1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, It's Sophia, Welcome to Work in Progress. Hello friends, 2 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: Today we have a guest who I am just so 3 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: thrilled to welcome to the podcast. He is funny, He 4 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: is a brilliant comedian. He is an incredible actor, producer, 5 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: and an incredible dad to two of the sweetest little 6 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: kids around. And he also happens to be a fellow 7 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: foodie guys. Our guest today is none other than Jesse 8 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: Tyler Ferguson. You likely know him from the pivotal role 9 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: of Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. He 10 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: just received a casual five Emmy Award nominations over the 11 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: run of the show. I've been lucky enough to see 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: him on stage when he takes Broadway by storm. You 13 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: might have also seen him in Taylor Swift's music video 14 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: for You Need to Calm Down, We're Out and about 15 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: raising funds for equality with his wonderful husband, Justin Mikida. 16 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: They got married back in twenty thirteen and they have 17 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: two children, Beckett and Sullivan, who you will hear about today. 18 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: I love everything about his story, from how they met 19 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: and fell in love and became dads to all the 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: way back when when Jesse grew up in Albuquerque and 21 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: how he decided to go to New York. His story 22 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: is inspiring, exciting, and has led him to his latest venture, 23 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: his wonderful podcast, Dinners on Me. We're going deep, We're 24 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: opening up, and we're gonna laugh, enjoy. I'm so excited 25 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: to see you. How are you. 26 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 2: I'll see you. I'm great. I talk about you a 27 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 2: lot with Clolton and Jordans. You do, I've been seeing 28 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 2: a lot of them. 29 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: Oh, I love that. I want to come next time. 30 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 2: Okay, we'll invite you next time. 31 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: Yes, my sweeties, they're very good. They're so good. I'm 32 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: just so happy for them. 33 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: Me too, me too? 34 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: And how are you? How is your love? How are 35 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: your little ones? Everybody good? 36 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 2: Everyone's great, Sullivan. Our youngest is fifteen months now, and 37 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 2: that gets three and a half, and you know, we're 38 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 2: negotiating all of that, but it's really fun and Justin's good. 39 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 2: Everyone's good. 40 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 1: I'm so glad. I feel like negotiating with a three 41 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: year old is a little bit like negotiating with a 42 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 1: really adorable terrorist. 43 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, and you know that the terrorist 44 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 2: is going to win. 45 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah. My godson's two and a half, and 46 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: he I mean he is. He just seems like a litigator. 47 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: Now he's like a professional button pusher and very like, 48 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: but Mama, Auntie, why no, no, you just like I 49 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: don't have time for the two of you, and we're like, 50 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: oh my god, who are you. 51 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 2: It's funny because Justin's a lawyer and he's really good, 52 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 2: Like it's hard to argue with him. He like brings 53 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: up like if I can bring in, you know, exhibit A. 54 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 2: When you said this, I'm like, oh my god, it's 55 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 2: terrible arguing with you because you are really like good. 56 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 2: I forget anything and now back I think has inherited 57 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 2: that from Justin. And Justin's like, oh wow, that's what 58 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 2: I do. Yeah, I love it. 59 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: I love it. Well, that is hilarious. Okay, this is 60 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: actually kind of a perfect segue because I always really 61 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: like to start with people and go way back because 62 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: you know, I sit across from people like you. You're 63 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: so well known, you're so talented, you know, as an actor, 64 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: and you're out advocating, you do all these big projects. 65 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,119 Speaker 1: But in the ways that you are talking about how 66 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: you see Justin and your kid in your kids and yourself. 67 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure. I'm wondering if you look back, like if 68 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: we rewind to way before we all knew mister Jesse 69 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: Tyler Ferguson, Like, who were you as a child? Do 70 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: you see traits you know in your adult self when 71 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: you look back at a little version of you who 72 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: is like nine or ten years old. 73 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I do. And also it's strange because I noticed 74 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 2: myself talking to my kids, and then I have these 75 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 2: like moments where I flash back and I'm having core 76 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 2: memories that I didn't even realize I had, because I'm 77 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 2: like having deja vu, or like I'm the kid and 78 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 2: I'm my parents, And sometimes it's really cool and sometimes 79 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 2: it's terrifying. But yeah, I definitely, I definitely see a 80 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: lot of myself in Sullivan's. Sullivan's genetically mine and that 81 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 2: gets genetically connected to Justin. Each had an embryo that 82 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 2: we implanted, so we each have one that is genetically 83 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 2: connected to us, and it's really astonishing at how close 84 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: they are connected to us. But then also what's crazy 85 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: is seeing how Justin's traits influence Sully and Sully's and 86 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:13,280 Speaker 2: you know, mine influence Beckett, and it's it is definitely 87 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 2: a case for nurture over nature. You know, you see 88 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 2: those those traits happening with your kids. I don't know. 89 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 2: I mean I I as a kid, I was very 90 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: very shy and very very emotional, and I see that 91 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 2: in Beckett and I still feel like that is instilled 92 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 2: in me, and I've just learned how to navigate it better. 93 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 2: I mean, as an actor, you can't be shy, you know, 94 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 2: that's something you just you can't do. But like if 95 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: you really, if you really went into my body in 96 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 2: one of those moments where I'm at like one of 97 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 2: those Hollywood parties or like you know, in an audition 98 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 2: or something like, I am not as confident as I'm 99 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 2: appearing to be on the outside, for sure. 100 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: Oh Sam, I'm absolutely the same. 101 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I don't know. 102 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: I think maybe that's a trait you have to have 103 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: a little bit of to be an artist, right as 104 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: you're super sensitive. 105 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 2: Right and you have to pair that with being thick 106 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 2: skinned as well and not letting small things, you know, 107 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: bowl you over, which is hard. It's a hard it's 108 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 2: a hard line to toe, and you know, to be 109 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 2: someone who allows their emotions to come to the top, 110 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 2: because that's what we need to access and then still 111 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: protect it. It's like, you know, it's like being okay 112 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 2: with like an open moond for the day and like 113 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 2: nothing a band aid on it, like the like I 114 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 2: just need, I need to access to this, but at 115 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 2: the same time, I want to keep myself safe. So 116 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 2: it's hard. It's a hard thing to figure out, but 117 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 2: I definitely see I see small glimmers of that in 118 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 2: my kids, where they're like figuring out, you know, how 119 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,119 Speaker 2: to uh negotiate with us and their friends and also 120 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 2: get the things that they need and express the things 121 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: that they want to express. But then also you know, 122 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: they have no they have no rule books for them, 123 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 2: and this is all new for them, and so everything 124 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 2: is on the surface, and I don't know, it's kind 125 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: of me Justin and I'm more open to having temper tantrums. 126 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 2: Dustin and I got it like a big fight, and 127 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 2: he was completely acknowledging that he was having a temper tantrum. 128 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 2: He's like, this is me. Nothing I'm saying is has 129 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 2: any logic to it. I can't defend any of these 130 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: things that I'm saying, but I am feeling them, and 131 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 2: I'm sorry you're the one who's happy to deal with it, 132 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 2: but I'm basically having a temper tantrum. I was like, 133 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: it's okay, I know how to deal with tempertantionments now, 134 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 2: Like you know. 135 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's so interesting actually that seeing your kids be 136 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: freer with their feelings in a way allows you to 137 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: be because you're you're right. It's it's sort of this 138 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: emotional whiplash. Is the way I talk about being an actor. 139 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: You're supposed to be completely exposed but also completely composed 140 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: at all times and the consummate professional and like a 141 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: good soldier at work and all the things, and then 142 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: you know, in a moment's notice, open your whole chest 143 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: cavity up for everybody to look in, right, And how 144 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: kind of cool that as an adult, you're getting a 145 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: permission slip to have those less polished feelings from your children. 146 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, well for sure, you know, but we also just 147 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 2: set an example. And I was like, you know, there's 148 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 2: so many times where like I would normally react one way, 149 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 2: and I don't react that way because I don't want 150 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 2: to set a bad example. And that, you know, I 151 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 2: can of held my hold myself accountable at times in 152 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 2: ways that I wouldn't necessarily allow myself to, like, you know, 153 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 2: react how I wanted to react. 154 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's like there's a lot of growth on 155 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: both sides of the coin. That's so cool. It's it's 156 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: interesting to hear you talk about you being shy as 157 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: a kid. I actually, when I was prepping for today, 158 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: I was reading some older articles and I was like, 159 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: oh my god, I actually didn't know. I didn't know 160 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: the story of you getting into local theater as a child, 161 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: and you are such an embodied performer and you're so funny. 162 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: I never would have guessed that you were a shy kid. 163 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: So how how did a shy little boy wind up 164 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: wanting to sign up for theater? Like what? 165 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 2: I know what happened? Yeah, my mom was so confused 166 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 2: by that. When I told her I wanted to join 167 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 2: the Albagaque Children's Theater. She you know, I was a 168 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 2: kid who is bullied a lot in school. I was 169 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 2: very quiet. I kept myself during lunch hour because you know, 170 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 2: that was sort of like when it was the Wild 171 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 2: Wild West, the playground and like you know, the teachers 172 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 2: kind of disappeared and it was like every man for himself. Yeah, 173 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 2: and so I. You know, I was just a very 174 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 2: quiet kid. I kind of wanted to disappear and like 175 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 2: not not make myself too flashy or too scene because 176 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 2: that probably would lead to some unwonted attention that would 177 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 2: ultimately lead to bullying. That was just my experience, and 178 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 2: so I was sort of always in protection mode. And 179 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: there was something my mom took me to go see 180 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: the show and I saw kids performing for other kids 181 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:13,559 Speaker 2: in this company called the APPLECA Children's Theater, and I 182 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 2: immediately wanted to be on the other side of the footlights. 183 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 2: I didn't want to be sitting in the audience wow. 184 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 2: And I asked my mom if I could get involved, 185 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 2: and I think because I was so shoy, she was 186 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:27,440 Speaker 2: just like anything that any glimmer of something. And I 187 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 2: understand this now as a parent. You know, anytime my 188 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 2: children show interest in anything, I'm like, do you want 189 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 2: to explore more? Or that? You know, like they tapped 190 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 2: their foot once, so I'm like, are we go we 191 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 2: doing tap class? So like, my mom definitely noticed that 192 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 2: I was interested in something and jumped in and nurtured 193 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:44,559 Speaker 2: that and helped me along. And it was one of 194 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 2: those things where I found this group of people that 195 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 2: understood me and that I felt at home with and 196 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 2: I felt comfortable with, and I was not singled out 197 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 2: as the weird one anymore. It's like we were all 198 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 2: kind of like wacky kids and you know, playing theater 199 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 2: games and it was all really innocent. We weren't like 200 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 2: diving into Chekov or Shakespeare or anything. It was just 201 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 2: like dumb theater games and you know, we perform alise 202 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 2: in Wonderland, you know, at the end of the spring, 203 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 2: and like that was it. It was all that that was. 204 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 2: But I definitely found community in a way that I 205 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 2: hadn't before. And that community is what, you know, I 206 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 2: guess made me feel safe to become more of who 207 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 2: I am. And it was just also a very early 208 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 2: seed of me realizing that I needed to wherever I was, 209 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 2: I needed to continue to find those types of people 210 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 2: for myself because you know, my my schools that I 211 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 2: was growing up and didn't have a great arts program. 212 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:43,839 Speaker 2: It was very sports centric, and it's just it wasn't 213 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 2: catered to someone like me. I was, you know, not 214 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 2: interested in sports. I was an indoor kid, and I yeah, 215 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 2: I liked expressing myself through other ways. And it's why 216 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 2: you know, I when I moved to New York, I 217 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,199 Speaker 2: felt like, Okay, I'm in the right place and I'm 218 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 2: around the right people, and but yeah, I'm glad. I 219 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 2: found that kernel of community at a very early age, 220 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 2: and I probably didn't even recognize that that's what it 221 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 2: was at that age. It just felt comfortable and I 222 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 2: felt safe, which was really lovely. 223 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: That's so special and what a cool place for you 224 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: to come out of your shell and you know, find 225 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: your confidence, literally find your voice on stage? Did once 226 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: you started? Were your parents just all in on supporting 227 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: that for you? Like, what did you becoming a young 228 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: performer sort of do in your family dynamic? 229 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean they were. It was just like an 230 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 2: extracurricular thing. Like my sister would go to tap class 231 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 2: and my brother would have basketball, and I would do theater. 232 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 2: It's just you know, they they would have to come 233 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 2: see this thing that I was performing, you know, once 234 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 2: or twice a year, and it was always, you know, 235 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 2: let's be honest, not great. And so I think for 236 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 2: my entire family it was kind of like, oh, theater 237 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 2: is this thing that's kind of boring and not you know, 238 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 2: super exciting, and we sort of have to like endure 239 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 2: it for a certain amount of time. But I was like, well, 240 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 2: you know, is Ben's basketball game anymore exciting? They're just kids, 241 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: Like they barely know how to play basketball. Like I 242 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 2: was like, none of these events that were going to 243 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 2: my sister's tap classes and anything super exciting. It's not 244 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 2: river dance like you know. So yeah, but they were 245 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 2: very very supportive, and you know, we were all encouraged 246 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 2: to support our siblings and their different you know, adventures, 247 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:32,719 Speaker 2: and but I definitely was I felt like my sister 248 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 2: understood the arts a little bit because she was very 249 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 2: involved in dance, but definitely like my dad and my 250 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 2: brother and maybe sometimes my mom just like they didn't 251 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 2: really fully understand like where the joy in theater was. 252 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: You know, well, yeah, they. 253 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: Weren't in rehearsals in the circus troop. 254 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 2: With right exactly. You know, they were just they weren't 255 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 2: there for the fun stuff. But I always felt very 256 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:57,080 Speaker 2: very supportive by them. 257 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: So cool follow that that's really special. Was it a 258 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: total culture shock for you to move from Albuquerque to 259 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: New York? And did you go for theater or a 260 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: job or to find a job, like what motivated the move? 261 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,079 Speaker 2: I always knew that I wanted to move to New York, 262 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:20,359 Speaker 2: even when I didn't know what New York was. I 263 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 2: my exposure to New York was like from the films, 264 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 2: from watching you know, Broadway shows on the Tony Awards, 265 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 2: and you know, like just like kids' books, kids books 266 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 2: at New York. You know, I had this very like 267 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 2: idyllic like idea of what New York was. And I 268 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 2: went to New York for the first time on a 269 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 2: high school tour with my my local theater company. And 270 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 2: I was the youngest person on this tour by like 271 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 2: thirty years. It was mostly like blue Hairs and me 272 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 2: and I just fell in love with the city. I 273 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 2: saw like, you know, eight shows in five days. So 274 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 2: I knew that was my first exposure to New York 275 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 2: and I just knew I had to find my way 276 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 2: back there as soon as I could. And after after 277 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 2: high school, I went to the the American Musical and 278 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 2: Dramatic Academy in New York City, which I had been 279 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: accepted to, and my dad drove me there across the 280 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 2: country and bladed up things and you know the back 281 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 2: of his suburban car and uh, you know, watching a 282 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 2: man with the suburban from New Mexico. Drive through the 283 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 2: streets of New York City is terrifying. You know. We 284 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 2: were just a massive car from a Midwest and just 285 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 2: you know, he was terrified to drive and all these 286 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 2: one way streets, it was. It was a mess, but 287 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 2: he got me there safely, and yeah, I just felt 288 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 2: I couldn't believe that I actually had a bed in 289 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 2: the city that I had always wanted to live in. 290 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 2: It was so I think like it was a culture 291 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 2: shock in ways, and that I felt like the world 292 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 2: was open to me, but I wasn't. It wasn't a 293 00:15:57,560 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 2: shock that scared me. It was a shock that was 294 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 2: really super exc well. 295 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: And especially to go into the city and go right 296 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 1: into an academy of the arts, I bet just felt 297 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: like the next sort of evolutionary step in that community 298 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: where you found yourself in the first place. 299 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it was a safety net too. I mean, 300 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 2: for me, it was mostly about being in New York 301 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 2: City and I didn't really care how I was going 302 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 2: to find a way to be there, But the Academy 303 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 2: of Dramatic Arts definitely gave me a safe landing spot. 304 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 2: And you know, obviously it was wonderful being in acting 305 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 2: classes and meeting other aspiring actors from different places. But 306 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 2: for me, I think I really just needed to find 307 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 2: a way to get to New York and that was 308 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 2: sort of my ticket to the city I wanted to 309 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 2: live in. 310 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll be back in just a minute, but here's 311 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: a word from our sponsors. I love the image of 312 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: you and your dad and the suburban trying to naw 313 00:16:55,880 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: the gay Manhattan. It's so sweet, and the way that you, 314 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: you know, talk about him and your relationship. I also 315 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: I've laughed hearing you talk about how you had to 316 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: come out to your dad three times. Yeah, Like it 317 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: feels like an amazing It feels like a movie. It 318 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: feels like a scene in a comedy that you would watch, 319 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 1: which I imagine it probably was much more emotional and different. 320 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 2: You know, I r l right. I like that it 321 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 2: exists because it's it's a fun, like quirky thing to 322 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 2: talk about when you're talking about your coming out experience. 323 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:31,879 Speaker 2: And I still going to sort of make fun of 324 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 2: my dad for it, because you know, obviously he knows now, 325 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 2: like he's it's all clear. He was at my wedding, 326 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 2: He's seen you know, he loves his ye, he's right, 327 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 2: but it is fun to sort of hold that over 328 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 2: his head for sure. 329 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: Was that a conversation you were having when you were 330 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: still at home or did you need the buffer of 331 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: New York to feel like you could talk to him 332 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: about who you are. 333 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 2: I don't know if you've heard this, Sophia, but my 334 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 2: I sort of I feel like I came out. I 335 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 2: came out in my eyes officially when I was caught 336 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 2: stealing gay pornography from Hastings Books when I was sixteen 337 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 2: years old. For me, I feel like that was a 338 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 2: pretty clear coming out, right, you know, I was stealing 339 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 2: gay porn. 340 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: Write the writing's on the wall or in the magazine. 341 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,479 Speaker 2: On the wall, literally magazine. Yeah, And so for me, 342 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 2: I was always like, okay, well, at least I don't 343 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 2: have to come out to my parents, like it was 344 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:28,679 Speaker 2: awful because I was being punished for shoplifting. But I 345 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 2: was like, well, you know, also, I got to sort 346 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 2: of kill two birds with one stone. I shoplifted for 347 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 2: the first time and got caught doing what we I 348 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 2: shouldn't have done, but also like they know I'm gay now, 349 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 2: and then it didn't seem like that was enough, And 350 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 2: so my mom. When I went to school, she wrote 351 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 2: me a letter. We still talked in person about this, 352 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 2: but we had sort of talked around it, but not 353 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 2: directly at it. And she wrote me a letter saying, 354 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 2: you know, I This was after she came to visit 355 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:59,200 Speaker 2: me for a week in New York and she met 356 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,120 Speaker 2: my roommate who was sort of dating at the time. 357 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 2: And I think, you know, anyone probably with two eyes 358 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 2: could have seen what was happening, right, And uh so 359 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 2: she's saying, I know that you're gay and probably together 360 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 2: with your your friend and your roommate, and I just 361 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 2: want to let you know that I'm here if you 362 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 2: want to talk about it. And so it was very sweet. 363 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 2: And she told my dad you know that she had 364 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 2: that conversation with me to a letter, and so I 365 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 2: was like, okay, good now, my dad actually, you know, 366 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 2: he really knows. And then clear then he came to 367 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 2: visit me in New York and he asked if I 368 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 2: had a girlfriend, and I was like, okay, Dad, are 369 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 2: we what are we not getting here? So that's when 370 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 2: I kind of verbally officially came out to him. But 371 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 2: so sweet, Yeah, yeah, it was a little bit rocky. 372 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: I wonder if I wonder if he was, like, well, 373 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 1: if he hasn't told me, maybe I need to ask 374 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: better questions. Maybe I should pulk around and see if 375 00:19:58,200 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: he'll say it to me. 376 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 2: He said it to his Yeah, it totally tracks with 377 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 2: like who my dad is, and I love that he 378 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 2: like kind of is. He's a bit vulnerable at times 379 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 2: and that can be a bit a bit uh, what's 380 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 2: the word I'm looking for? 381 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 1: Naive? 382 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 2: He's very in a really sweet way. So yeah, I'm 383 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 2: not super surprised now that I've kind of watched him 384 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 2: operator as an adult that that's sort of like where 385 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:28,239 Speaker 2: he was at. Yeah, it's also you know, when we 386 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 2: sort of were talking about this, me and my dad, 387 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 2: I remember him at one point we've had bumps even 388 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 2: after that where he sort of asked me questions that like, 389 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 2: you know, why do you play some gay roles or 390 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 2: you know, why is it so important for you to 391 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,680 Speaker 2: you know, always talk about you know, you being out, 392 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 2: And a lot of times it was just him sort 393 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 2: of being inquisitive, but it felt like he was sort 394 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 2: of berating me a little bit or not, like fully 395 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 2: he wasn't fully on board with like my my life 396 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 2: and my choices so it caused some friction between us, 397 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 2: and I know that. At one point he said, you know, 398 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 2: this is I was raised a very different way, and 399 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 2: these are things that I just I have a hard 400 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 2: time sort of I'm programming for myself. And I can 401 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 2: totally understand that, because you know, we've all been raised 402 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 2: in certain ways, and we all have trauma and baggage 403 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 2: that we carry through from childhood and from the way 404 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,640 Speaker 2: we were raised. And sometimes it's great and sometimes it's 405 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,159 Speaker 2: not great. And you know, I told my dad, I 406 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 2: was like, look, you were at this time of his life. 407 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 2: He was probably in his early sixties, and I was like, 408 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 2: you know, you have so many more lives, so many 409 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 2: more years ahead of you. It's just such a disservice 410 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 2: to you as a person to say I'm done growing 411 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 2: and like I can't continue to see the other side 412 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 2: of things and I'm a fully formed, completed human being 413 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 2: sketched in stone, Like that doesn't make any sense to me. 414 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 2: Like we are all capable of change and growth, and 415 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 2: why just because you're over the age of fifties you 416 00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 2: feel like you can't grow? Yeah, And he I think 417 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 2: he heard that, and he started going to pee flag 418 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 2: meetings and which is an organization that is in supportive 419 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,360 Speaker 2: of parents who have gay kids. It's like he loves 420 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,360 Speaker 2: the support group my dad, so you know, he sort 421 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 2: of dove all in and was a great it was 422 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 2: a really great advocate. So I'm really proud of him. 423 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 2: And I think also that growth for me is beautiful. Like, 424 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 2: I love that he had that and I love that 425 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:30,919 Speaker 2: he experienced that with my encouragement, and I you know, 426 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 2: when I look at Modern Family and I look at 427 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 2: the relationship that they wrote for me and Ed O'Neill, 428 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 2: who played my dad on TV, like he also had 429 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 2: a very tricky time, you know, accepting his gay son 430 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 2: on the show. And I've loved that that's the story 431 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 2: they told us. I think it's obviously very real. Yeah, 432 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 2: and it's it's something I think that a lot of 433 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 2: people can relate to. And I think that struggle is 434 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 2: part of you know, is also part of a beautiful thing. 435 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, and what I love about the way you're 436 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: sharing this with me is that you're talking about loving 437 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: someone through their imperfections, through their fears. You know, I 438 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,880 Speaker 1: know so many parents who fear anything that might make 439 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: it harder for their kid to have an easy life. 440 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 1: And that doesn't mean the fear is right, it doesn't 441 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: mean anyone should act out of it, but you being 442 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 1: willing to speak to your dad in that way where 443 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: you were clear and encouraging, but also like willing to 444 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: stand in front of him and challenge him to grow more, 445 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 1: love more, Like I think that's how we journey together. 446 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: And what a beautiful thing you got to do in 447 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: your own life, and to your point, you got to 448 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,879 Speaker 1: set an example of on screen. It wouldn't have been 449 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: as interesting to watch a story where everybody was just 450 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: perfectly on board with everybody from the beginning. Like then 451 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: there's no comedy, there's no drama, there's there's nothing to 452 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: watch but to model loving people through their friction, meeting 453 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: them where they are and helping them grow for the 454 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:17,679 Speaker 1: days where it's good and the days where it's bad. Like, 455 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: I think that's the best of us, and how how 456 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,199 Speaker 1: beautiful that you got to do it in your family 457 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: And also like sort of sparkly, I hate to be 458 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: like feels like fate and sound like the most la 459 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,719 Speaker 1: person in the world, but it feels sort of faded 460 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: that you got to represent that story on the show. 461 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, for sure, And you know, I think a 462 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,399 Speaker 2: lot of that was sparked from me telling stories about 463 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 2: my dad And I told the writers that that I 464 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 2: did sort of have to come out to him three times, 465 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 2: and they thought that was hilarious, and so, you know, 466 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 2: I think a lot of you know, in the pilot episode, 467 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 2: they had a sort of already laid groundwork down that 468 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 2: that Jay is sort of, you know, cautiously. You know, 469 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 2: he's he's cautious around his sun and you know, he 470 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 2: basically knocks every time he walks into because he thinks 471 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 2: they're going to be like naked and making out. But 472 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,920 Speaker 2: it was fun to sort of offer them some sort 473 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 2: of nuances to that idea, that trope of a father 474 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 2: who's still growing. 475 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, what do you feel like? I mean, you had 476 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: so many incredible seasons, you brought us all so much 477 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: joy for so long. What do you feel like in 478 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: hindsight when you look back at it, you learned about 479 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 1: yourself playing Mitchell? Like, what is being part of a 480 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: show like that when you really have digested it and 481 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: sat with it On the. 482 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 2: Other end, Yeah, I mean it's I continue to remind 483 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 2: myself that when I was growing up, I didn't have 484 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 2: that example of someone on television. I didn't have an 485 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 2: aspirational pop culture figure to sort of look toward. And 486 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,200 Speaker 2: I can confidently say that that exists now, and that 487 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 2: I'm not the only one who makes that exist. I 488 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 2: think a lot of people held the door open for me, 489 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,119 Speaker 2: and I certainly hope, I hope that I'm holding the 490 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 2: door open for others. But I think there's so much 491 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 2: more representation on television now than there was, you know, 492 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 2: even just yesterday. I mean, but I think we're all 493 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,200 Speaker 2: constantly getting better, and there's still so much much work 494 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 2: to be done. But I you know when you're when 495 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 2: you're in it, and you know this from just being 496 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 2: you know, a professional actress yourself, Like when you're in it, 497 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 2: it's like you have to you have to sort of 498 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 2: shut out the noise of like of the things that are, 499 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 2: you know, influencing your work, and especially if it's cultural 500 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 2: things Like I never wanted to feel like Eric and 501 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 2: I wen under pressure to represent an entire community with 502 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 2: these characters like I just I needed we needed just 503 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 2: to make them real, and we need to needed to 504 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 2: make them funny, and we needed to make them relatable, 505 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 2: and we wanted people to fall in love with them. 506 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 2: That was sort of what our work was. We sort 507 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 2: of have to shut it out, and through shutting it out, 508 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 2: through shutting out, like the cultural noise of the importance 509 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 2: of these characters are the importance of the show. 510 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:03,199 Speaker 1: You know. 511 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,400 Speaker 2: I think we sometimes weren't allowed to let ourselves really 512 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 2: breathe in the moment when it was happening, and I 513 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,119 Speaker 2: have time myself like, we have to really enjoy this, 514 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:12,640 Speaker 2: We have to really enjoy this because this isn't gonna 515 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 2: last forever. But at the same time, we had a 516 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 2: job to do, so it was it was sort of 517 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 2: impossible to separate yourself too far from it. But now 518 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:26,199 Speaker 2: there's a whole new generation of kids like discovering modern 519 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 2: family for the first time. And I meet these people 520 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,399 Speaker 2: and I'm like, oh, you were you were not born 521 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 2: when the pilot air Like you were discovering this now 522 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 2: on Netflix or wherever it's airing, And we have a 523 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,679 Speaker 2: whole new fan base, which is really exciting. So now 524 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,199 Speaker 2: when I'm meeting those people, I definitely allow myself to 525 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 2: get swept up into sort of how how much of 526 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:54,119 Speaker 2: a privilege it was to be able to play those Roles. 527 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, sure, I love that. It's funny feel. I kind 528 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: of feel the same way about One Tree Hell now. Yeah, Like, 529 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:05,480 Speaker 1: you know, we did it for nine years. It some 530 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: of our experiences were great and some were not so great. 531 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 1: And when we first finished, it was like, don't talk 532 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: to me about it. And we all felt this. All 533 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: of us were like, we're done, We're moving on. We're 534 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: going to the next thing. We don't want to talk 535 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: about it, dwell on it, whatever. And now you know, 536 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 1: I'll meet I meet these young girls that are in 537 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: college who've just discovered the show, and they're like, Brook 538 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:26,919 Speaker 1: Davis taught me to never settle for a man who 539 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: doesn't deserve me, and she taught me, and they like, 540 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: they give me these life lessons from this character. And 541 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: I'm and I'm obsessed. 542 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, I am in. 543 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:38,479 Speaker 1: Love with it. And I am like in love with 544 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: this person that I played in a way now that 545 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: I couldn't have been when we were doing it, nor 546 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: could I even have been I think in the immediate 547 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: years after we were done. And now I'm just like, oh, 548 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: I'm obsessed with her. Like you think you're her biggest fan, 549 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: I'm her biggest fan, you know. It's so funny. 550 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 2: Does it feel to you sometimes that for me, it 551 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,480 Speaker 2: feels like another life time, Like I don't know who 552 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 2: that person is. Good. I mean, when I was doing 553 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 2: the show, I didn't have kids, Like there was just 554 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 2: so much that was different then. My life was so different. 555 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 2: I'm living in a house that I didn't live in 556 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 2: when I was doing the show. Like, it just feels 557 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 2: like this weird, sort of alternate universe that I inhabited 558 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 2: for a little while. 559 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: Well way, the only way I know how to describe 560 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: it to people is that it's a very strange experience 561 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: of temporary permanence. Season to season. You have no idea 562 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: if you're going to get picked up. It takes your 563 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: whole entire life. But also you're supposed to maintain your 564 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: real life outside of the thing. I think for us 565 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: it was even trickier because we were on location, so 566 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:43,719 Speaker 1: I would live in North Carolina for ten months out 567 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: of the year, and no matter what, I always sort 568 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: of felt like I couldn't hold everything up. I was 569 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: like spinning a few too many plates, right, And it 570 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: is really weird. It feels because it kind of feels 571 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 1: like a time warp. You're like that was my whole life, 572 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 1: but it also wasn't my real life. And it's both, 573 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: and it's I don't know, I'm like it is is 574 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:07,240 Speaker 1: being on a show like the shows we were on 575 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:10,360 Speaker 1: for as long as we were Is that the Schrodinger's 576 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: cat of being an actor? Like, I don't know, is 577 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: it alive or dead? It's both? 578 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 2: It's nothing right right, right, right? I know, I know, 579 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 2: it's it's a it's a wild, wild job. I mean 580 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 2: tymeer Roll and I would sometimes just burst into laughter 581 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 2: because you couldn't believe that this was a job that 582 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 2: a grown person would do. Yeah, like you know, memorizing 583 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 2: words that you didn't write and putting pretending to be 584 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 2: someone else. Like we would just sometimes get the giggles 585 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 2: because like we would catch each other doing the doing 586 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 2: the job, like doing this ridiculous thing that we're supposed 587 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 2: to do is probably the character and then like catching 588 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:45,959 Speaker 2: the eye one that I'd be like that, this is ridiculous, 589 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 2: that's like what are we doing me to do this? 590 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: Yeah? No, it's so crazy. Yeah, and now a word 591 00:30:52,720 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: from our sponsors who make this show possible. It's so 592 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 1: all encompassing being on something like that and a schedule 593 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: like that. How did you manage to figure out how 594 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: to carve out time for your other passions? Because to 595 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 1: your point, you know, you didn't have kids yet when 596 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: you were on the show, but you'd met your now husband, 597 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: you know, you were building a life, and then you'd 598 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: go and do amazing theater. I mean, my god, I 599 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 1: got to come and see your one man show. Yeah, 600 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: that like knocked my socks off, it was so fun. 601 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: How how did you figure out how to make room 602 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: for your life inside of a project that basically took 603 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 1: up your whole life? 604 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I started to feel a little bit 605 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,160 Speaker 2: of security with with Modern Family after you know, I 606 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 2: mean we won an Emmy right out of the gate 607 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 2: for Best Comedy. But you know, again, like so cooled 608 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 2: the rest of development, and that also was canceled after 609 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 2: a few seasons. So because after a few years, I 610 00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 2: sort of felt like, Okay, this thing is definitely going 611 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 2: to stick around for a little while. So I was 612 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 2: able to relax a bit and really sort of let myself, 613 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 2: let myself go and fall into other projects when I 614 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 2: had a hiatus. But also, I mean, theater never for 615 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 2: me never took a backseat to doing film. And television. 616 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 2: I always that's where my first love is, and doing 617 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 2: TV was this like weird thing that I sort of 618 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 2: fell into and I love doing it and I love 619 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,320 Speaker 2: the job and I love the job security it gave me. 620 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 2: But I sort of also was grateful that then it 621 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 2: allowed me to go do you know, Shakespeare in the 622 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:36,480 Speaker 2: Park for you know, six weeks in the summer and 623 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 2: not get paid a ton, but still be okay to like, 624 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 2: you know, pay the bills at the end of the 625 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 2: summer because I was had saved enough. So it sort 626 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 2: of gave me freedom to do other things. And you know, 627 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 2: in in terms of that one man show that you saw, 628 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 2: I was playing forty different characters and working with silent. Yeah, 629 00:32:58,400 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 2: it's crazy. 630 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: Will you tell listeners at home a little bit about it, 631 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 1: because I'm still not over it and it's been years. 632 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 2: It's so funny. So it's a show called Fully Committed. 633 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 2: It's a one man show, and it's about a reservationist 634 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 2: who works at a very very high end restaurant and 635 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 2: his coworker has not shown up for that day's work 636 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 2: and so he's just slammed when the line's open for 637 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 2: the restaurant, taking reservations, and the whole play takes place 638 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 2: over the phone, So he plays not only himself, but 639 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 2: he plays all the people trying on the other end 640 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 2: of the line trying to get reservations to this restaurant. 641 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 2: He plays the chef, he plays the maitre d, he 642 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,160 Speaker 2: plays the hostess, he plays the restaurant critic who's trying 643 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 2: to get in. He plays his father. You know, he's 644 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 2: also on the phone with throughout the day. And you know, 645 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 2: it's a really challenging piece, and every actor who sort 646 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 2: of tackles it, no, it's gonna be a challenging piece. 647 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 2: So I knew going into it. This was the first 648 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 2: Broadway revival of it. It had only been off Broadway before 649 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 2: when I was offered this, and so I think I'd 650 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,959 Speaker 2: started working on it about a year before actually started 651 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 2: official rehearsals, just memorizing the play and working with a 652 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 2: dialect coach on my own time, trying to figure out 653 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 2: what these different characters sound like. You know. She also 654 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 2: worked at Juilliard, so she would sometimes have her students 655 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 2: who are from different places, record them saying the lines 656 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 2: so that I could maybe sort of you know, imitate 657 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,919 Speaker 2: them to sort of get the authenticity down. But then again, 658 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 2: it's a play where there are forty characters and are 659 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:31,759 Speaker 2: snapping between, you know, between themselves really quickly, and you're 660 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,280 Speaker 2: basically in dialogue with yourself. So there was also this 661 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 2: this job of like not being too subtle and too 662 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 2: real with anything, because these people need to be immediately recognizable. 663 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 2: So it was it was a really tough line to 664 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:48,759 Speaker 2: to figure out when it comes to tone and just 665 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 2: the brevity of like not brevity levity, which is the 666 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 2: exact opposite the levity of like, you know, the just 667 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:02,239 Speaker 2: having to learn a huge, you know, ninety minute play 668 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 2: that no one else is speaking in it always. 669 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 1: I mean it was breathtaking. I have rarely been so entertained. 670 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: And also at the end of the play, I was 671 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:17,360 Speaker 1: exhausted for you. Yeah, like when you actually greeted everyone backstage, 672 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:18,959 Speaker 1: I was like, are you okay? Why are you hunging 673 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: us go home? Like does someone have an ice bag 674 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: for you? 675 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 2: Yeah? 676 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: I mean it was it was really astonishing. It's so 677 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 1: cool to hear that you had the sort of wherewithal 678 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:33,840 Speaker 1: to say, oh, I'm going to spend a year prepping 679 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: even before rehearsal, because this is such a big thing. 680 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:38,959 Speaker 2: There was no way. But I did drive my Modern 681 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 2: Family cast members crazy because I would trust out accents. 682 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 2: I think actually Sophia was even like, there's an opportunity 683 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 2: at the end of the play for a little cameo 684 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:50,280 Speaker 2: of someone who just picks up the phone. It's a celebrity, 685 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:51,919 Speaker 2: and I think in the original version of like Wwyneth 686 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:56,280 Speaker 2: paltr or something, but I did Sophia instead, so funny 687 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 2: a little cameo, So she even made it into the play. 688 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 1: It's so cutie. How I mean, you have such a 689 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: work ethic and obviously such passion for what you do. 690 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: And you're a producer and you you are, you're working 691 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:12,960 Speaker 1: in film and television, You're doing incredible theater, You're keeping 692 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: that beautiful you know, industry going. How how do you 693 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 1: and Justin navigate the intensity of your work lives and 694 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:25,319 Speaker 1: how much you both love what you do Now that 695 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: you have two little kids, do you do you sort 696 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: of have to trade off at certain times or do 697 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 1: you just have a village that helps when you're both slammed? 698 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: A little bit of all about. 699 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 2: A little bit of both. I mean, it's tricky because 700 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,359 Speaker 2: you know, as an actor, you you get these opportunities, 701 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 2: and sometimes they take you away for a few weeks 702 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 2: and we have to sort of rewigyh about you know what. 703 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 2: Before I would just do everything that I wanted to do, 704 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 2: and I have to really think about so I need 705 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 2: to be away for six weeks or two months. And 706 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 2: Justin's been very good about stepping in when he needs to. 707 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 2: But you know, when I was doing the play last 708 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 2: I was doing to play last year on Broadway, and 709 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,799 Speaker 2: our son was born during that time, so I came 710 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 2: home for the birth. I was here for a few days, 711 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:10,839 Speaker 2: and then I had to go back to New York 712 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 2: to finish the run, and so I would go back occasionally, 713 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 2: you know, for my days off. But I was home 714 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 2: for like maybe twenty three hours and having to turn 715 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:20,800 Speaker 2: around go back to New York. So it was a lot, 716 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:22,399 Speaker 2: and I know that during that time it was really 717 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 2: taxing on Justin. So you know, I knew that when 718 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 2: I came back, not only was I going to be 719 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 2: like hitting the ground running with the kids, but like 720 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:31,440 Speaker 2: I needed to carve out time for him to get 721 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 2: away and spend time with his friends and sort of 722 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 2: turn off a bit, because he had definitely picked up 723 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 2: the slack. So he definitely earned, you know, that that 724 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 2: time alone. But I try and like be very cognizant 725 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 2: of the fact that when I do go away, you know, 726 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 2: it's a lot on him. 727 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:53,759 Speaker 1: Right. 728 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 2: He's also been very good about reminding himself that when 729 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,839 Speaker 2: I go away, I am working. It's not like I'm 730 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 2: just I love what I do so much. I'm so 731 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 2: lucky that, like my job brings me so much joy. 732 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 2: But it is, you know, it's a it's a full 733 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,360 Speaker 2: time thing when you're when you're in work mode, and yeah, 734 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 2: you have to really take care of yourself and you 735 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:13,360 Speaker 2: have to go to betterly and like even if you 736 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 2: have a long day on set where there's like big 737 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:17,839 Speaker 2: breaks in the day, like you're not just resting, you're 738 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:19,600 Speaker 2: trying to always like be prepared for them when you're 739 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 2: being called to set, and so it's exhausting. And so 740 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 2: he's reminded that, you know, I also am not on 741 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 2: vacation when I'm doing this fun thing that I love doing, Right, 742 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 2: I just I'm lucky that I got to be enjoying 743 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 2: my job. 744 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean it's so cool and the and 745 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:40,319 Speaker 1: the things that it enables you to do. I mean 746 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:43,759 Speaker 1: even you guys. You know, launching Tie the Not, you know, 747 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:49,359 Speaker 1: creating an organization that is near and dear to your 748 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: heart is something that you get to go out and 749 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,399 Speaker 1: talk about because you have this great, big platform right right. 750 00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:56,000 Speaker 2: That was very important to us for sure. 751 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:58,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. Can you can you tell our listeners a little 752 00:38:58,640 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 1: bit about it? Sure? 753 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:02,839 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean Justin's always been an activists, He's been 754 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,480 Speaker 2: very politically active. When I met him, he was graduating 755 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 2: from law school and was working on the Proposition eight case, 756 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 2: which was proposition that was that was it took away 757 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:18,160 Speaker 2: marriage rights for saying sex couples here in California back 758 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:24,879 Speaker 2: in like two thousand and eleven or something, and we 759 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:28,319 Speaker 2: we formed Tie the Knot, which was an organization that 760 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,360 Speaker 2: raised money for the people in the trenches fighting for 761 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:34,399 Speaker 2: marriage equality. Specifically, we were kind of fighting for Prop 762 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:39,399 Speaker 2: eight to get overturned and then and then from there 763 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:43,800 Speaker 2: we were obviously looking towards full federal marriage equality across 764 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,560 Speaker 2: the United States. But we are are founded. We raised 765 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,960 Speaker 2: money basically by selling bow ties, which was you know, 766 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:54,520 Speaker 2: a kind of funny, quirky, interesting, lighthearted way of nodding 767 00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:57,600 Speaker 2: to a marriage. And then you know, we've sold a 768 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,280 Speaker 2: lot of other products as well. But I've all always 769 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 2: been the type of activists who doesn't really use a bullhorn, 770 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 2: like I don't really need to be arrested on the 771 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,120 Speaker 2: steps of city hall like I like to. I like 772 00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:12,000 Speaker 2: to to definitely use my voice and make make myself heard. 773 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,960 Speaker 2: But I find that doing it the more a lighthearted way, 774 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 2: and through comedy and through you know, just being more 775 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,160 Speaker 2: authentically who I am is just a better thing for me. 776 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:26,680 Speaker 2: So this foundation really felt, it felt it felt unique, 777 00:40:26,680 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 2: and it felt very I don't know, it felt personal, 778 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 2: and it felt it felt like it was very It 779 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:35,759 Speaker 2: came from our hearts, like we really you know, we're 780 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:39,080 Speaker 2: able to raise money doing something that felt like it 781 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 2: was authentically us. So we raised over a million dollars 782 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:45,200 Speaker 2: of the course of of Type Not and then we 783 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,879 Speaker 2: recent rebranded Type Not to pronoun So we're still we're 784 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,360 Speaker 2: still raising money for the LGBTQ community, but it's a 785 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:55,320 Speaker 2: bit of a broader scope that we're raising money for. 786 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,880 Speaker 2: It's the longer marriage e quality, which we now have achieved, 787 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 2: but you know, LGBTQ rights and trans writes and all 788 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:02,960 Speaker 2: that good stuff. 789 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, I'm a larger umbrella of equality that you 790 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:10,319 Speaker 1: know so many people unfortunately are trying to chip away 791 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:14,399 Speaker 1: at year after year. I can't remember did I ever 792 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,319 Speaker 1: send you the picture I wore one of your bow 793 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 1: ties was like a sort of like a burgundy chocolate 794 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,279 Speaker 1: with little owls on it. And the little owls are 795 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 1: like in blue and yellow and I wore it with 796 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:28,600 Speaker 1: a navy tuxedo that I had. Okay, good, I was like, wait, 797 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 1: do you have that photo? 798 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:32,240 Speaker 2: I'm obsessed, I do. You've always been such a supporter 799 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 2: of us. 800 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:35,080 Speaker 1: Oh well, I just adore you guys, and you know 801 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:40,120 Speaker 1: you've You've always just been so kind and wonderful, and 802 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:42,080 Speaker 1: you know, I'm a I'm a fan of what you 803 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 1: both do. But I'm a fan of you guys as humans. 804 00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:49,279 Speaker 1: Thank you me cuty okay, And as if you don't 805 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,719 Speaker 1: do enough things with all of your activism in theater 806 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:54,160 Speaker 1: and film and television and being a dad. You have 807 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 1: a podcast, talk to us about Dinners on Me. I'm 808 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:00,600 Speaker 1: obsessed with it, mostly because all I wanted to eat 809 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 1: and I just I love it. I have so many questions. 810 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,000 Speaker 1: Tell the people what you're up to? 811 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 2: Yes, So I have this podcast that I started. I 812 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:13,880 Speaker 2: guess about a year ago. I mean, my career has 813 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:15,960 Speaker 2: always been a series of things that I didn't expect 814 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 2: to do that I've been given opportunity to do and 815 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:21,400 Speaker 2: then I ended up enjoying. So I when these jobs 816 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,800 Speaker 2: come to me that I'm like, I never imagine myself 817 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:26,320 Speaker 2: as that. I really take a beat and I think, okay, 818 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:28,320 Speaker 2: but is it something that I might have fun doing? 819 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,160 Speaker 2: And this was certainly one of those opportunities. I never 820 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:34,040 Speaker 2: wanted to have a podcast. I had been on a 821 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 2: million of them. You know, it just seemed like an 822 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,080 Speaker 2: extra job that I would have to do, but I 823 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 2: didn't know I was I was like, I'm not going 824 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:41,000 Speaker 2: to know if I if I enjoyed doing this unless 825 00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 2: I actually do it. So I accepted the offer to 826 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:47,840 Speaker 2: host this podcast, and the producers knew I was a 827 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:49,719 Speaker 2: big foodie and they had this idea of sort of 828 00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 2: combining my love of food and eating out a restaurant 829 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:57,120 Speaker 2: with a conversation. And you know, I feel like the 830 00:42:57,120 --> 00:43:00,440 Speaker 2: best conversations happened of a really great meal. So, uh, 831 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:04,040 Speaker 2: the first season was a huge success, and we started 832 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:06,760 Speaker 2: off with Julie Bowen. I took her to a restaurant 833 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:10,720 Speaker 2: called Republic here in California. It was during a during 834 00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:15,160 Speaker 2: a atmospheric river, much like we're having today. And it 835 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:19,160 Speaker 2: launched off a really great season of episodes. And I 836 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,160 Speaker 2: went to restaurants in New York and in Los Angeles 837 00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 2: and had everyone on from Padma Lakshmi and Chelsea Clinton 838 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:32,680 Speaker 2: to Sarah Highland and Isaac Msrahi and some great chefs 839 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:35,480 Speaker 2: were on last season. And I just launched my second season. 840 00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:38,760 Speaker 2: And the second season starts with a really great episode 841 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 2: with Ed O'Neill, who played my father a Modern Family 842 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 2: for eleven years. We have another Modern Family cast member 843 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:46,440 Speaker 2: coming up, and I can't say who it is, but 844 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:52,440 Speaker 2: it's exciting. We have we have conversations with Danielle Brooks, 845 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,120 Speaker 2: who's fresh off of an Oscar nomination for the color Purple. 846 00:43:55,520 --> 00:43:59,520 Speaker 2: We have her, so happy for her, couldn't I love 847 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:02,800 Speaker 2: her so much? And she's she's I'm so happy we 848 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:05,360 Speaker 2: got her on. Dax Shepherd, who is the host of 849 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:08,200 Speaker 2: Armchair Expert, coming on, so it's really fun to have 850 00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:11,600 Speaker 2: him on as a guest rather than a host. Yeah. Really, 851 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:14,920 Speaker 2: I kind of get to hear about the trajectory of 852 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:20,319 Speaker 2: Armchair Expert. I was especially nervous for that episode because 853 00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:23,920 Speaker 2: he's such a great you know hosts himself. I was like, 854 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,239 Speaker 2: oh gosh, this is going to be nerve wracking, but 855 00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:29,439 Speaker 2: it was lovely. So we have really great people coming 856 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 2: up to. 857 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:32,719 Speaker 1: See it's so cool. Okay, I have a technical question 858 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:34,960 Speaker 1: because I just think about this from the production side. 859 00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:36,239 Speaker 2: I already know what you're going to ask. 860 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: You're going to restaurants, Yeah, like are they opening an 861 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:41,719 Speaker 1: hour early for you? Because I feel like there's no 862 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 1: way you could do this in public and not be 863 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 1: like stopped by fans and have something clattered to the 864 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:50,799 Speaker 1: floor and ruin the sound, like how are you achieving this? 865 00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:53,920 Speaker 2: All those things actually happen. I kind of love it 866 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,120 Speaker 2: because I really want people. I want the listeners to 867 00:44:56,160 --> 00:44:58,040 Speaker 2: feel like a fly on the wall. So yeah, we 868 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:00,279 Speaker 2: keep all the ambient sounds. There are times when we 869 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:02,640 Speaker 2: go to restaurants and they haven't been opened, they're not 870 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:04,880 Speaker 2: opened yet, and we get the entire place for ourselves, 871 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:07,919 Speaker 2: and those are actually I don't I don't like those 872 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:10,680 Speaker 2: as much because I really like that ambient sound. It 873 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:15,759 Speaker 2: is this feeling of like you you over overhearing a conversation, 874 00:45:16,239 --> 00:45:17,960 Speaker 2: but you hear the waiter come through the table and 875 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:21,880 Speaker 2: tell us the specials. You hear us order, to the 876 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:23,960 Speaker 2: chagrin of many people, you might hear us eating a 877 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:26,319 Speaker 2: little bit, which is also some people have a really 878 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,600 Speaker 2: big problem with that. I promise it's not a ton 879 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 2: of mouse sounds. Were pretty good about editing around it. 880 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:33,000 Speaker 2: But I love, like, you know, when you hear the 881 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 2: glass crash in the background. I have a running gag 882 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:38,960 Speaker 2: on my my podcast where anytime I hear one of those, 883 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:41,840 Speaker 2: go oh, my earring, like I just fell off. So 884 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:45,160 Speaker 2: I actually look forward to sounds like that. I love 885 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:48,040 Speaker 2: to add a little comedy. But it's you know, every 886 00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 2: restaurant is completely different. Sometimes we're there and I like, 887 00:45:51,160 --> 00:45:53,360 Speaker 2: I went with the Isaacs Rahi to Pastises on a 888 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:57,760 Speaker 2: Sunday brunch day and that was, you know, totally packed 889 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:00,560 Speaker 2: and crowded, and we were just at a little table ourselves, 890 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:02,440 Speaker 2: and you can hear that we're in a crowded restaurant, 891 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:05,480 Speaker 2: and yeah, I kind of just I love that we 892 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:07,719 Speaker 2: can do that and achieve that, And I think our 893 00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:10,600 Speaker 2: listeners really respond to that sort of fly on the 894 00:46:10,640 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 2: wall verite, you know, conversation. 895 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:18,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I also feel like that's so indicative of your 896 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:21,440 Speaker 1: love of living in New York, because when you talk 897 00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:24,400 Speaker 1: about it, I'm like, yeah, like we're New York people. 898 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:28,080 Speaker 1: The hustle bustle, and the car horns honking and the sounds. 899 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:30,280 Speaker 1: It's like it's part of what makes you feel like home. 900 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:33,640 Speaker 1: So I love that that's really happening and it's not 901 00:46:33,680 --> 00:46:34,680 Speaker 1: a sound design thing. 902 00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:39,560 Speaker 2: I took Nissi Nash out for for for dinner for 903 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 2: the podcast, and we were at Beat outside and it 904 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:44,759 Speaker 2: was during trash Day, so that really they were. They 905 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:49,440 Speaker 2: were emptying, like you know, massive dumpsters of trash. You 906 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:51,600 Speaker 2: could hear the trash trucks coming. I was like, this 907 00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:53,759 Speaker 2: is just what it is. We weren't we weren't sitting 908 00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:56,600 Speaker 2: amongst trash, but there were definitely the sounds of trash trucks. 909 00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:58,520 Speaker 2: Like here we are during the podcast. 910 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:00,680 Speaker 1: Oh my god, have you seen Nisi in Origin? 911 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 2: Oh so good. 912 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:08,200 Speaker 1: I'm still not over it. It's been weeks. I keep going 913 00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:11,680 Speaker 1: back to it. She is just I'm obsessed with Nisy 914 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:12,960 Speaker 1: She's everything. 915 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:14,040 Speaker 2: She really is. 916 00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:16,920 Speaker 1: Did did the idea from the podcast? And I mean, 917 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:18,960 Speaker 1: because you know, I'm also a foodie, so I just 918 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:21,720 Speaker 1: really need to know did it really just come from 919 00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:24,120 Speaker 1: you thinking like, how can I do a job where 920 00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:25,759 Speaker 1: I get to eat at all my favorite restaurants? 921 00:47:26,239 --> 00:47:27,360 Speaker 2: That was definitely part of it. 922 00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:32,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like when you launched it, I had three different 923 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:34,320 Speaker 1: friends text me and go the fact that you didn't 924 00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:36,200 Speaker 1: do this is so weird. And I was like, honestly, 925 00:47:36,239 --> 00:47:38,440 Speaker 1: I'm flabbergasted. I have no idea how I missed. 926 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:42,400 Speaker 2: The mark right right. Yeah, what you were saying is, 927 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:45,120 Speaker 2: you know, it's definitely complicated too to record live in 928 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:48,400 Speaker 2: a restaurant. But it's so funny because when you you 929 00:47:48,440 --> 00:47:50,880 Speaker 2: were speaking earlier about my One man show, fully committed 930 00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:54,719 Speaker 2: and my producers, uh, they said, well, we're going to 931 00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:55,920 Speaker 2: do some research. We're going to go out to a 932 00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:57,799 Speaker 2: few of these like Michelin Star restaurants. We can like 933 00:47:57,880 --> 00:48:00,440 Speaker 2: kind of see the infrastructure, and we got to go 934 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:02,920 Speaker 2: back afterwards and like see the reservation room, but like 935 00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:05,399 Speaker 2: we ate at these restaurants. And it was the best 936 00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 2: research I've ever done. I think they took me to 937 00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:09,440 Speaker 2: like four or five different Michelin Star restaurants. And then 938 00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:12,640 Speaker 2: the producers like, Okay, that's enough, We've done, like you know, 939 00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:15,680 Speaker 2: because it's expensive. Yeah, And I was like, this is great. 940 00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:17,160 Speaker 2: I was like, we could fit in a few more 941 00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:19,840 Speaker 2: of these before you know, the show goes up. But 942 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:20,960 Speaker 2: I was like, I think I need to do a 943 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:22,280 Speaker 2: little bit more, a bit more research. 944 00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:25,120 Speaker 1: But it's the same to do a little more homework. 945 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:30,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, but yeah, it's so fun to go out. 946 00:48:31,160 --> 00:48:41,960 Speaker 1: And now a word from our sponsors. Is there anywhere 947 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:44,239 Speaker 1: new you've discovered that you hadn't been and now you 948 00:48:44,239 --> 00:48:45,240 Speaker 1: want to go all the time? 949 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:51,160 Speaker 2: Uh? Oh oh Yeah. There's a place in Brooklyn called Kafar, 950 00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:55,600 Speaker 2: which is a Mediterranean like they have barrecas and it's 951 00:48:55,640 --> 00:49:00,000 Speaker 2: it's really really delicious. It's in I guess I would 952 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:03,600 Speaker 2: be green Point, Brooklyn. I really really really love it. 953 00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:05,120 Speaker 2: And I actually last time I was in New York 954 00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:07,360 Speaker 2: made a special trip out there to get some breakfast. 955 00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:10,440 Speaker 2: So that's one of my new favorite places. And then 956 00:49:10,480 --> 00:49:12,800 Speaker 2: here in La I just recently took a Danielle to Superba, 957 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,960 Speaker 2: which I love. I've ever been to before. So yeah, 958 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:16,319 Speaker 2: and it's. 959 00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:19,160 Speaker 1: Nice that we finally got one on our side of town. Yes, 960 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:24,040 Speaker 1: I know, Oh, I just love it. What a fun project. 961 00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:26,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's been really great, and but do you 962 00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:29,680 Speaker 2: I mean, I still have a tabit of anxiety before 963 00:49:29,719 --> 00:49:33,040 Speaker 2: every single one of my interviews because I guess there's 964 00:49:33,040 --> 00:49:34,799 Speaker 2: a bit of imposter syndrome just because it's not a 965 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:39,399 Speaker 2: world that I have ever, you know, anticipated being in. 966 00:49:39,680 --> 00:49:41,640 Speaker 2: It was a job that was sort of brought to me, 967 00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:43,920 Speaker 2: and people are trusting me to do a good job 968 00:49:43,960 --> 00:49:46,960 Speaker 2: with this. Yeah, I definitely get like anxious before every 969 00:49:47,040 --> 00:49:50,080 Speaker 2: single you know podcast. 970 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:53,560 Speaker 1: Oh, I totally do too, still and I'm years in. 971 00:49:54,200 --> 00:49:57,880 Speaker 1: I get anxious before every podcast, every speaking engagement, like, 972 00:49:59,480 --> 00:50:01,520 Speaker 1: you know, because I look around and I just go like, well, 973 00:50:01,719 --> 00:50:03,239 Speaker 1: but what am I doing here? 974 00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:04,239 Speaker 2: Right? Right? 975 00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:06,280 Speaker 1: Like me, I'm going to be the one who asks 976 00:50:06,320 --> 00:50:10,920 Speaker 1: the questions, right, you know. And I get especially nervous, 977 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:13,720 Speaker 1: I think because I have such a reverence for comedy, 978 00:50:13,719 --> 00:50:16,920 Speaker 1: and my favorite, like my favorite things that I've done 979 00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:21,600 Speaker 1: work wise have been the sort of more comedic things. 980 00:50:21,640 --> 00:50:24,040 Speaker 1: I just I so enjoy the energy on a set 981 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:27,160 Speaker 1: when it's funny rather than you know, sobbing or everyone's dying. 982 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:32,160 Speaker 1: And I always get a little nervous when I'm going 983 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:34,120 Speaker 1: to interview a comedian that I love because I'm like, 984 00:50:34,200 --> 00:50:35,880 Speaker 1: are they going to think I'm funny? Am I going 985 00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:37,279 Speaker 1: to be funny today? Or am I going to be weird? 986 00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:39,200 Speaker 1: What if I'm weird? What if I get nervous and 987 00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:41,359 Speaker 1: then I'm tight and I don't make any jokes like 988 00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:43,520 Speaker 1: I spin in that way too? 989 00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:46,040 Speaker 2: Get it? I get it for sure. 990 00:50:46,400 --> 00:50:48,600 Speaker 1: But you know, look at us rolling along. 991 00:50:49,040 --> 00:50:52,880 Speaker 2: We're rolling along. I definitely feel like if I'm scared 992 00:50:52,920 --> 00:50:55,400 Speaker 2: of something, it's a good thing that I'm doing it. 993 00:50:55,640 --> 00:50:59,000 Speaker 2: I do. I find the stuff that I'm not super 994 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:02,840 Speaker 2: intimidated by is stuff that doesn't actually ultimately being doesn't 995 00:51:02,920 --> 00:51:08,160 Speaker 2: ultimately end up being very gratifying. Yeah, so you know, yeah, 996 00:51:08,160 --> 00:51:11,320 Speaker 2: I guess the fear, that feeling of needing to poop 997 00:51:11,360 --> 00:51:13,960 Speaker 2: and make diarrhea and throw up is a good thing. 998 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:15,759 Speaker 2: It's good. It's good that you're feeling that. 999 00:51:16,160 --> 00:51:18,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's phenomenal that you need to take up pepto. 1000 00:51:19,160 --> 00:51:21,000 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah. 1001 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:25,320 Speaker 1: Well with all of this, you know, this this big, 1002 00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:29,000 Speaker 1: beautiful sphere of the things that you've built in work 1003 00:51:29,040 --> 00:51:32,800 Speaker 1: and in home and with your family. When you look 1004 00:51:33,600 --> 00:51:37,360 Speaker 1: towards this year, what what feels like you're work in 1005 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:38,640 Speaker 1: progress right now? 1006 00:51:41,280 --> 00:51:43,439 Speaker 2: I mean I kind of feel like I myself am 1007 00:51:43,719 --> 00:51:49,080 Speaker 2: the work in progress for me. I mean, I you know, 1008 00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:51,800 Speaker 2: for eleven years, I had this like really steady thing happening, 1009 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,080 Speaker 2: and then there was a pandemic, and then I had kids, 1010 00:51:54,120 --> 00:51:55,480 Speaker 2: and I feel like there was not a lot of 1011 00:51:55,520 --> 00:51:59,040 Speaker 2: like transitional time for me, but in that that that 1012 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:01,879 Speaker 2: from one thing to the other, and so I feel 1013 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:04,200 Speaker 2: like I've lost a little bit of like what I 1014 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:08,040 Speaker 2: need right now. And Justin and I are both really 1015 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:10,960 Speaker 2: good about going to therapy for ourselves. We do talk therapy. 1016 00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:13,719 Speaker 2: We don't need together, but you know, are very open 1017 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:19,160 Speaker 2: to that. And I'm just really trying to, like I 1018 00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:22,120 Speaker 2: cut back on drinking a lot I did. I'm trying 1019 00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:24,000 Speaker 2: to eat healthier, I've lost a little bit of weight, 1020 00:52:25,600 --> 00:52:27,560 Speaker 2: trying not to stress out so much about work. I 1021 00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:29,239 Speaker 2: mean all these you know, we also have had a 1022 00:52:29,239 --> 00:52:32,120 Speaker 2: really bumpy a few years between the pandemic and then 1023 00:52:32,160 --> 00:52:36,040 Speaker 2: writer strikes and then actors strikes, and I just realized, 1024 00:52:36,040 --> 00:52:38,279 Speaker 2: like I have so little control over some of these things. 1025 00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:40,920 Speaker 2: I could certainly fight for better contracts, but like, at 1026 00:52:40,960 --> 00:52:43,239 Speaker 2: the end of the day, like I have to let 1027 00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:45,319 Speaker 2: people do the jobs that are going to do the jobs. 1028 00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:49,040 Speaker 2: I can't worry about it. So I have really tried 1029 00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:53,000 Speaker 2: hard to sort of rewire my thinking, and you know, 1030 00:52:53,200 --> 00:52:55,560 Speaker 2: find ways to reduce my anxiety, and that's been my 1031 00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:57,759 Speaker 2: big and I'm really proud of the work that I've 1032 00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:00,479 Speaker 2: done on myself, and that's been one of the main 1033 00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:05,160 Speaker 2: things for me, is just trying to flow through life 1034 00:53:05,160 --> 00:53:09,960 Speaker 2: with a little less anxiety and nerve. I love that. 1035 00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:16,920 Speaker 1: I think that's so important, and it's a thing you're 1036 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:19,600 Speaker 1: really just like making all the bells ding for me, 1037 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:23,799 Speaker 1: because it has been such a destabilizing time, you know, 1038 00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:26,400 Speaker 1: for so many people. And I think one of the 1039 00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:30,279 Speaker 1: things that I'm really working on remembering, particularly over the 1040 00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:35,200 Speaker 1: course of the last year, is I believe at my 1041 00:53:35,360 --> 00:53:37,640 Speaker 1: core and I try to remind myself every day that 1042 00:53:37,680 --> 00:53:40,279 Speaker 1: things are not happening to me, they're happening for me. 1043 00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:44,200 Speaker 1: And when I look at my life in that way, 1044 00:53:45,320 --> 00:53:50,640 Speaker 1: I see what I get from every experience, and you know, 1045 00:53:51,040 --> 00:53:53,640 Speaker 1: to your point, like maybe there's a job that doesn't 1046 00:53:53,680 --> 00:53:56,439 Speaker 1: go because it felt a little easy and I want 1047 00:53:56,440 --> 00:53:59,279 Speaker 1: to be more challenged, or you know, maybe there's a 1048 00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:03,200 Speaker 1: big aha moment in life that I really didn't see coming, 1049 00:54:03,760 --> 00:54:08,760 Speaker 1: but it it changes everything for the better. And yeah, 1050 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:11,120 Speaker 1: it feels like a little bit of a rewiring, but 1051 00:54:11,120 --> 00:54:14,920 Speaker 1: it's definitely helping with you know, my anxiety and certainly 1052 00:54:15,000 --> 00:54:18,560 Speaker 1: with the pressure I put on myself. 1053 00:54:18,600 --> 00:54:21,959 Speaker 2: Right right, And it's hard to like say, you know, don't. 1054 00:54:22,000 --> 00:54:25,360 Speaker 2: I mean, I've been told so many times to just 1055 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:27,600 Speaker 2: like relax and not stress out and like, you know. 1056 00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:29,120 Speaker 1: Which only makes you struggle. 1057 00:54:28,719 --> 00:54:32,920 Speaker 2: Out more exactly exactly. But there are times when I 1058 00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:35,120 Speaker 2: tell myself that too. I'm like, just relax, it's okay, 1059 00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:39,160 Speaker 2: you gotta breathe. And I just am learning to listen 1060 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:40,520 Speaker 2: to myself a little bit more. 1061 00:54:41,680 --> 00:54:43,480 Speaker 1: It feels like a good work in progress. 1062 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:45,399 Speaker 2: My friend, yeah, pilates too. 1063 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:49,520 Speaker 1: Ooh, a little fitness moment for twenty twenty more. 1064 00:54:49,800 --> 00:54:51,120 Speaker 2: Sure, Yeah, we love it. 1065 00:54:51,640 --> 00:54:54,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh, well, thank you so much. I just love 1066 00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:57,160 Speaker 1: talking to you. It's like in the way that you 1067 00:54:57,200 --> 00:54:59,359 Speaker 1: were talking about you and tybing, like I can't believe 1068 00:54:59,400 --> 00:55:01,480 Speaker 1: this is our job. I feel that every week. I'm like, 1069 00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:04,440 Speaker 1: I literally can't believe I turned asking people I adore 1070 00:55:04,520 --> 00:55:06,120 Speaker 1: questions into a job. I love this. 1071 00:55:06,239 --> 00:55:10,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, I know, we're very lucky. I'm so 1072 00:55:10,360 --> 00:55:11,400 Speaker 2: glad you asked me to do this. 1073 00:55:11,760 --> 00:55:13,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you so much for coming. 1074 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:14,360 Speaker 2: Yes. 1075 00:55:15,040 --> 00:55:28,640 Speaker 1: Oh