Gleeful Guest Star Aisha Tyler

She's one of the hardest and busiest working people in the biz! You've seen Aisha Tyler on Friends, Criminal Minds, Whose Line Is It Anyway, and Glee!
Jenna and Kevin catch up with 'Jake's mom' to talk about her first time playing a parent on-screen, getting the call from Ryan Murphy, being in an acapella group in college, the song she wishes she could have performed on the show and the secret to her success!  Plus, could we be more excited?! Aisha shares some fun scoop from her time on Friends, like getting the gig over other A-list stars also auditioning for the role, how the cast made her feel, the pressures of shooting in front of a live audience, and what Matthew Perry said to her before her first live taping! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
And That's what You Really missed with Jenna.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to When That's What You Really miss Podcast. We
have the what is it the jack of all trades?
Is that what you call it?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah? A renaissance woman, Yeah, jack of all trades.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
She's done everything from creating a Margarita ready to drink
Margarita to being on the biggest TV show. And I'm
not talking about friends as Charlie currently on Criminal winds
on Paramount plus directing up the wazoo.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
I can't even I don't even know that I could
name her resume, like when they ask for like a
short bio from people. I don't think she could do it.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
No, And she is one of the most solid human
beings you will encounter. It's someone you meet and you
just want the world for them, like I. She could
never be too successful. I want her to do everything
when everything, have it all because she deserves it.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
And Glee got a little bit of her, not enough.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
But just a taste. And we're lucky to have even
gotten that.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
I you should Tyler, everybody, Oh.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
So do you?

Speaker 4 (01:27):
Hi?

Speaker 3 (01:28):
You? I have like sweat pants right below.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
You always take sweatpants above like one workout clothes right
below that.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Great, God, I love it. Thanks for asking.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
You're just the hardest working person in the showbiz.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Very slutty, She's just aren't we ally? We really are,
like I would be slutty er someone would give you.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
A not There's no way to slushame us.

Speaker 3 (01:59):
We are horror positive.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Get out here a My only answer is yes, exactly
said least don't even finish the sentence yes.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
They're like, no, I don't care, I'll do it.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Thank you so much for being here. You are busy,
so it means a lot that you fit us into
that schedule. You know, truly, I.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
Really I feel like this is like probably the only
way where we're going to see the three of us,
like the same.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Thing on the street, Like we bumped into each other
somewhere on the street.

Speaker 4 (02:32):
I feel like that's the last time I saw either
of you was like in a random place, like a
random social place.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, totally, yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Well, yay, are you filming right now?

Speaker 3 (02:43):
I am not.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
I'm on a hiatus, okay, but I'm I'm leaving on
money to direct an episode of television in New York
And then I have like a week off and.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Then I go we go back to criminal minds.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Amazing.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, So I mean I'm just like it's a lucky
I mean, are lucky aest year, I'd feel like, you know,
just you have the years where you're like most of
the years we're just sitting around staring at each other,
and then I just have happened.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
I happen to like get the jackpot. This yere with work.

Speaker 4 (03:10):
But next year, next year, you'll see me. It's fires
market trying to make jam of some kinds.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Jams and preserves.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, and jams.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
They've got shreamoya, no idea what that means when I'm
buying one.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
Well, we're happy that you're working one of us from
one and the three of us.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Somebody's got to do it.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
Literally, I will be there making crafty crappy for you
guys next year.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
We love it because also it's like when it happens
to good people, good people stay working. You're the best.
We've said it before, we had such I mean we
didn't even directly work with you, ugly, No.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
We like never had a scene together anyway.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
No, but people don't probably don't know that, like you
are just the kindest person and have like somehow nurtured
a friendship between all of us and have maintained it
over the years. And obviously not everybody does that. We
had a lot of guest stars on the show who
were great and talented and so nice, but you show
up every single time and it just means a lot

(04:12):
to us. I'm sure so many counties not in advanced, but.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
I, as I said, I'll do anything.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
So you were podcasting, like before podcasts were even a thing.
I remember coming on your podcast I probably ten years ago.

Speaker 4 (04:28):
It was ten years ago, because I feel like I
put it to bed like in twenty fifteen maybe, and
I'd done it for five years.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
So yeah, yeah, totally. Isn't that crazy?

Speaker 1 (04:40):
It was your podcasts were a thing. You were like
so ahead of the curve.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
It was me and Mark Marin and Adam Croleer that
we were.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Like, oh, well, three brilliant people. That's why you guys
are like, here's what we should How did that happen?
How did you get into that?

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Oh my god, I don't even know.

Speaker 4 (04:58):
You know, I wish I had like a great origin story,
right like magical visionary. I felt like back then there
it was just Mark Marin like he was doing a podcast,
and then the idea like it was super early and
very organic, and it was like, oh, you can just
do this yourself totally.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
And we're never in control of anything, so it's nice
and people like, no, we can actually control round.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
I can just make this right.

Speaker 4 (05:22):
And I feel like I did a couple of test episodes,
and I mean, you know, you guys have both you
have a show and you've been on them. There's a
strange alchemy that happens when you talk to someone for
an hour and it's like so intimate and fun.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
And maybe I had been on a couple of like random.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
Podcasts and so like you know, like early podcasts, and
I must have done Marks at some point, and I
just was like, oh, this is so fun.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
It'll be so fun just to talk to people for
an hour.

Speaker 4 (05:44):
And it's also an opportunity, I mean to like get
your friends, to grab your friends, like we're all running
around like maniacs. And I did it a little bit,
and I like, I just loved it so much, and
I really only put it to bed just because like
at the time I got like a little too busy,
like you know, because it's tough. It's tough to book people.
Everybody's got stuff going on and you're like when you're like, hey,
I have two hours on Saturday, they're like, who is this?

(06:07):
I mean, things like kind a little hectic, But I
loved it, and it was like, you know, I mean
that you you kind of I mean this sounds creepy,
but you call it. You kind of fall in love
with your podcast.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
Guests, you know what I mean. It's rare that.

Speaker 4 (06:20):
You spend just an hour talking to somebody about their
lives and you know, so I just found it like
really beguiling, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (06:28):
And you're so good with people. You are just like
watching your interact with people, Yeah, you are.

Speaker 3 (06:32):
You're the just a nerdous I'm just like a dork,
you know what I mean. I just feel like I'm
like the like the seven year old me that like
was playing alone on the playground.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Just so you're you're also just like the curious kid.
You just want to know what's going on.

Speaker 4 (06:48):
And I think that's a good trait to have on
a podcast, right, like just to be curious about somebody. Yeah,
I feel like even the ones, like even the podcast
with people that were.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
Like totally out of my wheelhouse.

Speaker 4 (06:57):
Like I interviewed like a guy who was like a
world poker to cham and bunch of scientists and stuff
like that. It was just like so interesting and as
actors too, just to like hear about somebody else's life
and like you know how they got to where they were.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
Yes, yeah, I loved it.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
I think we should talk about Glee first.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, is that why we're here? I don't know.

Speaker 1 (07:25):
I don't know, kind of. I mean sometimes you talk
about Lee. Okay, So you were cast is Jake's mom
and you worked with Jacob artists.

Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yes, stick up artist who has like I mean literally
like a like a self defining name, like a destiny.

Speaker 1 (07:40):
Name truly, and we called him the man, the myth,
the legend, Jacob art Legende.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
He really is.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
Tell me about or tell us about how how the
gig came to be what you were presented with, Like
did you see watch Glee before?

Speaker 3 (07:58):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (07:58):
Like I was, I mean like this closure, I don't
think that I was wonder what I mean, I don't
even actually.

Speaker 3 (08:02):
Know what the Glee army would be called? Where they
glee heads really leaks gleeks? Okay?

Speaker 4 (08:06):
Good, they were gleeks, So I was not a gleek,
but I did love the show. And I was in
an a cappella group in.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
College, so like like which felt so obscure.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
I mean, I think I'm a singer. Don't catch me
a karaoke because I'm I'm I'm a nightmare. That was
like everyone's like ma'am, ma'am, ma'am. One at a time,
like I'm really, it's not okay. But that world felt
very specific, like I went to an East Coast school,
it's very East Coast, and I remember being so delighted

(08:38):
that there was a show about something that I felt
like really niche, like I didn't think a lot of
people knew about it, and I loved my time in
that group.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
It was not as exciting or as sexies. The time
that you guys had there was not all be boning
and the magic that you guys were doing.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
I don't know what you're talking about.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
I was like so exciting.

Speaker 4 (08:57):
I was like, we should have tried harder, like we're
just like you were just like oop ping and looping
and booping and bopping and because it's just like going
am But but I loved it. It was great to
see it like ritt large on the screen, you know
what I mean. So I knew the show and I
had seen episodes of it. I had done an episode
of Niptok like three thousand years ago for Ryan, so
he knew me from that. And and like it was

(09:19):
an offer, which like I rarely I mean, you know,
you know how it is. We're all up here trying
to get a job.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
So it was like that. It was like an outright offer,
was like a lovely thing, which you're always excited when
someone thinks enough of me do just like offer you
a job? For sure? Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm doing
a boost.

Speaker 4 (09:34):
But I was excited because like you guys were you
were like I mean, you never were not at your peak,
like you know, it's amazing. I mean every show has
ebbs and flows, but I never remember feeling like Lee
wasn't like a fire show that everybody knew and loved,
you know what I mean. And also I feel like
it was such a specific show, like there's there's been

(09:54):
nothing like it before since this kind of hybridized musical comedy, drama,
big emotions, like big cultural swings, do you.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
Know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (10:04):
Like everything at once, like and then it could be
so funny, but also that like really really impactful dramatic
moments and really big like socio cultural moments, Like all
of the queer stuff was like so great, and so
it felt so like bandguardish, just like so at the
point of like what we should be talking about in
terms of like young people expressing themselves and being fully themselves,

(10:24):
like in all these different ways.

Speaker 3 (10:26):
It's like I was stoked, you know what I mean.
I mean, that's kind to play a mom. I was like,
you know, A yeah, I still I loved being a
part of it. You know, it was lovely.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
It's interesting, you say because it walking that line of
drama and comedy, because I think the first few years
when were nominated in the comedy category, like this makes sense,
and at some point it seemed like it shifted. We're like, oh,
this feels like a drama, but I feel you're so
good at towing that line where the scenes you came
in to do were sort of like subtext, very heavy

(10:56):
of like the situation, but still found this like beauty,
a full like levity and joy and humor in it
that was just so nice to watch because that's not
easy to do and it's like a weird complicated topic.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
It was a it was just such a hybrid. Yeah,
Like the show was just such a hybrid as show.

Speaker 4 (11:15):
And I mean literally, like thinking about it, I can't
think of this is not the only show I could
think of that like came to mind. That was like
it is ted Lasso, So like I guess I guess
Ted Lasso owes its existence to Glee, So that's right.
But you know, just it was it was really special
and and like to have.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
So many like like meme like memifying or memifiable moments
and then to have these really big emotional beats that
I think a lot of young people had to have
been feeling.

Speaker 4 (11:45):
Like finally, like I can point to this show and
I can use it as a way to like articulate
how I'm feeling. And you know, either whether it's internal
or external, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (11:54):
I loved it. It was it was I did I
you know, I didn't get to do enough, but I
loved being there.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
When the offer came in, were there possible promises of
a musical number?

Speaker 3 (12:06):
No, oh no, no, no. How many moms I mean
I have some moms actually gotten saying first of all,
you know but I've never played. I think that was
my first time slaying a mom.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (12:16):
So I had to get over. I had to get
over how old.

Speaker 1 (12:20):
Is my childhood?

Speaker 2 (12:21):
The existential crisis.

Speaker 3 (12:23):
I was twelve when I had him, like I adopted him.
He's when I was sev he was sixteen.

Speaker 4 (12:34):
Exactly my brother. He's my sensory, my brother. But I
I like, I just it was such a it just
was such a juggernaut. So it just felt really easy
to say yes to. But no, they never promised me
I was going to sing.

Speaker 3 (12:46):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (12:47):
That never came up from conversation. It would have been
It would have been great. I mean it would be
great to get a mom in there somewhere right, sure, yeah,
that would have been especially club right I was, I
was a glee I mean I could have absolutely met
a gleek.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
I could have been like singing. I would have done it.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
Do you know if Ryan knew that beforehand?

Speaker 3 (13:04):
You know what Ryan's mind is a swirling Yeah, like
what it's in Ryan's.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
Line, everything down that road.

Speaker 3 (13:17):
He sees all so true.

Speaker 4 (13:21):
Exactly and knowing everything you know, you can never focus
on anyone building an empire. So no, I don't think
I brought it up. Also, you know, I mean actors,
of which we are all one. There's always something where like.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
You like, uh, you know, I also say I can
twilve a ton. Just stay your lives.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're like people to be here.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Thank you's happy to be here. And you'll find me
a crafty when you need me.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
That's it exactly.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
I have questions for you, guys. I do because it
was like it was such a time so so it
was such a I'm sure.

Speaker 4 (14:03):
You answered the question million times, but it was such
a specific kind of show. Were you back and you
had to sing and you dance? What was the audition process? Like,
was it like Broadway? Did you have to like what
did you have to.

Speaker 3 (14:13):
Do because like most of us are just like reading
like two pages of kind of like middling dialogue into
like a phone camera now right, Like, well, how intense
was that process?

Speaker 1 (14:23):
Not as intense as you would have thought.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, or they probably should have vetted us a little more.
I'm glad they did not.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
So initially we had to read for one of the
characters in the pilot, and then we had to sing
a song and that was.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
It, and you could pick whatever song you were going
to sing? Her did they give everybody?

Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah, and he just picked whatever song and some people brought.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
Instruments and what did the two of you sing? What
did you sing? Okay?

Speaker 1 (14:50):
I went the Broadway route. I sang we yes, of
course I was on Broadway at the time, like, I'm
gonna sing Broadway.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
So I actually, I know.

Speaker 1 (15:04):
Here's the funny part. I didn't even have to sing
in my first audition I got.

Speaker 3 (15:07):
I got pushed right through. Well you know, she doesn't wave,
and everybody sailed.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
She has a show tonight, you can't.

Speaker 4 (15:18):
Early. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
No, none of us had to sing.

Speaker 3 (15:24):
Who are in the oh?

Speaker 2 (15:25):
I had to sing?

Speaker 3 (15:26):
You did okay?

Speaker 2 (15:27):
I had to sing? I sang let it be and
butchered it as the story goes. But then I got
brought back two days later. It was like, you know
how this never happens where He's like, okay, so when
you come back unprepared two songs and you're gonna do
an additional scene. So I found out in the room
that I was coming back. I was like, I thought,

(15:47):
I just bombed this audition.

Speaker 3 (15:48):
Okay, great, wow, amazing, that's amazing.

Speaker 2 (15:52):
Because Jenna was in New York. I was in LA
my second audition. I went into Ryan's office on Paramount
and it was just like the full table of like fifteen. Yeah.
I was scary, but we got brought in early. We
I got to rehearse with the pianist and then I
went in.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
I just remind you of that.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
Anyway, I forget it.

Speaker 2 (16:20):
They didn't get flown in until two months later.

Speaker 1 (16:22):
My dude, no no, I saw Ryan in New York though.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah, but then you got flown in.

Speaker 1 (16:27):
The I did get flown in a poet and my
studio was my studio test was taped, so I only
had an hour test.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
I did four.

Speaker 3 (16:40):
Ball sweat the ball sweat of.

Speaker 1 (16:42):
A and it was like it was legit. It was
like they used to do tests where you know the
suits are it's a it's a stadium of suits.

Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yeah, just.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
No dancing, no dancing. And they learned very quickly that
they needed to add in a dance audition for four
people that came in, because that was a journey.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Like when Jacob auditioned, he had to dance.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
And he but he was his name is take of artist.
So he literally came in like double dutched and made
a Polus.

Speaker 1 (17:12):
He differed from Juilliard.

Speaker 3 (17:14):
God, everybody's so overqualified. I love it.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
What did you have to do for Friends?

Speaker 3 (17:30):
Oh yeah, talk about that.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
But you're getting on the biggest show ever to play
a gigantic character where people are not brought on to
stay around that often.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
So like in our.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
Situation, we didn't know what the show was going to be.
You were like, I should not.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
Kill you not maybe not as anxious because you're like,
I don't know what this is is a job, but like, yeah.

Speaker 2 (17:52):
Whatever, you fully know what you're getting into.

Speaker 4 (17:56):
Yes, So that was really interesting in that, like I
had I had been in La for a little bit
at that time, and like Friends had been a hit forever, right,
And so like if you were studying acting back then,
like you had to study sitcom acting, like that was
because it's so specific and we don't really have any
four camera shows anymore, you know, not really it's not
a thing, but amazing. It's like a way of delivering

(18:20):
a line in a very specific way. And so I
was studying it and one of the things that I
did was I just watched Friends every day.

Speaker 3 (18:26):
Right.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
It was a double quadruple pumped, like you know, like
like during the news hour, right, like the pre what
do they call it, early prime, like five to seven
or six day.

Speaker 3 (18:34):
Right, you get like four episodes of Friends. So I
just watched it every day.

Speaker 4 (18:38):
And I was doing stand up at the time, so,
like you know, I was a vampire. So I'd semple
now and then I'd work out, and then i'd like
eatable with Cereal and watch Friends, and then I'd go
to stand up.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
So by the time I auditioned for Friends, I.

Speaker 4 (18:47):
Had seen every episode of Friends, like every single one,
which didn't make me confident. It just made me know, well,
I know, I I know how to tell a Friends joke,
Like we're gonna do well, right, am I going to
do it properly? But I I know how they tell
jokes on Friends, and I could tell a friend's joke.
And I went in and ob see if I can remember,

(19:08):
because it was a long time ago, I do remember that.
Like they hadn't written the character as any kind of ethnicity,
and there were a lot of women in there of
varying like looks and feels, all of whom were way
more famous than me. I mean, like I mean, I'm
talking like Lisa Bone was in there, and yeah, and
I was like clear. I was like, they have me
here so that they have somebody to compare her to,

(19:30):
so that they can like feel like they did get
their job exactly like we got we got a and.

Speaker 3 (19:35):
Then we got like these like stretching camp and.

Speaker 4 (19:39):
Then I did the audition and I just do remember
like feeling just just that I could tell this joke,
like I could tell it, like I know the how
they do it.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
And I read with David. He was lovely, like so generous.

Speaker 4 (19:49):
I'm so like you know, and it's so intimidating, right,
and like, oh he is so good he is and
was so good about understanding like this is the biggest
show on TV. Everybody here shitting their pants. What can
we do to make this like not so terrifying? So
I read with him It was lovely. It was in
a really tiny room. I think it must have been like,

(20:10):
you know, the bright coffin crane like Triumvirate in there,
but I can't really remember. And maybe casting, but it
wasn't like a big thing.

Speaker 3 (20:18):
I think I only read once, Oh my god, isn't
that weird.

Speaker 4 (20:23):
Maybe it was twice, maybe like I read for casting
and then went back and read with David that seems
that seems more realistic.

Speaker 3 (20:28):
That must have been it, Like I read once and
then read for Dave with David, and then and then I.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
Got that stop pretty quick, right, right, I.

Speaker 3 (20:35):
Mean what they wanted.

Speaker 4 (20:35):
I mean like like like listen, that show could not
make a mistake back then, right, And and there was
something of an anointment like if they said you were funny,
then you were funny, you know, But then at the
same time, you couldn't tell a.

Speaker 3 (20:47):
Joke on that set.

Speaker 4 (20:48):
And I remember Lablong telling me that he's like anybody,
you know, and this wasn't a bad thing. He was
just like anybody, but like no one can get a
laugh and here but a friend. And he said that
like to make me feel better about that, like it
last like it's not your pop and you know, but you.

Speaker 3 (21:05):
Know, just it was just a cult and people just
love that show. And they took pretty good care of me.

Speaker 4 (21:12):
Like I remember at one point, like going into Martin's
office and I was like, oh, like I just I
just went into her office. She's like, it's not your fault,
it's hour I just couldn't get a laugh. She's like,
it's our fault. We need to write better for you,
and they did, and they really did, like write me up.
I was only supposed to do four episodes. They ended
up doing nine. Wow, Like it just like worked well

(21:34):
and they were very kind, like they were they had that.
I mean, it's the show was off the air, let's go.
They had been on the air at such a long
so for so long that one of the things that
was happening was like they get these huge stars on there,
and then the stars would just melt down under the pressure.
So they just being on the biggest show and like
six of the best comedic actors in the cut in

(21:55):
the world, and like, you know, people just terrified about
like trying to tell a joke.

Speaker 3 (21:59):
You know, it's it's hard. Drama's easy. Drama is way
easier than comedy. And so they knew it was.

Speaker 4 (22:06):
It was like a crucible and so they just specifically
the cast just knew. They knew that, and they did
a very good job being like welcome, if you need help,
if you have questions.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
Come to us of the psychology of all.

Speaker 4 (22:18):
Yeah, and just taking that pressure off because you guys know,
like past become an organism, good or bad or everything between.
There are inside jokes, there's eye contact, and then you
come in from the outside and the train is like
a bullet train out of a station and you're just
trying to hold.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
On for your life and not like it up. And
so everything you can do as a cast to be like, hey,
new guy, come over you let me show you where
the donuts are. Like they did a lot of that,
which really made it a lot nicer.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
That's so nice, especially because you're doing this in front
of a live studio audience. I sort of like mini theater.
You do have to all be on the same page.
And so I imagine, yeah.

Speaker 3 (22:57):
And did you guys, we didn't have an audience. You
would have an audience for like any of the live
performances like the stage stuff. Nothing. Yeah, right, So like
we would do we would do the show. It was
live on a Friday night, and then if a joke
did land, they would stop down and they would rewrite

(23:17):
the scene.

Speaker 4 (23:18):
And then you had to go back out there tell
the joke again. Nope, like learn new lines, go back
out there, tell the joke again. So it was like
the you know, yeah, very intense, and but you know
what was great was like they cared about the outcome,
so they wouldn't wouldn't let you drown.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
They were like that might you might feel the fun
in that you're here studying, like you're doing stand up
every night.

Speaker 3 (23:39):
Stand up Like that made sense to me. I was like,
yeahs going in that.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
World fit in perfectly better than let's say some huge
gigantic movie start coming in and name.

Speaker 4 (23:50):
Those gigantic movie TV stars. But like they suffered, you
know what I mean, because they were very accustomed to
no audience and then like they'll.

Speaker 3 (23:56):
Fix it later, they'll fix it in post totally, and.

Speaker 4 (23:59):
The audience just was everything that came out of that
cast MOUs like on on camera, off camera, they would
just like lose their minds, right, and then you know,
you'd be there like the new guy and they're like.

Speaker 1 (24:12):
Talking, that is so hard that happened mentally.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
Also, there's that going out I imagine, and then the
show goes out and you become famous over I.

Speaker 1 (24:25):
Feel like you must still get recognized the most from friends,
like oh yeah.

Speaker 3 (24:28):
From friends, right, yeah, yeah, I mean that's the show
has been off the air for like fifteen years, longer
fifteen years, and it's crazy because kids still watch it
like little kids.

Speaker 4 (24:39):
Yeah, you know, like little girls and all your old
girls watch it and reruns, especially like in Europe, like
it's still so Europe.

Speaker 3 (24:47):
So it is probably the thing I get recognized for
the most.

Speaker 4 (24:50):
I told the story a million times, but like that,
you know, you do the live show and then at
the end, it's very much like theater. Youn do a
curtain call the everyone house, and you're waiting in the
wings and they'll introduce like the guy starts kind of
in like increasing kind of responsibility, and then they'll introduce
the main cast. So like I would be one of
the last people that would go out before the main cast.
And right before I went out my first like the

(25:10):
end of my first tapping mtthe Perry lean in and said, get.

Speaker 3 (25:12):
Ready for your life to change. And it was just
such a sweet, generous, kind of like kind thing to say.
It was it like, oh, he was like, this is exciting.
It's going to be exciting for you.

Speaker 4 (25:23):
And and I never forgot that moment because it really
did change my life because I at that point, I
had been on I Want I'm really just I've been
on Talk Soup, and you know, we would get like
a million viewers, like cumulily over our like Tenny Riggs
a week in.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
Reruns, you know. And then I was getting a show
that was like a hundred million viewers globally, right, So
I changed.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
There's no way for that not to change your life.
That's a little bit, yeah, especially nine episodes.

Speaker 4 (25:48):
I mean I was just supposed to be like it
was just supposed to be in season nine and then
Night and I bridged all the way over to season ten.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
You were too storyline, you were too just a friendly lady.
I was just friendly and it did kind of great too. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:03):
I remember when you came on, like it was a
big deal. Yes, Oh yeah, it was a big deal
that there was like somebody new on, a new love.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
A love interest.

Speaker 3 (26:12):
Those are the right ones. It's a big deal, right,
especially especially that specific Lovenges right, that they were bringing
someone into the Ross and Races story like, that was
a big deal for sure, that you were.

Speaker 4 (26:23):
I did like that, Oh yeah, because I guess a
lot of a lot of the Ross love interest were
villains well, because everybody brought the Rachel together, so every woman.

Speaker 2 (26:30):
That came Yeah, so it was complicated and that's always interesting,
and you were funny and kind and could keep up
with everybody.

Speaker 4 (26:37):
I remember Floody, I mean I dumped it. I was
like voting Joey and and I was voting Ross. So
I really got mine in.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
A very friend way, better right way, better made way more.

Speaker 3 (26:48):
It was sweet.

Speaker 4 (26:49):
I mean they did they did, like they really did
like love lorneness well on that show, Like everybody was
always love sick over somebody, right, So it was like
it was like right, it was like the right tempo
for that because everybody was losing their minds.

Speaker 3 (27:02):
It was so cute.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
I feel like the dynamic of like when Glee came out,
it did well the first episode and then it grew over,
you know, six months, and we sort of had Ryan
there to shepherd us, you know, of like what success
expect x Y and Z.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
Did He did. He have those kinds of conversations with
you guys all the time. Early on.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
He would take a sense of just the cast and say, like,
your life's about change. People are going to come to you.
You talked about about, you know, like campaigns and brand
deals and you know, publicists. He really did try to
take us under his wing because he said, you know,
this is lightning in a bottle this what never happening
into you, So you know, trying to wrap your head
around right, grateful for that, and also how to navigate

(27:44):
it all. It was pretty wild and not to I.

Speaker 3 (27:46):
Mean like not like not to sound like a greeting card,
but like.

Speaker 4 (27:49):
Not to take it for granted, not in the way
of like because I feel like I talked like I
had this conversation with younger actors a lot, and like
when you have a big break, the pitfall the mistake
is to believe that it's always going to be like this,
Like it's really a mistake. And sometimes people don't want
to hear that, Like I've said the a couple of people,
they're like, I'm just like, I'm not telling you like

(28:12):
this is the last great thing that's going to happen
to you.

Speaker 3 (28:14):
I'm just telling you, no one can stay at eleven. Yes, permanently,
it just doesn't happen for anyone, anybody. No, no.

Speaker 4 (28:22):
And so to be mentally prepared to a be present
in the moment and really feel it and enjoy it,
but also know that it's impermanent gives you the like
the strength for when you're at running at four, because
you're going to run at four, because that's just the
way it's going to go.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
Probably everybody. Yeah, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
And yeah, but hopefully the peaks and valleys over time,
even out where you're like at a steady eight and
you're working, and when you're not working, you're growing and
you're being alive and you're not taking the valleys personally,
because everybody's going to hit a valley.

Speaker 2 (28:54):
It's just inevitable, totally, you know, And it's hard to
like when somebody says that, like, yeah, okay, sure for you. Yeah,
and I don't know, I'm famous now this is everybody
wants you. It happened to you, like, we're so I
feel like we're lucky in the You walked into a

(29:17):
crew that was so used to a gigantic level of
fame and responsibility for the people watching and for the
people on set, and to be able to have that
sort of guidance and safety net, I imagine forget it. Oh,
it's the difference between the day of someone losing themselves

(29:37):
and someone being you know, exactly what you just said.

Speaker 3 (29:40):
They were really generous, like I it's this is such
a weird we have such a weird job. It's really strange.

Speaker 4 (29:48):
It's and it and it's so so like I like
sometimes I just describe myself as like a professional clown,
you know what I mean, Like just like they're so.

Speaker 1 (29:56):
Exactly exclu literally they were like here we are the
clowns again, you know.

Speaker 4 (30:04):
And like just to find a way then also like
we're trying to portray real people, and this life can
really push you into a space where you're not like
living a real life and actually like presents it as desirable.
Like you know, if you literally like if you've arrived,
you're like riding around in a may box and you know,
somebody is like pumping up your butt for you on
a regular basis, and nobody, you know, you never cook

(30:25):
a meal for yourself, and you know, like how can
you portray a real person like when you have a
life like that?

Speaker 3 (30:30):
Right, So like for me.

Speaker 4 (30:33):
And I think it's been helpful to fight for a
normal life and to reject that pressure because there is
a lot of pressure on all of us to present
as if that's our life. And you know what I mean, yeah,
like what's wrong with you? Why aren't you like why
aren't you tiptoing to the supermarket? And you know, you're
a lubatants you know what I mean. Like, it's just insane,

(30:56):
it's not real. Why did you wear that sweatshirt three times?
Who on the planet it's a sweatshirt and wears it once? Right?

Speaker 3 (31:03):
Why?

Speaker 1 (31:03):
I loved when Tiffany wore that dress?

Speaker 2 (31:07):
Like times I have every time.

Speaker 1 (31:10):
I see that dress, I'm like, you know what, it
gets expensive.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
I have someone showing my ass on Twitter to like
you're pulling the Tiffany because I wore the same suit
and everything. I'm like, I don't care a lot of
money in this lady's suit. I'm gonna wear it exactly.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
My dream was that, but you go ball suit and
now I haven't and I'm wear it. Wear it.

Speaker 2 (31:31):
That's me with my tux. I have a Hugo bas Tucks.
I probably got gifted at some point, but like, I
know this is expensive and I'm gonna wear it everywhere.

Speaker 3 (31:39):
Why don't you show me? Why don't you show me
the last year and and show me that you haven't
repeated it? Outfit? Joe? Interest is you know.

Speaker 2 (31:46):
Exactly like this fits really well? I don't right, No, no,
don't come for me.

Speaker 1 (31:54):
No, it's true though, it's really easy especially like at
the level that we were working and I'm sure Global Yorking.
It's very easy to get lost in that world and
you pulled in and it's luxurious and glamorous until it's
not and then.

Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yeah, you just and it's a trick. It's a trick
like it's a trick like it makes you feel inadequate.

Speaker 1 (32:14):
For no reason, and you know you tied your worth
to things like that, and it's it's very it's very
hard to unravele.

Speaker 2 (32:21):
That, I mean very quickly, like especially because we would
have gigantic like stars come on and none of them
really acted insane or anything, but it was one of
those things where I'm like, I can you know, and
the tabloids and things you see people like spiraling out
and being on that set. And at some point we
had somebody like you know, come toab the sweat in

(32:42):
between musical numbers like off and we're like, guys, do
you see this, and we would check each other. We're like,
this is how people lose it, because of course this
is how you were. People are handing me a diet
coke with a straw. If I say I want something,
someone's gonna go get it for me, and then you
go home and you don't have that, and then that's

(33:04):
what you go crazy and.

Speaker 3 (33:05):
The rest of the.

Speaker 2 (33:08):
Yes, and so you could see how Quint just track
my ass right, But I just I'm astonished, like and
not surprised, just the invaluable because you've had such a
long and successful career that like one of the first
things and big things you did was one of the
biggest things possible and then you were given like normal,

(33:29):
solid foundational guidance to go out and then maintain it.
Because now you're on a gigantic show again, and it's like.

Speaker 3 (33:37):
Many many many years later, but you've been.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
On many gigantic shows in between as well. But it's
like I imagine going into it now, the mindset is
different because, oh, you tell me, I'm You're settled. You're like,
I know how to handle success. At this point.

Speaker 4 (33:55):
You know this is going to sound disingenuous. This is
gonna sound deeply disingenuous. So I polled this to you,
but you never are everybody listening. I never feel like
I've made it and I never feel successful.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
And that's not like a boohoo who at all. It's
not like I'm like, oh, I haven't gotten there yet.
It's more just like I, oh god, I sound like just.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
The snow, you don't know, I believe it.

Speaker 3 (34:18):
I feel super grateful to be working, like super lucky.

Speaker 4 (34:21):
I think about that a lot, like how lucky I
am to have a job right now in a business
that is contracting aggressively. And I think, if I have
one trick, the only trick is that like I didn't quit,
Like I really feel like, you know, like just I'm
just like a font of like you know, greeting card sayings,
and one of them is like the only way to
get to the finish line is not to drop out

(34:42):
of the race. So like, you know, there are plenty
of times in this business where I was like, this
is too hard, it's too unstable, I can't pay my bills.
I feel like shit all the time. You know, I'm sad,
you know, all this rejection is no fun. But like
I'm only here because I didn't bail out. And that's
not a magic trick. That's like maybe like a like
a kind of ongoing working on belief in myself, you know.

Speaker 3 (35:04):
But then you know, it's it's you know, it's it's
easy to wash out because it does any other job.
You work and then you get promoted and you work
this is like a you're like Sisyphus, you like push
the rock all the time and then you slot on
the bottom and you got to start over and there's
you know, there's no equity, right, so.

Speaker 4 (35:22):
You know, I guess even all the times when I
was at the bottom, I slip back down the bottom.
Like I just was like, this is not about failing.
This is just about a business that requires a lot
of you and and that requires a lot of tenacity.
And then I think about, well what do I want
my career to look like? And it's just like that
I kept growing and kept challenging myself because so I

(35:47):
don't know, do you guys ever think about this, like
oh yeah, okay, so do you ever think about like
And I know I'm not really an envious person because
that's like always smurve face time, but you sometimes think like,
wouldn't it be interesting to be Austin Butler.

Speaker 3 (35:58):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (36:00):
Are branded or they oh and just be super freaking famous,
you know at like twenty four and I I they're awesome,
and I like I'm super happy for them.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
So there's not an envy.

Speaker 4 (36:10):
I just like all I can have is the career
that I have, you know what I mean, and and
the things that I've done in the way that I've
built it. And and for me, what I what I
always felt like was like what I'd rather rather than
having a peak and then a big valley is just
rather build build builds them and be able to look
back at a body of work that I'm proud of,
experiences that I'm proud of, and.

Speaker 3 (36:31):
And also not have the oppressive press of like not
being able to go to a restaurant, yeah what I mean,
or like having.

Speaker 1 (36:38):
To have security.

Speaker 2 (36:39):
I think that's yeah, I think like growing up, or
like even when Glee happened, you feel the first way
of like, oh, it must be nice to be that
I can let me, let me try to be that
thing that those things a lot of times happen, not
because these these people are very talented, but it also
takes a whole other level of It's like having a

(37:02):
hit song.

Speaker 3 (37:03):
You never know if it's there's like some magic thing
that happens that no one can calculate.

Speaker 4 (37:08):
For super talented people and delightful people, delightfless like so
lovely I like Austin is just like an angel.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
Like every interaction with the nicest guy and super talented
at a.

Speaker 2 (37:19):
Worker, like they're all workers like they deserve it. You
don't get there without that.

Speaker 3 (37:24):
You can get super famous fast, but you're not going
to sta up there if you're not.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
They all respect the position they're in.

Speaker 1 (37:31):
Yeah, it's a magic dusting. It's like the right timing. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:34):
And so there's something else to realizing exactly what you
just said. I like there was that shift like during like, oh,
it would just be nice to maintain like some sort
of normalcy. I don't need to be famous. I enjoy
my life that I'm building. I enjoy being able to
afford things. But I don't need to like have a yacht,
but I would a house I don't worry about. And

(37:58):
do you think do like TV work or movies, whatever
it is that I enjoy doing. It brings people joy,
Like it doesn't need to be the biggest show on TV.

Speaker 3 (38:08):
It's like the fame thing.

Speaker 4 (38:09):
I think, you know, having ever been like ultra famous,
I can't really say what it would feel like to
be I don't know, like Beyonce or anything like that.

Speaker 3 (38:18):
But everybody still has to poop. Everybody said, everybody poops,
like the best selling book says. But but I do
think that, like the for me, any fame or infamy
is just a tool to get better work, to be
able to do good work, right, like just an opportunity.
You good work, you know, have access to better opportunities.

Speaker 1 (38:49):
You made your way into directing as well. I'm curious
how you got into it was something you were always
interested in and what what kind of took you to
that level, Like you're directing episodes and movies and all
of these amazing things.

Speaker 4 (39:03):
Now, yeah, I mean it was it was like kind
of a natural outgrowth of what was already happening, like
very YadA YadA. Like when I was a stand up
I did a lot of writing, and then when I
was on Toksoop, I did a lot of writing. And
then when Tatsuo met that, I was like, I still
feel like the urge to write, So I started writing
lots of other stuff. I wrote a book, and then
I was writing some scripts, and then I wrote a

(39:25):
script that I was developing and the producers were like,
you know you, it sounds like you have a vision
for this, you should direct it. And I was like,
I don't know what that entails or what that means
at all. You know, I thank you for your belief
in me, but I I didn't know what you just said.
And I just yeah, I went away and just started
studying and started chatting. And I didn't go to film school,
so I just started shadowing for people that are listening.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
That's when you just go, you know, it's like bring
your daughter to work day.

Speaker 4 (39:46):
Like I would go to directors that I knew, and
I would say, hey, can I hang around behind you
and watch you work and learn from you? And I
did that for a really long time, and then just
started directing little tiny short form pieces like I rended
cameras and I told all my friends that were in
a band, like, hey, if you let me hang out
with you for a couple days, I'll give you a
free music video. And I just teach me how to operate,

(40:06):
teach myself how to edit, you know, kind of concept
to pieces. And then I was like this is free,
like use it or don't use it. I did that
for a while and then I did a short film
in Ireland in twenty fourteen.

Speaker 3 (40:17):
It was like my first narrative short and I loved it.

Speaker 4 (40:20):
And then in twenty fifteen, I crowdfunded a feature and
I knew, I was I knew it was giving you
really tough for me to get somebody to give you
money for a movie, you know, I was like, you know,
like actress number oney.

Speaker 3 (40:33):
Seven hundred and nineteen.

Speaker 4 (40:35):
But I wanted to make a film, so I just
I just raised money and made Yeah, I made a
feature in seven days for like two hundred thousand dollars.

Speaker 3 (40:44):
And I know that insane. I know it was so crazy.
I'm a maniac. I need help. And you know what
it was.

Speaker 4 (40:52):
It was like we had this much money and we
were going to make it nine days. But if we
made it seven then we could afford more equipment. On
the days that we were working, right, we'd get an
extra you know, like another cop and another camera and
you know, a better process trailer.

Speaker 3 (41:03):
So and I remember thinking, oh god, what if I
hate it? Like what if this is really what if
I'm really bad at it? What if I'm miserable? And
I just I loved every minute of it.

Speaker 4 (41:13):
Everything went wrong on that movie, like yeh, camera, you know,
equipment broke, we got stuck in a parking lot. We
like had the cops pulled this over, so we'd created
a mile of traffic behind this.

Speaker 3 (41:23):
Car we were driving, like we had to throw out
a whole day's worth of footage because it's like it
didn't match. And like, still I still loved it. I
still loved it. And and then I was like, oh
this is what again.

Speaker 4 (41:35):
I'm just you should just call this episode the human
greading Card, because I was like, oh, I found what
I was meant to do, Like, this is what I
was This is what I was meant to do, you
know what I mean, which is a weird thing to
find like that, like later in life, like oh, this
is my purpose, you know.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
It makes sense. So it combines all of these things
that you're already great at in one job, in one position.

Speaker 3 (41:52):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (41:53):
I mean, I feel like I still love acting, but
like being being a director who was acted, Like I
love actors and I love talking to actors, and I
you know, like whenever I talk to people about the
work or when I'm interviewed for a job, I said, this,
here's all my technical skills and what I'm good at.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
But like a lot of times directors can't talk to
actors at all, and.

Speaker 4 (42:14):
It's like the first part of their day, and that's
the best part of my day, is like making actors
feel safe and giving them the space to create and
take risks and really feel like I'm going to take
care of them, and like they can really feel free
to like make mistakes and like, you know, get weird
and like I'm like, no matter what you do, I
promise you, I'm going to make you look great. My
job is to make you look great. Like I always say,

(42:35):
like if we want to want to marry adopter, fuck
you at the end of the thing, like I've failed.

Speaker 3 (42:39):
So like you just go like and like feel free,
you know.

Speaker 4 (42:42):
Because sometimes actors can get a little anxious. They're like, oh,
I'm going to turn into bad performance.

Speaker 2 (42:46):
That's to make it most of the time.

Speaker 4 (42:48):
Yeah, I'm like, it's my job to make you look fantastic.
Like that's literally my job.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
So do you have that experience with directors, Like did
you work with a lot of actor directors before you
started doing it.

Speaker 3 (42:58):
No, I've worked with some some actors who direct and
they're awesome, you know what I mean, Like I obviously
I'm biased, Yeah, and I think there are lots of
act directors who don't act who are really really great
with actors. But then you have directors who just stand
there and say it. I mean like that's sure, okay,
Like it's also my job to do a good job,
whether you're good at your job or not. But you
want it, you know, you really want we want to.

Speaker 4 (43:18):
Do something wonderful, right, and you wanted to feel collaborative,
and you know, I'm not going to name this director,
but there's an infamous story about a very famous director
where this actor is like, I don't We've been shooting
the scene for a long time and I'm not quite
sure like what's happening or like where my character is
in the storyline, and he goes, just shut the fuck
up and say your line, and like.

Speaker 3 (43:38):
That's not I mean shit, you know, and to do.
But we're not going to get her. That guy's not
going to turn into great. Yeah, I love it, and
I and I you know, it's still very hard.

Speaker 4 (43:51):
It's still like, you know, easy for me creatively, but
it's still I'm still building, still building out a career,
and I still fighting to get projects of the ground.
But on the TV side, I've been I've been lucky
because I got I did a couple of episodes of
TV early on that got caught the eye of other people,
and then I ended up directing every like getting to
direct almost every show in the Walking Dead universe, which

(44:12):
was really amazing, and it was just like such a
huge experience. Yeah, and I loved that show and I
was a fan before I got the job.

Speaker 2 (44:20):
So then I was just like, so, how does it
feel popping in? I always wondered with that with directors
who just I think it's so hard and so impressive
when directors can just pop in to a TV show,
especially that first time when you've never been in that
universe before, Like, how do you just jump in and
do it? Because it's not like you're jumping into a
show that has a crew are doing this every week

(44:43):
and so functional.

Speaker 4 (44:45):
You are coming in at somebody else's house to cook dinner, absolutely,
and everyone's like I don't like I don't like my
chicken like that, you.

Speaker 3 (44:50):
Know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (44:51):
That's exactly.

Speaker 4 (44:53):
Yeah, it's interesting, Like the job of a television director
is very different from the job of the film director
ight because on a film set, like you are like
your your word is is yeah, the vision you were
god right and everything comes.

Speaker 3 (45:05):
Back to you.

Speaker 4 (45:06):
And with TV, a lot of the tempo and the
look in the field, the show has been established already.
You're not going to be able to come in and
turn the ship. You're just there to deliver on a
vision that's already been established.

Speaker 3 (45:16):
But you also don't want to like engage in a
series of layups, right, You really want to bring your
own vision to the show so that you show them
that you have something specific to contribute. So it's really
like very much like.

Speaker 4 (45:25):
A kind of like a high wire active act of
like delivering something that people you know, like delivering something
that they know they're going to get, but delivering it
in a way that feels specific.

Speaker 2 (45:35):
And you need you as a director.

Speaker 3 (45:38):
Yeah, yeah, so you just you know, I mean you
do a lot of listening.

Speaker 4 (45:41):
You know, you do a lot of listening and paying
attention and kind of figuring out personalities and making sure
that people feel heard. And you know, the worst way
to come in is to be a dictator because everyone's
just they know you're going to be gone in three
weeks anyway, So like you know, if you're going to
come in, you know, game boisters are like whatever growth
you know, the clock is ticking, and there's a bunch
of professionals who have been doing that job for long
time and they know how to do it.

Speaker 3 (46:01):
So you really come in and you do.

Speaker 4 (46:02):
You come in with a specific vision, you're articulated, and
then you really open and you try to listen and
and really just give people to me.

Speaker 3 (46:11):
Director is not a dictator.

Speaker 4 (46:12):
A director is a really really great coach, like like
like a great NFL coach, And your job is to
create the best possible environment for everybody to do their
best work.

Speaker 3 (46:21):
Right.

Speaker 4 (46:21):
Yeah, you're trying to create it. You're trying to create
an environment for hot shots to be hot shots and
so recognize great talent and then healthfully amplify great talent.

Speaker 3 (46:31):
And then you know, get snacks, eat snacks, eat and
eat a lot of snacks.

Speaker 4 (46:36):
So eat a lot of breakfast brito guys. I never
met a breakfast breedo I didn't like, and I love it.
I eat it when I direct, because then you can
eat it and then you can point with it. You
could be like, Okay, now we're gonna do this scene.
You're gonna put a light over there, and then you're
gonna walk over there, and then I'm gonna.

Speaker 2 (46:51):
I just love like a weason.

Speaker 3 (46:52):
It is just my lightsaber. It's just like chicken avocado.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
There it goes an egg.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
It's the best. It's the best.

Speaker 1 (47:03):
But you're also still acting, which you love, and you're
doing Criminal Minds right now, which it has moved to
Paramount Plus. It had such an amazing life broadcasts. It's
so wild.

Speaker 2 (47:15):
I kind of getting bigger. Yeah, it's just bigger.

Speaker 3 (47:20):
I mean if I had a nic God. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (47:27):
But our boss loves Criminal Minds like a lot, and
she just started watching the one in Paramount Plus that
you guts that you guys are doing now and she's like,
but they curse and it's so weird and it's.

Speaker 3 (47:37):
Crazy, because is it weird? Is it weird?

Speaker 1 (47:39):
Like it's exciting, but it's also strange because it's a
totally different thing, Like you guys, you can do whatever,
So is that fun for you guys? Like, does it
feel any different?

Speaker 3 (47:52):
It is? It does.

Speaker 4 (47:53):
It's like we talked a lot last season, the first
season of Paramount that like, this is the show, this
is the show, this.

Speaker 2 (48:00):
Is the actually real show.

Speaker 3 (48:02):
Yes, exactly, like that.

Speaker 4 (48:03):
We were a little handcuffed when we were a broadcast
and then this is the show kind of it like
fully realized exactly.

Speaker 3 (48:09):
Like like unleashed, do you know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (48:11):
Because they're just these beats do there are these moments
where you're like, if you've tripped over a dead body,
you would drop an F bomb like that would just
like a natural way of speaking. And we have real
profilers that have worked with the show for a very
long time, and you know, it's a dark job and
there's a lot of gallows humor. There's a lot of
like you know, edge in their lives. They're dealing with

(48:32):
really intense scenarios. And so the two things we've been
able to do is just to make things feel more authentic.
And then because we have more time because we're not
forty two minutes because of commercial breaks for an hour,
we're just able to lean into everybody's interior life more, right,
So it just feels like it's more Yeah, it's been
so you know. And then I've direct, So I've directed.
I directed the network person in this version. And as

(48:53):
a director it's great because you just could take way
bigger swings, way bigger risks, and it's been like a
lot we were just a little boxed in and you know,
God blessed CBS. The show is on there for fifteen seasons.
Like what show goes that long period anywhere ever? You
know what I mean, It's insane, But it's just been
like they just the cuffs came.

Speaker 3 (49:10):
Off when we moved to Paramount and it's really really.

Speaker 2 (49:12):
Cool special because it also like never happens that never never,
It gets to evolve in that way.

Speaker 4 (49:19):
No, no, no, What show in seven season seventeen is
like we're doing their best work, Like that's just just
not even a real.

Speaker 2 (49:25):
Moving a different platform where you can expand the vision
it's been ruby. It's how has it been directing yourself
while something you're in And that's so weird?

Speaker 3 (49:36):
And so you know, I I love actings. I don't
want to sound ungriffield, but like I really resent it
when I'm directing, like you know, like it's getting Yeah,
I gotta get out of this chair, go mega. Yeah,
you know what I like? I love I love that,
you know.

Speaker 4 (49:52):
I I always say, like, when you're an actor, your
job is to care for just the other people in
the scene, like yourself and like whoever you're talking to.
When you're director, you get to here for everybody, your
jobs for everyone on the set, so I don't like
to like releinquish that part of it and then just
go be focused on my little corner of the thing.
We have a good system on the show, like with
people that are really good at the jobs that we
really trust, so that when you step down, because four

(50:14):
of us are of us direct, four.

Speaker 3 (50:16):
Of a strength.

Speaker 4 (50:17):
And actually this season, uh, we like had a fifth
cast members started directing and that was really nice. And
we just trust our our like our DP and our
ads so intently so there's not a lot of second guessing.
Like it it felt good to me and it looked
good to you. We're gonna move on, yeah, exactly, And

(50:37):
so that's been really really good.

Speaker 3 (50:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (50:40):
As At Gilford joined the cast last year and he
directed his first episode of television this season, and we
had it.

Speaker 3 (50:46):
We were all it was.

Speaker 4 (50:48):
It was really fun for us as a cast to
just be able to be like, hey, yeah, like we
want to support you, like what questions do you have?
And I remember texting I was like, you really picked
the right show to do your first episode because it's
just like a super supportive group of people, like we're
not gonna let you swing right, we're gonna we're gonna
make sure that you win, you know, and uh you
know and honestly, like if I also say the doctors

(51:09):
like like there's no world in which like I win
without you winning, you know what I mean, Like there's
no scenario where like you look like and I'm a
great so like we very much like we're.

Speaker 1 (51:18):
In this together.

Speaker 3 (51:19):
Yeah, we're in this together, like you know, this high
tide raises all boats or conversely, it's going to say
all of us.

Speaker 4 (51:24):
So like it was great for him to be like, hey,
come along, We're going to really like back you up
and make sure you have a good experience.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
And he did a great job.

Speaker 2 (51:31):
I just love that you're you've been in the position
now to like when people do come on to a
show you're on, you get to be the one to
be that support system for them people in.

Speaker 4 (51:42):
Yeah, yeah, Kirsten, thanksness. When I joined Criminal Minds, I
was only supposed to do six episodes. This is apparently
like a tempo with me is I come in for
a couple of episodes and then I just like refuse.

Speaker 3 (51:52):
To leave the like we got a keeper, like I
usually like hiding in the toilet I'm like, maybe they
will notice they're still here. You can't see when you
look for the stall at night. I just.

Speaker 4 (52:09):
When I came, and I remember she wrote like my
first day and I was literally visiting, like I was
just in there. AJ was a J Cook was on
attorney the lead for six episodes, so I was just
there to like fill in for her while she was gone.

Speaker 3 (52:22):
And I came to the first table read.

Speaker 4 (52:23):
And Kirston had with me this like super long greeting
card like welcoming me to the show.

Speaker 3 (52:27):
And it was just like it. It was so lovely,
and I remember how that felt. I don't even think
I'm as good as she is.

Speaker 4 (52:35):
A by making few people feel welcome, but like it
just it resonates like kind.

Speaker 3 (52:39):
This is pretty easy.

Speaker 4 (52:40):
It's like a lot, it's a low it's a no
cost to you way to like change somebody else's experiences.

Speaker 3 (52:46):
We just try.

Speaker 4 (52:47):
We had another guest star that was just on the
show and she was like this is the first show
or I came on as a gues start and I
wanted to hug everybody.

Speaker 3 (52:53):
When I left, I'm like, well we're here, star.

Speaker 1 (52:55):
I love that.

Speaker 3 (52:57):
It's terrifying to go to a strange place with strange people.
See who spaces you know, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (53:02):
And it's super intimidating, and you know, I think sometimes
people think we're a little weird.

Speaker 3 (53:07):
Though they're like, it's so friendly here.

Speaker 1 (53:10):
Friendly you want.

Speaker 3 (53:15):
Like you get along? Is that what you're doing here?
Is that? What's going on? Get along? Someone is going
to do a story and a tabloid about them.

Speaker 1 (53:25):
Really interviews now, I know, stories like how was your
experience really good?

Speaker 3 (53:35):
Super nice for friends.

Speaker 1 (53:37):
Now I'm not lying.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
I'm going over for a game night.

Speaker 3 (53:41):
I know I don't understand what's happening. Call me in
an hour if I don't response, said the police.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
Here's here's my location.

Speaker 4 (53:52):
They're way too nice. They're gonna take one of my livers.
I'm sure guys out there, we only have one liver. Sorry,
they're gonna take one of my lovers.

Speaker 3 (54:00):
You can leave me the other one. If that's it,
you were done for them.

Speaker 4 (54:06):
You guys are so great, Like you're really good at stuff.
You're like an amazing team. Like it's just so easy
to talk to you.

Speaker 3 (54:13):
I mean, I love your little faces, so it's nice.

Speaker 2 (54:15):
To see you make it very easy coming from a host.

Speaker 1 (54:19):
Yeah, you're a great interview and you're a great enomer,
so we'll take it.

Speaker 2 (54:24):
You make you made everybody feel comfortable on whose line?

Speaker 4 (54:26):
You know?

Speaker 3 (54:27):
You just do it?

Speaker 4 (54:27):
You did that.

Speaker 3 (54:30):
Thought that was such a fun, exciting experience.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
Yea, so great.

Speaker 3 (54:36):
Don't be rubbing your face in it. If we had
gone longer, we would I don't know. I had no
control over came on the show. It was always a
surprise by the way, like I would find out like yeah, totally.

Speaker 1 (54:47):
Before we let you go. We always ask people, and
I know your your time only was short lived, But
what is the feeling that Glee leaves you with?

Speaker 4 (54:58):
Oh god on, I'm such just like a sappy person,
but like hope, like hopeful. It was a show that
made me feel really hopeful. It felt so radical for
the time and brave, you know that it was embracing
like all of these people's diverse experiences in a way

(55:19):
that felt like uplifting and like I need a better word,
but I'm like aggressively like uplifting.

Speaker 3 (55:27):
It was like really validating and and then but then
it was just a great time, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (55:33):
It was just it was just like this beautiful kind
of package of like fun and play and emotion that
made me feel hopeful for the for the future and
for kids, like for young people to be able to
look and see a version of themselves on TV in
a way that felt so affirming, I don't know, really hopeful, beautiful. Yeah,
and then also jealous because I didn't get to say,
but whatever time.

Speaker 3 (55:54):
I'm fine, what would you have sung?

Speaker 2 (55:57):
What would you want to do?

Speaker 3 (55:59):
So my care my friends are going to be like
you loser. My karaoke song is Uptown Fund by Bruno
Mars for you been a really good one because.

Speaker 4 (56:09):
I love I feel like I in the tree spiritically, honestly,
I love when it's like a gender bendingo.

Speaker 3 (56:17):
I love boys do girl songs and girls to do
boys songs. I only want to do boy songs.

Speaker 4 (56:21):
Yeah, And so just some kind of like super hyper
masculine song where I could just up with Bruno Mars
and we're like a tuxedo, like a high water tuxedo,
you know what I mean, and like tuxedo shoes in
those socks.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
Yes, yes, yeah, let's go to karaoke, you say less.

Speaker 4 (56:37):
Okay, because I will show up for anywhere at anytime
of the day, like I need medical systems.

Speaker 3 (56:45):
Love it, so just say the word we're.

Speaker 2 (56:47):
Doing it right, Yeah, I would love to do that.

Speaker 3 (56:50):
Awesome. Its like full theater kid right, just the ma
Ma Mama.

Speaker 4 (57:00):
Town.

Speaker 2 (57:00):
So we don't have to wait for other people and
we'll just go for it.

Speaker 1 (57:03):
Everybody gets a yeah, I thank you so much for
joining us. It was such a pleasure to talk to you,
and so like a nice excuse to just see your face.

Speaker 3 (57:14):
Obnoxious thing. It's so funny. I'm pro. I like, I
realized I'm promoting something and I should say it.

Speaker 2 (57:21):
Yeah, totally.

Speaker 4 (57:22):
I mean other than criminal minds. I've launched a new
margarita company. You caught the company, Yes, it's only been
around for two months. And actually meet we're we're going
to be setting some stuff to all our friends, like
when the next truck lands will definitely make sure to
send you by some But it's ready to drink margarita
is it's organic. It is literally the best thing that
ever happened to my face and mouth.

Speaker 3 (57:43):
She loves it. We all love it. Philosophy l O
s O PhD like philosophy, what would it me? And
and you can get a ship right to your house
like a bottle of organic margarita ship right to your
house atilosophy dot com. I'm really really proud.

Speaker 4 (57:57):
We're like one of the only bipock owned spirits companies
like in the business. My co founder is this amazing
guy named James Kim, and we built this one by
ourselves and.

Speaker 3 (58:06):
My experience among women.

Speaker 1 (58:09):
Awesome.

Speaker 3 (58:10):
Okay, we just watched in April, so it's lots of
you dot com and it comes say hiding me online
and all this. Yeah, yeah, I'm really glad. As soon
as we're like, what can she do? She loves carry okay,
she loves to drink. So everything's going great.

Speaker 1 (58:30):
It's a nice next, it's a nice next, a little.

Speaker 2 (58:35):
We love you, so good to see you.

Speaker 3 (58:37):
I love you, guys. This is so fun. Oh my god,
I love it. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (58:42):
Yay, such a pleasure. Thanks guys, have a great thank.

Speaker 2 (58:49):
Is she the best person ever?

Speaker 4 (58:50):
I know?

Speaker 1 (58:51):
Literally, I love her so every time you see her,
that's kind of like what it's like, though it is
here often, but you run into her on the street
or at a party and you're like, oh no, it's
just like that.

Speaker 2 (59:01):
She's the best there was no difference between like her
public persona and how she is in real life. She
cares deeply, whether apparently she's directing or at dinner with
a friend, and wildly talented and just Charlie from Friends
always like that. Yeah, yeah, inspiration truth.

Speaker 1 (59:18):
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that episode as much
as we did. And thanks for listening. That's Ayisha Tyler.
Thank you Ayisha for coming on in your busy, busy schedule.

Speaker 2 (59:28):
Watch Criminal Minds. Go to lasophy dot com like get
get all that stuff, yes, get it off. Yeah, that's
what you really missed. Thanks for listening and follow us
on Instagram at and that's what you really miss pod.
Make sure to write us a review and leave us
five stars. See you next time.