September 6, 2022 • 37 mins
Darilyn is sitting down this time to chat with Tony darling Michael Castillejo. He's been on Orange is the New Black, FBI, New Amsterdam, and now he's going on a much-needed vacation. But we're chatting about everything that lead to the here and now. Join us!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh yeah, me hint that. I just want to give
you a heads up. The program you are about to
hear may have some explicit language, it may not. It
also depends on where the vibes and the spirit leads us.
Hope you enjoy Welcome to more Anita, a deep dive
into the Latin X experience. With more Anita, we want
(00:22):
to create a community and a shared space with you
while sharing knowledge and inspiration. This show is about celebrating
our culture with guests who exemplify the best of us.
I'm Darrylene Gastillo, Vito Bueno. Oh yeah, me hinted. Today
(00:42):
we have an amazing episode. We have the Michael Gastillejosts,
who has graced his presence in TV shows such as FBI, PowerBook,
Bull and Orange Is the New Black, and who most
recently was in the Tony of Award winning production of
Take Me Out, starring Jesse Williams and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
(01:06):
Michael and I met on a gig that we booked
together be interstitial host on PBSS Rita Moreno's documentary Just
a Girl who Decided to go for It. After meeting
Michael on set, I was immediately drawn to his story
that I think so many of us Latina folks will
relate to. From mathematician to Broadway and his journey in
(01:27):
this industry is truly inspiring and a leap of faith. Also,
he taps in on how he handles fatherhood through all
of this. Now, if you were wondering, Michael does dive
deep on the controversy of taking me out. Now, if
you were living under a rock, there was a huge
controversy around the Tony Award winning show. Now if you
(01:49):
were living under a rock, there was a huge controversy
around the Tony Award winning play. There's a shower scene
and nudity does take place, and though many safety precaution
were taken, a patron had decided to take a photo
of a very very private moment on stage that then
leaked out to the entire world. Michael gives us the
(02:10):
low down of the energy backstage that day and how
the company moved forward from this public act. Stay tuned
for the juice on this one. I do want to
mention the show made a comeback and is currently running
on Broadway, and I highly recommend you know me, support
the arts. Something that really spoke to me during this interview,
(02:31):
was speaking about his relationship with his wife throughout this journey,
how they as a team have truly made this work.
We speak about some of the pressures within fatherhood and
how he balances it all. Michael states parenting is by
far the most important thing he'll do with his life.
He shares how having hard conversations with his wife have
(02:54):
been extremely impactful and helpful. Now Michael's wife is a
child therapist, which definitely add some balance to this household.
But hearing how invested Michael is as a father really
is evident as he speaks about parenting. There's so much
in this episode, you guys, so stay tuned to happen
(03:15):
than beat them. When Michael Castiller host no relation there
by the way, you guys has entered Moranita officially. Um,
that little joke is from a very incredible gig that
(03:36):
I got to do with Michael. We were hosts. Yeah,
interstitial host, thank you for the proper language. Um. We
did the thing for PBS for Rita Moreno her documentary
soue the Queen of All Queens, and we got to
basically asked people for money. The name of the game.
(03:59):
The name of the game game. Um, and we got
to do that on PBS. Maybe some of you might
have seen it, might have seen our faces. Um, and
I met him and he was currently doing the incredible
play called Take Me Out on Broadway, right, which then
also shortly a few weeks later one a Tony that
(04:20):
I got to give the trophy for because I was
working Tony's and let's be let's be real, I did
I get you in trouble or not? Absolutely hugged you
on stage, and I think one of your castmates was like,
can I get a hug too, I'm like, of course, congratulations. Um.
First off, what an honor to be your friend and
(04:41):
also hand the Tony over. I mean, your squad was
deep on stage. If anybody ever goes back to watch
the Tony's, Um, there was so much crazy energy about
the play because of the controversy of course as well. Actually,
why don't you dive in a little bit about that,
because the play itself was incredible, But I mean, obviously
(05:02):
the controversy brought this crazy. You know, I don't think
it's a spoiler at this point to say that the
majority of the cast appears naked in the show. We
had discussions early on about how we would keep each
other safe, how we would control our privacy, and second
stage Dater, I'll give him a lot of credit. They
(05:22):
had this system where they when when audience members would
come in, they would put their phone in a bag
and it would be locked and everybody had to lock
their phones. And you know, for the most part, it
worked until it didn't. And then one day, you know,
every news outlet from TMZ to the New York Post
(05:42):
to The Times, everyone had this image and images of
one of the shower scenes from the show. And of
course for those of us in the show, the first
thing we did was like, am I in the video?
Oh no, you know, and uh it was actually just uh,
just two of the guys, namely Jesse Williams Lots to
be real, that's who they were really after um, and uh,
(06:07):
you know, it was a weird day, I have to say,
because we all knew it could happen, and you're sort
of each day you're sort of saying, I'm willingly getting
naked for the you know, seven eight hundred thousand people
that are in this room, but that's really all I
wanted to be And and then you know, then it
went kind of global and as these things do nowadays. Um,
(06:30):
so yeah, the show had a lot of buzz and actually,
you know what, it came out the day then Tony
nominations came out, so there was also this kind of
like was this intentional? Was this a move Jesse, you know,
like all of that, which, of course, um, he didn't
want to joke about, so we didn't joke. Um to
his face. No, I didn't know I was gonna was
(06:55):
there like a sense of like seriousness that just kind
of showered over no pun intended, Yeah, showered over the
theater after this video was leaked, Like I can't even imagine.
It was such a weird It was such a weird
week anyway, because um, you know, Jesse Tyler Ferguson was
nominated for Tony as well as in the same category
(07:16):
as Jesse Williams, and also the lesser known but incredibly
talented Michael Oberholtzer was also nominated, So there was also
this dynamic of like, we're all comrades, were all friends,
it's a very friendly cast, but then these three are
all competing for the same Tony, So it was already
kind of weird, and then Jesse Tyler Ferguson got COVID
(07:38):
that week, so it was it was just all like
everyone's like, who is everybody? And you know, it's a
known thing in the Broadway industry. Tony Week is always
like the nomination we It's always a weird week in
the theater, in the space. I think everybody has experienced
some of that, and I've heard that multiple times. UM, okay, great,
take me out. You did the thing the CONTI prest
(08:00):
you guys wanted Tony. It happened. I already spoke about
your incredible um TV appearances from New Amsterdam to FBI
to Power Book to Bowl to arms Black. Tell us
how this started for you? You know, it's so funny,
it's it's not a likely story. UM My my parents,
So my parents are from Mexico. UM. They immigrated over
(08:26):
um in and around my childhood. So UM for the
early parts of my my story, they were undocumented. And
I think a lot of folks in this community know
what that means, you know, And you know, I think
it was as likely as not that we would have
ended up back in Mexico. That obviously would have been
(08:47):
a very different trajectory. And it's interesting because I have
a lot of cousins. I have a cousin who's who
does musical theater, UM, who wishes she was here doing
this um. And we have conversations from i'm the time
about um just how things outside of either of our
control led us to where we are now. And she's
(09:07):
doing great, She's doing really, really beautiful work in Central America.
But UM, yeah, you know, I honestly never thought my
first thing on Broadway would be, uh, a play. I'm
a singer first and foremost a musician, and I thought
for sure it would be one of the millions of
things I had auditioned for over the years, and UM,
(09:29):
you know, life has a funny way, right this play
When I first read it, I mean, it was one
that I had known from when it would first happen
a couple of decades ago. I told my wife, like,
this play is incredible. I have to do this play,
and um, it's a journey that included, I have to say,
for those those listening to her actors, UM, it included
(09:51):
an audition where I took my socks and shoes off
and threw them at the reader. And so I have
to say that to it was definitely something where I
was like so frustrated with my career and not getting
the parts that I wanted that I said, this audition,
I'm going all the way. I'm going to make the
crazy choice that I normally talk myself out of. And
(10:15):
so there's a scene where I get into a fight
in the locker room and I thought, they, I know
that I'm supposed to show them in this audition that
I'm willing to get naked and that I'm crazy, So
why not just take my socks and shoes off and
throw them? And I did, and I got the part
um but yeah, socks and shoes throw them at the uh,
(10:38):
I'm pretty sure After I did that, the director, Scott
Ellis was like get out of here, you know, but
like it was like in a good way, and I
was like, I called my wife. I was like, hey,
I think I might actually get this one. You do
something like that and you take a chance and you
book it. It was my parents like wedding anniversary the
weekend of final callbacks. We had booked a trip to
(10:59):
surprise them, to to like make this whole big deal
to celebrate their anniversary, and of course that was when
Final callbacks would taking me out happened, and so I
had to change my flight and blah blah blah and
fly back. And I was like, it's like, it's like
the golden rule, right, Do you want to book a job,
book a vacation first, and that's when you'll exactly, that's
(11:19):
when they're going to need you. That's when actually the
gig it might even be starting. Yeah, exactly. So I
want to touch based back on your roots and beginning here,
it wasn't something that was always supported by your parents.
(11:41):
Was that always something that was embedded in you from
a young age or was it something that just grew
later on, you know, amazingly and to their credit, yes,
you know. I I'm just trying to think back through.
Was there ever a time where they were like, hey,
you need to get serious? And I don't think there
really ever was. You know, like, my dad was a
(12:01):
mechanic and he, you know, just well that's the only
job you can get when you're you know, a teenager,
twenty year old undocumented. I've asked him sometimes like what
did you want to be? Dad? And I think he
was like, I don't know, I've ever had that opportunity
to think in those terms. And I think a lot
of children of immigrants and immigrants themselves than what they
(12:22):
get is hey, kid, I came up the hard way,
so you need to be serious. Gobi a doctor, go
be a lawyer, you know all that. But my parents
were always like, follow your heart. I mean to this day,
like my mom gives me the not the toughest feedback,
but the strongest feedback where she's like, if she sees
me seeing something or do something, she's like, she still
(12:45):
calls me Mikey. Sometimes she'd be like, Mikey, do it
from your heart. You know, they appreciate it more because
of their struggle, Like we had to endure so many
things to come to this country and stay in this
country and give you the life that you've had so
that you can be free to follow your love. And
(13:05):
when I first moved to New York, as many actors do,
it was tough times. There were times and I was like, where,
you know, how am I going to eat? You know,
and and they were they were there for me when
that happened. They would come and visit. My mom would
cook a bunch of food, you know, so um, yeah,
it's it's it's something. Though at the same time, I
(13:26):
feel like, um, maybe it's a cliche to say this,
but I feel like what they gave me and my
siblings was this the sense of a work ethic, the
sense of like, we may not have the resources that
everybody else has, but we're gonna work twice as hard.
The life of the theater takes a lot of work,
takes a lot of dedication. There's not a lot of
(13:46):
easy days, even when it's going well. You know, h
shows a week is a grind, you know. So, yeah,
I give a lot of credit to my parents, something
that I'm reminded of every time when I speak to
some of about this or hear what you just mentioned.
But it's like this privilege that you and I were given,
(14:06):
coming from immigrant parents, of even being able to think, oh,
I would like to do this, where you know, our
parents had to go through the moments of I don't
have the privilege of asking myself that I have to
do this to provide or right to or put food
(14:28):
on the table and to keep this roof over our heads,
so that one day you and I can have that
opportunity to say I want to be an actor, I
want to be an artist, I want to whatever it
is I want to be a doctor. I want to
be a lawyer, to have that that privilege. It's just
something special. It's heartbreaking, and it's it's it's so much
(14:50):
in there. Yeah, you know, I'll never forget, like there
are hard days as an actor. You know, I have
two kids, and maybe we'll talk about that at some point,
but like, there are hard days in making all these
things work, and I'll never forget. Though. When I was
a kid, I have distinct memories of we still lived
in Mexico at this point, but we lived near the
border and my parents would get up, I mean it
(15:12):
had to have been three or four in the morning
to get us ready for school, drive us to the
border cross and they put us into schools on the
U S side. And yeah, I mean it was it
was something that there were easier roads for them to go.
But I think they could see into the future, to
(15:33):
see into I give them a lot of credit to
to where myself and my siblings are in our lives
and with our families, and they were like, it's worth
this sacrifice. And like you said, it's so true of
the generation after the immigrant generation. That's like, man, I
don't have to think about any of that. I just
I just got given such a head start, and you
(15:55):
never want to take it for granted, right right, right,
So then when you're at these high moments, you really
are just soaking it all in. And that's what I
appreciate about you, especially when we were just like on
this one day gig together. There was just such like
a deep appreciation to what you do. And I always
admire that when I see that in fellow actors, because
we see a lot of different kinds of people industry, yes,
(16:16):
but also to be able to see that in a
fellow Latina actor who understood that and got that, I mean,
we immediately bonded over that lingo right when we met.
Um just to lock it all in. You were born
where and you grew up? I'm curious about all the
pieces there at the puzzle. So I was. I was
born in Texas, in a little town, not that little anymore, Odessa,
(16:39):
And then we moved back to Mexico when I was
really little, and then I think when I was too
we moved back full time to the States, but we
were kind of we lived pretty near the border, so
we would go back and forth in Huettas, Mexico, and
acting was always a thing. You were always like doing it.
You were just always a performer. Both of my parents
(17:01):
and famis are very big, and we had like the
prototypical like big family gatherings, right, And a lot of
people were musicians, a lot of people were theatrical, good storytellers,
and I think I just learned from an early age
you've got to command the room. And so my parents
would talk about that typical thing where I would like
(17:21):
walk in and say something funny and everyone would start laughing,
and then I would cry because I thought everyone was
laughing at me. Um, And you know, and and so
it kind of grew from there too. In school, doing
singing in the chorus, you know, doing the little school
play things. Um. You know what was actually really formative
the national tour of Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoad
(17:44):
came through. We were living in Dallas at that point,
and I got a role as one of the kids,
and I would have been like seventh grade. And it
was that I'm sure you've had that shift where it
was like going from watching theater two being in the
show and realizing, oh, this is doable, I can do this.
(18:05):
It was actually very heartbreaking because I know, I was
like I was working out on like a production contract
like Broadway, you know, the national Tour, and then I
was like, I gotta go back to being a kid.
And there's not a lot of like kid parts in Dallas, Texas. Um,
but you know what, I'm stuck with it. Yeah. Again,
it's that immigrant mentality of like, you can't kill me.
(18:28):
You know, I'll tell you, I'll tell you kill me.
You can't kill me. You know, I'm gonna work hard
and stick with it and won't quit. Um. And then
that brings you to New York City. So when I
first came to New York, I was actually a math teacher. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well it's so funny because so most people know about
Teach for America, which is this program where you know,
(18:50):
they hire you to teach in unders well, New York
City used to have a program of its own called
the Teaching Fellows, and they would pay you a bonus
to move to New York to teach math. So I
applied and got in and they gave me five thousand
dollars to move to New York. On the other end
(19:10):
of that, I had to actually teach. I was supposed
to teach for two years and I taught for one
and somewhere in there, um, my wife just kind of
looked at me and said, you're dying. You're not on
earth to be a math teacher. At first, I was like,
but they're paying for a master's degree in math education.
(19:31):
It was completely free, and something inside me that like
immigrant work ethic, was like, you don't turn away a
free master's And I give my wife credit for being like, hey,
but it's killing you. And you know that you're supposed
to be on stage. So I quit. I quit, and
I had nothing, absolutely nothing lined up. I mean I
(19:54):
didn't have my equity card. I Uh, nobody knew who
I was. I did know who anybody was or how
anything worked. All I knew is that my mom thought
I had a good voice. And yeah, I mean I
went to school. I went to school to sing um.
But it was like more classical stuff, you know, and um,
it was not It was not likely that I'd still
(20:18):
be here for sure. And then what was everything that
put it into gear for you? What was the liquid
that just lighted the fire? What was that? Because it
seems like from that moment to where you are now.
I mean, there's so much that's filled that. Yeah, that's
a really good question. Um, Honestly, I feel like I've
(20:43):
I've gotten so lucky with friends, like working with people
who then are like, hey, you're good, Um, come be
in this thing. Everybody's journey is so different and you
can't you can't, like you know, I don't care how
many like actor workshops you take or whatever. Your journey
is just going to be different. And so like for me,
it was I got my first agent because a friend
(21:06):
was like, Hey, I'm auditioning for this agent. Will you
be my scene partner? And so I did, and the
agent was like I don't want that one. I want
you and we're not spoken to her since so yeah,
but um, you know, and then uh, from that, I
got this really cool showcase with the NBC Diversity Showcase,
(21:29):
which I highly recommend for all the actors out there. Showcase. Yeah,
and it's cool because that really was for me like
an introduction because they you know, you do the showcase
and then they bring in the executives at NBC obviously
who you get to know, but then they're all of
the casting directors in New York will go to that.
(21:49):
That was like my first, um, eye opening moment to say, oh,
at some level, this is still like a relationship business
and I have to know these people and become known
by these people. I didn't realize how little I knew
and how decisions really got made and who made those decisions,
and that there have been key moments in my career
where I've been like, oh, I've been knocking on this door,
(22:11):
but actually the door that matters is this door, or
the person that matters is this door, And everybody in
New York will tell you that they matter. But I
started to realize this is more how this really works. Um.
So that was helpful and UH ended up getting a
manager from that, and um, you know, and then and
then it like it it's it sounds so like compressed
(22:33):
when you say all these things are like different things
that I've done, but it's it's been stretched out over time,
and there's lots of like commercials and hosting jobs, and
I mean literally, Darylyn, there is nothing that I have
not done. I mean from like, um, I've I've modeled,
I've I've done voiceover stuff for video games. Like I
(22:58):
like to say, I'm a new York actor. I'm like,
I don't say no really, so like people like do
do theater? Do do TV? I'm like, I don't know.
Does it help with food on the table? Yeah, but
you have to have that mentality to It's like that's
the one thing that I completely agree with you on
that I mean in this industry. Yeah, there's okay, we
talk about mental health and like what to say no
(23:19):
to and like things like that. Yes, but like in
this industry there is that mentality. Especially when I completely
get the New York actor thing. It's like, yeah, what
you want me to skate on my head? Like I
don't know if I can do it, but like do
you have skates? Like let me figure it out. Let's
let's give it a you know what I mean, Like,
let's let's see what we can do. Let's see how
we can make this work. I one of my things
(23:41):
is I play a lot of different instruments, but there's
plenty of that. I don't play um, but people will
be like, hey, I see that you play you know,
um banjo. We actually needed a tuba player, am U.
When's your show? Okay? Yeah, I could give you give
me some time, um which honestly is funny is something
(24:03):
of a Mexican stereotype. Um, not necessarily in the music world,
but like this idea of like all my uncles are like,
what do you need? You need an electrician? Yeah, I
can do that. You need a roofer, Yeah, my cousin
does that. Meanwhile, no one does any of them. And
they're like, well learn, well, learn totally. You just you
(24:25):
will teach us. Yeah, we'll figure it out. We got that.
Who Yeah, it's so funny. But also in listening to
your story, something that really is a highlight for me,
and something that really stands out is that it seems
like when you came in and realizing like, oh I
(24:48):
need to talk to that person not that person, or
like I need to shift my folks. Like it's a
very important thing that I think a lot of actors forget.
It's the mentality of reminding yourself that, oh, are all
this is a business. Everybody loves the arts and the
creativity of it. But if you don't have that business
savvy side to you, if you don't have that ability
(25:09):
to view through that lens of also the business lens,
then it gets tricky. It gets it can get harder
and it can get tricky one like you were saying,
like knowing your boundaries and what to say no to.
I feel like now I'm at a place where the
stuff I say no to is when I talk to
someone and it's clear you you don't have it quite straight.
(25:31):
When people have confused like the passion and the money
side of things and so like, especially in the theater world,
where people are like, hey, can you come give us
like six months of your life, you know, a bag
a bag of peanuts and a water bottle. You're like, hmmmm, well,
let's think about that. Um, It's not like they make
this easy. You know. It's like a lot of the
(25:53):
information is buying closed doors or it's like you know,
I'm sure in your journey and theater you're like, you know,
once you get in the room with I mean, the
amazing people that you've been in the room with, they're
all nice. It's not like they're like hate actors and
they're trying to keep you out. It's just there's a
lot of actors and they have to have like they
have to make it a little bit opaque how the
thing works. But then once you're in the room, they're like, hey, Darylin. Yeah, great,
(26:17):
like do your thing absolutely. I have to say, I
listen to your show. I'm a fan and I love
I don't know which episode it was where you were
talking about um working with a music director from uh
I think it was from Hamilton's maybe, and they were like,
we hired you to be you yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, No,
(26:38):
I go deep in the catalog. Um. But I I
say that to say, I think it's like that where
it's like the walls are up in this industry until
they're down and then it's like, yeah, be you. Like like,
I can't tell you how many times I've been on
a TV set and they're like, you talk to the
director thinking you're going to get some feedback and like
just what do you think do do what you think, Michael,
(26:59):
what you think the character wants there? And you're like, yeah,
sure sure, let me just grab my notes real quick. Um. Yeah.
I think it's always like a yeah, And it's easy
to forget that when you're in the flow, in the hustle,
in the bustle just trying to like you know, you're
getting yourself tapes a week and you're trying to do
(27:20):
the thing and not overthink it, and of course, naturally,
I don't know about you. I overthink it, um, and
then you get in the room, and you got in
the room and you're like still overthinking it. And then
they're like, hey, we're just people, Like we're just here
to do the thing. Yeah. I'm fascinated with you, especially
(27:47):
like you being a father of two and holding it
down in this industry. And I believe your wife used
to be in the industry as well. She was an artist,
she was a dancer. Yeah, she's a therapist now thankfully
kick ass there from the last time we talked about
I'm so, how how do you do it? I'm sure
(28:08):
having a therapist in the house helps? Well? She she
she's a children's therapist, so she is the rock. How
do you handle the weight on your end and the pressures?
And I'm sure the men who are listening to this
maybe can relate to some of that pressure. Well, listen.
I think parenting is by far the most important thing
(28:31):
I'll do with my life. It's by far the most
impactful and the thing that I'll be most proud of.
I think, um, no matter what happens in my career,
and I think that my wife and I had. We
had some some hard conversations when our oldest who's now five,
(28:52):
when she was one, we were broke. I couldn't get hired,
like not just not acting. You know, when you act
for a while and then you'd like try to get
a jobbit like Trader Joe's. They're like, wait, what do
you mean. You haven't had a real job in ten years.
You're like, I don't know, I've just been acting, and
they're like, no, I don't know. We don't want to
hire you. But you know, I had a little baby,
and so we were thinking we might have to leave
(29:12):
the city and I was gonna do something else, and
we decided to stick it out. And part of that
was what one of the things that we wanted to
give our kids was this sense of we are going
after the things that make us come alive as people.
(29:35):
And my one of the things my wife says to
her clients and therapy is the best thing you can
do for your kids is to be okay yourself. That's
what they need from you more than anything, because more
than anything you say or do, they need you to
be okay. That that idea of like putting your mask
on first. So sorry that in the like plane thing
(29:57):
when they're like, hey, ladies and gentlemen, if this, put
your mask on first, and then help your kid. And
that's the same is true in parenting. Um, and so
most recently and to take me out experience, UM, you know,
I was gone for most nights and and missed bedtime
and all of that, and that came as a loss
to my kids in a certain sense. But by the
(30:20):
flip side, they got so into Broadway and so into
like the Tony's. My daughter, we took her to the
Central Park Zoo one day, and this was before we
were nominated for the Tony We're walking up Fifth Avenue
and she looks at the Alexander McQueen store and she
sees this ten thousand dollar dress. She's like, Data, that's
(30:43):
what I'm gonna wear to the Tony's. And I was like,
it hadn't even been announced that the Tonies we're gonna happen.
We don't know if we're gonna get nominated, and I
don't know if I'm gonna go. And she's like, oh, no, Data,
that's what I'm gonna wear. And I was like, this
is beautiful, Like this is our process. This is our story.
And you know when we actually did get nominated and
(31:04):
one she didn't get to go, but she was so excited.
And um, actually yesterday I'm playing in the Broadway Softball
League for take Me Out. Yeah, of course, come on,
come on, take me out of the Baseball Show. We
had to uh we we lost to a Laddin yesterday.
I'm sad to report, but but but you know what,
like it was so much fun to take her and
(31:29):
my son and they were just like sitting in the
bleachers and I was like, what what a gift in
their childhood. They're just sitting around with like in Middle
Central Park watching the softball game, and like everyone's doting
on them. Um. I give the theater community a lot
of credit. They love kids, and it's you know, every
(31:49):
time I bring them around, Um, it's been special. And
even in the cast, Um, Jesse Tyler has a kid
and he's gonna about to have another one. Him and
his partner and a bunch of the guys have young children.
So it's like, you know, the show about like whatever,
and and we're all most of us would just sit
around the dressing room and talk about our kids and like, hey,
do you have you tried this new baby food or
(32:11):
have you tried to say that? So it's also fun
because it's very humanizing. Now you guys have it the
locker room talk, take me out, the cast to take
me out? No, I think it's so heartwarming to see
the kids getting invested and involved, and when you know,
now you've got to get ready to buy this ten
dollar Alexander daughter sounds like you have your hands full. Oh,
(32:36):
she knows what she wants, that's for sure. Um, Michael,
I know there's probably, like I mean, after you're in
a Tony Award winning play, what is I hate when
people ask me this question? And I can see it
in your face, But yeah, what is the future holding
for you? And I asked that with complete openness because
(32:57):
I know how heavy that question can be after giving
yourself for so much time to such this project like
take me out. Um. A lot of times I think
when people ask that question, they don't realize there's so
much that you've just given yourself to this project. But um,
how are you spending your time now after the win
and the projects that you're focusing on and the rooms
(33:18):
that you want to be a part of. Well, I'll
tell you. The thing I'm most excited about is we
are taking a vacation next next week. You know, it
was crazy. We we closed on a Saturday. The Tony's
were the very next day, and then I started a
film for HBO the very next day after that, so literally,
(33:40):
you know Tony's win, and then um, like it was
really shady and down low about where the after party was,
and so I went to one and then I went
to another and it was two in the morning, and
I was like, I have to get up to film
something tomorrow. And they went to like six in the morning,
but I I ducked out, but literally I was like,
(34:01):
I need to rest. And then I had a started,
uh work on a new play um with Austin Pendleton.
It's a really cool story. UM that kind of dives
into the priest scandal, uh like abuse scandal. Um. But
that's kind of taking me to now. And now I'm like,
I need a vacation. Now it's time for you to
(34:22):
go chill, get a magarita. The kids going oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's great. Um. And then after that, I'm gonna pull
this card on you. Um, there is something exciting happening.
But I can't talk about it? Okay, is this the
HBO film that you can't name or can you name them?
I don't think I can even name that. But that's much.
(34:45):
There's so much to look forward to it now. This
is a this is a theater project that there's ink
is still drying, drying, and so I was specifically told
that I could not talk about it. So, um, there
you go. You're like, Okay, you could be lying, Michael.
I just put my shades on right now. I'm like, okay, Michael, fine, no, no,
(35:06):
I mean we're we're rooting for you. Um, and we
cannot wait to see, um everything I already know, like
there's such great things coming for you and continuing and
um and I stand Michael gastierjo. So I'm grateful that
you were able to come on when I eat that
and take some time to be with us. Michael, this
(35:29):
is the moment that we've all been waiting for. This
is the moment where I ask you some speed questions,
speed question around. So I need you to get ready.
It's just a couple, but I think you're going to
do great. Here we go. What's a current running TV
show that you'd love to be a part of current
running TV show Succession. You're about to pull off a
(35:51):
big Ocean's eleven type heist. What are you doing stealing
dresses from my daughter? Good ants there? Okay? What reminds
you of home or makes you feel at home? Oh?
Rice and beans, easy, that's it. That's the dish, rice
and beans. When I have good rice and beans tastes
(36:12):
like my mom's. I was gonna say, I was gonna say,
who's cooking it? Though? In your family? Oh my mom,
your mom hands down. Listen. I wish I had some
to send you. I mean, yes, it's it's that's that
soul food that just makes you feel better, no matter
how you felt before. You're like, it's gonna be okay, Michael.
I want to thank you so much for coming on
(36:33):
what Anita. Thank you for sharing with us all of
the secrets have taken me out, all the vibes and
all the things that you're doing and just being open
with us and being here. We really appreciate it. It
has been an honor. Darryl, and all the love back
to you as well. I'm I'm I just have to
say I'm very grateful to be a part of these
conversations because I think you're holding very important space for
(36:55):
our people, and um, I love what you're doing. Keep
it up. Thrend Mona Nita is a production of Sonato
in partnership with I Heart Radios Michael Luda podcast Network.
For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
(37:16):
your favorite shows.
Oh yeah, me hint that. I just want to give
you a heads up. The program you are about to
hear may have some explicit language, it may not. It
also depends on where the vibes and the spirit leads us.
Hope you enjoy Welcome to more Anita, a deep dive
into the Latin X experience. With more Anita, we want
(00:22):
to create a community and a shared space with you
while sharing knowledge and inspiration. This show is about celebrating
our culture with guests who exemplify the best of us.
I'm Darrylene Gastillo, Vito Bueno. Oh yeah, me hinted. Today
(00:42):
we have an amazing episode. We have the Michael Gastillejosts,
who has graced his presence in TV shows such as FBI, PowerBook,
Bull and Orange Is the New Black, and who most
recently was in the Tony of Award winning production of
Take Me Out, starring Jesse Williams and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
(01:06):
Michael and I met on a gig that we booked
together be interstitial host on PBSS Rita Moreno's documentary Just
a Girl who Decided to go for It. After meeting
Michael on set, I was immediately drawn to his story
that I think so many of us Latina folks will
relate to. From mathematician to Broadway and his journey in
(01:27):
this industry is truly inspiring and a leap of faith. Also,
he taps in on how he handles fatherhood through all
of this. Now, if you were wondering, Michael does dive
deep on the controversy of taking me out. Now, if
you were living under a rock, there was a huge
controversy around the Tony Award winning show. Now if you
(01:49):
were living under a rock, there was a huge controversy
around the Tony Award winning play. There's a shower scene
and nudity does take place, and though many safety precaution
were taken, a patron had decided to take a photo
of a very very private moment on stage that then
leaked out to the entire world. Michael gives us the
(02:10):
low down of the energy backstage that day and how
the company moved forward from this public act. Stay tuned
for the juice on this one. I do want to
mention the show made a comeback and is currently running
on Broadway, and I highly recommend you know me, support
the arts. Something that really spoke to me during this interview,
(02:31):
was speaking about his relationship with his wife throughout this journey,
how they as a team have truly made this work.
We speak about some of the pressures within fatherhood and
how he balances it all. Michael states parenting is by
far the most important thing he'll do with his life.
He shares how having hard conversations with his wife have
(02:54):
been extremely impactful and helpful. Now Michael's wife is a
child therapist, which definitely add some balance to this household.
But hearing how invested Michael is as a father really
is evident as he speaks about parenting. There's so much
in this episode, you guys, so stay tuned to happen
(03:15):
than beat them. When Michael Castiller host no relation there
by the way, you guys has entered Moranita officially. Um,
that little joke is from a very incredible gig that
(03:36):
I got to do with Michael. We were hosts. Yeah,
interstitial host, thank you for the proper language. Um. We
did the thing for PBS for Rita Moreno her documentary
soue the Queen of All Queens, and we got to
basically asked people for money. The name of the game.
(03:59):
The name of the game game. Um, and we got
to do that on PBS. Maybe some of you might
have seen it, might have seen our faces. Um, and
I met him and he was currently doing the incredible
play called Take Me Out on Broadway, right, which then
also shortly a few weeks later one a Tony that
(04:20):
I got to give the trophy for because I was
working Tony's and let's be let's be real, I did
I get you in trouble or not? Absolutely hugged you
on stage, and I think one of your castmates was like,
can I get a hug too, I'm like, of course, congratulations. Um.
First off, what an honor to be your friend and
(04:41):
also hand the Tony over. I mean, your squad was
deep on stage. If anybody ever goes back to watch
the Tony's, Um, there was so much crazy energy about
the play because of the controversy of course as well. Actually,
why don't you dive in a little bit about that,
because the play itself was incredible, But I mean, obviously
(05:02):
the controversy brought this crazy. You know, I don't think
it's a spoiler at this point to say that the
majority of the cast appears naked in the show. We
had discussions early on about how we would keep each
other safe, how we would control our privacy, and second
stage Dater, I'll give him a lot of credit. They
(05:22):
had this system where they when when audience members would
come in, they would put their phone in a bag
and it would be locked and everybody had to lock
their phones. And you know, for the most part, it
worked until it didn't. And then one day, you know,
every news outlet from TMZ to the New York Post
(05:42):
to The Times, everyone had this image and images of
one of the shower scenes from the show. And of
course for those of us in the show, the first
thing we did was like, am I in the video?
Oh no, you know, and uh it was actually just uh,
just two of the guys, namely Jesse Williams Lots to
be real, that's who they were really after um, and uh,
(06:07):
you know, it was a weird day, I have to say,
because we all knew it could happen, and you're sort
of each day you're sort of saying, I'm willingly getting
naked for the you know, seven eight hundred thousand people
that are in this room, but that's really all I
wanted to be And and then you know, then it
went kind of global and as these things do nowadays. Um,
(06:30):
so yeah, the show had a lot of buzz and actually,
you know what, it came out the day then Tony
nominations came out, so there was also this kind of
like was this intentional? Was this a move Jesse, you know,
like all of that, which, of course, um, he didn't
want to joke about, so we didn't joke. Um to
his face. No, I didn't know I was gonna was
(06:55):
there like a sense of like seriousness that just kind
of showered over no pun intended, Yeah, showered over the
theater after this video was leaked, Like I can't even imagine.
It was such a weird It was such a weird
week anyway, because um, you know, Jesse Tyler Ferguson was
nominated for Tony as well as in the same category
(07:16):
as Jesse Williams, and also the lesser known but incredibly
talented Michael Oberholtzer was also nominated, So there was also
this dynamic of like, we're all comrades, were all friends,
it's a very friendly cast, but then these three are
all competing for the same Tony, So it was already
kind of weird, and then Jesse Tyler Ferguson got COVID
(07:38):
that week, so it was it was just all like
everyone's like, who is everybody? And you know, it's a
known thing in the Broadway industry. Tony Week is always
like the nomination we It's always a weird week in
the theater, in the space. I think everybody has experienced
some of that, and I've heard that multiple times. UM, okay, great,
take me out. You did the thing the CONTI prest
(08:00):
you guys wanted Tony. It happened. I already spoke about
your incredible um TV appearances from New Amsterdam to FBI
to Power Book to Bowl to arms Black. Tell us
how this started for you? You know, it's so funny,
it's it's not a likely story. UM My my parents,
So my parents are from Mexico. UM. They immigrated over
(08:26):
um in and around my childhood. So UM for the
early parts of my my story, they were undocumented. And
I think a lot of folks in this community know
what that means, you know, And you know, I think
it was as likely as not that we would have
ended up back in Mexico. That obviously would have been
(08:47):
a very different trajectory. And it's interesting because I have
a lot of cousins. I have a cousin who's who
does musical theater, UM, who wishes she was here doing
this um. And we have conversations from i'm the time
about um just how things outside of either of our
control led us to where we are now. And she's
(09:07):
doing great, She's doing really, really beautiful work in Central America.
But UM, yeah, you know, I honestly never thought my
first thing on Broadway would be, uh, a play. I'm
a singer first and foremost a musician, and I thought
for sure it would be one of the millions of
things I had auditioned for over the years, and UM,
(09:29):
you know, life has a funny way, right this play
When I first read it, I mean, it was one
that I had known from when it would first happen
a couple of decades ago. I told my wife, like,
this play is incredible. I have to do this play,
and um, it's a journey that included, I have to say,
for those those listening to her actors, UM, it included
(09:51):
an audition where I took my socks and shoes off
and threw them at the reader. And so I have
to say that to it was definitely something where I
was like so frustrated with my career and not getting
the parts that I wanted that I said, this audition,
I'm going all the way. I'm going to make the
crazy choice that I normally talk myself out of. And
(10:15):
so there's a scene where I get into a fight
in the locker room and I thought, they, I know
that I'm supposed to show them in this audition that
I'm willing to get naked and that I'm crazy, So
why not just take my socks and shoes off and
throw them? And I did, and I got the part
um but yeah, socks and shoes throw them at the uh,
(10:38):
I'm pretty sure After I did that, the director, Scott
Ellis was like get out of here, you know, but
like it was like in a good way, and I
was like, I called my wife. I was like, hey,
I think I might actually get this one. You do
something like that and you take a chance and you
book it. It was my parents like wedding anniversary the
weekend of final callbacks. We had booked a trip to
(10:59):
surprise them, to to like make this whole big deal
to celebrate their anniversary, and of course that was when
Final callbacks would taking me out happened, and so I
had to change my flight and blah blah blah and
fly back. And I was like, it's like, it's like
the golden rule, right, Do you want to book a job,
book a vacation first, and that's when you'll exactly, that's
(11:19):
when they're going to need you. That's when actually the
gig it might even be starting. Yeah, exactly. So I
want to touch based back on your roots and beginning here,
it wasn't something that was always supported by your parents.
(11:41):
Was that always something that was embedded in you from
a young age or was it something that just grew
later on, you know, amazingly and to their credit, yes,
you know. I I'm just trying to think back through.
Was there ever a time where they were like, hey,
you need to get serious? And I don't think there
really ever was. You know, like, my dad was a
(12:01):
mechanic and he, you know, just well that's the only
job you can get when you're you know, a teenager,
twenty year old undocumented. I've asked him sometimes like what
did you want to be? Dad? And I think he
was like, I don't know, I've ever had that opportunity
to think in those terms. And I think a lot
of children of immigrants and immigrants themselves than what they
(12:22):
get is hey, kid, I came up the hard way,
so you need to be serious. Gobi a doctor, go
be a lawyer, you know all that. But my parents
were always like, follow your heart. I mean to this day,
like my mom gives me the not the toughest feedback,
but the strongest feedback where she's like, if she sees
me seeing something or do something, she's like, she still
(12:45):
calls me Mikey. Sometimes she'd be like, Mikey, do it
from your heart. You know, they appreciate it more because
of their struggle, Like we had to endure so many
things to come to this country and stay in this
country and give you the life that you've had so
that you can be free to follow your love. And
(13:05):
when I first moved to New York, as many actors do,
it was tough times. There were times and I was like, where,
you know, how am I going to eat? You know,
and and they were they were there for me when
that happened. They would come and visit. My mom would
cook a bunch of food, you know, so um, yeah,
it's it's it's something. Though at the same time, I
(13:26):
feel like, um, maybe it's a cliche to say this,
but I feel like what they gave me and my
siblings was this the sense of a work ethic, the
sense of like, we may not have the resources that
everybody else has, but we're gonna work twice as hard.
The life of the theater takes a lot of work,
takes a lot of dedication. There's not a lot of
(13:46):
easy days, even when it's going well. You know, h
shows a week is a grind, you know. So, yeah,
I give a lot of credit to my parents, something
that I'm reminded of every time when I speak to
some of about this or hear what you just mentioned.
But it's like this privilege that you and I were given,
(14:06):
coming from immigrant parents, of even being able to think, oh,
I would like to do this, where you know, our
parents had to go through the moments of I don't
have the privilege of asking myself that I have to
do this to provide or right to or put food
(14:28):
on the table and to keep this roof over our heads,
so that one day you and I can have that
opportunity to say I want to be an actor, I
want to be an artist, I want to whatever it
is I want to be a doctor. I want to
be a lawyer, to have that that privilege. It's just
something special. It's heartbreaking, and it's it's it's so much
(14:50):
in there. Yeah, you know, I'll never forget, like there
are hard days as an actor. You know, I have
two kids, and maybe we'll talk about that at some point,
but like, there are hard days in making all these
things work, and I'll never forget. Though. When I was
a kid, I have distinct memories of we still lived
in Mexico at this point, but we lived near the
border and my parents would get up, I mean it
(15:12):
had to have been three or four in the morning
to get us ready for school, drive us to the
border cross and they put us into schools on the
U S side. And yeah, I mean it was it
was something that there were easier roads for them to go.
But I think they could see into the future, to
(15:33):
see into I give them a lot of credit to
to where myself and my siblings are in our lives
and with our families, and they were like, it's worth
this sacrifice. And like you said, it's so true of
the generation after the immigrant generation. That's like, man, I
don't have to think about any of that. I just
I just got given such a head start, and you
(15:55):
never want to take it for granted, right right, right,
So then when you're at these high moments, you really
are just soaking it all in. And that's what I
appreciate about you, especially when we were just like on
this one day gig together. There was just such like
a deep appreciation to what you do. And I always
admire that when I see that in fellow actors, because
we see a lot of different kinds of people industry, yes,
(16:16):
but also to be able to see that in a
fellow Latina actor who understood that and got that, I mean,
we immediately bonded over that lingo right when we met.
Um just to lock it all in. You were born
where and you grew up? I'm curious about all the
pieces there at the puzzle. So I was. I was
born in Texas, in a little town, not that little anymore, Odessa,
(16:39):
And then we moved back to Mexico when I was
really little, and then I think when I was too
we moved back full time to the States, but we
were kind of we lived pretty near the border, so
we would go back and forth in Huettas, Mexico, and
acting was always a thing. You were always like doing it.
You were just always a performer. Both of my parents
(17:01):
and famis are very big, and we had like the
prototypical like big family gatherings, right, And a lot of
people were musicians, a lot of people were theatrical, good storytellers,
and I think I just learned from an early age
you've got to command the room. And so my parents
would talk about that typical thing where I would like
(17:21):
walk in and say something funny and everyone would start laughing,
and then I would cry because I thought everyone was
laughing at me. Um, And you know, and and so
it kind of grew from there too. In school, doing
singing in the chorus, you know, doing the little school
play things. Um. You know what was actually really formative
the national tour of Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoad
(17:44):
came through. We were living in Dallas at that point,
and I got a role as one of the kids,
and I would have been like seventh grade. And it
was that I'm sure you've had that shift where it
was like going from watching theater two being in the
show and realizing, oh, this is doable, I can do this.
(18:05):
It was actually very heartbreaking because I know, I was
like I was working out on like a production contract
like Broadway, you know, the national Tour, and then I
was like, I gotta go back to being a kid.
And there's not a lot of like kid parts in Dallas, Texas. Um,
but you know what, I'm stuck with it. Yeah. Again,
it's that immigrant mentality of like, you can't kill me.
(18:28):
You know, I'll tell you, I'll tell you kill me.
You can't kill me. You know, I'm gonna work hard
and stick with it and won't quit. Um. And then
that brings you to New York City. So when I
first came to New York, I was actually a math teacher. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well it's so funny because so most people know about
Teach for America, which is this program where you know,
(18:50):
they hire you to teach in unders well, New York
City used to have a program of its own called
the Teaching Fellows, and they would pay you a bonus
to move to New York to teach math. So I
applied and got in and they gave me five thousand
dollars to move to New York. On the other end
(19:10):
of that, I had to actually teach. I was supposed
to teach for two years and I taught for one
and somewhere in there, um, my wife just kind of
looked at me and said, you're dying. You're not on
earth to be a math teacher. At first, I was like,
but they're paying for a master's degree in math education.
(19:31):
It was completely free, and something inside me that like
immigrant work ethic, was like, you don't turn away a
free master's And I give my wife credit for being like, hey,
but it's killing you. And you know that you're supposed
to be on stage. So I quit. I quit, and
I had nothing, absolutely nothing lined up. I mean I
(19:54):
didn't have my equity card. I Uh, nobody knew who
I was. I did know who anybody was or how
anything worked. All I knew is that my mom thought
I had a good voice. And yeah, I mean I
went to school. I went to school to sing um.
But it was like more classical stuff, you know, and um,
it was not It was not likely that I'd still
(20:18):
be here for sure. And then what was everything that
put it into gear for you? What was the liquid
that just lighted the fire? What was that? Because it
seems like from that moment to where you are now.
I mean, there's so much that's filled that. Yeah, that's
a really good question. Um, Honestly, I feel like I've
(20:43):
I've gotten so lucky with friends, like working with people
who then are like, hey, you're good, Um, come be
in this thing. Everybody's journey is so different and you
can't you can't, like you know, I don't care how
many like actor workshops you take or whatever. Your journey
is just going to be different. And so like for me,
it was I got my first agent because a friend
(21:06):
was like, Hey, I'm auditioning for this agent. Will you
be my scene partner? And so I did, and the
agent was like I don't want that one. I want
you and we're not spoken to her since so yeah,
but um, you know, and then uh, from that, I
got this really cool showcase with the NBC Diversity Showcase,
(21:29):
which I highly recommend for all the actors out there. Showcase. Yeah,
and it's cool because that really was for me like
an introduction because they you know, you do the showcase
and then they bring in the executives at NBC obviously
who you get to know, but then they're all of
the casting directors in New York will go to that.
(21:49):
That was like my first, um, eye opening moment to say, oh,
at some level, this is still like a relationship business
and I have to know these people and become known
by these people. I didn't realize how little I knew
and how decisions really got made and who made those decisions,
and that there have been key moments in my career
where I've been like, oh, I've been knocking on this door,
(22:11):
but actually the door that matters is this door, or
the person that matters is this door, And everybody in
New York will tell you that they matter. But I
started to realize this is more how this really works. Um.
So that was helpful and UH ended up getting a
manager from that, and um, you know, and then and
then it like it it's it sounds so like compressed
(22:33):
when you say all these things are like different things
that I've done, but it's it's been stretched out over time,
and there's lots of like commercials and hosting jobs, and
I mean literally, Darylyn, there is nothing that I have
not done. I mean from like, um, I've I've modeled,
I've I've done voiceover stuff for video games. Like I
(22:58):
like to say, I'm a new York actor. I'm like,
I don't say no really, so like people like do
do theater? Do do TV? I'm like, I don't know.
Does it help with food on the table? Yeah, but
you have to have that mentality to It's like that's
the one thing that I completely agree with you on
that I mean in this industry. Yeah, there's okay, we
talk about mental health and like what to say no
(23:19):
to and like things like that. Yes, but like in
this industry there is that mentality. Especially when I completely
get the New York actor thing. It's like, yeah, what
you want me to skate on my head? Like I
don't know if I can do it, but like do
you have skates? Like let me figure it out. Let's
let's give it a you know what I mean, Like,
let's let's see what we can do. Let's see how
we can make this work. I one of my things
(23:41):
is I play a lot of different instruments, but there's
plenty of that. I don't play um, but people will
be like, hey, I see that you play you know,
um banjo. We actually needed a tuba player, am U.
When's your show? Okay? Yeah, I could give you give
me some time, um which honestly is funny is something
(24:03):
of a Mexican stereotype. Um, not necessarily in the music world,
but like this idea of like all my uncles are like,
what do you need? You need an electrician? Yeah, I
can do that. You need a roofer, Yeah, my cousin
does that. Meanwhile, no one does any of them. And
they're like, well learn, well, learn totally. You just you
(24:25):
will teach us. Yeah, we'll figure it out. We got that.
Who Yeah, it's so funny. But also in listening to
your story, something that really is a highlight for me,
and something that really stands out is that it seems
like when you came in and realizing like, oh I
(24:48):
need to talk to that person not that person, or
like I need to shift my folks. Like it's a
very important thing that I think a lot of actors forget.
It's the mentality of reminding yourself that, oh, are all
this is a business. Everybody loves the arts and the
creativity of it. But if you don't have that business
savvy side to you, if you don't have that ability
(25:09):
to view through that lens of also the business lens,
then it gets tricky. It gets it can get harder
and it can get tricky one like you were saying,
like knowing your boundaries and what to say no to.
I feel like now I'm at a place where the
stuff I say no to is when I talk to
someone and it's clear you you don't have it quite straight.
(25:31):
When people have confused like the passion and the money
side of things and so like, especially in the theater world,
where people are like, hey, can you come give us
like six months of your life, you know, a bag
a bag of peanuts and a water bottle. You're like, hmmmm, well,
let's think about that. Um, It's not like they make
this easy. You know. It's like a lot of the
(25:53):
information is buying closed doors or it's like you know,
I'm sure in your journey and theater you're like, you know,
once you get in the room with I mean, the
amazing people that you've been in the room with, they're
all nice. It's not like they're like hate actors and
they're trying to keep you out. It's just there's a
lot of actors and they have to have like they
have to make it a little bit opaque how the
thing works. But then once you're in the room, they're like, hey, Darylin. Yeah, great,
(26:17):
like do your thing absolutely. I have to say, I
listen to your show. I'm a fan and I love
I don't know which episode it was where you were
talking about um working with a music director from uh
I think it was from Hamilton's maybe, and they were like,
we hired you to be you yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, No,
(26:38):
I go deep in the catalog. Um. But I I
say that to say, I think it's like that where
it's like the walls are up in this industry until
they're down and then it's like, yeah, be you. Like like,
I can't tell you how many times I've been on
a TV set and they're like, you talk to the
director thinking you're going to get some feedback and like
just what do you think do do what you think, Michael,
(26:59):
what you think the character wants there? And you're like, yeah,
sure sure, let me just grab my notes real quick. Um. Yeah.
I think it's always like a yeah, And it's easy
to forget that when you're in the flow, in the hustle,
in the bustle just trying to like you know, you're
getting yourself tapes a week and you're trying to do
(27:20):
the thing and not overthink it, and of course, naturally,
I don't know about you. I overthink it, um, and
then you get in the room, and you got in
the room and you're like still overthinking it. And then
they're like, hey, we're just people, Like we're just here
to do the thing. Yeah. I'm fascinated with you, especially
(27:47):
like you being a father of two and holding it
down in this industry. And I believe your wife used
to be in the industry as well. She was an artist,
she was a dancer. Yeah, she's a therapist now thankfully
kick ass there from the last time we talked about
I'm so, how how do you do it? I'm sure
(28:08):
having a therapist in the house helps? Well? She she
she's a children's therapist, so she is the rock. How
do you handle the weight on your end and the pressures?
And I'm sure the men who are listening to this
maybe can relate to some of that pressure. Well, listen.
I think parenting is by far the most important thing
(28:31):
I'll do with my life. It's by far the most
impactful and the thing that I'll be most proud of.
I think, um, no matter what happens in my career,
and I think that my wife and I had. We
had some some hard conversations when our oldest who's now five,
(28:52):
when she was one, we were broke. I couldn't get hired,
like not just not acting. You know, when you act
for a while and then you'd like try to get
a jobbit like Trader Joe's. They're like, wait, what do
you mean. You haven't had a real job in ten years.
You're like, I don't know, I've just been acting, and
they're like, no, I don't know. We don't want to
hire you. But you know, I had a little baby,
and so we were thinking we might have to leave
(29:12):
the city and I was gonna do something else, and
we decided to stick it out. And part of that
was what one of the things that we wanted to
give our kids was this sense of we are going
after the things that make us come alive as people.
(29:35):
And my one of the things my wife says to
her clients and therapy is the best thing you can
do for your kids is to be okay yourself. That's
what they need from you more than anything, because more
than anything you say or do, they need you to
be okay. That that idea of like putting your mask
on first. So sorry that in the like plane thing
(29:57):
when they're like, hey, ladies and gentlemen, if this, put
your mask on first, and then help your kid. And
that's the same is true in parenting. Um, and so
most recently and to take me out experience, UM, you know,
I was gone for most nights and and missed bedtime
and all of that, and that came as a loss
to my kids in a certain sense. But by the
(30:20):
flip side, they got so into Broadway and so into
like the Tony's. My daughter, we took her to the
Central Park Zoo one day, and this was before we
were nominated for the Tony We're walking up Fifth Avenue
and she looks at the Alexander McQueen store and she
sees this ten thousand dollar dress. She's like, Data, that's
(30:43):
what I'm gonna wear to the Tony's. And I was like,
it hadn't even been announced that the Tonies we're gonna happen.
We don't know if we're gonna get nominated, and I
don't know if I'm gonna go. And she's like, oh, no, Data,
that's what I'm gonna wear. And I was like, this
is beautiful, Like this is our process. This is our story.
And you know when we actually did get nominated and
(31:04):
one she didn't get to go, but she was so excited.
And um, actually yesterday I'm playing in the Broadway Softball
League for take Me Out. Yeah, of course, come on,
come on, take me out of the Baseball Show. We
had to uh we we lost to a Laddin yesterday.
I'm sad to report, but but but you know what,
like it was so much fun to take her and
(31:29):
my son and they were just like sitting in the
bleachers and I was like, what what a gift in
their childhood. They're just sitting around with like in Middle
Central Park watching the softball game, and like everyone's doting
on them. Um. I give the theater community a lot
of credit. They love kids, and it's you know, every
(31:49):
time I bring them around, Um, it's been special. And
even in the cast, Um, Jesse Tyler has a kid
and he's gonna about to have another one. Him and
his partner and a bunch of the guys have young children.
So it's like, you know, the show about like whatever,
and and we're all most of us would just sit
around the dressing room and talk about our kids and like, hey,
do you have you tried this new baby food or
(32:11):
have you tried to say that? So it's also fun
because it's very humanizing. Now you guys have it the
locker room talk, take me out, the cast to take
me out? No, I think it's so heartwarming to see
the kids getting invested and involved, and when you know,
now you've got to get ready to buy this ten
dollar Alexander daughter sounds like you have your hands full. Oh,
(32:36):
she knows what she wants, that's for sure. Um, Michael,
I know there's probably, like I mean, after you're in
a Tony Award winning play, what is I hate when
people ask me this question? And I can see it
in your face, But yeah, what is the future holding
for you? And I asked that with complete openness because
(32:57):
I know how heavy that question can be after giving
yourself for so much time to such this project like
take me out. Um. A lot of times I think
when people ask that question, they don't realize there's so
much that you've just given yourself to this project. But um,
how are you spending your time now after the win
and the projects that you're focusing on and the rooms
(33:18):
that you want to be a part of. Well, I'll
tell you. The thing I'm most excited about is we
are taking a vacation next next week. You know, it
was crazy. We we closed on a Saturday. The Tony's
were the very next day, and then I started a
film for HBO the very next day after that, so literally,
(33:40):
you know Tony's win, and then um, like it was
really shady and down low about where the after party was,
and so I went to one and then I went
to another and it was two in the morning, and
I was like, I have to get up to film
something tomorrow. And they went to like six in the morning,
but I I ducked out, but literally I was like,
(34:01):
I need to rest. And then I had a started,
uh work on a new play um with Austin Pendleton.
It's a really cool story. UM that kind of dives
into the priest scandal, uh like abuse scandal. Um. But
that's kind of taking me to now. And now I'm like,
I need a vacation. Now it's time for you to
(34:22):
go chill, get a magarita. The kids going oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's great. Um. And then after that, I'm gonna pull
this card on you. Um, there is something exciting happening.
But I can't talk about it? Okay, is this the
HBO film that you can't name or can you name them?
I don't think I can even name that. But that's much.
(34:45):
There's so much to look forward to it now. This
is a this is a theater project that there's ink
is still drying, drying, and so I was specifically told
that I could not talk about it. So, um, there
you go. You're like, Okay, you could be lying, Michael.
I just put my shades on right now. I'm like, okay, Michael, fine, no, no,
(35:06):
I mean we're we're rooting for you. Um, and we
cannot wait to see, um everything I already know, like
there's such great things coming for you and continuing and
um and I stand Michael gastierjo. So I'm grateful that
you were able to come on when I eat that
and take some time to be with us. Michael, this
(35:29):
is the moment that we've all been waiting for. This
is the moment where I ask you some speed questions,
speed question around. So I need you to get ready.
It's just a couple, but I think you're going to
do great. Here we go. What's a current running TV
show that you'd love to be a part of current
running TV show Succession. You're about to pull off a
(35:51):
big Ocean's eleven type heist. What are you doing stealing
dresses from my daughter? Good ants there? Okay? What reminds
you of home or makes you feel at home? Oh?
Rice and beans, easy, that's it. That's the dish, rice
and beans. When I have good rice and beans tastes
(36:12):
like my mom's. I was gonna say, I was gonna say,
who's cooking it? Though? In your family? Oh my mom,
your mom hands down. Listen. I wish I had some
to send you. I mean, yes, it's it's that's that
soul food that just makes you feel better, no matter
how you felt before. You're like, it's gonna be okay, Michael.
I want to thank you so much for coming on
(36:33):
what Anita. Thank you for sharing with us all of
the secrets have taken me out, all the vibes and
all the things that you're doing and just being open
with us and being here. We really appreciate it. It
has been an honor. Darryl, and all the love back
to you as well. I'm I'm I just have to
say I'm very grateful to be a part of these
conversations because I think you're holding very important space for
(36:55):
our people, and um, I love what you're doing. Keep
it up. Thrend Mona Nita is a production of Sonato
in partnership with I Heart Radios Michael Luda podcast Network.
For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to
(37:16):
your favorite shows.
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