August 1, 2025 • 11 mins
On this episode of “Tommy Talk,” Tommy shares what interviewing your favorite stars at a red carpet premiere is really like…and it might surprise you! Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review for this episode!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, guys, welcome to Tommy Talk, a new weekly series
that is part of my I've Never Said This Before podcast,
where I am talking about things that I've never really
publicly talked about before. I have a lot of great
guests on and we hear from them and learn so
much about them. I thought it was time I showed
a little bit more about me and some of my
views and opinions.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And we're going to rock and roll.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Okay, So today's topic, what working on a red carpet
really is? Like, I see this question pop up quite
a lot, and I think that it looks probably more
glamorous than it is. And with that, I'm going to
say I love it. Like, for me, working in a
red carpet is some of the most exciting work in
the world because you are live in the action.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
There's so much going on.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I am such a geek for TV and film and
well all art, theater, all of it that just being
in that environment for me is so exciting.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
But a lot goes into it. So here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
So let's say I'm assigned a red carpet. With the
red carpet, you're obviously talking to the cast of the movie.
Let's say, but then other people show up who want
to support the movie. Right, So I start by doing
extensive research on every single person I am about to
talk to. You sometimes get to see the movie, sometimes
(01:18):
you don't, depends on how secretive the studio is being.
I prefer to see it so I have a little
bit more context on what it is I am talking about,
but it doesn't always work out. I would say it's
like fifty to fifty if you get to see it beforehand.
So that means you have to really dive into the
project and read as much about it as you possibly can.
So I am on my laptop googling everything I can
about the movie, looking up production notes, and then not
(01:41):
only that, and then looking up notes on every single
actor I am about to talk to, not only related
to the projects. So I'm googling interviews they've done. I'm
looking at magazines that they just were in and reading everything.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
But then I'm going on their social media.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
I'm going to, you know, other articles that were published
in the last year, just to see what kinds of
things I want to talk about with them. Because you
have a job to do, you have to go and
get really interesting, fun soundbites from this interview that makes
your bosses happy but also makes you feel like you
do a great interview.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Right.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
So the research alone, it's days and days and days
of prep. You don't just show up and say I'm here,
let's talk, or you know, somebody writes your questions, it's
it's me. I mean, I prefer I write my own questions.
Of course, I have a producer who will give me
ideas too, and we'll talk about it, and I'll happily
take some of their questions, but I like to really
craft my own interview because then I feel like I
really know what I'm talking about and I know what
(02:34):
I'm doing, and I think it makes for the most
interesting conversation. So research and prep that is all phase one,
which is just like I said, days and days and
days of prep. Then you write your questions, and I
don't like to read from cards when I'm on a
carpet or in a junket or anything like that. A
junket is when you go in a room and sit
down with the cast for like six minutes, and it's
(02:54):
more of like a one on one or one on
four kind of interview. A carpet is one on one
you get maybe two minutes with everybody. It's very quick,
and I like to have my questions in my mind.
That's also why I like to write them, because it
helps me remember them. I if you see my work,
you probably notice I don't really read off anything.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I don't like that.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I don't think it forms true connection with who you're
talking to. I want the eye contact. I want them
to feel like I'm hearing them, I'm listening to them,
that they are seen, because it makes for a better conversation.
So I kind of get all of the questions in
my mind ready to go. I spend some time, you know,
kind of drilling them into my mind. I actually tend
to walk around my home or walk outside, doing my
(03:32):
steps and looking at my scripts so that I can
get them into my body. It's kind of when I
was an actor what I used to do, so it's
one of my tricks. I really really go over them
repeatedly as I do steps around my home.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Which always helps me.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
And then you show up to the carpet and it
is like a zoo.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I think people often.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Assume you show up and it's all glamorous and calm,
and it's not like, let me tell you it's not.
I just cover the Jurassic World birth premiere. And here's
a perfect example. It was in Lincoln Center. They took
over the entire plaza. It happened to be a major
heat wave in New York City. It was I think
in ninety nine degrees real feel one oh three. The
(04:13):
carpet was outside, there was no shade, The sun was
beating down on us, there were no fans.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
We were all sweating and drenched.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
It was so unbelievably hot, the kind of heat that
where you walk outside you feel like you can't breathe.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
That's how hot it was.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So you have to show up for the carpet about
an hour prior to a beginning. You show up, you
check in, you get situated on your spot on the carpet,
and then you wait and there's a waiting game. So
I tend to kind of go over my notes, make
sure the camera shot looks good. But again, that's an
hour in the blazing heat. So it's it's quite hot,
(04:50):
and you're in this line of people who you're kind
of like shoulder to shoulder with and it's a mosh
pit of people everywhere between the camera crews, the photographers,
the other reporters, producers. It's just like a line of
people all squeeze together, and these actors make their way
down the carpet, going from person to person a person,
so you're kind of like elbow to elbow. You don't
(05:11):
have much room. It's usually pretty pretty hot, especially if
you're outside on a day like that, and then the
carpet opens, So when you do a red carpet, you're
not always guaranteed talking to everybody. You're just not because
there's a lot of external factors. So sometimes the actors
arrive super late and they only have time to talk
to two maybe three outlets the most. Sometimes there's just
(05:36):
too much press on the carpet for them to get
to everybody. Sometimes they have to go and do things
the studio wants, like cast photos, which takes maybe ten
minutes out of the time that they should be talking
to people on the carpet.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
So you can't control who you're going to get.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
You hope that you're going to get everybody, and you
certainly have a job that you want to try to
get everybody, but you can't really control it. And this
is why relationships matter. So because I've been doing this
for a minute. I know a lot of publicists and managers,
so when I see them and they see me and
we say hello, they'll tend to bring someone over, even
if they don't have time, because that's just what happens
when you have a friendship with somebody. So anyway, the
(06:11):
carpet opens, the stars start coming out, and you start
doing your interviews and you have maybe two minutes with everybody.
I mean they're quick, they're quick. Bites are not long form.
And because there's so much going on and these stars
have to get places, their managers start tapping you.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
If you ever watch my interviews or any interview.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
You'll start seeing publicists tapping the reporter on the back,
and that's them telling you to wrap it up. They
have to go to somebody next. So it's not fun,
by the way, to have somebody tapping on your back
when you're trying to conduct an interview and be attentively listening,
like to just have someone hitting you. Not the greatest,
but that's the system that seems to be in place.
So you know, they wrap you up pretty quickly and
(06:49):
then it's on to the next And here's the other thing.
Sometimes you have the big yets that you need to
talk to, and you don't have time to talk to everybody,
and a lot of the managers want you to talk
to everybody, so you have to pay lightly say oh
my gosh, I would love to but I can't right now.
I'm waiting for so and so, or can you come back,
or you know, I'm so sorry, We're just we don't
have time to talk to this person. So there's a
(07:09):
lot of navigating that as well. Not only are you
responsible for getting who you're talking to, you have to
kind of navigate who you want, who you're saying yes to,
who you're saying no to, And a producer helps with that,
but because you're out on the carpet and the producer's
usually behind the stand, you're the one that tends to
say that. So you're navigating that on the carpet and
making sure no one's upset and being you know, proper
and pc and polite and all of that.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So it's it's truly just.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
A lot at once, and what usually happens is all
the big kind of headlining stars of the movie come
at one time, so it's like you'll have a lull
in the beginning and then it's one interview after the
next interview, off the next interview, and it's back to
back to back to back, and you have to know
everything you want to say to each person. That's where
the prep work comes in. You don't I don't read cards.
I don't have time to sit. They're reading cards or
(07:52):
switching to the right card when somebody comes, like, I
want to be ready to go. Scarlett Johansson's up, Jonathan
Bailey's up, Hershall is up, like I want to know
exactly what I'm saying in my mind to everybody, because
it's fast, it's quick, and that makes her a better moment.
Now here's when another story that's interesting. When I say
relationships matter, Jonathan Bailey came a bit later to the premiere,
(08:13):
to the carpet, I should say, And when he showed up,
I thought, oh man, I don't know if I'll get
a chance to talk to him, because he's probably only
got time to talk to a few people, and I'm
not the first four I'm not at the top of
this carpet, so I didn't know. And him and I
have a i'll say, like a loose friendship, like we
did a big talk together at the ninety second street
(08:34):
Y and it was amazing it was with him in
that pomer And we've kind of kept and touched a
couple times a year after that, so you know, we're
not super close, but we have like an industry relationship,
I'll say. And he saw me down with the carpet,
and I saw him and we gave a big wave.
And I haven't seen him since doing that event almost
a year ago, and I saw that time was running
(08:56):
out and he was talking to an outlet and I
think he only got two outlets in and then to
go actually make it to the premiere, which began at
seven pm. And I thought, oh man, I'm not going
to get him. This was a really important get for
my bosses. And all of a sudden, him and his
manager start like blining right towards me, cuts everybody else
off the carpet and comes right towards me, and his
manager says, his publicist says, you.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Have two minutes.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
We have to go, and he gave me a big hug,
and I said, oh my god, this is so sweet.
So like they came over after not talking in a
pretty much ninety percent.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Of the carpet.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Because we do have that sort of loose light friendship
and wanted to make sure he saw me that I
felt seen. And we did an interview together and it
was the nicest thing he did because it was a
big interview to get and that's why I say relationships matter.
And we had a great conversation and gave each other
a big hug, and he left and went to the
premiere that started. So it's important in this business to
(09:49):
foster real relationships, right, not fake ones, not Hollywood ones.
Like I genuinely am interested in whoever it is I'm
talking to or reaching out to, and I want to
form those connections and that's an example of why they matter.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And that was such a nice thing to do.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
He is such a good guy, and I sent a
little note thanking him because that was just really classy
of him.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So all of that to say is these carpets are crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
And after I'm done with one, I get home and
I need to be in silence for like an hour
and a half because my brain is catching up to
what just happened, and I'm like, I just need a
minute of quiet. So I usually eat some food, like decompress,
and going to bed is the hardest thing. The n
I have a carpet because there's so much excitement, and
then usually the next day you have to track your
piece and then the piece errs. But it's a wild, wild,
(10:34):
wild kind of I guess type of job. It's just wild.
It's I love.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
It, it's fun, it's exhilarating.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
But a lot of people ask me, oh my god,
it's so glamorous what you do, and you feel like
you just got thrown into a boxing ring with forty
five people after you do a carpet.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
It's just a lot. So that's the truth behind my.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Carpet, and I hope to continue giving you some more
insights into this wild line of work that I do.
I've Never Said This Before is hosted by Me Tommy
de Dario. This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Piglisi
at iHeartRadio and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney.
(11:17):
I've Never Said This Before 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,
tell your friends.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Until next time. I'm Tommy de Dario
Hey, guys, welcome to Tommy Talk, a new weekly series
that is part of my I've Never Said This Before podcast,
where I am talking about things that I've never really
publicly talked about before. I have a lot of great
guests on and we hear from them and learn so
much about them. I thought it was time I showed
a little bit more about me and some of my
views and opinions.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And we're going to rock and roll.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Okay, So today's topic, what working on a red carpet
really is? Like, I see this question pop up quite
a lot, and I think that it looks probably more
glamorous than it is. And with that, I'm going to
say I love it. Like, for me, working in a
red carpet is some of the most exciting work in
the world because you are live in the action.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
There's so much going on.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I am such a geek for TV and film and
well all art, theater, all of it that just being
in that environment for me is so exciting.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
But a lot goes into it. So here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
So let's say I'm assigned a red carpet. With the
red carpet, you're obviously talking to the cast of the movie.
Let's say, but then other people show up who want
to support the movie. Right, So I start by doing
extensive research on every single person I am about to
talk to. You sometimes get to see the movie, sometimes
(01:18):
you don't, depends on how secretive the studio is being.
I prefer to see it so I have a little
bit more context on what it is I am talking about,
but it doesn't always work out. I would say it's
like fifty to fifty if you get to see it beforehand.
So that means you have to really dive into the
project and read as much about it as you possibly can.
So I am on my laptop googling everything I can
about the movie, looking up production notes, and then not
(01:41):
only that, and then looking up notes on every single
actor I am about to talk to, not only related
to the projects. So I'm googling interviews they've done. I'm
looking at magazines that they just were in and reading everything.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
But then I'm going on their social media.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
I'm going to, you know, other articles that were published
in the last year, just to see what kinds of
things I want to talk about with them. Because you
have a job to do, you have to go and
get really interesting, fun soundbites from this interview that makes
your bosses happy but also makes you feel like you
do a great interview.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Right.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
So the research alone, it's days and days and days
of prep. You don't just show up and say I'm here,
let's talk, or you know, somebody writes your questions, it's
it's me. I mean, I prefer I write my own questions.
Of course, I have a producer who will give me
ideas too, and we'll talk about it, and I'll happily
take some of their questions, but I like to really
craft my own interview because then I feel like I
really know what I'm talking about and I know what
(02:34):
I'm doing, and I think it makes for the most
interesting conversation. So research and prep that is all phase one,
which is just like I said, days and days and
days of prep. Then you write your questions, and I
don't like to read from cards when I'm on a
carpet or in a junket or anything like that. A
junket is when you go in a room and sit
down with the cast for like six minutes, and it's
(02:54):
more of like a one on one or one on
four kind of interview. A carpet is one on one
you get maybe two minutes with everybody. It's very quick,
and I like to have my questions in my mind.
That's also why I like to write them, because it
helps me remember them. I if you see my work,
you probably notice I don't really read off anything.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I don't like that.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I don't think it forms true connection with who you're
talking to. I want the eye contact. I want them
to feel like I'm hearing them, I'm listening to them,
that they are seen, because it makes for a better conversation.
So I kind of get all of the questions in
my mind ready to go. I spend some time, you know,
kind of drilling them into my mind. I actually tend
to walk around my home or walk outside, doing my
(03:32):
steps and looking at my scripts so that I can
get them into my body. It's kind of when I
was an actor what I used to do, so it's
one of my tricks. I really really go over them
repeatedly as I do steps around my home.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Which always helps me.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
And then you show up to the carpet and it
is like a zoo.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I think people often.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Assume you show up and it's all glamorous and calm,
and it's not like, let me tell you it's not.
I just cover the Jurassic World birth premiere. And here's
a perfect example. It was in Lincoln Center. They took
over the entire plaza. It happened to be a major
heat wave in New York City. It was I think
in ninety nine degrees real feel one oh three. The
(04:13):
carpet was outside, there was no shade, The sun was
beating down on us, there were no fans.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
We were all sweating and drenched.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
It was so unbelievably hot, the kind of heat that
where you walk outside you feel like you can't breathe.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
That's how hot it was.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So you have to show up for the carpet about
an hour prior to a beginning. You show up, you
check in, you get situated on your spot on the carpet,
and then you wait and there's a waiting game. So
I tend to kind of go over my notes, make
sure the camera shot looks good. But again, that's an
hour in the blazing heat. So it's it's quite hot,
(04:50):
and you're in this line of people who you're kind
of like shoulder to shoulder with and it's a mosh
pit of people everywhere between the camera crews, the photographers,
the other reporters, producers. It's just like a line of
people all squeeze together, and these actors make their way
down the carpet, going from person to person a person,
so you're kind of like elbow to elbow. You don't
(05:11):
have much room. It's usually pretty pretty hot, especially if
you're outside on a day like that, and then the
carpet opens, So when you do a red carpet, you're
not always guaranteed talking to everybody. You're just not because
there's a lot of external factors. So sometimes the actors
arrive super late and they only have time to talk
to two maybe three outlets the most. Sometimes there's just
(05:36):
too much press on the carpet for them to get
to everybody. Sometimes they have to go and do things
the studio wants, like cast photos, which takes maybe ten
minutes out of the time that they should be talking
to people on the carpet.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
So you can't control who you're going to get.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
You hope that you're going to get everybody, and you
certainly have a job that you want to try to
get everybody, but you can't really control it. And this
is why relationships matter. So because I've been doing this
for a minute. I know a lot of publicists and managers,
so when I see them and they see me and
we say hello, they'll tend to bring someone over, even
if they don't have time, because that's just what happens
when you have a friendship with somebody. So anyway, the
(06:11):
carpet opens, the stars start coming out, and you start
doing your interviews and you have maybe two minutes with everybody.
I mean they're quick, they're quick. Bites are not long form.
And because there's so much going on and these stars
have to get places, their managers start tapping you.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
If you ever watch my interviews or any interview.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
You'll start seeing publicists tapping the reporter on the back,
and that's them telling you to wrap it up. They
have to go to somebody next. So it's not fun,
by the way, to have somebody tapping on your back
when you're trying to conduct an interview and be attentively listening,
like to just have someone hitting you. Not the greatest,
but that's the system that seems to be in place.
So you know, they wrap you up pretty quickly and
(06:49):
then it's on to the next And here's the other thing.
Sometimes you have the big yets that you need to
talk to, and you don't have time to talk to everybody,
and a lot of the managers want you to talk
to everybody, so you have to pay lightly say oh
my gosh, I would love to but I can't right now.
I'm waiting for so and so, or can you come back,
or you know, I'm so sorry, We're just we don't
have time to talk to this person. So there's a
(07:09):
lot of navigating that as well. Not only are you
responsible for getting who you're talking to, you have to
kind of navigate who you want, who you're saying yes to,
who you're saying no to, And a producer helps with that,
but because you're out on the carpet and the producer's
usually behind the stand, you're the one that tends to
say that. So you're navigating that on the carpet and
making sure no one's upset and being you know, proper
and pc and polite and all of that.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So it's it's truly just.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
A lot at once, and what usually happens is all
the big kind of headlining stars of the movie come
at one time, so it's like you'll have a lull
in the beginning and then it's one interview after the
next interview, off the next interview, and it's back to
back to back to back, and you have to know
everything you want to say to each person. That's where
the prep work comes in. You don't I don't read cards.
I don't have time to sit. They're reading cards or
(07:52):
switching to the right card when somebody comes, like, I
want to be ready to go. Scarlett Johansson's up, Jonathan
Bailey's up, Hershall is up, like I want to know
exactly what I'm saying in my mind to everybody, because
it's fast, it's quick, and that makes her a better moment.
Now here's when another story that's interesting. When I say
relationships matter, Jonathan Bailey came a bit later to the premiere,
(08:13):
to the carpet, I should say, And when he showed up,
I thought, oh man, I don't know if I'll get
a chance to talk to him, because he's probably only
got time to talk to a few people, and I'm
not the first four I'm not at the top of
this carpet, so I didn't know. And him and I
have a i'll say, like a loose friendship, like we
did a big talk together at the ninety second street
(08:34):
Y and it was amazing it was with him in
that pomer And we've kind of kept and touched a
couple times a year after that, so you know, we're
not super close, but we have like an industry relationship,
I'll say. And he saw me down with the carpet,
and I saw him and we gave a big wave.
And I haven't seen him since doing that event almost
a year ago, and I saw that time was running
(08:56):
out and he was talking to an outlet and I
think he only got two outlets in and then to
go actually make it to the premiere, which began at
seven pm. And I thought, oh man, I'm not going
to get him. This was a really important get for
my bosses. And all of a sudden, him and his
manager start like blining right towards me, cuts everybody else
off the carpet and comes right towards me, and his
manager says, his publicist says, you.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Have two minutes.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
We have to go, and he gave me a big hug,
and I said, oh my god, this is so sweet.
So like they came over after not talking in a
pretty much ninety percent.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Of the carpet.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Because we do have that sort of loose light friendship
and wanted to make sure he saw me that I
felt seen. And we did an interview together and it
was the nicest thing he did because it was a
big interview to get and that's why I say relationships matter.
And we had a great conversation and gave each other
a big hug, and he left and went to the
premiere that started. So it's important in this business to
(09:49):
foster real relationships, right, not fake ones, not Hollywood ones.
Like I genuinely am interested in whoever it is I'm
talking to or reaching out to, and I want to
form those connections and that's an example of why they matter.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And that was such a nice thing to do.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
He is such a good guy, and I sent a
little note thanking him because that was just really classy
of him.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So all of that to say is these carpets are crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
And after I'm done with one, I get home and
I need to be in silence for like an hour
and a half because my brain is catching up to
what just happened, and I'm like, I just need a
minute of quiet. So I usually eat some food, like decompress,
and going to bed is the hardest thing. The n
I have a carpet because there's so much excitement, and
then usually the next day you have to track your
piece and then the piece errs. But it's a wild, wild,
(10:34):
wild kind of I guess type of job. It's just wild.
It's I love.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
It, it's fun, it's exhilarating.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
But a lot of people ask me, oh my god,
it's so glamorous what you do, and you feel like
you just got thrown into a boxing ring with forty
five people after you do a carpet.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
It's just a lot. So that's the truth behind my.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Carpet, and I hope to continue giving you some more
insights into this wild line of work that I do.
I've Never Said This Before is hosted by Me Tommy
de Dario. This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Piglisi
at iHeartRadio and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney.
(11:17):
I've Never Said This Before 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,
tell your friends.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Until next time. I'm Tommy de Dario
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show ON DEMAND News
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