December 8, 2025 • 26 mins
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes introduce you to Killer Thriller, hosted by actress-turned-true-crime storyteller Elisa Donovan. You recognize Elisa from Clueless, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Beverly Hills 90210, but now it’s her passion for these addictive real-life dramas that has her fully obsessed.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hey there, everybody, Welcome to Amy and TJ Presents. But
now we have something after the presents TJ Killer.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Thriller, Killer Thriller. That sounds Is it too dramatic?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I wondered if no, No, you don't think that Tyler's dramatic.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You think so.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Yes, that's what we're talking about, Killer Thriller.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And yes we have an aunt which is exciting because
it's not just Amy and TJ Presents Killer Thriller. It's
Amy and TJ Presents Killer Thriller with Alisa Donovan.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Oh yes, and a lot of people know that name
and I don't know that history. But a lot of
people haven't done what we have now been able to do,
which is be stuck in LA traffic.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Which is what we just did all the way here.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yes, was that not the best way to get to
know each other.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
It was not that we wanted to have to do
it again, but like it kind of was.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
We made the most of La traffic, one of the
things that La is known for, but we turned it
into lemonade.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
It's like we had fifteen different conversations and looked out
the window.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
We were in the same place.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
We really go anywhere out of the car. Anyone who
lives in La probably has experienced this as well.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Even in New York.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
We've done this too, Get out of the cab because
you aren't going anywhere, and we walked it, and we
are so excited because we're talking about a new true
crime podcast and you are obviously a well we're of
a certain age. So the nineties you were everywhere. For
those who need an introduction to Alisa Donovan. If you
(01:48):
loved the movie Clueless, who didn't, you might remember her
as Amber from Clueless. And also we were this was
so funny Beverly Hills nine o two one zero. I
was a huge fan and you played I love you
played like the bad.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Ginger Leah Monica, who sounds that it's like that, what
is it when a word sounds like what it is?
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yes, that's close to that character.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How close?
Speaker 5 (02:16):
When I did Tory and Jenny's podcast over there rewatching
it and so they send me the episodes that I
was like a little I'm a little embarrassed by my behavior.
Like again, she really has like she had some balls attitude. No,
I wish I had her confidence. I wish I had
her confidence. I mean maybe on the inside in the car.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Ride here, you seem to have that confidence I did.
Isn't that we got to?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
That is an interesting way in all Seriously, this is
a true story, folks. The way we have just gotten
to know is stuck in LA traffic and we literally
got out and walked down the street with her. This
is our introduction how we got to It's.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Kind of amazing, right, Like it's never gonna not be great,
just know igue we couldn't remain.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Up all right, So A Lisa, tell us your fascination
what your connection is to true crime?
Speaker 5 (03:12):
I I mean, I think I am not alone here.
I have a like a borderline disturbing obsession with it,
and I'm not quite sure, you know, I've tried to
figure out what this is, and then I realized, well,
it's not just me. So I think we have such
a desire to understand human behavior, and like we human
(03:37):
beings are are like just we can't explain so much
about how we behave and I think we find it
absolutely impossible to believe sometimes that someone could commit some
of these truly heinous crimes. And then when you kind
of put all the pieces together and you walk down
(03:58):
the path.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
You say Oh, oh wow.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
I guess I can sort of imagine. That's how I
look at it, like, oh, I want to understand how
someone could get to this place, you know, and so
often these things like certainly mental illness is one thing,
but sometimes these things are based in other issues, you know, where.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
It's really about loss or passion or.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
True like really needing to survive.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
There are so many different things that we come across
that cause people to do these things, and so I
am truly obsessed and I feel like there is you know,
as an actor, I've never played a real person before
who has existed in history, and I think you know,
(04:49):
any kind of prep you're doing as an actor, you're
always trying to understand who they are, where they come from,
why they do the things they do.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And if you're playing.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
A real person, it's just a whole other level, right
of how do you get inside that person? Yes, how
do you find the positive things to a person who's
done catastrophic things? How do you humanize them on all
of that but also then show them respect? Right, there's
something And if you're playing the other family members, lawyers,
(05:21):
people who have this really specific and unique experience with
these situations. There's like a real amount of of.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Just respect that you have to show.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
And I'm so interested to talk to the people from
the creative side of how they approach these characters. Do
they get to go to the places where these things happen?
How much real access? How much license do you give
yourself to say I am playing this real person. But
I also have to kind of do my own version
(05:58):
of that. So it's just I'm really excited to go
down that path. And then also I get to it's
my job. I have to watch these things. I have to,
oh my job to.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Watch True Crime Specialists, which is just so laborious and boring. No,
that's exciting to get to consume what you love and
then talk about the process of how you portray this.
Explain to us or at least to the listeners, what
this new show format is going to be. How are
you approaching true crime in this podcast form?
Speaker 5 (06:31):
So we're approaching it from the standpoint of the series
and the films that are recreating and telling.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
The story of these crimes.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I e.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
The Murder Murders is one that has recently been right
been on TV and that series is obviously goes through
the process of Alec Murda and the murder of his
wife and his son. And so we will interview one
of the actors from the SHO show, talk to them
about their their process, how how involved in the case
(07:05):
did they did they get how did they sort of
separate themselves, how did they prepare for this, and how
did it impact their own lives? You know, because so
much of this Also when we're watching as viewers, I
think for myself anyway, you you know, you're you're looking
(07:25):
at your own life, but you're you're looking at it
from this standpoint of as I said, kind of you know,
how do we how can we do these things? Like
how can human beings be so profoundly beautiful and kind
and loving and then so profoundly dark? And how do
we how do we keep existing as human beings? You know,
(07:48):
we see these things, We have children, we have people
we care about, Like it's I feel that there was
really a way to humanize these things that will make
us less uh sensitized, because that's also something that I
think about a lot that you know, we can't there
are terrible things that happen, you know, and it's important
(08:11):
for us to really understand these things and not become
desensitized to them. And I feel like if we can
talk about it, kind of breaking down how you approach
these people and how because telling these sorts of stories is, uh,
it's a lot of weight to carry, you know, and
(08:33):
it's not it's not simple. And so I'm interested in
that crossing of the creative and the real life because
I think as artist, certainly myself as an artist, the
older that I get and the more work that I do,
it's like you sort of incorporate your life into everything,
Like my creativity is inherently part of my life and
vice versa. So it's sort of I'm really interested in,
(08:58):
you know, talking about those things and merging them.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Do you think some of the stuff we see a
lot of the stories we see and we all watch
a lot of true crime, is it your opinion that
most of us are capable of some of this stuff
just were not in those circumstances.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Or I think a lot of what.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
We're seeing is these people are anomalies, because it doesn't
feel like that to me necessarily.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
It doesn't feel that way to me either.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
I think that we want, we want to believe that,
we want to say these are outliers. These these are
the exceptions to the rule. But is this a part
This is a part of human nature. It is a
part of all of us, and it is really it's
just like I mean, I bring everything.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Back to Harry Potter, that there is there is a
good and bad.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
It's a choice, right, and we are all driven by
the We all have the good and the bad in us.
And certainly, you know, things are they're extreme ends to
both of those things. But I don't think it's an anomaly,
you know, especially when we.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Life is hard. You know, life is hard.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Life is really beautiful too, but it's not easy, and
dependent upon how you respond to those things, how the environment,
your environment responds to you, the pressure can build. And
I always feel like, I don't know if it's because
I'm an actor that you sort of have to be
(10:24):
able to imagine all these things. But I always feel
like anyone is capable of anything, great things and small,
you know, And I think it's shortsighted to say otherwise,
to sort of put people in buckets, right, they go,
this is a great person, they only do great things
that it's terrible person, you know, And part of it
(10:46):
is like judgment we all have to have good judgment
right where we try to have good judgment.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
So, but they're that great.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
The middle, the middle bit is really where you know
most of us are.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
What do you find you're drawn to? What type of
true crime stories? We We do a thing we call
murder in the Morning. We just started calling because we
wake up first thing in the morning, it's two, three,
four or five in the morning, and we turn the
TV on and we don't want to watch cartoons or news.
We turn on something to where a white has killed
her husband.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
We are weird when the spouse kills.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
So we're hoping I'm interested in that. I'm very interested in.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Spousal disputes, yes, and family sort of disputes, because.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I think that's like so ripe.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
I mean, we all know it's all it's so relatable,
it's so relatable, and then it.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Just becomes to work.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Yes, women are always what it's nurses or nurses they
have a gambling addiction, yes, or credit.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Card corre and nurses have access to drugs.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
But I feel like, look in that's some prime stories
that we watch. I feel like women are so sadistic,
like if a man's going to kill you it's just
going to be like quick, brutal, but quick women, we
will torture.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
What you suffer.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
And we've been planning it and planning it for ages and.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
Watching it unfold because we can MULTITASKI.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Oh my goodness, it is funny that we do love
some of these true crime stories. In fact, where we're
staying here in Brentwood, we did notice we were walking
to go pick up something and we were on Bundy,
so and of course, obviously o J. We looked it
up and we couldn't believe how close we were to
(12:50):
where the murders happened.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
And I'm we're going on a run tomorrow. I was like,
I might have to run. I have to run by that.
I mean, I'm telling you.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I remember in high school my English teacher called it
fascination with the abomination. I know, I had it from
the moment I was a kid.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
So don't you think that's partly why you got into journalism,
I'm sure of course. And then also it's about having
a real curiosity about humanity and life, right, it's not
so this is this is the thing, like it doesn't
have to be exploitative, right in this way, it's actually
a true fascination that we have. It's like a curiosity.
(13:27):
If you're paying attention at all, you know, and have
a pulse, you can't be not affected by these things.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I was going to ask, do you think people are
born evil?
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Are inherently evil? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
And selfish and you have to learn otherwise. I'm curious
where you fall on that. Is it a learned thing?
Are you born with it? Do you choose it?
Speaker 5 (13:53):
This is, you know, one of the age old questions, right,
the eternal question. I feel like we are It is
based in the soul. So we come into this life
with a soul, and the soul's in the body, so
you're you know, you come with that, everybody you come with,
but the.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Soul is really there.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
This is my personal belief and that you're here on
earth to work through things, and you have to work
through those things in a human way. So what you're
working through is going to be different than what I'm
working through. There might be some crossover, you know, but
sort of like the big task of being alive is
(14:32):
individual with all sorts of crossovers. So the good or
bad thing, you know, and I think about this, you know,
when you have a child, when I have my daughter.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
I remember thinking.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
Before I was like, oh, you know, I mom and
I have adore in my mother, but we have a
complicated relationship, you know. So I was always like, oh,
I'm gonna have a boy. It's better, I'm gonna have
a boy.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
I'm definitely having a boy. I was like, he's gonna
wear bow ties. I was like doing things.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
And then when I was pregnant in the middle of
like maybe like four or five months, I remember we
were on this vacation, my cousin and I and I
was like, oh, I think I'm having a girl. I
think I'm having a girl. And we hadn't found out yet,
like at that time she's thirteen. Now you couldn't. It
was later when you could find out the gender.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yes, so at any rate.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
And I was like, I feel like I had this
and to me, I know you're going to be like
I'm looney Tunes. I feel like that was like the
moment where it's like her soul came, chose me, here
we go, and it like shifted. Now you might have
always been the case, and my mind was like I'm
just gonna have a boy because it'll be easier for me.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
It'll be better for me.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
We all have girls, yes, And now, of course I
wouldn't change this for the world, you know. But so
my point being that she like, once she came out
and was here, I fully understood. Oh, I'm like the
vessel that brought her here. But she is her own thing,
(15:58):
and we are like here, I'm here to give her
my moral guidelines and to give her my support and
show her how, you know, my husband and I how
we feel about the world now we do things. But
she is her own person, like one hundred percent her
own person, and I don't ever want to change that.
(16:19):
Like I celebrate that, you know. Sometimes that's why we
butt heads and why we have, you know, sort of
some trouble. But it's like you just go, oh, we really.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Are all individuals, you know, we really are.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
So I think it's that was a really long winded answer,
but that's what I think.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
My last question on the podcast and covering true crime
is I just want to hear your take. And sometimes
it's a criticism of it's a morbid curiosity, and people
take it as sometimes you are profiting or using someone's
pain or painful story as a part of entertainment, and
(16:57):
I get that to a certain degree. I never feel
like that and I'm watching true crime. But for folks
when that's out there, where do you come down in
that idea that what we're seeing is sometimes more of
a curiosity, sometimes entertainment. But I see it and it
sounds like you see it a little differently, And why
it's important to be telling it because there's so much
(17:19):
true crime out the stories, I mean, the shows are
a little ridiculous coming they are out there.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
But take on that idea, I.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Would say two things.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
One, when people are in pain, and I have known
people who have gone through just unimaginable, unspeakable pain. They
don't want to not.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Talk about it, they actually have to. And the more
that people ignore it or say like.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Oh, don't bring it up, don't bring it up, you know, like,
let's not upset her, it's you're doing them a disservice
because they're thinking about it all the time.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Right.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
So if there's a part of this that can be very,
very healing to people, I think when it's done respectfully
and well. And then the other part of it is
as a creative person, it's like it's a it's a
calling to be a creative person as an actor and
not to get to like get my violin out here,
but truly, so we're like doing a service, like it's
(18:21):
a calling. We're artists, So you really are imbuing this
with humanity and with truth. And you know, in a
prit not everything is you know, Shakespeare or oscar Worthy,
but you know, I think everybody that's the goal is
to do good work and to show respect for something,
and I think that it can be revelatory for people
(18:45):
and you know, even healing at sometimes.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
And to get people excited about this new podcast, Killer Thriller,
which we're very excited about. Can you give us an
idea of the stories that you're interested in right now
that you're hoping to tell. I know you're going to
focus on some of the actors who portray some of
the worst people in the world and what that's like
(19:18):
to walk in those bodies and to try to get
into those mindsets, which I can't imagine what that's like
as an actor. But what are the stories that you're
hoping to share or some of the true crime elements
that folks can look forward to on this podcast.
Speaker 5 (19:34):
So we're going to do new shows that are very topical,
like the Murder Murderers, the Menendez Brothers A week don't
ever seem to want to let them go, but something
is always shifting in their story, dis fascinating the new ones.
Who is the one the guy? There are a few
that I would like to just put it out there
that I hope they will make soon. I'm sure there's
(19:57):
going to be an Epstein series of some kind. Diddy
and uh right, Brian Walsh is we can't stop watching it.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
We have watched it all day every day.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
I hope somebody is writing that right now. I really
hope that they are.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
And OJ s O J.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Simpson never goes away, never never, and that those shows
the versace some of these people like Jason Clark and
Murder Murders that series. He is like otherworldly. He is
so phenomenal in this show. Everybody is, the whole cast
is really quite wonderful, but he is like.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
On another level.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
And the transformation that this guy does from the first
episode to the end, it's like you it's.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Like you're watching a mad man. I just it is.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
He's so spectacular and they're all great, Like everybody is wonderful,
isn't it whisht All that like, it's a terrific cast,
but he's amazing. And in the the OJ series People
Versus OJ, Sarah Paulson is like also Marcia Clark, she
nails credible. She's so good at.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Lobby for Courtney b Vance to get an oscar for
a show that was on TV.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Yes, incredible.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Yes so, And these are people that really are imbuing
these people with humanity, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And I think that's one of the cool parts about
it because it's not just the killer or the evil doers.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
The people, it's the people around around.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
Yes, these stories and in many ways those people are
especially particularly in the murder murders in that series, the
way they show it, the family and the police officers
and all of those people, like they have such a
(21:56):
unique importance because many of them were either afraid to
speak up we're like a party to the whole thing,
or just really you know, had no resources and had
no other opportunity, like didn't how to sort of do
what was in front of them. And that's another piece
of these things. I think that's really important to see.
(22:19):
Sometimes people it's like their circumstances.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
No, I always there was a common thread to most
of the stories we see often times quite frankly, it's poverty, yeah,
it's upbringing. It's all of these things that play into it.
That when you see a headline, yep, it's one thing
you think somebody's monstrous when you see there.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
See the whole story what happened, certainly.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
And I think that is important for us to constantly see.
We are so excited to partner with you.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
I am so excited to partner with you too.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I love our heart relationship.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
We didn't know where it was going, is turned into
this thing that where we are now able to have
moments we never thought, which included riding in that car
traffic in LA with you, and walking to get to it.
It's just really robes And I mean this. I'm saying
this from a personal standpoint. We have been through a
(23:15):
lot and we can never have imagined that we'd be
sitting in this room with you right now. But all
of that happened for us to get here, and we
I tell you, at least, we are so happy to
be where we are right now, which is in.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
A room with you.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
So we are so grateful that is beautiful. We're willing
to come on and work with us, that we are
looking forward to what you have to offer.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
I cannot wait. That was beautifully said, and I really
I'm just so happy for the two of you. It's like,
you know, it really is.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
Sometimes we got to go through things, yes, but I will.
I also want to say, it isn't just like going
through it. Then you have to you have to to
actually live right, like nobody is going to just provide
you the happy life that you have.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (24:06):
And I that's not the prize for going through it.
It's like you have to actually still contribute to it.
And you too have made that, you know, Thank you,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
And I do think we've all like part of funny enough.
What drew us together, part of our bond while we
were just friends and colleagues, was this fascination probably why
we got into journalism as well with true crime. What
makes people take this curiosity into human nature and what
makes people do what they do and say what they say,
(24:36):
and to be able to talk about it with people
who you respect and people who you love, and knowing
that we're all just looking for better understanding of one another.
I think that's part of what true crime is it's
not just about the ooh and the ah and the
shock value. That's actually about learning and understanding and going deeper.
So we love how how you're approaching this where you're
(24:59):
going to take this new podcast, and we're so excited
to be on this adventure with you and Hope. We
can't wait to listen to the first episode and then
we can have these meet and greets and catch up
sessions to talk about. I love watching what we're fascinated
by and just to see the creative process that takes
(25:20):
place to tell these stories for folks, for it to
come alive for folks, for it to resonate with people.
I think that's so cool about what you do as
an actor, and we can't wait to see what you
have for all of us. We'll be listening to the podcast, yeah,
every week. So congratulation.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
We're so excited about working with you, Alisa Donovan, Thank you,
and we have a lot of fun ahead of us.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
All I can't wait. Thank you both so much. It's
going to be fun.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Height
Hey there, everybody, Welcome to Amy and TJ Presents. But
now we have something after the presents TJ Killer.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Thriller, Killer Thriller. That sounds Is it too dramatic?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I wondered if no, No, you don't think that Tyler's dramatic.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You think so.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Yes, that's what we're talking about, Killer Thriller.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And yes we have an aunt which is exciting because
it's not just Amy and TJ Presents Killer Thriller. It's
Amy and TJ Presents Killer Thriller with Alisa Donovan.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Oh yes, and a lot of people know that name
and I don't know that history. But a lot of
people haven't done what we have now been able to do,
which is be stuck in LA traffic.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Which is what we just did all the way here.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yes, was that not the best way to get to
know each other.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
It was not that we wanted to have to do
it again, but like it kind of was.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
We made the most of La traffic, one of the
things that La is known for, but we turned it
into lemonade.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
It's like we had fifteen different conversations and looked out
the window.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
We were in the same place.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
We really go anywhere out of the car. Anyone who
lives in La probably has experienced this as well.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Even in New York.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
We've done this too, Get out of the cab because
you aren't going anywhere, and we walked it, and we
are so excited because we're talking about a new true
crime podcast and you are obviously a well we're of
a certain age. So the nineties you were everywhere. For
those who need an introduction to Alisa Donovan. If you
(01:48):
loved the movie Clueless, who didn't, you might remember her
as Amber from Clueless. And also we were this was
so funny Beverly Hills nine o two one zero. I
was a huge fan and you played I love you
played like the bad.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Ginger Leah Monica, who sounds that it's like that, what
is it when a word sounds like what it is?
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yes, that's close to that character.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How close?
Speaker 5 (02:16):
When I did Tory and Jenny's podcast over there rewatching
it and so they send me the episodes that I
was like a little I'm a little embarrassed by my behavior.
Like again, she really has like she had some balls attitude. No,
I wish I had her confidence. I wish I had
her confidence. I mean maybe on the inside in the car.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Ride here, you seem to have that confidence I did.
Isn't that we got to?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
That is an interesting way in all Seriously, this is
a true story, folks. The way we have just gotten
to know is stuck in LA traffic and we literally
got out and walked down the street with her. This
is our introduction how we got to It's.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Kind of amazing, right, Like it's never gonna not be great,
just know igue we couldn't remain.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Up all right, So A Lisa, tell us your fascination
what your connection is to true crime?
Speaker 5 (03:12):
I I mean, I think I am not alone here.
I have a like a borderline disturbing obsession with it,
and I'm not quite sure, you know, I've tried to
figure out what this is, and then I realized, well,
it's not just me. So I think we have such
a desire to understand human behavior, and like we human
(03:37):
beings are are like just we can't explain so much
about how we behave and I think we find it
absolutely impossible to believe sometimes that someone could commit some
of these truly heinous crimes. And then when you kind
of put all the pieces together and you walk down
(03:58):
the path.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
You say Oh, oh wow.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
I guess I can sort of imagine. That's how I
look at it, like, oh, I want to understand how
someone could get to this place, you know, and so
often these things like certainly mental illness is one thing,
but sometimes these things are based in other issues, you know, where.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
It's really about loss or passion or.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
True like really needing to survive.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
There are so many different things that we come across
that cause people to do these things, and so I
am truly obsessed and I feel like there is you know,
as an actor, I've never played a real person before
who has existed in history, and I think you know,
(04:49):
any kind of prep you're doing as an actor, you're
always trying to understand who they are, where they come from,
why they do the things they do.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And if you're playing.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
A real person, it's just a whole other level, right
of how do you get inside that person? Yes, how
do you find the positive things to a person who's
done catastrophic things? How do you humanize them on all
of that but also then show them respect? Right, there's
something And if you're playing the other family members, lawyers,
(05:21):
people who have this really specific and unique experience with
these situations. There's like a real amount of of.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Just respect that you have to show.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
And I'm so interested to talk to the people from
the creative side of how they approach these characters. Do
they get to go to the places where these things happen?
How much real access? How much license do you give
yourself to say I am playing this real person. But
I also have to kind of do my own version
(05:58):
of that. So it's just I'm really excited to go
down that path. And then also I get to it's
my job. I have to watch these things. I have to,
oh my job to.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Watch True Crime Specialists, which is just so laborious and boring. No,
that's exciting to get to consume what you love and
then talk about the process of how you portray this.
Explain to us or at least to the listeners, what
this new show format is going to be. How are
you approaching true crime in this podcast form?
Speaker 5 (06:31):
So we're approaching it from the standpoint of the series
and the films that are recreating and telling.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
The story of these crimes.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I e.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
The Murder Murders is one that has recently been right
been on TV and that series is obviously goes through
the process of Alec Murda and the murder of his
wife and his son. And so we will interview one
of the actors from the SHO show, talk to them
about their their process, how how involved in the case
(07:05):
did they did they get how did they sort of
separate themselves, how did they prepare for this, and how
did it impact their own lives? You know, because so
much of this Also when we're watching as viewers, I
think for myself anyway, you you know, you're you're looking
(07:25):
at your own life, but you're you're looking at it
from this standpoint of as I said, kind of you know,
how do we how can we do these things? Like
how can human beings be so profoundly beautiful and kind
and loving and then so profoundly dark? And how do
we how do we keep existing as human beings? You know,
(07:48):
we see these things, We have children, we have people
we care about, Like it's I feel that there was
really a way to humanize these things that will make
us less uh sensitized, because that's also something that I
think about a lot that you know, we can't there
are terrible things that happen, you know, and it's important
(08:11):
for us to really understand these things and not become
desensitized to them. And I feel like if we can
talk about it, kind of breaking down how you approach
these people and how because telling these sorts of stories is, uh,
it's a lot of weight to carry, you know, and
(08:33):
it's not it's not simple. And so I'm interested in
that crossing of the creative and the real life because
I think as artist, certainly myself as an artist, the
older that I get and the more work that I do,
it's like you sort of incorporate your life into everything,
Like my creativity is inherently part of my life and
vice versa. So it's sort of I'm really interested in,
(08:58):
you know, talking about those things and merging them.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Do you think some of the stuff we see a
lot of the stories we see and we all watch
a lot of true crime, is it your opinion that
most of us are capable of some of this stuff
just were not in those circumstances.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Or I think a lot of what.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
We're seeing is these people are anomalies, because it doesn't
feel like that to me necessarily.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
It doesn't feel that way to me either.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
I think that we want, we want to believe that,
we want to say these are outliers. These these are
the exceptions to the rule. But is this a part
This is a part of human nature. It is a
part of all of us, and it is really it's
just like I mean, I bring everything.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Back to Harry Potter, that there is there is a
good and bad.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
It's a choice, right, and we are all driven by
the We all have the good and the bad in us.
And certainly, you know, things are they're extreme ends to
both of those things. But I don't think it's an anomaly,
you know, especially when we.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Life is hard. You know, life is hard.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Life is really beautiful too, but it's not easy, and
dependent upon how you respond to those things, how the environment,
your environment responds to you, the pressure can build. And
I always feel like, I don't know if it's because
I'm an actor that you sort of have to be
(10:24):
able to imagine all these things. But I always feel
like anyone is capable of anything, great things and small,
you know, And I think it's shortsighted to say otherwise,
to sort of put people in buckets, right, they go,
this is a great person, they only do great things
that it's terrible person, you know, And part of it
(10:46):
is like judgment we all have to have good judgment
right where we try to have good judgment.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
So, but they're that great.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
The middle, the middle bit is really where you know
most of us are.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
What do you find you're drawn to? What type of
true crime stories? We We do a thing we call
murder in the Morning. We just started calling because we
wake up first thing in the morning, it's two, three,
four or five in the morning, and we turn the
TV on and we don't want to watch cartoons or news.
We turn on something to where a white has killed
her husband.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
We are weird when the spouse kills.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
So we're hoping I'm interested in that. I'm very interested in.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Spousal disputes, yes, and family sort of disputes, because.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I think that's like so ripe.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
I mean, we all know it's all it's so relatable,
it's so relatable, and then it.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Just becomes to work.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Yes, women are always what it's nurses or nurses they
have a gambling addiction, yes, or credit.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Card corre and nurses have access to drugs.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
But I feel like, look in that's some prime stories
that we watch. I feel like women are so sadistic,
like if a man's going to kill you it's just
going to be like quick, brutal, but quick women, we
will torture.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
What you suffer.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
And we've been planning it and planning it for ages and.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
Watching it unfold because we can MULTITASKI.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Oh my goodness, it is funny that we do love
some of these true crime stories. In fact, where we're
staying here in Brentwood, we did notice we were walking
to go pick up something and we were on Bundy,
so and of course, obviously o J. We looked it
up and we couldn't believe how close we were to
(12:50):
where the murders happened.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
And I'm we're going on a run tomorrow. I was like,
I might have to run. I have to run by that.
I mean, I'm telling you.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I remember in high school my English teacher called it
fascination with the abomination. I know, I had it from
the moment I was a kid.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
So don't you think that's partly why you got into journalism,
I'm sure of course. And then also it's about having
a real curiosity about humanity and life, right, it's not
so this is this is the thing, like it doesn't
have to be exploitative, right in this way, it's actually
a true fascination that we have. It's like a curiosity.
(13:27):
If you're paying attention at all, you know, and have
a pulse, you can't be not affected by these things.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I was going to ask, do you think people are
born evil?
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Are inherently evil? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
And selfish and you have to learn otherwise. I'm curious
where you fall on that. Is it a learned thing?
Are you born with it? Do you choose it?
Speaker 5 (13:53):
This is, you know, one of the age old questions, right,
the eternal question. I feel like we are It is
based in the soul. So we come into this life
with a soul, and the soul's in the body, so
you're you know, you come with that, everybody you come with,
but the.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Soul is really there.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
This is my personal belief and that you're here on
earth to work through things, and you have to work
through those things in a human way. So what you're
working through is going to be different than what I'm
working through. There might be some crossover, you know, but
sort of like the big task of being alive is
(14:32):
individual with all sorts of crossovers. So the good or
bad thing, you know, and I think about this, you know,
when you have a child, when I have my daughter.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
I remember thinking.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
Before I was like, oh, you know, I mom and
I have adore in my mother, but we have a
complicated relationship, you know. So I was always like, oh,
I'm gonna have a boy. It's better, I'm gonna have
a boy.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
I'm definitely having a boy. I was like, he's gonna
wear bow ties. I was like doing things.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
And then when I was pregnant in the middle of
like maybe like four or five months, I remember we
were on this vacation, my cousin and I and I
was like, oh, I think I'm having a girl. I
think I'm having a girl. And we hadn't found out yet,
like at that time she's thirteen. Now you couldn't. It
was later when you could find out the gender.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Yes, so at any rate.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
And I was like, I feel like I had this
and to me, I know you're going to be like
I'm looney Tunes. I feel like that was like the
moment where it's like her soul came, chose me, here
we go, and it like shifted. Now you might have
always been the case, and my mind was like I'm
just gonna have a boy because it'll be easier for me.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
It'll be better for me.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
We all have girls, yes, And now, of course I
wouldn't change this for the world, you know. But so
my point being that she like, once she came out
and was here, I fully understood. Oh, I'm like the
vessel that brought her here. But she is her own thing,
(15:58):
and we are like here, I'm here to give her
my moral guidelines and to give her my support and
show her how, you know, my husband and I how
we feel about the world now we do things. But
she is her own person, like one hundred percent her
own person, and I don't ever want to change that.
(16:19):
Like I celebrate that, you know. Sometimes that's why we
butt heads and why we have, you know, sort of
some trouble. But it's like you just go, oh, we really.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Are all individuals, you know, we really are.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
So I think it's that was a really long winded answer,
but that's what I think.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
My last question on the podcast and covering true crime
is I just want to hear your take. And sometimes
it's a criticism of it's a morbid curiosity, and people
take it as sometimes you are profiting or using someone's
pain or painful story as a part of entertainment, and
(16:57):
I get that to a certain degree. I never feel
like that and I'm watching true crime. But for folks
when that's out there, where do you come down in
that idea that what we're seeing is sometimes more of
a curiosity, sometimes entertainment. But I see it and it
sounds like you see it a little differently, And why
it's important to be telling it because there's so much
(17:19):
true crime out the stories, I mean, the shows are
a little ridiculous coming they are out there.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
But take on that idea, I.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Would say two things.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
One, when people are in pain, and I have known
people who have gone through just unimaginable, unspeakable pain. They
don't want to not.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Talk about it, they actually have to. And the more
that people ignore it or say like.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Oh, don't bring it up, don't bring it up, you know, like,
let's not upset her, it's you're doing them a disservice
because they're thinking about it all the time.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Right.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
So if there's a part of this that can be very,
very healing to people, I think when it's done respectfully
and well. And then the other part of it is
as a creative person, it's like it's a it's a
calling to be a creative person as an actor and
not to get to like get my violin out here,
but truly, so we're like doing a service, like it's
(18:21):
a calling. We're artists, So you really are imbuing this
with humanity and with truth. And you know, in a
prit not everything is you know, Shakespeare or oscar Worthy,
but you know, I think everybody that's the goal is
to do good work and to show respect for something,
and I think that it can be revelatory for people
(18:45):
and you know, even healing at sometimes.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
And to get people excited about this new podcast, Killer Thriller,
which we're very excited about. Can you give us an
idea of the stories that you're interested in right now
that you're hoping to tell. I know you're going to
focus on some of the actors who portray some of
the worst people in the world and what that's like
(19:18):
to walk in those bodies and to try to get
into those mindsets, which I can't imagine what that's like
as an actor. But what are the stories that you're
hoping to share or some of the true crime elements
that folks can look forward to on this podcast.
Speaker 5 (19:34):
So we're going to do new shows that are very topical,
like the Murder Murderers, the Menendez Brothers A week don't
ever seem to want to let them go, but something
is always shifting in their story, dis fascinating the new ones.
Who is the one the guy? There are a few
that I would like to just put it out there
that I hope they will make soon. I'm sure there's
(19:57):
going to be an Epstein series of some kind. Diddy
and uh right, Brian Walsh is we can't stop watching it.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
We have watched it all day every day.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
I hope somebody is writing that right now. I really
hope that they are.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
And OJ s O J.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Simpson never goes away, never never, and that those shows
the versace some of these people like Jason Clark and
Murder Murders that series. He is like otherworldly. He is
so phenomenal in this show. Everybody is, the whole cast
is really quite wonderful, but he is like.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
On another level.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
And the transformation that this guy does from the first
episode to the end, it's like you it's.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Like you're watching a mad man. I just it is.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
He's so spectacular and they're all great, Like everybody is wonderful,
isn't it whisht All that like, it's a terrific cast,
but he's amazing. And in the the OJ series People
Versus OJ, Sarah Paulson is like also Marcia Clark, she
nails credible. She's so good at.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Lobby for Courtney b Vance to get an oscar for
a show that was on TV.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Yes, incredible.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Yes so, And these are people that really are imbuing
these people with humanity, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And I think that's one of the cool parts about
it because it's not just the killer or the evil doers.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
The people, it's the people around around.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
Yes, these stories and in many ways those people are
especially particularly in the murder murders in that series, the
way they show it, the family and the police officers
and all of those people, like they have such a
(21:56):
unique importance because many of them were either afraid to
speak up we're like a party to the whole thing,
or just really you know, had no resources and had
no other opportunity, like didn't how to sort of do
what was in front of them. And that's another piece
of these things. I think that's really important to see.
(22:19):
Sometimes people it's like their circumstances.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
No, I always there was a common thread to most
of the stories we see often times quite frankly, it's poverty, yeah,
it's upbringing. It's all of these things that play into it.
That when you see a headline, yep, it's one thing
you think somebody's monstrous when you see there.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
See the whole story what happened, certainly.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
And I think that is important for us to constantly see.
We are so excited to partner with you.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
I am so excited to partner with you too.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I love our heart relationship.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
We didn't know where it was going, is turned into
this thing that where we are now able to have
moments we never thought, which included riding in that car
traffic in LA with you, and walking to get to it.
It's just really robes And I mean this. I'm saying
this from a personal standpoint. We have been through a
(23:15):
lot and we can never have imagined that we'd be
sitting in this room with you right now. But all
of that happened for us to get here, and we
I tell you, at least, we are so happy to
be where we are right now, which is in.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
A room with you.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
So we are so grateful that is beautiful. We're willing
to come on and work with us, that we are
looking forward to what you have to offer.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
I cannot wait. That was beautifully said, and I really
I'm just so happy for the two of you. It's like,
you know, it really is.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
Sometimes we got to go through things, yes, but I will.
I also want to say, it isn't just like going
through it. Then you have to you have to to
actually live right, like nobody is going to just provide
you the happy life that you have.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (24:06):
And I that's not the prize for going through it.
It's like you have to actually still contribute to it.
And you too have made that, you know, Thank you,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
And I do think we've all like part of funny enough.
What drew us together, part of our bond while we
were just friends and colleagues, was this fascination probably why
we got into journalism as well with true crime. What
makes people take this curiosity into human nature and what
makes people do what they do and say what they say,
(24:36):
and to be able to talk about it with people
who you respect and people who you love, and knowing
that we're all just looking for better understanding of one another.
I think that's part of what true crime is it's
not just about the ooh and the ah and the
shock value. That's actually about learning and understanding and going deeper.
So we love how how you're approaching this where you're
(24:59):
going to take this new podcast, and we're so excited
to be on this adventure with you and Hope. We
can't wait to listen to the first episode and then
we can have these meet and greets and catch up
sessions to talk about. I love watching what we're fascinated
by and just to see the creative process that takes
(25:20):
place to tell these stories for folks, for it to
come alive for folks, for it to resonate with people.
I think that's so cool about what you do as
an actor, and we can't wait to see what you
have for all of us. We'll be listening to the podcast, yeah,
every week. So congratulation.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
We're so excited about working with you, Alisa Donovan, Thank you,
and we have a lot of fun ahead of us.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
All I can't wait. Thank you both so much. It's
going to be fun.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
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