This Is Your Principal Speaking (w/ Iqbal Theba)

Iqbal Theba (aka Principal Figgins) shares his inspirational life story with Kevin and Jenna. From an engineering degree to an acting career and wait until you hear how Glee turned his life upside down.  

Plus, they share their thoughts about the show’s impact all over the world.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
And that's what you really missed with Jenna and Kevin
an iHeartRadio podcast. Welcome to and that's what you really
missed exclosis closi. I'm Jenna, I am Kevin, and we
have UM. I do this every time. What if I
was like, we have a bad interview today, if we

(00:23):
have something I'm not excited about. But no, we are
so like we have a fan favorite here today. We do. Yeah.
It is the one and only Echball get out for
fan cams because Figgins is in the house. And what
a sweet man he is. Figgins, My hands are tied, shoe.

(00:49):
He's just a wonderful human And it's a warm conversation,
warm cozy conversation that's going to make you feel real good.
So check it out. Pickba Oh my god, my children,

(01:10):
my children. Hi, you've guys been man just here doing
a podcast, you know. Alright, alright, Well, we are so
happy to have you. Thank you for coming on our
little show. Um, everybody's very excited to hear from Principal Figgins.

(01:31):
All right, and you know what's something. As we've been
going through the show, we have a segment called shit
we found on TikTok and you are obviously a star
in real life and on the show. But the kids,
the kids love yet tell you in twenty twenty three,
you're hot as ever. There are videos of you everywhere

(01:55):
because I think you are probably the only unprobablematic character
most who's going to say that, Like you have to
be the most diversely right, Yeah, well, I don't know.
I hide it really well. What can I say? You know,
I'm a really bad publicist. Yeah, it doesn't let anything out,

(02:17):
you know, good at that. You know it's in the vault.
It's all in the vault. Yeah, well, I you know
I have I have a sixteen year old m and
you know, all her friends, you know, they're rewatching Glee,
And I'm just amazed that there's a new generation who
knows all of us. Yeah, I know, it's crazy, all

(02:38):
of us. It's like Jennifer Aspen was saying, she has
a ten year old that she's very embarrassed by her
mother because all of her you know, friends are watching
the show. But it's really crazy. Do you feel like, um,
aside from your kid and they're friends, Like, do you
feel like going out in the world that you get

(02:58):
recognized again? Yeah? I mean it was always there, and uh,
I mean, yeah, it's it's happening. I think you might
be right. I don't think I I thought about it,
but I'm you know, you got so used to being
recognized and you know they want to picture with you

(03:21):
and all that, so that, but it's like that never
went away from me. But you know when I go
to like, it doesn't happen. It happens in Los Angeles
not as frequently as it does. Like when I went
to Oklahoma, you know too, this film and that's also
my ALBUMA Mater by the way, I went the University
of Oklahoma the Sooner. So I don't know that. Yes,

(03:42):
we have to talk. You were not originally going to
be an actor, you know, right right, yeah, I'm an
engineer by Actually, wow, I have a you're too smart
to be an actor? What happened? How did this happen?
I don't know, you know, I just want to create easy,
you know. And I said, I'm just gonna wait tables

(04:03):
and audition, which is exactly what I did in New
York and then some in Los Angeles, and wow, here
we are, you know, Yeah, let's let's talk about that.
Let's how did like we'll get all the way back
to glee. How did all this start? Well, I mean
I was in my senior year in uh at the

(04:26):
University of Oklahoma Boomer Sooner, and I used to hate
my major and but then it wasn't really a big
deal because everyone hates their majors and their jobs. But
then I had an internship in Oklahma City in my
senior year, which is part of a you know, a program,

(04:49):
you know, you get credit for it. You've got out
an industry, find yourself a job in the construction industry,
and you get credit for it. You work for one summer,
which I did, and I think the first day, you know,
on the job, I said, oh my god, this is
getting at all serious, because that's when you actually realize,

(05:10):
oh shit, this is oh my god, you know, because
everyone was winning. It was like those heavy duty shoes
and I was there in my darksiders, you know, those
boat shoes, those fancy had the fat boy you know,
I looked like a frat boy, and they all, I'm
making fun of me, and I couldn't understand why, because

(05:31):
I thought I looked so cool, you know, I mean,
they got they scared the shit out of you, and
I scared you. They scared you into becoming an actor.
And then, you know, you go for lunch with those
guys and I say, oh my god, you know these
are not my people. You know, shared was the glamour

(05:56):
now now, had you ever thought about acting with more enjoyed? Even?
The thought never crossed my mind. I am not kidding you.
And I and I said, okay, so I'm I'm just
gonna do something else. I said, thought, okay, I'm going
to go back to school, maybe study philosophy, because I'm

(06:16):
so smart and you know, intellectual, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah,
And so thinking along those lines. And this friend of
mine came to the restaurant I worked in, you know,
I was a waiter, you know, and they had a
happy hour and we used to sort of you know,

(06:37):
drinks to miners. You know, all you had to do
is bring an ID. It could be your dad's, your mom's,
or whoever. Yeah, exactly. And this friend of mine, Mary,
she was a drama major at the University of Oklahoma,
and she said, come to see me in a place.

(06:59):
So see that play there. There's a nol Coward play.
And I saw it, and you know, the moment that
curtain you know, went up and I said, oh my god,
this is this is interesting. And I was so drawn
to it so that I went back to the theater,
made friends with with the actors, and and there were

(07:21):
a lot of you know, actors who came who had
been to New York and LA did the like the
waiting tables and you know, audition and theater and all that,
and they were all, you know, so most of them
were heartbroken and say, oh my god, it's so odd
it call don't do it, turnt it. But I said,
little god, you know, it's like I want to give

(07:44):
it a try. So I said, okay, I'm gonna go
back to school, you know, drama school, take acting, one
voice in diction and you know history of drama, dramatic literatship,
all that. And I took that and half into the semester,
I was doing a scene with my friend Shelley Lyttle,
and it just hit me. You know, it was like

(08:05):
in the gut, you know, nothing to do with brains,
you know, because if you have brains, you won't become
an actor, right exactly, Yeah, yeah, it's not. And you know,
I said, and I called my friend, I go back home,
you know, to my apartment and I called my one
of my close friends and I said, hey, I'm an actor.

(08:27):
It's what are you going to do? I said, I'll
just you know, study acting for like, I don't know,
do three years. And then I go to New York
and bit tables and he goes, you're serious. I say, yeah,
that's a plan. And that's what I did. And you know,
I paid my dues. I went through all the typical
you know, like active thing, missing meals and you know,

(08:51):
oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah. I mean you were by
working at a restaurant. Yeah. I was a waiter every
where I went, of course, you know. So I you know,
I spent a year in New York and moved to
LA in ninety one. There was like thirty one years ago.

(09:11):
Got my sad card in ninety two, and I think
I got you your sad card commercial. Okay, you have
to google this. It's on YouTube. Somebody actually put it.
I pulcher first job, part our first job, and I'm
singing in BIG's voice, you know, for a warehouse. There

(09:34):
was a video and cassette store. It was called Warehouse.
You know, w h E R it's no more. And
during the audition. You know, they said, sing your favorite song,
and I say, can I sing too? Sure? So I
sang this this song? Cat it in a track yet

(09:57):
And I, honest to god, I always had trouble understanding
you know, English language songs. Yeah, and I thought he
was saying, I'm calling a cab. I can't walk out
because and it made perfect sense. I said, you know,
guys drunk, he's being a responsible citizen. He's calling a cab,

(10:17):
so he's not going to walk out. And because he
loves you, baby, you know, I sense that's what I said.
Honest God, I said, I'm calling the and I was
so and they died laughing. One of the producers you know,
fell fell off his chair and I didn't know why

(10:38):
were they laughing? And after I got and then I
sang my, you know in my beg's voice, you know,
one of the beg's song. And they hired me. And
they are like twenty or thirty different people to sing,
you know, and they've picked like they shot all of us,
you know, our songs, and then they you know, picked

(10:59):
say except those you know commercial thirty seconds long. And
I was one of them. And the director came to
it that they said, Paul, you know, you know, you
know when you sang that song I'm called Cook And
he said yeah, and he goes, I'm caught in a drap.
It's not ony hood, Oh my god. And you know

(11:23):
it's so it sounds so stupid, but I actually believed it.
You know. That's that's why you were just committed. You
were committed that. That's a great lesson in acting. Just
just commit to the bit. You know. I was the

(11:44):
best year because I did a pilot for NBC, a
couple of commercials, and by the end, you know, I
was ready to quit my day job. Wow, in January
nineteen eighty five, I quit my daytime job. Nervous League. Yeah, yeah, No,
we lived in a state of limbo all the time.

(12:06):
So you're just so since then, I haven't done anything else,
but just you know, back then, just like I don't
know how I can be a bottom, you know, yeah,
writing that momentum. Yeah, when you got the audition for Glee,

(12:35):
um often. You know, I'm sure you've been asked about
this a million times. We've been asked about it a
million times, and people are always sort of disappointed. When
I was like it was a normal audition. We auditioned
all the time, and you don't get most things. And like,
for me reading it, I was like, oh, this is
actually because think of all the things you auditioned for
it that like aren't great and put it nicely and

(13:00):
this script is obviously quite funny and can you read
And you're like, oh, this is the needle in the
haystack sort of thing, but probably won't get this either.
What was that like moment for you? And did you
know had you worked with Ryan, Like did you have
any relationship to Ryan Brad and Ian pre Yeah? Yeah,

(13:20):
Ryan and Brad Falcheck you know they did uh what
does the show niptop? Yeah? Niptops? Ye did an episode
for them, that's right. And apparently you know, they liked
what I did, and um, and you know, I think
I don't know if it was Ryan or Brad wob
or somebody say bring Paul for this, you know, and

(13:43):
they were all in and I walked in the room,
you know, and they were all all of them were
Caucasian actors and reading for the same role. And I
was the only one. Oh wow. But that never really
you know, bothered me anywhere, even at the beginning back
in you know, ninety two or whatever. You know, I started, yeah,
wait for it. And you know, it was like, people said,

(14:06):
did you do anything special? How did you get it?
I said, I did the same thing I do all
the time, I had been doing for years. If it
ain't broke it was. But I did say, I remember
to my wife that, you know, this is such a
great script. It made me laugh. You know, it really
touched my heart. And I said, I hope I get it.

(14:27):
And I sure enough next day they called and they said, okay,
you know for sures, you know, so cool. And you know,
it wasn't up until I saw the preview of the
pilot when it hit me how good the show was,
you know, and I and I saw and when we

(14:50):
went back for you know, when to shoot more, you know,
and I told Matthew, I said, oh my god, I
think you this is incredible. You know, it's just the
best thing you probably ever do, you know, right, which
which is so true. And then achievement, when did you

(15:12):
We haven't gone to that yet in the show, but
I just you wrapped my jog my memory. Um so
when did you start feeling the the momentum of like
the hit My manager called me because he shows. Somehow

(15:34):
I was able to, you know, see the pilot and
we all went to that premiere. You know, I'm sure
you remember, right, you know, at some school literally it
was a school, I think, you know, yeah, yeah, And
he was there and he saw it and he came
to me and said, Paul, kids are going to eat
it up. This is great. And I, you know, and

(15:55):
I was in it, like like after you see something
that you've done, because you we do so many you know,
shows and places and whatnot. But this was the thing,
you know, I saw it and you know, especially in
the pilot towards the end, when you sing you know,

(16:15):
the Journey song, all the Jenna and you know, Corey, everybody,
it's like I was in a trance. I walked out.
It's like it stays with you, you know, it stayed
with me. Yeah, and it just became kind of part
of me. And I felt so elevated and energized and

(16:36):
so hopeful and so bright and happy. I said, you know,
I'm feeling this way. I I don't think I've done
anything like that that made me feel this way. And
I you know, and I had a chat with my
manager and my friends and from then on it was

(16:57):
just like this amazing ride you know, the next few years,
you know, and it you know, changed my life. I know,
it came probably everybody's life who was on the show. Yeah,
you know, because I like I used to get recognized
and everything. You know, even before that I was I
had worked a lot, you know, Jane, me and a

(17:19):
couple other people, Jame I, you know, but this was different.
It put me on a different level, you know, in
every which way. M hmm. Yeah. Yeah, it definitely changed.
I mean all of our lives. We were just so
young that like it was like all of our you know,
our first big break, and you know, we had done

(17:40):
an all of us had kind of done a little
bit here and there, but like, you know, nothing that
would make us incredibly recognize it. Yeah. And I think
like your character too, is like did you get people
shouting principal thinkings at you in the streets and things
like that? Yeah, Like I feel like because people probably

(18:01):
felt overly comfortable with you because you're also just you
come off in person, You're like the warmest, most loving person.
And then I also think principal figins despite making some
questionable choices. Yeah, it's also very very warm. Still, I'm so,

(18:24):
did people come up to you and feel like they,
you know, have permission to Yeah, like you know they
know you and you know, yeah remember me and when
Max we went to that dimension what was it in England?
Oh yeah, yeah yeah, and you know when like you know,
we did we used to do these sessions, you know

(18:45):
where all these people would come and have a pictures
taken with us. Yea, And I was you know, getting
you know, and I was saying, Max, why why are
why are they hugging you? So you know, I mean
I can understand, you know if somebody heggs like you know,
Kevin or Jena, you know, young people, but you are

(19:09):
a favorite, you are a fan favorite, and then realize
that they just feel so comfortable, like like you wouldn't
go to a stranger and just like really because you're
you're that that teacher, that principle that people look good.
And also like we join you know you when we
were watching as Jane would call an appointment television. Um,

(19:29):
there's something very intimate about people in their pajamas or
their underwear or whatever it is that they're doing watching
our you know, in their living room with like their
bowl of ice cream. It's so intimate and you you
grow with these characters and you feel like you know them,
and um, people get very attached in a very um

(19:51):
different way, you know what, especially when you had like
broadcast television when it was twenty five, you know, twenty two,
twenty three episodes versus the quick eight to ten and
you know, maybe one or two seasons. So I also
think there's something about Jama mentioned this and Jenna, you
and I haven't really talked about this too much, but
like Eightball, you were saying, you have a sixteen year
old and they're all rewatching Glee or a lot of

(20:14):
them are watching it for the first time. But when
the show was initially on, the demographic was all over
the place, like it was from sixteen year olds to
seventy eight year olds. And I think we were all
perplexed by that. I think Fox was perplexed by that,
and we went on tour. They were very perplexed by

(20:35):
that because they thought it was going to be like
a one direction concert with a bunch of teens and
it was just four as adults. Yeah, grown people, and
so people would watch with kids would watch with their parents,
with their grandparents. And I think that extra layer of bond,
familial bond also made people react really strongly to us

(20:56):
because it wasn't just it was appointment television. Plus this
is you know, a way for me to connect to
my parent. And I think what Figgins was was that
like central point, that safe character that everyone just loved. Like,
we can't talk about Figgins on the show without being

(21:17):
like Figins every single time. You bring that excitement out
of us. Still, how was it when you I and
Jenna you can I think Jenna probably agrees with this
rewatching these episodes, the the scenes in your office with
Jane and Matt are every single time a master class

(21:40):
and comedic acting. And how was that for you? You're
dynamic of because that started in the pilot and it
happened almost every single episode. So how did you know,
what did you look forward to that, what were those
the dynamic and how did you just not laugh the
entire time or do like you know when we did

(22:01):
camera rearssault and I would laugh my ass off, you know,
I would just go the oh. I was just like
and then once she began to you know, shoot the scene,
and I was somehow I don't know, a miracle like
looking at Jane's I like that and still and she's

(22:24):
you know, being so hysterical and saying the most like stupidest,
weirdest incredulous things, you know. Yeah, yeah, and you know,
I don't think we blew that many takes, you know,

(22:46):
but of course, you know, they were occasions when we
would just you know, special occasion, but Jane just had
these crazy rands and you're like, I would always be
so nervous too because I don't want to mess up
a take for her, because she'd have these like wild
monologues you guys got to play, you know, a year

(23:07):
that could react and get you know, caught up in
her crazy shit. She was saying, yeah, and sometimes you
would improvise and you know, if it came, you know,
and you know, at least one one instance where like
they kept you know what I was doing. You know,
I'm sure that what others as well, was not the children?
Was that ad lib? Yeah? It was ad lib? It

(23:28):
was oh my god. And it just came to me
when she was like going bur sark and you knowing,
you know, fun sure threatening, I said, no, not that child.
You know, one of those that's one of my favorite lines. Yeah,
I've seen it so funny. Oh, I got so many

(23:49):
memorable Well, I mean we all do, I think everyone? Yeah?
Everyone does? He dollar sign? Huh? I mean I think
you're saying that with a straight face. Was a talented thing.
You know what was always so enjoyable when we had

(24:13):
the gym scenes the performances and you would always start
with you at a mike and just like drolling on
welcome everybody. Yes, And it's really wild to watch someone
like you, who is not that at all in real life,
and then get up there and see sort of this

(24:33):
like comedic genius of you know, presenting to an entire
gym full of people and then completely lose it during
our performances and things like that. It was oh my god,
oh one of my It was always it felt like
an honor to enter Principal Figgin's office. Like we didn't

(24:54):
get a ton of scenes in there, but Kevin and
I had one in that episode where we both were
running for class president. Was that what it was? And
the other one was one, um Figgins is scared of vampires.
Oh my god, that's scene you know between me and Jenna.
Oh god, oh my gosh, I was one of my

(25:16):
favorites to shoot. Is just so funny and ridiculous, and
it was my favorite line. That's scene as you know,
and it wasn't in the script, and I think it
was probably one of the last stakes. And you know,
the camera was on me and I'm looking at Jenna
and when she said I'm gonna rip your head off
and do la, you know, and then Ryan came to

(25:39):
me and say, instead of saying this, say I'm afraid
I'm not going to like it. It's like I'm afraid.
Ryan kept throwing lines at you and I said, you know,
and they kept it, and you know, it was so
imagine like you know this zone as man, I'm afraid

(26:01):
of vampires, you know, vampires and then like a vampire
vampire Tina, Oh yeah, like boiled it off. You know
the guy in the wheel share, you know, there's ancient
girl who like comes over. Yeah, we're all out of
our minds. I don't know. I love that, you know,

(26:23):
knowing now that like we all did got our start
doing commercials and you had that incredible commercial that yeah
Figgins had done that Sue found and was backmailing him. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
did you did you feel like you could pull on
those you know, commercial days. I know how to do this,

(26:46):
I had done yet. I mean, oh lord, you know,
because I know back in the nineties, half my incommunter
came from commercials. And thanks you make so much money
on commercials yea day, and then you my college tuition. Yeah, yeah,
it was thank God for that. And you know what
I want to mention that when I came to Hollywood,

(27:08):
I thought, you know, this is early nineties, there weren't
that many opportunities for you know, people like me, so
I was not really getting mus traction and I and
also I thought that, you know, I will never do
a commercial, like who's going to hire me? I mean
I have trouble getting it, just like a one line
part in a sitcom, you know, because when you do

(27:30):
a commercial, it means that you're selling to America the
you know. But then you know, I was amazed how
open minded the commercial casting. It was way more open
minded then you know, film and especially film and then
even television. And I did like all kinds of you know,

(27:50):
serious and funny and weird roles in commercials. So that
was like one of them. What I did on the
by airline. You know it sterical, you know, and diambulism. Yes,
so good. Have you noticed, you're saying, you know, when

(28:11):
you first came to Hollier in the nineties, there weren't
a lot of opportunities. Have you noticed a big shift
or a big change and that huge huge I mean
I just did a pilot Hulu and we're hoping that
you know, it gets pig Yeah, thank you, thank you,
congratulating yea. So hopefully it gets picked. You know, you'll

(28:33):
get to see me more often than you know, more
frequently in my living room. Yes. So the name of
the creator is Abdullas Seed. I mean, imagine back in
nineteen ninety one or ninety two, you know, there was
no one named last in the industry. That's right. Who

(28:54):
could like walk into a like a you know, studio
and say, hey, I have an idea. You know, yeah, yeah,
that's it's you know, so I think especially the South Asians,
you know, the Indians parties than solve that. You know
that there are so many shows and in general, I
think all ethnicities and I know I still run into people,

(29:18):
you know, of all ethnicities and they're complaining And I said,
you know things have believed me. This is so much
better than when I was your age, you know, thirty
years ago. It was just it was so tough, you know.
I mean you could get like a one line part,
you know, but any significant roles. Yeah, you kept going, yeah,

(29:42):
but yeah, I mean that's what you know, because you're
an actor, you don't care. You said, Okay, if I'm
sixty five years old and you know, eating, you know,
maybe waiting tables, and you know, I'll be I guess
that's the choice I made. But exactly, but now you know,
there's so many mean mendicating is around you. I mean,

(30:02):
mind has a whole empire, yeah empire. And I did
like a show for her, you know, never have I
ever you knows that, and so great area something like
that never existed. So I'm really hopeful and I'm just like,
I guess, such a rush rush, you know when I
like see your showl like that, and yeah, it's like hopeful, right, hopeful. Yeah.

(30:28):
It also feels like that like the show creators like
Mindy Kaling are also now trying to lift up their communities.
You know, it's like absolutely, we have the power. Now,
let's sort of the Oprah and bring up everybody with us,
which I feel like is the only way that that
can happen because and which is really encouraging to see

(30:50):
because I I have, on the flip side, a lot
of I wouldn't say close friends, but white friends or
acquaintances who are actors and who complain right all the
time about like, well, now every character is any ethnicity
and race. Right, Oh, I'm sorry, welcome to leveling the

(31:10):
playing ground. Ye, now everybody's competing for you know. Now
I remember, you know, I remember I had an acquaintance
who said something you know to me, And this was
about like, I don't know, before Glee actually and uh

(31:31):
you know, I mean I used to work, you know,
make a living at it and h and he said
something similar to me at that time that, oh, you know,
like you know, it's like, you know, the likes of me.
It's like, you know, isn't really much as much available
like you used to and all that. So but I'm

(31:51):
happy for you. And he said something I don't know, like,
are we like I work more if I were you?
He says something like that that I'll work more if
I were you. I said, you know, if you're me
with this attitude. You'll be working in a seven to eleven,
okay with that attitude, because I don't have that attitude.

(32:14):
I have never blamed ethnicity, right, you know, you know
I said if I fail, it's my fault. If I don't,
you know, if I I'm gonna own it. Because and
also Kevin says something about, you know, people lifting their
own communities. I think it's not like you know, a

(32:34):
bunch of you know, black people or Asian people, or
for that matter, white people get together in a room
and say, you know, write something something or as Indians
or Artistan. He's okay, and We're gonna take over Hollywood.
You know, you right? What you know that's right? And
things that are familiar to things that like if I

(32:57):
write something which I'm actually writing, m you know, I
started to write a few years ago anyway, So you
write your own truth. Yeah, you know, so ndicating writing
you know about you know, shows that have opinions in him.
It doesn't mean that, you know, because that's her, that
was a reality majority of her life, you know, getting

(33:22):
from studios to say by the same token, you know,
I you know, I'm not in a habit of talking
about racism in the industry, you know that much because
I believe that you do good work, you know, and
things will change. Well that's why, you know, like Ryan
Murphy and the time that we were in you know,
in the early two thousands, it was like or you know,

(33:44):
two thousand and nine, it was like the things that
he was doing on his shows, the people he was
casting on his shows were the underrepresented, the underdogs. Yes, um,
you know, there's just a it's a very color said like,
it's just it was it felt like we were finally
being given the opportunity in this big hug to be

(34:07):
but because we were underdogs, and so you know, there's
I mean, even the social issues that Ryan you know,
talked about in Glee especially, but in all of his shows,
it's like these things that weren't being highlighted, discussed put
on television and why we had so many haters on
our show about our show. But I do I feel

(34:27):
like the ball's point about, you know, it's not like
there's some big committee meeting and everyone's plotting to just
include certain characters or writing what you know, like with
Glee or with any show, just because the people may
not look like you. The stories and the struggles are

(34:48):
universally understood and the specifics may differ, right, but you
know a relationship between a son and a parent, or
a daughter and a parent, or you know, love interest.
These things are universal and what makes them special and
even more unique are those specificities that people can throw

(35:09):
and when you are able to freely write what you
know and then also make these characters so much richer
because like, for example, casting Figgins, you said, everyone else
there was you know, white and strain for it and
it's whatever your experience is, what you're going to bring
to it is what made Figgins, you know, the memorable

(35:29):
character that everybody still loves. So it's because of who
you are what that made that character, right, it is
absolutely absolutely you know what Jenna said about, you know,
giving people a chance and also presenting a point of
view which was not her. Um. I mean, you cannot

(35:50):
over emphasize the impact Glee had on our society culture.
And I'm not talking about you know, USA, all of
the world thing all over the world, and you know
there have been shows you know dealing with you know,

(36:12):
LGBTQ issues. You know there was Lean, there was like
well Grace, but the kind of you know, popularity yea,
and love and you know, the action and you know,
insane response that our show God that lead God was
just incredible, and I truly believe that it made a

(36:35):
huge difference in our society. Really that should change, you know,
attitudes of people, how they look at you gay people people.
It really did the way no other show has done before,
you know, and I'm so proud that, you know, I
was able to you know, I was part of the show,

(36:56):
and I will forever be you know, you get it.
Ryan and Brad and you know, Ian everybody you know
or give me the opportunity to be part of this,
you know, this phenomena. Do you have a favorite moment

(37:20):
of being only said? I think my favorite moment I
think winning the SAG Award in the first you know,
I think the first one we've got, the you know,
the Ensemble Award. That was a really special day in

(37:41):
my life because, uh because success didn't really come to
me immediately. It like like majority of the actors you
know who starting their early twenties and late teens and
then you know go on and ye see, it took
you know, quite a while. Uh So I really appreciated it,

(38:03):
you know because I was not really treated like that,
you know, I mean I was stutted well, but like
after clear, it was just yeah, differently, you know, in
a better I made it in a better in a sense, um,
so that I think that day was so special, you know,
in the award and then we all went backstage and

(38:26):
you know, I did the interviews and so you know,
and we walked in. I remember, you know, all these
like people from the media were sitting and they were
also quiet, and I said, what quiet. It's true, there's
so many of us too. I think the thing about

(38:46):
the SAG Award, which felt like it's really special was
that it was so inclusive of our whole cast, like
it's huge and your guest stars and refers, like we
all were included in the same way because you know,
SAG that's what they do, Like this is our peers,
this is it takes a village to create a show

(39:07):
like that. So big or small, that was, um it
felt really nice to be with everybody. Yeah, definitely. And
also you know, get a trophy because obviously like heavy
Marble Man like the show I think won a Golden
Globe like a week or two before this, But we
don't get those trophies. So we get this. We're super
heavy marble man, that's right. Yeah. Um, And before we

(39:34):
let you go, I say with this to everybody, We're
never letting you go. Um. What is the feeling that
Glee leaves you with when you look back on it? Glee?
That's it? You know it really? Uh, that's just you know,

(39:55):
one word, but I think I don't think it is
any of the word that. Yeah, that that that says
that all it really does? You know, you go wrong
with that. You know. It's just like that moment when
you kind of know what life means or should mean,

(40:17):
and you yeah, and you think that that it's achievable.
You know, it's doable. You know there's hope in it
is you know, right, because I like, you know, pieces
of work that you know give you hope. And that's
all Glee. Did you know the characters struggled with everything.

(40:37):
You know, there's already in the wheelchair and then you know,
and us with our necessities and whatnot, sexual preference is
mh you know whatever, you know, but it gave us
hope that you know, it's it, we can change it,
and I think we did in a little way. Yeah,

(41:00):
we feel you. Yeah, that wastiful well said, you're the best.
Good to see you. We just want you to know
how much when people talk about the podcast and write
in how much they love Figgins, they love you. They
love Figins, We love you. We really appreciate you coming
on and spending time with us and you know, sharing

(41:23):
your story and also good luck. I hope the pilot
gets picked up fingers yes, if not more it Al's
always working. There's something we should all be. Good to
see you, so good to see you. What a sweet gem.

(41:45):
He's so sweet. We love it Ball so much for
coming on here, because we couldn't be more grateful to
have such a light. All of our guests are just lights.
It's really nice. I feel privilege that we if there's
anybody like listening to this podcast who has not seen

(42:06):
interviews with any of our guests or anything like that,
that that we can show people how wonderful all these
people are. Because yeah, yeah, yeah, there was something he
said that really struck me at the end when you
asked him, you know what gleeman to him, and he
was saying how it sort of was like what life

(42:27):
is supposed to be. And I was thinking about how
I always felt like driving through those beautiful gates at Paramount,
going to work with everyone I loved so much, getting
to sing, getting to act, getting to dance, getting to
be stupid with crew and cast in every single department
every day. It was long, hard work, but it felt

(42:51):
so good. It felt really rewarding to do that and
also then have it received do something that you work
so hard on and care about so deeply, and then
haven't you. I mean, it's so hard to get a
job and that you love, yeah, astronomical way well, and

(43:14):
also like a job that's like changing lives, Like especially
in the arts, Like there's so much crap out there
that like people are just crap, create content, and I'm
like to have something that means so much to people still, um,
and to feel like you're a part of that, Like
something bigger than yourself is so profound in your life.

(43:36):
To do like such a large part of our you know,
life in our twenties especially, felt like very profound. And
it's why like I don't talk about this a lot,
but like, um, people, for people who don't know, I'm
a crier. I am an emotional, happy, tears crier. And

(43:57):
that's kind of why Tina cried so much in those
later season was because they used to laugh at me.
They'd be like, Jenna, why are you crying again? I'd
literally watch a trailer I still watch the show and cry,
like if you I see I'd see something and be like, guys,
do you understand? Like it just hits me so long hard,
and it's it makes me emotional because it's, um, it's

(44:18):
a feeling that you is like almost inexplicable in some ways,
like it's just so deep and I don't know, it's
just like the passion is always there and it's it's um,
it's what keeps you kind of like the fire that
keeps you going, especially in your twenties, and you're like
so hungry right like it's it was, um, I had
so much fire back then. I don't know what happened

(44:40):
to it all, but it's like a foot's like I
need some flu powder or something now. But anyway, it's weird.
I think we're I don't know. Eightball said it the best,
and we're just so grateful that he came on to
shares experience and yeah, yes, thanks Sichball, so great to

(45:01):
have you, don't guys, don't forget that Alexander House is
doing a walkathon on March eighteenth. If you can't be there,
if you're not in no way, you can also donate
and go to Alexander House dot org to check it
out and support. And for those of you who don't know,

(45:23):
Alexander House is a charity that our favorite Nay Rivera
supported and that's what we do snicks missed for for
Alexander House and it's an incredible group of people who
support women and children who are in need of transitional housing.
So this is one of the events they do throughout
the years, So go to their site see if there's
other ways you can help, but this is coming up, yeah,

(45:44):
so feel free to check it out. And thanks for
joining us for another week see it that's what you
really missed, Bye bye. 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.