February 4, 2025 • 49 mins
This week, Tommy is joined by actor Mason Gooding who you will see starring opposite Olivia Holt in the upcoming romantic comedy horror film, Heart Eyes. Heart Eyes is about a masked killer who terrorizes romantic couples on Valentine’s Day. The killer has a new target, and Mason’s character spends the most romantic night of the year trying to stay alive. You also know and love Mason from a bunch of other fan-favorite projects (Love Victor, Y2K, I Want You Back), and perhaps most notably as Chad Meeks-Martin in the Scream franchise. Today, Mason opens up about if he is as smooth in real life as his character in Heart Eyes, what he loves about working in the horror genre, why he jumped at the opportunity to work with Olivia Holt, how he builds authentic chemistry with his co-stars, why human connection is so important to him, how to master the “slow motion scare” in a horror film, his reaction to the Scream 7 script, the first look into what we can expect with the latest film, if he always knew that he would be a part of Scream 7, what he really thinks about spoilers leaking online as the movie is being filmed, how much filming he has left to do, the unexpected thing he did to put himself out there to land a dream role, how he’s cultivated a positive mindset over the years, what he has never publicly said before, and so much more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario, So this is a really exciting
episode for me because I've always been a huge fan
of horror movies ever since I was a kid, and
my guest today he is quickly becoming one of the
reigning kings of horror. The very talented Mason Gooding joins
my show who you will See starring opposite Olivia Holt
(00:23):
in the upcoming horror film Heart Eyes Now. Hart Eyes
is about a masked killer who terrorizes romantic couples on
Valentine's Day, and yes, Mason spends the most romantic night
of the year well trying to stay alive. But what
I love about this movie it's not just horror. It's
a rom com mixed with horror. Yes you hear that correctly.
(00:43):
It is so creative, so fresh, and of course it's terrifying.
I definitely had a few jump scares watching this movie.
I'm not gonna lie, you know, and love Mason from
a bunch of other fan favorite projects, perhaps most notably
as Chad Meek Smartin in the Scream franchise. I know
we are all excited for the seventh installment of that
to come out next year. And man, Mason is just
(01:04):
a cool dude. Yeah, he's definitely an actor to watch
across film and television because he's just fantastic. But he
also leads his life with so much heart and thoughtfulness.
He's what you call a real one. So let's see
if today we can get Mason to say something that
he has never said before. Mason, Gooding, my man.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Howdy, thank you so much for having me. I'm a
big fan of the show.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well, thank you so.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I appreciate you in your time. This means a lot
to me.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, I'm very excited to have you. I feel like
we're going to become bros very quickly.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
We better very this one.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
If you're not cool, I talk to you again.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, I guess it depends on how this goes pross.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There we go, There we go. I didn't want to
say it, but.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
No, I know what time it is.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
That's all right, Well, welcome, Welcome to New York. Man.
Thank you for enjoying your time. You're happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I'm so you know, moving here in about a month. Yeah,
I'm going to move and I couldn't be more excited
about it. No offense to la. It just feels like
that time.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
New York's the place.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
New York seems to be the po Well you're here,
what else? You're right exactly, that's actually what motivated the
move in the first place. So all right, good, thank
you for being inspiration.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I am here to help you. Man, bless you. Well,
that's awesome. I already like you a lot. This is
off too good. Sorry, I am so excited for you. You
have a lot going on right now. I saw your
movie Hard Eyes. It was awesome. I am a big
fan of horror, so I have a high, high bar,
and that bar was met and exceeded. So it was
it was awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
To begin, I guess what I want to know from you,
Mason is your character is very smooth. A are you
as smooth as he is?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Oh? No, well no, I feel like what's funny about
my profession, being an actor, is because we have so
many great people creating or crafting the written word. In
this case, it's Phil and Michael Kennedy and Chris Landon,
and you try and pay respects to the nuance and
(03:07):
the level of artistry that they apply to the words.
You're saying, and because Jay's written so smooth, the biggest
application of my art that I can afford it is
I like to be a very honest and vulnerable guy.
And I notice when you apply a genuine desire to
(03:29):
inquire or to be considerate to the smooth dialogue, it
comes off as disarming and actually a little easier to
open up with. And I mean, you'd have to ask
Olivia Holt, who plays Ali and I love dearly, if
it's actually effective or if she's just an incredible actress
(03:51):
and can field whatever stuff I throw at her in
that case.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
But well, it's very convincing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You do a solid job with it.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Acting.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Man, what a concept? What a concept? Man? Well, I
feel like you're becoming one of the new reigning kings
of horror between like the screen franchise and now Hard Eyes.
I mean, what do you love about diving into this genre?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That's I mean, I love the fact that you can
have such a visceral emotional response while sat in a theater,
especially in a communal effort, because you'll see it ideally
with a huge audience. It's experiencing the same things you are.
I grew up loving horror in all facets, whether it's
video games or movies or is there horror music? Is
(04:37):
that the monster mash very much, So I always feel
like the opportunity to be part of that is the
most exciting for me. It's my favorite genre to be
in and to watch. So I think if there were
any genre, if I had to pick one to stick to,
it would be horror. Much of the chagrin of my mother,
(05:00):
who has to sit and watch me get eviscerated in
every movie. But she's a trooper. She still watches There
we Go. It's my harshest critic right there. I love
her so much.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I grew up watching horror too, and my mom hated
hearing it in the house, And I'm like, I'm sorry,
it's the movie I want to watch, right exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
You're like, if anything, I'm trying to indoctrinate you into
the culture, right, you should be very grateful.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I imagine horror has so many
fun things about it. But what would you say is
the hardest part?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Is it? Is it?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
The choreography is at the chase scenes, like, what is it?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I So I'm very prepared to get emotional and vulnerable
on this podcasts Why We're Here, Okay. Great part of
my job, I'd say, whether it's mythos or just something
I like to bring to each project, is a level
of positivity and familial effort and comfort on set. And
(05:53):
I think one of the harder things about a horror movie,
because it deals with the moros or the macabre or
the violent, is just trying to keep a positive energy
on set. And if you're running around, if you're screaming,
if you're crying, or if you're you know, doing all
this physical activity, it can feel actra exhausting to try
(06:13):
and be as you know, as I try to afford
a set. But on the bright side, I've had such
a lucky opportunity to work with so many incredible visionaries,
whether it's Josh Ruben or Matt and Tyler who did
the screen movies, Kevin Williamson. They facilitate such a warm,
(06:35):
friendly environment across the board that if it's ever difficult
to apply a level of positivity or energy to a set,
that they always make space for it, and they're always
game to just mess around and really integrate a level
of familial comfort in and around the filming process. And
(06:56):
then they all action and we stab each other, we
run around just like the most of it. Lucky to
do what we do.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Well in this movie too. I mean it's a horror
rom com which I've never seen before. I mean, I
don't believe that exists.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Listen, we're starting it now, trying our.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Best, I think. So.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
We hear a lot of sorry to hear a lot
of comparisons between My Bloody Valentine and this, and I
think that's simply the context of Valentine's Day or like.
But it's very like different movies, both in tone and delivery.
So hopefully people will expect to see something new and
(07:36):
be delivered on that in space. But you have to
let me know.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Was that part of the attraction to doing this movie
was that it was very different in terms of you
have the romantic comedy, the.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Well, the second I heard Olivia wasn't it, I was like, well,
I've got to YEA been such a fan and she's
so incredible. Couple that with the fact that Josh is
a visionary the likes of which I really wanted to
be involved, but I as a fan of horror and
the romantic comedies. The way it was integrated to kind
(08:09):
of mesh together felt fresh that I was mostly just
more excited thereafter. It's nice to know that there is
a property that takes both very seriously through the lens
of a very horrific movie. Horrorrific, I suppose, But I
was excited from the jump and even more so when
I read the thing. So it's a great idea in general.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And you're chemistry man, with Olivia, it's right on the money.
I always say, you can smell a fake, And maybe
because I'm such a fan of you know, cinema and
theater and TV, I really look for and appreciate when
that bond and connection feels so real and authentic. So
for you, how as an artist, how is a human
do you form that chemistry with somebody like Olivia?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Of course, well, you hope that all artists are as considerate,
giving and thoughtful as one Olivia Holt, and I could
actpoetic about her all day and I will. She is
the most genuine, loving person, both to people that she
works with and kind of just in general. That the
(09:12):
discovery of chemistry for me felt not only natural, but
it felt comforting. The idea that regardless of what we
went through on set simply being, however, many thousands of
miles away from home we were shooting in Auckland, New Zealand,
that I always had a friend or someone that not
only could support me, but that I would be happy
(09:34):
to support in whatever way that I could. The chemistry
does come mostly and my thought process from a level
of trust and comfortability. Despite the fact that she looks
like an artist's rendition of a Grecian deity, she also
allows that level of grace to kind of disarm you
(09:56):
from thinking, you know that you have any reason to
be trepidacious or worried about a level of connectivity because
she's just so thoughtful. She is really one of a kind,
and that's an art end in life. So I can't
imagine it's very difficult. You don't have to ask her
other co stars, but look Cloak and Dagger, it's great
chemistry there as well. So clearly that's just part of
(10:18):
her work ethic, just being all encompassing and incredible all
the way down.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Do you have something that you like or have to
do with the coast star, like do you have to
go get coffee? Do you have to tell each other
your deepest, darkest secrets. Do you have to like keep
you anything you're like for every project, I need to
do this to feel connected.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
It's nice to meet you. Can I know exactly what
your past trialhood drum?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
No. I like to think you build it over time
the same way I wouldn't want to attribute any level
of pressure to comfortability or chemistry. So I'm happy to
let that build over time as you work together and
as you maybe get dinner as like a cast or whatever.
I was always under the impression that because you're having
(11:06):
to play romantic interests in a movie, you can kind
of do yourself a favor as well as the other
person by being positive and affectionate in a professional setting
such as like if Live needed a water, I would
always try and offer to get it for her. I
know what her favorite snacks are, and I would always
(11:26):
make sure to go to crafty and make sure that
those were there, or if they weren't, I would find
a way to get them. And you know, because you're
working such long hours, whether it's Olivia or Gigi Simbaro
who plays who plays Monica Relian eyes and is brilliant
in the movie, I try to afford that same level
(11:48):
of care to you know, all people, because especially in
this case, they're all incredible and they deserve to be
treated like kings and queens. But I would get them
flowers if they were having a rough day, or Gigi was.
We all lived pretty separate from each other, but Gigi,
(12:08):
I remember, was having a rough day for one reason
or another, and we sat in the bar and we
talked for this was like I knew her, but we
hadn't gotten like over the initial like, h it's nice
to I'm excited to be working with you. We sat
for like four hours and we talked in that hotel
lobby and it was really nice. It's comforting, hopefully both ways.
You'd have to ask her, but yeah, and then you
(12:33):
just find it if that's if flowers and obsequious flatteries
and someone's thing. Like Olivia is a very direct and
logistically sound person. She's very practical, so the hyper romantic
is maybe not the way to go. It's just a
lovely conversation. Making sure she feels considered is to me
(12:56):
something she's owed and deserves, and I try to do
that every day I'm around. They're lucky enough.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
To be you really seem to be someone who likes
human connection.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Oh yeah, I do. If for no other reason, then
I don't know what else we can measure success as
other than how we relate to other people and whether
or not they feel seen or appreciated, because there's, you know,
a litany of ways to celebrate a great job well done,
(13:27):
whether it's an award or you know, a accolade, verbal accolade.
I would like to think that when I'm gone, I'll
be remembered as someone who considered the people that I
was lucky enough to be associated with and working with.
So that's the goal. Yeah, I have told people that before,
(13:48):
So that's why that's not what I have.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Oh look, you're already thinking about it. I like it.
I like it. You have to. But that's awesome, and
I appreciate that. I'm a people person too. I'm all
about human connection, real human can For what you.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Do as a fan of the show, you have such
a propensity for allowing that access and comfortability to feel
willing to be vulnerable and open, and you do that
through rhetoric, and you also do that through a profound
amount of patience. So what I'm innother words, when I'm
getting at is people who are willing and open to connection.
(14:22):
I feel tend to make for the best conversationalists or
people that you know. I don't know if I'm much
fun at parties, You're not the one. I'll find the
little back room and we'll talk about something. Yeah, that's fine.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yeah, I'm the same way. I mean, me and my
twenties maybe was a little different at this point.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Take time, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
That's what I'm a little different. That's that's really cool, man,
all right, walk me through this. Yeah, you hear a noise,
you stop, You hear a noise again, you turn around.
Slow motion terror crosses your face. It's what I call
the slow motion scare. How do you master that?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
That's a it's tricky you're talking about on set or
just in life?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
No one on camera? I like, how do you mess?
Are the iconic slow motion scare?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Of course? No, it's a tried and true staple. I
feel like you can be hell. I love that we're
moving back towards the practical element of actually having a
thing to react to and have something to incite your
emotional response. In the case of something like hard Eyes,
we had a hack on set pretty much every day.
(15:35):
So you if you want to think about horror as
it relates to any other timing prescient genre. Comedy is
very similar where you feel that delivery. I'm not a
great comedian by any means, but you when you're watching
a stand up comedian do the thing, you feel that
timing as it gets closer to the punchline. And I
(15:57):
always think of when you're going through those moments where
there's dread and tension being built up. You feel it
like in your empathetic with maybe your limbic system is
talking to you, and it's like this moment where the
tension has to break, and that's when you do your
whip around and you're you know, you're you would never,
you would never make that face, make that sound. I
(16:20):
don't know. That's okay, I know my place watching your movie.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I maybe did. I maybe did take it. That's amazing.
So from one horror movie to another, you're also working
on screen seven.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
So yes, what do you want to know? Are you
the opening kill?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Wouldn't it be funny if I just told you right
now whether I was man?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
That would I tried, I try to say it really fast,
so maybe I threw you you are well trained. You
were well trained. Okay, I see you team over there.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I family got me wrong. I am yeah. No. I
also am worried that someone from the studio would slight
me through.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
So it is life or death, all right? Fair enough?
Can you tell me if you've filmed it already?
Speaker 2 (17:12):
You know, it's hard to answer that question because I'm
doing press for Hard Eyes and for both Spyglass movies,
so a lot of what they're willing to do is
made easier by the fact that I'm called in different
places from the same people. So I've done a lot.
There's still stuff to do, but I'm in New York
(17:32):
right now, so I just have to get my rest
in while I can't.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
How do you feel about spoilers? You know, people posting
pictures online trying to piece it all together, like do
you see it? What are your thoughts on that.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I see it? I think this is me speaking personally.
You'd have to ask a studio executive how they feel
about it. I love that a fan base care is
enough to do the research and do the investigation for me.
I've never been worried like I'll be. I'm an anime fan,
(18:06):
I'll only do is spoil stuff like Usher spoiled a
crazy thing on his TikTok. Yeah, but I will still
consume the content. I will still go watch it and
almost anticipate that moment, which for horror is kind of
fun because you'll watch it and be like, is this
the part where the thing happened? I was not descriptive
at all, But I don't think a spoiler necessarily ruins
(18:30):
a movie. Not that I'm gonna give any spoilers right now,
but I do. I do feel like even if you
were to suss out a lot of the elements of
a thing, the context and the tension built up with
and it will always make it fresh when you see it.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Do you get to read the entire script ahead of
time or are you left in the dark for a
movie like Scream.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
As for this is embarrassing for five, they not only
didn't give us the final act, but I didn't know
who the killers were until after the movie was done,
and we were sitting getting ready to get on the
plane and go home, and I was sitting with a
(19:11):
spoiler alert for Scream five right with Jack and Mikey,
and I think Jack Jack had like blood under his nails,
and I was like, where are you filming the end
where I got killed? And I was like, oh, who
killed you? And then I realized Melissa stabbed him fifty
(19:32):
thousand times and he was the killer, which, on the
bright side, made it fresh for when I saw it
in real time in the theater. That's my real reaction.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
But wait, you chose not to read it or you
just want it.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
They never gave it. They never gave it to me
during COVID, so we couldn't, like, go visits sat willy nilly.
I've never said willy nilly, and I just did that.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
I like it. I'm bringing it back, so I'm going
to bring it back.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
It sounds better coming out of your Mouthain.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I don't know where it came from, but I'm bringing
it back before where I came for.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Someone's got to started. But no, they now they didn't.
I never got the third act because Chad gets bloodied
up in the second. They did give me the ending
bit where I get wheeled down on the ambulance, but
even that was a late call because I was supposed
to die, and then they changed their mind for one
reason or another. So this script, you've read this script
(20:22):
I have read, so now I'm now I'm legacy cast.
There you go. Yeah, excuse me, yeah, hell yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Let me ask you. I know you can't say much,
but is it Were you happy with the script?
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Like it?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Will we all be terrified?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Of course, I will say, I hope this is It's
the most brutal I think ghost Face has been from
a anatomically logistical standpoint. There's a lot of blood and viscera,
and I feel like with Kevin Williamson directed brilliant, truly
and clearly mentally sadistic and have a lot to look
(21:00):
forward to to what we do to.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
These yeah, these characters. Yeah, good for you man. Well,
I'm I'm very excited for that journey for you too,
because you know, I feel like you've done so many,
so much great work out there. I do you feel
like Scream kind of put you into this international, worldwide
household fandom and well deserved because you're you're now a
critical and crucial part of that franchise. I grew up
(21:24):
with the franchise from a as a young age. I'm
probably a decade older than you.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
And what are you talking about?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I just turned recording.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I just turned your eyes literally gave me the butterflies.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
I don't want this interview to ever and man, yeah, yeah, yeah,
god the most charming guest, as I said in the beginning.
But but yeah, I'm just turned thirty nine. I grew
up with the originals, and it's just cool to see you.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
You're thirty nine. Nothing wrong with being thirty nine, that's radish.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
But see, I'm the age where people are like, wait
a minute, you're that age. So that does kind of
make so you know I'm getting up there, I guess. No,
I hear, bring it on, bring it on. I'm ready
to stop. This is not about me. Okay, So my
last scream question to wrap it all up. Did you
know you would be a part of this movie or
(22:22):
did you find out really close to the beginning, Like
what was that? Yeah? Was that?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Yeah, like you've known for a while.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
No, it's no. It's obviously touch and go for a
lot of reasons. But I will say because Radio Silence
has been given so much leab or project acts in
this case, because Radio Silence define six. But they are
(22:50):
so loving and willing to involve my understanding of the franchisees,
it moves forward that it was always like little conversations
and catch ups. But that's more caveat to the fact
that I don't really tell me much until it's need
to know, and I kind of have. I'm kind of
(23:12):
jaded in a lot of ways because I was kept
out of the script process for five and six in
such a way that I just didn't get an ending
to those and now I do. So I feel maybe
like my answers yes right, because I you know, I
didn't get a script before and I did. Now I
feel like I'm moving up right, I would say, so,
I'm trying.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
So you knew your place was secured in this one? Not? Well, yeah,
I guess if like I earned it hard. That's hard.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Well, that's hard to answer without you seeing the movie,
and you know, dependent on how one read the script,
that answer varies. Which is the most noncommittal way. Respect that,
I respect part of the anyway.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
I respect that, and I think it's really cool, like
I said, that you're part of such a big pop
culture moment and that it kind of, you know, gave
you a springboard to lead your own horror film now,
which I believe will become a franchise hopefully.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You know, I would do for the rest of the.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
I just think it's such a badass film. What I
like about you is you seemingly seem to have balls
of steel. And what I mean by that is I
know that when you were in meetings for the original Scream.
I don't believe you had a real audition, did you?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Actually you have an audition.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
You had a meeting with the creators and you brought
up a paper you wrote at N y U right,
N y U two?
Speaker 2 (24:38):
You did.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
I didn't. I did, graduated again a little earlier than you.
There we go, There we go, and you brought up, like, Yo,
I wrote this paper about it, and you offered for
the creators to read it.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Read it. Well, they did ask And I was like,
I'm not going to pass a an opportunity to engage
with the franchise beyond like what if I didn't get
the role? What if I did after audition I didn't
get it. I was like, I just want this paper
to mean something because and the paper was about what
it was about Scream and the like your love for
it sort of the I don't know if I remember
(25:17):
the prompt, but I do know the thesis was just
that Scream was maybe more so than any other franchise
Right for Revival, given the meta narrative and the ability
to touch on different cultural or social dynamics present.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
In the world.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And when they were discussing in that original meeting, it
was Chad, Matt, and Tyler, and they were talking about
what they wanted to do with five, it felt resonant
to what I had written, just why I don't just
go around not just like, hey, can you guys please
I do that now? But for others I usually love poem. Yeah.
(25:55):
But they we talked for like two hours and at
the very end was like, you know, I about this thing.
I gave it to them. That whole thing was because
I was supposed to. I was supposed to audition before
like pre COVID, I think for like Ritchie, which is
jack Quade's character, And for some reason I got lost
in my email. I never saw it, so I didn't
(26:17):
so it looked like I was like eh, And they
were like, all right, well, let's can we meet. Can
we set up a meeting with the team and see
if it's a good fit and then maybe read for
this other character Chad, And sure enough we had the
meeting sent in the paper. I heard nothing for two
weeks and I was like, damn, it was that bad.
I remember the paper was pretty good, that's fine, and
(26:39):
then they put an offer in and the rest was
thankfully history.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
And so that paper could have sealed the deal for.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
You could could have which is crazy because I don't
remember getting a great grade on it.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I don't recall, well, that's seach, you're just an understanding,
clearly clearly.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Down on horror is a medium. That's their fault. But
that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
I love that story because I think it shows that
sometimes an unconventional way of going about something can reap
the greatest rewards.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That was always there was always something I heard growing up.
It was like, there's no rules to it. Yes, Like,
especially in acting, it's like, however you make your mark
or showcase your ability, whether it's through thoughtful, you know,
endeavors like letters or essays or whatever. It's like, sometimes
it's best to just take that chance and showcase society
(27:33):
of your personality you can't get from like a tape,
which every director hates me now because I just told
every actor writing right, write a collegiate MLA format essay,
send that in.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
But it worked.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It worked, so it proves in the pudding.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah, there we go, there we go. It's cool. Like
I said, I think, I think we're in this day
and age where you can create so much of your
own work and bring it to life if you really
believe in it and stay at it, and yeah, push
you know yourself to do it. And I think that
there's no one path to anything nowadays. I never would
have imagined being here today like you just. I think
some of the best life, you know, Like I think,
(28:08):
the best things in life sometimes happen when you do
do something that's maybe a little riskier or unconventional, like
so many people in your position could have said, Oh,
I can't, I can't bring that up like they're going
to think I'm crazier. They're not going to want to
read it. They're going to think I look desperate or.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Hence the balls of steel.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
That's why you have the balls of steel.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
See, that's why I love for reasons. I love social
media because it has an opportunity to highlight voices and
talent that might otherwise go overlooked, and to watch a
younger generation involve themselves in creative means that past generations
just didn't have the chance to is really inspiring. And obviously,
(28:50):
you know what that looks like is having different cultural
touchstones of you know, I love that little black boys
and black girls can put dances on TikTok and go
viral and then launch us a career of you know,
content and artistry in its own right. So I think
there's plus size to everything. I'm an optimist. If you
(29:11):
couldn't tell no, I try no.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
I like that about it. I like that you're a
very positive, forward thinking person, and I imagine that's something
you've chose at a young age to be and you've
had to kind of cultivate. How did you cultivate that?
How did you become this way?
Speaker 2 (29:29):
That's it comes from a lot of trial and error.
I would say I was a younger kid with a
lot of image issues and insecurities, especially because I was
one of the bigger I guess facets of my childhood
was being overweight. I was like three hundred pounds by
the time I got to like eighteen nineteen, and I
(29:53):
spent every day. It's funny because people would always say
back then, it's like, you'll lose the weight, you can
slim out, and I was like, you don't understand when
you're that when you're heavier than people are telling you
is allowed. You don't spend time at least I didn't
spend time wanting to lose weight. I wanted to literally disappear.
(30:16):
I wanted to like fold into myself and not take
up space. Was like a big thing. That's why paradoxically
would wear really tight clothes like I would wear skinny
jeans and tight T shirts because it made me feel
like I could physically take up less space in a room.
So that when I decided, through you know, conversations with
(30:40):
people that I trusted and felt safe with about acting,
I understood that my desire to change my physique or
take my fitness to in a direction that I felt
would help me. It was not from a place of
wanting to like disappear or like lose something a part
(31:02):
of me, but just to make a change that felt
like a more authentic version of myself. And you know,
I feel better about it every day. That's why I
love talking to people about like fitness and diet stuff.
Not that I'll get into that now because it's boring.
It's math basically, but I spent so long loathing my
(31:24):
physical appearance and how I was that instead of letting
that become part of my personality, a I consider that
other people might be experiencing the same thing, and how
I might be able to recontextualize that, and just like
an opportunity for growth or change. And then you know,
as a public figure, there's a lot of discourse online
(31:48):
about like the way one looks or things you say.
And the longest time, I was always like, I promise
you there's nothing you could say to me that I
haven't said to myself. And the strength that came from
that is like, I'm still here And despite it hurting
to consider that I ever felt that way about myself.
(32:11):
I think part of growing up is realizing the version
of yourself that you were as a child was really
trying their best and just creating space not only for
the younger me that really loved oreos and pop douds,
but for other people that maybe deal with you know,
the same trials and tribulations to come with you know
(32:32):
that experience.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
So do you ever feel that younger you, that version
of you creeping in today that you have to kind
of quiet down?
Speaker 2 (32:40):
No? I love him for experiencing the hardship that he did,
and I try to make space for him. Now, that's
why I act like a goofball, because I felt like
as a kid, I tried to tried to keep myself
from any social settings because I knew what the perception was.
(33:02):
I knew how I would kind of be perceived, and
it felt safer to isolate or be insular with my
with my own thoughts about myself, which is not necessarily
the way to go. So as an adult, I do
a lot of work to be patient with myself and
who I've been and recognize it as just part of
(33:23):
the journey. And some of the best moments I've had
have came from reconciling with that. That a lot of
work I've done seems to be paying off because I
can be positive and still feel like I mean it,
be positive about myself or about other people, and have
it feel genuine, like when I give someone a compliment
(33:44):
like your beautiful fucking face, I mean that because I'm
looking at it and perceiving it, because it is that,
not just trying to get one over on you or
say something that sounds nice.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
You say what you mean. It's very clear though, hope,
so you're that kind of a person. You leave with that,
you know, and I think through going through what you
went through as a kid and kind of being your
own worst critic, right, do you think that that, in
a weird way prepared you for being in the spotlight
where everybody has an opinion and now you're able to
not let that affect you unless it does affect you.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
No, if it affected me, it would only be in
so much as you know, my work is out there
to be consumed. I'm no idiot. I know that art
is subjective, and I certainly don't think I'm above or
exempt from criticism. So I welcome it and accept that
is just part of the processing, learning and growing. I
(34:40):
do think I can separate the punitive comments that are
just meant to like bother me, right, and the constructive ones.
That's why, Like, you know, there's stuff that a lot
of stuff that some people seem to perceive as negative.
I tend to find humor in Like the NEPO baby thing.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Was over that conversation. I'm so over that conversation. But
I stop, crap, It's clearly I'm sure you trigged me.
Now I need to That's part of the I'm trigged.
I'm trigged. Now I'm upset.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
You understand, first of all, for me, that was part
of my upbringing and part of my psychoses that I
had to understand as moving into you know, uh, the
acting and Hollywood landscape. But also case in point, that's
a term that was kind of contextualized as being pejorative.
And as time goes on, I feel like people are
(35:37):
starting to realize that that's present in most industries. Yeah, yeah,
you know, a lineage of.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
You don't think if my dad was the biggest doctor
in the world and I wanted to be a doctor,
he'd say, let me get you a job as a doctor.
Of course he would like, of course, that's just how
the world works, you know. And and now you triggered me,
and I'm sorry, I need to talk about it. And
I almost think, and this might be controversial to some,
but I almost think if you come from a parent
or a sibling or whoever who's doing the job that
(36:06):
you're now doing, you have to prove yourself even more interesting.
I think now it's like, oh, well, let's see if
that person has it like so and so does, and
you have to maybe the door opens for you a
little easier, but once you're in that door, you better
deliver and improve yourself or you won't have a career,
no mistake, you won't have a career. So that's why
I get bothered by that conversation.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
No, rightfully so, because it does take away from the
hard work that a lot of incredible artists and in
this case, doctors are capable of doing despite their lineage.
I also feel like being able to, you know, adopt
certain ideologies and understandings or even methods from past generations
(36:47):
is inherent to the job. It's like what makes acting
so fun as you can build upon it.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Yeah, and if you if.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
That source is a family member, you can at least
have that discourse. I couldn't say I really had that experience,
but I do love talking to other NEPO babies and
hearing their experience in being able to call on, you know,
parental figures and have those discussions that because it is
like a privilege, or at least like an asset. I
(37:16):
would say, but the work is, the onus on the
artists to do that job is always present. So that's
why I'm like, I don't know where the discourse goes
or how it turns negative as it relates to specific
artists because they're so good. But I can also understand
(37:36):
that the dynamic between privilege and all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I just don't like throwing around buzzwords. I think it's
I'm tired of and i'mbward of it, like everyone move
on from that conversation, and and it's it's not.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Good, but that's why you're good at what you do.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Well. I don't know about that, but I just I
think there's so much more than meet CI. But I
think for you, when you look at your career and
everything you've accomplished in industry that's very difficult to achieve
success in and now leading your own big movie releasing,
you know, nationwide on February Sevenebruary seventh, February seventh, you
(38:17):
must be so proud of everything you've accomplished, right, So
are you able to look at your career and say, wow,
you know what I'm doing it like I'm proud of me?
Or is that a weird thing for you?
Speaker 2 (38:28):
It's it's hard to I don't know, because that's a
binary and so much as like I'm either proud or
I'm not. And I think the nuance is enjoying, enjoying
the moment as it's sort of happening for me. Took
a long time to work on. Whereas I don't know
(38:50):
if I could me personally, I don't know if I
could look at my career and say, wow, you're really
doing the thing without looking ahead for like, well, what
are we going to do next? As I just know
I invite that juxtaposition between what I've done and what
I want to do. So a huge aspect in getting
older and in being a performer is taking it a
(39:13):
job at a time and really affording all my excitement
and my belief in myself and my pride into you know,
making this one as you know, meaningful as I can.
The pride i'd say I feel is the pride I
(39:33):
say I feel in work done is whether or not
my mom has watched it. It's like a big one,
and you said I was my bit biggest critic. She
will let me know if she likes or does not
like a project, and that's why that's why I'm like,
I just want her to I just want her to.
Like one man, that's going to be the best day.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Of my life.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
One of these days she's also my biggest fan. She
bought she just bought a hard Eyed T shirt. I like,
look what I found on the internet, and I was like, oh,
I hope you like the movie.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
That's so cute.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
She will, I know, she will.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
I love to hear that. I love to hear. Well, Mason,
we are at that point in the show Yeah, where
I ask every guest that comes on the same question,
which is based off the title of the show. So
I'm wondering, is there something that you can think of
today that you've never said before that you want to say?
Speaker 2 (40:22):
That's right. I am a way to say this doesn't
feel as if I'm applying a level of self importance.
So in college, I was studying psychology. I was there
for writing in psychology, and there was a class. You
might hate this given the conversation we just had, but
(40:43):
it's my story, so that's fine. There was a class
on adolescent psychology where we were discussing the dynamic that
children as in adolescence between the age of birth to
four or five six maybe so on the relationship they
have with their parents and how the understanding of mom
(41:04):
and dad is more ethereal at that point. It's like
the mother as in one who gives life and all
those things, father, those concepts, and how you realize over
time naturally that they're just people and that mom is
mom and dad is dad, and vice versa and whatnot.
(41:26):
And the separation, if done and properly, can lead to
a lot of different psychoses and whether it's trauma or
experiences later down the road. And as the professor was
talking about a relationship between an understanding of our parents
as not only people, but as you know, ethereal beings,
(41:49):
I raised my hand and I was like, Hey, what
what happens if the subject has a parent who is
a pub figure and the relationship you have to them
is mostly parasocial, regardless of the amount of personal time
or physical time that you spend with them. She goes,
(42:14):
I think that's more of a you thing, and that's fair.
But it it allowed me to consider not just in
the context of my family as it exists now, it's
it put me in a place at this time I
wasn't acting. Now I am now I have a whether
it's a level of you know, experience in the industry.
(42:38):
I realize that my relationship to my children and even
to the people that consume my content and what it
means to be a you know, public figure, so to speak,
and how the relationship between you know, who I am
personally and how I'm perceived is inherence different and me
(43:02):
it as time goes on, I reconcile with that every day.
A lot of times I feel like I know certain actors,
even my father, better as personas rather than as people.
And the work that has to be done to kind
(43:23):
of mitigate that and actually create human relationships. That's probably
where I value them so deeply. But yeah, it terrifies me,
but I feel like it makes me this is the
optimist coming out. It makes me grateful for icons like
the late Chadwick Boseman who put in such a prolific
(43:46):
amount of work to be showcased as understanding the cultural
impact that not only he as an actor had In
Jackie Robinson forty two, I think, and specifically for me
at least Black Panther and the amount of work he
would do in different Black communities and for you black youth.
(44:09):
In recognizing his position as a inspiration and as a
Zeitgeist defining persona, he put in all this work to
you know, uplift and be that figurehead beyond any personal
dynamic that he had with that same Chadwick persona, and
(44:32):
that to me was not only inspiring, but it's kind
of the ethos that I take into my work, is
recognizing the separation between who I am and who I
will be parasocially and just trying to be the best
version of myself that I can be. Hence the positivity.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Yeah, I've never told anyone that, nor did I think
about that ahead of time. That one somewhere crazy, But
on the bright side, I stuck true to my word.
I've never said that before or so hopefully it landed
with a modicum.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Of I'm pretty impressed you are. You are a very
impressive person.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
Oh that's okay, Now this is where I can't take
com Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
I mean that that was an amazing answer, and I
think it gives a really cool insight into who you
are as a human beyond the actor, right, because so
many times people conflate the actor with who that person
really is and the roles they couldn't be farther from
who you are usually. I mean, there's similarities, but you know,
you are your own person, and I think that's really
(45:32):
cool insight into you.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, I like that that relationship goes both ways, as
someone like a Bozeman can recognize the onus to be
that figurehead in the most positive and all encompassing way
as well as the people that consume it and can
you know, support that work by going and seeing it
and engaging with it. Kids dress up as black Panther
(45:55):
like you see that. You see the discourse happen, and
that is that is why I love my profession. That's
why I do it. And obviously that's a high bar
that I may never achieve. But on the bright side,
I can try.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Well, something tells me you're gonna have a very long time.
You're gonna keep doing it, keep killing it. I could
talk to you for four more hours. I mean, what
a treat this has been, Seriously, Like, I just I
think you're awesome as a person and as an artist,
and I think you have a lot of exciting things coming.
I hope, So I do I do all the way away?
I have one bone to pick before I let you go. Yeah,
(46:31):
or maybe it's a question because I genuinely need to
know why in the world.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Yeah, do you.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
X your eyes out on all of your Instagram posts?
Like why am I looking at X's and not your eyes?
I see your eyes right now. They're great eyes, sweet,
very nice eyes. Why do you ex them all out?
Speaker 2 (46:49):
There's a longer answer, which I don't know if you
have time for, but most of it's about ownership and
the understanding that like, if I'm taking photos of someone
while I'm out, I don't want to implicate that I
feel as if I have ownership over their likeness as
it relates to my eyes and axing them out. The
boring answer is just that I get bored of looking
(47:09):
at my face and I want to.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
Do But you do know there's a lot of people
that want to look at.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
Your face and love and you're ripping that away from
So I just want you to think, next time you're
doing an edit on a picture, what would Tommy say?
What would sometimes they do? Just one eye?
Speaker 1 (47:24):
I know that I know that too. That's even more
annoying because it's like all balance and I'm so type A.
I'm like, it's either both or none. So all I'm saying,
if you get nothing else from this conversation, the world
wants to see your eyes. So maybe you can just
put aside that you don't want to see yourself. That's
that other people do. I'm gonna let you simmer on it,
(47:44):
and change doesn't happen overnight. No, no, don't worry. If
you put up a photo with your eyes, I'm going
to I will scream in a pillow. You know. Let's say,
by end of year, we'll see your eyes.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
Okay, we'll see hard eyes. We will see hard eyes
on February seventh, Hard eyes everywhere. Movies are available, everywhere,
movies are availed.
Speaker 1 (48:07):
Go see it. It's fantastic, Mason, Thank you so much.
Thank you such a pleasure. Of course you can, of
course you can. That was awesome.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
Than Oh, you're great, great, great.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I've never said this before. Is hosted by Me Tommy Dedario.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Publisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
never said this before. It is part of the Elvis
Duran podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review
and subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(48:47):
tell your friends. Until next time. I'm Tommy de Dario
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario, So this is a really exciting
episode for me because I've always been a huge fan
of horror movies ever since I was a kid, and
my guest today he is quickly becoming one of the
reigning kings of horror. The very talented Mason Gooding joins
my show who you will See starring opposite Olivia Holt
(00:23):
in the upcoming horror film Heart Eyes Now. Hart Eyes
is about a masked killer who terrorizes romantic couples on
Valentine's Day, and yes, Mason spends the most romantic night
of the year well trying to stay alive. But what
I love about this movie it's not just horror. It's
a rom com mixed with horror. Yes you hear that correctly.
(00:43):
It is so creative, so fresh, and of course it's terrifying.
I definitely had a few jump scares watching this movie.
I'm not gonna lie, you know, and love Mason from
a bunch of other fan favorite projects, perhaps most notably
as Chad Meek Smartin in the Scream franchise. I know
we are all excited for the seventh installment of that
to come out next year. And man, Mason is just
(01:04):
a cool dude. Yeah, he's definitely an actor to watch
across film and television because he's just fantastic. But he
also leads his life with so much heart and thoughtfulness.
He's what you call a real one. So let's see
if today we can get Mason to say something that
he has never said before. Mason, Gooding, my man.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Howdy, thank you so much for having me. I'm a
big fan of the show.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well, thank you so.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I appreciate you in your time. This means a lot
to me.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, I'm very excited to have you. I feel like
we're going to become bros very quickly.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
We better very this one.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
If you're not cool, I talk to you again.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, I guess it depends on how this goes pross.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There we go, There we go. I didn't want to
say it, but.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
No, I know what time it is.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
That's all right, Well, welcome, Welcome to New York. Man.
Thank you for enjoying your time. You're happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I'm so you know, moving here in about a month. Yeah,
I'm going to move and I couldn't be more excited
about it. No offense to la. It just feels like
that time.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
New York's the place.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
New York seems to be the po Well you're here,
what else? You're right exactly, that's actually what motivated the
move in the first place. So all right, good, thank
you for being inspiration.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I am here to help you. Man, bless you. Well,
that's awesome. I already like you a lot. This is
off too good. Sorry, I am so excited for you. You
have a lot going on right now. I saw your
movie Hard Eyes. It was awesome. I am a big
fan of horror, so I have a high, high bar,
and that bar was met and exceeded. So it was
it was awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
To begin, I guess what I want to know from you,
Mason is your character is very smooth. A are you
as smooth as he is?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Oh? No, well no, I feel like what's funny about
my profession, being an actor, is because we have so
many great people creating or crafting the written word. In
this case, it's Phil and Michael Kennedy and Chris Landon,
and you try and pay respects to the nuance and
(03:07):
the level of artistry that they apply to the words.
You're saying, and because Jay's written so smooth, the biggest
application of my art that I can afford it is
I like to be a very honest and vulnerable guy.
And I notice when you apply a genuine desire to
(03:29):
inquire or to be considerate to the smooth dialogue, it
comes off as disarming and actually a little easier to
open up with. And I mean, you'd have to ask
Olivia Holt, who plays Ali and I love dearly, if
it's actually effective or if she's just an incredible actress
(03:51):
and can field whatever stuff I throw at her in
that case.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
But well, it's very convincing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You do a solid job with it.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Acting.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Man, what a concept? What a concept? Man? Well, I
feel like you're becoming one of the new reigning kings
of horror between like the screen franchise and now Hard Eyes.
I mean, what do you love about diving into this genre?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That's I mean, I love the fact that you can
have such a visceral emotional response while sat in a theater,
especially in a communal effort, because you'll see it ideally
with a huge audience. It's experiencing the same things you are.
I grew up loving horror in all facets, whether it's
video games or movies or is there horror music? Is
(04:37):
that the monster mash very much, So I always feel
like the opportunity to be part of that is the
most exciting for me. It's my favorite genre to be
in and to watch. So I think if there were
any genre, if I had to pick one to stick to,
it would be horror. Much of the chagrin of my mother,
(05:00):
who has to sit and watch me get eviscerated in
every movie. But she's a trooper. She still watches There
we Go. It's my harshest critic right there. I love
her so much.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
I grew up watching horror too, and my mom hated
hearing it in the house, And I'm like, I'm sorry,
it's the movie I want to watch, right exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
You're like, if anything, I'm trying to indoctrinate you into
the culture, right, you should be very grateful.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I imagine horror has so many
fun things about it. But what would you say is
the hardest part?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Is it? Is it?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
The choreography is at the chase scenes, like, what is it?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I So I'm very prepared to get emotional and vulnerable
on this podcasts Why We're Here, Okay. Great part of
my job, I'd say, whether it's mythos or just something
I like to bring to each project, is a level
of positivity and familial effort and comfort on set. And
(05:53):
I think one of the harder things about a horror movie,
because it deals with the moros or the macabre or
the violent, is just trying to keep a positive energy
on set. And if you're running around, if you're screaming,
if you're crying, or if you're you know, doing all
this physical activity, it can feel actra exhausting to try
(06:13):
and be as you know, as I try to afford
a set. But on the bright side, I've had such
a lucky opportunity to work with so many incredible visionaries,
whether it's Josh Ruben or Matt and Tyler who did
the screen movies, Kevin Williamson. They facilitate such a warm,
(06:35):
friendly environment across the board that if it's ever difficult
to apply a level of positivity or energy to a set,
that they always make space for it, and they're always
game to just mess around and really integrate a level
of familial comfort in and around the filming process. And
(06:56):
then they all action and we stab each other, we
run around just like the most of it. Lucky to
do what we do.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Well in this movie too. I mean it's a horror
rom com which I've never seen before. I mean, I
don't believe that exists.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Listen, we're starting it now, trying our.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Best, I think. So.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
We hear a lot of sorry to hear a lot
of comparisons between My Bloody Valentine and this, and I
think that's simply the context of Valentine's Day or like.
But it's very like different movies, both in tone and delivery.
So hopefully people will expect to see something new and
(07:36):
be delivered on that in space. But you have to
let me know.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Was that part of the attraction to doing this movie
was that it was very different in terms of you
have the romantic comedy, the.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Well, the second I heard Olivia wasn't it, I was like, well,
I've got to YEA been such a fan and she's
so incredible. Couple that with the fact that Josh is
a visionary the likes of which I really wanted to
be involved, but I as a fan of horror and
the romantic comedies. The way it was integrated to kind
(08:09):
of mesh together felt fresh that I was mostly just
more excited thereafter. It's nice to know that there is
a property that takes both very seriously through the lens
of a very horrific movie. Horrorrific, I suppose, But I
was excited from the jump and even more so when
I read the thing. So it's a great idea in general.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
And you're chemistry man, with Olivia, it's right on the money.
I always say, you can smell a fake, And maybe
because I'm such a fan of you know, cinema and
theater and TV, I really look for and appreciate when
that bond and connection feels so real and authentic. So
for you, how as an artist, how is a human
do you form that chemistry with somebody like Olivia?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Of course, well, you hope that all artists are as considerate,
giving and thoughtful as one Olivia Holt, and I could
actpoetic about her all day and I will. She is
the most genuine, loving person, both to people that she
works with and kind of just in general. That the
(09:12):
discovery of chemistry for me felt not only natural, but
it felt comforting. The idea that regardless of what we
went through on set simply being, however, many thousands of
miles away from home we were shooting in Auckland, New Zealand,
that I always had a friend or someone that not
only could support me, but that I would be happy
(09:34):
to support in whatever way that I could. The chemistry
does come mostly and my thought process from a level
of trust and comfortability. Despite the fact that she looks
like an artist's rendition of a Grecian deity, she also
allows that level of grace to kind of disarm you
(09:56):
from thinking, you know that you have any reason to
be trepidacious or worried about a level of connectivity because
she's just so thoughtful. She is really one of a kind,
and that's an art end in life. So I can't
imagine it's very difficult. You don't have to ask her
other co stars, but look Cloak and Dagger, it's great
chemistry there as well. So clearly that's just part of
(10:18):
her work ethic, just being all encompassing and incredible all
the way down.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Do you have something that you like or have to
do with the coast star, like do you have to
go get coffee? Do you have to tell each other
your deepest, darkest secrets. Do you have to like keep
you anything you're like for every project, I need to
do this to feel connected.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
It's nice to meet you. Can I know exactly what
your past trialhood drum?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Maybe I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
No. I like to think you build it over time
the same way I wouldn't want to attribute any level
of pressure to comfortability or chemistry. So I'm happy to
let that build over time as you work together and
as you maybe get dinner as like a cast or whatever.
I was always under the impression that because you're having
(11:06):
to play romantic interests in a movie, you can kind
of do yourself a favor as well as the other
person by being positive and affectionate in a professional setting
such as like if Live needed a water, I would
always try and offer to get it for her. I
know what her favorite snacks are, and I would always
(11:26):
make sure to go to crafty and make sure that
those were there, or if they weren't, I would find
a way to get them. And you know, because you're
working such long hours, whether it's Olivia or Gigi Simbaro
who plays who plays Monica Relian eyes and is brilliant
in the movie, I try to afford that same level
(11:48):
of care to you know, all people, because especially in
this case, they're all incredible and they deserve to be
treated like kings and queens. But I would get them
flowers if they were having a rough day, or Gigi was.
We all lived pretty separate from each other, but Gigi,
(12:08):
I remember, was having a rough day for one reason
or another, and we sat in the bar and we
talked for this was like I knew her, but we
hadn't gotten like over the initial like, h it's nice
to I'm excited to be working with you. We sat
for like four hours and we talked in that hotel
lobby and it was really nice. It's comforting, hopefully both ways.
You'd have to ask her, but yeah, and then you
(12:33):
just find it if that's if flowers and obsequious flatteries
and someone's thing. Like Olivia is a very direct and
logistically sound person. She's very practical, so the hyper romantic
is maybe not the way to go. It's just a
lovely conversation. Making sure she feels considered is to me
(12:56):
something she's owed and deserves, and I try to do
that every day I'm around. They're lucky enough.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
To be you really seem to be someone who likes
human connection.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Oh yeah, I do. If for no other reason, then
I don't know what else we can measure success as
other than how we relate to other people and whether
or not they feel seen or appreciated, because there's, you know,
a litany of ways to celebrate a great job well done,
(13:27):
whether it's an award or you know, a accolade, verbal accolade.
I would like to think that when I'm gone, I'll
be remembered as someone who considered the people that I
was lucky enough to be associated with and working with.
So that's the goal. Yeah, I have told people that before,
(13:48):
So that's why that's not what I have.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Oh look, you're already thinking about it. I like it.
I like it. You have to. But that's awesome, and
I appreciate that. I'm a people person too. I'm all
about human connection, real human can For what you.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Do as a fan of the show, you have such
a propensity for allowing that access and comfortability to feel
willing to be vulnerable and open, and you do that
through rhetoric, and you also do that through a profound
amount of patience. So what I'm innother words, when I'm
getting at is people who are willing and open to connection.
(14:22):
I feel tend to make for the best conversationalists or
people that you know. I don't know if I'm much
fun at parties, You're not the one. I'll find the
little back room and we'll talk about something. Yeah, that's fine.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yeah, I'm the same way. I mean, me and my
twenties maybe was a little different at this point.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Take time, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
That's what I'm a little different. That's that's really cool, man,
all right, walk me through this. Yeah, you hear a noise,
you stop, You hear a noise again, you turn around.
Slow motion terror crosses your face. It's what I call
the slow motion scare. How do you master that?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
That's a it's tricky you're talking about on set or
just in life?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
No one on camera? I like, how do you mess?
Are the iconic slow motion scare?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Of course? No, it's a tried and true staple. I
feel like you can be hell. I love that we're
moving back towards the practical element of actually having a
thing to react to and have something to incite your
emotional response. In the case of something like hard Eyes,
we had a hack on set pretty much every day.
(15:35):
So you if you want to think about horror as
it relates to any other timing prescient genre. Comedy is
very similar where you feel that delivery. I'm not a
great comedian by any means, but you when you're watching
a stand up comedian do the thing, you feel that
timing as it gets closer to the punchline. And I
(15:57):
always think of when you're going through those moments where
there's dread and tension being built up. You feel it
like in your empathetic with maybe your limbic system is
talking to you, and it's like this moment where the
tension has to break, and that's when you do your
whip around and you're you know, you're you would never,
you would never make that face, make that sound. I
(16:20):
don't know. That's okay, I know my place watching your movie.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I maybe did. I maybe did take it. That's amazing.
So from one horror movie to another, you're also working
on screen seven.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
So yes, what do you want to know? Are you
the opening kill?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Wouldn't it be funny if I just told you right
now whether I was man?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
That would I tried, I try to say it really fast,
so maybe I threw you you are well trained. You
were well trained. Okay, I see you team over there.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I family got me wrong. I am yeah. No. I
also am worried that someone from the studio would slight
me through.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
So it is life or death, all right? Fair enough?
Can you tell me if you've filmed it already?
Speaker 2 (17:12):
You know, it's hard to answer that question because I'm
doing press for Hard Eyes and for both Spyglass movies,
so a lot of what they're willing to do is
made easier by the fact that I'm called in different
places from the same people. So I've done a lot.
There's still stuff to do, but I'm in New York
(17:32):
right now, so I just have to get my rest
in while I can't.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
How do you feel about spoilers? You know, people posting
pictures online trying to piece it all together, like do
you see it? What are your thoughts on that.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I see it? I think this is me speaking personally.
You'd have to ask a studio executive how they feel
about it. I love that a fan base care is
enough to do the research and do the investigation for me.
I've never been worried like I'll be. I'm an anime fan,
(18:06):
I'll only do is spoil stuff like Usher spoiled a
crazy thing on his TikTok. Yeah, but I will still
consume the content. I will still go watch it and
almost anticipate that moment, which for horror is kind of
fun because you'll watch it and be like, is this
the part where the thing happened? I was not descriptive
at all, But I don't think a spoiler necessarily ruins
(18:30):
a movie. Not that I'm gonna give any spoilers right now,
but I do. I do feel like even if you
were to suss out a lot of the elements of
a thing, the context and the tension built up with
and it will always make it fresh when you see it.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Do you get to read the entire script ahead of
time or are you left in the dark for a
movie like Scream.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
As for this is embarrassing for five, they not only
didn't give us the final act, but I didn't know
who the killers were until after the movie was done,
and we were sitting getting ready to get on the
plane and go home, and I was sitting with a
(19:11):
spoiler alert for Scream five right with Jack and Mikey,
and I think Jack Jack had like blood under his nails,
and I was like, where are you filming the end
where I got killed? And I was like, oh, who
killed you? And then I realized Melissa stabbed him fifty
(19:32):
thousand times and he was the killer, which, on the
bright side, made it fresh for when I saw it
in real time in the theater. That's my real reaction.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
But wait, you chose not to read it or you
just want it.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
They never gave it. They never gave it to me
during COVID, so we couldn't, like, go visits sat willy nilly.
I've never said willy nilly, and I just did that.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
I like it. I'm bringing it back, so I'm going
to bring it back.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
It sounds better coming out of your Mouthain.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I don't know where it came from, but I'm bringing
it back before where I came for.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Someone's got to started. But no, they now they didn't.
I never got the third act because Chad gets bloodied
up in the second. They did give me the ending
bit where I get wheeled down on the ambulance, but
even that was a late call because I was supposed
to die, and then they changed their mind for one
reason or another. So this script, you've read this script
(20:22):
I have read, so now I'm now I'm legacy cast.
There you go. Yeah, excuse me, yeah, hell yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Let me ask you. I know you can't say much,
but is it Were you happy with the script?
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Like it?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Will we all be terrified?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Of course, I will say, I hope this is It's
the most brutal I think ghost Face has been from
a anatomically logistical standpoint. There's a lot of blood and viscera,
and I feel like with Kevin Williamson directed brilliant, truly
and clearly mentally sadistic and have a lot to look
(21:00):
forward to to what we do to.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
These yeah, these characters. Yeah, good for you man. Well,
I'm I'm very excited for that journey for you too,
because you know, I feel like you've done so many,
so much great work out there. I do you feel
like Scream kind of put you into this international, worldwide
household fandom and well deserved because you're you're now a
critical and crucial part of that franchise. I grew up
(21:24):
with the franchise from a as a young age. I'm
probably a decade older than you.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
And what are you talking about?
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I just turned recording.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I just turned your eyes literally gave me the butterflies.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
I don't want this interview to ever and man, yeah, yeah, yeah,
god the most charming guest, as I said in the beginning.
But but yeah, I'm just turned thirty nine. I grew
up with the originals, and it's just cool to see you.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
You're thirty nine. Nothing wrong with being thirty nine, that's radish.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
But see, I'm the age where people are like, wait
a minute, you're that age. So that does kind of
make so you know I'm getting up there, I guess. No,
I hear, bring it on, bring it on. I'm ready
to stop. This is not about me. Okay, So my
last scream question to wrap it all up. Did you
know you would be a part of this movie or
(22:22):
did you find out really close to the beginning, Like
what was that? Yeah? Was that?
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Yeah, like you've known for a while.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
No, it's no. It's obviously touch and go for a
lot of reasons. But I will say because Radio Silence
has been given so much leab or project acts in
this case, because Radio Silence define six. But they are
(22:50):
so loving and willing to involve my understanding of the franchisees,
it moves forward that it was always like little conversations
and catch ups. But that's more caveat to the fact
that I don't really tell me much until it's need
to know, and I kind of have. I'm kind of
(23:12):
jaded in a lot of ways because I was kept
out of the script process for five and six in
such a way that I just didn't get an ending
to those and now I do. So I feel maybe
like my answers yes right, because I you know, I
didn't get a script before and I did. Now I
feel like I'm moving up right, I would say, so,
I'm trying.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
So you knew your place was secured in this one? Not? Well, yeah,
I guess if like I earned it hard. That's hard.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Well, that's hard to answer without you seeing the movie,
and you know, dependent on how one read the script,
that answer varies. Which is the most noncommittal way. Respect that,
I respect part of the anyway.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
I respect that, and I think it's really cool, like
I said, that you're part of such a big pop
culture moment and that it kind of, you know, gave
you a springboard to lead your own horror film now,
which I believe will become a franchise hopefully.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You know, I would do for the rest of the.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
I just think it's such a badass film. What I
like about you is you seemingly seem to have balls
of steel. And what I mean by that is I
know that when you were in meetings for the original Scream.
I don't believe you had a real audition, did you?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Actually you have an audition.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
You had a meeting with the creators and you brought
up a paper you wrote at N y U right,
N y U two?
Speaker 2 (24:38):
You did.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
I didn't. I did, graduated again a little earlier than you.
There we go, There we go, and you brought up, like, Yo,
I wrote this paper about it, and you offered for
the creators to read it.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Read it. Well, they did ask And I was like,
I'm not going to pass a an opportunity to engage
with the franchise beyond like what if I didn't get
the role? What if I did after audition I didn't
get it. I was like, I just want this paper
to mean something because and the paper was about what
it was about Scream and the like your love for
it sort of the I don't know if I remember
(25:17):
the prompt, but I do know the thesis was just
that Scream was maybe more so than any other franchise
Right for Revival, given the meta narrative and the ability
to touch on different cultural or social dynamics present.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
In the world.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And when they were discussing in that original meeting, it
was Chad, Matt, and Tyler, and they were talking about
what they wanted to do with five, it felt resonant
to what I had written, just why I don't just
go around not just like, hey, can you guys please
I do that now? But for others I usually love poem. Yeah.
(25:55):
But they we talked for like two hours and at
the very end was like, you know, I about this thing.
I gave it to them. That whole thing was because
I was supposed to. I was supposed to audition before
like pre COVID, I think for like Ritchie, which is
jack Quade's character, And for some reason I got lost
in my email. I never saw it, so I didn't
(26:17):
so it looked like I was like eh, And they
were like, all right, well, let's can we meet. Can
we set up a meeting with the team and see
if it's a good fit and then maybe read for
this other character Chad, And sure enough we had the
meeting sent in the paper. I heard nothing for two
weeks and I was like, damn, it was that bad.
I remember the paper was pretty good, that's fine, and
(26:39):
then they put an offer in and the rest was
thankfully history.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
And so that paper could have sealed the deal for.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
You could could have which is crazy because I don't
remember getting a great grade on it.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I don't recall, well, that's seach, you're just an understanding,
clearly clearly.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Down on horror is a medium. That's their fault. But
that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
I love that story because I think it shows that
sometimes an unconventional way of going about something can reap
the greatest rewards.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That was always there was always something I heard growing up.
It was like, there's no rules to it. Yes, Like,
especially in acting, it's like, however you make your mark
or showcase your ability, whether it's through thoughtful, you know,
endeavors like letters or essays or whatever. It's like, sometimes
it's best to just take that chance and showcase society
(27:33):
of your personality you can't get from like a tape,
which every director hates me now because I just told
every actor writing right, write a collegiate MLA format essay,
send that in.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
But it worked.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It worked, so it proves in the pudding.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah, there we go, there we go. It's cool. Like
I said, I think, I think we're in this day
and age where you can create so much of your
own work and bring it to life if you really
believe in it and stay at it, and yeah, push
you know yourself to do it. And I think that
there's no one path to anything nowadays. I never would
have imagined being here today like you just. I think
some of the best life, you know, Like I think,
(28:08):
the best things in life sometimes happen when you do
do something that's maybe a little riskier or unconventional, like
so many people in your position could have said, Oh,
I can't, I can't bring that up like they're going
to think I'm crazier. They're not going to want to
read it. They're going to think I look desperate or.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Hence the balls of steel.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
That's why you have the balls of steel.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
See, that's why I love for reasons. I love social
media because it has an opportunity to highlight voices and
talent that might otherwise go overlooked, and to watch a
younger generation involve themselves in creative means that past generations
just didn't have the chance to is really inspiring. And obviously,
(28:50):
you know what that looks like is having different cultural
touchstones of you know, I love that little black boys
and black girls can put dances on TikTok and go
viral and then launch us a career of you know,
content and artistry in its own right. So I think
there's plus size to everything. I'm an optimist. If you
(29:11):
couldn't tell no, I try no.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
I like that about it. I like that you're a
very positive, forward thinking person, and I imagine that's something
you've chose at a young age to be and you've
had to kind of cultivate. How did you cultivate that?
How did you become this way?
Speaker 2 (29:29):
That's it comes from a lot of trial and error.
I would say I was a younger kid with a
lot of image issues and insecurities, especially because I was
one of the bigger I guess facets of my childhood
was being overweight. I was like three hundred pounds by
the time I got to like eighteen nineteen, and I
(29:53):
spent every day. It's funny because people would always say
back then, it's like, you'll lose the weight, you can
slim out, and I was like, you don't understand when
you're that when you're heavier than people are telling you
is allowed. You don't spend time at least I didn't
spend time wanting to lose weight. I wanted to literally disappear.
(30:16):
I wanted to like fold into myself and not take
up space. Was like a big thing. That's why paradoxically
would wear really tight clothes like I would wear skinny
jeans and tight T shirts because it made me feel
like I could physically take up less space in a room.
So that when I decided, through you know, conversations with
(30:40):
people that I trusted and felt safe with about acting,
I understood that my desire to change my physique or
take my fitness to in a direction that I felt
would help me. It was not from a place of
wanting to like disappear or like lose something a part
(31:02):
of me, but just to make a change that felt
like a more authentic version of myself. And you know,
I feel better about it every day. That's why I
love talking to people about like fitness and diet stuff.
Not that I'll get into that now because it's boring.
It's math basically, but I spent so long loathing my
(31:24):
physical appearance and how I was that instead of letting
that become part of my personality, a I consider that
other people might be experiencing the same thing, and how
I might be able to recontextualize that, and just like
an opportunity for growth or change. And then you know,
as a public figure, there's a lot of discourse online
(31:48):
about like the way one looks or things you say.
And the longest time, I was always like, I promise
you there's nothing you could say to me that I
haven't said to myself. And the strength that came from
that is like, I'm still here And despite it hurting
to consider that I ever felt that way about myself.
(32:11):
I think part of growing up is realizing the version
of yourself that you were as a child was really
trying their best and just creating space not only for
the younger me that really loved oreos and pop douds,
but for other people that maybe deal with you know,
the same trials and tribulations to come with you know
(32:32):
that experience.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
So do you ever feel that younger you, that version
of you creeping in today that you have to kind
of quiet down?
Speaker 2 (32:40):
No? I love him for experiencing the hardship that he did,
and I try to make space for him. Now, that's
why I act like a goofball, because I felt like
as a kid, I tried to tried to keep myself
from any social settings because I knew what the perception was.
(33:02):
I knew how I would kind of be perceived, and
it felt safer to isolate or be insular with my
with my own thoughts about myself, which is not necessarily
the way to go. So as an adult, I do
a lot of work to be patient with myself and
who I've been and recognize it as just part of
(33:23):
the journey. And some of the best moments I've had
have came from reconciling with that. That a lot of
work I've done seems to be paying off because I
can be positive and still feel like I mean it,
be positive about myself or about other people, and have
it feel genuine, like when I give someone a compliment
(33:44):
like your beautiful fucking face, I mean that because I'm
looking at it and perceiving it, because it is that,
not just trying to get one over on you or
say something that sounds nice.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
You say what you mean. It's very clear though, hope,
so you're that kind of a person. You leave with that,
you know, and I think through going through what you
went through as a kid and kind of being your
own worst critic, right, do you think that that, in
a weird way prepared you for being in the spotlight
where everybody has an opinion and now you're able to
not let that affect you unless it does affect you.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
No, if it affected me, it would only be in
so much as you know, my work is out there
to be consumed. I'm no idiot. I know that art
is subjective, and I certainly don't think I'm above or
exempt from criticism. So I welcome it and accept that
is just part of the processing, learning and growing. I
(34:40):
do think I can separate the punitive comments that are
just meant to like bother me, right, and the constructive ones.
That's why, Like, you know, there's stuff that a lot
of stuff that some people seem to perceive as negative.
I tend to find humor in Like the NEPO baby thing.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Was over that conversation. I'm so over that conversation. But
I stop, crap, It's clearly I'm sure you trigged me.
Now I need to That's part of the I'm trigged.
I'm trigged. Now I'm upset.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
You understand, first of all, for me, that was part
of my upbringing and part of my psychoses that I
had to understand as moving into you know, uh, the
acting and Hollywood landscape. But also case in point, that's
a term that was kind of contextualized as being pejorative.
And as time goes on, I feel like people are
(35:37):
starting to realize that that's present in most industries. Yeah, yeah,
you know, a lineage of.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
You don't think if my dad was the biggest doctor
in the world and I wanted to be a doctor,
he'd say, let me get you a job as a doctor.
Of course he would like, of course, that's just how
the world works, you know. And and now you triggered me,
and I'm sorry, I need to talk about it. And
I almost think, and this might be controversial to some,
but I almost think if you come from a parent
or a sibling or whoever who's doing the job that
(36:06):
you're now doing, you have to prove yourself even more interesting.
I think now it's like, oh, well, let's see if
that person has it like so and so does, and
you have to maybe the door opens for you a
little easier, but once you're in that door, you better
deliver and improve yourself or you won't have a career,
no mistake, you won't have a career. So that's why
I get bothered by that conversation.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
No, rightfully so, because it does take away from the
hard work that a lot of incredible artists and in
this case, doctors are capable of doing despite their lineage.
I also feel like being able to, you know, adopt
certain ideologies and understandings or even methods from past generations
(36:47):
is inherent to the job. It's like what makes acting
so fun as you can build upon it.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Yeah, and if you if.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
That source is a family member, you can at least
have that discourse. I couldn't say I really had that experience,
but I do love talking to other NEPO babies and
hearing their experience in being able to call on, you know,
parental figures and have those discussions that because it is
like a privilege, or at least like an asset. I
(37:16):
would say, but the work is, the onus on the
artists to do that job is always present. So that's
why I'm like, I don't know where the discourse goes
or how it turns negative as it relates to specific
artists because they're so good. But I can also understand
(37:36):
that the dynamic between privilege and all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
I just don't like throwing around buzzwords. I think it's
I'm tired of and i'mbward of it, like everyone move
on from that conversation, and and it's it's not.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Good, but that's why you're good at what you do.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Well. I don't know about that, but I just I
think there's so much more than meet CI. But I
think for you, when you look at your career and
everything you've accomplished in industry that's very difficult to achieve
success in and now leading your own big movie releasing,
you know, nationwide on February Sevenebruary seventh, February seventh, you
(38:17):
must be so proud of everything you've accomplished, right, So
are you able to look at your career and say, wow,
you know what I'm doing it like I'm proud of me?
Or is that a weird thing for you?
Speaker 2 (38:28):
It's it's hard to I don't know, because that's a
binary and so much as like I'm either proud or
I'm not. And I think the nuance is enjoying, enjoying
the moment as it's sort of happening for me. Took
a long time to work on. Whereas I don't know
(38:50):
if I could me personally, I don't know if I
could look at my career and say, wow, you're really
doing the thing without looking ahead for like, well, what
are we going to do next? As I just know
I invite that juxtaposition between what I've done and what
I want to do. So a huge aspect in getting
older and in being a performer is taking it a
(39:13):
job at a time and really affording all my excitement
and my belief in myself and my pride into you know,
making this one as you know, meaningful as I can.
The pride i'd say I feel is the pride I
(39:33):
say I feel in work done is whether or not
my mom has watched it. It's like a big one,
and you said I was my bit biggest critic. She
will let me know if she likes or does not
like a project, and that's why that's why I'm like,
I just want her to I just want her to.
Like one man, that's going to be the best day.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Of my life.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
One of these days she's also my biggest fan. She
bought she just bought a hard Eyed T shirt. I like,
look what I found on the internet, and I was like, oh,
I hope you like the movie.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
That's so cute.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
She will, I know, she will.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
I love to hear that. I love to hear. Well, Mason,
we are at that point in the show Yeah, where
I ask every guest that comes on the same question,
which is based off the title of the show. So
I'm wondering, is there something that you can think of
today that you've never said before that you want to say?
Speaker 2 (40:22):
That's right. I am a way to say this doesn't
feel as if I'm applying a level of self importance.
So in college, I was studying psychology. I was there
for writing in psychology, and there was a class. You
might hate this given the conversation we just had, but
(40:43):
it's my story, so that's fine. There was a class
on adolescent psychology where we were discussing the dynamic that
children as in adolescence between the age of birth to
four or five six maybe so on the relationship they
have with their parents and how the understanding of mom
(41:04):
and dad is more ethereal at that point. It's like
the mother as in one who gives life and all
those things, father, those concepts, and how you realize over
time naturally that they're just people and that mom is
mom and dad is dad, and vice versa and whatnot.
(41:26):
And the separation, if done and properly, can lead to
a lot of different psychoses and whether it's trauma or
experiences later down the road. And as the professor was
talking about a relationship between an understanding of our parents
as not only people, but as you know, ethereal beings,
(41:49):
I raised my hand and I was like, Hey, what
what happens if the subject has a parent who is
a pub figure and the relationship you have to them
is mostly parasocial, regardless of the amount of personal time
or physical time that you spend with them. She goes,
(42:14):
I think that's more of a you thing, and that's fair.
But it it allowed me to consider not just in
the context of my family as it exists now, it's
it put me in a place at this time I
wasn't acting. Now I am now I have a whether
it's a level of you know, experience in the industry.
(42:38):
I realize that my relationship to my children and even
to the people that consume my content and what it
means to be a you know, public figure, so to speak,
and how the relationship between you know, who I am
personally and how I'm perceived is inherence different and me
(43:02):
it as time goes on, I reconcile with that every day.
A lot of times I feel like I know certain actors,
even my father, better as personas rather than as people.
And the work that has to be done to kind
(43:23):
of mitigate that and actually create human relationships. That's probably
where I value them so deeply. But yeah, it terrifies me,
but I feel like it makes me this is the
optimist coming out. It makes me grateful for icons like
the late Chadwick Boseman who put in such a prolific
(43:46):
amount of work to be showcased as understanding the cultural
impact that not only he as an actor had In
Jackie Robinson forty two, I think, and specifically for me
at least Black Panther and the amount of work he
would do in different Black communities and for you black youth.
(44:09):
In recognizing his position as a inspiration and as a
Zeitgeist defining persona, he put in all this work to
you know, uplift and be that figurehead beyond any personal
dynamic that he had with that same Chadwick persona, and
(44:32):
that to me was not only inspiring, but it's kind
of the ethos that I take into my work, is
recognizing the separation between who I am and who I
will be parasocially and just trying to be the best
version of myself that I can be. Hence the positivity.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Yeah, I've never told anyone that, nor did I think
about that ahead of time. That one somewhere crazy, But
on the bright side, I stuck true to my word.
I've never said that before or so hopefully it landed
with a modicum.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Of I'm pretty impressed you are. You are a very
impressive person.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
Oh that's okay, Now this is where I can't take
com Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
I mean that that was an amazing answer, and I
think it gives a really cool insight into who you
are as a human beyond the actor, right, because so
many times people conflate the actor with who that person
really is and the roles they couldn't be farther from
who you are usually. I mean, there's similarities, but you know,
you are your own person, and I think that's really
(45:32):
cool insight into you.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, I like that that relationship goes both ways, as
someone like a Bozeman can recognize the onus to be
that figurehead in the most positive and all encompassing way
as well as the people that consume it and can
you know, support that work by going and seeing it
and engaging with it. Kids dress up as black Panther
(45:55):
like you see that. You see the discourse happen, and
that is that is why I love my profession. That's
why I do it. And obviously that's a high bar
that I may never achieve. But on the bright side,
I can try.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Well, something tells me you're gonna have a very long time.
You're gonna keep doing it, keep killing it. I could
talk to you for four more hours. I mean, what
a treat this has been, Seriously, Like, I just I
think you're awesome as a person and as an artist,
and I think you have a lot of exciting things coming.
I hope, So I do I do all the way away?
I have one bone to pick before I let you go. Yeah,
(46:31):
or maybe it's a question because I genuinely need to
know why in the world.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
Yeah, do you.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
X your eyes out on all of your Instagram posts?
Like why am I looking at X's and not your eyes?
I see your eyes right now. They're great eyes, sweet,
very nice eyes. Why do you ex them all out?
Speaker 2 (46:49):
There's a longer answer, which I don't know if you
have time for, but most of it's about ownership and
the understanding that like, if I'm taking photos of someone
while I'm out, I don't want to implicate that I
feel as if I have ownership over their likeness as
it relates to my eyes and axing them out. The
boring answer is just that I get bored of looking
(47:09):
at my face and I want to.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
Do But you do know there's a lot of people
that want to look at.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
Your face and love and you're ripping that away from
So I just want you to think, next time you're
doing an edit on a picture, what would Tommy say?
What would sometimes they do? Just one eye?
Speaker 1 (47:24):
I know that I know that too. That's even more
annoying because it's like all balance and I'm so type A.
I'm like, it's either both or none. So all I'm saying,
if you get nothing else from this conversation, the world
wants to see your eyes. So maybe you can just
put aside that you don't want to see yourself. That's
that other people do. I'm gonna let you simmer on it,
(47:44):
and change doesn't happen overnight. No, no, don't worry. If
you put up a photo with your eyes, I'm going
to I will scream in a pillow. You know. Let's say,
by end of year, we'll see your eyes.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
Okay, we'll see hard eyes. We will see hard eyes
on February seventh, Hard eyes everywhere. Movies are available, everywhere,
movies are availed.
Speaker 1 (48:07):
Go see it. It's fantastic, Mason, Thank you so much.
Thank you such a pleasure. Of course you can, of
course you can. That was awesome.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
Than Oh, you're great, great, great.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I've never said this before. Is hosted by Me Tommy Dedario.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Publisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
never said this before. It is part of the Elvis
Duran podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review
and subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(48:47):
tell your friends. Until next time. I'm Tommy de Dario
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show ON DEMAND News
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