January 11, 2024 • 19 mins
Breaking news!
What’s it like working at The Yale Daily News?
Was Rory or Paris a better editor?
We go to the source! Rona Benson portrayed Joni, and was one of the top students working at the paper.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I am all in, bless you. I am all in
with Scott Patterson an iHeartRadio podcast. Hey everybody, Scott Patterson
(00:22):
one eleven productions. iHeart Radio, iHeart Podcasts, iHeartMedia. We're going
to speak with Rona Benson. Let me read off here.
She played Joni, a Yale Daily News student for eight episodes.
She's an actor and producer from New York. She graduated
UC Berkeley with a degree in cognitive science. She's known
(00:45):
for playing Yale Daily News student Jony on Gilmore Girls
eight episodes. She also appeared in Bones, Madmen, Jurassic Park three.
Roona has more recently appeared in the resident Matt Superese
Old show I'm Dying up here in a short film
called Seat twenty three. B Ladies and Gentlemen, I give
(01:08):
you Rona Benson. Rona, Hey, how you doing. Let's let's
just let's just let's just start. How'd you get your
role on Gilmore I got.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
The role well, I did one of those casting director
like showcases where actors, you know, you got to pay,
and then you perform a scene and you hope that
casting directors are there to see you. And one of
the Gilmore Girls casting directors was there and based on that,
she called me in and then I booked it.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So, oh that's great. You must have been thrilled because
that's kind of of a long shot. I mean it's
a long shot anyway, Yeah, but especially doing it that way,
that's fantastic. You must have been thrilled.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah. I was really thrilled and surprised, and that was
very cool.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
And it turned into a pretty good stint. I mean,
you did eight episode, so that's man.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It did I know? And it wasn't It was originally
just a co star for one episode and then it
turned into four. So that was cool.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
You were doing something right. That's a fun story. Did
you watch the show before you landed the role? You
were aware of the show.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I had never seen Gilmore Girls, so you know, I
get the audition the night before and I'm like, well,
I don't know anything about the show. What the heck?
You know? And I had to scramble. And this was
before and everything was streaming, so I had to somehow
try to find a snippet of it to watch and
find out about it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Probably not so easy to watch it, Yeah, that's for sure.
So you played a student for the Yale Daily News.
How was it being in the newsroom in Paris? Was
going through a breakdown as the editor of the paper?
What was that like?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It was really fun. I mean it was kind of chaotic.
She was kind of crazy. She went nuts, you know,
it really did. But you know, as an actor, I
was just so excited to be there and it was
very energetic, you know, lots of extras and lots of
people around. It was really and everyone was really nice.
You know, it was fun.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Those are fun scenes. I love those those newsroom scenes.
They're all fraught with so much going on. So Paris
made everybody in the newsroom where numbered caps?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
He did?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I remember? And so was it? You think it was
more funny or more cruel? Well we'll get to that.
Do you have a So what's your favorite moment on
the set? As you on that set?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
There was one day where you know, we just had
some downtime and so that the Yale Daily News crew
we kind of snuck off and were wandering around, like
we went to Luke Steiner, he went to all the
other sets and took pictures. That was fun.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
You were Taurus correct?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah? Did you? First of all, did you watch the
episode before he came on, and if you did, what
was it like watching it back after all these years.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I watched my scenes last night because I thought I
better refresh my memory, and it was it was so weird.
Do you know It's because it's like, has it been
like fifteen years? Been a long time. And I was like,
oh my god, you know I was skinnier than I thought,
you know, you know all that stuff. I was like,
I didn't look as bad as you know thought I did.
(04:15):
And yeah, I think as a young actor, I was
always really hard on myself. So watching it back, I
was like, you did a good job, you did a
solid job.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
It was okay, right, right? Right? Do you get recognized rarely?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I could maybe count on my hands, maybe even one hand,
but a couple of times I have, but people don't
really know. They're like really familiar, and I you know,
and then then they might ask go or you an
actress and then it comes out. But sometimes I know
that's where they know me from, but I just pretend.
I'm like, oh, I don't know, maybe it's right, I
(04:49):
don't know, and I just pretend because I don't want to.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Know when they when they do recognize you, what's the reaction?
And when you inform them that, yeah, I was on
gil More Girls for an episodes, they do they what's
the reaction with oh yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Then they say oh yeah, yeah, of course now I remember,
you know, they couldn't place it before, but then they
once I say it, then they remember and then they
get excited, you know, because they're like, oh my god,
it's my favorite job, and they get all excited.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Right, So let's talk about how you got started in acting.
You have a degree from UC Berkeley and cognitive science.
How'd you go from science cognitive science to acting.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well? I always wanted to act all like, since I
was a little kid, but my family was very academic
and not really you know, entertainment. They didn't know about
that world at all, and so they kind of discouraged me.
And then I went to school and did my school thing,
and I thought, wait a second, now I'm done with college.
(05:49):
I don't want to go to grad school. I don't
want to go to med school. I don't want to
go to law school. You know, screw it. I'm going
to do what I want to do. And then I
moved down to LA and took acting classes and.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Really, yeah, really, And how did the family react.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
To that rebelled against my family? They I don't think
they liked it, but I I kind of didn't care.
I kind of said, this is what I'm doing and
just I didn't like ask their permission or anything, because
that's what I'm doing. And then once I started to
book things, you know, like big plays or something, then
(06:24):
they'd want to come see it and tell everyone. And
I'm like, wait a second, you weren't so into it
before and now you want to know. But they're nice,
they're nice, but right, yeah, but they before that, they
were probably very apprehensive and scared, you know, they wanted
me to do something academic, professional, you know, not.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
What did your what did your parents do?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
What were they My mother was a mathematician and my
father was an engineer. And then when he was forty
he went to medical school. So I was like in
elementary school when he went to medical school, which was
weird back then. I mean maybe now people go back
to school later, but I mean I didn't think. I
(07:08):
didn't know that it was weird when I was a kid.
It just that's just how it was, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Right, right, right, So who'd you study with when you
got to LA who are your teachers?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts a
bunch of teachers there. There was one teacher his name
was He doesn't have his own studio or anything, so
his name was Howard chang Raw. You know. He was
a really good teacher. And then I more recently, I
studied with someone named Richard Side s E y D. Fantastic,
(07:40):
we plugged people. I highly recommend if anyone wants to
take classes. He's great.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Okay, great, So let's get back to the set of Gilmore.
What was it like working with with with Matt Zugreg
Do you remember, Yeah, you know, we were He's a
big favorite of ours open here, so.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, you know, I didn't inter It was those were
big group scenes and I didn't really have like just private,
one on one scene time with him, So you know,
I remember he was nice and we were all just
hanging around and joking around, but uh, I don't really know.
(08:23):
It was it was more of a group thing than
just him one on one.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Did you did you have any dialogue with with Matt
or Alexis or or or Eliza?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Uh? Yeah, more with Liza and Alexis gotcha.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, tell us about your experience working with Alexis.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
She was really sweet. I think she's a shy person,
so but she was very nice to work with, very professional,
you know, would chit chat with us, but actually sometimes
she would, you know, I think she was shy, so
she stayed to the to the side, you know, but
she was really nice. I remember one time I there
was a cast photo, like I got invited to be
(09:04):
part of the yearly cast photo. And this was after
it was in between the two seasons. I was season
six and seven, and I remember, you know, we took
the photo and then I was leaving and she was leaving.
She goes, bye, I have a nice hiatus, and I'm
like thinking, my whole life is a hiatus, Like you know,
you love hiatus. I'm like, everything's a hiatus. This is
(09:27):
the exciting time for me, Like I'd rather come here
every day, you know, right. But yeah, I was just
really sweet. I remember thinking, oh, it's sweet that she's
thinks my work life is similar to what hers is,
you know.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Right, yeah, right, Yeah, they had busy schedules. They were
there all the time, yes, all of us, you know,
were I mean but not like those two. They were
there every day all day. Yeah, it was daunting.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And Liza was really she was sweet. She was really
nice and fun. We would chit chat on the sidelines,
you like she was. I liked working with her good too.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Yeah. Any other stories you want to share from your
memories of the set? What did you do you remember
going through wardrobe? Do you remember the wardrobe experience Brenda
Maven and her team?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
I think we had We had to bring some of
our own clothes too.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Oh really, Yeah, it's just an interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Because I don't know. Yeah, So it's funny because when
I watched the scenes yesterday, some of them, I'm like, oh, yeah,
that was those were my jeans or that was fine?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah? Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
And when you told do you remember the day you
told your friend? Was your family aware of Gilmore Girls?
And when you told them, what did they How did
they react? I did they feel like, hey, maybe she's
made it, and like we were wrong and she made
the right choice and she's on Gilmore Girl. She has
eight episodes. It's a lot of episodes for Gilmore Girls.
(10:54):
I mean that's that's a pretty good, pretty good number.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yeah, it was kind of cool. Thank you. I. I
don't know, they probably were not aware of the show
because I don't think you know, they were older. I
don't think they're into that kind of.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Stuff TV watchers.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, or if so not not Gilmore girl, you know,
not that you know, I don't know what they were watching,
but probably not that. I'm sure once I was on it,
you know, they watched the episodes I was on, you know,
and they were excited and all that stuff. But yeah,
I don't know that they ever were excited like finally
(11:34):
like oh, you know, they they were proud, you know,
they said, oh, we're proud of you and all that stuff.
But really, if I even to this day, if I said,
you know what, I want to go to medical school,
they'd be so excited, so exciting.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do. You
got to you gotta go where your heart leads you. Yeah. Yeah,
I got a lot of resistance too. My father was
not happy.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
No, you were because I looked you up a little
bit too. You were a professional baseball player, right I was. Yeah,
and uh and I was before the acting obviously.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Right right, yeah, And then and then I went to
Europe for a time and try to figure it out
the rest of my life. Instead just had a brilliant time.
Thought this should be the rest of my life, but
I knew I couldn't sustain it.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. I came back and dove into the acting scene
in New York. Yeah. Uh yeah. My dad was not happy.
He just said, go back to college. I mean, you know,
get your degrees and let's go here. And I just
you know, I just said, nah, I love this and
I really want to explore this, and I think it's
(12:52):
something that I can do.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Good for you.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah. No, I really held I mean, and he was
he was a tough character. You know. He was like,
you're going to do this thing and you're not going
to do that, and I'm like, nah, I'm going to
do this. I had to really fight for it, and
he just was not happy, just man. And then and
(13:16):
then when I started having success, he you know, he
really didn't come around. And then Gilmore Girls happened, then
he was like what could he say?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, you're shut him up to the lead of a
show for years. You know, that's quite successful at that point.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Yeah. But you know, now that I'm a father, I
understand where he was coming from. They just you just
want the best for your kid. You want him to,
you know, have the best chance at success and going
in at your mid twenties into something where you should
already be established in a profession at twenty five. You know,
if you're going to have a career, you're going to
be already established and have a pretty good resume. I mean,
(13:55):
I understand now his concerns. I don't blame him for it.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
I guess when you're young, you think the best thing
for you is your heart and your passion and all.
And when someone's older and they're thinking about their kids,
they're thinking, oh, well, the best thing for my kid
is security and stability.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
And yeah, all right, we're gonna play a little game
called rapid fire. Doesn't mean it's going to be quick.
You can take your time with the answers. Okay, no pressure, Okay.
(14:30):
How do you like your coffee?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I don't. I don't like coffee. I wish I did,
because it's such a social drink. Everyone goes and gets coffee.
I just never like the taste of it.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I don't like it.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I wish I did.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Wow. Yeah, and you should try my own coffee brand.
It's called Scottie Pea's Big Mug coffee. You should try it.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
You're gonna love coffee after that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I guarantee the whole category. Though. If I were gonna
love a coffee, it wouldn't be your coffee.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
But it's supposed to be supposed to be good for you too.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Coffee.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Are your Team Logan, Team Jess or Team Dean?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
I have to confess I am like you are when
you started this podcast. I have not seen Gilmore Girls
except the little snippets I was in, so I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Wow, I know, mind scrambling, I know. Well, I'll just
answer for your team Logan.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Okay, because he helped us get the paper.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Outs, right, because all the better people are.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, yeah, okay, done done.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Who is your Well, you haven't seen the show, You
can't answer any of these questions. Who's your Who's your
favorite Gilmore Girls couple? Luke and laurele I or Emily
and Richard.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, I know like a little bit who they are,
so I'm definitely gonna go Luke and laurele.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I for sure. Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Michelle was in the inn right that?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, yeah, and Curtsey.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I don't know them well enough to give you a
good answer.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
I think either one is fraught with peril. Oh God,
So it's a tough one.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
So can I be above? You can stay unemployed and
not work?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yes, there you go. What would you order at Luke's Diner?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Probably French fries and a diet poke. Maybe also a
cheeseburger if I'm nice?
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Who would you rather hang out with? Paris or Lane? Kim?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Lane?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Would rather hang out with Lane?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Yeah, because Paris was mean and scary.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Right, you want to hang out with the same person. Yeah, yeah, right,
he's in a band.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
That's very cool.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yes, And she was on Felicity. I love that show.
Although that is you with her character, I know, but
that actress. I think she was on a couple of
episodes of Felicity.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
And this question has taken on a whole new meaning.
Give and what's going been going on in the IVY
League Harvard or Yale? Or drop out and live in
a poolhouse?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
I would not drop out and live in the pool house. Okay,
it is kind of what Harvard is kind of there's
a hot mess there right now, for right now, I'll say, Yale,
there you go.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Would you rather attend a DAR event with Emily or
a town hall meeting with Taylor?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Town hall meeting? Oh?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Really?
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Well? DR is Daughters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, right,
so it's kind of an elitist, kind of stuffy group.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah, I'll go to the town hall meeting for sure.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
But in the town hall meeting it's going to be
actually very stuffy at one hundred and twenty degrees and you're
going to be there all day and half the night.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I don't know if I could handle the DAR meeting
for a T shirt and shorts and go to that.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
You would rather suffer inside that hot tent? Okay? Hey,
I would very noble? Yeah, Gilmore's Gilmore Girl's character that
you would want as a roommate.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Gilmore Girl's character that I want as a roommate.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
I'll say, Rory, something in your life you are all.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
In on I am all okay, this might sound a
little wou. I am all in on the truth, Like
I just want I want to know what the truth
is and like doing all our filters and conditioning and
all that stuff for moving all us and seeing reality
and truth for whatever.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Living in the wrong times for truth. Nobody wants to
speak the truth I.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Know, but I do all the more because of that.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
So yeah, me too, Rona. It was a pleasure. Thank
you for coming on, appreciate your time all the best
and we really enjoyed it. And thanks so much, Thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Good luck with the podcast.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Thanks hey everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram
(19:36):
at I Am all In Podcast and email us at
Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.
I am all in, bless you. I am all in
with Scott Patterson an iHeartRadio podcast. Hey everybody, Scott Patterson
(00:22):
one eleven productions. iHeart Radio, iHeart Podcasts, iHeartMedia. We're going
to speak with Rona Benson. Let me read off here.
She played Joni, a Yale Daily News student for eight episodes.
She's an actor and producer from New York. She graduated
UC Berkeley with a degree in cognitive science. She's known
(00:45):
for playing Yale Daily News student Jony on Gilmore Girls
eight episodes. She also appeared in Bones, Madmen, Jurassic Park three.
Roona has more recently appeared in the resident Matt Superese
Old show I'm Dying up here in a short film
called Seat twenty three. B Ladies and Gentlemen, I give
(01:08):
you Rona Benson. Rona, Hey, how you doing. Let's let's
just let's just let's just start. How'd you get your
role on Gilmore I got.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
The role well, I did one of those casting director
like showcases where actors, you know, you got to pay,
and then you perform a scene and you hope that
casting directors are there to see you. And one of
the Gilmore Girls casting directors was there and based on that,
she called me in and then I booked it.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So, oh that's great. You must have been thrilled because
that's kind of of a long shot. I mean it's
a long shot anyway, Yeah, but especially doing it that way,
that's fantastic. You must have been thrilled.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah. I was really thrilled and surprised, and that was
very cool.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
And it turned into a pretty good stint. I mean,
you did eight episode, so that's man.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It did I know? And it wasn't It was originally
just a co star for one episode and then it
turned into four. So that was cool.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
You were doing something right. That's a fun story. Did
you watch the show before you landed the role? You
were aware of the show.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I had never seen Gilmore Girls, so you know, I
get the audition the night before and I'm like, well,
I don't know anything about the show. What the heck?
You know? And I had to scramble. And this was
before and everything was streaming, so I had to somehow
try to find a snippet of it to watch and
find out about it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Probably not so easy to watch it, Yeah, that's for sure.
So you played a student for the Yale Daily News.
How was it being in the newsroom in Paris? Was
going through a breakdown as the editor of the paper?
What was that like?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It was really fun. I mean it was kind of chaotic.
She was kind of crazy. She went nuts, you know,
it really did. But you know, as an actor, I
was just so excited to be there and it was
very energetic, you know, lots of extras and lots of
people around. It was really and everyone was really nice.
You know, it was fun.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Those are fun scenes. I love those those newsroom scenes.
They're all fraught with so much going on. So Paris
made everybody in the newsroom where numbered caps?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
He did?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I remember? And so was it? You think it was
more funny or more cruel? Well we'll get to that.
Do you have a So what's your favorite moment on
the set? As you on that set?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
There was one day where you know, we just had
some downtime and so that the Yale Daily News crew
we kind of snuck off and were wandering around, like
we went to Luke Steiner, he went to all the
other sets and took pictures. That was fun.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
You were Taurus correct?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah? Did you? First of all, did you watch the
episode before he came on, and if you did, what
was it like watching it back after all these years.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I watched my scenes last night because I thought I
better refresh my memory, and it was it was so weird.
Do you know It's because it's like, has it been
like fifteen years? Been a long time. And I was like,
oh my god, you know I was skinnier than I thought,
you know, you know all that stuff. I was like,
I didn't look as bad as you know thought I did.
(04:15):
And yeah, I think as a young actor, I was
always really hard on myself. So watching it back, I
was like, you did a good job, you did a
solid job.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
It was okay, right, right? Right? Do you get recognized rarely?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I could maybe count on my hands, maybe even one hand,
but a couple of times I have, but people don't
really know. They're like really familiar, and I you know,
and then then they might ask go or you an
actress and then it comes out. But sometimes I know
that's where they know me from, but I just pretend.
I'm like, oh, I don't know, maybe it's right, I
(04:49):
don't know, and I just pretend because I don't want to.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Know when they when they do recognize you, what's the reaction?
And when you inform them that, yeah, I was on
gil More Girls for an episodes, they do they what's
the reaction with oh yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Then they say oh yeah, yeah, of course now I remember,
you know, they couldn't place it before, but then they
once I say it, then they remember and then they
get excited, you know, because they're like, oh my god,
it's my favorite job, and they get all excited.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Right, So let's talk about how you got started in acting.
You have a degree from UC Berkeley and cognitive science.
How'd you go from science cognitive science to acting.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well? I always wanted to act all like, since I
was a little kid, but my family was very academic
and not really you know, entertainment. They didn't know about
that world at all, and so they kind of discouraged me.
And then I went to school and did my school thing,
and I thought, wait a second, now I'm done with college.
(05:49):
I don't want to go to grad school. I don't
want to go to med school. I don't want to
go to law school. You know, screw it. I'm going
to do what I want to do. And then I
moved down to LA and took acting classes and.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Really, yeah, really, And how did the family react.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
To that rebelled against my family? They I don't think
they liked it, but I I kind of didn't care.
I kind of said, this is what I'm doing and
just I didn't like ask their permission or anything, because
that's what I'm doing. And then once I started to
book things, you know, like big plays or something, then
(06:24):
they'd want to come see it and tell everyone. And
I'm like, wait a second, you weren't so into it
before and now you want to know. But they're nice,
they're nice, but right, yeah, but they before that, they
were probably very apprehensive and scared, you know, they wanted
me to do something academic, professional, you know, not.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
What did your what did your parents do?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
What were they My mother was a mathematician and my
father was an engineer. And then when he was forty
he went to medical school. So I was like in
elementary school when he went to medical school, which was
weird back then. I mean maybe now people go back
to school later, but I mean I didn't think. I
(07:08):
didn't know that it was weird when I was a kid.
It just that's just how it was, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Right, right, right, So who'd you study with when you
got to LA who are your teachers?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts a
bunch of teachers there. There was one teacher his name
was He doesn't have his own studio or anything, so
his name was Howard chang Raw. You know. He was
a really good teacher. And then I more recently, I
studied with someone named Richard Side s E y D. Fantastic,
(07:40):
we plugged people. I highly recommend if anyone wants to
take classes. He's great.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Okay, great, So let's get back to the set of Gilmore.
What was it like working with with with Matt Zugreg
Do you remember, Yeah, you know, we were He's a
big favorite of ours open here, so.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah, you know, I didn't inter It was those were
big group scenes and I didn't really have like just private,
one on one scene time with him, So you know,
I remember he was nice and we were all just
hanging around and joking around, but uh, I don't really know.
(08:23):
It was it was more of a group thing than
just him one on one.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Did you did you have any dialogue with with Matt
or Alexis or or or Eliza?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Uh? Yeah, more with Liza and Alexis gotcha.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, tell us about your experience working with Alexis.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
She was really sweet. I think she's a shy person,
so but she was very nice to work with, very professional,
you know, would chit chat with us, but actually sometimes
she would, you know, I think she was shy, so
she stayed to the to the side, you know, but
she was really nice. I remember one time I there
was a cast photo, like I got invited to be
(09:04):
part of the yearly cast photo. And this was after
it was in between the two seasons. I was season
six and seven, and I remember, you know, we took
the photo and then I was leaving and she was leaving.
She goes, bye, I have a nice hiatus, and I'm
like thinking, my whole life is a hiatus, Like you know,
you love hiatus. I'm like, everything's a hiatus. This is
(09:27):
the exciting time for me, Like I'd rather come here
every day, you know, right. But yeah, I was just
really sweet. I remember thinking, oh, it's sweet that she's
thinks my work life is similar to what hers is,
you know.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Right, yeah, right, Yeah, they had busy schedules. They were
there all the time, yes, all of us, you know,
were I mean but not like those two. They were
there every day all day. Yeah, it was daunting.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And Liza was really she was sweet. She was really
nice and fun. We would chit chat on the sidelines,
you like she was. I liked working with her good too.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Yeah. Any other stories you want to share from your
memories of the set? What did you do you remember
going through wardrobe? Do you remember the wardrobe experience Brenda
Maven and her team?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
I think we had We had to bring some of
our own clothes too.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Oh really, Yeah, it's just an interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Because I don't know. Yeah, So it's funny because when
I watched the scenes yesterday, some of them, I'm like, oh, yeah,
that was those were my jeans or that was fine?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah? Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
And when you told do you remember the day you
told your friend? Was your family aware of Gilmore Girls?
And when you told them, what did they How did
they react? I did they feel like, hey, maybe she's
made it, and like we were wrong and she made
the right choice and she's on Gilmore Girl. She has
eight episodes. It's a lot of episodes for Gilmore Girls.
(10:54):
I mean that's that's a pretty good, pretty good number.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yeah, it was kind of cool. Thank you. I. I
don't know, they probably were not aware of the show
because I don't think you know, they were older. I
don't think they're into that kind of.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Stuff TV watchers.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, or if so not not Gilmore girl, you know,
not that you know, I don't know what they were watching,
but probably not that. I'm sure once I was on it,
you know, they watched the episodes I was on, you know,
and they were excited and all that stuff. But yeah,
I don't know that they ever were excited like finally
(11:34):
like oh, you know, they they were proud, you know,
they said, oh, we're proud of you and all that stuff.
But really, if I even to this day, if I said,
you know what, I want to go to medical school,
they'd be so excited, so exciting.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do. You
got to you gotta go where your heart leads you. Yeah. Yeah,
I got a lot of resistance too. My father was
not happy.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
No, you were because I looked you up a little
bit too. You were a professional baseball player, right I was. Yeah,
and uh and I was before the acting obviously.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Right right, yeah, And then and then I went to
Europe for a time and try to figure it out
the rest of my life. Instead just had a brilliant time.
Thought this should be the rest of my life, but
I knew I couldn't sustain it.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. I came back and dove into the acting scene
in New York. Yeah. Uh yeah. My dad was not happy.
He just said, go back to college. I mean, you know,
get your degrees and let's go here. And I just
you know, I just said, nah, I love this and
I really want to explore this, and I think it's
(12:52):
something that I can do.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Good for you.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah. No, I really held I mean, and he was
he was a tough character. You know. He was like,
you're going to do this thing and you're not going
to do that, and I'm like, nah, I'm going to
do this. I had to really fight for it, and
he just was not happy, just man. And then and
(13:16):
then when I started having success, he you know, he
really didn't come around. And then Gilmore Girls happened, then
he was like what could he say?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, you're shut him up to the lead of a
show for years. You know, that's quite successful at that point.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Yeah. But you know, now that I'm a father, I
understand where he was coming from. They just you just
want the best for your kid. You want him to,
you know, have the best chance at success and going
in at your mid twenties into something where you should
already be established in a profession at twenty five. You know,
if you're going to have a career, you're going to
be already established and have a pretty good resume. I mean,
(13:55):
I understand now his concerns. I don't blame him for it.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
I guess when you're young, you think the best thing
for you is your heart and your passion and all.
And when someone's older and they're thinking about their kids,
they're thinking, oh, well, the best thing for my kid
is security and stability.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
And yeah, all right, we're gonna play a little game
called rapid fire. Doesn't mean it's going to be quick.
You can take your time with the answers. Okay, no pressure, Okay.
(14:30):
How do you like your coffee?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I don't. I don't like coffee. I wish I did,
because it's such a social drink. Everyone goes and gets coffee.
I just never like the taste of it.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I don't like it.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
I wish I did.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Wow. Yeah, and you should try my own coffee brand.
It's called Scottie Pea's Big Mug coffee. You should try it.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
You're gonna love coffee after that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I guarantee the whole category. Though. If I were gonna
love a coffee, it wouldn't be your coffee.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
But it's supposed to be supposed to be good for you too.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Coffee.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Are your Team Logan, Team Jess or Team Dean?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
I have to confess I am like you are when
you started this podcast. I have not seen Gilmore Girls
except the little snippets I was in, so I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Wow, I know, mind scrambling, I know. Well, I'll just
answer for your team Logan.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Okay, because he helped us get the paper.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Outs, right, because all the better people are.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, yeah, okay, done done.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Who is your Well, you haven't seen the show, You
can't answer any of these questions. Who's your Who's your
favorite Gilmore Girls couple? Luke and laurele I or Emily
and Richard.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, I know like a little bit who they are,
so I'm definitely gonna go Luke and laurele.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I for sure. Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Michelle was in the inn right that?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, yeah, and Curtsey.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I don't know them well enough to give you a
good answer.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
I think either one is fraught with peril. Oh God,
So it's a tough one.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
So can I be above? You can stay unemployed and
not work?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yes, there you go. What would you order at Luke's Diner?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Probably French fries and a diet poke. Maybe also a
cheeseburger if I'm nice?
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Who would you rather hang out with? Paris or Lane? Kim?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Lane?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Would rather hang out with Lane?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Yeah, because Paris was mean and scary.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Right, you want to hang out with the same person. Yeah, yeah, right,
he's in a band.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
That's very cool.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yes, And she was on Felicity. I love that show.
Although that is you with her character, I know, but
that actress. I think she was on a couple of
episodes of Felicity.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
And this question has taken on a whole new meaning.
Give and what's going been going on in the IVY
League Harvard or Yale? Or drop out and live in
a poolhouse?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
I would not drop out and live in the pool house. Okay,
it is kind of what Harvard is kind of there's
a hot mess there right now, for right now, I'll say, Yale,
there you go.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Would you rather attend a DAR event with Emily or
a town hall meeting with Taylor?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Town hall meeting? Oh?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Really?
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Well? DR is Daughters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, right,
so it's kind of an elitist, kind of stuffy group.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah, I'll go to the town hall meeting for sure.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
But in the town hall meeting it's going to be
actually very stuffy at one hundred and twenty degrees and you're
going to be there all day and half the night.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I don't know if I could handle the DAR meeting
for a T shirt and shorts and go to that.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
You would rather suffer inside that hot tent? Okay? Hey,
I would very noble? Yeah, Gilmore's Gilmore Girl's character that
you would want as a roommate.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Gilmore Girl's character that I want as a roommate.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
I'll say, Rory, something in your life you are all.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
In on I am all okay, this might sound a
little wou. I am all in on the truth, Like
I just want I want to know what the truth
is and like doing all our filters and conditioning and
all that stuff for moving all us and seeing reality
and truth for whatever.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Living in the wrong times for truth. Nobody wants to
speak the truth I.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Know, but I do all the more because of that.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
So yeah, me too, Rona. It was a pleasure. Thank
you for coming on, appreciate your time all the best
and we really enjoyed it. And thanks so much, Thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Good luck with the podcast.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Thanks hey everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram
(19:36):
at I Am all In Podcast and email us at
Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.
Hosts And Creators
Amy Sugarman
Danielle Romo
Scott Patterson
Tara Soudbaksh
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