March 17, 2026 • 40 mins
This week, Tommy is joined by actor Arielle Kebbel, whose career spans some of television’s most beloved series including Gilmore Girls, The Vampire Diaries, and 90210. Arielle reflects on her past roles and shares memories from early projects that helped shape her career. She talks about learning from figures like Kenny Ortega, why she often gravitates toward playing characters audiences love to hate, and the challenge of making viewers care about a character in just a single episode of The Vampire Diaries. Arielle also revisits her time on 90210, revealing behind the scenes stories about stunt mishaps, paparazzi moments, and the friendships that came from the show.
The conversation then turns to her newest project Marshals (a spin-off from Yellowstone), where Arielle steps into a rugged Western world and brings a unique femininity to the genre. She discusses the intense preparation that went into the role, and teases the mystery surrounding her character Belle. Beyond acting, she reflects on entering a new chapter in her 40s, caring less about outside opinions, and stepping into producing with passion projects she hopes to bring to life, including a potential sequel to a beloved film. The episode closes with a fun “I’ve never said this before” moment, where Arielle shares an unexpected story.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with me,
Tommy de Dario my guest today. She is an actress
who everywhere you look there she is bringing these iconic
characters to life throughout the course of her career. Now,
I don't use the word iconic loosely, so when I
say it, I mean it, and case in point. A
few of her beloved projects include Gilmore Girls nine O
(00:22):
two and Oh, The Vampire Diaries, and so many more.
I could keep going on and on. But now she
is starring in the CBS series of Marshals, which is
a spin off to the beloved show Yellowstone, and audiences
cannot get enough. Now Marshall's was the network's most watch
new scripted series debut without a football leaden, which is
huge since twenty eighteen. And Ariel is so good. So
(00:44):
today we are celebrating her storied career while also learning
a bit more about the person who has brought us
so much joy and entertainment over the years. All right,
let's see if today we can get Ariel to say
something that she has never said before. Aiel, look at
(01:06):
you looking like a vision.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Oh yeah, you're very kind.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
You walked in and I'm like, what is this high fashion? Look?
I have to give you a minute to tell me
about this because you look like fire.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Thank you. Well, this is vintage Isabelle Morats actually had
to tell the jacket and the dress. And then this
is my friend's jewelry at Kathy Rose. She's out of
la She just makes absolutely exquisite, like one of a
kind pieces.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
So you're a fashion girl, huh.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I mean, if you say so, I am when other
people dress me. Yeah right, you know, I go home
and turn into a pumpkin. I'm you know, I'm like
most comfortable barefoot in the grass at the barn. So
this is fun for me. It's like this. It actually
when I dress up and do press, it does actually
almost feel like another character, you know. It's kind of
(01:54):
like a way to express yourself in a different way.
And it's definitely something I don't do often at home,
So it's fun.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Added to the character list. I mean, you have so
many You've played so many iconic roles throughout the course
of your career. What's the role that surprises you the
most that you get stopped for.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
H That's a good question that surprises me. Some people
have talked about Brittany Bitch from Unreal. We call it
Brittany Bitch. Her name is Brittany on the show. But
there was a show. It was on Lifetime and it
was really their launch of doing some new programming a
(02:33):
few years back. It was like raw and edgy and
not like anything they had really shot before. And I
got to play this character Brittany and work with Shery
Appleby and Constant Simmer and a wonderful, wonderful cast season
one and she was just so out there. There was
(02:53):
like nothing too extraly. It's actually the first job or
only job I would say that I after day one
of filming, I realized I went home and I was like,
I'm not going to be able to do this girl
Justice if I don't go method. And so it's actually
the only time on TV where I went like a
version of method because she's just bless you, Pepper, everybody
(03:22):
and so, and it was funny. I remember one day
Sheery looked at me and goes, here, we a, when
did you go method? Because I think she had caught
on because I was just like when the cameras weren't rolling,
I would just be saying like snarky stuff or wild
like out there, because the whole point of the show
(03:42):
was like it was a show within a show, and
when we got on set, they had cameras rolling all
the time, and they purposely didn't tell you what camera
was rolling when, and they wanted to pick up that
live footage. So number one, I was afraid that I
was going to get fired every single day. But number two,
that's probably the role that surprises me people talk about
(04:03):
because it was just this kind of experience in a
box for me a little bit, it was unlike anything
else I've really done in a way. Yeah, So that
one always like, I have a deep appreciation if someone
happens to have watched it.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
You strike me as a workhorse, like you don't stop,
you haven't stopped. And I believe one of your first
big breaks was Gilmour Girls, right, yes, and you booked
it right after moving to La I did.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I did.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
That's wild.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah. I was seventeen and I had already So I
grew up in Florida and I was fortunate enough I
started in the business when I was about twelve. It
was commercial work and then modeling, and then eventually I
was like, what is what does it take to build
a character? What's deep acting? You know? So I was
studying in Florida and knew it was what I wanted
(04:53):
to do with my career, and so started going back
and forth to LA. Because my parents had a rule.
They were like, look, I think they knew there was
no stopping me. So they gave me great advice and
great support, and they were like, look, number one, you
have to reinvest in your business. So any money you
make has to go back in your business. So at
a very young age, I was making money and getting headshots.
(05:15):
I was making money and paying for art school or
perform art school. You know. I was making money, and
I was buying my to get to LA. So at
a very young age, I learned number one how expensive
it is to follow your passion and your dream, but
also the power of like, yeah, that money has to
go to building something. And so I would go to
(05:39):
LA and take meetings and because they just said, their
other rule was like you can't move out there without
an agent or a manager, you know, like they didn't
expect me to have my first acting job, but they
needed to know that I was cared for and looked after,
and so I met with a bunch of weird phonies
and kept coming back like no, no, no, no no.
And then eventually my tape got pasted. I can't remember
(06:00):
if it was Freaky Friday or Mean Girls, but one
of the tapes got passed around Jamie Robert Spears. She's
one of my dear friends today still. But she found
my modeling card and got me on the role for
auditions out in LA and that got me meetings with
some real agency managers and then from there. One of
(06:21):
the first auditions was Gilmore Girls. And I had said,
you know, let me go home, let me graduate high
school early, let me close that chapter of my life.
So when I moved to LA at seventeen in January,
I'm ready to rock and roll, you know, no more
back and forth. And so I had the audition. I
had total imposter syndrome. I was like, what am I
doing here? There's all these beautiful women. I don't belong.
(06:44):
I'm so far from home. And then I got the
call back or like the next day or whatever, and
then at the callback, I bombed it. And I always
give credit to Kenny Ortega. Do you know him, He's
like this, He's famous. Yeah, geographer. I mean, he's phenomenal.
I would love I haven't seen him since I would
(07:05):
love to see him again. But he stopped me. I
was about to leave the room and cry, and he
stopped me, and he said, I feel like you know
this girl, and I feel like you're really nervous. Just
take a breath, like we're here. It's good, You're fine.
And I something happened in that exhale where I just remember,
I kind of was able to go to a different
place and just kind of trust and channel whatever came
(07:27):
out of my mouth. And by the time I left,
I hadn't even gotten home to the apartment that I was,
you know, renting from who god knows who, and got
the call that I was on the show the next day.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
So that was how it all started, and you went.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
On to play one of the most polarizing characters, one
of the.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Most you could say it, one of the most hated,
one of the most hate character.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Play someone like that for your first big break was
that weird where people like I don't like you, but
you're like, that's not me.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Well, it was an awakening, I'll tell you that. I
don't know if it was weird. It was more just like, oh,
this is how it works. Okay. I've told this story
before where I will always remember I was on the
phone with my mom and a coffee bean, wearing like
a juicy jumpsuit, you know, because it was of the times. Yes,
and these girls were like excuse me, excuse me, and
(08:22):
you know, I was all excited because I could tell,
you know, and I was like, hang on, mom, and
they asked if I was lindsay on Gilmore girls. I
said yes, and they said, we hate you. And I
took a minute and then I thought, oh, this is
what it's like. And it was actually a really good
(08:43):
lesson into if you're doing your job properly, people will
love or hate you, and that is a real gift.
It's in between when people don't care, that should be worrisome,
you know. So the fact that they they hated me
never bothered me. It was more like a wake up. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, on the flip side, how I was introduced to
you was through The Vampire Diaries. Oh and I binged
that during COVID, so you were like round. But first
I saw that show was during COVID, and I didn't
realize you were in it, and you went on to
become one of the most beloved characters in that entire series, right,
and then suddenly you're dead. I mean, so did you
(09:25):
feel the love when people were so upset that they
no longer could watch you?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Well, first of all, I will forever just give all
the shout outs to Julie Pleck and Kevin Williamson as well.
They both called me together for that role. So I
originally auditioned for Nina for Elena Nina's role, didn't get
it clearly, But then a few months later they had
remembered my audition because and they called me and they said, hey,
(09:51):
we have this role. And Kevin was like really excited
to pitch it. He's like, you know, Stephan's so brooding, eh,
and you're gonna come in and like we're gonna see
a different side and then we're going to kill you.
And he was so excited to tell me that they
were going to kill me. And I remember going, uh huh.
I was like, Kevin, all right, I get it. Yeah,
(10:13):
I want to come play with you guys. I get it.
In my mind. I was like, can I at least
get like three episodes, you know? But they had their plan.
They were sticking to their plan. I respected it. So
I got on set and I actually was very nervous
because I don't even know if they Maybe they did,
But what I walked on set realizing was I have
one episode to make people care about me, because that
(10:35):
was actually my job. I was hired to make people
care the minute I died, and I'd never been asked
to do that in that form before, like that, you know.
So I took that very seriously, and so that was
really my tracking as I was building the character was
like each moment, what can I do to give the
audience something to hold on to so that it matters
(10:56):
when I died, because otherwise why am I here? You know?
So I actually was very nervous. I was very nervous
when it came out. I really had told myself, no
one's gonna care. This is gonna be like a one
and done, like, well, you did the best you could.
I was just very in my head about the whole thing,
and then it came out, and all of a sudden,
there it was like there was this buzz. There was
(11:17):
this buzz, and then Julie Pleck told me. My parents
called me and said why did you kill Lexi? That
was the biggest mistake. And then Julie said, Mom, Dad,
I didn't know you watched the show, so that really,
you know, Lexi is first and foremost Julie Pleck and
Kevin Williamson and then the fans. They kept her a
life because I would have never come back if it
(11:39):
weren't for the fans loving her, and because of you all,
they found a way to bring me back for the
rest of the series.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
What do you most remember from that time?
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Paul complaining? But that's like the stick, right, I mean, yeah, so,
I mean, because most of my scenes were with him,
did have like a kind of you know, like banter
that way. I feel like it was actually kind of
in real life a little bit like I'm naturally more
bubbly and he's naturally more like kind of critical, and
(12:13):
so we would just kind of have that banter. And
then I think just spending time in Atlanta, you know,
because over eight years, you spent a lot of time
there back and forth, and I had a lot of
friends on the show, so it became like fun to
see familiar faces and Lexi's wardrobe every time I came back.
I was in a different time period, so that was
(12:34):
actually really fun.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Oh my god, another epic role. The last trip down
memory lane before we get to your new series is
Vanessa nine o two on Oh.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Oh wow, that's so funny. I just said to someone,
no one ever asked me about nine o two, and oh.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Really, how you flung off a balcony? Like do you
remember that?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Oh? I remember what was filming? Let me tell you
why I remember because my stunt double. Actually I do
a lot of my own stunts. I didn't do that
one amazing stunt double. I wish I could remember who
it is. Right now, I'll have to, I'll have to.
We'll have to say, because she deserves a shout out.
She went over and it looked like she hit her
head and there was silence on set when they called
(13:19):
cut and I gasped because I was watching, And then
she got up and said she was okay, And I
will never forget In that moment, I was like, dear god,
what stunt people do. I know there's that movie about it,
but what stunt people do every single day as normal
deserves so much credit, Like we really you? I mean,
(13:40):
can you imagine just like going over a balcony yeah,
she was incredible. So and then right after that, I
did a scene where I get washed ashore and there
was like seaweed all over me and it was horrific,
and the paparazzi was there because we were in Malibu,
and I was like, you know, I was like coming
out of the ocean, there was like seaweed all over
my face. I was like, this is why we have
stunt devils. She knows how to go off of balcony.
(14:02):
I can't even come out of the ocean.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Without like, you know, she was a wild child.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, but Vanessa, Yeah, I recently at the I can
only imagine two premiere in Nashville. I can't believe I
completely missed this. But there was like a little mini
nine O two and O reunion because I guess Matt
Lanter and Shinney Grimes were there. So yeah, it's in
the zegeist right now. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, Oh my god, so many great great roles.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Vanessa was. She was nuts?
Speaker 1 (14:34):
She I mean I was, And you play nuts, well,
you play nuts.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I think the fun thing about taking on roles like
that is you're like, Okay, this is so out there
that I have to just commit to every moment. Otherwise,
what's the point, you know. I remember reading that scene
where like she fake fights herself and I was like, well,
I'm gonna have to fake fight myself like someone is
murdering me, you know, yeah, and we went for it.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
And now you're playing a totally different character on a
show that is smashing records. By the way, I can't
open any social media now and not see a headline
about how many people are watching your new show.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Well, thank you everybody here. It's tuned in.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
It's remarkable, and I'm not surprised giving Yellowstone was such
a fan favorite, popular series, and I imagine you were
a fan of it.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
It was a huge fan I mean, I oh from
like seeing one episode one mainly because at the time
there wasn't anything like it. And I grew up, you know,
horses were always my first love. Like my dad and
my sister, we all still like text about, you know,
the man from Snowy River National Velvet or like a
(15:51):
Black Stallion. All of these horse movies were on repeat
when I was a kid, and so to see a
show like Yellowstone come out, Sure, it's about much more
than the cattle and the horses, but it was really
the first show that had such beautiful cinematography and really
highlighted nature in a way like, you know, nature's a beast.
(16:14):
It's like it's beautiful, but it's powerful. And so you're
dealing with the elements. You're dealing with cattle, you're dealing
with the ranch, you're dealing with the horses. And I
hadn't seen a show like that ever, and so I
was captivated for a number of reasons, and then of
course wanting to be a part of it ever since.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
And Marshall's. I mean, when you got the call about
Marshall's and found out about your character, I think I
saw she was described as Martha Stewart in Cowboy Boots?
Is that correct? So what about that made you be like,
I gotta play that well?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Funny enough, Martha was my neighbor up in Bedford, and
she is She is really so involved and supportive of
the community up there, and so it's you know, she's
always having like parties at her farm, and she so gracious.
She has some of the most beautiful horses I've ever seen,
and I got to trail ride one of them, and
(17:07):
so she I felt like when I first read it,
I was kind of like, hang on a sec I
know this better than I even thought I would know this,
and so I but what I took to heart from
that was kind of like this woman can do it all,
and she can do it with a sense of humor
(17:30):
and sarcasm, but also she knows it all so well,
like she's you're not gonna mess with her, you know
what I mean. Like she's a type of woman who
really does do it all, know it all. And I
just thought, what a beautiful opportunity to bring femininity forward
(17:55):
in such a male heavy world. You know, like what
does it mean to be a badass cowgirl but also
be feminine and celebrate those qualities and wear pink, you know,
we're light colors, like, you know, she cares deeply for
her son, my character, and so just bringing all of
(18:19):
these elements while also maintaining the rough and tough you know.
She's local Montana, she's a cowgirl. She was atf so
she's always undercover. She's very protective of her family. She
has a ton of secrets. You know, when you come
from that kind of wealth, you have to protect a lot.
So I just like really loved that kind of Martha
(18:41):
Stewart was like the backdrop of who this character is
that I'm stepping into it and creating and playing with.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
In Yellowstone, the cast how to go to a cowboy
boot camp? Did you do any sort of boot camp?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
So we did. We did have boot camp. It was
all very fast. So by the time that I was cast,
we had about a week to get to Utah before shooting,
before like camera ready. So that week was one second.
Oh yeah, there we go. Okay, nope, see, can't mess
with the venture cheer growers. Okay, okay. So we had
(19:21):
about a week. So it got to Utah, and I
think with the original Yellowstone they had full on cowboy
camp right because they had to like do roping, they
had to actually learn how to move the cattle. I mean,
it was it was authentic to its core. We didn't
have that. We had two days and it was mainly
about getting to know your horse, you know, loping together
(19:44):
because you open pairs, stopping for the camera. How do
the horses all get along together? You know, what's each
horse's personality, what's my horse's personality. That's sort of a thing.
And then the rest of the time the next the
other three days was weapon training because we're running around
with infoors, which was new to me. I've done a
(20:05):
lot of stunt work over the last ten years, but
I've never had that kind of a gun as something
that I that my character is so familiar with. And
so it's like even just gearing up, it's meant to be, like,
you know, just part of who these people are. You
don't think about any of it. You just go and
(20:25):
just getting just gearing up took practice. So we did
a lot of weapon training with M fours. We did
a lot of footwork. We learned how to clear rooms
as a team. You learn, like we had real Navy
seals on set all the time training us. So you know,
it's all about the eye contact, the movement, the footwork,
the signals. You know, I think they say fastest slow,
(20:46):
that's a real thing, you know, that sort of thing.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
And you and Luke Rhymes worked together before. Yeah, and
fifty Shades freed, right, So how was this a different
experience at this point of your.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Live Well, we had our clothes on homes kidding all true,
I know we both got our clothes on in Fifty
Shades too. By the way, did you see Dakota Johnson's
new Calvin Klein ad. She's so stunning. It just came
on today. I saw it all the way here. I
couldn't take my eyes off it. It's stunnying anyway, Wow,
beautiful ad, beautiful. Well, I look, I got lost, Dakota.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Does that different this time?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Oh right? Okay, So you know, look we did fifty shades.
I can't believe it. We were on set, I think
day two, we were talking about the movie, and I
think he Luke said to me, can you believe that
was ten years ago? And I looked at him and
I was like, it was not ten years ago? And
then I thought about it, and it was So that
was rough, Like that was very you know, COVID is
(21:47):
a weird thing. Time. We're still recovering, you know, in
many ways. But so it was ten years ago, so
we were we were both in a different place in
our careers, we were different place in our personal lives.
So I think just that in general, you know, it
was a different experience. But and it was pretty brief.
(22:08):
I didn't have too many scenes with him, But in
terms of who he is as a person, still the
same professional, classy guy. He's always very welcoming to everyone.
But what I really appreciate about him too is I
watch he really gives room for people to do their
thing too. Like he's you know, he's not controlling in
(22:29):
any way, he doesn't need it his way. He's open
and creative ideas. It's not like you know, it's there's
definitely a flow with him. And that was the same
back then as it is today and that I respect immensely.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
And joining that world, I mean, Yellowstone is so beloved.
Is there any fear or anxiety or trepidation when you're
shooting this and knowing it's about to come out and
knowing probably a lot of Yellowstone, you know, the fan
base is going to tune in. How do you just
focus on the job? Do you let that affect Do
you get nervous about that?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I was nervous every day going to set. But it's
a good feeling, I think that. And I really do
feel like people even on the set with our crew
as well. I feel like everyone was very respectful of
the fact that we had the Yellowstone backdrop. You know,
I felt like everyone knew that why the giant why
(23:26):
is amongst us? You know, and it really does create
a very streamlined, very focused set. I mean when we
shaped work, we all get along, but it's we all
get to work like immediately, and we always have a
ton of stunts to do. If we're not doing a
lot of stunts, we have a heavy dialogue. So it's
just I think every single person from Spencer Hudnah, the
(23:52):
show creator, Luke, the rest of the cast, to all
of our crew, I deeply felt everyone respecting the Yellowstone
brand and also going like we better deliver, you know,
where the fans aren't messing around. We want to give
them what they want. Luke deserves it, you know. So
(24:13):
it's yeah, it's nerve wrecking, but that's an exciting place
to be.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I have a feeling the show is going to be
on for a long time. I really do. I really do.
And I know you can't say much, but what can
you tease about what's coming for you this season?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
What's coming? Oh? Okay? Well, Bell has a lot of secrets,
so we've already seen you know, kind of her skill
sets when it comes to action, you know, coming up,
we will see her go undercover one episode, which was
really fun for me. If you see a red wig
get ready, we also see her really struggle with this
(24:53):
job being in her backyard because of how does she
protect her family and how does she not bring homework
with her bring her work home with her for her
son's sake, you know, for her, her son is always
like top of mind, even when she's running into the
fire with these missions. And then also there's a lot
(25:16):
to be revealed about her family. Like I said, she's local,
and I think in episode one we see Casey knows
her real name and recognizes her. The rest of the
team does not. So to the rest of the team,
she's still Skinner Bell Skinner. To Casey, he knows there
is Isabelle Turik, so that name, that family name. We
(25:40):
will get pieces throughout the season leading up to the
season finale to like really learn more about who she is,
but also why she's so secretive.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
My god, what a great exciting show to be on
right now? I mean, life right now is just pretty good. Right,
You're on a show people are loving it seems like
a dream job. You're with horses, what you love? You
recently entered your forties, right, I did too. I just
turned four.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
You happy birthday? When was your actual birthday?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
January?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Are you Capricorn, Aquarius Aquarius. Nice, Okay, I'm right on
the cusp Aquarius, Pisces.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Okay, yeah, yeah, it's a it's a pretty fun time.
I mean, I've been very reflective during this time. For
you what feels different, like what where are you in
this chapter?
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I feel like the most honest I've been with myself
probably ever. You know, I think something happens where you
just go like, I can't afford not to be anymore,
you know everyone, it's exhausting. But number two, I think
the biggest kind of thing I'm leaning into is just
(26:48):
what's the point if you don't feel at all? I
think for a very long time I was like, don't
don't feel certain things? Tough tough time. I also grew
up being it was very athletic, like you know, sports
were huge part before I transitioned into acting, and so
that kind of like I was. I started doing horse
shows when I was like six years old, and I
(27:08):
wanted to win, and you know, I was incredibly competitive
and there's a lot of discipline that comes with that,
and so then I've I learned to compartmentalize, and then
that carried me into being like successful as an actor.
You know, also learning those those tools early on, and
so I feel like now it's been about breaking all
(27:31):
that down and being like kind with it all, you know,
being kind with myself when I'm feeling some really gross feelings,
being kind with it when I feel lost, being kind
with myself when I feel excited. There was a time
(27:51):
too where it was really scary for me to be
excited because I felt I was very attached to like,
if something good is happening, is that means something bad's
going to happen right next or next. So just like
I guess, leaning into the heartbeat of the ups and downs,
I think for a long time, I just wanted to
be here because it felt safer, like cruising. And maybe
(28:15):
that's like not a big deal for a lot of people,
it's a big deal for me because it feels very vulnerable,
you know, because yeah, to let myself do this feel
very vulnerable for me to release a.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Little bit, right, And I would say to add to that,
to also not care as much what people think, yeah,
and to do things for yourself.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yeah, I'll be honest. When I started doing press for
the show and then the movie, I can only imagine too.
Right before this so it's kind of been a lead up.
I hadn't done like a real press touring quite some time.
And you know, I was very comfortable like just posting
about horses on Instagram. That's my happy place, I know,
(28:59):
I know the bar, I know horses, I know animals,
I know equine therapy. You know, that's my wheelhouse. And
and so there was even a piece of me that
was like nervous to start really speaking publicly again because
I had really chosen to shelter myself for a minute.
(29:21):
And I'm glad that I did that. I think that's
important for everyone to choose when you have you time
and when you're out and about. But that was scary
for me, Like, you know, we're living in a different time.
I've been doing this a long time, and we're living
in a different time now, and so to just go like, okay,
(29:41):
here we go. I have to trust it. I have
to put myself out there. It's okay to share who
I am, you know, I you know, it's okay to
tell more people who you are than just your horses, right,
trust me, I talk to them all the time. But yeah,
so again I don't know that might sound so like duh.
But when you're not practicing it all of the time,
(30:06):
it takes a different skill set to be willing to
put yourself out about. Yeah, you know, I mean, like,
how does that feel for you? How do you deal
with it?
Speaker 1 (30:22):
It's just I think we learn the things we want
to share, right, and the things we're comfortable sharing with
people that make us feel good and make us feel safe. Right,
Like what I might share with you is not what
I might share with someone else who I don't really
love the energy of. It's like, you know, wanting to
make sure you give that time and space to people
that you know will be loving with it.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I think that that's what it's about for me too,
reading people and also knowing that when you do put
something out there, I genuinly at this point in my
life care less what people think, like I want them
to like me. I think we all want to be liked, right.
I think that's just honest to say we don't. But
I also know you can't please everybody. Yeah, and if
it's my truth, then you know I'm going about life
(31:05):
in a good, respectable way. And someone doesn't like what
I say, that's not on me. Yeah, that's not on me.
They don't like what I'm wearing. That's not on me.
They don't like what I'm doing, that's not on me.
You know, So learning to let go of that I
think is really important too.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah. The letting go is a big one.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, and doing things that fuel our soul and keep
doing things that fuel our soul, and not being afraid to.
Like you, I know you're you want to produce more.
You're getting into producing more, right, Yeah. The John Tucker
Musty sequel was a big thing for you. It's on
pause right now.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's on pause. Yeah, but but it
is one of those things where, look, it's an existing
ip so on you know, it can resurface at any moment.
But it was exciting for me because it was like, look,
that is something that I've wanted to do for a
very long time. And to straight out of the gate
sell that project and be working with Fox and we
(31:55):
have a script and you know, that was probably overall
like a three year process, and so I learned so
much and it also really it was so wonderful in
terms of building my confidence as a producer to go, Okay,
I it's not just in my head, you know, let
me go and run with these ideas that I love
(32:17):
and want to create. And so I have a couple
of projects now. I just got the book rights. There's
a beautiful book called Moonlight Healers I'm working on right now.
I'm obsessed with it. And then I'm working on something
else right now, obviously horse related. And then people have
been asking me lately too there about an Aquamarine sequel,
(32:40):
and that was something that I talked about and pitched
and there was kind of some back and forth stuff there.
So I'm curious to check in on that one. But
regardless of if I make it or someone else ends
up making it, I do so deeply believe Aquamarine is probably.
(33:03):
Last night on the plane flying here, the captain of
the plane, awesome young woman by the way, I was like,
you're the captain of our plane? Hell yes, came running
up to me because our flight was delayed. So we
were all like there, and she said, I loved doing Aquamarine.
Can I get a picture? And I just thought, I
love Aquamarines so much because of what has done for
(33:25):
young women and families alike. You know, people watch it
with their sisters, with their moms and so regardless of
if I make it or someone else does. I really
think that could be such a special story that continues
because that one, it's just that preteen era. When you
do it right, it's a really special time in a
(33:48):
young woman's life. And you know, I think preteens need
really good content now more than ever, male or female,
any across the board. We as judge people, I feel
like that preteen, I don't know, you're kind of launching
yourself in the in the world in such a it's
(34:09):
such a special time. So yeah, if yeah, that would
be that would be cool to see.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Look good for you. I mean, it's not easy to
do all of this, and you're doing it and it's
very inspiring. I wrote a screenplay. I'm just starting to
try to get it out there, and like, I'm going
to expect your brain because you are someone that you
know you you're doing it and you have so much
knowledge about it and you're passionate about it, and it's
cool to see that side to you. We all know
the great actor that you are, but to see like
(34:36):
the producer, brainiac side of you is really cool too.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Yeah, I keep going with all of it.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Thank you. Yes, pick I would love to talk to
you about your screenplay anytime. I really love it. And
it's funny. I had a meeting with someone the other
day and I said, I love supporting other artists, Like
I'm also at a point in my career where I
love going to work, I love getting to do what
I love. But I'm also in a phase where it
really excites me to support other artists and to tell
(35:02):
their stories and like, how can I plug in and
help them? And I do feel like that's kind of
the next wave of my career a bit, and it
feels good.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Yeah, yeah, I I could talk to you for four
more hours. This is this is such a fulfilling conversation
on my end. I have the big hero question I'm
going to ask you, But there's one more thing I'm
curious about the big hero question. But first, did I
think I saw something where you keep a script watch
a system like Twitter rumor, but you keep a script
(35:35):
in your bag between projects?
Speaker 2 (35:37):
A script in my bag, like a.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Page from your script in between.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Projects, like until I get me to the next one.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Yeah, was there something there with that?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Or that's not true, but it's similar. I every job
that I do, I have everyone sign the cover page,
and so I have every script almost. I didn't start
this signing thing until later in my career, but I
kept all of my scripts in the start of my career.
So I have almost every Gilware Girl script I have,
(36:08):
you know John Tucker, I have Alguamarine, and I have
like the rewrites. At some point I've got to get
rid of some. It's turning into like, am I a order?
But so I do have that. But what I do
now is I carry it to sit on the last
day of set. I have the cover page and I
have everyone signed the script.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Oh that's sweet. You can't get rid of that. No, No,
that's history. Yeah that's amazing. Yeah that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Trying to think what else I carry with me, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
That's so cool. Well, as we wrap up, the name
of the show is called I've never said this.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Before, Oh, this is the Hero question.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
And it was born because I cover a lot of
red carpets and junkets with the other jobs I work at,
and they're so quick. You know that you talk to
someone for two minutes, it's probably all the same questions
every out at wants because they have to get their
own bite and you leave being like what just happened?
Like what I'm on to the next Already as an viewer,
I'm grateful for that work, and you know it has
(37:03):
a purpose, but I crave more, like I want to
dive in with someone and have a real human conversation.
So I present this question, which is, what is one
thing you've never said before? And that just means that
you don't have a chance to often say that you
want to put out in the world like whatever, there's
no right or wrong whatever that means to you.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Well, it's funny. As you were talking, I was like, oh,
where can I go? This's like deep with this, you know,
because I have many things I've never shared and then
but it just came up on the way here, so
I feel like I should share it. It's not deep
at all, That's okay. I made my own dimple. This
is a scar. There's like so much cark issue in here,
(37:44):
what I mean, So now you're gonna notice. But I
never talked about it, but I talk kind of weird
out of one side of my mouth. It's because this
is I was walking on. I was in gymnastics. I
was very very young, and so of course I went
home and turned everything into some sort of like you know,
balance or whatever I could, and a leg of a
bench flipped over and I bit a hole in my
(38:05):
cheek and it it was fine, and then it wasn't.
It was fine, it wasn't. It ended up getting infected.
I had to go to hospital. It was a whole situation,
but out of it came my dimple. Now, the moral
story is not that I made my own dimple. It's
that it was the first time I realized you can
(38:25):
manifest whatever you want. Because I swear to you, before
that moment, I would go to bed praying for dimples.
I always wanted dimples, that I wanted them right here.
So everybody listening, go manifest maybe just like stay out
of the hospital. Oh you know, yeah yeah, yeah yeah,
(38:46):
but yeah, so that I've never shared. That's amazing, So
now what's good. Yeah, but there it is.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
It's so cute. I love that.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
I used to get kiddy cones and McDonald's for telling
the story. Free free kitty gones.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
That's a big deal. That's a big deal. Yeah, well
that's amazing. That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
And it's a PC you forever, you know, I mean,
it's not going anywhere, So yeah, no, it's there.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
That's so cool. Well, thank you so much for hanging
out today. Your artistry is so important to our business
and to so many people, and Marshals is killing you.
And for everyone that hasn't seen it, watch it.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
It's on CBS, Yes, CBS Sunday nights eight pm and
then next day streaming on Paramount Plus. And I do
just want to thank everyone again who's tuned in. Yeah,
we had nine point five million viewers week one and
we were number one on Paramount And I just have
to say personally, I've never been a part of that before,
so I don't take it for granted. It's new for me,
(39:42):
Like makes me moful when I talk about it. So
it's a really, really deeply meaningful moment for me. So
thank you everyone, well deserved.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Keep it coming, keep it coming, and thank you for
hanging out.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Oh, thank you. Bye.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
I've Never Said This Before is hosted Tommy Dedario. This
podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at iHeartRadio and
by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've Never
Said This Before is part of the Elvis Duran Podcast
Network on iHeart podcasts for more, rate, review and subscribe
(40:18):
to our show. And if you liked this episode, tell
your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy de Dario
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with me,
Tommy de Dario my guest today. She is an actress
who everywhere you look there she is bringing these iconic
characters to life throughout the course of her career. Now,
I don't use the word iconic loosely, so when I
say it, I mean it, and case in point. A
few of her beloved projects include Gilmore Girls nine O
(00:22):
two and Oh, The Vampire Diaries, and so many more.
I could keep going on and on. But now she
is starring in the CBS series of Marshals, which is
a spin off to the beloved show Yellowstone, and audiences
cannot get enough. Now Marshall's was the network's most watch
new scripted series debut without a football leaden, which is
huge since twenty eighteen. And Ariel is so good. So
(00:44):
today we are celebrating her storied career while also learning
a bit more about the person who has brought us
so much joy and entertainment over the years. All right,
let's see if today we can get Ariel to say
something that she has never said before. Aiel, look at
(01:06):
you looking like a vision.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Oh yeah, you're very kind.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
You walked in and I'm like, what is this high fashion? Look?
I have to give you a minute to tell me
about this because you look like fire.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Thank you. Well, this is vintage Isabelle Morats actually had
to tell the jacket and the dress. And then this
is my friend's jewelry at Kathy Rose. She's out of
la She just makes absolutely exquisite, like one of a
kind pieces.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
So you're a fashion girl, huh.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I mean, if you say so, I am when other
people dress me. Yeah right, you know, I go home
and turn into a pumpkin. I'm you know, I'm like
most comfortable barefoot in the grass at the barn. So
this is fun for me. It's like this. It actually
when I dress up and do press, it does actually
almost feel like another character, you know. It's kind of
(01:54):
like a way to express yourself in a different way.
And it's definitely something I don't do often at home,
So it's fun.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Added to the character list. I mean, you have so
many You've played so many iconic roles throughout the course
of your career. What's the role that surprises you the
most that you get stopped for.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
H That's a good question that surprises me. Some people
have talked about Brittany Bitch from Unreal. We call it
Brittany Bitch. Her name is Brittany on the show. But
there was a show. It was on Lifetime and it
was really their launch of doing some new programming a
(02:33):
few years back. It was like raw and edgy and
not like anything they had really shot before. And I
got to play this character Brittany and work with Shery
Appleby and Constant Simmer and a wonderful, wonderful cast season
one and she was just so out there. There was
(02:53):
like nothing too extraly. It's actually the first job or
only job I would say that I after day one
of filming, I realized I went home and I was like,
I'm not going to be able to do this girl
Justice if I don't go method. And so it's actually
the only time on TV where I went like a
version of method because she's just bless you, Pepper, everybody
(03:22):
and so, and it was funny. I remember one day
Sheery looked at me and goes, here, we a, when
did you go method? Because I think she had caught
on because I was just like when the cameras weren't rolling,
I would just be saying like snarky stuff or wild
like out there, because the whole point of the show
(03:42):
was like it was a show within a show, and
when we got on set, they had cameras rolling all
the time, and they purposely didn't tell you what camera
was rolling when, and they wanted to pick up that
live footage. So number one, I was afraid that I
was going to get fired every single day. But number two,
that's probably the role that surprises me people talk about
(04:03):
because it was just this kind of experience in a
box for me a little bit, it was unlike anything
else I've really done in a way. Yeah, So that
one always like, I have a deep appreciation if someone
happens to have watched it.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
You strike me as a workhorse, like you don't stop,
you haven't stopped. And I believe one of your first
big breaks was Gilmour Girls, right, yes, and you booked
it right after moving to La I did.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
I did.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
That's wild.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah. I was seventeen and I had already So I
grew up in Florida and I was fortunate enough I
started in the business when I was about twelve. It
was commercial work and then modeling, and then eventually I
was like, what is what does it take to build
a character? What's deep acting? You know? So I was
studying in Florida and knew it was what I wanted
(04:53):
to do with my career, and so started going back
and forth to LA. Because my parents had a rule.
They were like, look, I think they knew there was
no stopping me. So they gave me great advice and
great support, and they were like, look, number one, you
have to reinvest in your business. So any money you
make has to go back in your business. So at
a very young age, I was making money and getting headshots.
(05:15):
I was making money and paying for art school or
perform art school. You know. I was making money, and
I was buying my to get to LA. So at
a very young age, I learned number one how expensive
it is to follow your passion and your dream, but
also the power of like, yeah, that money has to
go to building something. And so I would go to
(05:39):
LA and take meetings and because they just said, their
other rule was like you can't move out there without
an agent or a manager, you know, like they didn't
expect me to have my first acting job, but they
needed to know that I was cared for and looked after,
and so I met with a bunch of weird phonies
and kept coming back like no, no, no, no no.
And then eventually my tape got pasted. I can't remember
(06:00):
if it was Freaky Friday or Mean Girls, but one
of the tapes got passed around Jamie Robert Spears. She's
one of my dear friends today still. But she found
my modeling card and got me on the role for
auditions out in LA and that got me meetings with
some real agency managers and then from there. One of
(06:21):
the first auditions was Gilmore Girls. And I had said,
you know, let me go home, let me graduate high
school early, let me close that chapter of my life.
So when I moved to LA at seventeen in January,
I'm ready to rock and roll, you know, no more
back and forth. And so I had the audition. I
had total imposter syndrome. I was like, what am I
doing here? There's all these beautiful women. I don't belong.
(06:44):
I'm so far from home. And then I got the
call back or like the next day or whatever, and
then at the callback, I bombed it. And I always
give credit to Kenny Ortega. Do you know him, He's
like this, He's famous. Yeah, geographer. I mean, he's phenomenal.
I would love I haven't seen him since I would
(07:05):
love to see him again. But he stopped me. I
was about to leave the room and cry, and he
stopped me, and he said, I feel like you know
this girl, and I feel like you're really nervous. Just
take a breath, like we're here. It's good, You're fine.
And I something happened in that exhale where I just remember,
I kind of was able to go to a different
place and just kind of trust and channel whatever came
(07:27):
out of my mouth. And by the time I left,
I hadn't even gotten home to the apartment that I was,
you know, renting from who god knows who, and got
the call that I was on the show the next day.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
So that was how it all started, and you went.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
On to play one of the most polarizing characters, one
of the.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Most you could say it, one of the most hated,
one of the most hate character.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Play someone like that for your first big break was
that weird where people like I don't like you, but
you're like, that's not me.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Well, it was an awakening, I'll tell you that. I
don't know if it was weird. It was more just like, oh,
this is how it works. Okay. I've told this story
before where I will always remember I was on the
phone with my mom and a coffee bean, wearing like
a juicy jumpsuit, you know, because it was of the times. Yes,
and these girls were like excuse me, excuse me, and
(08:22):
you know, I was all excited because I could tell,
you know, and I was like, hang on, mom, and
they asked if I was lindsay on Gilmore girls. I
said yes, and they said, we hate you. And I
took a minute and then I thought, oh, this is
what it's like. And it was actually a really good
(08:43):
lesson into if you're doing your job properly, people will
love or hate you, and that is a real gift.
It's in between when people don't care, that should be worrisome,
you know. So the fact that they they hated me
never bothered me. It was more like a wake up. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, on the flip side, how I was introduced to
you was through The Vampire Diaries. Oh and I binged
that during COVID, so you were like round. But first
I saw that show was during COVID, and I didn't
realize you were in it, and you went on to
become one of the most beloved characters in that entire series, right,
and then suddenly you're dead. I mean, so did you
(09:25):
feel the love when people were so upset that they
no longer could watch you?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Well, first of all, I will forever just give all
the shout outs to Julie Pleck and Kevin Williamson as well.
They both called me together for that role. So I
originally auditioned for Nina for Elena Nina's role, didn't get
it clearly, But then a few months later they had
remembered my audition because and they called me and they said, hey,
(09:51):
we have this role. And Kevin was like really excited
to pitch it. He's like, you know, Stephan's so brooding, eh,
and you're gonna come in and like we're gonna see
a different side and then we're going to kill you.
And he was so excited to tell me that they
were going to kill me. And I remember going, uh huh.
I was like, Kevin, all right, I get it. Yeah,
(10:13):
I want to come play with you guys. I get it.
In my mind. I was like, can I at least
get like three episodes, you know? But they had their plan.
They were sticking to their plan. I respected it. So
I got on set and I actually was very nervous
because I don't even know if they Maybe they did,
But what I walked on set realizing was I have
one episode to make people care about me, because that
(10:35):
was actually my job. I was hired to make people
care the minute I died, and I'd never been asked
to do that in that form before, like that, you know.
So I took that very seriously, and so that was
really my tracking as I was building the character was
like each moment, what can I do to give the
audience something to hold on to so that it matters
(10:56):
when I died, because otherwise why am I here? You know?
So I actually was very nervous. I was very nervous
when it came out. I really had told myself, no
one's gonna care. This is gonna be like a one
and done, like, well, you did the best you could.
I was just very in my head about the whole thing,
and then it came out, and all of a sudden,
there it was like there was this buzz. There was
(11:17):
this buzz, and then Julie Pleck told me. My parents
called me and said why did you kill Lexi? That
was the biggest mistake. And then Julie said, Mom, Dad,
I didn't know you watched the show, so that really,
you know, Lexi is first and foremost Julie Pleck and
Kevin Williamson and then the fans. They kept her a
life because I would have never come back if it
(11:39):
weren't for the fans loving her, and because of you all,
they found a way to bring me back for the
rest of the series.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
What do you most remember from that time?
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Paul complaining? But that's like the stick, right, I mean, yeah, so,
I mean, because most of my scenes were with him,
did have like a kind of you know, like banter
that way. I feel like it was actually kind of
in real life a little bit like I'm naturally more
bubbly and he's naturally more like kind of critical, and
(12:13):
so we would just kind of have that banter. And
then I think just spending time in Atlanta, you know,
because over eight years, you spent a lot of time
there back and forth, and I had a lot of
friends on the show, so it became like fun to
see familiar faces and Lexi's wardrobe every time I came back.
I was in a different time period, so that was
(12:34):
actually really fun.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Oh my god, another epic role. The last trip down
memory lane before we get to your new series is
Vanessa nine o two on Oh.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Oh wow, that's so funny. I just said to someone,
no one ever asked me about nine o two, and oh.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Really, how you flung off a balcony? Like do you
remember that?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Oh? I remember what was filming? Let me tell you
why I remember because my stunt double. Actually I do
a lot of my own stunts. I didn't do that
one amazing stunt double. I wish I could remember who
it is. Right now, I'll have to, I'll have to.
We'll have to say, because she deserves a shout out.
She went over and it looked like she hit her
head and there was silence on set when they called
(13:19):
cut and I gasped because I was watching, And then
she got up and said she was okay, And I
will never forget In that moment, I was like, dear god,
what stunt people do. I know there's that movie about it,
but what stunt people do every single day as normal
deserves so much credit, Like we really you? I mean,
(13:40):
can you imagine just like going over a balcony yeah,
she was incredible. So and then right after that, I
did a scene where I get washed ashore and there
was like seaweed all over me and it was horrific,
and the paparazzi was there because we were in Malibu,
and I was like, you know, I was like coming
out of the ocean, there was like seaweed all over
my face. I was like, this is why we have
stunt devils. She knows how to go off of balcony.
(14:02):
I can't even come out of the ocean.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Without like, you know, she was a wild child.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, but Vanessa, Yeah, I recently at the I can
only imagine two premiere in Nashville. I can't believe I
completely missed this. But there was like a little mini
nine O two and O reunion because I guess Matt
Lanter and Shinney Grimes were there. So yeah, it's in
the zegeist right now. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, Oh my god, so many great great roles.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Vanessa was. She was nuts?
Speaker 1 (14:34):
She I mean I was, And you play nuts, well,
you play nuts.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I think the fun thing about taking on roles like
that is you're like, Okay, this is so out there
that I have to just commit to every moment. Otherwise,
what's the point, you know. I remember reading that scene
where like she fake fights herself and I was like, well,
I'm gonna have to fake fight myself like someone is
murdering me, you know, yeah, and we went for it.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
And now you're playing a totally different character on a
show that is smashing records. By the way, I can't
open any social media now and not see a headline
about how many people are watching your new show.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Well, thank you everybody here. It's tuned in.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
It's remarkable, and I'm not surprised giving Yellowstone was such
a fan favorite, popular series, and I imagine you were
a fan of it.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
It was a huge fan I mean, I oh from
like seeing one episode one mainly because at the time
there wasn't anything like it. And I grew up, you know,
horses were always my first love. Like my dad and
my sister, we all still like text about, you know,
the man from Snowy River National Velvet or like a
(15:51):
Black Stallion. All of these horse movies were on repeat
when I was a kid, and so to see a
show like Yellowstone come out, Sure, it's about much more
than the cattle and the horses, but it was really
the first show that had such beautiful cinematography and really
highlighted nature in a way like, you know, nature's a beast.
(16:14):
It's like it's beautiful, but it's powerful. And so you're
dealing with the elements. You're dealing with cattle, you're dealing
with the ranch, you're dealing with the horses. And I
hadn't seen a show like that ever, and so I
was captivated for a number of reasons, and then of
course wanting to be a part of it ever since.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
And Marshall's. I mean, when you got the call about
Marshall's and found out about your character, I think I
saw she was described as Martha Stewart in Cowboy Boots?
Is that correct? So what about that made you be like,
I gotta play that well?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Funny enough, Martha was my neighbor up in Bedford, and
she is She is really so involved and supportive of
the community up there, and so it's you know, she's
always having like parties at her farm, and she so gracious.
She has some of the most beautiful horses I've ever seen,
and I got to trail ride one of them, and
(17:07):
so she I felt like when I first read it,
I was kind of like, hang on a sec I
know this better than I even thought I would know this,
and so I but what I took to heart from
that was kind of like this woman can do it all,
and she can do it with a sense of humor
(17:30):
and sarcasm, but also she knows it all so well,
like she's you're not gonna mess with her, you know
what I mean. Like she's a type of woman who
really does do it all, know it all. And I
just thought, what a beautiful opportunity to bring femininity forward
(17:55):
in such a male heavy world. You know, like what
does it mean to be a badass cowgirl but also
be feminine and celebrate those qualities and wear pink, you know,
we're light colors, like, you know, she cares deeply for
her son, my character, and so just bringing all of
(18:19):
these elements while also maintaining the rough and tough you know.
She's local Montana, she's a cowgirl. She was atf so
she's always undercover. She's very protective of her family. She
has a ton of secrets. You know, when you come
from that kind of wealth, you have to protect a lot.
So I just like really loved that kind of Martha
(18:41):
Stewart was like the backdrop of who this character is
that I'm stepping into it and creating and playing with.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
In Yellowstone, the cast how to go to a cowboy
boot camp? Did you do any sort of boot camp?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
So we did. We did have boot camp. It was
all very fast. So by the time that I was cast,
we had about a week to get to Utah before shooting,
before like camera ready. So that week was one second.
Oh yeah, there we go. Okay, nope, see, can't mess
with the venture cheer growers. Okay, okay. So we had
(19:21):
about a week. So it got to Utah, and I
think with the original Yellowstone they had full on cowboy
camp right because they had to like do roping, they
had to actually learn how to move the cattle. I mean,
it was it was authentic to its core. We didn't
have that. We had two days and it was mainly
about getting to know your horse, you know, loping together
(19:44):
because you open pairs, stopping for the camera. How do
the horses all get along together? You know, what's each
horse's personality, what's my horse's personality. That's sort of a thing.
And then the rest of the time the next the
other three days was weapon training because we're running around
with infoors, which was new to me. I've done a
(20:05):
lot of stunt work over the last ten years, but
I've never had that kind of a gun as something
that I that my character is so familiar with. And
so it's like even just gearing up, it's meant to be, like,
you know, just part of who these people are. You
don't think about any of it. You just go and
(20:25):
just getting just gearing up took practice. So we did
a lot of weapon training with M fours. We did
a lot of footwork. We learned how to clear rooms
as a team. You learn, like we had real Navy
seals on set all the time training us. So you know,
it's all about the eye contact, the movement, the footwork,
the signals. You know, I think they say fastest slow,
(20:46):
that's a real thing, you know, that sort of thing.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
And you and Luke Rhymes worked together before. Yeah, and
fifty Shades freed, right, So how was this a different
experience at this point of your.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Live Well, we had our clothes on homes kidding all true,
I know we both got our clothes on in Fifty
Shades too. By the way, did you see Dakota Johnson's
new Calvin Klein ad. She's so stunning. It just came
on today. I saw it all the way here. I
couldn't take my eyes off it. It's stunnying anyway, Wow,
beautiful ad, beautiful. Well, I look, I got lost, Dakota.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Does that different this time?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Oh right? Okay, So you know, look we did fifty shades.
I can't believe it. We were on set, I think
day two, we were talking about the movie, and I
think he Luke said to me, can you believe that
was ten years ago? And I looked at him and
I was like, it was not ten years ago? And
then I thought about it, and it was So that
was rough, Like that was very you know, COVID is
(21:47):
a weird thing. Time. We're still recovering, you know, in
many ways. But so it was ten years ago, so
we were we were both in a different place in
our careers, we were different place in our personal lives.
So I think just that in general, you know, it
was a different experience. But and it was pretty brief.
(22:08):
I didn't have too many scenes with him, But in
terms of who he is as a person, still the
same professional, classy guy. He's always very welcoming to everyone.
But what I really appreciate about him too is I
watch he really gives room for people to do their
thing too. Like he's you know, he's not controlling in
(22:29):
any way, he doesn't need it his way. He's open
and creative ideas. It's not like you know, it's there's
definitely a flow with him. And that was the same
back then as it is today and that I respect immensely.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
And joining that world, I mean, Yellowstone is so beloved.
Is there any fear or anxiety or trepidation when you're
shooting this and knowing it's about to come out and
knowing probably a lot of Yellowstone, you know, the fan
base is going to tune in. How do you just
focus on the job? Do you let that affect Do
you get nervous about that?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
I was nervous every day going to set. But it's
a good feeling, I think that. And I really do
feel like people even on the set with our crew
as well. I feel like everyone was very respectful of
the fact that we had the Yellowstone backdrop. You know,
I felt like everyone knew that why the giant why
(23:26):
is amongst us? You know, and it really does create
a very streamlined, very focused set. I mean when we
shaped work, we all get along, but it's we all
get to work like immediately, and we always have a
ton of stunts to do. If we're not doing a
lot of stunts, we have a heavy dialogue. So it's
just I think every single person from Spencer Hudnah, the
(23:52):
show creator, Luke, the rest of the cast, to all
of our crew, I deeply felt everyone respecting the Yellowstone
brand and also going like we better deliver, you know,
where the fans aren't messing around. We want to give
them what they want. Luke deserves it, you know. So
(24:13):
it's yeah, it's nerve wrecking, but that's an exciting place
to be.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I have a feeling the show is going to be
on for a long time. I really do. I really do.
And I know you can't say much, but what can
you tease about what's coming for you this season?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
What's coming? Oh? Okay? Well, Bell has a lot of secrets,
so we've already seen you know, kind of her skill
sets when it comes to action, you know, coming up,
we will see her go undercover one episode, which was
really fun for me. If you see a red wig
get ready, we also see her really struggle with this
(24:53):
job being in her backyard because of how does she
protect her family and how does she not bring homework
with her bring her work home with her for her
son's sake, you know, for her, her son is always
like top of mind, even when she's running into the
fire with these missions. And then also there's a lot
(25:16):
to be revealed about her family. Like I said, she's local,
and I think in episode one we see Casey knows
her real name and recognizes her. The rest of the
team does not. So to the rest of the team,
she's still Skinner Bell Skinner. To Casey, he knows there
is Isabelle Turik, so that name, that family name. We
(25:40):
will get pieces throughout the season leading up to the
season finale to like really learn more about who she is,
but also why she's so secretive.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
My god, what a great exciting show to be on
right now? I mean, life right now is just pretty good. Right,
You're on a show people are loving it seems like
a dream job. You're with horses, what you love? You
recently entered your forties, right, I did too. I just
turned four.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
You happy birthday? When was your actual birthday?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
January?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Are you Capricorn, Aquarius Aquarius. Nice, Okay, I'm right on
the cusp Aquarius, Pisces.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Okay, yeah, yeah, it's a it's a pretty fun time.
I mean, I've been very reflective during this time. For
you what feels different, like what where are you in
this chapter?
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I feel like the most honest I've been with myself
probably ever. You know, I think something happens where you
just go like, I can't afford not to be anymore,
you know everyone, it's exhausting. But number two, I think
the biggest kind of thing I'm leaning into is just
(26:48):
what's the point if you don't feel at all? I
think for a very long time I was like, don't
don't feel certain things? Tough tough time. I also grew
up being it was very athletic, like you know, sports
were huge part before I transitioned into acting, and so
that kind of like I was. I started doing horse
shows when I was like six years old, and I
(27:08):
wanted to win, and you know, I was incredibly competitive
and there's a lot of discipline that comes with that,
and so then I've I learned to compartmentalize, and then
that carried me into being like successful as an actor.
You know, also learning those those tools early on, and
so I feel like now it's been about breaking all
(27:31):
that down and being like kind with it all, you know,
being kind with myself when I'm feeling some really gross feelings,
being kind with it when I feel lost, being kind
with myself when I feel excited. There was a time
(27:51):
too where it was really scary for me to be
excited because I felt I was very attached to like,
if something good is happening, is that means something bad's
going to happen right next or next. So just like
I guess, leaning into the heartbeat of the ups and downs,
I think for a long time, I just wanted to
be here because it felt safer, like cruising. And maybe
(28:15):
that's like not a big deal for a lot of people,
it's a big deal for me because it feels very vulnerable,
you know, because yeah, to let myself do this feel
very vulnerable for me to release a.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Little bit, right, And I would say to add to that,
to also not care as much what people think, yeah,
and to do things for yourself.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yeah, I'll be honest. When I started doing press for
the show and then the movie, I can only imagine too.
Right before this so it's kind of been a lead up.
I hadn't done like a real press touring quite some time.
And you know, I was very comfortable like just posting
about horses on Instagram. That's my happy place, I know,
(28:59):
I know the bar, I know horses, I know animals,
I know equine therapy. You know, that's my wheelhouse. And
and so there was even a piece of me that
was like nervous to start really speaking publicly again because
I had really chosen to shelter myself for a minute.
(29:21):
And I'm glad that I did that. I think that's
important for everyone to choose when you have you time
and when you're out and about. But that was scary
for me, Like, you know, we're living in a different time.
I've been doing this a long time, and we're living
in a different time now, and so to just go like, okay,
(29:41):
here we go. I have to trust it. I have
to put myself out there. It's okay to share who
I am, you know, I you know, it's okay to
tell more people who you are than just your horses, right,
trust me, I talk to them all the time. But yeah,
so again I don't know that might sound so like duh.
But when you're not practicing it all of the time,
(30:06):
it takes a different skill set to be willing to
put yourself out about. Yeah, you know, I mean, like,
how does that feel for you? How do you deal
with it?
Speaker 1 (30:22):
It's just I think we learn the things we want
to share, right, and the things we're comfortable sharing with
people that make us feel good and make us feel safe. Right,
Like what I might share with you is not what
I might share with someone else who I don't really
love the energy of. It's like, you know, wanting to
make sure you give that time and space to people
that you know will be loving with it.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I think that that's what it's about for me too,
reading people and also knowing that when you do put
something out there, I genuinly at this point in my
life care less what people think, like I want them
to like me. I think we all want to be liked, right.
I think that's just honest to say we don't. But
I also know you can't please everybody. Yeah, and if
it's my truth, then you know I'm going about life
(31:05):
in a good, respectable way. And someone doesn't like what
I say, that's not on me. Yeah, that's not on me.
They don't like what I'm wearing. That's not on me.
They don't like what I'm doing, that's not on me.
You know, So learning to let go of that I
think is really important too.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah. The letting go is a big one.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, and doing things that fuel our soul and keep
doing things that fuel our soul, and not being afraid to.
Like you, I know you're you want to produce more.
You're getting into producing more, right, Yeah. The John Tucker
Musty sequel was a big thing for you. It's on
pause right now.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's on pause. Yeah, but but it
is one of those things where, look, it's an existing
ip so on you know, it can resurface at any moment.
But it was exciting for me because it was like, look,
that is something that I've wanted to do for a
very long time. And to straight out of the gate
sell that project and be working with Fox and we
(31:55):
have a script and you know, that was probably overall
like a three year process, and so I learned so
much and it also really it was so wonderful in
terms of building my confidence as a producer to go, Okay,
I it's not just in my head, you know, let
me go and run with these ideas that I love
(32:17):
and want to create. And so I have a couple
of projects now. I just got the book rights. There's
a beautiful book called Moonlight Healers I'm working on right now.
I'm obsessed with it. And then I'm working on something
else right now, obviously horse related. And then people have
been asking me lately too there about an Aquamarine sequel,
(32:40):
and that was something that I talked about and pitched
and there was kind of some back and forth stuff there.
So I'm curious to check in on that one. But
regardless of if I make it or someone else ends
up making it, I do so deeply believe Aquamarine is probably.
(33:03):
Last night on the plane flying here, the captain of
the plane, awesome young woman by the way, I was like,
you're the captain of our plane? Hell yes, came running
up to me because our flight was delayed. So we
were all like there, and she said, I loved doing Aquamarine.
Can I get a picture? And I just thought, I
love Aquamarines so much because of what has done for
(33:25):
young women and families alike. You know, people watch it
with their sisters, with their moms and so regardless of
if I make it or someone else does. I really
think that could be such a special story that continues
because that one, it's just that preteen era. When you
do it right, it's a really special time in a
(33:48):
young woman's life. And you know, I think preteens need
really good content now more than ever, male or female,
any across the board. We as judge people, I feel
like that preteen, I don't know, you're kind of launching
yourself in the in the world in such a it's
(34:09):
such a special time. So yeah, if yeah, that would
be that would be cool to see.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Look good for you. I mean, it's not easy to
do all of this, and you're doing it and it's
very inspiring. I wrote a screenplay. I'm just starting to
try to get it out there, and like, I'm going
to expect your brain because you are someone that you
know you you're doing it and you have so much
knowledge about it and you're passionate about it, and it's
cool to see that side to you. We all know
the great actor that you are, but to see like
(34:36):
the producer, brainiac side of you is really cool too.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Yeah, I keep going with all of it.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Thank you. Yes, pick I would love to talk to
you about your screenplay anytime. I really love it. And
it's funny. I had a meeting with someone the other
day and I said, I love supporting other artists, Like
I'm also at a point in my career where I
love going to work, I love getting to do what
I love. But I'm also in a phase where it
really excites me to support other artists and to tell
(35:02):
their stories and like, how can I plug in and
help them? And I do feel like that's kind of
the next wave of my career a bit, and it
feels good.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Yeah, yeah, I I could talk to you for four
more hours. This is this is such a fulfilling conversation
on my end. I have the big hero question I'm
going to ask you, But there's one more thing I'm
curious about the big hero question. But first, did I
think I saw something where you keep a script watch
a system like Twitter rumor, but you keep a script
(35:35):
in your bag between projects?
Speaker 2 (35:37):
A script in my bag, like a.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Page from your script in between.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Projects, like until I get me to the next one.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Yeah, was there something there with that?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Or that's not true, but it's similar. I every job
that I do, I have everyone sign the cover page,
and so I have every script almost. I didn't start
this signing thing until later in my career, but I
kept all of my scripts in the start of my career.
So I have almost every Gilware Girl script I have,
(36:08):
you know John Tucker, I have Alguamarine, and I have
like the rewrites. At some point I've got to get
rid of some. It's turning into like, am I a order?
But so I do have that. But what I do
now is I carry it to sit on the last
day of set. I have the cover page and I
have everyone signed the script.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Oh that's sweet. You can't get rid of that. No, No,
that's history. Yeah that's amazing. Yeah that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Trying to think what else I carry with me, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
That's so cool. Well, as we wrap up, the name
of the show is called I've never said this.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Before, Oh, this is the Hero question.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
And it was born because I cover a lot of
red carpets and junkets with the other jobs I work at,
and they're so quick. You know that you talk to
someone for two minutes, it's probably all the same questions
every out at wants because they have to get their
own bite and you leave being like what just happened?
Like what I'm on to the next Already as an viewer,
I'm grateful for that work, and you know it has
(37:03):
a purpose, but I crave more, like I want to
dive in with someone and have a real human conversation.
So I present this question, which is, what is one
thing you've never said before? And that just means that
you don't have a chance to often say that you
want to put out in the world like whatever, there's
no right or wrong whatever that means to you.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Well, it's funny. As you were talking, I was like, oh,
where can I go? This's like deep with this, you know,
because I have many things I've never shared and then
but it just came up on the way here, so
I feel like I should share it. It's not deep
at all, That's okay. I made my own dimple. This
is a scar. There's like so much cark issue in here,
(37:44):
what I mean, So now you're gonna notice. But I
never talked about it, but I talk kind of weird
out of one side of my mouth. It's because this
is I was walking on. I was in gymnastics. I
was very very young, and so of course I went
home and turned everything into some sort of like you know,
balance or whatever I could, and a leg of a
bench flipped over and I bit a hole in my
(38:05):
cheek and it it was fine, and then it wasn't.
It was fine, it wasn't. It ended up getting infected.
I had to go to hospital. It was a whole situation,
but out of it came my dimple. Now, the moral
story is not that I made my own dimple. It's
that it was the first time I realized you can
(38:25):
manifest whatever you want. Because I swear to you, before
that moment, I would go to bed praying for dimples.
I always wanted dimples, that I wanted them right here.
So everybody listening, go manifest maybe just like stay out
of the hospital. Oh you know, yeah yeah, yeah yeah,
(38:46):
but yeah, so that I've never shared. That's amazing, So
now what's good. Yeah, but there it is.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
It's so cute. I love that.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
I used to get kiddy cones and McDonald's for telling
the story. Free free kitty gones.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
That's a big deal. That's a big deal. Yeah, well
that's amazing. That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
And it's a PC you forever, you know, I mean,
it's not going anywhere, So yeah, no, it's there.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
That's so cool. Well, thank you so much for hanging
out today. Your artistry is so important to our business
and to so many people, and Marshals is killing you.
And for everyone that hasn't seen it, watch it.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
It's on CBS, Yes, CBS Sunday nights eight pm and
then next day streaming on Paramount Plus. And I do
just want to thank everyone again who's tuned in. Yeah,
we had nine point five million viewers week one and
we were number one on Paramount And I just have
to say personally, I've never been a part of that before,
so I don't take it for granted. It's new for me,
(39:42):
Like makes me moful when I talk about it. So
it's a really, really deeply meaningful moment for me. So
thank you everyone, well deserved.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Keep it coming, keep it coming, and thank you for
hanging out.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Oh, thank you. Bye.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
I've Never Said This Before is hosted Tommy Dedario. This
podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at iHeartRadio and
by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've Never
Said This Before is part of the Elvis Duran Podcast
Network on iHeart podcasts for more, rate, review and subscribe
(40:18):
to our show. And if you liked this episode, tell
your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy de Dario
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