really really it's so cool. 556 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 3: Because he was an interesting person. Yeah, they're the podcast 557 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 3: Firebug that this is loosely inspired by is wild. If 558 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 3: anyone wants to. 559 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: Listen to I'm like, wait, I want to listen to that. 560 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 3: You should listen to it. It's he was writing a book, 561 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 3: you know, about an artison investigator who's secretly an arsonist, 562 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 3: and so that element is in our show as well. 563 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 3: But it's Dennis really has created of a heightened and 564 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:06,719 Speaker 3: fictionalized version of that, and my character is really the 565 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:10,839 Speaker 3: birth child of Dennis's mind. You know, when I met 566 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 3: with him, one of the first things he said, one 567 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 3: of the earlier things he said to me, was, you know, 568 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 3: we all say we want to be happy, and yet 569 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,839 Speaker 3: why are we consumed by the very things that want 570 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 3: to destroy us? And that's my character in a nutshell. 571 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 3: She is metaphorically playing with fire. I mean, there are 572 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 3: these elements in her life that are just dangerous that 573 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 3: she's drawn to. And it's interesting because I know, I 574 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,320 Speaker 3: don't know that it's unique to me, but I definitely 575 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 3: can see myself and those struggles in the past right 576 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 3: like where you are going. I know this is not 577 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:54,840 Speaker 3: healthy for me, but I'm choosing it anyway, and I'm. 578 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:57,959 Speaker 2: Hoping that it doesn't turn out how I'm afraid it will, 579 00:35:59,239 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 2: and it does. 580 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 1: It's like when you're blind, faith or your desire to 581 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 1: see the good just bites you in the ass. Yes. 582 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:08,280 Speaker 3: Yes, And that manifests in so many different ways, totally 583 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:13,959 Speaker 3: a toxic relationship. It could be our toxic, toxic level 584 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:15,719 Speaker 3: of ambition being a workaholic. 585 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 2: It could be the childhood. 586 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 3: Trauma that we still have in process and the way 587 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 3: that manifests. And so Dennis has woven all these very 588 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:31,360 Speaker 3: complex layers into my character Michelle, who's a detective, former 589 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:38,240 Speaker 3: marine who finds herself in a relationship with her boss, 590 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:43,040 Speaker 3: who's the captain of the precinct, who's married. 591 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,080 Speaker 1: Oh boy who leaves. 592 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:50,320 Speaker 3: His wife for her, only for Michelle to then say 593 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 3: she no longer wants to be with him now, and 594 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 3: going back to attachment theory, you know, I spoke to 595 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:03,319 Speaker 3: a therapist just specifically about Michelle, and she's very much 596 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:08,919 Speaker 3: so an avoidant, which I am not. You know, I've 597 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:14,239 Speaker 3: historically I've been attracted to avoidance. Guilty is charge. 598 00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:16,880 Speaker 1: I had a couple of those myself, and. 599 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:24,200 Speaker 3: So it was so fun to weave those elements into Michelle, 600 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:29,279 Speaker 3: someone who has she has real childhood trauma, she has 601 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:34,400 Speaker 3: a mother wound, a deep betrayal that happened when she 602 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 3: was young with her mother, and it was beautiful to 603 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 3: be able to weave that in to the way she 604 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 3: sees the world, the way she attaches and detaches in 605 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 3: those patterns. 606 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, how do you how do you begin to build 607 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: a world for a character? And I like, I want 608 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,399 Speaker 1: to ask you this question that I like to ask 609 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: because I know you're a research nerd, and so am I. So, 610 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,760 Speaker 1: I'm like, girl, tell me about your good Like, where 611 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,520 Speaker 1: where do you start? You know, when you make when 612 00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 1: you get this information? Former marine now a detective making 613 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 1: bad choices, probably a little addicted to the chase. You 614 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,720 Speaker 1: get this nugget, I would imagine, because Dennis is brilliant. Yeah, 615 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: her childhood, Like how do you begin to build her house? 616 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:24,239 Speaker 3: I begin answering all the whys and the who, what, where, why? When? 617 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:27,319 Speaker 3: So that's really where I start. Yeah, you know, what 618 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,760 Speaker 3: do I know about her environment? What does the text 619 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 3: tell me? I fill that in in her biography and 620 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 3: any holes that the text doesn't tell me, I go 621 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 3: to the source, screenwriter Dennis Lahane in this case, ask 622 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 3: him questions pick his brain of Okay, so what happened 623 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 3: to her? What is this? Why does she do this? 624 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:53,520 Speaker 3: And all the questions he gives me. Any holes left, 625 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 3: I fill in myself through research, through either speaking through experts. 626 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 3: In this case, I spoke to not just therapists, but 627 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:06,000 Speaker 3: I spoke to former Marines. I trained with a former 628 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 3: a veteran who served in the military. Just had to 629 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 3: be an expert and weaponry honestly, because she deals with 630 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:20,400 Speaker 3: guns a lot. I interviewed firefighters and arson investigators. I 631 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:27,759 Speaker 3: read the Firebug podcasts, you know, watch documentaries, which then 632 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 3: leads you to other films of this topic. And so honestly, 633 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 3: it's really about filling up the well. And then I 634 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:41,120 Speaker 3: also just have several coaches that I work with. I 635 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 3: have a physicality coach, I have, you know, my acting coach. 636 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 3: I have my fitness trainer. And for this I'm normally 637 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 3: journey I can my weight. I can tend to be 638 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 3: a little bit on the leaner side. And so because 639 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 3: she's a form a marine who is working in a 640 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,360 Speaker 3: very male dominated field, who has a little bit of 641 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:12,399 Speaker 3: body dysmorphia, who dealt with insecurity from her weight when 642 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:16,879 Speaker 3: she was a child, it manifests through her doing these 643 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:21,720 Speaker 3: crazy intense workouts. So I went to my trainer, Jeannette Jenkins, 644 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:23,919 Speaker 3: and was like, I gotta put on muscle. I gotta 645 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:26,400 Speaker 3: put on weight. And so I put on fifteen pounds 646 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:29,800 Speaker 3: of muscle before we started shooting. By the end of shooting, 647 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:33,360 Speaker 3: I had put on twenty pounds. Wow. Crazy way of 648 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,239 Speaker 3: eating of like eating five meals a day. 649 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 1: I was going to say, were you just like taking 650 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:38,759 Speaker 1: hard boiled eggs to the face. 651 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,799 Speaker 3: Like oh my gosh, and like these protein powders and 652 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:46,440 Speaker 3: like the weight gainer shakes, and yeah, just eating in 653 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:49,879 Speaker 3: between takes and snacking all the time and trying to 654 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:52,439 Speaker 3: have a calorie surplus, but doing it in the right 655 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 3: way and the healthy way as much as I could. 656 00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:58,320 Speaker 3: I wasn't eating donuts and doing it like that, you know, 657 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,080 Speaker 3: which I would have loved, but also break out, so 658 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:07,439 Speaker 3: I had to like watch the skin, you know, And yeah, 659 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,439 Speaker 3: it was it was. It was awesome to be able 660 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 3: to just physically transform and feel stronger because that was 661 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:18,120 Speaker 3: the goal. 662 00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 1: Is Okay, then you feel like this person. 663 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 3: Yes, there's a there's a dominant presence that she needed 664 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,680 Speaker 3: to have when she walks in her room. Yes, and 665 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:32,279 Speaker 3: you know, how does she what's her posture? How does 666 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 3: she walk? Like what's her gait? All those things are affected, 667 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 3: you know when you feel stronger, And man, Janette, she 668 00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:43,360 Speaker 3: got me. She got me up to I could do 669 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 3: a hack squat squat of lifting two hundred and sixty 670 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:50,759 Speaker 3: pounds by the time we were done, and she got 671 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:52,280 Speaker 3: me feeling incredibly strong. 672 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: So that's so cool. 673 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:55,399 Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll be. 674 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:57,520 Speaker 1: Back in just a minute. After a few words, from 675 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:06,839 Speaker 1: our favorite sponsors. When you think about that, you know, 676 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:10,960 Speaker 1: love for research. One of the things I love about 677 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:14,200 Speaker 1: the way you speak about your work is that you're 678 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:18,400 Speaker 1: never afraid to shy away from real themes that are 679 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:20,879 Speaker 1: in it, especially when you're doing a lot of these 680 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:24,600 Speaker 1: historical projects, you know, whether it's the Order or love 681 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 1: Craft Country like it. It offers, I think, the opportunity 682 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 1: to share history and even things that are loosely based 683 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:40,880 Speaker 1: on history, to invite an audience in and to encourage 684 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:45,960 Speaker 1: them not to shy away from who we are from. 685 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 3: You know, and how we got here. 686 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 1: Yes, you can uncover the things that as a society 687 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,919 Speaker 1: we often want to tuck away, like in the corner. 688 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:54,439 Speaker 3: Keep in the dark. 689 00:42:55,360 --> 00:43:01,600 Speaker 1: And how do you kind of layer the historically relevant 690 00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:07,360 Speaker 1: jobs with your love of process, Like do you ask 691 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 1: a director to put you in touch with the historian 692 00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: or is it very much the similar thing where everything 693 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:16,719 Speaker 1: you find in the research leads you to another thing 694 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:18,880 Speaker 1: and you're just trying to get as much of it 695 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:21,440 Speaker 1: in your brain and body as you can by the 696 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:23,360 Speaker 1: time the camera roles. 697 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,759 Speaker 3: When I did the Order, I did ask them to 698 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:28,680 Speaker 3: put me in touch with a few former special agents, 699 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:35,640 Speaker 3: which they did. It depends on the project, and yeah, 700 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:41,200 Speaker 3: who can help me and who's a resource? Production is 701 00:43:41,239 --> 00:43:45,399 Speaker 3: typically very beneficial in that way and have a lot 702 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:48,960 Speaker 3: of resources at their disposal and encourage that sort of 703 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:54,399 Speaker 3: research for you. Yeah, but a lot of it is 704 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:58,120 Speaker 3: self motivated, and you're right, it is. Okay. It could 705 00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 3: be a YouTube clip that makes you down a path 706 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:04,680 Speaker 3: and then that leads you to something else, And it 707 00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:08,120 Speaker 3: really comes down to the level of curiosity the individual has. 708 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 3: And I have an immense amount of curiosity about humanity 709 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:15,600 Speaker 3: and what drives us and what motivates us. It just 710 00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:22,399 Speaker 3: helps me understand my own life more. And I do 711 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:24,239 Speaker 3: think that as part of the reason that I do 712 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:28,120 Speaker 3: what I do. Storytelling to me and art is essential 713 00:44:28,239 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 3: because it helps us understand humanity. 714 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 2: If we understood. 715 00:44:33,719 --> 00:44:37,319 Speaker 3: Patterns in history more, I think we wouldn't be where 716 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:41,160 Speaker 3: we are today. I agree with you. You know, if 717 00:44:41,239 --> 00:44:46,719 Speaker 3: more of us knew about unfortunately Nazi Germany, right, like, 718 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:49,839 Speaker 3: we would be able to recognize real rhetoric and real 719 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 3: talk of a dictator. 720 00:44:52,080 --> 00:44:54,600 Speaker 1: Currently right wouldn't be saying oh no, it's not that, 721 00:44:54,719 --> 00:44:57,160 Speaker 1: because it is. And literally the quotes. 722 00:44:56,840 --> 00:45:02,360 Speaker 3: Match, literally match, okay, And so I do feel like 723 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:06,880 Speaker 3: it's the job of the artist to just tell the truth. 724 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:11,719 Speaker 3: And how do you tell the truth? You just do 725 00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:15,719 Speaker 3: the research, right, you dig deeper, you ask the questions. 726 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:17,680 Speaker 1: And you know what you're carrying into the room with you. 727 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:23,680 Speaker 3: Yes, exactly. It gives you more confidence. I find in 728 00:45:23,719 --> 00:45:27,080 Speaker 3: the times when, like when I was younger and I 729 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:30,440 Speaker 3: don't know that I had as much technique as I 730 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:36,719 Speaker 3: do now, those moments I think I can watch the 731 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:41,280 Speaker 3: work and go, oh, I see why I was there 732 00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:44,040 Speaker 3: because I didn't know you had to do this and 733 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:48,319 Speaker 3: this and this, you know. But I also have to 734 00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:51,920 Speaker 3: say I give so much credit to a lot of 735 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:56,040 Speaker 3: the individuals I've actually worked with along my career that 736 00:45:56,040 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 3: I just kind of stole there their technique really, you know, 737 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 3: asking them questions, Okay, well how do you do this? Well? 738 00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:06,120 Speaker 3: Why do you do this? And then going all right, 739 00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:07,279 Speaker 3: I'm gonna try that out. 740 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:10,320 Speaker 1: What's one of the best answers you've gotten to that question, 741 00:46:10,719 --> 00:46:13,080 Speaker 1: Like from someone you have worked with who you admire, 742 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:15,399 Speaker 1: what was a Oh, that's really good. 743 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:20,200 Speaker 3: Denzel Washington, Oh, great debaters. He directed the film that 744 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:23,399 Speaker 3: I was in, and it was like taking a masterclass 745 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:27,000 Speaker 3: and he a lot of the tools. I mean, I 746 00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:29,840 Speaker 3: literally you know, when you're working with someone like Denzel 747 00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:33,280 Speaker 3: you better keep a note on notes and literally taking 748 00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:36,399 Speaker 3: notes every single day of what he says or how 749 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:39,879 Speaker 3: he directs me or little nuggets he gives me. And 750 00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:44,040 Speaker 3: it was you know him who first told me about 751 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:48,760 Speaker 3: this idea of writing a biography for your character. Knowing 752 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:51,759 Speaker 3: everything about your character, even down to the kind of 753 00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:54,440 Speaker 3: sheets they sleep on, what do they eat for breakfast. 754 00:46:55,560 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 3: It helps you think like the character, so that on 755 00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:04,520 Speaker 3: the day, whether you're improving or or not having no dialogue, 756 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 3: there's something going on in your head. Yes, because if 757 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:11,799 Speaker 3: you're thinking about the boom operator whose shirt is like 758 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:13,920 Speaker 3: rising up as the hoad in the. 759 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:16,360 Speaker 1: Boom, or like sorry, you've got to pull that tea down. 760 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:19,240 Speaker 3: Or if you're thinking about the fact that the director's 761 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,960 Speaker 3: eating the donut that you wish you could eat right now, 762 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,200 Speaker 3: but you're not gonna do it. You know, if your 763 00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:27,960 Speaker 3: if your head is not actually thinking the thoughts of 764 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:31,640 Speaker 3: the character, the camera will see it. You can just 765 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:35,400 Speaker 3: get lost. And it's and it's it's like a bliss 766 00:47:35,680 --> 00:47:38,400 Speaker 3: or euphoria, yes, that you are able to feel. 767 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:41,360 Speaker 1: Absolutely it's it's like a feeling of weightlessness. 768 00:47:41,719 --> 00:47:43,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, when you're in the flow. 769 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:49,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's beautiful when you think about that, like the 770 00:47:49,239 --> 00:47:54,279 Speaker 1: joy of what we do. Being in that flow. You 771 00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:58,520 Speaker 1: can obviously reflect on the people you've worked with and 772 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 1: the sets you've worked on, continued to build your toolkit. 773 00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:07,600 Speaker 1: Do you feel like, looking back, there is a role 774 00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:11,520 Speaker 1: you've played that in hindsight you realize changed you in 775 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:13,000 Speaker 1: a way that you didn't expect. 776 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:23,160 Speaker 3: I really have developed a very spiritual relationship to my 777 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:31,439 Speaker 3: instrument and I really feel that all of them come 778 00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:35,080 Speaker 3: to me in a moment that I need them the most, 779 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:37,840 Speaker 3: in a moment when there's something in myself I have 780 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:42,680 Speaker 3: to exercise through them. There's something that I'm struggling with, 781 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:46,400 Speaker 3: there's a pattern I'm in, or there's a block, you know, 782 00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:50,040 Speaker 3: in the pipes, And so. 783 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:51,000 Speaker 2: I wouldn't pick one. 784 00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:55,200 Speaker 3: I think they're all an evolution and if you pull 785 00:48:55,239 --> 00:48:57,359 Speaker 3: out one of them, I wouldn't be who I am 786 00:48:57,480 --> 00:49:02,239 Speaker 3: or where I am today. Even the bad ones, you know, 787 00:49:02,440 --> 00:49:04,759 Speaker 3: you learn a lot from the bad ones totally, and 788 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:11,520 Speaker 3: even the toxic environments. Dare I say I learned at 789 00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:17,600 Speaker 3: a very early age how to recognize toxicity how to 790 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:21,919 Speaker 3: recognize how adults enable toxicity being in environments where it's 791 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:26,919 Speaker 3: like you know, when you're a child. In the industry, unfortunately, 792 00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:29,680 Speaker 3: any child is going to be exposed to certain adult 793 00:49:29,719 --> 00:49:35,200 Speaker 3: behavior they shouldn't be. And I learned a way of 794 00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:41,360 Speaker 3: protecting myself and recognizing it. And so I am honestly 795 00:49:41,400 --> 00:49:44,920 Speaker 3: grateful for it all. Yeah, and that might for some 796 00:49:44,960 --> 00:49:49,120 Speaker 3: people strike you know, accord as like odd, but I 797 00:49:49,160 --> 00:49:53,759 Speaker 3: truly am grateful for it all. It has created me, 798 00:49:54,800 --> 00:49:58,759 Speaker 3: and it has given me tools in my craft, in 799 00:49:58,880 --> 00:50:03,760 Speaker 3: my character and my characters, but like my actual character, 800 00:50:04,440 --> 00:50:07,799 Speaker 3: it has built my own character. You know, Yes, I 801 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:08,279 Speaker 3: feel that. 802 00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:15,160 Speaker 1: Too, And you know yes, working with wonderful people teaches 803 00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:20,680 Speaker 1: you where to set the bar. But the toxic experiences 804 00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:26,040 Speaker 1: I do think are invaluable. Would I wish them on anyone, 805 00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:31,520 Speaker 1: but what it teaches you, you know, I know I. 806 00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:32,839 Speaker 3: Know what to look out for. 807 00:50:34,440 --> 00:50:37,360 Speaker 1: In a way I could not had I not seen 808 00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:42,360 Speaker 1: the bad side. I am a better co star and 809 00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:47,000 Speaker 1: producer because I know what bad ones look like. 810 00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:53,520 Speaker 4: Yes, And I do think if you choose to take 811 00:50:53,920 --> 00:50:57,160 Speaker 4: what you wouldn't wish on someone else, and what maybe 812 00:50:57,160 --> 00:51:01,759 Speaker 4: you wish you didn't have to experience, but turn it 813 00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:03,280 Speaker 4: into a learning. 814 00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:06,080 Speaker 3: At exactly fuel you and it can. 815 00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:10,080 Speaker 1: Actually support people around you in an even better way. Yes, 816 00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:11,839 Speaker 1: And that I just think is how we figure out 817 00:51:11,880 --> 00:51:13,480 Speaker 1: how to make lemonade out of lemons. 818 00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:17,920 Speaker 3: Right, Yes, And I really I feel it's so important 819 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:19,960 Speaker 3: for us to lift up the ones who are not 820 00:51:20,120 --> 00:51:23,520 Speaker 3: that way. I remember I was doing the Burial with 821 00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:24,320 Speaker 3: Jamie Fox. 822 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:27,160 Speaker 1: He is who's lovelier than him? 823 00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:32,879 Speaker 3: I mean, come on, come onliest, the loveliest, generous, I mean, 824 00:51:33,600 --> 00:51:37,400 Speaker 3: pours into everyone. He produced it along with his producing 825 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:40,640 Speaker 3: partner Tatari Turner and Fox Hold their company produced it. 826 00:51:41,400 --> 00:51:45,120 Speaker 3: They made sure that the majority, if not all, of 827 00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:48,360 Speaker 3: the department heads were women. It was a woman director 828 00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:54,080 Speaker 3: and writer woman DP like, I mean, unbelievable set. Right. 829 00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:57,880 Speaker 3: But there was a moment we were doing a scene 830 00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:01,239 Speaker 3: and there was someone on set who disrespect did a 831 00:52:01,280 --> 00:52:08,200 Speaker 3: crew member, and Jamie stopped the take and he gave 832 00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:13,520 Speaker 3: a long speech about how we will not tolerate anyone 833 00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:17,200 Speaker 3: disrespecting anyone. There is no rank. We are all linked. 834 00:52:17,239 --> 00:52:20,280 Speaker 3: He said, it was so beautiful to see this man 835 00:52:20,560 --> 00:52:22,719 Speaker 3: who's I mean, this man is so talented. He's a 836 00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:27,520 Speaker 3: freaking alien. He's so talented, but to see him hold 837 00:52:27,600 --> 00:52:32,680 Speaker 3: everyone accountable in such a gracious and beautiful way. I mean, 838 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:36,479 Speaker 3: it was a moment I'll never forget. Like as great 839 00:52:36,520 --> 00:52:39,560 Speaker 3: as his performance is in that movie, and it is phenomenal, 840 00:52:39,560 --> 00:52:42,319 Speaker 3: and I loved you know, it's a joy to work 841 00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:46,520 Speaker 3: alongside him. It was that one moment that I will 842 00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:47,640 Speaker 3: remember the most though. 843 00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:50,279 Speaker 1: That's what makes you love him forever, right right? 844 00:52:50,560 --> 00:52:53,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, And I just say, beauty. 845 00:52:53,160 --> 00:52:54,919 Speaker 1: Of what he does, it's the beauty of who he. 846 00:52:54,920 --> 00:52:59,520 Speaker 3: Is, amen, And it's why he can have longevity. It's 847 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:03,000 Speaker 3: why he can have you know, he's at the top 848 00:53:03,040 --> 00:53:06,400 Speaker 3: of the top of the game still, right and having 849 00:53:06,440 --> 00:53:12,920 Speaker 3: done it for decades. And so yeah, I think I 850 00:53:12,960 --> 00:53:16,120 Speaker 3: think all of the experiences I welcome because it has 851 00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:18,600 Speaker 3: taught me and it has made me grow. 852 00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:23,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. Well, when you think about what's next, 853 00:53:23,239 --> 00:53:26,400 Speaker 1: I mean, like you said, the you know, the show premierees, 854 00:53:26,440 --> 00:53:29,000 Speaker 1: it's like your baby goes out into the world. But 855 00:53:29,120 --> 00:53:32,239 Speaker 1: also it's it's done. You know, it's finished, and then 856 00:53:32,320 --> 00:53:36,160 Speaker 1: you're onto the next, whether it's a personal thing or 857 00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:39,760 Speaker 1: a professional thing. Like as you look out at what's coming, 858 00:53:40,560 --> 00:53:42,480 Speaker 1: what feels like You're a work in progress. 859 00:53:44,080 --> 00:53:47,880 Speaker 3: That's really good. I really am on the vision board. 860 00:53:48,560 --> 00:53:58,440 Speaker 3: It is about becoming very intentional with stepping behind the camera, producing, directing, 861 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:01,840 Speaker 3: ushering forward store worries whether I'm in them or not. 862 00:54:02,440 --> 00:54:05,719 Speaker 3: I don't need to be the but like helping to 863 00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:08,320 Speaker 3: expand the gaze of who gets to tell our stories, 864 00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:13,399 Speaker 3: who gets to define who we are as women, who 865 00:54:13,440 --> 00:54:18,080 Speaker 3: we are as others? Right, Like, I am not interested 866 00:54:18,400 --> 00:54:22,200 Speaker 3: in continuing to complain about the problem if I'm not 867 00:54:22,239 --> 00:54:27,319 Speaker 3: going to help solve it. And I see that we 868 00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:30,840 Speaker 3: have come so far in the industry. You know, I 869 00:54:30,880 --> 00:54:33,600 Speaker 3: don't know that decades ago I would have been able 870 00:54:33,640 --> 00:54:37,319 Speaker 3: to even have the opportunity to play a role like 871 00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:42,520 Speaker 3: Michelle in Smoke, who is so layered and complex and flawed. 872 00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:46,040 Speaker 1: It would have been you mean, she wasn't described as 873 00:54:46,239 --> 00:54:52,320 Speaker 1: likable girl, I write the word to the ground right, right. 874 00:54:52,400 --> 00:54:56,239 Speaker 3: And that she can be many things, and she can 875 00:54:56,280 --> 00:55:03,399 Speaker 3: make really questionably ambiguous, she can make morally ambiguous choices right, 876 00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:07,400 Speaker 3: and and she doesn't have to be all knowing or 877 00:55:07,440 --> 00:55:11,239 Speaker 3: all strong. I mean the strong strong women. Come on, 878 00:55:11,680 --> 00:55:12,600 Speaker 3: I'm over it. 879 00:55:13,560 --> 00:55:17,400 Speaker 2: A strong black woman, I like bored with it and 880 00:55:17,480 --> 00:55:18,000 Speaker 2: can just. 881 00:55:17,920 --> 00:55:21,799 Speaker 3: Give me flaws because flaws are truthful. 882 00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:23,839 Speaker 1: Let us be messy, let. 883 00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:27,480 Speaker 3: Us be messy, let us break the law, let us, 884 00:55:27,800 --> 00:55:31,360 Speaker 3: you know, run away from the person we should actually 885 00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:34,560 Speaker 3: be with. Let us do all the self sabotage of 886 00:55:34,600 --> 00:55:37,279 Speaker 3: the world. Because I want to see myself up there. 887 00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:39,920 Speaker 3: I want my niece to see herself up there. I 888 00:55:39,920 --> 00:55:43,399 Speaker 3: want my friends to see themselves up there. Like I'm 889 00:55:43,440 --> 00:55:49,040 Speaker 3: not interested in the girlfriend who has to be the 890 00:55:49,040 --> 00:55:54,799 Speaker 3: ear for the man's plot being pushed forward, right, But 891 00:55:54,840 --> 00:55:59,680 Speaker 3: I'm also not interested in the robot who's all powerful 892 00:56:00,120 --> 00:56:03,200 Speaker 3: and all good, because none of us are, you know. 893 00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:07,520 Speaker 3: So that is my intention is to work with filmmakers 894 00:56:07,520 --> 00:56:11,920 Speaker 3: and collaborators who push me, who helped me grow. I 895 00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:16,080 Speaker 3: just want to continue to grow and be better. Growing up, 896 00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:20,680 Speaker 3: my mom always had me reading these biographies of the 897 00:56:20,719 --> 00:56:24,360 Speaker 3: greats like Catherine have burned me, you know, her autobiography, 898 00:56:24,560 --> 00:56:32,719 Speaker 3: and studying their patterns. And you're not going to have 899 00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:40,360 Speaker 3: longevity if you stay stuck and rigid and doing the 900 00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:45,480 Speaker 3: same thing. How are you evolving and changing? And That's 901 00:56:46,120 --> 00:56:48,840 Speaker 3: what I'm interested in, being a work in progress. 902 00:56:50,040 --> 00:56:53,040 Speaker 1: I love it. Well. Congrats on the show and all 903 00:56:53,080 --> 00:56:54,520 Speaker 1: the things. Really happy for you. 904 00:56:55,640 --> 00:56:58,160 Speaker 3: Thank you. I'm very very proud of you. This is 905 00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:01,600 Speaker 3: a beautiful platform you have. Yeah, it really is. 906 00:57:01,680 --> 00:57:03,799 Speaker 1: We enjoy it. We got good people over here. Come 907 00:57:03,840 --> 00:57:04,480 Speaker 1: back anytime. 908 00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:13,640 Speaker 3: I will be back, Okay,